tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86999834110886848642024-02-21T04:52:27.992-06:00Fighting the PudgeBalancing Healthy Eating with a Healthy OutlookMacKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13283377313599436671noreply@blogger.comBlogger124125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699983411088684864.post-32394622980067475802012-04-30T21:41:00.001-05:002012-04-30T21:41:45.630-05:00Kings Mountain Marathon, Complete!Kings Mountain Marathon, NC! 26.2 complete! April 21, 2012. What an awesome 6 months of training and the girls I trained with in my Galloway group have become a much closer group to me. The 13.1 with Donna in Jacksonville, Fl was such an amazing experience, I will post more about it shortly. It's only April and I have my first marathon under my belt! I already have my sights set on my next marathon in October. I have picture and stories to share, but now it's time for bed. I can't believe tomorrow is May 1st. Where has the time gone?Rainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03069197906000012449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699983411088684864.post-50627928349741799352011-12-30T19:36:00.002-06:002011-12-30T19:43:35.668-06:002011 is Drawing to a CloseI am watching "Spirit of the Marathon" on Netflix right now and it is just the boost I needed. I ran my October 29th 1/2 marathon in Greenville, SC and felt great. My buddy Mel trained and ran right along side me. The ankle really held up and I was quite pleased. This was by far the most well organized and exciting race I have done to date. The best part was meeting my running hero Jeff Galloway the night before when my husband went to a dinner with me and waited while I got to chat with Jeff for a short bit. What a terrific man. He makes all the time in the world to really talk to people. The following Saturday I joined a Galloway training group and have met a terrific group of men and woman. We have been training for the 26.2 with Donna in Jacksonville, FL (I am running the half). This group has given me the missing sense of community I had been longing for and has helped me to become a fast runner. I've made several new friends and feel terrific going into this New Year with a good deal of training already under my belt. This next year will definitely bring a marathon! Happy New Year! Happy Running! 26.2 I see you!Rainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03069197906000012449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699983411088684864.post-78299294467043723972011-09-24T10:16:00.003-05:002011-09-24T10:22:14.069-05:00First Day of FallIt's September, and the crisp weather feels great. I sprained my ankle July 26th while training for my October 29th marathon. I had to wear a "space boot" for a few weeks and start a physical therapy regimen. It has now been almost two months and I have been off the trail almost this whole time. I just went for my first run this morning with my group and it felt awesome. We completed just over 2 1/2 miles and I was so happy to be out this morning. I have had a few nice walks with the dog these past two Saturday's, but I am anxious to see how my October race will go. I have decided to downgrade to the 1.2 marathon, as I have been out of training for too long. I'll schedule another one for several months out and get back into training. So nice to be back!Rainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03069197906000012449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699983411088684864.post-3023729118326573012011-04-10T08:03:00.010-05:002011-04-10T09:48:30.704-05:0013.1!!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcDl-K7cBrT5UgBTvPI5kDKRFTHpZDVsqvDoUlBQR8BERue1361VJQW9SkKN5x3144BT_nVJZdQdb2UtYjkUNwQNhNuYRSV2ndceaX35gQrXmO3hB9fBh8oFY-sovvrcd3TmIW6Trqf5I/s1600/First+13.1+Run.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcDl-K7cBrT5UgBTvPI5kDKRFTHpZDVsqvDoUlBQR8BERue1361VJQW9SkKN5x3144BT_nVJZdQdb2UtYjkUNwQNhNuYRSV2ndceaX35gQrXmO3hB9fBh8oFY-sovvrcd3TmIW6Trqf5I/s320/First+13.1+Run.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593945978315348402" /></a><br /><br />On April 2, 2011, I completed my first half marathon training run ever! Mel, Brandon, and I had an awesome morning on Swamp Rabbit Trail and we finished with a killer up hill to the coffee shop. Danielle and Jenny joined us for the last 4 miles, and we were all laughing at ourselves when it was time to leave the table and go home...there was a lot of moaning to accompany our stiffness. We wore it like a trophy!<br /><br />To date I have lost 8lbs! I have always exercised, but nothing has ever made the weight come off. I was so excited to see 161lbs on the scale this morning. I just might actually see the 150s soon. I never thought that would be possible. <br /><br />I have also been pleasantly surprised at how much my running ability has changed. I have been running 4.5 miles every Thursday with a friend and working up to 0 walk breaks to change up the distance run/walk training we are using for the Marathon. I still need small walk breaks sometimes, and take them, but it is so much easier now.<br /><br />The high school where I work hosted a 5K race yesterday (April 9, 2011) to support two wonderful women and their fight against breast cancer. Christie, one of the two amazing women, is a runner! She completed 6 miles before the race, and another 6 after. What a rock star!<br /><br />This is Jessica, my Thursday running buddy, and I at the finish line.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic_1CUKQ8ZSSu1Tgv0j_NDYEAMV35j2aT0ArL_Nl-8xYmguJj6PJsuFhRHx1wRdkCPoW30B2ng-4OA7OZhF9o8gJBr1VkSO-ObX3Te3JYDd4McTbIjeqPDubZX5Lmttr2WI-tmHxvMXNY/s1600/SHS+5K+4.9.2011+Raina+and+Jessica.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic_1CUKQ8ZSSu1Tgv0j_NDYEAMV35j2aT0ArL_Nl-8xYmguJj6PJsuFhRHx1wRdkCPoW30B2ng-4OA7OZhF9o8gJBr1VkSO-ObX3Te3JYDd4McTbIjeqPDubZX5Lmttr2WI-tmHxvMXNY/s320/SHS+5K+4.9.2011+Raina+and+Jessica.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593950522032123138" /></a><br /><br />It was hot and muggy, and I ran the whole thing just to see if I could! It felt amazing. I finished in 38 minutes, and then discovered the distance ended up being 3.5 miles instead of 3.18...so that's even better. I won a $10 restaurant gift certificate in a raffle and had a free massage too! <br /><br />I was looking through some old photos and came across this one from the summer of 2004. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSWoBqE-ezZacXUkA3pXD2GHef-eODiyp3wO8MwdW_vs-psHgGGr3nRgQkd-hCFNj-U1Pv-wpcqkKUGfYd2ePYvPNLEdE9Njq2GpegITPj2rQ99Mnknm2ZFQNHoWp6q5AB4Sd6NxVCRw8/s1600/Raina+and+Jolie+Camp+2004+copy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 156px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSWoBqE-ezZacXUkA3pXD2GHef-eODiyp3wO8MwdW_vs-psHgGGr3nRgQkd-hCFNj-U1Pv-wpcqkKUGfYd2ePYvPNLEdE9Njq2GpegITPj2rQ99Mnknm2ZFQNHoWp6q5AB4Sd6NxVCRw8/s320/Raina+and+Jolie+Camp+2004+copy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593952233894982434" /></a><br /><br />I was 25 and about 145lbs. That's a 16lb difference from my current weight. What a difference in my face! But, I am really seeing some changes just in the 8lbs I have lost. I would love to reach this weight again :-) That's my current goal. I've never set a weight goal before, ever. So, here's to it!Rainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03069197906000012449noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699983411088684864.post-20005507985767089562011-03-06T19:29:00.022-06:002012-04-30T21:42:11.253-05:00Let the Torture Begin!Kings Mountain Marathon, NC! 26.2 complete! April 21, 2012. What an awesome 6 months of training and the girls I trained with in my Galloway group have become a much closer group to me. The 13.1 with Donna in Jacksonville, Fl was such an amazing experience, I will post more about it shortly. It's only April and I have my first marathon under my belt! I already have my sights set on my next marathon in October. I have picture and stories to share, but now it's time for bed. I can't believe tomorrow is May 1st. Where has the time gone?Rainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03069197906000012449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699983411088684864.post-88538483629501862752011-02-13T10:56:00.021-06:002011-03-06T20:56:35.302-06:00Beautiful Weekend Weather!Stephen and I just returned from a beautiful walk downtown Greenville with our dog Charlie. The weather this weekend has just been gorgeous and has really helped the winter blues to start going away. This brisk walk to the dog park and back helped get my workout week off to a good start. Thanks Stephen for your Sunday morning motivation and energy! Even Charlie seemed to need some real outdoor time. He had great fun romping around with the other dogs.<br /><br /><b>After the race...</b><br />I completed the Green Valley Road Race 8K yesterday and was so proud of Margie and Danielle for completing their 2nd ever race! Mel and Brandon really pushed themselves and finished well ahead! A nice surprise was to see Jessica at the race too!<br /><br />The course was not well marked at all, so we ended up completing somewhere around 5.3-5.5 miles instead of 5. Jessica ended up doing an extra 2 miles! She was running in the same race and they sent her a different way than us!?? :-( It was weird, but I still had a nice time.<br /><br />I ended up downtown later in the afternoon because it had finally warmed up from 22 to 53 degrees! Much better than the freezing morning temp! And every family and jogger in Greenville seemed to have the same idea as me; be outside! I ended up briskly walking another 2.9 miles for a total of around 8 miles for the day.<br /><br />Now that I am tracking my training load points each week, I knew I needed more to reach my goal for the week, so this extra walk got me there. I want to run the 10k I have planned for March 5th with good effort. To do this, I need to be completing between 800 to 1,000 points per week. Last week I logged a total of 831pts and this week was 925! Yeah! :-) By training this way, I can really see how much effort I am exerting and I am very mindful about the effort I put into each workout. I didn't do this before and this is really helpful. I am still using Jeff Galloway's training run distance schedule for the 1/2 marathon (April 30th) and I am doing pretty well with my distance, but I am getting to the point now that I am going to have to step it up even more during the weeks to come. Joining Jessica on Thursday after school for speed/endurance runs will definitely help me here. Now I have had incredible energy this week; I just pray this continues through eating better and getting a good nights sleep.<br /><br />Thanks to <a href="http://www.laurenruns.com" target="_blank">Lauren Runs</a>' <a href="http://laurenruns.com/2011/02/13/frustrating-week/" target="_blank">latest blog post</a>, I have an idea of how to meet my long run goals and still continue with my Saturday group planned runs when our distance goals are not the same. So this coming Saturday, I am scheduled to train for 8 miles, but we are currently run/walking our upcoming 10k road course. I think I will attempt to go out earlier than normal and run 2 miles before I meet with the group, so that I can log my 8 miles for the day. I wouldn't miss running with my friends on Saturday morning for the world! This is my saving grace and motivation!!! However, the following Saturday calls for a shorter run of 3 miles, so should I meet up with them part way through their run? Hmmm. Reading other blogs and joining <a href="http://www.sparkpeople.com" target="_blank">SparkPeople.com</a>'s <a href="http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=3692218" target="blank">13.1 blog group</a> has helped a ton. Any suggestions would be welcome.<br /><br />Here's to a great week of warm weather! Boy is it needed. I've had some crappy motivation. It's the people around me completing goals and getting out there that keeps me going, like <a href="http://jewonadiet.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Mel Edwards</a> and her super amazing goal-setting! Thanks everyone.Rainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03069197906000012449noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699983411088684864.post-10210479799904776792011-02-10T21:04:00.003-06:002011-02-13T13:39:46.775-06:008K On the HorizonThese past two weeks have been exhilarating, challenging, frustrating, painful, and so so satisfying!<br />
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Twelve days ago, on a Friday night, I hit the pool at the Y with a vengeance. The swim workout posted was for 3,250 yards and I knew I could do it. I made it to 2700 yards and got kicked out of the pool because the Y was closing. Booo! I didn't pay attention to the earlier closing hour. Oh well, 2700 yards! Woohoo!<br />
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But, I had to stop a few times to knead out an on setting charlie horse. This ended up plaguing me over the next week in the form of a severely tight and tender right calf muscle. It may not have helped that my Saturday group run consisted of a new 10K route. I tried to rest it for 2 days, but I felt the need to walk it out and see if that would make it feel better. I did that and it felt good (1 hour walk on the treadmill). I ended up running 4 miles on the treadmill the next night because I was both itching to get moving and moving just felt better. After talking to a Y Wellness trainer, I decided to take the next day off and rub it with bio freeze. That was a "duh" moment for me. I use that stuff on my back whenever I am having pain. Needless to say, resting, exercising, and gelling my calf all helped, but gosh was it painful to the touch.<br />
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The first Saturday after our 5K race took us to new heights. We mapped out our new 10K road race route for March 5th. This was a tough day for everyone as we were not all feeling our best. The next Saturday was much better. A much more positive attitude was buzzing for the group. I needed the run and the company because I had had a bad morning. I had to meet the group at Coffee to a Tea after they had completed the first mile and then I was good to go. It was such a beautiful, drizzly crisp morning. Lunch at the coffee shop after was the highlight :-).<br />
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On another note, I started using my heart rate monitor as a training tool. I've had it for months, and used it sometimes, but I never knew what a powerful tool it could be! Mel runs with one and I would sometimes hear her say she was working in a certain zone and meeting her 85% target hear rate. I was so curious about it that I pulled my HRM manual out and discovered a plethora of information. Oh man, was it frustrating and infuriating when I first tried following a sample workout and did a few of my normal ones, only to discover I was not working hard enough to keep my heart rate in my 85% target zone! I just didn't believe the numbers. I just decided to not stare at it and not worry about it. That was too frustrating. Low and behold, once I took to the streets and was running at my normal rate, my heart rate was cooperating too. I started keeping a chart logging roughtly how many minutes I was working in each of my heart rate zones (there are 5). There is a simple math formula to calculate minutes worked vs heart rate zone to yield a "training load." Timex's (my HRM brand) training chart suggests to complete a training load of 800-1000 points in a week to be able to complete a 10K, 700-1000 to maintain your current weight, and much more for that marathon I want to run this year. Once I felt comfortable changing up my running routine with my monitor, I really knew I had some powerful information in my hands.<br />
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I am an excel junkie and love charts and organization, so I converted my paper chart to an electronic one with pretty formulas that will give me immediate feedback after each workout. I am now able to walk, bike, run, and do all sorts of cardio workouts, enter my information, and visually see what my training load yielded for each workout and what my current total for the week is. It's awesome to compare one workout to another and see the numbers. Last weeks total was 831 points for may training load, so I was quite happy. So far this week, I am at 541. <br />
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I am running an 8K this Saturday and am quite looking forward to it. Danielle, Margie, and I will run it together. Mel and Brandon are going to go for their best time possible, as they both need qualifying times for placement in the Disney Marathon next January! Go Mel and Brandon Go! <br />
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I am not too worried about time on this one because I had a pretty hard run after work today with my friend Jessica. She is a runner! No 1/1 pace on this run. We had awesome weather and completed 4.6 miles through the park in 59 minutes. This included a potty break and several short walking breaks. My buns were feeling those hills. Jessica can do this with her hands tied and set a pace slower than she normally runs, but it kept me in my 85-90% heart rate zone for 54 minutes!! A few times I got over the 90% mark, so I cut it back there. I don't think I would have pushed myself that hard if I had gone by myself. So glad you decided to come out after all Jessica! We are going to make this a regular thing on Thursday's after work. I am really looking forward to becoming a faster runner and changing up my run/walk routine just for something different. <br />
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Here we come 8K!Rainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03069197906000012449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699983411088684864.post-52037779875349994032011-02-01T22:09:00.000-06:002011-02-01T22:09:28.673-06:00Snowed InHappy February everyone! Chicago is currently covered under a fresh blanket of snow, as the 2011 Snowpocalypse has finally showed itself. The Windy City is supposed to get 18 inches of snow overnight and it's not supposed to stop snowing until Thursday. Wowsa! I think Punxsutawney Phil will predict that there's much more winter on the horizon come Groundhog's Day tomorrow. <br />
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Anyhow, here we are at another week! Ryan is in Berlin on business and man is quiet around our place. I've taken this time to myself to catch up on a few odds and ends. Last weekend, I did my fair share of cooking, too. I whipped up some grapefruit-orange juice, chili with ground turkey and some apple-cinnamon bars, some of which are included in today's post.<br />
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The last two days I've had my usual egg on plain seven-grain toast and an iced skim latte. But this time, I tried <a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/cranberry_muesli.html" target="_blank">Eating Well's cranberry muesli</a>. I have to say I was a little unsure about it at first -- I wasn't entirely sold on the slightly bitter taste. But this morning, I knew it was a keeper. Look at that color, too! What's not to love? <br />
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By the way, I have to apologize for this week's photos. Ryan took our nice camera to Berlin, naturally. Anyways, the cranberry muesli was super easy to make. No oven time, just some spare 5 minutes to mix the ingredients and voilĂ !<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhAdPHmqqBzgg3mj2LM6WstNSBaqcQCckqEnz4Sqp5b19SJ0Qm0FPPGgMerQbLR7i9mKiYMoD6BkptwDbCgG78wCikycdICj3GDl5NQdDClql-ElphCT1KYl8GqOuvX1BzJ2SmFt19mDO/s1600/SDC11543.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhAdPHmqqBzgg3mj2LM6WstNSBaqcQCckqEnz4Sqp5b19SJ0Qm0FPPGgMerQbLR7i9mKiYMoD6BkptwDbCgG78wCikycdICj3GDl5NQdDClql-ElphCT1KYl8GqOuvX1BzJ2SmFt19mDO/s320/SDC11543.JPG" /></a></div><br />
So back to this insane snow. Things didn't start to pick up until mid-afternoon today. Steph, my dad, and my mother-in-law all inquired if I had enough food on hand, haha. Anyhow, here's a snapshot of the action. Be sure to imagine lots of crazy blowing snow. The wind is still howling as I type this post.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJeNZ4nid6hQnCwqE0-XiK2GYKBysMQwzmh3oAjNgni4s0WsiNtwJTTyW2RbBzMQ-XhGqPOEcgc9tVNPo8-cieMJrjAEtRrsSeHZGJ7TdEDUuh_Cxb_0Nva5cnWLDaTDYChjEDO81GApVf/s1600/SDC11563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJeNZ4nid6hQnCwqE0-XiK2GYKBysMQwzmh3oAjNgni4s0WsiNtwJTTyW2RbBzMQ-XhGqPOEcgc9tVNPo8-cieMJrjAEtRrsSeHZGJ7TdEDUuh_Cxb_0Nva5cnWLDaTDYChjEDO81GApVf/s320/SDC11563.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Lunchtime featured an oldie but goodie: <a href="http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=756761" target="_blank">Chef Meg's tomato soup</a> from <a href="http://www.sparkpeople.com" target="_blank">SparkPeople</a>. We had some in the freezer, and with Ryan being gone, I resorted to having some leftovers. I paired mine up with some dill crab salad on a napa cabbage leaf.<br />
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For dessert, I snuck in <a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/apple_cinnamon_bars.html" target="_blank">an apple-cinnamon fruit bar</a>, one of <a href="http://www.eatingwell.com" target="_blank">Eating Well</a>'s many yummy and easy recipes. My camera wasn't exactly cooperating, so I had to borrow from a photo from EW.<br />
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Since it's winter, soups and chili are regularly on my mind. Tonight, I had some of my slow-cooker chili. My recipe is pretty traditional, but I use ground turkey, low sodium black beans and kidney beans, and a red pepper. On the side, I had a mixed greens salad with heirloom tomatoes, cucumber and slivered almonds topped with light balsamic vinaigrette from Kraft.<br />
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Prior to calling it a day, I pushed through 30 minutes on the elliptical machine and did 10 sets of 10 weights. WOO! I also skyped with my dear friend Raina, who has been sharing her fitness goals here. She turned a fabulous 33 years old yesterday -- HAPPY BIRTHDAY GIRL! <br />
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Ok, it's just about time to hang out with <I>Conan</I> and enjoy some vanilla Chobani with fresh raspberries. <br />
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Thanks so much for reading! xxMacKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017771888807888770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699983411088684864.post-39281427007619572432011-01-31T19:53:00.011-06:002011-02-01T11:34:11.289-06:00Ten Days LaterBody Moving: Well, it's been 10 days since my last post, and I am happy to report that I have not given up on Step Aerobics. I have been to 3 classes so far, and while I'm not ready to go to the head of the class, I'm sticking with it. I have definitely had my moments where I'm totally messing up, and I literally have to talk myself out of quitting (or giving the instructor dirty looks). But, I figure that as long as I'm moving my body, I'm getting a work out...and that is a vast improvement from where I was in December 2010. I have also incorporated into my workout a cardio kickbox class and some elliptical. "Variety", I think, is what will keep me exercising. <br /><br />Good Eats: Thanks to Paula Deen at pauladeenmagazine.com, I have stumbled upon my most favorite lunchtime dish--Spicy tomato soup. What's even better is that the prep time is under 10 minutes! Just grab your crock pot and throw in the following ingredients:<br /><br />1 medium onion, diced<br />2 cloves garlic, diced<br />3 cups canned chicken broth<br />1 (29-ounce) can tomato sauce<br />1 (29-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice<br />2 dashes hot sauce<br />1/4 cup honey<br />1 tablespoon dried dill weed<br />1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper<br />1 teaspoon chili powder<br />1 teaspoon dried basil leaves<br /><br />*Serves 6. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdah9lSjxaNLNvkeVMltl3eMxmOKoY6Ad264ipCn9YffFDfMyc0PHkoLEifPjF9rNZn32QkXUrzl74bs-YfIYmXZwI0WEcAmg5ai2PYWogiM1xDBgWSot2wJtkrkikCaYR9sOFsZWRWM/s1600/IMG_0888.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568537374340134898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdah9lSjxaNLNvkeVMltl3eMxmOKoY6Ad264ipCn9YffFDfMyc0PHkoLEifPjF9rNZn32QkXUrzl74bs-YfIYmXZwI0WEcAmg5ai2PYWogiM1xDBgWSot2wJtkrkikCaYR9sOFsZWRWM/s400/IMG_0888.JPG" /></a><br />For a thicker version of the soup, Ms. Deen melts a 1/2 cup of butter in a saucepan on the stove and slowly stirs in a 1/2 cup of flour. After the combination is thick and creamy, she then adds it to the crock pot. I typically avoid this step, only to keep my soup on the healthy side. <br /><br />For another tasty treat, try making mini-pizzas on wheat English muffins. I made mine with spaghetti sauce (rather than pizza sauce), low-fat mozzarella, and chopped yellow and orange peppers. This is a great, healthy alternative to your traditional greasy pizza. But, keep in mind they taste best when fresh out of the oven (rather than after being reheated in the microwave).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmdtNqXdvJKOX5_UxOr3qPbw50KAk3vMvIrY3s78p0hwrelpapX2oKaLY6KlQriZkHNXdyHs4B9gkWKyaJIyq9Yd7oyIliWVENoGHryvB6t-eyrhFmp9jKCk5Lc_wUI3cOu8rJJiXwn7g/s1600/IMG_0896.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmdtNqXdvJKOX5_UxOr3qPbw50KAk3vMvIrY3s78p0hwrelpapX2oKaLY6KlQriZkHNXdyHs4B9gkWKyaJIyq9Yd7oyIliWVENoGHryvB6t-eyrhFmp9jKCk5Lc_wUI3cOu8rJJiXwn7g/s400/IMG_0896.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568539001087260818" /></a><br />By the way, I baked these healthy treats at 350 degrees, for approximately 10 minutes, followed by 2 minutes under the broiler.<br /><br />Let me know if you have any easy, healthy recipes to share!Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16411279543535746975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699983411088684864.post-64852222462192625692011-01-24T22:08:00.000-06:002011-01-24T22:08:44.496-06:00Coming Out of the FogHiya dear blog friends! Well, here I am, back after a few weeks away. I promise you, I had every intention of blogging at least every other day. But as soon as I got back into it, the mother of all sinus infections took over my life. I am telling you, dudes, it was ridic! I felt pretty much out of it for two weeks, which means I did absolutely no working out. All I wanted to do was curl up under a blanket and sleep. And that I did, but toward the end, I was restless. But I did keep up with my healthy eating and here are some highlights.<br />
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Freshly-squeeze grapefruit-orange juice with turkey bacon and one egg:<br />
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Chef Meg's Tomato Soup (<a href="http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=756761" target="_blank">Spark People</a>) with country bread and a mixed greens salad:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9BAII9JUC7mhHFVjNn-uOvTkfjj6OtlxoavpTJ7qIvLAuN0p8GGMS_C3D9r7OlTFMxBZameGzUiRmUFpl9G6ATfZMUQCOw-9xioDzf2kYyhUO8MS6cty-aI_6Tpi16CDh9Sqenp3-QigQ/s1600/IMG_4769.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9BAII9JUC7mhHFVjNn-uOvTkfjj6OtlxoavpTJ7qIvLAuN0p8GGMS_C3D9r7OlTFMxBZameGzUiRmUFpl9G6ATfZMUQCOw-9xioDzf2kYyhUO8MS6cty-aI_6Tpi16CDh9Sqenp3-QigQ/s320/IMG_4769.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Sausage, Tomato, and Arugula Fettuccine (<a href="http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=50400000108346" target="_blank">Cooking Light</a>):<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWymq_4dWRFRzOuhRqanyX2gQN_C2Ga_UvRjOUAolQiG9ZdX1M0gTns77ilGnqwW_hzC4EhE-ekZ4YscQO4PX2_D5nmUINdZgYN6JyWz72tsj-JsNvVx3k-wmZglQ5ZeEgTE50ryeGRb9/s1600/IMG_4788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWymq_4dWRFRzOuhRqanyX2gQN_C2Ga_UvRjOUAolQiG9ZdX1M0gTns77ilGnqwW_hzC4EhE-ekZ4YscQO4PX2_D5nmUINdZgYN6JyWz72tsj-JsNvVx3k-wmZglQ5ZeEgTE50ryeGRb9/s320/IMG_4788.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Spiced Cod with Broccoli-Quinoa Pilaf (<a href="http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/spiced-cod-with-broccoli-quinoa-pilaf-00000000049718/index.html" target="_blank">Real Simple</a>)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqe_jiNJ07a7v6eD2EWGrwEDzrsZpeAKtWQ9204g8jIXmcWOSEedu9HZ190I8cGg5oLRW4f2veLvmsGszYl4ezohFmhoXrWvO3Y-F0VEWwOVyWA9yHLYmbIuNm-z86tdCLFykeePZtAxGL/s1600/IMG_4802.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqe_jiNJ07a7v6eD2EWGrwEDzrsZpeAKtWQ9204g8jIXmcWOSEedu9HZ190I8cGg5oLRW4f2veLvmsGszYl4ezohFmhoXrWvO3Y-F0VEWwOVyWA9yHLYmbIuNm-z86tdCLFykeePZtAxGL/s320/IMG_4802.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Shrimp Panzenella (<a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/shrimp_panzanella.html" target="_blank">Eating Well</a>):<br />
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Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili (<a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/sweet_potato_black_bean_chili.html" target="_blank">Eating Well</a>): <br />
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But here we are, it's another week and I'm finally getting my butt back into gear. so let's get to the present, shall well? Since getting sick, I've religiously made my own juice every week. I typically stay away from store bought juice due to the high sugar. But lately, I've only had a craving for citrus, so I've stuck with my grapefruit-orange recipe. I LOVE IT! Any juice fans out there? If so, what are your favorites? <br />
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Anyhow, for breakfast today, I had a small glass of grapefruit-orange juice and my usual iced skim latte. For the main entree, I cooked up <a href="http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001949761" target="_blank">Banana, Wheat Germ, and Oats</a>, as featured in the January/February 2010 issue of <a href="http://www.cookinglight.com" target="_blank">Cooking Light</a>. Lately, too, all I want for breakfast is something made with oats. I have always been a huge oatmeal fan, but I am super into finding new oatmeal-like recipes. This one was super easy. Top with bananas, a teaspoon of butter (I used ghee) and a tablespoon of brown sugar. Pretty yummy, although I might switch up the banana.<br />
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For lunch, Ryan and I resorted to one of our favorite cookbooks, Ellie Krieger's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/So-Easy-Luscious-Healthy-Recipes/dp/0470423544/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1295927276&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><i>So Easy</i></a> for her Tortellini-Spinach Soup. Love love love this one. Her recipe includes carrots, onion, celery and diced tomatoes and it's pretty hearty and filling. On the side, we had a mixed greens salad with cranberries, cherry tomatoes, walnuts, and fresh parmesan with a small dabble of Kraft's light balsamic vinaigrette.<br />
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I stuck to my regular water intake for the entire day and had zero cravings for snacks. The only thing I reached for was a dark chocolate calcium disc from Adora. This is huge, as I've been in a super-snack mood lately. When I was sick, I have to say I gave in to some of those cravings on occasion. But today was a success!<br />
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This post obviously includes a ton of magazine recipes and tonight's dinner also went that route with <a href="http://www.realsimple.com" target="_blank">Real Simple</a>'s <a href="http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/grilled-lemon-chicken-recipe-00000000035760/index.html" target="_blank">Grilled Lemon Chicken With Cabbage-Corn Slaw</a>. Awesomely tasty! Chicken kind of bores me sometimes, but this particular recipe was zip-friendly.<br />
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Woo! I am really pleased with today's results. I even topped my evening off with 35 minutes on the elliptical and 10 minutes of weights. Woo! It felt great pushing through some of that ... I needed that feeling, especially after my lame sinus infection. Woo! (again!) A FAB start to my week and a FAB return to my weight-loss journey... thanks so much for all your kind words and for always reading Fighting the Pudge. May you have a fantastic evening! Time for <I>Conan</I>! xxMacKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017771888807888770noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699983411088684864.post-35927076888984588702011-01-22T12:54:00.015-06:002011-02-13T13:24:02.386-06:00First 5K (in Several Years) Complete!What an exhilarating morning! Mel, Danielle, Margie, Brandon, and I ran the Greenville News 5K this morning. It was so much fun to stick together as a group and cheer each other on. This is the first race I have done in years and the excitement was in full force. I am running 5 miles (run/walk - that's our distance training method) on other days, so this wasn't too hard, but boy was it cold! A balmy 27!<br />
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Here we are about a 1/2 hour before the race and getting psyched up as we saw about 1,500 other runners/walkers join our ranks.<br />
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Mel made signs for Danielle and Margie to wear on their backs! Congrats to them for doing such an awesome job today!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP4fnVWqPLxTwf2kTk3DuM7WGEkR0UbgYSw6xs_mhlU_DNorKzvMbE03pZiTwOXUNysXfMwJsOfcdh3s0w0RZ5fmDnawwROBVLRXaFHiSVwOCCPMFClGcJcBDAldkEBeO1s9DTOygEU4M/s1600/my+first+5k+sign" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565088167672061506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP4fnVWqPLxTwf2kTk3DuM7WGEkR0UbgYSw6xs_mhlU_DNorKzvMbE03pZiTwOXUNysXfMwJsOfcdh3s0w0RZ5fmDnawwROBVLRXaFHiSVwOCCPMFClGcJcBDAldkEBeO1s9DTOygEU4M/s320/my+first+5k+sign" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 97px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 130px;" /></a><br />
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At the start, Mel set the 1/1 pace time on her watch and we were off! Margie just started running last Saturday and she is already racing. I was so impressed. I love, love, love using my All Sports app on my phone to track our mileage along the way. It uses the GPS on my phone to track our route, time, and distance in real time. I love that type of feed back. I would like to find another 5K before the 10K on March 5th and really push it to see what sort of time I can make. This run was for fun and to do it as a group and wasn't too intimidating. I definitely can tell since I have been trying to work out 6 days a week in some form or fashion that my endurance is much better than 1 month ago, but I've still got a lot of training to do. I was so excited to get back into the pool too! I've had three good swims, 2 this week. I was so happy to swim 1800 yards on Tuesday (1 mile), then when I went to the pool on Thursday (STILL a bit sore from Danielle and Mel's killer "The Bruce" workout the night before at the Y) I was quite slow going. After about 500 yards in, I looked on the wall to see a "try me out" swim team workout printed on the dry erase board by the pool side. 3250 yards! The distance seemed mind boggling at first, but then I realized I used to do that daily for swim team in high school. Goes to show me that I had my mind pretty closed at going beyond 1800 yards. This changed my thinking and I swam 2000 yards in all. I'd like to tackle that workout as a cross training exercise, or at least work up to it in the next few weeks.<br />
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It was so exciting to cross the finish line and see the excitement on everyone's faces. There's just something about completing a race vs completing the same distance on non race days. Here we are after crossing the threshold!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_ExgdYflRMqBVzyBlKV_pI6ogPEdlTv9Kjr9pb3KPv_51NPiXRG4cED4ibTEzJSvHvLqvf9ItXoXeravEU35liaGzXyu8FCfvGkCexy1XB8QWzMQGVjkivLQopf8YTIBBsL-QmIyH7Rq/s1600/raina1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="239" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_ExgdYflRMqBVzyBlKV_pI6ogPEdlTv9Kjr9pb3KPv_51NPiXRG4cED4ibTEzJSvHvLqvf9ItXoXeravEU35liaGzXyu8FCfvGkCexy1XB8QWzMQGVjkivLQopf8YTIBBsL-QmIyH7Rq/s320/raina1.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I have to congratulate my team mate Mel for being such a leader and team motivator! Thanks to her, we have ourselves a wonderful little team and are quite determined! Running with a group is so motivating! Mel's lovely husband Brandon is always out there and sticking with us! My hats are off to Danielle and Margie, who are now officially racers! :-) I had so much fun. The best part was seeing Stephen and Thad (Danielle's husband) at the finish line. That means so much that they were there. It's exciting to have someone at the finish line to give you a smile and a hug.<br />
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After the race...<br />
We've gotten into a nice little routine of going to a local coffee shop for a post run coffee warm up before we head our separate ways. Thumbs up to Coffee to a Tea!<br />
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On the way home...<br />
So my mom has always liked to walk and jog. As we chatted on the phone about the race and some of my past runs, we got talking about the CRIM 10 Mile Run that takes place in Flint, MI every August. I told her I was planning to come home to run it again. My mom was excited and said she was going to sign up for the CRIM training run and we are going to run it together! Cheers to my mom!!<br />
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The next challenge on the schedule is the March 5th 10K Reedy River Run! I need this sort of motivational goal to keep my butt in training. :-)<br />
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7:36pm<br />
The Results are in...although not doing this for time, I still want a record!<br />
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1703 420 Brandon Edwards 00:51:35 16:38 35 M Greenville, SC <br />
1704 456 Raina Farrell 00:51:35 16:38 32 F Simpsonville, SC <br />
1705 422 Mel Edwards 00:51:36 16:39 42 F Greenville, SC <br />
1706 680 Marjorie Hintalla 00:51:37 16:39 33 F Greer, SC <br />
1707 1227 Danielle Roland 00:51:37 16:39 35 F Greenville, SCRainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03069197906000012449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699983411088684864.post-72228725113816731562011-01-21T09:42:00.004-06:002011-01-21T10:01:27.606-06:00Back in the GameHi everyone! Long time, no talk! I actually fell off of the healthy-lifestyle wagon during the last few months of 2010 (and gained three pounds to prove it!). Luckily though, 2011 has brought a new sense of motivation and dedication to getting back on track! The reason? I got a Wii for Christmas! Haha! <br /><br />Since Christmastime, I have committed to at least 30 minutes of physical activity, 6 days per week (in an addition to the twice-daily walks with Teddy). Turns out though, that I have had so much fun with Wii, particularly "Just Dance 2" and "Wii Fit"(including such activities as Advanced Step, Rhythm Boxing, and the Obstacle Course), my average has been about 60 to 90 minutes per day. A definite plus of Wii--I don't have to leave my house (which is so helpful, since I have baby Teddy to take care of). But, I sometimes wish I could break a little bit more of a sweat with Wii. <br /><br />My solution? Dance 101--a dance studio located in the Buckhead/North Druid Hills neighborhoods of Atlanta, Georgia. Dance 101 has a TON of classes, my favorites of which are anything having to do with hip hop. So, for the past 2 nights, I attended Dance Fitness and Hip Hop Fit. Can you believe that both classes were FREE? Dance 101had FREE beginner classes all this week! Between Dance 101 and L.A. Fitness (my current gym), my goal is to plan to attend 3-4 classes each week (2 will most certainly fall on the weekends, since it's so hard to be away from Teddy during the week). <br /><br />This Saturday, I'm planning to attend Step Plus Abs at L.A. Fitness. I'm a bit nervous though because this ain't your mama's Step class. I have been to this complicated class before and almost wanted to cry, I was so lost. But, it's a good workout (hey, at least I've got my body moving, right?), and I am absolutely determined to learn this advanced way of doing Step. I'll let you know how it goes! <br /><br />Happy working-out to MacKenzie, Raina, and the "Pudge" community!Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16411279543535746975noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699983411088684864.post-77202678886301066172011-01-16T17:26:00.008-06:002011-01-24T19:23:10.163-06:00I Used to be a Runner ... and I Am On My Way Again!I just came back from the Y and completed a 5 mile run on the track while Stephen played basketball. I have been training for about a month now and feel quite good with my runs. I generally walk for a 5 minute warm-up and pick up the pace at a 1/1 run/walk. I love this training method, introduced to me at my first CRIM Training Run event in the gym at Mott Community College in Flint, MI in April of 2002 (I was 24). I have been thinking about previous races I had completed while working in Flint, and I wondered if I could find the results online. I love the internet! Finding all the results took a matter of 10 minutes! What a great way to track my running career! So, I've done a few, but I am quite a bit older now, many pounds heavier, and not in the shape I used to be. I haven't really had too much interest in my time completions, but looking back, I was pleasantly surprised to see some improvements over the years. I am looking forward to adding to this time line, as I have several races on my training schedule from now until April...and I do believe I'd like to go home and run the CRIM this coming August. I seem to recall there was a half marathon in addition to the 10 mile run, maybe a week later. I will have to do some researching.<br />
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So here it is. I am about to turn 33 the last day of this month. My first 5K in years is next Saturday. My game plan was to make sure I had a good warm up before the start so I could go right into my run/walk. Time didn't matter, but now it is starting to. I completed my 5 mile run in 1:22:54, but this was not at race pace, included a 5 minute warm-up walk, and water breaks at each 1 mile increment (YMCA indoor track).<br />
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Race Time Line<br />
I remember running these first 2 races with no training practice, I ran the whole time, and I was most definitely huffing and puff. It felt awesome to complete them though!<br />
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Race 1<br />
5K - October 20, 2000<br />
MSU / U of M Tailgate Challenge<br />
Flint, MI<br />
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Female Age Group: 20-24<br />
Place Name School Name Age Time Pace<br />
13 Raina Allen MSU 22 39:30 12:43<br />
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Race 2<br />
4 mile - March 16, 2002<br />
Shillelagh 4M<br />
Flushing, MI<br />
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Female Age Group: 20-24<br />
Place Name Age Time Pace<br />
14 Raina Allen 24 46:28 11:37<br />
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Here I had such an awesome group of people to train with. I was scared to run 10 miles! In 3 months! However, the drive and the way running made me feel were enough to want to complete such a big challenge. My running group leader knew I wasn't doing all the work I was supposed to be completing on the other 6 days between our long run days. It was so hard to fit it in, but I was able to keep up. I was NOT the best one in the group lets say! Even with training just one day a week with runs of increasing distance up to 12 miles and working out maybe 2 days additionally was enough to get the job done. I completed the CRIM! This is a huge deal in Flint every year. Can't wait to do it this fall. It has been 8 years.<br />
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Race 3<br />
10 mile - August 24, 2002<br />
CRIM 10 Mile Run<br />
Flint, MI<br />
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Female Age Group: 20-24<br />
Place Name Age Time Pace<br />
190 Raina Allen 24 2:15:08 13:31<br />
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I kept up the races through the next year and still enjoyed it.<br />
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Race 4<br />
5K - Nov 1, 2002<br />
U of M/MSU Tailgate Challenge<br />
Flint, MI<br />
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Female Age Group: 20-24<br />
Place Name Age Time Pace<br />
8 Raina Allen 24 36:08 11:38<br />
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Race 5<br />
5K - August 7, 2003<br />
Great Pizza Challenge 5K Run & Walk<br />
Flint, MI<br />
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Female Age Group: 25-30<br />
Place Name Age Time Pace<br />
16 Raina Allen 25 34:13 11:01<br />
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I was a bit shocked when I looked up this time and discovered it was about 5 minutes better than the previous year, because I did not do the training run for this CRIM. I did train sporadically with a neighbor. The best part was knowing the course, because those Bradly Hills are torture!<br />
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Race 6<br />
10 mile - August 23, 2003<br />
CRIM 10 Mile Run<br />
Flint, MI<br />
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Female Results<br />
Place Name Age Time Pace<br />
16 Raina Allen 25 2:10:18 13:01<br />
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So, here I am, 8 years older at (soon to be) 33 and finding myself infected with the running bug like no other. I have loved re-reading Jeff Galloway's <span style="font-style: italic;">Marathon</span> again (CRIM training run is based on his training method), learning about the "Penguin" from Mel, and reading numerous running blogs. The inspiration is needed.<br />
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Here's the plan so far:<br />
1. 5K (3.1 miles) on January 22, 2011<br />
2. 10K (6.2miles) on March 5, 2011<br />
3. Half Marathon on April 30, 2011<br />
4. 10 mile CRIM at the end of August 2011<br />
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For the first time, I have a desire to run a marathon at some point in my life. This is the ultimate running goal for me, but I don't have a plan for this part in mind. I definitely want to include more 5K's in here too.<br />
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So, here's to my 2011 running year!Rainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03069197906000012449noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699983411088684864.post-484288987146562542011-01-08T12:46:00.005-06:002011-02-13T13:39:59.654-06:00It's a New Year and I Am Back! Running!I have missed blogging and need to make the time to do it.<br />
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I've got the running bug again and I love it! I have been super motivated to get into running again now that I have a great group to do the work with. I have had a standing Saturday morning training run date with the girls from work (Danielle and Mel!) since early December 2010. Mel and her husband started doing 5K race after 5K race and I loved how excited and motivated Mel always sounded. Danielle and I soon joined her on various workout adventures. <br />
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They introduced me to "The Bruce", a great 1 hour cardio/strength training workout put together by YMCA staff trainer Bruce. I've never met him, but boy did that kick my butt. So, together we are on our way to becoming runners. Mel has been at it for months and this is her first time being a runner. Danielle too! I've always liked running and began seriously giving it a shot back in Flint, Michigan when I was the Aquatics Director for the Downtown Flint YMCA. The famous Flint run is the annual CRIM, a 10-mile run through the city that happens every August. <br />
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What a rush that was. I did the Jeff Galloway training run and learned to run/walk. This made the impossible possible. When I first started, I was winded after one mile, but we were soon running four miles... and low and behold I could do 12! I did that for two summers. Now, I am up to four miles and have my first 5K on January 22 in downtown Greenville, SC. Mel then posted that she was going to run a half-marathon! Mel's enthusiasm is so addicting. I am now doing the half-marathon too and I have pulled good old Jeff Galloway's "Marathon" book off the shelf and gave it a good dusting. It just so happens that the half-marathon training schedule on his website fits into our time frame perfectly for an April 30th race in Greenwood, SC! I am so excited. <br />
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Additionally, Stephen has joined us on one run and may do the 5K, too. We have become YMCA members again and Stephen has got the workout bug. Thank goodness because he has also been my motivation on the evenings that I haven't wanted to get out the door and says "Get in the car, we are going to the Y!" I am so thankful for him. Here's to running!Rainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03069197906000012449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699983411088684864.post-55819683167296704402011-01-05T22:34:00.000-06:002011-01-05T22:34:13.053-06:00Bust a MoveHow's everyone doing on this wintry Wednesday? How many have stuck with their New Year's resolutions so far? I'm pleased to say that I'm doing a-ok so far. I've got some reading in, my daily exercising is building up, and I plan to attack my closet and billfolder this weekend! My friend Sarah also knows of a fun and free Zumba class, so that'll be happening soon.<br />
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Moving on ... my day was full of royal wedding news. Like I've briefly mentioned before, I blog for a UK entertainment website, covering music, movie, television and pop culture news. With Prince William and Kate Middleton's recent engagement, I've also covered some of the events surrounding their forthcoming royal wedding. Lots of fun so far. Anyhow, my day plugged along at a steady pace and I only stopped for my three main meals.<br />
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I'm an oatmeal fan obviously and regularly feature my go-to staple, Love Your Man Steel-Cut Oatmeal. Please bear with me this week as it's my breakfast through Thursday. But this morning I also had an egg on seven-grain toast on the side, plus an iced skim latte.<br />
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For lunch, Ryan and I were in the middle of deadlines, so we had to make it quick. We had a beef burrito from Evol (with jalapeno side drizzled on top) and a salad on the side. I topped my mixed greens with sliced tiny peppers and chopped tomatoes with a tablespoon of Kraft's light balsamic vinaigrette. This carried me through dinner. No in-between snacking, no cravings, no problem.<br />
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Once dinnertime rolled around, Ryan resorted to one of his healthy classics: grilled chicken gyros. We serve ours on a whole-wheat pita that's topped with a light greek yogurt sauce. From there, add chicken, some cucumber and some pepper. We LOVE this one!<br />
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My daily workout came later in the evening with some "Just Dance 2" on Wii. I know I'm a little late in coming around to this popular game, but it RULES! My Mom got our family "Just Dance 2" while everyone was home during the holidays. Everyone participated, including my Dad and Ryan. Totally addicting and super fun. I danced my butt off so much during Christmas that my arms and legs were sore for days.<br />
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So naturally, once we returning to Chicago, I found an on-sale copy at Best Buy. And tonight I busted a move for 30 minutes. This is my ideal workout, too. The quickness of each routine totally keeps me focused and I just love dancing, plain and simple. Perfect timing for me during these winter months, as I'm just not feeling the elliptical right now.<br />
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Ok, it's time for me to call it a night. I'm going to give <i>The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo</i> another go. May you have a fantastic evening and a great start to your Thursday morning. Cheers!<br />
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<i><b>How often do you change up your exercise routines?</b></i>MacKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017771888807888770noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699983411088684864.post-34949275375160660342011-01-03T19:07:00.031-06:002011-01-03T20:03:08.205-06:00New Year! New Goals! New Me!Happy New Year to everyone out there in bloggerland! I hope your holiday season was merry and full of fabulous fun and fabulous food. Mine certainly was. Here are some quick highlights from my Mom's fantastic Christmas dinner. On the menu was her classic spinach salad with eggs and slices of bacon plus her olive oil/lemon/vinegar dressing. We've had this at everyday holiday for most of my life and it's fantastic. Our main entree included salmon and steak, asparagus, mashed sweet potatoes, cranberries, and blueberry muffins. I have to include her table setup as well ... she always does an amazing job!<br />
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We also had one of her signature apple pies and my husband's homemade pumpkin pie for dessert. And I cannot forget about my Mom's epic cookies. She's made the Santa cookies for decades. I have fond memories of making 'em when I was a little kid. They're fab!<br />
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Ok let's fast-forward to the present: 2011. It's that time of year where everyone's making New Year resolutions and gearing up for big life changes. I typically do not make New Year resolutions because I never keep them. But for some reason, this year, I feel more determined that ever to see my New Year's goals through to the very end. Call me crazy! I seriously do feel ready and willing to accomplish a few, albeit small, things.<br />
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But before I share my list, I'd like to re-declare my mission with Fighting the Pudge. My dedication to finding my way to a healthier lifestyle with a healthier outlook may have taken a back seat in the last two months, as seen with the lack of posts. But as the saying goes, "Life is what happens when you're making other plans." Even though I may have stopped posting, I stayed true clean and healthy eating. Sure, my exercise routine and logging my meals via Spark People also suffered, but I got in some walking and yoga whenever I could. And I'm still getting into my size 10 pants (and one size 8), so I'm ok with that. But in my time off, I noticed that my passion for blogging was burning out. I needed a break.<br />
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Anyhow, here I am today, ready to get back to the reasons why I started this blog in June 2010. That means more healthy eating and regular exercising. I still have 15 more pounds (and probably a few extra) to lose. My projected goal is to shed these 15 pounds and then some by May 1. Will I post about every single meal every single day? I don't know. I'm still figuring that out. But I will continue to log my calories and meals via Spark People on a daily basis and photograph my food. I do enjoy the latter.<br />
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Ok, I'm getting TOTALLY carried away here, so without further ado, here is my New Year's resolution list for 2011:<br />
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- Work on being a better listener (My ADD brain gets ahead of the conversation way too much sometimes)<br />
- Read for at least 30 minutes everyday (I spend too much time on the computer and watching TV).<br />
- Do not waste my monthly magazine subscriptions (No more giant stacks of <i>BUST</i>, <i>Time Out Chicago</i>, <i>Real Simple, Eating Well </i>etc.) <br />
- Join a book club (I'm a book geek. And I want to meet and spend time with other Chi-town peeps). <br />
- Blog when it feels right and when I feel good (to avoid burning out).<br />
- Try Zumba once and for ALL (My Mom loves it)!<br />
- Keep all drawers, closet, and bill-folder organized.<br />
- Say hello to passers-by when walking through the city. (Why not? My sister in Atlanta does this all the time and can't believe we don't).<br />
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I am sure a few things will be added to this mix during the coming weeks. This year, though, is shaping up nicely already. I kick off my second semester volunteering for Open Books this month. Ryan and I are also taking our first big trip together in March when we venture to Ireland. This has been a longtime dream of mine since I can remember. I am so so excited! I feel very blessed and aim stay focused on that very fact all year long.<br />
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Ok, this is running super long, so let's chat food. My morning breakfast featured a regular staple of mine: <a href="http://www.bethenny.com/" target="_blank">Bethenny Frankel</a>'s Love Your Man Steel-Cut Oatmeal. It's just too easy to make and a great source of protein. I also had an iced coffee and some blueberry Chobani on the side.<br />
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Snacktime came twice today. Before lunch, I grabbed a skim mozzarella string cheese from Frigo. In the late afternoon, I enjoyed a chocolate calcium disc from Adora.<br />
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For lunch, Ryan and I consulted <a href="http://www.teresagiudice.com/" target="_blank">Teresa Giudice</a>'s <a href="http://www.teresagiudice.com/books/" target="_blank"><i>Skinny Italian</i></a> cookbook. For Christmas, my awesome sister got us and my parents autographed copies since my Mom and I, plus Steph, are all huge fans of the <i>Real Housewives</i> reality series (minus D.C.). Anyhow, on Sunday night, Ryan prepared Giudice's Giardino Minestrone soup. Her recipe includes grean beans, diced tomatoes, Cannellini beans, zucchini (we used summer squash since the grocery store was out), onion and some herbs. We also topped ours with a tablespoon of freshly grated parmesan cheese and had some seven-grain sprouted Trader Joe's toast on the side. Super filling and super good!<br />
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And lastly, for dinner, we resorted to some leftover salmon for a fantastic veggie salad. Ours included mixed greens, cucumbers, sunflower seeds, and a homemade lemon vinaigrette. For dessert, I had some strawberry Mochi. YUM!<br />
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If you've read through this entire post, I sincerely applaud you (and thank you, of course) for sticking with me. I'm excited for 2011 and all of its many surprises. I hope you are too! Best wishes for a happy and healthy twenty-eleven! Cheers!<br />
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<i><b>Do you have any New Year's resolutions?</b></i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>MacKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017771888807888770noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699983411088684864.post-7337877131831925842010-12-07T21:19:00.000-06:002010-12-07T21:19:59.071-06:00Home at Last!Heeeeeey my dear readers, are you out there? I've really missed hanging out in the blogosphere. Many thanks for those who have left friendly comments and messages. I greatly appreciate it.<br />
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Well, why the break? I guess I needed one. Work got kind of crazy during the first two weeks of November and didn't entirely let up until the Thanksgiving holiday. Fighting the Pudge has been in the back of my mind throughout my time away, as has working out. I must be honest -- I haven't worked out in what seems like ages. I've done yoga a couple of times, but that's it. With the insanity of work, I let all of my focus go toward that. Nasty habit, I know. But it's December and with the holidays coming up quickly, my spirits are high. I'm getting back into it.<br />
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As for the food, I suppose I burned out on photographing my meals three times a day, five times a week. For those who also do this, do you find yourself sick of doing that from time to time. For me, though, I found that I missed it somewhat. It's really helped me with my weight-loss journey. I've found it keeps me on track in a positive way. So here I am, again, back at it :) But I have to give a big shout out to my Mom. She surprised recently, as she informed me that she missed my blog and that I need to get back into it. Thanks Mom, you're the best.<br />
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Let me cut this long (boring) story short and start again. Just a warning: it's going to be a week of simple meals. Today for breakfast, I resorted to my favorite Love You Man Steel-Cut Oatmeal. I also paired it up with a banana and an iced coffee.<br />
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Before getting into today's lunch, I'd like to share that on Sunday, my hubs referenced a Whole Foods recipe for a wonderful Butternut Squash Soup, which was meant to last us all week long. Well, Ryan wasn't a fan of the soup's consistency, so we chucked it. I hate hate hate wasting food. So instead, we resorted to turkey sandwiches (and some veggie sandwiches later on this week) for lunch. Today's selection has a slice of provolone cheese, spinach, a slice of roasted red pepper and mustard. I also had a McClure's spicy pickle and an orange.<br />
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Remember how I've been volunteering for the awesome non-profit literacy program, <a href="http://www.open-books.org/" target="_blank">Open Books</a>, this semester? Well today marked my second to last session with my student. Next week we're supposed to have a fun farewell/holiday party. <br />
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Anyhow, Ryan prepped some fantastic parmesan encrusted tilapia. We also had some green beans with cranberries and walnuts on top. Awesome!!<br />
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Since I mentioned the holidays above, I figured why not share some of our holiday set up. Also, check out the winter wonderland that hit Chicago over the weekend. Enjoy!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJ_qszkgQjr_nXveHZJbhUfJDSUIjDvm0OSyjd4HeyJaiUdUXDwswpliq3CpFAZF_IAYDU5EwSUCuXy7zecNo2M-Sh0pi-BOURMA9fjbeVF6cD-Q5kbl4jtnf9HbI8JLBy1lkzlTVvVfK/s1600/IMG_4377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJ_qszkgQjr_nXveHZJbhUfJDSUIjDvm0OSyjd4HeyJaiUdUXDwswpliq3CpFAZF_IAYDU5EwSUCuXy7zecNo2M-Sh0pi-BOURMA9fjbeVF6cD-Q5kbl4jtnf9HbI8JLBy1lkzlTVvVfK/s320/IMG_4377.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>MacKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017771888807888770noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699983411088684864.post-4935223239000336672010-11-25T20:36:00.000-06:002010-11-25T20:36:51.981-06:00Happy Thanksgiving!Happy Thanksgiving everyone! May each of you have a fantastic holiday with lots of fantastic food! Is anyone heading out for Black Friday sales? I am back home in Michigan, visiting with my in-laws and my parents.<br />
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Again, I wish all of my dear blogger friends and readers a very happy holiday! I hope to be blogging again very soon! Take care!MacKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017771888807888770noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699983411088684864.post-67031063913750784292010-11-08T19:26:00.000-06:002010-11-08T19:26:38.472-06:00My Sincere ApologiesWow, where has the time gone? My dear Fighting the Pudge readers, I would like to apologize for my recent absence, as my job has pretty much taken over things in the last week or so. I've missed out on working out and logging my meals, so I'm a little anxious at the moment. But I've stuck to healthy eating throughout this chaos. It just feels weird not to log it via SparkPeople.<br />
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Anyhow, I hope each of you are doing well and having a great November so far! The storm will most likely come to a calm this weekend. Thanks so much!! xxMacKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017771888807888770noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699983411088684864.post-72178499397847901752010-10-27T21:48:00.000-05:002010-10-27T21:48:34.126-05:00Is It Friday Yet?It's starting to feel a lot like Friday around here. Or maybe it's because I work from home now. Either way, it seems like it should be the end of the week already. Is anybody with me?<br />
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BBC blogging took off like wildfire this morning and I didn't get a chance to have breakfast until 11 AM. In the old days, I would have skipped this meal. I skipped breakfast many, many times! But since taking on this new mission to get healthy, I haven't missed one meal. Anyhow, since I was running late with having my first meal of the deal, I went the simple route with some vanilla Chobani, a slice of Arnold whole wheat bread with a teaspoon of reduced fat Jif and a banana. I didn't end up having the banana until after lunch.<br />
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Hats off to my friend Tracey at <a href="http://veggiesncake.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Veggies, Cake and Cocktails</a> for mentioning her obsession with vanilla Chobani. I finally tried it and um, hello!!! SO GOOD! I'm sticking with this one for sure! <br />
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I kept things simple when it came to lunch and had a turkey sandwich on multi-grain flatbread. I topped mine with dijon mustard, mixed greens, and a slice of roasted red pepper. On the side, I had a McClure's spicy pickle and an orange. Totally FAB-u!<br />
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Once dinnertime arrived, I was in the middle of our cleaning mission. As I mentioned yesterday, Ryan and I are prepping for a weekend visit from his parents. It'll be their first time visiting Chicago since we moved here earlier this year, so we needed to give the apartment a little refresher.<br />
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I got about three-fourths of the bathroom clean once Ryan informed me that dinner was ready. Once more, we consulted the November 2010 issue of Real Simple for inspiration and created their Steak Faijitas with Sweet Potato and Poblano dish. It calls for sour cream in the sauce topping, but we went the greek yogurt route instead. We also served ours on a spelt tortilla. On the side, we had some freshly made coleslaw from Whole Foods.<br />
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The sweet potato adds a nice change to your usual fajita recipe, but this one was kind of high in calories. I suppose some of that is my guilt talking since I've been failing miserably on the exercise front for a couple of weeks now. I AM doing it tomorrow! I AM!<br />
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Ok, it's time to escape my computer. I've been on it for what seems like 20 hours. I know many of you out there get this :) I hope you had a fabulous Wednesday!<br />
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<b>What are you doing to celebrate the upcoming Halloween holiday?</b>MacKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017771888807888770noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699983411088684864.post-41265738397795685012010-10-26T22:46:00.033-05:002010-10-27T21:31:27.890-05:00Pumpkin TimeIt seems like much of this side of the country is experiencing some crazy weather. The wind was absolutely insane today here in Chicago and I don't think it's about to stop any time soon. This time, it goes beyond our nickname, The Windy City.<br />
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For breakfast today, I paired up one Organic Valley egg with a piece of turkey bacon and one slice of multi-grain flatbread. I also had some strawberries on the side. Super good! Ryan is really loving the turkey bacon too. So much in fact, he went out and bought another pack so that his parents can have some when they visit this weekend.<br />
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Today's lunch also saw a repeat of Monday's chili and this time I topped it with some Black Diamond Grand Reserve Cheddar. I also had a mixed greens salad with baby carrots, parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar on the side. The Black Diamond cheese was fabulously yummy, but I think I'll hold off on it next time around. <br />
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A couple of hours later, I grabbed a KIND bar to snack on. The cranberry almond version was good, but not as hearty as other combinations.<br />
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Dinner also saw a repeat of Monday's Real Simple dish: Chicken with Acorn Squash and Tomatoes. I need more squash in my life. I really do. We usually have it when we make Ellie Krieger's Butternut Squash Soup. Now I want to find squash-centric desserts, other side dishes, and the like. If anyone out there has a recommendation, I am all ears.<br />
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Last but not least, Ryan and I got ready for Halloween tonight by carving pumpkins. He and I have never done this together, so this was a lot of fun. Being the crazy and passionate sports fans and college diehards that we are, we each paid homage to our respective alma maters when carving a design. I *just* had to do it. My Michigan State Spartans are No. 5 in the country right now and currently undefeated. I've been waiting for this my entire life, but I never thought I'd see it. Needless to say, football season in my divided household has been a complete blast so far! GO STATE! (Next time, I'll take the photo when it's not pitch black outside haha)<br />
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Snuck into the Halloween Reese's Peanut Butter Cups again, too. I should have purchased a bag of candy that I'm not too fond off in order to stay away. Arrrgh!<br />
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<b>Do you have a favorite kind of Halloween treat? If so, do you have an alternative to candy?</b>MacKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017771888807888770noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699983411088684864.post-91627801666379781132010-10-25T22:24:00.000-05:002010-10-25T22:24:06.304-05:00Playing Catch UpHello dear blog friends! I hope everything is fab in your world. Last week totally escaped me. I had every intention of keeping up with my posts, but honestly I just ran out of steam. I am back this week, hoping to get back on track.<br />
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It was in the 70s today and it's OCTOBER! Crazy temps, I tell ya. I'm ready for fall sweater weather. Anyhow, I attempted to do something a little different for breakfast today since many of my dishes have featured many repeats as of late. I prepared multi-grain blueberry pancakes with turkey sausage. The pancake recipe is included in Bethenny Frankel's <i>Skinnygirl Dish</i> book and I went with <a href="http://www.pamelasproducts.com/" target="_blank">Pamela's</a> gluten-free pancake and baking mix and fresh blueberries that I already had in my pantry. I topped mine with a drizzle of pure maple syrup and had a piece of organic turkey sausage from Applegate Farms. Fabulous and only 35 calories in one serving. I initially prepped two slices, but Ryan stole one. :) I also had an iced coffee and a banana.<br />
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Lunch time came a bit later than usual due to impending blog deadlines. Ryan prepared his own chili in the slow cooker overnight; we almost always go with ground turkey in our chili, but the store was out, so we opted for ground sirloin, and added in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, some onion, chipotle chillies, and Tabasco sauce. Super good! On the side, I had some multi-grain saltines from Nabisco. I also had a dark chocolate calcium disk from Adora after lunch.<br />
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Once the work day was done, I hopped on my elliptical trainer for a long overdue visit. I completed 30 minutes while catching up on old episodes from this season's <i>30 Rock</i>. Oh how I miss working out earlier in the day. Once 5-6pm hits, my motivation starts to dwindle. But I have a recharged outlook on keeping up with exercise this week. One day at a time, I say.<br />
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For dinner, we reached for the November 2010 issue of <a href="http://www.realsimple.com/" target="_blank">Real Simple</a>. Inside, they have some festive fall dishes and we decided to try their recipe for <a href="http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/chicken-acorn-squash-tomatoes-00000000044728/index.html" target="_blank">Chicken with Acorn Squash and Tomatoes</a>. It was wonderful, really, and totally satisfying. I am a big tomato fan, and this particular mix was a nice change. Highly recommend this one!<br />
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Prior to calling it a day, I reached for the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups bag that's sitting on top of my fridge for Halloween. I did sneak in one piece of chocolate and still made it under my monitored calorie count for the day. Woo hoo!<br />
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Here's hoping I can blog about Ryan's birthday at Rick Bayless' awesome XOCO restaurant tomorrow. Until then, thanks for reading Fighting the Pudge! I hope you had a fantastic Monday! xxMacKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017771888807888770noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699983411088684864.post-81582253155799882962010-10-20T21:50:00.000-05:002010-10-20T21:50:23.038-05:00Plugging AlongWowsa! Today was a busy one at work, but also a gorgeous one outside. How is fall where you are? Per my dear blog reader Kristy's (at <a href="http://kristygourmet.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">My Little Space</a>) request, I attempted to a take a photo of the Japanese Maple tree outside my office window. Sadly, the leaves keep falling off of it each day. I shot from both the inside and outside, but the inside shot won. Apologies for the fuzzy screen look. :)<br />
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Today's breakfast featured an oldie but goodie, my open face fruit sandwich with chia seeds. I haven't had this in what seems like a while and it's another go-to safety dish when I'm running on borrowed time in the morning. I also had my usual iced coffee.<br />
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While waiting for some publishing issues to sort themselves out, I reached for a snack: an McIntosh apple with homemade apple butter, which were both purchased during a quick trip to the orchard on Sunday. The closest orchards to Chicago, at least to my knowledge, are in Wisconsin. Ryan and I decided to stop by Spicer's Orchard near my parent's house on our way back to Chicago on Sunday. It was a last minute trip, and a lot of fun! Not sure if serving apple butter is the greatest thing to serve with an apple, but it worked for me.<br />
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Come lunch time, we reverted back to our goal of working with a limited grocery list and today Ryan prepared a grilled chicken pita with cherry tomatoes, olives, greens and a greek yogurt sauce. On the side, we had a spicy McClure's pickle. A quick and easy, yet filling lunch!<br />
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After lunch, Ryan and I took a break from our work to take a walk outside. The weather is in the high 60s and quite lovely. I'm also trying my best to tear myself away from the computer for a few minutes each day for a short break. This afternoon, we visited Starbucks, where I ordered a tall skinny vanilla latte. I love them! <br />
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But dinner was another story. I have to say we caved when dinnertime rolled around only because we both worked past 6 PM. Once that happens, we wuss out on cooking something. We shared a medium margherita pizza instead from Robey's. I can't say I didn't enjoy it.<br />
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Arrgh ... back at the elliptical tomorrow. Time to take care of some organizational stuff before I hit the hay. How was your day? Thanks for reading! xx<br />
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<b><i>What kinds of food do you go after when you don't feel like cooking?</i></b>MacKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017771888807888770noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699983411088684864.post-16152441084757032562010-10-19T21:24:00.000-05:002010-10-19T21:24:10.267-05:00Faster Than the Speed of LightHappy Tuesday everyone! Fall is certainly in full swing here in Chicago and the large Japanese Maple tree outside my office window has finally changed color. It's a fantastic golden yellow ... I should take a photo of it. Anyhow, here we are at Tuesday. Tuesdays are always bonkers on my end since my work day is slightly cut short with my volunteering duties at Open Books. Every Tuesday blows through like the speed of light. I can't complain though ... It keeps me on my toes.<br />
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Lately, I've noticed that my breakfasts are fitting into the "quick" category, so to speak. With a 7:30 AM start time, I am typically rushing to get a healthy breakfast together and that's probably why you seen a lot of eggs here. Today is no exception.<br />
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For lunch, we had some of our leftover black bean and avocado salad with a non-dairy burrito from Amy's. YUM! And like I did yesterday, I snuck in two more chocolate chip cookies. So bad, but oh so good!<br />
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Once returning home from another fun-filled day with Open Books, Ryan was in the midst of preparing dinner. Tonight, he concocted a fabulously tasty Mediterranean Chicken dish with Jasmine Rice. YUM-MY! Definitely an easy one to mix up!<br />
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I have to say, so far so good on the lighter grocery list this week. Skipped working out today since I have a lot of catch up work to attend to. Back at it tomorrow. Thanks for reading.<br />
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<i><b>When watching your grocery budget, what are some of your favorite easy-but-tasty dishes? </b></i>MacKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017771888807888770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699983411088684864.post-61787333043919327792010-10-18T21:46:00.011-05:002010-10-19T21:12:53.434-05:00I'm Baaaaaaack!My dearest readers, hello again! It's been a while hasn't it? I'm just now starting to feel back to normal after a fantastic trip to New York City. I had every intention of blogging while I was there. But I swear to you, I never saw my laptop. Between working from the BBC offices, seeing Ryan's family some of the time, visiting with friends, and getting around NYC and New Jersey, I never sat down until 10:30PM each night. At that point, I was spent. I seriously admire folks who can do it all <i>and</i> blog about their meals and exercise everyday, especially when living out of a suitcase. You guys are my heroes!<br />
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I wasn't home 24 hours until I had to jump on another plane to head back to Michigan for a speaking engagement at my alma mater, Michigan State University. I was honored to be a part of the Neal Shine Ethics Lecture last Friday, speaking about my experience as the bobsled, luge, and skeleton producer at NBCOlympics.com during the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games. I also attended MSU's homecoming game and hung out with my family. Loads of fun was had in the last 12 days, but I'm glad to be back in the Windy City, computing from my green-walled nook. How the heck are YOU?<br />
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Monday morning started off with some Fage fat-free yogurt! Oh how I've missed this stuff. I ate a yogurt parfait from Starbucks for breakfast everyday when I was in the Big Apple, but I missed making my own food. This dish is easy and I included golden raspberries for the very first time. Ryan looked at me like I was crazy when I purchased them, but they are fab! The strawberries, almonds, and chia seeds (plus a tablespoon of honey) aren't too bad either ;)<br />
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For lunch, we resorted to one of our usual go-to meals when we're lacking groceries: Rising Moon Ravioli. The Butternut Squash version is probably our favorite. Ryan likes to dress it up with chunky veggie pasta sauce from Rinaldi that's mixed with garlic, balsamic vinegar and red wine. I also had a mixed green salad on the side with sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, tomatoes, carrots, and freshly grated parmesan. For dessert, I snuck into Ryan's homemade cookies from my Mom. Couldn't resist.<br />
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Upon returning home from our weekend in Michigan, Ryan and I stopped at Whole Foods to pick up a few things. While it wasn't our usual grocery trip, we hope our selection will hopefully last us throughout the week. They had a fabulous sale on freshly grilled tilapia tacos, so that's exactly what we planned for Monday's dinner. We served ours with Rudi's spelt flour tortillas and some cherry tomatoes. Ryan also created a fun black bean and avocado salad on the side.<br />
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Yay for home cooking! I almost forgot ... I got back together with my elliptical trainer, too. Even though it was only for 35 minutes, it was good to be back. Walking nearly five miles every day in New York was fine, but I missed shedding some sweat, y'know? HAHA!<br />
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It's time to play catch up with all of my bookmarked food blogs. Thanks for your patience and for always supporting Fighting the Pudge.MacKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017771888807888770noreply@blogger.com1