The Cowtown - My First 5K

I DID IT!  I turn 32 tomorrow and I ran my first official 5K (aka 3.1 miles) today!

I was so nervous about it yesterday.  Even though I've been "training" for it, I haven't REALLY trained for it.  I didn't do any kind of training program.  I pretty much have kept to my usual workouts (boot camp classes, weight training, etc.) and throw in a mile run afterwards.  The last couple of weekends, I made sure to get in at least 3 miles/day....just to know that I was capable.  One day last week I actually did 5 miles.  That was some sort of freak accident! LOL  I was also nervous because I knew we'd be running in temperatures in the 30's....and I train at lunchtime when it's in the 50's-60's.  So my lungs were a little scared!

So, anyway, I'm rambling......

I ran with my friend/co-worker Tari.  This is us before the race.

And here's a picture of me after the race....only semi-sweaty, as it was pretty cold!

When I signed up a couple of months ago, my initial goal was to just run/jog the entire thing.  I just knew I didn't want to walk...at all.  In the recent past, I changed that goal to not only run the entire race but to run it at or under 10:00/mile.

My time:  28 minutes 28 seconds (pace was 9:10/mile).  I exceeded my goal.  Yay!  I was even more exited to find out to find out I finished in the top 14% of all runners (there were over 5,000!) and I finished in the top 6% of all women runners (over 3,000 total)!   I was shocked! 

I think I have found a new hobby obsession.  I absolutely LOVED it.  I loved the entire thing.  The adrenalin.  Running the streets of Fort Worth with over 5,000 other people.  The sense of accomplishment.  Getting up early to do something healthy.  I just loved it all.

I found this shirt yesterday.  The front says "STRENGTH".  The back "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me".  I got several compliments on it and people asking where I got it.  I will probably be buying more! I bought it in person at a health expo, but you can purchase online at  http://www.316athleticwear.com/

I usually listen to Christian music when I run.  It helps me to keep going. I know I can do all things with Christ.  And today...I DID!

New Recipes

So, here's a couple of recipes I tried this weekend (one was a 2nd attempt). I'm not a food blogger....the pictures are evidence of that! I am always looking for healthy recipes. Even if you don't need to lose weight, your internal organs would still like to have some healthier foods! And as a mom of a toddler, I could always use recipies with less sugar and more goodness!


The first is an "ice cream" recipe.  Olivia and I both LOVE our frozen desserts, so I thought this one might be perfect!  It can have from ONE ingredient, up to three (which is how I made ours).   I found this recipe on Pinterest (shocking)!

Click here for the recipe!  (or see below)

4 bananas, just slightly overripe (brown spots good, completely black not so good)
2 tbsps creamy peanut butter (optional – thus 2 ingredient ice cream)
2 tsps cocoa powder (Dutch process), (optional – thus 2 or 3 ingredient ice cream depending on peanut butter)
DO NOT FREEZE THE WHOLE BANANA, you’ll have a heck of a time blending that beast.

Peel the bananas and slice them up into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick disks. Place the banana slices in the freezer for about an hour or until they are frozen solid. Put the frozen slices in a food processor and pulse. First they will start to resemble gravel, but keep going. The bananas will soon turn into a frozen mush – at this point, start scraping the sides down (you will do this a lot). Or you could add a dash of milk since the liquid will help the blending. I’m lactose-intolerant, so after a few minutes of stopping to scrape the sides down, the banana begins to blend into a creamy texture. When the bananas look like whipped ice cream, you can add your mix-ins like peanut butter and/or cocoa powder, chocolate chips, toffee, raspberries, anything goes! Straight out of the food processor, the ice cream is like soft serve. You can also freeze it for a firmer texture. I find it’s pretty hard (and therefore, brittle) when I scoop it immediately after removing it from the freezer. Just give it a minute or two to soften up. Makes a pint.

The second recipe is Chocolate Chip Cookies.  No flour.  No sugar.  Only 45 calories per cookie.  Sold yet?  One of the trainers at the gym gave me this one....and we all three love them.  They are dark.  And slightly bitter.  So if you don't like dark chocolate, I don't really recommend them, but Jason, Olivia and I are sold!

RECIPE HERE

Going into the oven

Finished product......Olivia helped with some of the chocolate chips...can you tell?!

Long Weekend

We really didn't do much this weekend but somehow stayed busy enough to not even do laundry!  Ugh!  I hate it when I start the week and still need to do laundry (which is nearly every week!).

Saturday Jason went to his friend's ranch.  Olivia and I pretty much just hung out around the house and ran a couple of errands. 

On Sunday, Olivia and I went to church.  Jason got home around lunchtime.  We (they) napped.  I went for a run (ran about 3.5 miles....averaged 9:57 per mile....which is a personal best for outdoor running.  I ran about the same distance today and avereaged 10:24/mile (boo!).  I know this isn't a fitness blog, but I just thought I'd throw that out there so when I'm running 6 minute miles (ha) I can look back on how slow I used to be! LOL).

Jason and I were both off today for President's Day.  Again, didn't do anything!

Olivia decided to play dress up.  She was STYLIN'!  And boy did she think she looked cute!

Nightgown, summer hat that doesn't fit, a tutu and sequined shoes.

Such a mess!

She finally got dressed for the day after nap and we went outside and played for a while.  It was SO nice out today....mid 60's and sunny.  Doesn't get much better than that! 

Valentine's Day

I'm not a huge Valentine's Day person....AT ALL.  Yes, I'm one of those people that feel like it's kind of a made-up holiday.  I just don't see how my husband buying me flowers on a day when millions of other people also get the same flowers is super special! That being said, we typically just buy cards for each other.

Now, Olivia, on the other hand, was SUPER excited about Valentine's Day!  She was SO funny.  She couldn't wait to get home to go thru her Valentines bag from school. 

I'm not sure what's going on with my fortmatting on this post, but I refuse to start over!

We got Olivia a couple of little gifts for Valentine's Day.  She got the Tangled game for her MobiGo.  She also got a Tangled bathtub barbie whose hair changes from pink to blonde, and man....she is LOVING that gift!

I love how excited she was opening her presents!

Again, the formatting is crazy!

These were some pics I took this past weekend and just thought they were too cute to not share!

We were on our way to get her hair cut.  She just HAD to take two of her purses.  Well, we settled on two purses.  She wanted to take about five!



These are the Valentines we (I) made for her class. I just things we had on hand. The only thing I had to buy was the goldfish, so it turned out to be a pretty cheap and cute project!



Working Moms

So, I'm a few days late, but Kelly's Korner did a post on working moms the other day, so I thought I'd go ahead and join in!

A Day in My Life

4:45am     Wake Up

5:00am     Leave the house and drive an hour to gym/work

4:00pm     Leave work for the hour-plus drive home

5:30-6pm  Pick up Olivia and head home. 

6:00pm     Cook Olivia's Dinner

6:30ish      Give Olivia a bath  (Jason usually arrives home during bathtime)

7:30ish      Read books, potty and start bedtime routine

8:00ish      Sit down for the first time. Jason & I eat dinner, which I prepared at some point in the evening

9:30-10    Go to bed and get ready to do it all over again!

Really exciting, right?!?!?!

My house stays a wreck these days.

Laundry only gets about half done.

Dinners are crockpot meals more often than they're not.

The beds are never made.

And Saturdays typically consist of running errands and grocery shopping.

One day, I'm going to get it all together and be the perfect wife & mom, but until then, I guess I'll keep doing what I'm doing!  And just maybe one day we'll play, win the lottery and I can write a post about being a stay-at-home mom!  Awww...to dream!   (And to my stay at home mom friends, I know it's not a cake walk....but there is a lot of guilt that comes with working outside of the home and only getting to see my child for approximately 2 hours a day.  I just hope she knows how much I love her and how much I wish I could be with her.  Truth be told, she LOVES school and would probably hate being with me everyday anyway! LOL).

Princess Olivia

It sure feels like it's been forever since I've posted! I guess there hasn't been much going on! I can't even remember what we did last weekend. I know since Olivia's birthday, she has been sick. Again. She is currently well, but I'm feeling a bit under the weather, but that's ok...I can at least go to work when I'm sick!

We didn't do too much this weekend.  We woke up Saturday and ran a couple of errands and went grocery shopping.  Then after nap, we went to Olivia's friend Kayla's 3rd birthday party.  It was a princess party and we were instructed to wear our favorite dress-up clothes.

Olivia was so excited about the party.  It was at a community room.  They had a big princess castle bounce house, some arts & crafts and lots of food.  I didn't take my camera, but managed to get a couple  on my phone.  I'm just currently too lazy to get up and go get my phone to download the pics!  Olivia did get to take a turn on her first pinata.  She was so shy and didn't like everyone looking at her.  She barely swung at it, but was quick to grab the candy once it all fell!

Checking herself out before leaving for the party.