Hare Affair

My backyard has become rabbit central. I’m not sure where they are coming from as there are no woods nearby. My guess is a mama rabbit got busy and these are the babies. Naturally, I squeal with glee every time I see one of them outside because I love rabbits. If I have a chance to hold a rabbit (which doesn’t come up often), I take it. I have always ALWAYS wanted to own a bunny. There are many who would disagree that even a litter-trained rabbit would be swell but I don’t care.


Even though I love seeing the bunnies out there, the problems they present are two-fold.

1) I have reason to believe they have been noshing on my strawberry plant. Who wouldn’t want to eat a delicious berry right of the vine? Bunny’s not gonna pass on that action. Because they can fit through the fence slats, I cannot keep them out of the yard. I’m not terribly worried about the strawberries as I didn’t expect them to come back this year but the rest of my burgeoning garden is still quite young. The main garden has another fence around it. Hopefully that security is strong enough to thwart those munching hares.

2) Sadie, as you can imagine, has taken a strong, shall we say, interest in the rabbits. When she spies them from the back door, she starts barking her fool head off. Those bunnies are no dummies. They seem to stay just outside the perimeter of her lead and so I feel confident that no hare will be harmed if we put her outside. However, after hooking her lead to her collar, if Sadie sees a bunny then, she tears after it and clotheslines herself. Quite a sight. Then there’s the other problem of when we do let her outside off lead (which is only under supervision). Last year under my not so watchful eye, she ingested a large amount of rabbit poo only to have it quickly reappear on my living room carpet. Classy canine.

What keeps rabbits at bay? Is there any hope? While I like watching them hop around, I am concerned for their safety around Sadie and the safety of my garden around them.

P.S. I tried to capture a picture of these cute little guys but they were too darn fast.

Road Trippin'

We’re off on a road trip! Saturday morning we embark on a 10 hour journey to Vermont. We are headed to an annual family reunion and this is the first time I am not just riding in my parents’ vehicle. I feel so grown up! Unfortunately, I really hate long car rides but flying there is quite a feat. Must fly to Albany, rent a car and drive 2 ½ hours further. And don’t forget the sleeping bags, towels, etc. and so on. Better to just drive ourselves and our stuff, yes? The longest John and I have ever road-tripped together was 7 hours to visit a friend in college while we were also in college. John drove the whole way on principle. The principle that he didn’t want me to drive. Not sure why as I’m a fine driver and have received nary a ticket, citation or warning from an officer of the law. This is okay as I really loathe driving. Truthfully, I’m the better navigator anyway. I’m not sure how this happened as my sense of direction is atrocious. The fact is I’m just good at reading printed directions and listening for Penny’s (our friendly GPS narrator) instructions. I am also good at supplying the driver with snacks, playing police lookout, announcing that I have to go to the bathroom and napping. All extremely important qualities in a co-pilot.
Accepting any and all submissions of music to download for mix CD’s. Yeah that’s right, CD’s. A month or so ago I unearthed the same mix CD I made for the aforementioned 2003 road trip. Brought back a lot of memories of R. Kelly’s Ignition and the like. Would like to create the same song-related memories 9 years hence.
Also accepting good road trip car games. Be creative! None of this license plate Bingo business.
Please send your well wishes for a safe journey. Full report upon return. Pinky swear.

Shopping Score

I'm not supposed to be shopping because we are about to go on vacation but surprise I couldn't help myself. All t-shirts at the Gap were on sale and I was just lamenting to John that I have no t-shirts. How fortuitous! Somehow, the bulk of my summer-wear is comprised of tanks, tube tops and halters. Oops! So, I just HAD to buy 4 t-shirts because I needed them. Don't judge me. I accidentally bought yellow, blue, green and purple in various solids and stripes even though less than 2 months ago I declared that this summer I could only purchase pink or red tops because I had none. Oops again. They were less than $8 each. I'm nothing if not a bargain hunter. Speaking of bargains......

RUN - don't walk to your local Limited store. This little beauty is on sale for $19. You read that correctly. NINETEEN DOLLARS!

Buy Here

It's their ponte knit pencil skirt. High-waisted and oh so comfortable. I bought the navy and cream striped one pictured above (No, it's not really black). Here's a bonus for you: it's super stretchy so they recommend going down a size. Do you know what that means for Ashley? I bought an 8. That's right. A single digit sized skirt. Oh happy day! Bonus #2: all those squats and deadlifts are paying off because this skirt makes my butt look amazing and I'm not ashamed to say so. Or maybe it's my butt that makes the skirt look so good. Semantics.  It also comes in a variety of solids and a navy and pink stripe that I had to put back because I was only allowed to buy one. Not sure how long the sale lasts but it typically retails for $59.90 so skedaddle on over to your closest Limited store.

Recipe Reblog #21

Does your sweet tooth need some satisfaction?


Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Frosting: PB on PB? Too much PB you say? NEVER! I was really craving something sweet last weekend. Not wanting to drop $3.00 per cupcake at my local cupcake shop, and not wanting a dozen sweet treats calling to me from the kitchen, I searched for small batch baking recipes and found this one. It says it yields 4 but I only got 3 cupcakes out of it. Perfect! These baked up super quick and I had all the ingredients in the pantry which was why I selected this. I had no chocolate chips though so I left those out. Also, there are oatmeal, M&M's in the frosting which I also didn't have. OK, so maybe I didn't have all the ingredients on hand but the recipe didn't suffer. Point being, you can still enjoy this delicious cupcake without those fancy extras. It makes a LOT of frosting so load those puppies up. Then sit on the kitchen floor with a spoon and lick the bowl. You won't be sorry.

P.S. Happy Birthday to my dad! He's not reading this but I'll send my well wishes just the same.

Ebates

Have you guys ever heard of Ebates? I have to thank my sister for turning my onto this awesome site. I do a lot of online shopping. I love shopping in a brick and mortar store but if I can get it online (usually for less) and find a free shipping code, I'm there! Ebates is a site that offers a percentage of cash back for 100s of online retailers. The percentage is pretty low, 1 - 3% on most things. But, they often run specials where it's slightly higher, 5-6% cash back. There are also daily doubles in which they select a store every day and double the amount you get back just for that day. It's great!

So far, I used ebates when I bought my mom's mother's day gift from JC Penney, when I ordered John's glasses online from Eyebuydirect (6% on that one!), and when I booked our Niagara Falls hotel through Priceline. The other day I got a check for $5.98 and I already have $7.75 pending. There are so many stores to shop from on here! Target, Gap, Banana Republic, Expedia, Walmart, etc. and so on.

All you have to do is set up a free account and then search for your store on their site. You click over to the retailer's website through ebates so that it will register your purchase and that's it! Pretty awesome stuff. If you refer someone, you get $5.00 when they sign up. When I set up my account, I listed my sister as my referrer and she got $5.00. Spread the wealth, right?

Now - they are not paying me for this post but I would be crazy excited if you click through this link and sign up. Then I get $5.00 if and when you make your first purchase. PRETTY PLEASE! You all love me, right? And I know you all want to save some money and earn some money.

My Jesus Year

Via

I don't remember how I stumbled on My Jesus Year: A Rabbi's Son Wanders the Bible Belt in Search of His Own Faith by Benyamin Cohen but I saw it at the library and thought, "Eh, what the heck?" The lengthy title pretty much sums it up, right? We'll press on nonetheless.

Cohen grew up in Georgia practicing Judaism under his father quite devoutly. For many years he questioned why Jews follow so many rules and what makes his religion any better than others that are not quite so stringent. He sees parishioners of the church across the street enjoying their time of worship and hopes that he might find the same thing. So, he embarks on a year-long spiritual quest. Cohen visits church after church, seeking out many varied religions, talking to other church leaders hoping for some clarity, all while still attending temple and keeping true to his Jewish roots.

This one had its moments, sure. But, as the book went on I found my interest in his journey waning. I appreciated the interjection of humor at times and was intrigued by some of the religious cultures he studied that I knew nothing about. It was slow-going about halfway through the book though and I kind of just wanted it to be over. I stuck it out though. Not knowing a whole lot about all of the laws and rules in Judaism, I thought the parts where he discussed them at length were most intriguing. You can probably skip this one. For me it was just so so.


Rating: * * 1/2

Southern Tier Beer

I guess I'm on a little beer kick, huh. I love wine but something about summer and a cold brew just can't be overlooked. This past weekend, John and I tried two offerings from Southern Tier Brewing Company. We were excited about them because Southern Tier makes, hands down, the best pumpkin beer in the land. Looking forward to that in a few months. Today, however, we have a summer beer and a dessert beer that will knock your socks off.

Hop Sun is a summer wheat beer, one of my favorite kinds. From the website: "Filtered to a golden clarity and dry-hopped to perfection, this is a fantastic session ale with a zesty concluson." I thought it was light and easy-drinking. Perfect for summer. However, at $9.99/6 pack there are other better summer beers to choose.

I have found beer perfection. Its name is Creme Brulee Stout. Oh my stars! This is delicious. If you think you don't like beer but you do like sweet things, this may be the one for you. Usually stout is a pretty beer-y tasting brew but the sweetness of the creme brulee overpowers the typicaly stout darkness and we arrive at something magical. It's pricey. $8.99 for one of those 22 oz. bottles (what are those called? I'm sure they have a name) but it is worth it. High in alcohol content so you really only need one. Find someone to share it with, or don't. It's okay to be greedy with this. It's an imperial milk stout from their Blackwater line. From the website it says the flavor is: "carmelized sugar, vanilla custard, nicely sweet and balanced, rich and milky." Is it ever!

You also get to drink it from a snifter, which is my favorite. It feels extra classy. Get it while it lasts, people. Well worth the coin.

Recipe Reblog #20

A quick salad dressing for you this fine summer Sunday.

Homemade Ranch Dressing: Earlier this week I made a cobb salad and realized I didn't have any bottled dressing to suit. No matter. I just made my own. This recipe is from Ree Drummond (Pioneer Woman) on the Food Network. It has a lot of herbs and spices. Don't be skurred. I didn't have any of the fresh ones she calls for so I just used dry and cut the amounts in half (or less). I thought this dressing had a great flavor but it wasn't super ranch-y. I definitely think if you have fresh dill, parsley and chives then it will surely come out to be the ranch you know and love. Fresh or dry, give this a try!

Hoping to keep it fresh and healthy? If you're new here, one summer I created my own

Super Summer Sunday Salad Supper series!

Southwestern Salad
Strawberry Balsamic Chicken Salad
Asian Chicken Salad
Cobb Salad
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Tutti Frutti Chicken Salad
Salmon Aspargus Salad
Steak and Cranberry Salad

Lift Your Leg 5K Race Report

Well, my second ever 5k is in the books. Unfortunately, it wasn't my best showing. In fact, I ran faster 3 years ago. I'm not sure how this happened but let's review. I told you about the race benefiting a local animal shelter in this post. The dogs were out in full force at the race! The DJ, of course, blared Who Let The Dogs Out? The only time that song is appropriate.

Puppy Pow-wow

John and I had registered past the deadline so we got there early to ensure we'd get a shirt and we did. The medium I selected is gigantic but that's okay. Then, we had an hour to kill before the race started. There were lots of pet-related vendors and many dogs there to adopt. We found a Sadie twin named Bopper but did not come home with him. Eventually after making the rounds, we sat on a curb and watched all the dogs come in with their owners.

Bevy of Bostons - moving too quickly for a better shot

Dogs of all sizes and breed! It was really fun. This guy is my favorite! His name is Sebastian and he is the fattest French Bulldog I've ever seen in my life. He was hot though, trying to catch some shade under a table. And I certainly didn't see him running.

Sebastian did not want his picture taken

I was hoping to not have to use the porta-potty but I decided I'd better go so I wouldn't be uncomfortable during the race. This next sentence is probably one you've never heard. I was pleasantly surprised by the porta-potty. Maybe it was because it hadn't gotten much use yet but it didn't smell and it wasn't the foul experience it normally is. Yea!

Almost time!

John and I lined up and tried to pump ourselves up. At 9:30 am the gun went off and so did the runners. I was able to stick with John for about 30 seconds. One minute in and I could no longer see him. That's okay. I expected that. What I didn't expect were the hills and the heat. The course was around a park and residential area, a variable I had not taken into account. I got passed. A lot. But I hung in there and had fun seeing the dogs running. One poor Airedale I passed gave up and his owner was carrying him. I did see them running again later on. Because the race didn't start until 9:30, the day had a chance to warm up and the sun was shining. Pretty weather but not ideal for racing. Oh well.

I tried to keep track of my splits but after the first mile, I knew there was no way I would make my sub-27:00 goal. Talk about a defeatist attitude. My first mile was 9:30ish. At that point, I was already tired and just prayed for a sub-30:00 finish. Well, SPOILER ALERT, that didn't happen either. :( I walked a lot more than I meant to, which was not at all. My walk breaks were typically less than 30 seconds but they were plentiful. Each half mile was marked with good signage. I don't know if it was good or bad that I knew just how much longer I needed to struggle. I kicked it into high gear at the end but it wasn't enough. I finished in 32:09. Really disappointing.

Things working against me this race:

1) Heat - definitely wish it had started earlier in the morning
2) Unknown course - not knowing when the miles were coming up was a tough mental game
3) HILLS
4) Slightly dehydrated - my kidneys were hurting. I definitely needed more water pre-race
5) Outside - Duh, right? Unfortunately, I do 90% of my running on a treadmill which is VERY different than running outside. See Nos. 1-5.

So, next time will be better, right? There's always room for improvement. By the way, John killed it! He finished in 24:46 and took third in his age group and 20th overall. I was 91st overall and 13th in my age group. There were 268 runners. Unfortunately, I've really been letting that finishing time get me down. It totally psyched my out of a good run on Tuesday. I need to grow some shake-it-off attitude.

This is me pre-race. That's why I'm smiling and unsweaty.

Excited and Unsuspecting

Now that I've had a rough race, it's time to run a good one. There are many coming up the summer that look good so I guess I just need to go for it.

P.S. Are you a single lady looking for love? You need to find an event like this near you as soon as possible! If you are not a runner, there's a good chance there will be a walk or something benefiting animals you cold attend. You have no idea the amount of single, sporty, dog-loving guys were running with their pups. I, of course, am taken so I wasn't looking for me. Just sayin'......ripe for the picking!

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?

Source

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) is a memoir by Mindy Kaling. She is best known for her role as Kelly on The Office but she's also a sometimes writer/producer/director of The Office and many other projects. I've also seen commercials for a new show she's on this fall but I can't remember what it's called and I am too lazy to Google it.

So, this memoir is about Kaling growing up as an Indian child in America and her many awkward years. She chronicles her start (and false starts) in the entertainment biz and how she manages to develop her style of comedic writing and acting. Kaling also shares other musings on topics such as: relationships with men and friends, family, her childhood and much more.

I was sort of skeptical about the level of humor in this one but I thought it was really funny. Kaling is extremely relatable and has great quips and one liners that kept me rolling. Sorry this is a brief review but it was a short and fun read. If you're looking for a laugh, give this a try!


Rating: * * * 1/2

Messy

You guys. My car is a mess. I have been telling myself for months (months!) to vacuum the carpets and clean it out. You can see how this falls by the wayside. I get in the car in the morning and say out loud, “Oh yeah, I need to clean in here. Maybe this weekend.” I forget about it during the day. I get back in to come home and say, “Man this car is dirrrrty.” Sometimes that’s accompanied by a whistle of disbelief. “Must deal with that this weekend” I say again, because I am incapable of doing chores on a school night. I haven’t been in any sort of school in more than 7 years but I still call weeknights school nights. Same diff. On Friday, I pull into the garage and am so excited that the weekend has arrived. Once I shut the car door, I promptly forget about the pigsty within.
Some weekends, my car isn’t driven at all so I’m not reminded again of the offending situation until Monday morning. A vicious cycle. The thing is, my car isn’t dirty with “stuff” per se. It’s mostly dried leaves (from last fall) and dust. Lots of dust. At present, the only items that do not belong are:
1) A belt I removed on the way home after dinner at a friend’s house last weekend because I ate too much (Back off, gentlemen - I'm taken!)

2) 16 hard candy wrappers (I am obsessed with hard candy because it’s like candy without the calories – yes, I know it has calories. I almost always have at least one piece of hard candy on me. Maybe you didn’t know I’m preparing for being a grandma)

3) A couple random plastic bags in the event Sadie is riding with us and we have to clean up after her at a rest stop

See - not so bad. Still. I really must clean it.......next weekend. Or at least before our impending road trip which is now less than 3 weeks away! John and I are driving to Cleveland and leaving Sadie in the care of her grandparents (human, not canine). Then we'll make our way up to Vermont for an annual family reunion that John has never attended and that I haven't been to in about 6 years. We'll spend time in the Green Mountain state relaxing and visiting. Swimming, boating, s'mores-ing and touring a place that is near and dear to my heart. Then on the way home we're spending a night or two at Niagara Falls. We went there a few years back and figured since it's on the way, might as well break up those 10 hours on the road a bit.

Can't wait!! But really, cleaning the car has become priority numero uno. Promise.

Recipe Reblog #19

When it's hot outside, the last thing you want to do is turn on the oven. Especially when you're in a stand off with the air conditioning. (I will win!) Enter, a crockpot meal and a cooooool treat.

Honey Sesame Crockpot Chicken: I was really in a Chinese mood when I picked this recipe. Actually, I've been craving Chinese for weeks and just haven't made it to our favorite take-out place. This was healthier anyway. This recipe was a win even before I tasted it because I had all the ingredients on hand. LOVE that!  Throw it all in the pot and a few hours later, you've got dinner! If you don't have sesame seeds and don't feel like shelling out $5 for a jar just to use 1 tablespoon, you can skip it. They only get thrown in at the end and don't make big difference in the flavor. Sweet and savory chicken shredded over rice. It did not get overly saucy and I like a lot of sauce. Next time, I might skip the cornstarch step. That thickened it up and if I had left the sauce a little loose, it would have covered the rice better. Another thing, 1/2 cup of honey felt like a lot to me. You can skimp on that a bit without compromising flavor....I think. Give this one a shot for some at home, healthy Chinese!

Orange Creamsicles: First time busting out my popsicle molds this year! I had whole milk to use up so I googled recipes using that and came up with a bunch from the NY Times. Again, I had all the ingredients for these so that's why I picked this one. Maybe not as healthy as the extremely low calorie ones from the grocery store but MUCH more flavor. They were a lot creamier too. John and I were both pleasantly surprised. The recipe yielded 5 pops for me but my molds are larger. All natural ingredients? Count me in!

This Saturday

On Saturday, I'm running my second ever 5K with John. The first 5K we ran together was back on July 4, 2009. I'd like to think I've come a long way with my running in the last 3 years. In that race, my chip time was 30 minutes and some change. I'm planning to blow that time out of the water. The Lift Your Leg race benefits stray animals and the care provided for them by a local animal shelter. The fun part about this race is that you can run with your dog! We are not, however, running for Sadie. She is your typical sprinter. Done after half a mile.

Sadie sidebar - earlier this week John started yelling at her out the back door because she was rolling around in the grass. When I asked what it was, he picked her up so I could smell her back. I nearly vomited. I have never smelled a stench so foul in my life. We immediately threw her in the tub and once de-odorized, John went to investigate the source of the aroma. A small egg had fallen out of a nest (from where? We have no trees!) and broke. Sadie was rolling around in that. Yeeahhhh. Yuck.

Anyway - this race! Apparently, this race used to just be a 1.5 mile walk to benefit the shelter. This will be the first year there's a run in addition to the race. I hope everything goes smoothly. I'm looking forward to seeing all the dogs running too. I hope none of them get in the way of my speedy feet.

Stay tuned!

Magic Hat Summer Pack

Summer is here! Well, it's been here. But, the Magic Hat Summer Scene 12-pack is here and this is great news. It's only been in recent months that John and I have been enjoying Magic Hat but it's quickly becoming one of our fave breweries. I even looked into touring it when we vacation in Vermont this summer but it's about 2 hours from where we stay. Kind of a long day trip...........We'll see.

There are 4 different varieties in this pack and only one IPA, so that's a plus. We'll start with my favorite in the box.

Elder Betty

This is a hefeweizen so it's no wonder I liked this one the best. From the website: "A golden haze for a summer's daze. Elder Betty is a weiss-style ale with a bready malt flavor balanced by a touch of hops and complemented by the tart berry flavors of elderberry." I'm a summer for a good berry beer. This was light and refreshing. The perfect sipper for a summery Friday night.
PISTIL (Sorry! No picture of this)

The Pistil is a dandelion beer so of course it evokes thoughts of summer. From the website: " Stop and smell the petals. Pistil is a summer beer unlike any other, brewed with a combination of dandelion petals, Pale and acidulated malts, flaked oats, and Apollo and Northern Brewer hops that results in a one-of-a-kind beer with a slightly sour acidity and a smooth malt body. Perfect for taking down deep thirst."

This one was just okay for me. Not nearly as bitter as I expected so that was good but hopefully John will drink the last one because I don't really want it.

Blind Faith

Well of course they had to sneak an IPA (India Pale Ale) in there. I have yet to meet someone who tells me IPA is their favorite kind of beer. Does this person exist? Bitter is not my jam. This was a 60 on the bitterness scale. The Elder Betty was a 13, so you do the math. From the website: "An ale of enlightenment created to aid in the deciphering of puzzles along life's road and to interpret signs in the voyages of the spirit. Blind Faith is an extremely well-balanced IPA with a crisp, refreshing hop bitterness and a deep malt body to match.

As John put it, this IPA is not as hateful as some others. I only tried a taste of the bottle he had so I still have to choke down 12 oz. on my own. But he was right, it's drinkable I suppose. I just wouldn't start the night here.

#9 Not Quite so Pale (no picture of this either)

I've had this one before but it's one that I keep coming back to. From the website: "A beer cloaked in secrecy. An ale whose mysterious and unusual palate will swirl across your tongue and ask more questions than it answers. A sort of dry, crisp, refreshing, not-quite pale ale. #9 is really impossible to describe because there's never been anything else quite like it." This one is easy-drinking. Good with food or on its own.



Cracked a good cold one lately? Let me know what you've been tasting, pretty please!

Make It: Another Summer Maxi

Did I already tell you I would be sewing up multiple maxi dresses this summer? If not, I am. You've been warned. After I made the 20 Minute knit dress, I decided I liked the fact that I didn't have to wear a strapless bra with it so much that I wanted a maxi dress in the same style. All of my maxi's are halter or tube on top so I always have to go strapless. Sometimes, you just want to be able to wear a regular bra. I know you ladies out there feel me. I didn't list any dimensions here because they were custom for me. But, I'll give you a maxi length trick. Hold the top of the tape measure at your shoulder and then stand on the other end. Your panel measurement should be the length right on the outside of your foot. Guaranteed to have a long enough skirt and accounts for seam allowance at the shoulders.

I purchased this printed polyester blend from Joann's and treated it like a stretch jersey using a ballpoint needle. I had the whole dress sewed when I decided I really didn't feel like making the casing for the elastic. I tried a technique I'd seen elsewhere but won't link to because it failed....miserably. Then, I decided I'd give shirring a shot. I already had the elastic thread so I just went for it.

When shirring, you wind your bobbin by hand with elastic thread (mine was Guterman). Your top spool should be loaded with normal thread. I stitched 4 separate rows around the bustline and giggled with glee as the fabric started gathering just like I had hoped it would! I will say that I probably ought to go back and do a casing with regular elastic too. The shirring does gather/stretch but if it were the waistband on a skirt, I would often find it falling down.

For a much more thorough explanation of shirring and a full, detailed tutorial, check out Make It and Love It's post. She knows her stuff! She also has a bunch of awesome tutorials for all levels of sewing expertise and her name is Ashley, so of course I like her.

And a couple more photos of the finished project for your viewing pleasure.......

My Bro-in-Law asked if my neighbors think it's weird that John takes pictures of me in the backyard. I have never seen them watching us but, I've also never asked them either.

The draping in the back was accidental (an overestimation error in measuring) but I LOVE it. Makes me feel like I know how to drape fabric, even if it didn't happen on purpose. I have yet to debut this dress in public but I'm calling it a success.

Extremely comfortable fit allowing for over-snacking? Check.

Ability to wear a regular bra? Check.

Guess that about covers it!

Update: Linking this week to Tatertots & Jello -- come check it out!



May Running Round-Up

I'm going to chalk May's low mileage up to life. It seemed like life really got in the way of exercise this month. A sorry excuse but that's what happened. I only ran 8 times in May and just one long run. Ay dios mio!

May 1: 3.5 mi TM in 29:55 min, 9:00/8:38/8:22/3:49 - not much pain
May 6: 7 mi TM in 64:45, 9:15 pace at 6.5 mph, some pain but mostly felt good
May 8: 3.6 mi TM in 29:45, 7:30/8:15/8:25... 10 mins @ 8mph!
May 13: 2.5 mi OT in 25:00, humid! Some pain
May 14: 3.? Mi OT in 34:00, humid - no pain
May 16: 3 mi TM ??? Time
May 22: 4 mi TM in 35:35, 9:18/8:42/9:04/8:31 - slight pain at 8mph, no other times
May 30: 1.4 mi TM in 13:00 with warm up/cool down - tempo run

28 miles


Despite the low mileage, I did have few high points. I had my longest run ever, 7 miles. And, I ran my fastest mile ever, 7:30. So, I'll try to focus more on that and not on the fact that I was nowhere near 50 miles. I need to try not to let life stand in the way as much. No excuse for not lacing up my Brooks and hitting the pavement.

Better effort in June. Promise!

P.S. Need a good power song while running? Try 'Til I Collapse' by Eminem. My new fave!

Recipe Reblog #18

Back in the kitchen this week with a pasta entree to please the masses.

Creamy Sausage and Tomato Pasta: I'm always looking for new pasta dishes to make because I love pasta! I also have a newfound affinity for sausage. I'm not sure what that's about but when the mood strikes, I go with it. This comes to you from the Six Sisters' blog. Lots of good recipes on there if you've got the time to peruse. I lightened this dish up a bit with chicken sausage and fat free half and half. Any meal that mixes protein and carbs and comes together quickly is okay by me. This one couldn't be easier and it makes a feast! Try it with whole wheat pasta (the only thing I use) to pump up the fiber!