Speedin' it up....

So today I thought I'd see how fast I could complete a mile. I found the gym treadmill is the easiest place to prove to myself I could do a mile in 10 minutes. So off I went to prove to myself I could speed it up, I set the treadmill to 6 mph, and I started running.

I was tempted at the half-way point to give myself a short walk break, but I told myself I could hold out for the last five minutes to complete my goal. I did it!!!!



I know you can't read the screen real well, but if you quint you probably will be able to make out that it reads 1.0 miles in 10:05 minutes. Yeah!!!!

I didn't stop there though, I kept it up. I took a 1 minute walk, then picked it back up for another mile. Took one last 1 minute walk, then completed mile 3.

Now there is no way I could do a half-marathon at that pace (at this point), but over the next month I do plan to continue to have fast runs each week so that I will be able to improve my expected half-marathon pace.

Have a great night!

Meeting new people and eating sweets...

Those are some yummy Red Velvet Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting....don't they look tasty. The red sprinkles and shaved chocolate really help out. Hopefully they will be a hit at the potluck dinner tonight, and hopefully there are some other yummy foods to try.

Hope everyone has a great night!

Green machine...

So this week it is time to get back on track with my eating, so I've started to have green smoothies for breakfast. Basically you get your fruit and veggies all in one drink. It sounds not so good, but trust me it has a sweet taste. If you don't trust me, trust the movement- The Green Monster Movement, which gives you recipes used by many different people. The great thing about a green smoothie is you can change it up to what you like.

Last night before bed I gathered my ingredients together, so I could easily put them in the blender in the morning.

I used the following in my smoothie:
1 cup almond milk (I will probably use half water next time.)
2 cups baby spinach (approximately)
1/2 banana
Frozen mixed berries
Flax Seed Meal

The results:

It turned out super tasty, but a little bit thick. I added some water to thin it out. It was very much like a milkshake, and wasn't bright green. I guess I can try to use more spinach next time.

After a great gym workout tonight, which included running to the gym to meet Matt. I thought we should start off dinner with a green smoothie. He loves them and recommends them too!


Consider trying it out! Another option is to pick one up at the store, but just be careful that the only sugar is from the natural fruits. Some brands to look for are Bolthouse Farms and Odwalla. Once you get past the green you be able to really enjoy and you're body with benefit!

Full speed Ahead...

During my recent lapse in posting (since Thursday) it's been very busy. I feel like I say that all the time, but Matt and I do tend to stay pretty busy.

Friday was spent traveling home from Chicago, which tend to be almost of full day. I took the Chicago Subway from my hotel to the airport at 8am, although I can take a taxi I prefer to use the train system. I also tend to get to the hotel super early, but I'd rather be early than late. I arrived back in Buffalo by 2pm, and Matt picked me up. Gone only a short time and I still missed him! We grabbed a bite to eat, then headed home to meet up with the fridge repair man. The fridge is currently working but might need more repairs in the near future.

After the fridge was running again, I decided we should head to Pittsburgh. We were planning to leave super early on Saturday morning, but I figured it would be easier to travel Friday evening. I found a super great deal on a hotel on Hotwire!

First thing Saturday morning we went to IKEA Pittsburgh to finalize our Kitchen!!! Many of you know we've been debating our kitchen remodel basically since we purchased the house, but we're finally in a position to take a step in the right direction. Back in December we went to Ikea and had a consultation for the kitchen, but we needing one more trip to make sure that what we were ordering was appropriate and we weren't missing any important details. Our consultant was great and help us fix some issues with our previous design. We ordered all the products we need and will hopefully be able to pick them up in two weeks!!!! So get prepared for some remodel post over the next two months, we'll hopefully get started with some prep work next weekend. It will probably take us until the end of June to be done, but that's only because we have day jobs and some busy weekends coming up. It will get done, and we can't wait!

After our 3 1/2 hour Ikea day we made a trip to Whole Foods Pittsburgh, then headed back to Buffalo. We were exhausted and laid down for a few minutes- only to wake up 15 hours later. I guess we were more tired than we thought.

Today we spent running errands, planning meals, and getting ready for the upcoming week. We also took some time to hang out at Barnes & Noble, browsing the rack and sipping some coffee.

As you might have noticed I didn't mention any long run this weekend. I was suppose to have one in the plan for today, but I decided my body needed a rest. Tomorrow I'm back on the running train, and next weekend I'll probably do 11 miles. Just over one month until the 1/2 marathon!

Hope everyone had a good weekend!

Earth Day

It's Earth Day!

Today we as a country focus on what we can do to help preserve our earth for ourselves and future generations. As the years have gone by I think that as a society we've allowed modern conveniences to get in the way of preserving the planet. Just think about how much garbage we create on a daily basis, and the number of pollutants we release into the air we breathe.

So here are a few suggestions of things I do:

1. I drink water and other beverages from a re-usable container or washable cup. Occasionally I still end up with a plastic bottle so I'm always sure to make sure I'm returning it for the deposit so it can be recycled, or I recycle it myself.

2. Matt and I recycle a lot of stuff. I'd even say that some weeks our recycling outweighs our regular trash.

3. Matt and I have also started using natural cleaning products. This helps to reduce chemical toxins being released into the air, and they do actually work really well. So far we have only incorporated dish soap and spray cleaner, but will continue to purchase other natural products as needed.


By no means are my efforts perfect, but every little bit counts. And I find as I get use to doing one thing, I am able4 to add more over time. Baby steps.

What do you do?

Grill it up....

So after my hotel oats this morning I headed off to my training seminar, and found that they had quite the spread of foods. Unfortunately it was mostly gaint bagels, pasteries, and muffins. But after a few minutes I was able to locate some fresh cut fruit so I created a fruit salad- so fresh and yummy!

I packed my own granola for snacks throughout the day and there was a supply of water available so I was all set.

For lunch we had an hour to venture out for food. We found a nice sandwich shop, and I choose the grilled veggie sandwich on multigrain, which came with homemade chips. I ate the sandwich first, and tried a few chips out.


For dinner it was back out to downtown Chicago, and we chose to try Weber Grill. As you walk in they have the classic weber grills a blazin'.




And a classic burger with fries. It was huge! So I didn't finish it and I only had a few fries.


After dinner we talked through some shops and through the streets of Chicago. Now off to get some relaxing in, and then sleeping.

Early morning workout in the am.

Up and at 'em...

It's 6:30 am here in Chicago, and I've already run 3 miles and completed my strength training for the day. I know you're probably thinking it is crazy to get up at 4:45 in the morning to hit the gym, but I've found if I don't do it before my training sessions then I don't do it at all. Plus it nice the have nearly free choice of machines and weights because there are only a few other people as crazy as me.
I seem to get sucked into doing things in the evening while in travel status, which although I could say no to it seems like a great opportunity to network. And although I typically don't workout in the morning it is pretty easy when you just have to take an elevator a few floors down.

Alright off to eat some fresh made hotel room Oatmeal that looks like it is ready to eat.


Have a great day!