Rants, Recipes, and Running

Wow. It has been almost 3 months since I've shown my "face" here! Life has been kind of crazy lately. Instead of wasting your time and boring you by giving an update on "What I've been up to". I'm cutting straight to the chase! Today we're talking about injuries! Last time you heard from me, I was preparing for a training weekend to become certified as a fitness instructor. Well I did it, and it went great! I passed. Bad part? I got injured! Injured to the point where I limped for 3 weeks, couldn't run for 2 months, and couldn't even wakeboard when we visited the lakes with my family over the 4th of July. Very sad times. But I learned something. Just because one is young. Just because one is in great shape. Just because one has never had a serious ache or pain in their life......Does not mean one cannot be injured. How did it happen? I over pushed it. Too many plyometric lunges, too many jumps, too many sprints. Two 8 hour days of exe...

It has been a long time since I've blogged. I'd love to start this post by saying "I'm going to start blogging weekly, here!" But I'm not even going to go there. That's similar to my New Years Resolution of "I'm cutting all sugar out of my diet" (and was noshing on dark chocolate by January 2). Or when I said "I'm going to foam roll and do stretches EVERY morning immediately upon getting out of bed" -- Whereas I've found those 10 minutes much more useful spent with the covers over my head in bed.... But I'm going to try . There's nothing wrong with trying. So since I've last really blogged, the following in my life has changed: -Ryan is going to officer school and flight school soon to become a pilot for the Air Force (part time) -I have obtained my dream job and landed a position in the ER -This weekend I will go through 18 hours of training to become an ACE certified Fitness Instructor through Les Mill...

I've been rather absent from here lately. Life has been busy! But I won't bore you with the details of my business now. However, I making sure I take the time to get on here and make an official shout out to my Mom. My mom is most certainly my best friend, and I'm not sure what I'd do or who I'd be if she wasn't in my life. Growing up with her - she had a knack of healing any insecurities or hurts with her hugs. When I moved across the country, I worried I wouldn't have this luxury anymore. However, I learned that a good conversation with her does almost the same.  Some people go through most of their adulthood without a Mom. Some only get their Mom a short period of time. Some have their Mom, but experience a tumultuous relationship which causes great obstacles in their relationship. I am glad that not one day of my adulthood have I had to experience any of those. I thank God every day that I still have her part of my life. A phone call to Mom for coo...

Yes, I am an extraordinarily creative blogger (Ha!). I am so very talented @ stealing "borrowing" post-ideas from others. So here I go! What I'm currently up to, what currently is populating my mind. Working, working, and Trying so very hard to be away from work when I'm away from work. Lately it's just been hard for me to "leave it at the door". Running! I finished my half marathon - so my plan was to STOP running. But that race got me so jazzed about running, and it's such a great release!! I've done some gorgeous trail runs lately! Need to get me some "trail running shoes". Landscaping. Well, we will be. The next 2 days, I will be spending most of my time using a shovel digging in the dirt. Ryan and I are going to dig up the dead grass, and lay rocks & flagstone. Should be interesting! Wondering. It's so weird that I have no idea what life will be like in 4 months. My husband will be leaving for pilot training for...

It is time for a recipe post! On Saint Patricks' Day, I made corned beef & cabbage, paired up with Irish Soda bread, and I made a promise (on facebook) that I would do a post on that... But I just couldn't. I'm going to be honest & say I'm not a big "corned beef fan". The recipe turned out well, but I just don't love it. So I decided to throw this one at you all, instead! I highly recommend, as it is amazing. It was my "pre-race fuel" on Saturday night. I paired this with a whole-wheat pasta salad to get my carbs! 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce 1/4 cup rice vinegar 1/3 cup sugar 1/4 tsp red pepper sauce 1 thai pepper (or jalepeno), finely chopped 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped 1 bell pepper (I used 1/2 green & 1/2 red to add some color), chopped into squares pineapple chunk Red onion, chopped into squares Chop all ingredients & place into containers or piles for ...

I've got the fever to do another race! Running is truely an addiction. The more events you partake in, the more you want to do. This weekend I did the Arizona Distance Classic Half Marathon. One of the fun parts of this race, is my I won the raffle for free registration! My hospital happened to sponsor this race. It was kind of funny, actually. I know I'd be seeing people I know at one of the water stations. Of course, they were stationed @ mile 12. This entire race was hills, so by mile 12 I was a breathless, sweaty mess. :-) So when they greeted me and cheered "Go Abby!" -- I was so hypoxic, I couldn't even find it in me to say "hi" or "Thank you". I was just making a whimpery moaning noise.....and nodded my head. The AZ Distance Classic was the most challenging race I've done. I'm not sure it was something I did nutritionally, training-wise, or hydration-wise? It could be that I hung out with the 1 hr 40 min pace team for the 1s...

Do you ever run in the dark? How do you do with it? Are you comfortable, and just enjoy the peacefulness & anonymity? Or are you scared of the dark? I try to be badass . I try to be fearless . I tell my husband "Pepper spray - schmepper spray" "alarm system? Sch-larm system" when he tells me to be aware of my surroundings. But really? Let's be honest. This lady is scared of the dark. Today I went for a run in my neighborhood for the 1st time ever in the dark. Usually when I work out before I go to work, it's still dark out. Therefore, I light weights in our "home gym" or I use a tredmill @ my gym. (may I add we live in a ridiculously safe, mostly retired, community...) But today I decided it's time to wear some reflective gear, wear my head-light, and carry some pepper spray & a cell phone. Sounds like I was armed, right? Didn't feel so. I was a nervous wreck. My first encounter was when I heard footsteps, and I s...