Half Marathon Training Weeks 1-3

I wanted to keep a log of my half marathon training this time around. I have forgotten most of what I used to train when I ran my first two and only have a scratch paper calendar from my third. These have been big running accomplishments for me and I have enjoyed/struggled through each one. 

I will be running the Sunburst Half Marathon on June 4. Dean has run the full marathon here twice and I was pregnant both times so now its my turn. Except running a full marathon is still a little out of my comfort zone. My goal is 1:45. The first half marathon I ever ran was a 1:52-Run Girl in Houston. The second was 1:57-Run Girl in Houston and the last was 2:07-Frog Hill in MO. So, here goes nothing!

Week 1

Tuesday March 1

3 mile easy run on the elliptical.

This one had to be done at home. The weather and two kiddos with colds kept us in all day.

Thursday March 3

3 mile easy run on the elliptical.

Same as Tuesday. It was snowing again and had to be done early in the morning.

Friday March 4

4.5 mile long run on the treadmill.

It was so nice outside but it just didn't work into my schedule to run outside. It was too cold for the stroller but I did get to break out of the basement and run on the treadmill at the Wellness Center. Thankfully, Dean was able to watch the kids for that time. 

Total miles: 10.5

That was Week 1. It wasn't a lot of miles, which I appreciate. It's supposed to be nice this week so hopefully I can get some miles in outside!

Week 2

Tuesday March 8-5.27 miles

I finally got to run outside! It was very windy. I ran to the Township Hall to vote and then back to our house. Dean biked and pulled the kids in the burley cart. They didn't really stay with me, just waved as they blew past.

Thursday March 10-4 miles

I decided to do this run inside on the elliptical. I've had my share of knee issues and was worried so many outside miles and pounding the pavement would be more hurt than good.

Saturday March 12-7.5
I got up early and had a great run outside. I didn't push my pace too much but was able to run a little faster than I had thought going into it. It wasn't hard and for once I really wasn't intimidated about running that far!

Total Miles: 16.77

Week 3

Tuesday March 15-5 miles in the wind again while the rest of the family had fun at the park.

Thursday March 17-2 miles on the elliptical. I wasn't feeling very great so I didn't push it. Although I felt like I could have went longer.

Saturday March 19-10k Race in 50:18 and 2nd in my age group. I'm putting this down as a PR. I never used to keep track of my times and didn't run a lot of races so I am pretty happy about this. My last 10k in 2015 was 57;18. Plus, it was our first family race of the year.

Reagan @ 9 months old

This month has been full of new things for Reagan! We love watching her little personality develop and seeing her become more independent.

Weight: 16 lbs

Wears anywhere from 3-6 month to 9 month clothes.

Size 3 diapers

Likes: Being held, crawling, bath time, clapping, playing outside, swinging, watching the chickens and ducks, eating puffs, playing with Bo, riding in the stroller and wagon, finger foods, listening to music, paper, chewing on everything, pulling hair, pulling herself up on her knees and feet, fruit, vegetables, cheese, bread, and yogurt.

Dislikes: Puréed food, napping, getting her diaper changed, being left alone, being tackled by Bo, getting dressed, sleeping in her bed, Moxie

New this month: crawling, kneeling, clapping, saying mama, going to the nursery at church, swinging, sledding, riding in the cart, riding in the wagon, eating dirt, leaves, and grass, two top teeth are starting to come through, and getting into everything! Between her and Bo there is hardly a dull moment around here!

Reagan is such a wonderful, little girl. Her personality is quickly developing and she is quite strong willed. She loves being out and about and shows it by charming everyone she meets. She is very much a mommy's girl but does love playing with her daddy and brother. It's so cute when Dean comes home from work and she has to crawl over to give him a hug. Just like Bo. She does a great job keeping up and keeping things interesting. Bo loves her but is still having a hard time adjusting to the fact that she can follow him everywhere and get all his toys. It's the sweetest thing when they share and play together. We sure do love our Baby Reagan!

Reagan on the Left and Bo on the Right @ 9 months old

Taco Salad Casserole

I found this recipe on Pinterest and knew I needed to make it. I meal plan for a whole month at a time. It makes shopping with two kids easier, since I only have to go once a month. This recipe wasn't on the menu, BUT tacos were. I try to still be flexible with meals even if they aren't exactly what was on the menu. I made some small changes and there are all kinds of things you can do to make it work for you. I love recipes that are easy to adapt and we fell in love with this one on the first bite. While Dean and I loved it, Bo was not thrilled about the lettuce, tomatoes, or peppers. I guess I didn't do a good job hiding those.

The original recipe that I adapted can be found here. 

Taco Salad Casserole

Ingredients

• 1lb lean ground meat-venison, turkey, hamburger
• 1/2-3/4 cup fat free refried beans
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 green pepper
• 1 tomato
• 1 cup lettuce
• 2 ½ cups crushed multigrain tortilla chips-I just used all the broken pieces from the bottom of the bag
• ½ pkg taco seasoning or homemade taco seasoning-I use cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350° F
2. Brown meat
3. Add refried beans, salsa, and taco seasoning. Reduce heat to medium until boiling, then remove from heat.
4. Crush 2 C chips and place into bottom of 9x13 pan
5. Cut pepper and tomato
6. Pour meat mixture over chips and spread evenly.
7. Sprinkle pepper on top.
8. Place uncovered in oven and bake for 20-25 min.
9. Remove from oven.
10. Sprinkle the lettuce, tomato, and remaining ½ cup chips on top.
11. Eat!!

The best thing about this casserole is that you can use more or less of the ingredients and even use different toppings or add more. You could also add jalapeños or black olives, use black beans instead of refried, etc. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! It is definitely a recipe we will be making again. 

-Rach

Reagan @ 7 months

I am finally writing this! Reagan is almost halfway to 8 months but better late than never. Right?

Seven Months Old
1/16/2016

Height:24 3/4 in

Weight:14 lbs 13 oz

Likes: Bo, Bo, Bo! She won't nap if he is around because she MUST know what he is doing. She loves to sit and watch him and just laugh at all he does. She also loves sitting up, playing with Bo's toys, and being the center of attention. She loves baths and trying to suck all the water out of the washcloth. There aren't many things she doesn't like and it's so fun to see her find new things she does enjoy.

Dislikes: Sleeping. This girl does not like to sleep! She fights naps and still doesn't sleep through the night. She still hates being alone and lets you know it!

New Things: She started food! I can't say that she really likes pureed baby food or cereal but she will eat some. The only way she eats it is if she can stick her fingers in afterwards. Even then, she blows most of it back out onto me. She laughs and laughs and makes a BIG mess! She really loves table food. She doesn't get much but will go to town on sweet potato sticks, mum mum crackers, and bread or pretzels if she can get a hold of them. She has eaten green beans, pears, sweet potatoes, carrots, and rice cereal. She scoots backwards, rolls everywhere, and has started saying "da-da". She is so close to crawling forward. I am pretty sure that Bo is going to have a fit when she really starts moving. She has also started crying when you take things away from her and won't stop until she gets it back. She is an onery thing. She must be watching her brother.

We love our little Reggy!!

Spinach Stuffed Shells

Spinach Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
1 box jumbo Shells
½ bag frozen spinach (about 2 cups)
1 container cottage cheese
1 egg (optional)
1 cup shredded cheese (optional)
Pasta Sauce

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cook the shells according to the package
Cook the spinach according to the package and drain
Drain shells and let cool so they are easy to touch
Mix spinach, cottage cheese, egg, and shredded cheese in a bowl
Spray a 9x13 pan
Fill shells with spinach mixture and place in pan.
Top with Pasta Sauce if desired or wait until after baking and let everyone add sauce to their own.
Cover with foil and bake for 30-40 minutes
Remove from oven and Enjoy!!

Take 5 to Exercise

For me, exercising is a priority. I make it work for myself and for my family. Exercising makes me happier and gives me the energy I need to be the best wife and mother. These are my FIVE steps to add exercise into your day.

Make a Plan
I am not spontaneous. I like to have a plan for everything and know what is coming next. Working out as a Stay at Home Mom is difficult. I wanted to set myself up for success as much as possible. I figured what time of day works best for me to work out. For me, its the morning. My mood is SO much better after I exercise. Yes, its harder to get up early but it's worth it. I like myself more after and I think my family does too. Then, I wrote it down. I can't just make up a few exercises and just do them and feel like I got a good workout in. Writing it down holds me accountable to it and gives me direction and focus. Plus, it saves me time and I need all the extra time I can get. Crossing each day off gives me so much satisfaction. I love to watch progress in action!

Wear your workout clothes to bed
I work out at home. No one sees me. No one knows if I wore those clothes yesterday or not. Well, except all of you reading this. I worry so much about making noise in the morning. My greatest fear is waking my kids up. Opening drawers makes noise. It seems like the quieter I try to be, the louder I actually am. Even if I don't wear my workout clothes to bed, I try to have everything laid out downstairs so I have no excuse. Not being prepared used to be one of my biggest excuses. Now I can't use it.

Be Flexible
This is difficult for me. I like routine and I like exercising in the morning. I also like the alone time of exercising by myself, before my kids wake up. It would be great for that to happen five days out of five. Realistically, it probably happens three days of the week. Usually, I am halfway through my workout or in the basement using the elliptical when one wakes up early. Sometimes my cardio gets cut short or I have to trade the morning workout for nap time or night time when my husband is home. I try not to get discouraged when it doesn't work out and just readjust my schedule to fit it in later. Sometimes, Bo watches PBS or joins in on the exercises. Reagan just needs a couple toys and some attention and she will happily watch me do squats or planks. Stressing about it doesn't help. Being willing to change it does. There are also days I miss a workout. It won't kill me. My kids need me more than my elliptical does.

Find a Friend
This has been the greatest thing keeping me on point. Knowing that someone else is doing the same workouts and is expecting me to do them do really keeps me motivated. Even on the days I don't want to do them, I know that she is probably doing them right then. I told her I would and I don't want to break that trust. It's also fun to discuss how our workouts are going, what is working, and what we could change. She encourages me and I encourage her. If you don't have a person like this, enlist your husband or a good friend just to check in with you. Maybe they won't do the workouts but they can still be a great workout to you as you work to get fit. If you need someone, I would love to be that person for you as well.

Take a nap
I know this won't work for everyone. It also doesn't work for me every day. Some weeks by Friday I am exhausted. Getting up early to exercise and staying up late to get a few chores done catches up to me by the end of the week. When I can get both kids napping at the same time, I try to take advantage of that time and rest. It doesn't always mean napping, but I usually fall asleep if I am just sitting on the couch reading or resting. Even thirty minutes makes a world of a difference to the rest of my day. There are nights that by seven, I am a cranky mess. I am tired and I just want the day to be over. I am no fun to be around. Those are the days I should have taken a nap. I also have to tell myself that the dishes can wait until later, or the floors can be mopped later. All the mess will still be there when I wake up.

Pretending to nap. They don't actually sleep together.

Happy Friday and Have a Great Weekend!!

QOTD: What tricks do you use to her your workout in?

-Rach

January Workouts

I am starting a new workout series this month with a couple great ladies! These workouts are short but will work some of those key problem areas. It is so much more motivating to know that others are exercising with you and it has been great in keeping me accountable. I try to get in 20 minutes of cardio each day along with my workout. It might be the elliptical machine, treadmill, or walking my stairs. As a busy mom, I take what I can get and try not to get discouraged when I can't fit it all in. Some days it's only 10 min and some days I can get in 30. It's more difficult when my kids are awake but so fun to have them join in on the exercises. We especially love squats and pushups!

Legs

Arms

Calendar

Any exercise is better than none and the best time to exercise is any time! I would love to have you join us or give the workouts a try. I am looking forward to this new year and new workout!

-Rach