Sunday, March 31, 2013

I Have Returned!

Hi, Friends! I have returned from my lovely week in Florida. Unfortunately, I returned to a dead laptop. I will blog more when we figure out the issue!

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Intense

During an intense play session on Tuesday night, Trooper Zika seems to have injured his little doggie withers.  He's been limping around and has had trouble going up the stairs.  He seems to be a bit better today.  He has learned how to ask his dad to lift him on to the couch, so I'm wondering if he's going to fake the limp for a little while so he can be carried everywhere.

Here is a quick bulleted list of what else is new in our lives:
  • The skinny brownies I posted about last week were awesome.  You should all make them and then eat the whole pan in two days like we did.
  • I ran 19 miles this morning!  I'd post a picture of the blood blister I have to prove it, but I'll spare you.  
  • Today is my last "official" day of mentoring!  It will be bittersweet.  I think my LS will be transitioning to a new mentor in April.  
  • Not much else is going on.  Jim's doing the law and stuff (busy as always) and I leave on vacay next week. 

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Skinny

I just realized I haven't even looked at my blog in a week.  Sorry, peeps.
We made it through another week with nothing too exciting happening.  Marathon training is going well.  My joints and muscles are constantly tired and a little achy.  I am assuming they will be that way for six more weeks.  After a recovery week, we dive in to week 12 with a 6 mile run on Monday, yoga on Tuesday, 6.5 mile run on Wednesday, spin on Thursday, rest, then 19 miles on Saturday.  You literally have to be slightly insane to train for a marathon.
In baking news, the Legal Beagle (so spoiled) has been asking for brownies a LOT.  I love brownies, but have you ever looked at the ingredients?  I'll summarize: a ridiculous amount of butter, sugar, and chocolate.  Granted, I love all of those things, but we don't need a whole pan for the two of us.  With our hearts in mind, I baked these skinny peanut butter brownies today.  (Still a cup of sugar.)  Here's one thing I learned: don't use the word "skinny" when describing a baked good to the Legal Beagle.  Actually, a good rule is to not use the term "healthy" or discuss how you added Silken Tofu to a recipe.  I'll let you know how they taste when I cut into those suckers.
I also tried a new Crock Pot recipe tonight: Rachael Ray's Spanish Chicken.  This is a really tasty one.  I think the key is the lemon, keeping the new potatoes whole while cooking (to maintain some structure), and the fresh toppers added at the end.  (No olives, thank you.)  It's slightly reminiscent of a paella taste.  Also, I used chicken breasts instead of thighs.  I'm sure a mix of the thighs and breasts would also be tasty.  (Again, our hearts.)
All right, hopefully I'll just keeping running along.   

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Recovery

The morning after you run 17 miles, you're bound to wake up feeling like an arthritic 90 year old.  A lot of hobbling happened today.  I did want to share a few yummy recipes that I whipped up.  Although we love our usual banana/ peanut butter granola bar, I experimented with homemade cereal bars.  I made a few minor changes: I used egg whites instead of an egg, I replaced the honey with one mashed ripe banana and a few tablespoons of a maple/ agave mix.  They will be our morning snacks for the week.  I also made oatmeal rhubarb bars for a treat.  I loved the addition of the coconut flakes.  (I think they would be really great dairy free by replacing the butter with coconut butter.)  Go bake yourself some treats!

Saturday, March 2, 2013

17

Well, we ran 17 miles.  I was really nervous and so was my training partner.  I feel like the jump from 15 to 17 was a mental jump too.  As with most things, your brain is your own worst enemy.  We prepared last night with a feast of Giada's Carbonara with Pancetta.  I think it helped to fuel the journey.  We graduated to 2 energy gels (around 6 and 12 miles) and wrote a hip hop song along the way.  By around mile 15 our legs turned in to jelly and ran on auto pilot.  We finished in just under 3 hours.  We celebrated with a giant challah bread strata with chicken sausage, kale, and onions.  Mind over matter.  Or strata over matter.  Our next long run is in two weeks: 19 miles.
Today was also a big day because I told the little girl I mentor that I'd be ending my time with her and the program.  Luckily she is open to getting a new mentor with BBBS.  We've been together for almost 2 and a half years, so I think it came as quite a shock to her.  Although she's 12, she lacks the emotional skills needed to deal with things like this.  I think in the long run it will be good for her. 
After those two accomplishments, I think it's time for an adult beverage.