From a distance you can see... more miles to go.

This past Saturday was my first 20 mile long distance run. Funny to say that I didn't feel nervous or scared but I didn't. That morning I did my usual routine... with the exception of one thing. In addition to the protein shake that I drink, I also ate one quarter of a bagel which is something that I have never done. Why did I decide to do something new that morning? I have no idea. Even when I gulped down the bagel my inner voice said why did you do that? I shut out that inner voice by telling myself that I would need those extra calories to get through this run.

Two miles into my run I felt some rumbling going on in my belly and I knew that if I didn't make a bathroom stop early on that I would regret it miles down the line. So after a quick bathroom break I felt some relief and got back on the road in a heartbeat. But that relief was short lived and I soon started getting a slight cramp in my side. This was only five miles into my run and I started to doubt the remaining 15 miles. I quickly shifted my thoughts to other random things to get my mind off of the cramp. I shortened my stride so that my legs could turn over quicker, putting less strain on my legs and easing my breathing. Before I started the run I wasn't striving for any sort of goal time, I just wanted to be able to finish. I took a couple of walking breaks and simply focused on the road ahead of me. It seemed as though my plan was working and while the cramp wasn't going away, it wasn't getting worse either.

Then at mile 10 I started getting a cramp in the arch of my right foot. Really!? For the past three to four weeks I've started getting this cramp during all of my long runs. Each time this happens I stop, take my shoe off, massage my foot and keep running. After I did that my mind could not get out of the negative gutter. My arch was still a bit tight and my side stitch was getting worse. Every time I took a bite of my banana or a sip of water from my water bottle the stitch kept getting worse. For about three to four miles I had an internal debate about whether or not I should stop or just power through it.

When I reached my scheduled pit stop for more water I realized that I had a pretty substantial bridge to traverse. The thought of even walking over the bridge sent a cringe through my body. I didn't want to throw in the towel but I also knew that if I didn't do something soon I would be stuck. My wife wasn't going to be home because she had to drop our oldest daughter off at robotics club. So at mile 14 I used my lifeline and asked my wife to pick me up.

The old me would've been upset and disappointed that I didn't finish, even if I had to walk to remaining six miles. But this time I was happy with my effort in even continuing through some difficult pain and vowed to complete the six miles before the day was out. I got home, ate some food, took a rest and regrouped for the second part of my run. At this stage in my marathon training plan, six miles has become a regular distance for me so I was very confident in finishing. I kept my run easy and maintained a manageable but slightly challenging pace. I didn't feel achy or lethargic from my run earlier and before I knew it my six miles was over.

I have about nine weeks left in my plan and for the next five weeks I alternate between 13 and 20 miles for my long run. I even have a 22 mile run thrown in for good measure. All in all there are about three more opportunities for redemption in the 20 mile distance and I know without a doubt I WILL be able to complete them all. The good thing about times like these is that this is all a part of the training process. You try different things, make mistakes and learn from each and every single run. No two runs are the same and there is always something to take away from every mile, every calorie and every good or bad thought that you have. One thing that I have found is that the most important component of any marathon plan is positive thinking. If you start to think you can't do something, then you won't do it. The minute you shift your perspective and think positive thoughts, suddenly things you thought were impossible are now possible.

You wanna go toe to toe with me?

My one year anniversary of becoming a runner is fast approaching and it's hard to believe that in such a short amount of time, so much has happened. I've been in two races and will do my third race on my anniversary date. I've lost a great deal of weight and I am a pound or two shy of my goal. My confidence has gone through the roof and I'm more social and outgoing. My eating habits have gotten much better and I have even become a better cook. So much to be thankful for running changing my life in so many good ways. But there is one thing that running has brought that is not so positive and I didn't think would happen this early on in my running career. Loss of toenails.

When I started running I heard about this phenomenon of losing toenails. Even when I was two months into fully committing to running, I had a physical with my doctor and when I told her I was training for a half marathon she asked me, "Have you lost any toenails yet?" Really! This early? She said it wouldn't be a big deal if they started going and told me a story about a guy who after constantly losing his toenails when they grew back, asked his doctor to have them permanently removed. What!? Not that I'm partial to my toenails but I wouldn't make the decision to have them removed.

For 18 years of my life I was a dancer. I did everything from ballet to hip hop day in and day out. By the time I was 13 I started dancing on pointe so I am no stranger to my feet taking a beating. Ahhh.... I remember the days of taping my toes and wrapping them in lamb's wool in my pointe shoes. Getting blisters, popping them and having the skin hang off and then my toes would bleed because there was never enough time for the popped blister to heal. I did everything to try and take care of my feet because they were my asset. But I never had to deal with blisters UNDER my toenails. And one would think that with all the craziness I had to endure in ballet that I would be able to handle losing a couple of toenails, but no.

During the summer I started noticing that I would get blisters under my nails and some of them I could pop but mostly I couldn't. When it came time to cutting my nails down I started noticing that slowly but surely the nail was getting shorter and shorter. There was less nail bed with each snip of the clipper. I was always under the impression that the nail would just pop off, literally! Mentally I was more prepared for the quick death of my nails. I kind of envisioned that they would just click off like Lee press on nails and all at once. I never thought that I would have to endure a slow and agonizing death of each and every toenail.

I'm not heartbroken that I will no longer be able to paint my nails and I still plan on wearing sandals. Yes everyone else's eyes will have to deal with my all too literally naked toes. But my confidence in my unique feet doesn't take away from the small grieving process that I am going through. What will be more interesting is what I will do when only four nails remain. At the moment six are ready to go but four seem to want to hold out for the long haul. I guess once I come to grips with the loss of my nails I can just have the other four removed like my doctor said. Then I will show all ten naked toes with pride.

Italian week of wonder day# 5

Time for another recipe from my Italian week. This recipe was awesome and I think you all will enjoy it.

ACQUAPAZZA

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cups dry white wine

salt

1 handful of baby spinach

4 small fillets of snapper or salmon (4-6 oz. each)

30 cherry tomatoes

1 cup basil leaves

zest of 1 lemon or 1 lime

2 tbsp capers, rinsed

2 tbsp flat parsley leaves, torn

1 lemon sliced into wedges

• In a large saute pan over low heat, cook crushed garlic in oil until garlic is light brown. Add wine, 2 cups of water and 1 tsp salt; bring to a rolling boil.
• Simmer for 5 minutes, add baby spinach, let it wilt, then gently lower fish fillets into stock. Add cherry tomatoes, basil, lemon or lime zest, and capers and continue simmering for another 5 minutes. Carefully turn fish; simmer until flesh falls apart when poked with fork, about 6 more minutes, depending on size of fillets.
• Transfer fish to warm bowls. Bring the stock to a boil, then spoon it over the fish. serve topped with parsley and lemon wedges.

As you can see from the small amount of bullet points, this recipe is quick. Overall it took me no more than 30-35 minutes to make. I love poached fish so I was excited to make this and couldn't wait to eat it. My family really loved this one and I plan to keep this in my regular recipe file. We love to eat salmon but have stuck to the same way of cooking it over and over, this was a nice change of pace. I didn't add the lemon wedges but it didn't take away from the dish at all. The recipe had great flavor and wasn't too "fishy". I'm definitely making this again!

My moon was in muscles, my sun was in stamina and all the stars were aligned.

Have you ever had a run that was so ideal and, dare I say, perfect that you couldn’t believe that you actually ran? Well that was my run yesterday and it was divine! At the start of the week I had been battling some female issues and my runs were not getting easier to handle. To top things off for the next seven weeks of my training plan, six miles will be my daily mile average each week (minus my long and recovery runs). I don’t know about you but for me six miles toes the line of not too short a run but not too long. Four miles is a breeze but anything past that and I’m ready to throw in the towel.

Tuesday was the first day for my six mile extravaganza and it wasn’t that bad. I started a bit later in the morning so the heat had already caught up with me, but I was prepared for that. I ran at a park that I normally take my 16 month old to play at but I had never run the trail that encircles the park. While it was a good trail it was very short so I had to run around it a couple of times (and get creative and run off the trail a bit) in order to get my full six miles in. Wednesday was rough! After my morning workout with the moms I decided to run. Running after the workout wasn’t the problem, it was the heat once again. I was gulping down water like a fish and simply couldn't keep my heart rate in the range I wanted to. I took many walking breaks and even slowed my pace but decided to end the run and finish it later that evening.

I was beginning to think that this next month of running six miles was going to be more of a challenge than I thought. Yesterday was an easier day prior to my run. My oldest daughter had a half day at school, so I didn’t have to get up and get out the door before the sun rose. I decided to not go to the workout with the moms and do a workout at home (which still kicked my butt). I also didn’t take my little one to the park and just stayed at home and played with her instead. My wife was cooking dinner that night so I was off chef duties (I LOVE those days). I decided to run around 5pm and the minute I walked out the door the run was a breeze.

My pace felt slow but comfortable, my breathing wasn't hard and my mind was clear. Halfway through my run it started to rain. Not a problem at all! If all the conditions are right running through the rain can be glorious! Right conditions being: 1. not too cold 2. not too hot 3. preferably later in the day 4. start in the middle or towards to end of the run All those boxes were checked and it gave me a second wind that I didn't even need. Before I knew it I was turning the corner to my street and the run was almost over. I was in such a great mood that I didn't even mind that a truck driver almost ran me over as I was crossing the cross walk (that's an entirely different story). Maybe it was my positive attitude, maybe it was my great lunch and protein shake earlier that day. I have no idea what the secret ingredient was but if only I could bottle it and store it I could be rich.

Don't you just love a great run?

And on the seventh day I rested.

After joining my group of exercising moms three months ago, I have very rarely missed a day with them. Two days ago I had to miss a workout to take my little one to the pediatrician for her shots. Fun! Mondays are normally my days off from running but I still cross train. While I was bummed that I would miss chatting with the ladies, I knew I could still workout towards the end of the day. But do you know what often happens with plans? Especially plans that involve rearranging your daily activities when a toddler is involved. Yeah they usually never go the way that you want them to.

Once I got home from the doctor's appointment I had to put little one down for a nap. During her nap I decided to watch a movie rather than write a new blog entry cause I wanted to get a chance to eat a decent lunch and drink a nice, HOT cup of coffee. After lunch was over it was time to pick up my oldest daughter from school. My wife was home so I could let little one continue her nap. I got back home and had to start getting dinner ready for the night. Fortunately it was homemade pizza which, by this point, takes me no time to make since I make pizza almost every week.

The time from three o'clock to six o'clock is a weird time. My oldest is doing homework, my little one is running around after her nap and my wife is usually still working so I have to strategically plan my dinner prep and play time accordingly. But I had already made dinner and decided that once little one was down for bed that I would get my workout in via television. My wife didn't get a chance to workout either and decided to join me. Here is where the plan goes off the trail.

My wife was tired, little one was NOT wanting to get ready for her bed time, plus I had to wait a bit since I ate some pizza. I felt the workout slipping from my hands. Then my wife said, "Why don't we skip the workout today?" *pause* Skip a workout?! Are you crazy!? Outside I was as cool as a cucumber but inside I was going mad. Workouts could only be missed under serious emergencies, not poorly planned days. Then she said something else that made me reconsider. "You rarely take a full rest day so I think you should give your body a rest."

A FULL rest day? Hmmm..... maybe she's on to something here. So I did just that. I decided to not workout, not write a blog entry, not be overly concerned about my run the next day. I took a rest for my body and my mind and it was amazing. This rest thing is great. Maybe I should do more of these in the near future.

Italian week of wonder Day #4

It couldn't be an Italian week without a pasta dish. This one is excellent for carb loading.

Drum roll please...

RAGU BOLOGNESE

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 medium onions, finely chopped

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled, finely chopped

6 oz. ground beef (85% lean)

6 oz. ground veal

3 oz. thinly sliced pancetta, finely chopped

1/2 cup dry red wine

3 cups beef or chicken stock, divided

3 tbsp tomato paste

salt

pepper

1 cup whole milk

1 lb. tagliatelle or fettuccine

Finely grated Parmesan for serving

• Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Saute onions, celery and carrots until soft, 8-10 minutes. Add beef, veal and pancetta; saute breaking up, until browned, about 15 minutes. Add wine; boil 1 minute, scraping up browned bits. Add 2 1/2 cups stock and tomato paste; stir. Reduce heat and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, 1 1/2 hours. Season with salt and pepper.
• Bring milk to a simmer in a small saucepan; gradually add to sauce. Cover with lid slightly ajar and simmer, stirring occasionally, until milk is absorbed, about 45 minutes, adding more stock by 1/4-cupfuls to thin.
• Cook pasta in a pot of boiling salted water until 1 minute before al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid. Transfer ragu to a skillet over medium-heat. Add pasta and toss. Stir in reserved cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls if sauce seems dry. Serve with Parmesan.

Okay first let me say that I didn't do quite a bit of the things that were in this recipe and it still came out great. I didn't use beef or veal but used ground pork and turkey instead. I also had no red wine in the house but I always have white cooking wine so that's what I used. Also in the recipe it says to simmer the milk in a separate pan. I simply took out the amount that I needed and let it get to room temperature and slowly added it to the sauce. Anything to reduce the amount of pots and pans is a must. For the third step there was something about transferring the sauce to another pot. Once again, I don't like to do extra dishes so I didn't transfer the sauce. I kept the pasta and the sauce separate and assembled them in the bowls. 

This was such a hit with the family that I HAD to put it in the favorite file box. I prepared the vegetables ahead of time and that cut down quite a bit of time. I think it took me about 30-35 minutes (minus the prep time) to make this recipe. It was DELICIOUS! 

New page

I have a new page called My Story. It goes a little more in depth than the About Me page and talks more about running and how I've gotten to this point as a runner. I hope that you like it and please feel free to share some stories with me about what got you into running too!

You can do it! And I did.

I have done it! I have faced my inner demons and completed my 18 mile run this morning. If you remember from an earlier post, I was supposed to start my 18 mile long runs two weeks ago but was thwarted by poor meal planning and mental blocks. Yesterday I made sure to eat good carbs and protein all day AND drink tons of water. I got some good sleep last night and told myself this morning to just take it easy and keep going.

Check this out!

Nice right!

When I hit the 14 mile mark my mind was telling me Okay this is getting ridiculous now, just stop. There were many times I wanted to call my wife and tell her to come pick me up, BUT... I prevailed. For fuel I used a combination of a banana and water. I peeled the banana and put it in a Ziploc bag with a hole in the corner so I could squeeze some into my mouth (sounds gross but it works). So first mile, I had an ounce of water to drink, then second mile I had about a tablespoon of banana and I would keep alternating like that for the entire run.

As I got close to my house I text my wife and told her I need a protein shake and a prepared ice bath, STAT!  I feel great! Happy that I was able to do it and happy that it's over. Now I'm going to do absolutely nothing all day. :)

Italian week of wonder Day #3

Here we are again ladies and gentleman! Time for another recipe from my Italian week of wonder.

Today we have:

CHICKEN MEATBALL AND VEGETABLE SOUP

The recipe:

6 oz ground chicken

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

6 tbsp finely grated Parmesan

4 cloves of garlic, 2 minced, 2 thinly sliced

2 tbsp chopped fresh chives

1 large egg

salt

pepper

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 leek, white and green parts only, sliced into 1/4"rounds

5 cups low-sodium chicken broth

3/4 cup ditalini or other small pasta 

1 cup 1/2" rounds peeled carrots

1 cup baby spinach

chopped fresh basil

• Mix chicken, breadcrumbs, 3 tbsp Parmesan, 2 minced garlic cloves, chives, egg, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper in a medium bowl. Form into 1/2"-diameter meatballs.
• Heat oil in a small pot over medium heat, cook meatballs until golden all over, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate' set aside.
• Add leek to pot and cook, stirring often, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add 2 thinly sliced garlic cloves; cook for 1 minute. Add broth and 2 cups of water; bring to a boil. Stir in pasta and carrots; simmer until pasta is almost al dente, about 8 minutes. Add meatballs; simmer until pasta is al dente, carrots are tender and meatballs are cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add spinach and remaining 3 tbsp Parmesan; stir until spinach is wilted and Parmesan is melted. Season with salt and pepper.
• Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with chopped basil and Parmesan. 

I am a HUGE soup lover and I could not wait to make this recipe. I live in South Florida where it's constantly hot but I couldn't help imagine sipping on this soup during an cold autumn or winter day. I prepared everything together and this recipe took me about 45 minutes to make. Instead of ground chicken I used turkey and instead of chicken broth, I used vegetable broth. I wasn't able to find the type of pasta they were talking about, so I used a bow tie pasta which worked just as well. 

If you are a fan of the Italian wedding soup, then you will LOVE this recipe. It had tons of flavor and between three adult sized women, the entire pot was emptied that night. Great soup to make! 

It takes a village... to cross train.

If you would have asked me a year or even six months ago if I was cross training, my response would have been no. More like HELL no! I never liked working out and the thought of doing that on top of the running that I was already doing made me dizzy. Plus, when was I going to have time? I have a 14 year old and a 16 month old and I already have to sacrifice some time in the day to go and run. Well one night while I lay awake in bed, anxiously waiting for the alarm clock to go off so that I could run earlier in the day, I had an idea. What if I could find other moms out there who want to work out but don't have time? There's gotta be some type of workout class for moms that isn't soft when it comes to exercise.

After my run I rummaged through meetup.com and found a couple of workout groups in my area. They all seemed great but how did I know that I would get a good workout in? Really the only way to know was to go ahead and jump right in. So I signed up for a group where not only do you workout but you can bring your little ones along. Sounds great!

The first day I went it was in the middle of summer in South Florida and the humidity was already a bit stifling at nine o'clock in the morning. The group meet at various parks and the kids (usually the smaller ones) can remain in the strollers or play around the field while we workout. I was one of ten or eleven that day and each mom was on a different fitness level. Though not all the moms were runners or CrossFit enthusiasts, our group leader/trainer was able to give workouts that everyone could do and even had modifications for those moms who were pregnant. Yes you read that right, pregnant moms working out.

But what REALLY got me was the fact that these workouts were not weak by any means. We weren't sitting Indian style with our babies in our laps and bouncing them up and down. We were WORKING OUT! I'm talking mountain climbers, suicide runs, jump squats and tons and tons of ab work, WITH WEIGHTS! Could it be that I found my ideal combination? I could send my oldest off to school, workout with my little one AND make new friends in the process. Oh and that was another reason why I wanted to find moms who workout, because being home all day with a toddler can make you loose your mind.

It took a lot for me to do this and keep coming back. Don't get me wrong, everything about the group is perfect! But I'm a shy person who takes a while to warm up to people. I'm not the chatty Cathy that makes new friends easily. I mean, I run by myself for crying out loud. And when I tell people I run by myself (mostly without headphones) I get some very interesting looks thrown my way. You mean you don't run with ANYONE?! It's not that I don't want to socialize or a run or during a workout. I just don't want to get rejected or feel left out when I'm searching for the right workout buddy.

Well now I'm three months in and I've gotten to know most of the ladies. I'm a regular now, I meet with the moms three times a week. Sometimes after the workout we go to the park and let our kids play around for a bit while we talk and laugh about our lives. I would even venture to say that I am developing some great friendships, my little one has even developed a friend! All in all I got what I wanted and more.

I had to sneak this picture in during a brief break in the workout.

Doesn't she look so enthusiastic with a mouth full of raisins?!

Italian week of wonder Day #2

It's that time again! Time for another recipe from my amazing Italian culinary excursion. Hold onto your chairs cause this one is a doosey!

Wait for it!...

RISOTTO WITH ASPARAGUS AND MUSHROOM

*Note: This is a picture of my actual meal.

My wife LOVES risotto and my oldest daughter LOVES rice. I know that risotto is really just rice but for some reason I had it branded in my mind that it was a difficult and time consuming dish to make. Even though I had my reservations I wanted to try and make this dish because I knew that if it came out good that my family would love it. So glad I just dove in cause this one is going into the regular recipe file.

Here's the breakdown:

3/4 oz of mushrooms (any kind of mushroom can work really)
6 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 lb. of asparagus trimmed and cut diagonally into 1" pieces
1/2 small onion finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cups dry white wine
2/3 cups finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
salt
pepper
1/2 stick of unsalted butter cut into tbsp pieces
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
1/2 cup frozen baby peas
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
2 tsp chopped fresh chives

• Bring broth and 2 cups of water to a boil in a 4-quart pot. Add asparagus and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally until crisp and tender, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer asparagus with a slotted spoon to a large bowl of ice water to stop cooking, then drain and pat dry. Set aside 1 cup of broth mixture and keep remaining broth at a bare simmer.
• Cook onion in oil in a 5-6 quart heavy pot over medium heat, stirring until softened about 3 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add wine and simmer briskly, stirring constantly until absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup of hot broth mixture and simmer briskly, stirring constantly until broth is absorbed. Continue simmering and adding hot broth mixture, about 1/2 a cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is just tender and creamy, about 18-22 minutes. (There will be leftover broth that you can use later to thin out the risotto if necessary)
• Stir cheese, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper into risotto, then remove from heat and let stand, covered, while preparing vegetables.
• Heat 2 tbsp butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until completely melted, then saute mushrooms and garlic, stirring occasionally, until garlic is pale golden, about 4 minutes. Pour in 1 cup reserved broth and bring to a boil. Stir in peas, asparagus, zest 1/4 salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add remaining 2 tbsp butter swirling skillet until butter is incorporated, then season with salt and pepper.
• Thin risotto to desired consistency with some of the leftover broth and season with salt and pepper. Divide desired portion among bowls. Spoon vegetable mixture (with liquid) on top and sprinkle with chives.

I would say that this recipe took me about 45 minutes to an hour to make. You can make certain parts of the recipe ahead of time or in batches and then bring it all together when you're ready. It may seem long and you may not want to do this on a week day but try it out and I know you'll love it!

Moving on up

Two things:

1. I just added a new page to my blog, the wonderful "About me" page. Check it out and know that there are more pages to come.

2. The focus of my blog has officially changed to running so... yeah. Just wanted to announce that.

Italian week of wonder (Day #1)

As the designated cook of the family I always want to find recipes that are healthy but taste good too. It can be a challenge to make something new because there is a strong possibility that it will come out bad. Lately I've been looking up new recipes since I've been bored with my easy go-to dinners. So while I was in the checkout line at Whole Foods I saw the Epicurious magazine Italy edition staring back at me.

I quickly flipped though the magazine, looking at all the pictures (cause that's really how I pick out recipes) and initially thought these were too challenging and time consuming to make. I LOVE Italian food and after having traveled to Italy I loved the real stuff even more.  Why not give it a try? Can't hurt to at least buy the magazine! So I bought it and what came next was nothing short of sheer wonder.

I just finished what I am now calling my Italian week of wonder. I would like to share with you all the great recipes that I made and give you the REAL scoop on how easy it was to make. All of these recipes are great for runners too and you can make variations or substitutions for things if you like. So here goes day one of the Italian week of wonder.

First up is:

LAMB CHOPS SCOTTADITO

*Note: This is a picture from the magazine. I forgot to take a picture of the lamb I made that night.

Here's the recipe:

3 racks of lamb, each rack about 1 1/2 lb. (cut into chops)
2/3 cup of lard (I didn't use lard I used butter Earth Balance vegan butter to be exact)
Sea salt 
Pepper
1 lemon, halved

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees and put a heatproof platter inside.
• Gently pound each chop between 2 sheets of parchment paper until 1/4" thick.
• Melt lard with oil in a small saucepan over low heat until translucent but not hot (or just melt some butter). Remove from heat and dip each chop in lard (or butter) to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let sit.
• Heat a 12" heavy skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Season chops with salt and pepper then brown in batches of 4 turning over once, about 4 minutes total per batch for medium-rare. Transfer chops to as cooked to heated platter.
• Squeeze lemon halves over hot chops and serve immediately.

I made this with brown rice and asparagus and it was delicious! I've never made lamb before so I was scared to say the least but this recipe was so simple that there was no way that I could screw it up. All in all this recipe took no more than 10-20  minutes including the prep time. Try it out and let me know what you think!

I understand that men are from Mars and women are from Venus but how did we end up on Mercury?

Living and running in South Florida has many perks. The weather is conducive to running all year round. No worrying about snow or ice in the winter time. It's also completely flat so working on straight-away speed is perfect. If I want to work on "hills" I just run across bridges. However there are some drawbacks and today I was harshly reminded about one of them.

THE HEAT!

I didn't start running until about 9 am this morning which for the past week or so hasn't been a problem. But yesterday and last night it rained and if there's one thing that a Floridian runner knows it's that you will DIE if you run after it rains. The humidity goes through the roof and what the actual temperature is doesn't compare to the heat index which is what it feels like.

I went to the park. It was a beautiful day and as you can see not a fluffy cloud in the sky. All I had to run was a mere 5 miles.

This picture was taken during my first mile. Ahhh... what a beautiful day.

At my halfway point I decided to take a break and douse my face and hat with cold water. The heat was SO stifling that I wanted to see what the temperature was. Then I saw this. 

Do you see how at 10am this morning the humidity was at 65% and the heat index was at 100 degrees!?

SERIOUSLY!?

I kept going but took it easy. I walked when I needed to and drank tons of water. Though my little one wasn't running with me I gave her tons of water too. By the end I was so glad it was over. 

Thank goodness for working air conditioning!

If you train... the speed will come

How can I be faster?

I think every runner at some point has asked this question, myself included. I can't tell you how many articles I've read about best cross training workouts, ideal diets and even calculating your lactate threshold to get faster times. All of these things sound great but for a stay-at-home mom of two kids who has to "fit" running into my many other tasks, I just wanted to keep it simple. A couple of months back I was reading an article in the July issue of Runner's World. The article was about how to train for a marathon and gave a sample plan written by Doug Kurtis.

I had already heard of Doug Kurtis and couldn't wait to find out what the secrets were for running faster and longer.Out of the entire article, there was one quote from Doug that stuck out in my mind. Under the 10 tips section, tip #2 was Run most of your miles easy and Doug said "Speed comes from putting the miles in."

Initially I scoffed at this sentence and thought, but doesn't speed come from speed? But after pondering this tip (while gasping for air during a couple of hard runs) I began to see the light. And not that light you see when you pass out. 

Currently, a 9 min. mile is a comfortable pace for me. My goal is to be able to finish my marathon in under four hours so I'm right on track. What's crazy is that when I looked back at my log entries in my running journal when I first started in November of 2013, my comfortable pace was 10:45. Maybe there IS some truth to this.

When I ran the half marathon in February of this year I had only been training consistently for two months and I made a TON of rookie mistakes during the race. I didn't plan on doing a full marathon. I really wanted to do the half marathon to redeem myself but the half was sold out on the first day. My wife suggested doing the full so I went ahead and booked it. Though I had more than enough time to train (10 months) I got into a training plan right after my race. The Garmin website had a marathon training plan that I downloaded onto my Forerunner 220 watch. The plan was 16 weeks long and centered around heart rate and time rather than distance. 

The first couple of weeks I didn't like the plan cause I was running slow... very, very slow. I was doing more  of a jog/walk pace than a run. But I stuck with it. As soon as the plan was over you would've thought there was a zombie apocalypse by the way I was running. Running at a slow pace for three months, the first couple of weeks I blasted through my runs. Of course what I soon discovered was that I was burning myself out early in the run and couldn't maintain the distance I was aiming for. Back to square one.

I decided to reevaluate the focus of my runs. One day out of the week would be devoted to speedwork and the rest of the runs would be based on feel. I didn't want to get to a point where running felt arduous and calculated. I would speed up if I felt good and slow down when I needed to take a break. More importantly I wouldn't keep checking my watch and would simply enjoy my surroundings for each and every run. Before I knew it all my fast songs on my run playlist were too slow and I was able to set a new personal record of 26:05 for my 5k pace.

Lesson learned: Enjoy the run, take your time and the speed will come.

I bet Forrest Gump never had these problems

I've been training for a marathon for the past five weeks now. I don't really know why I haven't talked about it in this blog. Running is such a HUGE part of my life. I do it six days a week come rain or shine and when I'm not running I'm planning my next run, preparing a meal for a run or recovering from a run. Normally my family are the only ones who hear about my funny stories or random thoughts/complaints about my runs. But after my long run this past Saturday and the emotional burnout I felt from the weekend I decided that I should share more with you. I think that by sharing it will help give me motivation and keep me accountable when I'm messing up.

This is my thirteenth week of my training and my mileage is starting to reach epic proportions. Oh by the way, this is my first marathon. I did a half marathon and a 5k earlier this year. Training for the half was a bit rough considering I had only been running for two months prior to the race and it was my first race...EVER! You would think that the crash course would make me shy away from racing but here I am at it again and deciding to take on a longer distance.

Prior to this past weekend the furthest I ran was 15 miles. Saturday (which are my long run days) I was supposed to run 18 miles. Notice the key word supposed to. I started my run our great, nice and steady and at a slower pace so that I could warm up my body. As usual I hit my stride at mile 5 but by mile 8 I was totally out of it mentally which meant my physical threshold was fast approaching. What is going on with me? Why can't I get it together? Well I have some theories.

My routes are pretty routine and every once in a while I like to shake it up and run either in the opposite direction of my normal route, or in a completely new location. For this particular day and distance I wanted to do something totally different. I wanted my wife to drop me off at my usual run spot and I would run home. It would have been perfect because from the starting point to my house is a perfect 18 miles. Then I realized that I hadn't driven the route ahead of time to make sure it was safe. I didn't map out any bathroom stops or places where there could be water for when my Gatorade ran out. And since this plan was formulated twelve hours before my run, this was not going to happen. I was bummed out that I had made this awesome route idea and couldn't try it out. Boom! Mental wall drawn.

The day before my long run was my birthday. My wife and I had plans for a date night which we haven't had since our youngest daughter was born (16 months ago). Normally before a long run I have pasta, a baked potato, and some type of protein. Well that day I ate none of those things and swapped the good stuff for a Belgian waffle with tons of syrup, coffee, coffee and more coffee and a ton of sweets at the movies. By the time I realized I was running the next day it was 9 o'clock at night and I was scarfing down a pasta salad I made the day before. Bad, bad, bad. Poor planning of my meals. Boom! Physical wall drawn.

As much as I try to not let little things get the best of me, I couldn't shake the epic fails that I had created the day before. Once I hit mile 10 and I was alternating between running and walking I knew it was over. So I decided to end the day at mile 12 and tack on the missed miles to my run the next day. Sunday I did 10 miles with a much better attitude and substantial fuel in my tank. From this point on I promise to not skimp on my food and whether or not I do the route I had planned I should just run and "git 'er done".

Don't make me hit my wall

Okay ladies and gentleman, for this post I will be addressing some of my grievances about running. Running? Yes running! I have been running consistently for the past year now. I have completed two races and am training for a marathon at the end of November. As I've increased my weekly mileage and run in areas where there are other avid runners like myself, I have noticed some things that have gotten on my nerves. So here goes my list and PLEASE let me know how you feel.

1. If I say good morning/afternoon/evening or wave to you, please acknowledge my existence.
This is my biggest pet peeve. It's only during my long runs that this really gets on my nerves because I run in an area where there are TONS of other runners. During mile 1-6 it doesn't bother me all that much but after mile 7 when oxygen is precious to my body and I need every single breath, the least the other person could do is give a nod or give the hand. But to not even acknowledge my presence or even look down as I pass you is just rude.

2. The sidewalk is like a road for pedestrians. Stay on the right.
I have to admit that when I started running I was all over the place. I ran on the right, left and middle of the sidewalk and would wonder why I got angry stares from the other runners. While I can't say that this is a rule that is etched in stone I do think that it is an unwritten rule to stay on the right. Just like we drive on the right side of the road and enter or exit a building through the right set of doors, so should you run on the right side of the sidewalk. Simple.

3. Hey bikers and car drivers, WE have the right of way.
Okay, this is a bit touchy because I know that there are a lot of runners and walkers who DO NOT obey street rules. Many runners don't cross the street at a cross walk or have no regard for oncoming traffic. But just because some are bad doesn't mean that all of us are. I use cross walks unless I am on a small road with very little traffic. I wait for the walk sign when I'm at the intersection and I ALWAYS acknowledge a car driver or bike rider for allowing me to cross a street. I mean they could just run me over and that would be the end of it. The least I can do is thank them for not ending my life.

4. Headphones are fine just make sure you can still hear what's going on around you.
Every once in a while I like to get lost in my runs and listen to some music. Maybe I had a bad day or maybe I need an extra push to get through a long run. Either way I make sure to have my music down low enough so I can hear what's going on around me. I would like to think that other runners do the same thing but... oh wishful thinking. Yes rock out to some Nirvana or kick up that pace with some Beyonce but please remember that you are not on this planet by yourself. You will have to maneuver around others and if you can't hear me when I say excuse me, then you need to turn your music down.

Those are my gripes about running. Leave me some comments to let me know what you think and/or share some of your running issues.