Is this a joke?

So I headed out for my usual noontime run this afternoon.  Got a quick 3 miles in.  I always wait and eat my lunch after I run. I do not enjoy running on a full tummy.  And I pretty much eat the same lunch every day but Friday's.  Then I opened this:

MOLD

I thought, well crap this must have been sitting in the back of my fridge.  I quickly found the expiration date, nope should have been good through 3/22/12.  What the heck?  I feel cheated.  Target owes me a new yogurt. These puppies aren't cheap!  I ate my sandwich and my cup of soup.  Alas, I will be hungry later.

The good news is I hear we're supposed to get some super warm weather this week!  YAY!  Because today was really cold.  I said to my running partner this must be what real winter running is about.  I didn't even bring my iPod today because I knew I was running with my co-worker and we'd just talk the whole time. 

As I look at my training schedule I am reminded with how far I've come.  This weekend is a cutback week.  I only have 3 miles on the schedule.  My immediate thought was 3 miles?  That's hardly worth the effort.  And yet this time last year I was in the thick of my 5K training.  I'm also very excited for the new running vest that will be arriving in my office at work tomorrow!  I have been eying a particular one for weeks now. Then randomly came across last years model for half the price.  I can't wait!

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What do you do when what you've packed for lunch ends up moldy?  Go hungry or resort to something less healthy?
       --  I am trying to hold out until I get home. But that fudge cake bite in my mini fridge is calling my name!
Do you eat the same things every day out of convenience?
       --  I eat the same breakfast and lunch Monday through Thursday.  I know I won't gain weight and it     
            takes the thinking out of packing my lunch.

A bit of randomness.

Training is going really well.  These past two weekends I've done my long runs with my husband.  And failed to take a picture of us together on both.  My normal long run buddy has been on vacation.  So Jeramie stepped up to fill in.  Since he's currently training for his first half marathon he's using the Hal Higdon Novice 1 plan.  I've been using the Novice 2 plan. Which means shorter runs during the week and running longer sooner on the weekends. I've really liked the way this plan fits into my home life.  I have more time on the weekends to fit in the longer miles than I do during the week. 

When we started out on Saturday it was unbelievably windy.  I kept saying to Jeramie while we were driving, "this is gonna suck."  I guess I shouldn't have been so negative.  But wind is probably my least favorable running condition.  As we got started I kept thinking that at least we were running into the wind on the way out, so it would be at our backs coming back and with quite how windy it was it would practically carry us!  We're talking SO windy that when I talked to Jeramie spit would fly out of my mouth! haha.  And oh did it make my nose run.  Ironically enough the direction we ran our turn around point ended up being literally across the river from my work.  We could see the building when we turned.  Then on the way back the wind completely died down.  So much for it carrying us back!  It was a good solid 8 miles.  My legs felt strong all week. 

I did notice that one thing I don't love about running long on Saturday's as opposed to Sunday's is that normally after my long run on Sunday I meet up with my mum and head out to do our grocery shopping together.  So I'm on my feet and moving the rest of the day without really thinking much about it.  But these past two Saturdays after we run we've basically come home and I feel exhausted and don't even want to move my butt from the couch.  It's amazing to me how much it feels like it takes out of me. And yet I love it and look forward to it so much. 

As I was stretching after our run I noticed how pretty the mountains looked behind me.

  I had to share the view!

One of my favorite pieces of running attire.

My vest.

I love that it keeps me warm when it's windy, but I don't get hot.

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So tell me, what's one of your favorite pieces of running attire when it's windy out?

Three Things Thursday

1.  I think I'm in love with sandwich rounds.  I switched from deli meat to an egg salad sandwich every day at work.  Well really it's only 4 days per week because I treat myself to a hot lunch on Friday's.  This past weekend I grabbed a package of multi grain sandwich rounds.  Ever since I heard on CNN that bread is the biggest contributor of sodium to our diets I've been looking at sodium even more than before. These sandwich rounds had less sodium that the Sara Lee bread I was eating and they're only 10 more calories.  And I think I love them.  So delicious!  I highly recommend giving them a try, even though they don't look very big.

2.  I found out last night that one of my second cousins husband passed away from a massive heart attack. He was only in his 50's.  It makes me so very sad for them and their family.  They had two children.  A son who is getting married in June.  And a daughter, unmarried.  She will not have her father to walk her down the aisle and that makes me very very sad.  She was in my wedding and recently went through a very rough break up.  Life is so short.  I watch as my brother is going through a terrible divorce right now.  Battling depression.  Paul's death reminds me that life is short.  I hope my brother is reminded that life is short too.  I just want him to be happy.

3.  On a happier note.  My other brother called me last night on his way home from work.  He said that he'd gone online to register for the SL Half Marathon.  He was complaining that the price had gone up to over $70.  Then he says he noticed that it was only $14 to do the full marathon.  And did I want to do it with him?  I laughed.  HARD.  I said no.  As much as I would love to run a full marathon and I'm actually seriously considering the SL Marathon next year as a very viable option for my first.  So I pointed out to my brother there isn't nearly enough time to train for it.  There are only 9 weeks left.  This week we're scheduled to run 8 miles for our long run on our HALF marathon plan.  That if we had 9 weeks left of a FULL marathon plan that we'd be needing to run 17 miles this weekend!  His response, "Well I ran 3 miles last night.  I felt pretty good.  I could have run another 14."  *sigh*  To which I reminded him he's 10 years younger than me, 6'4 and very naturally athletic.  While he may be able to crank out 17 miles .. I could not.  Sadly I will NOT be switching to the full.  But this time next year I could very likely be running 17 miles this coming weekend!  And THAT is very exciting.

Peace.  Love.  and Happy Running.

The Rule or The Exception

I should have taken a picture of my lunch today.  See, I run on my lunch break 3 days per week.  I pick up my oldest boy from kindergarten on a fourth day, which leaves Friday as my only "free" day.  I use it to have lunch with my BFF .. sometimes my hubby.  Well today we had a "lunch meeting", which really translates to NO lunch break.  But the conciliation prize is that they buy you lunch.  Well as I walked in to my meeting one of my favorite co-workers was telling me about how she hates lunch meetings because she has to eat organic and gluten free because of a sensitive stomach.  Anyway .. all of this got me thinking.  There are people who definitely ail from things that medically require them to eat differently. 

Diabetics

People with allergies

Gluten intolerant

Vegetarians

My own daughter, born with Prader-Willi Syndrome has some VERY specific diet guidelines.  To the point that people are pretty much legally obligated to accommodate, or make special exceptions.

But what about the rest of us?  Those of us that really want to just eat healthy.  That is OUR diet exception.  I certainly wouldn't want to be medically restricted to a certain diet, and I'm truly not downplaying this necessity at all.  BUT .. what I am saying is if I walked into that meeting and said, "I can't eat that.  Too much fat.  Too many carbs." etc.  Can you imagine?  Because people instantly get defensive over their own choices.  When really I wouldn't be judging anything that they want to eat.  Merely I would prefer to have a more healthy option.  I learned a long time ago through a bit of international travel that if you ask for a vegetarian meal on the plane you get WAY better food than the rest of folks.  I realize that I could have torn apart one of the sandwiches (removed the cheese, wiped off the mayo, etc), but even then I would feel like I was drawing negative attention to myself.  Trust me .. I am in no way saying I'm a food saint.  I like a good cheeseburger like the next gal.  But my weekday eating is actually the healthiest of all.  The occasional splurge I usually save for the weekend.  I guess my point is that it bugs me that people actually look down on you for wanting to eat healthy.  Primarily because it makes them uncomfortable with their own choices.

Anyway .. this is just what was rumbling around in my head today. 

In other news, this week there was a 20 year old girl that was attacked and sexually assaulted while running in Provo at 9pm alone.  My husband instantly freaked out and insisted I run with a co-worked when I go out.  Which by the way is in the middle of the day.  As we head into this weekend and the virtual run in honor of Sherry Arnold it really just got me thinking.  I hate that we have to worry about this as female runners.  I just wish we didn't have to worry for our safety in broad daylight, while running in "good" areas.

Also, I am working with my brother to put together a Ragnar Relay, Las Vegas team!  So excited at the thought of that.  Wouldn't be until November .. I'm really hoping those plans fall into place.  In addition, I manage a team of 10 folks at work.  I got it officially approved today to sign my whole team up to run in the Dirty Dash!!  It's team building.  They are so excited and so am I!!  How cool is that that my company will sponsor us doing that?  I think pretty cool.  We're hoping to talk my boss and my bosses boss in joining us as well.  I love that I work with a group of people that are willing to do something like this that isn't necessarily in their comfort zone.  I think they're pretty cool too!  They're already dreaming up costume options.

Lastly, I got a pair of these:

I don't plan to run in them.  But I plan to wear them as much as possible in order to strengthen my feet to help with my running.  Maybe one day I might transition to something like this for running.  But for now we'll start with walking.  But I AM hoping to transition to some of these for running.

Happy Friday!  Happy Running!