Halloween Week Updates!

So many updates so little time...and I know all my readers just couldn't wait for me to check back in! haha ;)

First things first. I had a horrible week at work so I never really did make it out for a second run in AZ. On Friday, I got back and was exhausted (had taken a 5am connecting flight!)...so there was no running either!. Saturday, I decided to go out for a run before our Halloween party, did about 3.5 miles and my foot didn't bother me much!!!...I do have an appointment on Tuesday with the Podiatrist to go check out my friend Morton!. New week tomorrow and hopefully I will get back to my training normally.

We had a very nice weekend!. We got invited to a Halloween party on Saturday. After going to the stores most people go to to get their costumes and not finding anything, we decided to go to one of our favorite stores....Sports Authority!...so here we are..very creative right?? ;)). Hey, at least I get to wear my outfit again! (that's actually a cute running skirt I bought last weekend!). Which reminds me another great reason why I love running. You can now run in skirts! Hello? how cute is that!?

I love Halloween...I already took our decorations off (sniff, sniff), but bought a few more (on super sale!) that will make an appearance next year :)

Here are a few pictures from Friday:

Today we went to a comedy show (to watch Frank Caliendo). He was AMAZING! that guy can do any voice and imitate just about anyone!....but his impression of Bush is just too much! plain hilarious!!!!!. I love comedy shows and this one was very good!

I'm ready for bed. I have some recipes in line (with pictures!)....I will get to all of them (eventually)...but if anyone wants a particular one then drop me a comment and let me know which one you want me to show you first!

The recipes are:

• Rubbed Spices and Garlic Grilled Snapper
• Parmesan Truffle Oven Fries
• Andreina's Pot Roast
• Swedish wanna-be Meatballs
  
  Good night and I hope everyone starts off the new week great!!!

I did it!!!...Livestrong and Morton who??

Woooo-hoooooooooooo. I did it! I completed my first unofficial 10K!. Today I ran 6.23 miles in 1:03'43'' (10'13'' / mile). I gotta say, it wasn't the easiest run I ever did...even at the beginning it was a little tough. It was muggy out and I had a pounding headache. I was excited to get out there anyway so I took two Advil and took off!.

Wait a second....did I just say I was excited to get out there? What in the world is wrong with me!!!?. I'm never excited about working out. Yes, I know I have to do it...for health reasons and all that good stuff, but I don't actually get excited about it. So yeah, something is not normal, but I'll take it while it lasts!...or maybe I do have the marathoner genes in me after all!!

And there it is, my Nikeplus summary. It almost looks like a downward trend, but in reality I think I started to fast and then settled at a more comfortable pace. So there you have it kids, my longest distance to date...and I don't want to brag or anything, but Lance Armstrong decided to make an appearance at the summary to congratulate me. Yeah baby, Livestrong!

This was the first time I ran while listening to an audiobook (see post below). I think the book helped!. I thought maybe it would slow me down, but it really didn't...if anything it kept me from thinking about the actual distance I wanted to run. Once in a while I would drift away thinking about the run and what not, but would quickly get right into the book. So overall, I do recommend it. Specially for longer runs (this was long for me!) and specially if you have other things that may affect your run (like the thought of the awful headache!). The book, Nineteen Minutes, so far it's pretty good. It started to pick up right when my run was ending and if my foot wasn't bothering me so much I may have kept going just to see what was going to happen next!.

Now on to the not so great news. Looks like I have a Morton's Neuroma. This is not the first time I get this pain..it's just the first time I thought to ask and the first time I realize I need to go see a Podiatrist!. I get this pain on my right foot, like numbness and it feels like there is a sock all bunched up under my toes (that is exactly how I described it to Alejandro during dinner). Afterwards, I decided to go over to the Nest and ask the Nesties about it...sure enough, they knew exactly what it was...a Morton's Neuroma

Now thinking back I think I may have had some discomfort ever since I broke a toe in College. I get this numbness feeling every time we go hiking (I always thought my sucks were getting all bunched up!)..and I have felt it every time I run longer distances. I won't be able to see a Dr next week because I'm out of town, but it's my first priority when I get back!. For now, I iced it for 20 minutes and will be going to the running store tomorrow to ask some questions.

After the run I got home so excited to share, but had a less than happy husband due to a tough day at work (very very very crappy market). I needed to go get some food for dinner and decided we both needed a rewarding and nice meal (and quick!) so I went for a good, hearty and delicious menu: Grilled Filet Mignon, Baked Potatoes and Summer Salad. And of course, some vino!

Alejandro takes the award for the best griller...no doubt. The steaks were amazing! (he just adds rock salt and Worcestershire sauce and then works his magic on the grill!). I quickly got some baked potatoes, due to time constraints precooked them in the microwave and then popped them in the oven at 450F to get that yummy crust that I love!.

Summer Salad in Fall??...we live in Florida, so yes, it is still Summer here!.

Summer Salad

Organic Baby Romaine

Organic Baby Arugula

Campari or Grape Tomatoes

Strawberries

Red Onion

Goat Cheese

Dried Cranberries

Sliced Almonds...although I didn't have any this time around :((

Toss the ingredients in a bowl with S/P and balsamic vinegar and Olive Oil...that is all it needs!. Voila!

So there it is...sorry it got a little long, I guess I had a lot to share ;)

Erpapin - Te llamo manana, les deje un mensaje!! Besos!

Quick update...

Still no cross. I actually redid most of the run I did on Sunday just in case and stared at the floor the entire time. :( Still keeping up hope it will turn up though.

It was a good run, 4.65 miles and my average pace was 10'07'' / mile...which is my fastest longest outdoor run yet! (I can run in the 9's on the treadmill, which is a lot easier than running outside!).

I am thinking of a quick last minute change of plans. Take tomorrow off and give the good ol' legs a rest....Pump Class of Thursday, long run on Friday, rest Saturday and do a 4 miler on Sunday.

Good night!

Tuesday

Not sure how well my run will go today because I'm just not in a good mood at all. Maybe running will help. I am just so upset at losing my cross....I still think I will find it, I keep looking everywhere and even put an add on Craigslist!

Anyway...just thought I would give a running update. Last night I ran about 1.6 miles and went straight to the kickboxing class. It felt great (although now I'm mad because I feel that's where I lost my cross!)....the actual workout was awesome and I could really feel it burning (good kind of "I'm burning SO many calories" burning).

Today I'm off to do a 4.97 run. We will see how it goes. It's my last long run until Friday, when I try to go for 6.21 miles. It's a nice day out and I've been drinking plenty of water to get ready. Afterwards I think I will have a protein shake for dinner.

And because I can't think of anything else other than my precious cross, here is the prayer you can say for me(in case you are just reading this, see the post below):

San Antonio de Padua
que en Padua nacistes, en Lisboa te criastes,
donde Cristo predicó, predicastes,
te vino la sentencia de que a tu padre
lo iban a ahorcar por un falso delito
que le querían acumular.
El brivario se te perdió, la Virgen María se lo encontró
y tres voces te dio
y te dijo: Antonio, Antonio,
los muertos, resucitados; lo lejos, alcanzado;
y lo perdido, encontrado

And here is another version, a little more straight forward and probably the one I will try if the first doesn't work..

los cojones te ato;
como no me lo devuelvas,
no te los desato.

Here is one English version, though no exactly the same:

Tony, Tony,look around.

Something's lost

and must be found!

Running Update - Week 3

I have officially completed Week 3 of my 12-week program to get ready for the 10K!...The last update said week 1, but that was actually week 2!

This week was awesome. I actually stuck to my exercise plan (just moved the last run to today). So here is the summary of results for the week:

• Mon: 3.81 Miles / Time - 39'30'' / Pace - 10'20'' per mile
• Tue: 1.69 Miles / Time - 16'34'' / Pace - 9'47'' per mile + PUMP Class
• Wed: 4.30 Miles / Time - 44'05'' / Pace - 10'13'' per mile
• Thu: No run, PUMP Class
• Fri: No run, Kickboxing Class
• Sat: Rest (well deserved I may add!)
• Sun: 5.07 Miles / Time - 52'16'' / Pace - 10'18'' per mile

Oh yeah, that's 5.07 miles today! Yep...5.07!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. I couldn't believe it. I got a famous person talking to me again on the Nike+ (a woman) but I have no idea who it was and can't recall the name!. It felt great to go pass 5 miles and I am happy to see some improvements on my pace. I made sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day and it was a beautiful late afternoon...perfect for a run!.

I was supposed to do the long run Saturday and take today off. Instead, yesterday I did some gardening while Alejandro got the outside of the house cleaned. This change may actually screw up my plans for the coming week. I guess have to sit and figure out what to do (was supposed to do a long run Monday, but I think after today I should probably do something else and give the good ol' legs a little rest)

It really is crazy how quickly your body becomes stronger. Just a couple of weeks ago 3.75 miles seemed like a stretch goal!.

Here is my Nike+ summary...sorry about the quality, not sure what happened there!. The gray columns are the plan, the green columns is what I actually did. You can see my plan for tomorrow is a long run, so I will have to modify that (although I am not sure the plan can be changed....will be asking my super Nike+ know-it-all friend Emy tomorrow)

The box on the bottom is the detail of the run I did today. The drops are stoplights. You can actually see the second half of the run (after that stoplight) I picked up the pace and maintained a good pace until the end. I think a good song came on and I realized I had already done over 3.3 miles and was feeling good!.

Regarding the hacking of the Ipod to recover lost runs...I never really got around to it and I guess I came to peace with the fact that I lost a run (lol!). My super running friend, Emy, has uncovered what we think is the root cause for losing workouts in Ipod cyberspace. Apparently, all the times she has lost her workouts, she played music right after ending her workout. Similarly, I did the same thing the day I lost my workout. Sooo...we think we may have solved the mystery. We are not 100% sure, but just in case we are not listening to music right after ever again! haha ;)

Not happy tomorrow is Monday, but pretty happy with the way my week ended in terms of my running. It was actually a very good week all around :)

Hoping everyone enjoyed the weekend!!!. I leave you with some pictures of the little one, the Chepster! (look at those perfectly trimmed eyebrows and beard!)

Tiger Woods is my friend!

He did scare the heck out of me today...but still, he is my friend!. My friend Emy (the one that got me into this running 'thing') warned me about him...but I forgot!. Every time you finish a run, the lady on the Nike+Ipod gives you a summary of your workout (distance, time, pace and calories). Once in a while, when you reach certain new goals, the Nike+Ipod "talks" to you after this summary...but it's not the same lady...instead you get a known athlete talking to you to congratulate you. I knew this, but I forgot about it completely.

Then today it happened. Tiger Woods. He talked to me!!!!!!. I set out to run my 3.75 miles today. I took a different route and my new loop ended up being a bit too long so I decided to just keep at it (it would have taken me too long to walk back home!!). So I reached a new goal and ran 4.3 miles! (6.92 km)...not only that but I improved my pace!!...went from 10.20-somethings to 10.3 miles/min!!!!.

Anyway, back to Tiger. So I listened to my Summary and then he starts "Hey!" (he seriously scared the bejesus out of me!!).."This is Tiger Woods. That was an awesome workout!! you burned some serious calories!"

WOOOOHOOOO!!! I was (am) so excited. I know, I know...it's not that big of a deal...but it is!!..he is after all THE Tiger!.

Just needed to get that out of my system. Back to watch the Presidential debate with THE Husband.

Andreina

Note: Check out the new recipe below!!!

I love H2O!!

What a difference being hydrated (and rested!) makes.

Yesterday I set out to start my 3rd week of running. I've updated exercise plan (on the right), which looks the same as the previous week with the exception of a short run added to Tuesday (1.8 miles).

I ran 3.8 miles and it was the first time I was able to say "what a great run"!!!. I always thought people were lying when they compared runs (great run, crappy run, etc)....but it is not a lie and many factors do go into the mix to get to that great run:

- Being Hydrated: This was my main problem last week. Drink plenty of water everyday, and have a glass of water about an hour before your run. It will make a huge difference!

- Diet: Obviously, the healthier you eat, the better you feel. I'm still not sure which combinations of foods works best for runners...but as I find out what's working for me I'll share ;)

- Weather: Kind of hard to control, but if you are lucky enough to have good weather...enjoy it and run outside!

- Sleep: I swear by sleeping at least 8 hours a day. I know, I'm spoiled...but until we have kids I will enjoy my full 8 (sometimes 9 or 10 ;))) hours of peaceful sleep!

Today it's off to the gym for the short run and the Pump class. I'm kicking the "freshman" 15 lbs on the butt!. My theory is that being a newlywed is just as being a freshman in College...for some reason you just gain those extra pounds! (maybe since the fear of not fitting in the dress no longer exists! lol)

Boo !!!

I took out the Halloween decor we had and decided to share some of it with my readers (by readers I mean Nani since she's my only loyal reader! lol)

...I warn you...it's pretty scary stuff...haha!. I can't wait for the post-Halloween sale to start because there are some cute things I want to get my hands on to decorate next season!.

Here is a tiny little guy that I've had for a while...but he just makes me smile with his long legs :)

There is also Mr. Shiny Pumpkin on the entry table.















Of course I also had to dress up Thaddeus (the DCUK). I got him this outfit last year on our Girl's weekend getaway/Bachelorette to Charleston, SC (ohh....just thinking about that trip makes me smile!!...such great food, place and more importantly...company!)

White pumpkins I saw at Publix and loved them!. I used them for the dining room table.

And here are some willow branches (courtesy of Osmarly's left over wedding stuff! :)). I decorated the with some foamy bats I found at a garage sale earlier this year...our corks vase also decided to turn into a witch...

I told ya they were scary!!! :)

Happy October! - National Down Syndrome Awareness Month

Happy October!...I am sure everyone is getting ready to decorate their homes and find new costumes for the kids (or the furry kids in some cases!). I love Halloween and will be putting out my decorations this weekend!.

October is also National Down Syndrome Awareness Month. I decided to write a little bit about this since this month I will be going on our local walk to support the Down Syndrome Association of Miami. I will be supporting a very special and strong little boy...Niko!. I still haven't had the pleasure of meeting Nikolas in person, but I am good friends with Niko's parents. I know from speaking to Niko's mom how strong and truly special he is...he has beat all the odds and continues to amaze everyone!. Please join me and Niko's family and friends this month and make it truly special!. We will be walking on October 12, 2008 at 9:00 a.m. in Coral Gables and you too can participate!!!. You can also show your support by donating (as little or as much as you can!) to team Niko at:

http://www.firstgiving.com/teamniko2008

More often than not we get caught up in the day-to-day and forget what is truly important. Love, friendship, humbleness and compassion. If we all made an effort to add a little bit of that everyday, the world will definitely be a better place. I invite you to challenge yourself and try to do something nice for someone every day in the month of October. This can be from visiting an old friend to calling a family member just to say hello....or even give your furry little ones a special walk!. This is my personal challenge for October...are you in?