Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Team #runDisney Blog Hop

Do you enjoy runDisney races?  Do you have a blog?  Come join the #runDisney Blog Hop hosted by Kristy Runs Kato! As Kristy said, this is a great way to make some new runDisney friends!


Sunday, July 28, 2013

Weekly Recap- July 22- July 28, 2013

I had a rough time this week.  I was not wanting to get up to run at all.  I think its because it's summer so on the rest days I've been sleeping in.  But I've been forcing myself to go run before 6 am on run days and its rough.  I'm NOT a morning person.  I wish it were cooler here so I could run during the day and it wouldn't feel like such a chore.  Two more weeks of break left and then it's going to be a rude awakening--both getting up early for school and having to run later in the day when it's hot!

Wednesday--3 miles in 29:54 (Mile 1: 10:01, Mile 2: 9:43, Mile 3: 10:14, average pace: 9:59)
Friday-- 4 miles in 41:12 (Mile 1: 10:09, Mile 2:10:08, Mile 3: 10:38, Mile 4: 10:18, average pace: 10:18)
Sunday--5 miles in 51:53 (Mile 1: 10:28, Mile 2: 10:03, Mile 3: 10:22, Mile 4: 10:58, Mile 5: 10:00, average pace: 10:22)

Total miles this week: 12
Total miles in 2013: 326.87
Total miles: 755.36

Friday, July 26, 2013

Five Things Friday- July 26, 2013

1) I got my Sweatybands in from the Runstreak challenge contest from Love to Run.  I was lucky enough to be able to pick the two that I wanted.  They're so cute!

2) On Tuesday I went to Massage Envy.  I was lucky to get a gift card for a massage there from one of my parents at the end of last year.  It was sooo nice!  My running buddy has a membership there and always goes to Desmond.  Desmond also works at runDisney expos so I've met him a couple of times.  The last time I saw him, in January, I was going to physical therapy for my knee.  At that time, they were still convinced it was my ITBand.  During the massage, he was working on my legs and I was telling him how they decided it was fibular head tendonitis.  I told him my knees were pretty achy after my 13 miler and he told me he'd check my ITBand.  And nope. They're still fine.  He said my left one is slightly tighter than my right (my right is the one that is achy-er) but that they're both good.  So I'm glad to hear its not the dreaded ITBand.  Not sure what it is though!

3) On Wednesday, I had a wonderful day.  I sent a class email out to all of my Kindergarteners from last year for a movie day and 5 kiddos were able to come see Turbo with me.  They were so cute and shy at first!  I love being on summer break, but I do miss my kids!


I also met up with some friends for a girl's night out at Melting Pot.--my FAVORITE restaurant!  They usually have special every other month so we always try to hit it up.  Yum!

4)  I won a Drenched 5k entry from A Mom on the Run.  It's the same weekend as the Tour de Pain.  So that means a 4 miler on Friday evening, 5k on Saturday morning, 1 miler on Saturday afternoon, and Drenched 5k on Sunday morning.  4 races in in 48 hours.  I can't wait!!

5) I am figuring out that I am starting to have a hard time remembering things.  I see run-related things that I want and then forget about them!  So I thought I'd start a little wish list here so I don't forget (plus, my bday is in a little over a month in case a certain someone is reading). 
 ~White Tiara Visor from Running Princess
~Some Gone for a Run Tees in M: Womens Everyday Runners Tee Runner's Tiara in Lush Berry, Womens Everyday Runners Tee Little Miss Runner in Teal, Womens Everyday Runners Tee Florida State Runner (Royal/Orange) in Charcoal Gray,
~ I can always use more Sweatybands!

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Giveaway- Rock City Skirts



I am a total girly girl.  I love anything pretty and sparkly and girly.  And when running, I LOVE to run in skirts. And when I saw that Rock City Skirts was also sparkly, I was sold!

I was looking through all of the skirts and I had such a hard time deciding what to order.  My friends and I were also deciding on costumes for the Dumbo Double Dare race in August/September at Disneyland.  After looking through the skirts, we came up with a great plan!  I also needed a skirt for the Fourth of July race I was running.  And I saw a custom one that Rock City Skirts had made in Gator colors (orange and blue) and I have a Gridiron 5k coming up, so I knew I needed that one too!  And I saw that they had a couple of specials going on, including the buy 5 get one free, so I decided on a pink skirt as well.

I couldn't wait to get them! (and they arrived so quickly!)


Look at all the pretty sparkly skirts!!
 
I wore my first one for the Fourth of July race and it was so comfy.  Now be warned, these skirts do NOT come with shorts underneath.  But I knew that going in and just wore one of my tight shorts underneath.  No problem!  


I got so many compliments on my skirt.  One lady said that my skirt made her happy!

And Rock City Skirts gives back too. They're committed to continued support of Team World Vision and their efforts to change lives in Africa and Haiti. $1 of every skirt sale will be donated to Team World Vision.

I can't wait to wear my Gator Skirt at the end of the month! It's going to be so cute!

And thanks to Rock City Skirts, I have one skirt to giveaway to you!  You can win a skirt of your choice, $30 or less.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

* Disclosure: I bought my own skirts and was offered one to give away for free.  The opinions are always my own.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Recipe- Creamy Shrimp Alfredo

This is another recipe that I've had in my recipe box.

Creamy Shrimp Alfredo



Ingredients:
~1/2 lb linguine
~2 TBSP Kraft Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
~1/2 lb uncooked, peeled shrimp
~8 oz pkg mushrooms
~6oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese, cubed
~3/4 oz chicken broth
~1/4 cup parmesan cheese
~3 cloves minced garlic

Directions:
1) Cook pasta as directed on package.
2) Meanwhile, heat dressing in large skillet on medium-high heat.
3) Add mushrooms; cook until 8 minutes left on pasta.
4) Add shrimp; cook and stir 3 minutes or until shrimp turn pink, adding garlic for the last minute.
5) Remove shrimp with slotted spoon.
6) Add cream cheese and broth to skillet; cook until cream cheese is completely melted, stirring frequently.
7) Stir in shrimp and 3 TBSP parmesan cheese.
8) Drain pasta; Top with shrimp and sauce.

I love creamy sauces and this one was perfect!  I serve it with a Pillsbury crescent roll (perfect for dipping in the sauce!)

Monday, July 22, 2013

Race #29- Splash n Dash

When we saw the advertisement for the Splash n Dash, we though it would be a perfect race to do during the summer.  Water balloons, water guns, a slip n slide and more?  Perfect!  We had to run 3 miles that day anyways for our back-to-back Dumbo training. (It turned out to be 2.8 miles)  So Cori, Heather, and I signed up.

Here's our goody bag--water guns, a frisbee, water bottle, drink ticket at Buffalo Wild Wings and water balloons (not pictured).  There was a huge water balloon fight after the race was over and Cori was filling the balloons for us, but we decided we really didn't want to participate.


I got my outfit ready the night before.  We tried to choose an outfit that would dry quickly.  And I wore my old shoes of course.  We thought it was weird that there was no bib.  Anyone could race and they wouldn't know the difference.


We left pretty early since we weren't sure how long it would take to get there or the parking situation.  Heather's hubby and cute little son came along for support.  The race started at 10.  We left at 8:30 and were there and parked by 9ish.

It was pretty empty when we got there.


But people soon started showing up and there were lots of tents of sponsor giving out free food.  We thought it was weird that they were doing it before the race.  Who wants to eat a lot before running?  And we were worried they would run out before the race ended, but they didn't.  Let's see.  Jersey Mikes Subs was giving out free tea & subs, a Mexican food place was giving out queso, chips, and I think tacos, Planet Smoothie had smoothie samples, Dunkin Donuts had teas and donut holes, and the guys for Gridiron 5k had a cornhole game to play to win a free shirt from last year.  (I wanted the Gator one!  They said if they had one left over at the end, they'd give it to me since I didn't win, but they had run out).  I had signed up for the race the night before, but I convinced Heather and Cori to do it.

We saw them setting up the slip n slide.  Couldn't wait for the end!



The Planet Smoothie character freaked Heather's son out at first but soon he was pointing at it whenever he saw it.

The race started on time (I think.  I didn't want to bring my phone or watch since we were getting wet).  We lined up in the middle.  But you could tell it was a fun run.  We encountered a bunch of walkers who lined up at the beginning and took up the whole sidewalk.  Grr... It's to be expected but still!

Towards the beginning, they had a little mister tent to run through.  Then after a while, they had tons of high schoolers with water guns.  And then high schoolers with water balloons.  Which was NOT a smart thing.  Most of the girls (and a few guys) got that it was a smart idea to throw the balloons at our feet (so it wouldn't hurt) or toss them high in the air so we could dodge them or catch them if we wanted to.  But the boy high schoolers weren't so smart.  They were pegging the runners--hard!  We saw one guy runner get hit in the face, one get hit in the hip, and many hit in the arms and chests.  And they hurt!  And except for the slip n slide at the end, that was all of the water involved.  I guess I expected more things to run through and under.  I wasn't impressed and I didn't like the water balloon part.

BUT  the slip n slide part!  It was so much fun that Cori and I did it twice!!!  It was soapy and when we got up we were covered in suds.




 
That part was a blast! After the race, they had the same food as before and then a Lasik place had ice pops and Buffalo Wild Wings had wings.   I'm not sure I'd do it again.  I'd want better obstacles/water things and no water balloons being thrown at us.  But it was fun and we had a good time!


And we were soaked!

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Weekly Recap- July 15-21, 2013

I ran with two friends in the Splash n Dash yesterday.  Fun but not sure I'd do it again.  I'll have a full recap up this week.  Today we ran a long run to get in practice for Dumbo....which is only in 6 weeks!  Can't wait!

Tuesday-- 3 miles in 29:58 (Mile 1: 10:07, Mile 2: 10:02, Mile 3: 9:52, average pace: 10:00)
Thursday-- 4 miles in 40:38 (Mile 1: 10:13, Mile 2: 9:59, Mile 3: 10:26, Mile 4: 9:59, average pace: 10:09)
Saturday-- Splash n Dash 5k (but was really 2.8 miles).  Have no idea of our time or splits
Sunday-- 11 miles in 2:08:50 (Mile 1: 10:35, Mile 2: 10:19, Mile 3: 12:23, Mile 4: 12:03, Mile 5: 12:18, Mile 6: 12:20, Mile 7: 12:14, Mile 8: 12:08, Mile 9: 12:11, Mile 10: 11:36, Mile 11: 10:42, average pace: 11:42)

Total miles this week: 20.8
Total miles in 2013: 314.87
Total miles: 743.36

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Orlando Yelp Event- Krispy Kreme

I was lucky enough to be able to attend a CMYE event at Krispy Kreme on Thursday evening.  Krispy Kreme doughnuts?  Sign me up!  The event was in Winter Park which is about a half an hour away, so not too bad.


As soon as I walked in, I was offered any drink of my choice.  I have to be honest.  I've only gone to Krispy Kreme for one thing before--their glazed doughnuts.  So I had no idea what drink to order.  I ask for a suggestion and one of the ladies helping at the event suggested the frozen hot chocolate.  Yes please!  The drink was soooo good!  It really did taste like frozen hot chocolate!


Throughout the night, they were bringing around doughnuts to sample.  Not just little pieces.  But whole doughnuts.  And when they brought out a tray of hot, fresh glazed doughnuts, I about died.  If you've never had a hot Krispy Kreme doughnut, you need to try one.  They literally melt in your mouth.  Sooo good!



They also came around with samples of drinks.  I tried an Orange Your Glad fruity chiller.  Yum!  I also saw some of the kremey drinks.  I'd like to try one of those I think, on my next stop to Krispy Kreme!
 
 

As for doughnuts, they also were bringing around some other classics like jelly filled as well as their seasonal doughnuts like Caramel Chocolate Pretzel Doughnut, Dark Chocolate Caramel Kreme doughnut, and the Caramel Chocolate Chip Cake Doughnut (the one I had below).


And yes, I had to have another hot, fresh glazed one. (and at this point I had to ask for some milk.  I need milk with my hot doughnuts!)  Doughnuts for dinner!

In the store, you could see the doughnuts on the line.  If the workers saw one that wasn't correct (like the whiter one below), they would remove it.

 
 
I learned some fun facts during the event.
 
1) Did you know that there is a sign in the Krispy Kreme windows that lights up to tell you when the doughnuts are hot and fresh? (from 6am-11am and 6pm-11pm)
2) There is an app you can get for your phone that will tell you when the hot and fresh light is on. 
3) Each employee has to have one doughnut every day that they work (its for quality control but sounds like a perk to me!)
4) I never noticed, but on the box it tells you how to make your doughnuts taste hot and fresh...microwave them for 8 seconds!
 
Everyone who was helping out was so incredibly friendly and nice.  It was such a great event.  Thank you, Colleen, for setting it up!
 
And as a parting gift, we got to take home a box of two doughnuts (which I will be saving for my treat with my chocolate milk after my long run tomorrow!)
 
 

 
I can't wait for the next Yelp event!

Friday, July 19, 2013

Five Things Friday- July 19, 2013

I've seen several people do Five Things Friday so I thought I would start too!  Hopefully I'll always have 5 things to talk about!

1) I have rediscovered my love for Lululemon.  I have a couple outfits by them but then I was told to try the Cool Racerbacks (or CRBs as the cool kids call them).  They are sooo soft!  They fit a little weird on me.  I think I need an in between size but I went with the smaller size.  Its a little tight around the armholes but the rest is so comfy, I think it'll be okay on runs. (although after looking at the two pics below, maybe I should have gone with the bigger size...the picture on the right is the bigger size.  It was just sooo long on me)   I also love the Pace Setter Skirt.  The little ruffly butt is so cute!  I bought 2 CRBs and a matching Pace Setter!  But I need more!


2) Saturday was Kory's 35th birthday.  We went to dinner at Rocco's Tacos.  Um.  Wow.  That is apparently the new place to see & be seen, pick up & be picked up.  I totally forgot my shortest skirt/dress, tightest & skimpiest top, and highest heels.  My bad.  The food was only okay too.  Sorry Kory!

3) I signed up for 3 races this week!  I signed up for the Tour de Pain in Jacksonville which is a 4 miler on Friday afternoon, 5k on Saturday morning, and 1 miler on Saturday afternoon.  Then there was the whole Space Coast Half Marathon debacle.  But luckily I was able to mail in my registration and got in!  I also signed up for the Gridiron 5k.  I'll be sporting my Orange & Blue of course!

4) The hubby and I saw 2 movies this week.  Both times we went to see Monsters University but it was sold out.  Gah!  We saw Pacific Rim on his bday (giant robots are his thing, not mine but it was his bday).  Then on Wednesday we saw Despicable Me 2.  It was cute.  I can see my kindergarteners imitating the minions during the school year!

5)  On Tuesday, I started doing plankadays.  My first one was 1:01.  Not too bad.  I've found that it hurts my shoulders more than anything.  A friend suggest doing straight arm ones so I'll try that tonight.  Hopefully these will help trim my tummy!

How was your week?

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Review- Gone for a Run Shirt

I love t-shirts.  But they have to have 2 requirements: be cute and be comfy. And when I came across Gone For a Run's t-shirts, I couldn't believe how adorable they were (requirement #1)!  I was lucky enough to be able to review one of my choosing.

I chose the Womens Everyday Runners Tee Run Like a Beast in the Storm Indigo color.


When I got it, I knew right away that it filled requirement #2--it was soooo soft!  I saved this shirt to wear after my 4th of July race and I got so many compliments on it.


It was so comfy that I wore it again a few days later for the car ride home (I have to be comfortable if I'm going to be stuck in a car for 6 hours!)  The color and fit were perfect! 

I seriously want more of these t-shirts (I have a birthday coming up, hint hint!  I'm a size medium :)  )

Like



Or

Or how about
But Gone For a Run doesn't just have tees.  They also make medal hangers.  I specially ordered one for a friend and it came out beautifully! They have bibfolios, bib coasters, jewelry, phone cases, and much, much more.  I love browsing through their site because I'm always finding new things to add to my wish list!

 The next time you're looking for something run-specific or a gift for a runner, check them out!

*Full Disclosure:  I was provided a shirt of my choosing to review.  These opinions are my own.  I was not compensated for them.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Recipe- Crispy Baked Pork Chops & Potatoes

I got this recipe from the Publix Family Style magazine, but I can't find any links to it online!

Crispy Baked Pork Chops & Potatoes


Ingredients:
~ 1 egg
~2 tablespoons fat-free milk (I used 2% and it was fine)
~1 cup packaged corn bread stuffing mix
~ 4 pork loin chops, cut 1/2 inch thick (1 to 1 1/2 pounds total)
~ salt and ground black pepper
~ 1 20-ounce package frozen roasted potato pieces

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2) Break egg into a shallow dish and beat with a fork; stir in milk.
3) Crush corn bread stuffing mix and place in another shallow bowl.
4) Trim fat from pork loin chops; season with salt and pepper.
5) Dip pork chops into egg mixture.
6) Coat both sides with stuffing mix.
7) Arrange pork chops in a single layer on one half of a baking sheet with sides.
8) Add frozen roasted potato pieces to the other half of the same pan, mounding potatoes as needed to fit.
9) Bake, uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes or until pork is done (160 degrees) and potatoes are lightly browned and crisp, turning pork and stirring potatoes once.

I love meals that make things easy.  And being able to cook both the main dish AND the side dish together, on the same pan, saves time and means less cleaning up.  The stuffing mix on the pork chop gave it a nice crisp.  I'll be making this again!   (I served this with Birds Eye Steamfresh Lightly Seasoned Garlic Cauliflower but we weren't a fan of that side.)

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Race Bucket List

Have you ever been browsing the Internet and saw a race that made you say to yourself ...
 "OMG! I have to do that race!"? 
Every runner has been there...
~ Was it the bling?
~ Was it the location of the race?
~ Was it the course or the type of race? 
~ Was it a new distance?
~ Was it to run in support of a charity?

What races are on your RACE WISH LIST?
 
List your top 10 races (in no order).
Then send it to your running friends and see if they have the same races on their list. Maybe you might learn of some new ones that make you go "WOW! I want to do that one!"

Run fast... Have fun! 
 
My first one is kind of cheating since I've already signed up for it.  But since I still can't believe I'm doing it, I'm putting it down!
 











 




 

Monday, July 15, 2013

Race #28-- Hilton Head Island Firecracker 5000

I was excited to run in the Hilton Head Island Firecracker 5000.  My family goes on an annual vacation to the island and when I learned that this years fell on the 4th of July, I knew there would probably be a race and there was!



Kory took me to the (very empty) mall on the island on Wednesday afternoon to pick up my race packet.  There wasn't much to it but we did get this shirt  (cute but even though its an XS, its still too big)



I laid out my outfit that night.  I was ready to be patriotic!


The race started at 8:00 but they said to arrive there early since it was 30 minute walk.  So my dad, Kory, and I left the condo at 6:30.  Parking was a breeze and the walk took about 5 minutes.  So we were there by 7ish.  A lot of standing around.



 It was then that I noticed that my bib number was Stitch's experiment number!  (yes, I have to find Disney around me anywhere I go!)



It was then that I also noticed that no one was dressed up.  At all.  Even at non-Disney races at home, there's always people with fun things on.  All I saw there were two girls in tutus and one lady wearing a sparkler headband. 

Thankfully Laura from This Princess Runs showed up.  She was also wearing a sparkly skirt!


I loved getting to chat with her!  The DJ (or announcer) said that it was time to head to the starting line.  And then it became a cattle call.  The crowd came to a stand-still at one point.  And that's where the 30 minute walk came into play!  We were chatting and kind of lost the guys.  Sorry boys!

Laura is faster than I am so I told her to go ahead without me.  I didn't want to slow her down and I didn't want to go out too fast.  I had 2 goals, but I wasn't sure if I would hit both, one or the other, or neither, until I was actually running.

1) Run the whole 5k without stopping
2) Finish the 5k in under 30 minutes.

The firecrackers went off and off we went.  The starting line was a white line.  I thought it would be a mat like I'm used to, but it was just a line.

I started off pretty quickly but I felt good.


I liked the route.  The race started later than I'm used to so it was still hot, but it was pretty shady.  And it was kind of fun having no clue where I was, or where I was running.  During training at home, I don't bring water with me until 7 mile runs, so I didn't stop for any water.  I wanted to hit my goals!

I didn't get tired until about 2.5 miles.  I had been practicing running at home and was up to running 24 minutes without stopping.  I knew I could finish those last 6 minutes.  I also knew that I had to keep my pace below 9:40 and I kept looking down to make sure I was!

The finish line was around the corner and kind of crept up on me so when I saw it, I took off!  When I stopped my Runkeeper app and watch after the finish line, I looked at my time to see that I beat my goal by a lot!  My Runkeeper said my time was 29:18 and my watch said 29:15!  I was so excited!

I grabbed a Propel water (yay for it not being just plain water which I don't drink) and found Kory and my dad.  I also ran into Laura for a second.  We walked around for a couple of minutes and I grabbed a banana and a slice of pizza but I was ready to head out.



 

Later came the problem.  I checked my official results.  I knew that the time might be a few seconds off, one way or the other.  But my official time was 29:44.  That's 29 or 26 seconds difference!! Laura said her time was also 25 seconds off.  I mentioned this on the race's facebook page and was told to email them about it. 

This is the response I got back

"Andrea, I watched the finsh line video and if you had blue shorts(with read and white in them) and a a blue tank top, you crossed the finish line at  29:44. Please note that even though we used chips for the event, all results were  given based on "Gun time" only per USA Track and Field Rule #245 which states as follows"
 
RULE 245
The official time shall be the time elapsed between the start of the watches or
timing devices resulting from an appropriate start signal and when the athlete
reaching the finish line. The actual time elapsed between when an athlete reaching
the starting line and finish line can be made known to the athlete, but will
not be considered as official.
 
In addition, this was from the web site:(www.bearfootsports.com)
 
'The race will be chip timed ( gun start ) with a state of the art Jaguar Timing System from CRRS."
 
your chip time was probably 29:15 to 29:18, but we only reported gun times per USA Track and Field Rule 245. I am so sorry for your confusion. In the future, you might want to check the event web site to see what times are going to be reported, and of course, ALWAYS wear your watch so you can get you own "chip start" time. Good luck with your running."
 
 
I did see that on the website, but I assumed that "chip timed (gun start)" meant that it was chip timed like normal and there was a gun sound to mark the start of the race.  Not that the official time was going to be a "clock time".  What about the people in the back?  They're times are going to be a minute off?  Not exactly fair.
 
Yes, I know I am totally being petty.  And I know that I still hit my goal of under 30 minutes.  But to me, it's not AS good of a time.  Beating my goal by 45 seconds felt a lot better than beating it by 16.  And what do I use as a PR time?  Do I use the 29:18 that my Runkeeper says or do I use 29:44 since that's the official time? (although that'll give me more room to PR next time).  I guess the whole thing just left a sour taste in my mouth.
 
Here are the stats from Runkeeper
 
 

 
So what do you think?  What time do I use?