Hey, hey!! Glad to see everyone liked my apple pie bake off idea. My mom has officially accepted the challenge. So now we just have to set a date. Any judge volunteers (Kristin)??

So, today is Wednesday. What does that mean………..? FAMILY FUN DAY!! Today was my day to plan, and I was excited!

First on the agenda was pumpkins.

I had heard that Petitti’s pumpkins were $2.99 a piece, no matter the size! (get your minds out of the gutter, people…………..)

So, off we went.

C goofed around while J and I scoured the store for the perfect pumpkins.

Despite the distractions, we were all able to find a pumpkin that suited our tastes. I don’t want to give away what the carved pumpkins going to look like, so I’ll save those for a later post.

I couldn’t pass up a quick mother/son photo opp:

And in staying with the pumpkin theme, I made pumpkin waffles for dinner. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but they were DELISH. Everyone cleared their plate, even C who claims he doesn’t like pumpkin! Hehe.

I also loved that it was my day to pick the events because I got to pull out an old favorite game of mine:

Have you ever played Sequence? Neither J or C had ever played, but it was a hit!

Shouldn’t it be the rule, though, that if you’re the one picking the game that you should get to win?

No?

Oh well. The pumpkin waffles sure made up for it. I’ll take those over a win any day.

What’s your favorite way to use pumpkin? Me? I don’t think there’s anything I DON’T like it in! (again, get out of the gutter!)

I can’t believe it’s Tuesday already. Does anyone else feel like it’s Monday still? At least it’s not Monday and I’m thinking it’s Tuesday……

I’m lucky enough to have parents that LOVE spending time with their grandson, so C slept at their house Saturday night when we were at the wedding. Whenever C sleeps over, my mom makes dinner on Sunday for when we come over to pick him up. I thought I’d give you a glimpse into our Sunday dinner ritual.

Ever since my mom lost 100+ pounds (amazing, right??!), she has become quite the healthy chef and is nice enough to cater to my veggie lifestyle now, too!

There were even appetizers when we showed up (my parents NEVER used to have appetizers – I think J and I have turned them onto this tradition).

(Sabra hummus rocks my world, btw)

I brought basil from our overgrowing plant as my contribution to dinner….

We’re pretty informal at the dinner table. No fancy place settings here. I like it this way – reminds me of when I was younger. We used to eat dinner at the table every night.

We had a great salad with cucumbers, almonds, dried cranberries, and feta cheese:

And this fantastic pasta dish with edamame, tomatoes, basil, and feta cheese:

I think maybe parmesan cheese would have been more flavorful, but other than that this dish was great. I love anything with edamame. I have to get the recipe!

And no dinner is complete at my mom’s without dessert. Luckily they had taken C apple picking the day before so there were apples to be used up.

Enter the first apple pie of the season!

I know it looks burnt on the top, but I promise you it was not.

That crumb topping on top was A.MA.ZING. Yum.

Quick story: I made an apple pie last year that was seriously the best apple pie any of us have ever tasted. Everyone keeps teasing me that it was a fluke since I haven’t made one since (their sad attempt to guilt me into making another one). But to be honest, it was so time intensive that I really haven’t had the time or energy to even think about it.

As I was writing this post I started thinking that maybe my mom and I should have an apple pie bake off. I have to admit, it’s a little intimidating, but intriguing at the same time……..hmmmm……what do you think, Mom?? You up for the challenge?

What about you? Do you have any Sunday dinner traditions?

Glad you guys enjoyed my last post. I’m all about being “real” on the blog. I’m not going to sugar coat anything – we’re a go big or go home kind of crowd.

Well, going big definitely took it’s toll on me. Want to see what 2 girls look like after drinking too much champagne and having to get up at 6am to drive the hour and a half home to Team Challenge training?

Yeah…….ummmmm….not so pretty. A little different from the day before:

Hehe.

We were up and out of the hotel before the sun was up (J was still on the floor, btw)!

Since there was a 10k (which Suzanne rocked, btw), half-marathon, and marathon taking place at our usual running location, we had to relocate to the Rocky River Metroparks for this week’s training. This is the trail I trained on for the Pittsburgh and Cleveland marathons. It was the perfect morning for a run!

I knew our turnout would be a little less this week with the different location, but it was nice because we had some newcomers show up! I talked about form and using your arms when running. So many people forget about their arms when they’re working out. They are there for a reason, you know.

Think about it. The more you move your arms, the faster you are going to run without any extra added effort. They automatically propel you forward. As a good friend told me, it’s a ‘nips to hips’ motion.

One of the girls said to me after the run, “I couldn’t run slow because of you. It really works!” Haha. So, when you start to feel sluggish during a run stop and think about your body. What are your arms doing? Are they just hanging there? If so, try the ‘nips to hips’ motion and see if it works for you!

Here’s Martin and I at the turnaround:

Surprisingly, I did really great for being hungover. When I was training for the marathons this past Winter and Spring I really let the training take over my life. I was so worried that I would “ruin” my long runs. My life was so boring for those 5 months! I’m over that. I know that 7 or 8 glasses of champagne was excessive, but it was also my good friend’s wedding that will never happen again. Like I always preach – life is about balance (maybe one of these days I’ll actually learn that?).

Such a colorful group this week!

If you’re interested, I’m on Allison’s blog today as her guest blogger! Check it out! It’s all about turning blog friends into real friends.

Tell me, does your training affect your social life in any way??

A good friend of mine got married this weekend. He’s the last of our close group of friends to tie the knot.

So, it’s no surprise that it was a big occasion!

Sidenote: Weddings make me so sentimental. I’m just a big sap at heart. I can’t help it.

The new married couple!

After the ceremony we all went to check into our hotels and relax before the reception began. Well, the girls relaxed and changed clothes. The boys headed over to the bar for a little “pre game”.

No surprise that “Pre game” turned into full on happy hour. The boys came back to the hotel with more than a few drinks under their belts.

I still don’t know where these chips came from, what they were for, or who they got them from (nor do I really care), but the guys sure were proud of them!

No surprise that the night started off innocently enough.

But then this happened:

See that stack of empty glasses? Yeah…..ummmm…..I drank all of those. I drank everyone’s champagne at the table, and then 2 others from other tables. I have ZERO control when it comes to champagne!

No surprise that things just went downhill from there.

It had been awhile since all of us had been together (kid free!) so it’s no surprise things got a little crazy.

(those crystals hanging from my earrings were from the center pieces – sorry Megan!!)

Are you wondering how the night ended?

NO SURPRISE.

Wow, thanks for all the nice comments about Family Fun Night ! I loved reading about your own traditions growing up. I especially liked Katie’s comment about not having to take showers on Fridays!! Ahhh….the things that were important to us at 10 yrs old. Hehe.

Since I took yesterday as a complete rest day (I try to do this once a week), today I was determined to get some cardio in even though I had to teach Group Power at the gym. I have had a stressful week at work so as soon as I got home I put on my favorite plaid shorts……

…..my trusty leg strap for my knee/IT Band issues…..

…..and hit the pavement! I decided to NOT wear my iPod, as I wanted to concentrate on my breathing since I knew I’d be running faster than usual (since I was only running 3 miles). Plus, I think the iPod helps more when I’m running long distances to distract me and keep me entertained.

Check out my splits:

• Mile 1 = 9:04
• Mile 2 = 8:59
• Mile 3 = 8:43

An average pace of 8:56 (speedy for me!).

This make me happy! I’m not yet back to where I was when I was in prime training mode, but I’m making progress. The colder weather agrees with me.

Though, even with the cooler temps, I still look like this when I’m done:

A crazy, sweaty mess. I swear something is wrong with me and my sweat glands…..

Oh well, my day sure turned around after that run so I can’t complain.

Hope you’re having a great week. One more day til the weekend!!

Tell me, do you always run with music? Why or why not?

Hey hey!! How are things?? Sorry for the hiatus yesterday, but I totally passed out on the couch during The Biggest Loser and woke up WAY past my bedtime to even think about blogging! My body must have been craving the sleep. And who am I to deny a craving?

So, since our lives are all crazy busy in this house, I came up with an idea to bring us all together as a family one day a week. Yes, we see each other every day, but with me teaching, coaching, and working, J working, playing soccer, and coaching C’s soccer team, and C having homework, playing soccer, and constantly being invited to friend’s houses to play, sometimes a week will go by with us actually spending some quality family time. So, we’ve started a new tradition in our house:

Wednesdays are now Family Fun Days!!

Here are the rules:

1. We rotate weeks for who gets to decide what we do
2. The activity must be free, or the person choosing must pay
3. That person gets to decide what we have for dinner
4. We eat dinner in the living room while watching Glee (C finds eating in the living room a treat!)
5. Then it’s Family Fun time!

Today was the first day, and C was first on the list to pick our activity. What did he choose??

GAME NIGHT!

The final decision was Star Wars Monopoly. We got right down to business.

Things started out nice, but quickly turned competitive (per usual).

Don’t these players look bad azz?

Sadly, I made some not-so-smart trades:

And was left with very few properties at the end of our allotted time:

Even Diddy felt sorry for me.

Poor thing, felt so left out……dogs have it so rough, don’t they?

We counted up our money and properties (we don’t just play for fun, people).

And J brought home the win! Unfortunately I came in last, but I was OK with that. It was a great night with a great pair of guys, so that’s a win in my book.

Good game!! High Five!!!

I hope you liked the re-cap. I am really trying to stay true to the blog and showing people how I balance working full time, being a good mom and wife, teaching at the gym, and training for races. It’s all about making the most of my time and prioritizing what’s important. I try to do that every.day.

Did you have any fun family traditions growing up? We used to go camping with my aunts, uncles, and cousins every other weekend during the summer months. I remember I was always so jealous because we only had a tent and all the other families had campers! Ahhh, the things that mattered to us at 10 yrs old.

Hey everyone! How was your Monday?

Mine was interesting. Work wasn’t too exciting, but my job as the Group Fitness Coordinator at the gym was intense today. I have to tell you, I don’t know if I’m cut out to be the boss. I’m not sure I enjoy being the one to make the final decisions – it’s hard since I can’t please everyone. But that’s a post for another day. Today is all about Team Challenge!!

Yesterday marked week 6 of our training. We had 55 minutes on the schedule, which is pretty fantastic because this is the furthest most of these people have ever run. It’s PDRs from here on out!

I invited Katie (Healthy Heddleston) to come speak about nutrition while training for a race, or just during fitness in general. She was so knowledgeable!

I swear there are more people there, they are just standing out of the camera’s range! And check it out – can you spot me and C?

Katie spoke about the importance of fueling for fitness. Here were the highlights:

1. Before Fitness

• Eat & drink 1 to 1.5 hours beforehand
• A combination of carbs & water will provide energy & hydration

2. During Fitness

• Drink 1/2 to 1 cup of water every 15-20 minutes if your workout is less than an hour
• Intense exercise over an hour will cause your body to need carbs, electrolytes, and fluid
• Try a sports drink or eat a sports bar with your water

3. After Fitness (Part I)

• Have a snack 15-30 minutes after your workout (plus fluid)
• A combination of protein & carbs is needed to repair muscles glycogen stores & to prepare your body for future workouts
• Chocolate milk or yogurt with fruit are great options

4. After Fitness (Part II)

• Have a meal 60-90 minutes after your workout (plus fluid)
• Again, ensure that you give your body both protein and carbs
• Try brown rice & chicken with a side salad
• Drink 2 cups of water for every pound you lost during your workout

5. Listen to your body!

It was really nice to have someone educated in this field come and speak to the Team. I sometimes take this information for granted since I’m in the fitness industry and just assume this is common knowledge. It was great to have Katie make the information understandable for the everyday person.

The run went perfect and the Team is coming along nicely. These people are impressive with their dedication and passion for this cause. I’m proud to be part of this group!

Thank you for taking the time out of you day to come and speak, Katie. I hope you enjoyed the Team, and running with us on Sunday!!

So, tell me. Do you believe you’ve found the perfect routine for “fueling for fitness”? Or are you constantly searching for the perfect fuel for your body? I’ve realized that I need gatorade after long runs to help replace my electrolytes. Otherwise I tend to have tummy trouble for the rest of the day!

Hey, everyone! How has your weekend been?

Thank you, thank you, thank you for the kind words and emails on my last post. It’s really great knowing that you guys accept me for who I am. The good and the bad. I had a few people say to me “life isn’t always rainbows and butterflies”! Ain’t that the truth.

So, in an effort to unwind, Friday evening I headed out to hot yoga. This is the third week in a row I’ve been going and I LOVE IT. It doesn’t really clear my mind like people tell me it should, but I do come home happy so that’s something, right?

However, does anyone else leave the house looking like this:

And come home looking like this?

I wish you could see, but my shirt is soaking wet. You could literally wring it out! And I have mascara circles under my eyes – it’s pretty sexy. I know it’s hot yoga, but I swear I’m the only dripping wet when class is over. It has to be unnatural how much my body sweats. I can’t even do some of the poses because I can’t grab my foot because it’s too wet to hold. No joke. Too much information? Sorry……

Another friend had a genius idea when she mentioned retail therapy to cheer me up! I don’t know if J appreciated the idea as much as I did, but I told him it was for my well-being. Good reason, right?

So after a VERY rainy soccer game Saturday morning I enjoyed a full day of shopping (alone I might add, which is my favorite way to shop!). I tried to sneak in the house without too much commotion when I got home since I hand a handful of bags. Too bad J caught me on my way in:

BUSTED. But happy…….hehe…

The rest of the night was spent baking cookies with this guy:

And watching Get Him To The Greek with this guy:

What a surprisingly funny movie! We actually laughed out loud a bunch of times. P Diddy was hilarious! I highly recommend renting it if you like Judd Apatow movies.

It was nice having my alone time during the afternoon, but spending the night with these guys really made my day. Dare I say this was a perfect Saturday? Very close…..

What do you do to cheer yourself up after a difficult day/week?