Win some...not others!

Bad news first...I didn't meet my goal. As a matter of fact, I only ran once last week....gasp! :-O

Now on to the good news (yep, notice how I quickly change the topic so that I don't have to reflect on my failures! haha!). I ran my longest distance EVER!. 8 miles!. That's right! 8 whole miles...without ANY walk breaks and a pretty decent average pace of 9:51.

I don't have much time to post. My sitter is not able to come for a couple of weeks so needless to say it's been crazy around here. Work + mobile babies + house duties...well, it's just a bit much!.

A few quick things....

• New goal: 50 miles again, since i didn't meet the goal last time.

• Notice the little countdown on the top?........I signed up for my first Half Marathon!!!!!!!. Time to look for a training schedule. I'll keep you guys updated on progress!

• Down 9 lbs! Only 4 lbs to be a pre-pregnancy weight!!!!!!!!....Of course not in the same shape as some tightening up is in order (as described in the movie "Knocked up")

• Did my first interval/speedwork ever and it's a miracle I didn't leave my lungs on the side of the road!

Updates

Hi everyone!!! As I mentioned I have been busy with all sorts of challenges...a.nd have been able to check some things off my list!


RUNNING
Was able to bring my running totals closer to my January goal with two great runs. Friday I went for a 5.5 mile run by the beach (made a mental note to do that more often since our house is 4 miles from the beach!). Saturday I took the day off and Sunday I went for a 3.6 mile run by the house right before dinner. I felt great in both runs and my foot only bothered me slightly, but nothing compared to how it was last week.

Only a few more miles this week to reach my goal...and less than a week for my first 5K!!! :)


PUSH-UPS
Guess you will be joining me in this challenge?...the hubster!!. Today we do our initial test to find out what level we are in. From there we choose our recommended 6-week program.

Note for Erpapin (aka: Dad): don't worry...I'm still doing stretching and Yoga (at least twice a week!)...I also do other strength /cardio group classes at the gym to mix it up ;)


COOKING
Last week the challenge was to use Pumpkin...as I mentioned before I made Pumpkin Oatmeal. It was delish!!!. This week's challenge is Blueberries!...I always have my morning cereal with some sort of berries...today it was a mix of Strawberries and Blueberries. Also, for snack I had Plain Yogurt with pecans and blueberries :9 ...YUM!




ORGANIZATION
You didn't think I forgot...did you?. One of my '09 resolutions is to organize one space a month every month this year. This month's space was the closet in the blue room (our guestroom). It wasn't terrible, but look at the difference!..Now the guests can actually use the closet without wondering why we have ties, shoes, fans, purses and camping equipment in there :)

In the organized space I only have the sheets and towels for that room as well as space and hangers for guests.





That is it for now!...I'm trying to choose a space for February but haven't decided on one yet.

Challenges...Bloggerized

I have to say Blogging is a great way to get motivated...or at least it works for me because I find new and different ways to get motivated everyday through all sorts of sites and blogs.


RUN 40 Miles

First of it's my own challenge. As you know, I have a goal of 40 miles per month. Well...January it's almost over and I still need to run 15 miles!!!. Just seeing the little ticker on the side motivates me to get out there and complete my own challenge. The NYC trip set me back so i will have to do some longer runs to catch up!. Next week it's the Race for the Cure!...I'm very excited to see what my time will be (this is my first 5K!), but even more excited to support this great cause and Tati's good friend, Daniela.

Yesterday Tati (my sister) called and said "Have you considered you can win this race!?"...haha, I thought that was really funny. No I have not considered it...and no, I'm not that fast!. I do appreciate her confidence ;)


100 Push-ups

Then I found a really cool challenge that I plan on starting...



Basically it's a progressive program that will help you build up to doing 100 push ups!. I plan on starting this next week. It starts with an initial test and depending on your level, you follow one of the plans suggested on the website. Why Push-ups? Push ups are an awesome exercise not only for your back, chest..but it also helps to strenghten your core...which is a key for good form when running.


Cooking

In 2009 I want to expand my comfort zone in grocery shopping, specially when it comes to fresh produce. I love cooking but I always find myself eating some of the same things over and over. We have a fairly healthy diet and eat mostly fresh stuff (so most of my grocery shopping is done in the outer aisles of the supermarket). What I want to do is add more color and try new things.

So far I've done a good job at this with simple things: adding sweet potatoes sometimes to roasted potatoes, adding peppers or radishes to the salad, trying (and loving..at least me -and not the hubster- loving!) Brussels sprouts, adding spinach to a tomato based sauce (you will see this in the Inauguration pasta dish I made!), etc.

I found a cute new blog The Chic Life and she has set-up a weekly food challenge. Basically every week she will choose an ingredient that most people don't typically use and you have to use it that week (either by eating it by itself or by trying a new recipe). This week's challenge (which I guess I only have a day to complete!) is Pumpkin and Pumpkin Seeds!. For the longest time I've been dying to try Kath's Pumpkin Oatmeal so that will be my recipe. I plan on making it tomorrow so Alejandro can also try it!. I think it's a great way to change oatmeal and add an additional flavor. I will be using canned pumpkin. Although I try to limit the use of canned stuff, I will use it for the try out.

The ingredients being selected for the challenge, will include items from this article 11 Best Food you aren't eating from the NY Times. Here is what the Chic Life author posted about Pumpkins:

"Pumpkin - According to Parker-Pope, this ingredient is, "A low-calorie vegetable that is high in fiber and immune-stimulating vitamin A; fills you up on very few calories. How to eat: Mix with a little butter, cinnamon and nutmeg." According to Ellie Krieger, in her book The Food You Crave, "1 cup (of canned pumpkin) contains more potassium than a medium banana and more vitamin A than a cup of carrots."

Positivo

Another great way to get motivated is to see what others do to enhance their lives. My friend Nani has created Positivo. Here is what she had to say:

"POSITIVO is a mission that encourages people to be proactively POSITIVE, and spread positive vibes to all individuals around them. For now, I will start by posting once a week a positive story/thought or simply a story that cheered me or someone else up, so please feel free to share, the more the merrier!!! Some other positive actions will be coming soon to help all of us in the quest to spread positive vibes"

You can see the little icon to positivo on the right side. I love the idea and look forward to reading her stories!


There are so many great challenges out there...from getting organized to reading more books. Don't beat yourself up if you end up picking up way too many challenges that you can't really complete them all. Pick a few themes and have fun with it!! At the end of the week relax, have a glass (or glasses, in my case) of wine, smile and know there is always next week!

Boot Camp, Day 1.

Hello campers readers.

So today was the first day of boot camp. The class was great...it was about 6 of us plus the instructor. It was a chilly morning, chilly for South Florida anyway..in the 50s!. I woke up at 7 to get a light breakfast before the class at 8am...by the time 8am rolled around, I truly felt ready to go.

After warming up, we did a push up and run test. I guess the last week we do the same tests and gauge how much we improved.

My results...
I was able to do 20 push ups on my toes + 15 on my knees. . The run was about a 1.2 mile run, as fast as you could go (did I mention it was in the 50s??...brrr). I was the newbie camper and came in first!! woohoo, my moment of glory!. My time was 9.10, not too shabby for just over a mile. I'm hoping to be in the 8s on the last week, we will see!

After that, we did 3 stations with 2 sets of 3 different types of exercises in each (lunges, squats, jumping rope, push ups, etc). after each station, we would run around the court after and finished up the class with one last time through all the stations (one set only). It was a good workout and I'm still feeling it!...(specially in my legs!)

BUT...

:(

It was not as good as my last Boot Camp. The one I attended for a little over a year and was forced to give up because of moving :(( ...ahhh, how I miss that Boot Camp. It was awesome! I'm trying to convince my sister to go so I can live it through her ;)

But it's ok, this one was still great and there is still nothing like getting a good workout outside!!. The rest of the day I felt energetic and great...until about 3pm, when I felt ready to crash and for a nap. Right now it's almost 5pm and I'm sipping a little Java, just to get me through!.

Tomorrow it's Day 2!. I don't think I can manage to run anymore today, so I will call that a day and hope to go running Friday and Sunday.

Happy Hump Day!

The power of...

positive negative thinking?...or the power of hunger?

Today was my first morning workout (part of the new evil plan to make myself love morning workouts).

I envisioned I would be running, enjoying the sun, listening to my music and thinking about all the things I'm grateful for...the birds flying and little squirrels running around. I thought I would pass fellow runners or walkers and wave gladly at them, with a smile form ear to ear...because well, what a beautiful morning to get out there and run.

ehmmm, well, it wasn't exactly as I have envisioned.

It was warm (I've been getting used to the awesome night runs with the cool winds!), my Nike+Ipod decided to not give me my stats during the run, I was hungry, thirsty and couldn't not wait to get this over with and just get home!!!.

I finally was in the home stretch...I swear I could start tasting the coffee and stove top oatmeal (with bananas, cinnamon and pecans) I was about to make when I got home!. I end the run, start walking, end my workout on my Ipod...and there it was:

• Average pace: 9'47'' Mins/Mile
• Distance: 3.09 Miles (.01 miles short of 5K)

9'47''!!! That's a record for me. I only hit that average pace or lower when I'm on the treadmill, but never ever I had broke the 10 min/miles on concrete!!!

So whatever power got me through it, I'll take it. I do know it wasn't the power of positive thinking, because the entire workout I was thinking "this is NOT a good run"/"I much rather workout at nights"/ "this sucks"/ "I'm hot"/ "How much longer", etc, etc, etc.

So well, of course I want to enjoy my runs so now I have to work on my morning attitude (the hard work never ends does it!), but maybe once my body gets used to it I will actually start loving it, and would be able to give other runners/walkers/cyclists a true honest smile that says "I'm loving it!!, isn't this great!?"

Until then, I'll rely on the power of hunger for improving my pace ;)

• On a side note...
  
  I hope everyone is having a great week and finding all the reasons to be grateful this week. This Thanksgiving I will have my sister, brother in law and nephews at our house!. This is the first time ever I spend a Thanksgiving with my family!!. We didn't celebrate it back home since this is an American tradition...but after being in this country for almost 14 years, it has become a special time for me too. I can't wait to introduce them to this awesome Holiday and that's something to be grateful for :)
  
  Happy Tuesday!
  -

It's Official - Part Two

I signed up for Boot Camp!!!. Due to my crazy schedules (between travelling and my Podiatrist treatment), I had to get on a modified schedule and the first session starts on 12/3.

No time to mess around, I need to be ready to go for my 10K in one month and let's face it, I want to say happy New Year feeling good about how I look...so here is the plan.

Week 11/17 - (this week-Morton's treatment #2)

• Mon - Off for Morton's treatment
• Tue - Pump Class
• Wed - Off (girl's night out ;))
• Thu - Ran 3.7 miles
• Fri - Plan to run between 3-4 miles
• Sat - Plan to run in the AM prior to leaving to Orlando! (Girl's weekend!!)
• Sun - TBD (depending at the time I get back home)

Week 11/24:

• Schedule updated (on the right).

Week 12/1: (Morton's treatment #3)

• Pump 1 day
• Boot Camp 3 days
• 2 short runs (3-4 miles)
• 1 long run (6 miles)

Week 12/8: (travelling)

• Boot Camp 1 day
• 3 short runs on threadmill (3-4 miles)
• 1 long run at home (6 miles)

Week 12/15: (Morton's treatment #4)

• Pump 1 day
• Boot Camp 3 days
• 2 short runs (3-4 miles)
• Saturday 10K RACE!!!

And there you have it. A plan....Ahhh, I feel better already!!!!!

It's Official!!!

One month from now I will be running in my first 10K!.

Did you all think I had been slacking?????...well, uhmm, yeah, I have been. Between this foot problem and travelling...and...well, I'll admit it, I've spent some time with that friend I like to call "Mr. Lazy". I need a kick in the behind and get moving!. I decided to not wait any longer and finish my registration for the race! and now, I'm officially registered to run on December 20th!!!

I'm also looking into joining a boot camp class in the mornings. I hate working out in the mornings, but maybe it's like an acquired taste or something. I thought the people that said they had a "great run" were lying just like the ones that said working out in the mornings gives them "energy for the entire day". Now that I know there IS such a thing as a 'great run', let's see if there is such a thing as a great morning workout.

I'm waiting to hear back from the instructor and set up a new routine. I figured weekly I could do:

- Boot camp 3 times a week (Maybe M-W-F)

- Two 3-4 mile runs (Tue and Thu)

- One long run (weekend)

I would like to fit a Pump or other Gym class in there somewhere. Maybe (just maybe) I really start loving this morning workout thing. If so, then maybe (again MAYBE) I could run Tuesdays and Thursdays in the morning and then do Pump Classes at night. Yep, it's nice to dream ;)

Not gonna lie, I'm skeptic, but we will see!

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!

Audiobooks

Have I mentioned I love my Ipod?. In case I haven's, I love my Ipod (birthday gift from the husband ;))

So far I have only used it to listen to music, but last night as I read through some running blogs I saw a lot of people use their running time to read!....ahh, gotta love technology. I am not entirely sure how "reading" rather than listening to music will change my running, but there was only one way to find out.

I logged on to audible.com today and signed up to be a "Gold Member". Each month (for the first 3 months) you pay $7.50 and then $13.50 after that (you can cancel at any time, no obligation). Basically this gives you access to 1 Credit = 1 Audiobook. This was a much better deal than what I had seen on iTunes (where the book I wanted was $18.95!). I downloaded my first book, Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. I absolutely loved My Sister's Keeper, so I decided to play it safe with my first audiobook and go with an author I already knew I liked.

Last night, I ran about 1.5 miles (on the treadmill at 1% incline and 9'45'' average pace) before my Pump Class. Today is my attempt at 6 miles. It is raining outside right now...I'm really hoping it stops because I don't think I can do 6 miles on the treadmill!.

So fingers crossed that it will stop raining, I will be able to get out there, start reading my book and break my distance record! If so, I'll come back with a full report! :)


Happy Friday!

Why run?

To be the fastest runner in case we ever have another Grizzly bear encounter!!!? Nope. If I know one thing about Grizzly bears is that you definitely shouldn't try to out run them. I also know that I am good at following directions in bear-related life threatening situations, so I probably will just do whatever the husband tells me to do...and he probably would not be one to yell "Run!!!".

So, why? Well, my friend Emy gets all the credit for getting me excited about trying. Here are the reasons why I have stuck with it:

• To lose the newlywed weight
  Yeah, like the freshman 15..only this weight gain nobody warns you about, and it just creeps up on you. Here I am, happy and delighted to be trying all sort of recipes to share awesome newlywed dinners with my husband. The husband...well, he happily eats them and rates them all. Of course by the time he sits down to enjoy his dinner, he probably burnt like 1,000 calories playing tennis.
  Meanwhile something was happening...yep, it's the newlywed weight creeping in....and I want it GONE!

• Boredom/ Wedding Planning blues
  A year of planning the wedding and working on all the details (and loving every second of it) is suddenly replaced with a whole lot of time to do a whole lot of nothing. Yes, I have an entire house to decorate and Alejandro and I have a lot to do...but that's not a day to day thing and I miss that. I miss all my planning, I guess I'm just a planner.
  
  No, I'm not completely bored, just a little bored. I need things to keep me busy and entertained...and depending on others for that can get very old, very quickly!. This little challenge is mine, I get to enjoy it, to hate it and to celebrate it...and I have nobody to blame or reward for the ups/downs but myself. So basically, it's me entertaining myself and sharing my results with you here (with all 3 of you :))

• Flexibility and no Excuses
  This sort of related to Number 1, but not completely. Ever since the wedding. I moved up here and my routine got all messed up. I had worked so hard to get myself into a routine for the past 2 years, but slowly started to lose it with my excuses. I started working from home (which has it's perks) but I also started travelling a little more for work. This means I had plenty of excuses of why I couldn't get myself in a routine. Running eliminates all that nonsense. You can pretty much run anywhere and anytime.
  

• Because I can
  My dad was a marathoner, so I feel like I have it in my genes (or so i tell myself). He inspires me and I know part of why he was so successful at it is because he's a planner. Hmm...sounds familiar?

Running is like no other exercise I have ever done. I was never much into sports but I can see what Alejandro means about it being all mental (he plays tennis). I would say running is 80% in your head.

You wouldn't even believe all the things that go through my head when I'm out there running. Sometimes I plan for the next day, or think of new recipes, or sing along. Other times (when the run is getting tough) I do visualizations. I visualize myself looking in top Marathon shape (even if I never actually run a fill marathon, it is still fun to picture myself!), I picture my legs strong and with effortless continuous motions...almost like they are not attached to my body and are like the wheels of a car.


Just a little update: I added two little boxes. One with my Monthly/Weekly running stats on the little box to the right and one farther on the right showing what I'm currently reading. I will be adding book reviews when I'm done (I've never been much of a reader, but it's just something else I started doing...Alejandro gets all the credit for getting me into that!!)

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)

Back Home!

It was a long week (out travelling for work!)...but I'm back!. It feels good to be home, I feel like I have been gone for ages and it was only 5 days!.

I did manage to squeeze one run while out there (a short one -2.7 miles-, but I still get an A for effort! ;)). So today when I finally got back (after waking up at 5am and taking a connecting flight)..I actually put my running shoes on and got out there!.

I am not going to lie...it was HORRIBLE. For a short moment I thought I was going to pass out and wondered what the heck I was thinking when I thought it was a good idea to run after the day (and week) I had!.... I think I was dehydrated from the plane (and also because I had been in the desert for a few days!)...so I was a little slower than I was on Monday. I ran 3.75 miles (about 6 km) in a little over 39 minutes...the same distance took me 38 minutes on Monday...you are probably thinking...who cares!...that's just one minute. I care, my Nikeplus thingy tells me my pace and I should be getting better, not worse...lol. Right now I average about 10.25 miles/minute. When I told my dad he said that was horrible...but of course that's coming from the guy that successfully finished full marathons all over the world!. I do plan on working on the speed, just not quite yet. I want to give myself a month of just getting my body used to this running thing. I am hoping by 12/20 (the 10k!) I am running steady at 10 miles/min. Yeah dad, I know..that's still pretty slow and you can probably do that on a brisk walk!! but let's take baby steps ;) hehe

This Sunday is the Walk for the Down Syndrome Association of Miami. I am so excited to meet up with my old friend and meet her beautiful son!!!. You can still sign up and join us!!! (you can even register that same day) Let me know if you would like to come!...we will be there at around 8am and the more the merrier!! (I'm bringing my sister and nephews along!).

You can also just donate (I know times are tough, but even the smallest contributions count!). Join me in supporting Niko :))

http://www.firstgiving.com/teamniko2008

Off to bed!

Running Update. Week 1.

I managed to survive my first week of running without any damage!!!. Well, I did bang my elbow on the treadmill yesterday like an idiot!. My sister said I was probably running like my nephew runs when he wants to imitate an "athlete". Basically, dramatically and exaggeratedly moving your arms way up and down...lol.

As I mentioned before, I had to slightly change my exercise plan this week. Instead of running Wednesday, I took Wednesday to rest and ran on Thursday. I swear I ran on Thursday even if my Ipod decided not to update my nikeplus account!!!. I guess after searching on google this is a common problem but apparently there is a way to hack into your ipod and recreate the entry. I know, who cares, if I ran that's what counts. Wrong!! I want to see my plan being on target. I like check lists, plans, project plans...and it bothers my square brain to not see it working properly. So yes, I will be "hacking" my ipod!.

Friday I went to a kickboxing class which was the perfect way to end a long day. All you have to do is visualize that irker co-worker and go at it! works like a charm ;).

Yesterday it was raining all day long...I mean it. All. Day. Long. Chepe loved it...even though he didn't get to go out for a long walk, he did get to hang around taking naps in the sofa all day. I decided to start working on some crafts for some very special little ones so I went to Michaels (the craft store). Almost hours later I had everything I needed and was ready to take on the glue gun. I say take on the glue gun because the lady that was helping me didn't seem to have much faith in me and my skills. She kept saying I should get the lowest temperature one. I wonder if this had something to do with me asking if Mod Podge was a powder. I guess knowing what Mod Podge looks like is a good indication of your glue gun skills..or craft skills for that matter!. I think the projects are turning out pretty cute so I will prove that lady and the glue gun wrong!! will post pictures of the finished products after I send them off to their recipients :)

Anyway, back to running. Yesterday I had to run 4.9 miles. This was my first week so I thought I would just do what I could (so far I had only been running 3.1 miles). Since it was raining I went to the treadmill and ran 4 miles!!!!. I am happy with that. It took me about 43 minutes, which I don't think it's great...but 4 miles is the longest run I've had!! (the first run on my plan shows as being longer since the Ipod had not been calibrated).

So here is where I am...notice how my run from Thursday is missing! :/

I am leaving on a business trip tomorrow...it will be a little tougher to have a full week, so my weekly plan will only consist of running (M, W and F)....slowly adding distances! (3.7 instead of 3.1 on the shorter days and going for 4.9 on Friday).

If you are reading this, please say a prayer for two little girls (Gabrielle and Alaina). It will only take you one minute, but I am a firm believer in the power of prayer and faith.

Happy Sunday :)

Change of running plans!

"Happy people plan actions, they don't plan results" (Dennis Wholey)

....little change of plans, but that's ok. I was supposed to run yesterday, but had a busy day at work and then great company for dinner (Papin & Isa!).

So I will be running the 3.1 miles from yesterday today, and going to kickboxing class tomorrow...then leaving my long run for Saturday. Or at least, that's the plan!.

We were talking this morning how busy people are usually the most effective. This is so true. The busier you are, the better you plan and the more you get done. Sometimes I wonder how I even think I have time to get into something new (wink, wink socia)...but being busy motivates me and having a plan (even if I don't stick to it completely) gives me that sense of accomplishment and makes me want to do more. I guess I get this whole planning gene from my dad!

Of course, there are always the lazy...non-planned days. Chepe is an expert at those days and I can honestly say that the BEST lazy days are spent with him. Just look at this...not a worry in the world. So, when I need a lazy day, I grab on to this guy and take a nap!. In case you are wondering...yes, this is how we find him on a frequent basis!

So far so good!

Yesterday was my second day running and again I truly enjoyed it. I'm following my Nikeplus plan and had to run 3 miles. In the middle of my run it started raining, but at that point I wasn't going to stop...so I decided to just run in the rain!

Towards the end of the run I ran into Alejandro and Chepe!. Chepe got excited to see me so I decided to take him with me the last leg of the run (more like drag him with me...his excitement wore off when he realized I was making him run in the rain!). We got home all wet (but happy after a good workout!).

I will be adding a column with the planned workouts for the week to help keep me in check!