When Tim does Cindy...

...(sounds wrong somehow, doesn't it?) his best score is (that sounds wrong too!) 22 rounds. That's doing Cindy as written which is 5 pullups, 10 pushups, and 15 squats. When he's feeling tired he gets 18 or 19 rounds. Yeah, my husband's a stud!

Oh, and by the way I was sore nearly EVERYWHERE from Saturday's workout. It's a good thing, right?

Modified Cindy

Did one of Tim's favorite CrossFit workouts modified for my capabilities. 10 TRX rows (instead of 5 pullups), 10 bench pushups, 15 air squats for 20 minutes. Got 18 rounds + a set of rows and 7 pushups. Like many CrossFit workouts, the first couple of rounds feel pretty doable and (dare I say?) easy. Get to round 4 or so and the ease is gone. By the 10th round it's focus city. And by about round 15 I just want it to stop. Good stuff!

Where I'm at.

Courage does not always roar.
Sometimes it is a quiet voice
at the end of the day saying...
I will try again tomorrow.

Author unknown

The right decision

I contacted the RD yesterday to tell her that I won't be running the American River 50 this year. This is a very good decision for many reasons, probably the main one being this: I don't want to do it. Really, I don't. Here are some other reasons:

I'm not ready. The training plans for running 50 miles include some back to back long runs that make perfect sense for getting ready to run 50 consecutive miles. But I haven't done any density training like that. I'm also not ready in the sense of having people who could help me run part of the race or cheer me on, both of which seem vital to this sort of effort. And while some runs

The last 25 miles of this race are on trails and I don't like trails. Maybe someday I'll like trails. And actually, I do like them, but for shorter distances at this point.

My lower back has been giving me grief. Over the last month my lower back's felt tight and sore most of the time and I can't seem to get it to feel better. So doing a max distance race right now seems ill advised.

I have lost sight of what I want. We've had lots of family stress in the last few months and as the stress increases, so do my miles. So it's made sense to increase my race distances. But just because you CAN do something doesn't mean you SHOULD. And right now I just feel tired and not very strong. Not what you want going into a running-all-the-live-long-day race!

Preserving enthusiasm is priority #1. I still really like to run, and I've been doing it for a very long time. I want to like running for a long time to come. But moving forward to run a race I don't want to run, that I'm not prepared for? That seems like a recipe for killing part, if not all, of the enthusiasm I have for running.

So on race day I'll be running my own long-ish run. Maybe 20 or so miles isn't long by ultra standards, but it's long for me. And more importantly, it's what I want to do. And sometimes in life, you really do get what you want, right?

20 Tips For Finding Your Routine With Kids

When Austin was born, I returned to work after 3 months of maternity leave, working three 10-hour-days per week. So I packed a fulltime job into 3/4 of the hours, and it seemed to work for us. When I became pregnant for the second time, I really felt that the right thing for our family was for me to stay home once the new baby was born. So when Austin was just 2, and Tucker was a newborn, I quit my job in the software industry to stay home. And boy oh boy, it was TOUGH being home with two in diapers. Not because of the physical intensity of it all (although caring for a toddler and a newborn is NOT for sissies!) but because of the lack of routine. I just didn't do well with a big hangin' day and lots of toys.

If only THIS ARTICLE had been available at that time. Simple Mom tells you how to find your routine with kids, and it's exactly what I needed. To some extent, it's even what I need now. The idea of having a routine in your life is brilliant. The thing is I didn't know that you could create your own routine!!!

If you know of anyone who has small children, or who struggles with finding their rhythm with their free time, considering passing this link on -- it's that good!

Weekend update

It was an eventful 24 hours from Friday afternoon through Saturday afternoon. Here are some of the highlights:

State championship basketball game

Austin supports his team 100%!

Friday night we headed to Arco Arena for the Division 2 basketball championship game. Before the game we ate dinner at Mel's Diner -- big mistake for this veg girl who planned to run long the next day. Dinner was a sandwich of iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado on wheat. Not exactly the pasta feast I'd anticipated, as Mel's doesn't serve pasta. At the game I supplemented with half of a huge bag of M&Ms and a giant Snickers bar. Tim tried to convince me to stop, but I would not listen. :( This did not bode well for Saturday's long run. The game itself was really exciting, but alas, Rocklin did not win.

AR 50 training run

I draw on myself before every long run!

Got up early Saturday and drove to the Auburn Overlook. There were two busses: one for the 21 mile people and one for the 31 mile people. My bus had 20 men and 4 women. (Note to single girls -- get thyself immediately into ultra running, as the odds are fabulous and there are some very handsome ultra runners out there!) We were driven to the 19 mile mark (31 miles from the finish for the "real" race) and started running.

The run started going sideways almost from the get go. By mile 5 I had a pretty good headache going. By mile 7 or 8 my back was aching and my right calf was tight and feeling just not very good. By mile 10 my stomach was protesting the run. But what do you do when you're on unfamiliar trails with no option but moving forward? You keep on going.

By mile 17 or so I was practically in tears and mostly walking. Now it was raining, so you can add cold and shaking to the list of "symptoms." By this time I was telling myself I never had to run ever again after this day. I've never been so happy to see an aid station, and would have paid any amount of money for a ride back to my car. Thankfully a super nice volunteer was heading back with a bunch of stuff from the previous aid stations and was happy to give me a ride.

AR 50 training run aftermath

My shoes agreed to have a photo taken. Me myself absolutely refused! :) Note that these shoes were 100% white before the run.

I got home and took a shower. Tim had picked up a grilled veggie sandwich with pesto and a vegan cookie. I ate half of both and laid down for a nap. Has my bed every felt so good? I think not.

Last night we had 3 of Austin's friends spend the night. Thank goodness Tim's happy hanging out with teenage boys, because I was in bed by 9:00 and didn't wake up till after 7:00 this morning. I can't remember the last time I got more than 8 hours of sleep, but I guess I really needed it.

So am I running the AR 50? I dunno. More about that next time... Have a lovely Sunday!

31 turns into 22

Sometimes it's just not your day. The intent was to do 31 miles, but at mile 22, I gratefully accepted a ride back to my car. Details and photos (from before the race when I was happy) to follow. Actually, I'm very happy now, warmly wrapped in my fuzzy robe at 3 in the afternoon. I feel a nap coming on... :)

Note: After checking the runners handbook for the AR50, it looks like I ran 22, not 23 miles. I've changed the title of this post and my running stats accordingly.

Ready, set, GO!

Today and tomorrow will be busy. Here's what's on the agenda:

11:15 - 12:15 Train client (fun!)
1:00 - 5:00 CPR class (to renew my certification)
6:00 - ??? State championship basketball game at Arco Arena (our local high school, as the Nor Cal champions, is playing the So Cal championship team -- it's going to be a blast!)

Saturday
6:00 Wake up
7:00 Leave for training run
8:00 - 9:00 Take bus 31 miles to start area
9:00 - 3:00 or so Run back to car
4:00 - ??? VEG!!!

No plans for Sunday and I think that's a good thing! I'll let y'all know how the training run goes.

I have a nickname :(

I have always wanted a nickname. Alas, the closest thing I have is "Les" which a few people call me. Do I like it? Not really, but it's not a big enough thing to made an issue. Although you can't give yourself a nickname, I really want to be known as "elle" (first letter of my name). Alas, that doesn't seem likely.

So today I was at the grocery store. I'd actually gone to mail some packages, and after taking care of that, I picked up just a few things we were running low on. But I didn't have my reusable bags with me. So as I was paying, the bagger started opening a bag, and I said, "No, I don't want bags. That's my way of remembering to bring them in." He said, "Oh, you're the punisher!" What? Huh? Yep, I'm known at my grocery store as THE PUNISHER. The checker confirmed that he's told lots of people about how I don't accept bags any more and they call me the punisher.

Hmmmmph. I like Elle better! :)

Need more optimism and energy?

There's a great article on Basil and Spice titled "Tips to Boost Your Energy and Outlook During Tough Times." It should come as no surprise that their tips coincide with the practices that will also keep you healthy and fit. Here's the complete article. Hope you like it!

The running jacket

Here's my running jacket with the iron-ons from See Me Run. Notice the runner girl on the right sleeve.

Proof of reflectivity!

Adhering these to the jacket took less than 5 minutes, and it only took that long because I wanted the design absolutely centered and level. I'll be ordering more in the future for sure!

Fear of decorating

All those who are convinced they are decorating dunces, raise your hands. (See both of my hands waving furiously in the sky!) Well, in a gigantic grown-up step, I went to a home decor shop and asked them to design a flower arrangement for my kitchen. I brought in my own container (a colander) and chose the flowers I liked, and the designer assured me she could work her magic. Today I picked it up and I am delighted with the result:
(It looks even better when it's not being photographed by a camera phone!)

Stand by me

My friend Geraldine shared this video today. It gives me hope and makes me smile. Hope it brightens your day too!

Fear and trembling!

Spent a little time on the ultrunr.com site tonight reading about training for a 50 mile race. Perhaps I should have read this before signing up, or maybe more than 3 weeks prior to the race?!?! It looks like I will be somewhat undertrained based on their recommendations, and the 31 mile run next weekend, two weeks before the race? The experts seem to think this would be better about 4 weeks out. But it is what it is. As I was packing for Las Vegas tonight I was kind of panicking. Then I remembered several things that are true:

• I have no time expectations.
• I'm doing this because I want to try. (Originally my plan was to do a 50 mile race in November. But then I figured the 50K in February could count as part of my training, right?)
• There is no shame in trying.

I hope I can keep the right perspective for the next few weeks. All I can do is do my best though, right?

Running and stopping

Someone left a comment (hi Anonymous!) with a great question:

I'm curious as to how you log your miles -- is it total miles, regardless as to whether you ran them start to finish without stopping? Or do you only count the consecutive miles run? Personally, I guess short walk breaks COULD be considered part of a run (but, for me, I discount them as my total mileage run), but stopping to check email, drink water, etc.? I guess I would look at that as STOPPING. So, I could in good conscience say I ran several shorter mileage runs that equaled a total of 15 miles throughout the day. But, that is me. I am more of a black and white thinker and am hard on myself. I'm wondering if there is a "kinder" way to evaluate running performance, which it sounds like you do.

First of all, thanks for asking the question. I think of my runs as short (anything 7 miles or less), medium (8 to 12 miles) and long (13 miles or more). On short runs I only stop at red lights. On medium runs I usually plan to run by a drinking fountain (if there's a bathroom there, that's a plus!) and will stop for a minute or two. On longer runs, I will stop about every hour to eat an energy gel and have some water and kind of "reset" my brain.

So do I still count the miles I've covered, regardless of stopping? Absolutely! I can think of a few reasons why I choose this "kinder" way to log training miles:

1. Knowing I can stop helps to get me out the door on days when I really don't want to run. This is a biggie when you're running 40 - 50 miles per week!
   
2. Time on my feet is the point of my training these days, regardless of stops. In the training materials for the American River 50, they recommend a run/walk strategy for the entire race of run 20 minutes walk 5 minutes. And they count that as running!
3. Stopping on training runs was how I did my long runs for the marathon. Did I stop while running the marathon? No! Would the marathon have been "easier" if I'd pushed myself harder on the long training runs? Of course! But it worked for me.

I suppose that's the bottom line: it works for me. I know most serious runners would rather die than stop during a run. Well, I actually don't know that, but I think that's probably true. :) And I definitely stop more now as I train for the 50 mile race than I did when training for shorter distance races, as the impression I get from reading about ultras is that brief stops are vital to finishing. Does "brief" mean checking email? Probably not! :) But as I said, Monday's run was a strange one and certainly not typical of my training.

Finally, I really understand black and white thinking and being hard on yourself, as that's the land I've lived in for most of my life. I've worked very hard to find some "middles" and that's made life more fun and much easier. Years ago I was seeing a counselor who was talking to me about this very issue. She asked me if I knew what lived in between the colors black and white, and as I was angry at the time, I snapped back "Yeah, grey and I HATE grey! It's the worst color there is!" She gently replied "Actually, no. In between black and white is where all the colors in the rainbow live." I was stunned and speechless. You mean that something beautiful lives in the middle spaces? I've played with that idea in my mind for years.

Today I'm running 12. Will I stop? You betcha! But I won't be checking my email until after the run. ;) Thanks for taking the time to comment and ask the question.

Melange!

• Eating Healthfully in a Recession: 5 tips I'm so excited about this podcast! It's the latest episode of my all-time favorite podcast, Vegetarian Food for Thought. Colleen is one of the best podcasters around, and I eagerly look forward to each new episode. I haven't yet listened to this new episode, but I'm sure it will be as informative as the rest. I urge you to go to iTunes and check it out!
  
• 3 fast miles Yesterday in a departure from my usual training, I ran 3 fast miles. First mile was 8:05, second was 8:10 and third was 8:25. I also did AOS Providence. Today? Sore legs baby!
• A Good Bad Run Fifteen miles was the target distance for Monday's run, but I was SO not into it. I kept stopping back by the house to check email, pet the dogs, drink some water -- to do anything but keep running! At about mile 12.5 I started feeling shaky and hungry -- yes, low blood sugar! So I came back home and just about called it quits. I mean an almost 13 mile run is good right? And I ran 21 just two days before, so I don't have to run any more, right? Then I thought "This is where the real training takes place!" I got a quick snack and pounded out the last 2-1/2 miles. Was it fun? Heck no! But was it valuable? Absolutely!!! I'm sure there will be low points in the 50 miler, and to have pressed on is excellent training for that.
  
• Cirque du Soleil LOVE We'll be in Vegas this weekend for Tucker's Tae Kwon Do tournament and while we're there we're seeing LOVE!!! I've been listening to the soundtrack, which is a remastered mix of Beatles songs, for the last two days.
  
  
• 50 mile thoughts I'm both nervous and excited about the American River 50. It's 3-1/2 weeks away. This weekend I read the 20 page runner's information packet where it talks about things like how to avoid seizures and vomiting. What?!?! Guess there are things that can go wrong when you try to run 50 miles. I'm not at all sure I'll be able to finish, but the things that could cause me to DNF mostly out of my control. So I'll continue to train well, continue to formulate both my nutrition plan and my mental plan for the race, and be happy no matter what happens!
  
• Dinner success! Last night's dinner was a Greek salad (romaine, kalamata olives, tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, and Feta with an olive oil + red wine vinegar + fresh lemon juice + oregano + a little mustard dressing) with fresh bread. I also cooked up some chicken for those who wanted to add it, but Tim was the only taker. It felt good to have made something that everyone could enjoy!
  
• Daily schedule A few weeks ago I wrote about the Daily Docket I'd found online that I was trying out. Well, I've taken that format and adapted it and it's really making a difference in my days! The form starts with "what's for dinner?", has room for 3 MITs (most important tasks), and has a "for the best possible day" section where you can plan exercise, connection, knowledge, and play! Wish I could post the form (it's a Word doc) but if anyone's interested, leave your email address in the comments and I'll mail you a copy.
  
• See Me Run I ordered some reflective iron-on designs so I could jazz up my black running jacket. I'm so happy with how it looks! I got the tribal hearts design and put it on the back. It's a cost-effective way to be safe when running at night.
  
• Zen Habits I continue to love Zen Habits! Leo is a wonderful writer, and what he writes makes my days better. For a great overview of his site, I'd recommend buying his eBook, "Zen Habits Handbook for Life." It's worth way more than the $6.95 it costs!
  

Art

I LOVE art. Do I know how to create art? No. Do I know much about art? No. But I love to look at art, particularly abstract and contemporary works.

This weekend we were at the state gymnastics championships, watching two of Austin and Tucker's former teammates compete. After the meet we hit Spaghetti Factory for dinner, and while we waited for a table, I saw a piece of art hanging in a wine bar just across from the restaurant. Curious, I went inside, and wow! I've rarely seen anything I like as much as these.


These amazing pieces are by Michelle Brunmier, a local artist. I'm planning to meet her at a reception at the end of the month (at that same wine bar) and I can't wait!

Roasted veggies

For years I've heard that it's really simple to roast vegetables, and yet I've been highly resistant to actually doing it. But yesterday I made these (see photo) using this recipe. I did not have fresh thyme but just went ahead like the renegade I am and cooked the veggies anyway. They were delicious!!! I ate them standing at the stove with a fork. So did Tim. The kids? Didn't touch 'em but that's just fine, as I figure it's more for me.

Hope this is me someday!

Saw this on Eric's blog, "The Runner Inside." Hope it inspires you like it does me!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

If it seems like I'm writing often...

...I am. This week I'm finally feeling like me again, after several months of feeling like not enough butter on toast. My dad's doing really well, and life is returning to normal, where I don't feel so stretched. So yeah, I'm writing more.

You know, I've kept a weblog now for nearly four years. It started when I was getting ready to compete in the Women's Tri-Fitness competition in Las Vegas. I'd lost weight and decided to take the plunge and do something I would NEVER in my wildest dreams have thought I'd ever do. And since it was so unusual, I let my friends know if they'd like to know what it's like getting ready for a fitness competition, I'd be happy to send them updates. From there I started a weblog -- someone mentioned the word "weblog" and though I'd never heard it before, I did a little research and decided it was for me!

So I kept a weblog for about a year and a half (as Fortysomething Fitness), but ran into some family issues as a result of the blog. As a strong statement about my loyalty to someone I love, I deleted the entire blog. (I regret it a little, but it mended the relationship.) A few months after that, I started this.

I write when I have something to say. If I have nothing to say (or more likely, something to say but no time to type it), I don't write. So there's no rhyme or reason to the quantity of my writing. Well, there is one pattern. When I'm feeling good (and have the time to write) I write a lot. So multiple posts are like a mood barometer of sorts.

Finally, I'm so appreciative when someone reads what I write. I actually have no idea who reads this, except for the very cool Blogger "Follow this blog" tool. Confession here: I am subscribed via Bloglines to more than 150 blogs, in subjects ranging from fitness and running (or course!) to food and parenting (well, duh!), with a little homemaking, simplicity and humor thrown in. Do these people know I read what they write? Probably not. My theory on commenting is the same as on writing -- I only comment if I have something to say. Maybe I should change this, as I often read something and think nice thoughts about the author -- perhaps they'd like to hear this from the source? (Having said that, maybe I need to comment more often!)

So to sum it up, it's feast or famine here, with zero predictability as to what you'll find. But if you do stop by, I really do appreciate it.

BREAKING NEWS

I emailed the RD for the American River 50 and asked if I could still do the training run. She emailed back that she'd just opened 9 more spots for the race, and if I got on it, I could register. So (deep breath) I'm signed up (and paying!) to run FIFTY MILES on April 4th! More to come...

Today's workout

30 minutes of garage play.
Ingredients:

25 pound kettlebell
40' AOS rope
Random set of 8 pound weights
Gymboss timer

Did 30s work/15s rest of whatever felt good. Movements included:

Farmer's walks (w/one kettlebell)
One-sided lunges (w/one kettlebell and bodyweight only)
Swings
Cleans
Figure 8 to holds
Pushups
One arm rows
Super long set of fast overhead press, lateral raises, rear delt flyes using 8 pound weights
And lots and lots of rope intervals

I feel quivery and spent!

P.S. I must've blocked out the jumping lunges and squat jumps, but those were part of the fun too!

Oops!

I just noticed that I posted my favorite salad dressing recipe -- TWICE! Can you tell I don't go back and read old blog posts? And that I've got quite a few "tracks" running in my mind at any given time???

Another oops -- guess I won't be doing the AR50, as the race is filled as of a week ago. Yep, 650 runners want to pay more than $100 for the pleasure of running 50 miles. I'm going to see if I can sign up for the 31 mile training run (there are aid stations!!!) anyway, and maybe target this race (and sign up early!) next year.

Health and Homemaking Hacks, and an update

There is a book I'd love to read that I don't own (shocking, I know!). It's called Lifehacker and it's subtitled "88 Tech Tricks to Turbocharge Your Day." The author defines life hacks as "clever shortcuts and lesser-known, faster ways to complete a task." So using this concept loosely, I thought I'd share a few of my health and homemaking hacks, or H-Hacks, perhaps.

To get consistent with vitamins and supplements: Buy a pill keeper. You know, one of those thingies with multiple compartments for the days' meds, that I used to think only old people used. About a month ago it occurred to me that what keeps me from consistency is convenience. I believe multivitamins and glucosamine would be good for me. I just don't do anything about it. Well, that's changed. I now load a week's worth of supplements (I take the aforementioned ones, plus maca root which is supposed to be good for muscle recovery) into the container -- it feels a little like dealing cards! -- and I'm good to go for the week!

To save money on hair and skin-care products: Drag out all the half filled bottles that you shelved when you found a newer option and use them up! I suppose I'm not as bad about this as some, but I have my share of last week's "miracle" for shiney hair, smooth skin, and the like. Today I ran out of shampoo, but not really. Although the bottle in the shower is empty, it has several half-filled cousins in the cabinet. And one of those bottles is not front and center in the shower!

To include a crazy amount of nutrition in every day with relative ease: Drink green smoothies! Google "green smoothie" and you'll find a million options for making them. Although they look like a drink for Shrek, I promise you can't taste the spinach (right Katie?). And they help to keep you insanely healthy.

Update

Diet Pepsi-free me! Yes, it's been over a week since I've had a Diet Pepsi or any other soda. Yeah, it's hard and I miss it. But hey, what do you expect when you're trying to break a habit that's been decades in the making, right? To anyone who wants to know how I'm doing it, I'd say two things. First, I've heard some pretty horrible stories (thanks Jennifer and Diana!) about problems friends have had from artifical sweetners. And secondly, it's like anything you're trying to change: it's one day at a time!

Cool video from Atom Ant: Atom send this link for a video about an amazing ultra runner. Thanks so much Atom!

Grocery bags seem to have generated a lot of conversation. To clarify, I ALWAYS have bags in my car, yet I forget to bring them in. And even if I remember (usually when I'm in the checkout line) I don't go to get them. Well, today I REMEMBERED!!! I guess the memory of carrying out an awkward armful of foodstuff yesterday was enough to remind me. UnRuly25 suggested carrying small bags, which is also a great idea, especially as I love large handbags to fitting a Chico Bag in wouldn't be a problem at all. And Matt you're right -- we are just beginning to get the hang of reusing bags here in the U.S. Better late than never, right? Right???!

If only I could create a Venn diagram...

... I'd diagram myself, hopelessly stuck at the intersection of hormones and Girl Scout Cookies!

Remembering your grocery bags

I own plenty of reusable grocery bags. I also have a cabinet full of paper and plastic bags from the store. And yet when I go shopping I never remember to bring them. Today I think I came upon a solution. Here it is:

I'm not accepting new bags at the grocery store.

Today I bought kalamata olives, celery, cabbage, garlic, carrots, and a cucumber. And I carried them out by hand. My younger son was with me and told me I'm insane. What-evah! I'm guessing after a few shopping trips like this, I'll start remembering!

Monday Meal Melange

It's raining. Hard. I'm listening to some new music (Eric Hutchinson "Ok, It's Alright by Me"), finishing up a salad, and happy to be warm and dry, as opposed to yesterday's 2+ hour run in the rain.

I've been cooking more recently. Cooking and I have a love/hate relationship with each other. The bottom line is that I believe it's best for me to cook for myself and my family, but that's been hard to do consistently. The good news is that I keep trying. So yesterday and last Sunday, I decided to spend a few hours in the kitchen, prepping stuff for the week. Here's what I made:

• Better Salad (like tuna salad, but with chopped chickpeas instead of tuna)
• Hummus
• Oatmeal Raisin cookies (new recipe -- cookies spread into a gooey layer in the pan, so I cooked them a little more, then crumbled the cooked result as an indulgent granola-ey sort of mix. Tim and Austin both love it!)
• Rainbow peppers (well, I didn't "make" them but I chopped them and put them in the fridge

My hope is that by having some healthy basics around, it will be easier to eat better. Oh, I also made a salad dressing that has become my new favorite. I'm pretty sure I'd eat cardboard if it were drizzled with this:

Honey-Tahini Dressing
from March/April 2009 Cooking Well

1/2 cup lemon juice (fresh is best, of course!)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup tahini
2 tablespoons honey (I use agave nectar)
2 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt

Blend in food processor or shake in jar with tight fitting lid. Enjoy!

NOTE: I JUST REALIZED THAT I POSTED THIS RECIPE A FEW DAYS AGO! OOPS!

So today's salad with mixed lettuces, shredded coleslaw, avocado, and that dressing. My friend Tracy Reifkind talked on her blog about using cabbage in salad, almost a year ago. Guess I'm a little slow on the uptake, but hey, I'm doing it! I like the cabbage because it adds the crunch of iceberg lettuce (but has vitamins unlike iceberg) and it's filling.

So what's for dinner tonight? I've got chili (beef, black beans, white beans) in the crock pot, and I'll be making cornbread and coleslaw when I'm done writing here. Remember the Daily Docket thing I was using? Well, I've refined that and created my own. So yeah, dinner's simmering (I'm inordinantely proud of that!) and that's a very good thing!

Rainy run

My house is warm and dry. And I'm about to go out and run 13 miles in the rain. Does this appeal to me? Heck no! I'd rather stay cozy and dry. Why am I telling you this? Because I'm setting myself up to succeed. Tim knows I'm running this morning. Now you know. And I really am big on doing what I say I'm going to do. So here I go...