Monthly Archives: February 2011

Gasparilla Half Marathon Recap

Posted on by Run DMT
11

The start of the race was pretty warm (close to 60 degrees), but the energy and excitement of all the runners made the event even hotter.  Perhaps I’ve been out the half marathon loop for awhile but I don’t remember such enthusiasm in a race outside of Disney.  Maybe it’s because it’s our hometown race and it was truly a magnificent morning for a run.

 

My favorite part of any Gasparilla race is always watching the sunrise over Tampa Bay.  You don’t even have to be runner to appreciate such a sight and watching a sunrise should be on your bucket list (if you have one).  I’m just thankful that I love a hobby that offers an opportunity to bask in such beauty.

 

 

 

 

As for the race, I crossed the start line seven minutes into it.  I paced for the first few miles with @BigBadEd and a lovely young lady, Briana, running her first half marathon.  After our pit stop at a water station, I lost the two of them in the crowd and I was on my own for awhile.

 

 

The hordes of high school track and field teams cheering on the runners kept everyone’s momentum high.  Their smiles and spirit made that long stretch along Bayshore Blvd bearable.  My favorite team was Plant City High School because they had spirit…yes, they did!

 

 

When you’re running for miles and miles, you can’t help but notice other runners’ attire.  This race was no different except that this time, I happened to recognize the running dresses of some fellow Suncoast Striders.  Once I spotted Karen and Regina in their fancy running dresses, I paced with them for a few miles.  It was so great to catch up with them.  I miss running with my Strider friends.  But after the turn on Bayshore Blvd, I lost them too.  You would think their floral outfits would make them easy to find in the crowd, but not for my mama brain! Or should I blame it on the heat?

 

 

Speaking of the heat, there were several sprinklers to cool us off at the water stations along Bayshore Blvd.  I’m sure those sprinklers added time onto my finish time, because I always walked slowly through those sprinklers.  A couple of times I even stopped to soak in the spray a little while longer because it felt so refreshing!

 

 

With Karen and Regina in the race, I knew David (our fearless Strider leader) would be somewhere cheering on the runners, but somehow I missed my cheering section at the bottom of the Davis Island Bridge.  I did happen to spot a funny sign that read, “Your feet hurt because you’re kicking so much booty right now!

 

 

Around mile 11, my knee buckled which incidentally is the SAME SPOT where my knee buckled during the Gasparilla marathon two years ago.  My t-bands started to ache and I walked for a few minutes, but the walk was more of a wobble with a limp.  I needed to stop and stretch my calves and shins, because usually for me a knee issue means my calves/shins are feeling overworked.   Whatever the reason for the pain, I just hoped I could finish the last two miles running.

 

On the way back into Downtown Tampa passing the Davis Island Bridge once again, I realized it’s my friend, Melanie, holding the sign that made me smile and she’s standing next to none other than David, who’s taking photos.  Even though I was focused on my knee and finishing around 2:30, I still managed to smile and wave to the Strider gang.

 

 

Once passing the Striders, I spotted what I thought was the finish line, and I started to run harder.  Much to my dismay, it was the start line.  DOH! But somehow I found the energy to keep running strong for the next quarter mile.

 

I suppose seeing my fellow Striders close to the finish line inspired me to finish strong and ignore my knee.  Or maybe it was the thought that my family would be waiting for me at the finish line.  I wanted to show my girls that no matter what, no matter how you get there or how long it takes you, it feels really great crossing a finish line and achieving your goals.

 

 

My goal was to finish at 2:30.  Close enough.

 

 

Bib # 25004

Clock Time 2:38:20

Chip Time 2:31:18

Overall 3849/4818

Sex 1843/2498

Div 367

Age 45%

 

 

Are You Gonna Go My Way?

Posted on by Run DMT
10

Yesterday I ran the Gasparilla half marathon, my first half marathon of four before I turn 40.  I had a great time and met my 2 hours, 30 minute goal, but I’ll write more about the race in another post.

 

For now, enjoy the tune that got my juices flowing at the start of the race.

 

 

Visit Amanda, Xmas Dolly and Hairbows & Guitar Picks for more Music Monday fun.

 

An Eggs-traordinary Breakfast

Posted on by Run DMT
16

Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but sometimes it can be the most boring meal too. On more than one occasion, Kashi just doesn’t cut it for me. Lumpy, plain oatmeal tends to be boring and lifeless in my bowl.  So when I’m craving a breakfast with a bit more flare, I hunt for leftovers in my fridge.

 

Since my hubby and I are trying to incorporate more vegetarian dishes into our family dinner menu, one evening I served my family roasted veggies (slices of yellow squash and zucchini, whole baby bella mushrooms and red onions marinated in the juice of one lemon, ¼ cup olive oil, two cloves of garlic, salt pepper, ¼ tsp red pepper flakes and 1 tsp thyme) on a bed of couscous.

 

If you watched my recent vlog, you may already be familiar with my love of couscous because a serving size is ONE CUP.  That’s a whole lot of little pasta balls to leave me feeling full.  Throw some roasted veggies on top to make it a meal and I’m in vegetarian heaven.

 

Another night this week, I made my famous black beans.

 

Now you might be wondering what these two dishes have in common?  Well, they’re two great tastes that taste great together.  You see, yesterday morning, I had a bit of the breakfast blues where none of the usual low fat breakfasts would do.  As I stared into my fridge for some inspiration, I spotted the eggs.  But an egg by itself is so blah and I was craving something a bit more eggs-traordinary.

 

That’s when the black beans beckoned me.  Then, the lovely leftover veggies spoke to me.  They suggested I scramble an egg and toss in the beans and veggies.  Next the stack of tortillas in the pantry rolled in because they wanted to go to the party in my tummy.   So yummy.  So yummy.

 

Seriously, this was so delicious that I ate a second one for lunch.

 

 

Now link up and see what If I Could Escape and Gone Bananas are serving for this week’s Friday Food Fight.

 



*Also submitted to*

Random Thoughts about Running, Blubber, Camel Toes and Clothes

Posted on by Run DMT
7

It’s Tuesday and time for some random running thoughts.  Time escaped me last week and I forgot to prattle on in a post about my running but there’s plenty to fill you in, if you like that sort of thing.

My Gasparilla Half Marathon is this Sunday and I’m feeling pretty good about that race.  Sunday morning’s race forecast is predicted to be 58 degrees, which isn’t too shabby.  A little warmer than I’m sure other Gasparilla runners would like, but I’ll take it over wind and rain.   Later that day the high will hit 81, so hopefully I’ll finish before the heat creeps up.

My running progress over the past couple of months has been steady and my time for my 3 mile runs has steadily improved (about a 10:00 pace).  My friend, Faith @fmc3, has been running with me a couple of mornings and her pace is much slower than mine and that’s totally fine with me.  I save my faster pace for when I run alone and maintain an easy pace when I run with Faith.

As for other BFFs, I’ve been totally flaking on my work-outs with Sharon Mann.  I really need to get back into the boot camp stuff because swimsuit season is right around the corner and this baby blubber has got to go in order for mama to fit back into a bikini.

On the topic of blubber that has got to go, I lost another TWO POUNDS!  WOOHOO!  Since January 1st, I’ve lost a total of 20 pounds and I’m halfway to my goal.  Of course, if you saw me, you would probably say 20 pounds is way too much, at least I think so.  Another 10-15 would probably be a more reasonable amount for a less emaciated look.  Truthfully, it doesn’t matter to me as long as I can fit back into some of my old things.

Old things leads me to me next random thought…with the weather being positively perfect the past week, I decided to slip into some of my old summer dresses and THEY FIT!  How great is that?!  I’ve doubled my wardrobe and I feel pretty…oh so pretty… I feel pretty and witty and gay and I pity any girl who isn’t me today.

Now for something less pretty, I’ve also fit back into my old running pants.  In the beginning of my New Year running dedication, I tried to squeeze into the same said running pants and they formed an ugly camel toe.  Since it was a dark early morning, I ran in them anyway and as you can imagine, it was NOT a good idea!  Stupid me camel toe bruised my nether regions!   To avoid further injury, I hadn’t worn them in a while until a couple of weeks ago.  They fit and now, there’s no reason for me to bruise myself again buy new work-out clothes!

Have I ever mentioned that I wear girls’ XL work-out clothes?  Since I’m petite, the girls’ Champion line at Target fit me perfectly lengthwise.  The real bonus is that the girls’ line is always cheaper and goes on clearance quite often, more often than the ladies’ active wear at Target.  Good little tip, huh?  ;-) This has been your Run DMT money saving tip of the week.

Speaking of work-out clothes, I wish my Gracie Gaear long tank still fit me so I could wear it in Sunday’s race.  I can’t justify spending $40 on a new one when my old one will fit in a few more weeks.  But don’t tell my husband I said that in case I do buy a new at the Gasparilla expo this Friday!  PROMISE ME!  PINKIE SWEAR IT!

It really is only a matter of time before that cute Gracie Gear tank fits again, because I’m still sticking with the portion control thing and watching my serving sizes.  Faith was convinced I was only eating water and air to lose all the weight.  So not true, if you saw how much I eat throughout the day!  In case you’re curious, I made a vlog about the foods I eat.  It’s FREAKING FANTASTIC!  Watch it and you’ll see what I mean.  I apologize for the length, but it’s totally worth it.  I’m funny as hell!  lol

And now for the running stats…

2/12

11 miles

Time 2:25:26

Ave Pace 13:13

Max Pace 9:28

Calories Burned 1086

2/14

3.1 miles

Time 31:46

Lap 1 – 1.63 (Distance) 16:37 (Time)

Lap 2 – 1:47 (Distance) 15:08 (Time)

Ave Pace 10:15

Max Pace 8:05

2/15

3.1 miles

Time 38:41

Ave Pace 12:29

Max Pace 9:26

2/16

3.1 miles

Time 31:06

Ave Pace 10:02

Max Pace 8:09

2/18

3.1 miles

Time 37:05

Ave Pace 11:59

Max Pace 9:39

2/19

6 miles

Time 1:14:07

Ave Pace 12:22

Max Pace 9:14

2/22

3.1 miles

Time 37:24

Ave Pace 12:05

Max Pace 8:53

Proudly submitted at The Un Mom’s Random Tuesday Thoughts, because when I blog about my runs, it’s usually pretty random.

randomtuesday

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Music Monday: Love Sick

Posted on by Run DMT
11

Now that everyone is crashing from the sugar high and endorphins from last week’s love fest, it’s time to share some songs that express the opposite emotion.

 

 

 

 

Visit Amanda, Xmas Dolly and Hairbows & Guitar Picks for more Music Monday fun.

 

 

Easy, Peasy MSG-Free Empanadas

Posted on by Run DMT
8

PhotobucketWhen Latina on a Mission shared her quick and easy empanada recipe, I thought I would try my hand at making them.  Ms. Latina’s recipe seemed simple enough.

 

Ms. Latina’s recipe called for an envelope of Sazon with anchiote but I had never used the stuff before and once I read the ingredients, I still would not be using it as the first ingredient read Monosodium Glutamate (otherwise known as MSG).  MSG does my head in and I feel really shitty after I eat anything with MSG.  Other ingredients also listed on the label were “spices”, which just annoys me.  TELL ME WHAT “SPICES” ALREADY!

 

So, since I would skip the Sazon, I would need to get a little creative with my favorite Spanish spices.  I knew cumin, oregano and turmeric would be critical ingredients for this dish.

 

The first time I made these empanadas, they were a huge hit with my family.  My dad raved about them and took some home for my mom to taste, but she thought she could make them better by adding olives.  Whatever.  Well, we’ll see about that, Sha!  I challenge you to a Empanada Bake-off!  BUR-RING IT!

 

So, here is my new and improved MSG-free recipe for

Easy Turkey Empanadas .

 

 

Ingredients

1 lb. ground turkey

1 Tbsp Olive oil

1 Green bell pepper diced

1 Spanish onion diced

2 Cloves of garlic minced

¼ tsp Turmeric

2 tsp. Cumin

1 tsp. Kosher salt

½ tsp. Ground black pepper

2 Cups Pomi chopped tomatoes

½ Sliced Spanish olives (optional)

1 Package of frozen empanada dough (I used the large 10 count dough.)

 

Directions

Turkey Filling

 

On a medium heat, sauté the diced bell pepper in olive oil for a couple minutes or until soft.  Then, add onions to the pan and sauté.  Once the onions soften, add the garlic to pan and cook for about a minute.

 

 

Then, add ground turkey and cook for about 5 minutes or until the pink color disappears.

 

Once the turkey is almost fully cooked, add cumin, oregano, turmeric, salt and pepper and stir the spices into the turkey.  When the spices have mixed well, add the chopped tomatoes and olives and simmer for about 5 minutes.  Taste for additional salt and pepper.

 

 

Empanadas

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Defrost dough according to package (about an hour).  Grease a cookie sheet or spray with cooking spray.

 

 

 

For the filling, add a generous spoonful of meat (about ¼ cup) into the center of a thawed dough disc.  Then fold dough in half and crimp edges with a fork to make a small meat pie.  Repeat with remaining dough and filling.

 

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

 

Now link up and see what If I Could Escape and Gone Bananas are serving for this week’s Friday Food Fight.

 



 

*Also submitted to*


My Water and Air Diet…Not So Much!

Posted on by Run DMT
8

In this vlog, I babble on about some of the foods I eat while I am trying to lose weight. For a good laugh, take a sip of your favorite beer or down a shot every time you hear me say “fantastic”. You’ll be wasted by the end of the video and it will definitely make the next 13 minutes more bearable than listening to me rattle on about food.

 

Love Notes

Posted on by Run DMT
15

I asked Allan not to buy me flowers for Valentine’s Day.

 

 

So instead, he bought a pad of flower-shaped sticky notes and left me love notes throughout the house.

 

 

 

 

 

As I made my way through the rooms, my smile grew with each step. But the surprises didn’t stop there.  Love notes leapt out at me all day from inside the cupboards and the pantries…

 

 

in my wallet…

 

 

and on my steering wheel.

 

 

His lovely creative love notes kept me smiling all day.

 

Music Monday: Valentine

Posted on by Run DMT
15

My reason for selecting this song should need no explanation.  Enjoy!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

 

 

But I couldn’t share Kina Grannis without telling you what an amazing artist she is!  I highly recommend you check out the Kina Grannis channel on YouTube to see for yourself.

 

 

Visit Amanda, Xmas Dolly and Hairbows & Guitar Picks for more Music Monday fun.