Note From the Universe

Life's magic is a lot like a swift flowing river. No matter how long you've overlooked it or unwittingly swam against it, the instant you stop struggling you're back in the flow, hat down low, coolest cat on the block.

Best Dinner (Almost) Ever

I just made the best dinner that I have made in a l-o-n-g time, and it was definitely one of the top five meals I've ever made. It was made even better by the fact that I made up the best part of the meal myself!

It started out with the fact that I needed to use up a half a head of cabbage before it turned. I'd seen a recipe on Pinterest that seemed simple enough, and we love roasted kale, so I decided to give it a shot. It was so simple - chop the cabbage, brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper and caraway. I have a convection oven, so I only roasted it for 20 minutes - a regular oven should take 40 - and it came out soft, slightly browned and delicious!

via Martha

Call us crazy about our leafy greens, but next on the menu came spinach salads with a variety of veggies. Our favorite salad topping of late, however, has been pickeled beets. But new to us are homemade salad dressings, which have saved the pocket book and our waistlines. My current favorite is Ceasar from Jamie Oliver. I'm still working on the Ranch.

The star of the show came when I was stumped about what to make for a protein. We've been eating a lot of fish and chicken, and many days I find myself unenthused about another seasoned grilled chicken breast. With a salmon filet staring me in the face, I knew I had to get creative. We experimented last week with egg rolls (hence the leftover cabbage), so I knew I had extra wonton wrappers and wondered if I could find something to do with the two. Failed Pinterest and Google searches turned up little more than a lox bagel wrapped in wontons, so I was left to fend for myself.

First, I seasoned my salmon generously with Old Bay (love that stuff) and threw it on the George Foreman grill. I've been partial to oven-baking lately, but he was out, so why not? While the fish cooked (almost all the way - take it off when it's still slightly rare in the middle so it doesn't dry out when baked), I mixed a quarter cup of chopped sweet onion, a quarter cup of chopped celery, a tablespoon of capers, a tablespoon of lemon juice and two ounces of goat cheese. When the fish was done, I flaked it into the cold mixture. It was warm enough to melt the cheese, which coated the fish like a light sauce. My two servings of salmon with the fillings split evenly among eight wonton wrappers, which I folded, as recommended by several egg roll recipes, like an envelope. The best way I've found is to position the wrapper like a diamond, then add the filling horizontally, from corner to corner. Fold the top corner down, then each side in, then roll and place on foil or a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. Spritz the top of each with nonstick spray (or olive oil, if you have one of those handy spritzers), and bake at 400 for 4 minutes(5-7 if you have a traditional oven). Flip, spray and repeat.

The result was delicious - flaky, moist salmon, a light cheese flavor and a nice tang from the capers. The wontons crisped perfectly, contrasting with the warm, tender filling. Surprisingly, it did not even require a dip, as you would often want from an egg-roll-type dish. And the eight rolls nicely fed both of us. It was so easy and so delicious, I know this dish will be making a repeat appearance at our house!

Note From the Universe

No matter how things seem, hope is near and love is present.

Getting Back on the Wagon

Following my half-marathon adventure, I have NOT been motivated to get myself to the gym. It's a valuable lesson I've learned twice in the past year - if there is a hard-and-fast threat in my future, I'll be there, no problem. Without said motivation... not so much. I saw SUCH good results physically and emotionally the two times I stuck with it, I shouldn't have a problem getting myself in gear. But I do anyway!

Although, my snazzy new post-half shoes (Mizuno Wave Inspire 8 in White/Anthracite/Prism Violet) help a lot - they're wonderful!

How do you stay motivated?

Words for Thought

Just because this wasn't in your life plan, doesn't mean this isn't exactly where you're supposed to be right now.

Via Whitney.

Note From the Universe

Always, kindness prevails. No matter how things appear, nor how humbling a task, nor how unkind they've been.

Money-saving Diet Tips

1: Why buy overpriced microwave popcorn when you can throw some kernels in a paper bag and zap it. Cost: pennies.

2: Peel & freeze a bunch of bananas. When you’re craving soft serve, whirl one up in the blender and top with a spoonful of chocolate chips. Cost: 25¢.

3: Spare yourself the expense (and fat) of certain fast-food breakfasts by scrambling an egg in a mug, nuking it, and slipping it into a pita. Cost: 50¢, maybe.

4: Make insta-soup from wilted veggies and a Parmesan rind. Throw in the carcass of a picked-over roasted chicken and Grandma will applaud. Cost: a buck.

5: Why buy pricey pre-frozen fruit? Just wash, bag, and freeze your own for smoothies, yogurts, muffins, and breads. Cost: priceless!

via Daily Worth

Note From the Universe

It's not as if one could be bored enough, feel frustrated enough, or complain enough that their life would suddenly turn around. Doesn't work that way.

Whatever anyone "is," they become more of. And anyone's is'ness is whatever they say it is.

Half Marathon, Day 36

32:43
3.64 miles
8'59" pace

Half Marathon, Day 35

30 minutes
That's all I've got - used the treadmill today!

No Running for You!

Just getting home from a 15.5-hour day at the office. I wish endurance working counted as endurance training, but alas, it does not. And I do not have the energy for 6 miles today...

Contraction Humor

Half Marathon, Day 33

So, I shouldn't have taken Sunday off since I rested so many days last week, but I did so much on Saturday and my back still is not anywhere near 100 percent, so....

Back at it today, and once again, the first two miles were the hardest. Once I get to about 3, I know I can make my self-set minimum of 6.5/60 minutes, but once I get going, I don't want to stop! Endorphins are great, eh? But, with only two weeks to go, I feel like these longer runs are needed!

92:23
10 miles
9'14" pace

21 Suggestions for Success

Half Marathon, Day 31

I had to take another two days off due to my neck/back. More on that later - you won't believe what my X-rays looked like!

Today, I took to the streets with my friend Brittany to see what the race course looks like. She was SUCH a trooper - she runs 3-4 miles a day, but has never run more than 4.5 miles at a time. She ran a whole 6.6 miles before she wanted to stop to walk! While we didn't keep my normal pace and walked about 4 miles, it was nice to have some company, espeically because the first part of the course goes through some kind-of sketchy neighborhoods. Safety in numbers!

Overall, the course wasn't as hilly as I expected. There's a killer hill around mile 5-ish, but just enough to give you a good burn and keep going. I feel a lot better having done it, and may go out again this Saturday.

133:06
11.6 miles
11'26" pace (not bad considering we walked more than 2 miles)

+ (I accidentally turned off my GPS when we stopped for water. But, thanks, Starbucks App for allowing us to purchase a beverage!)

27:07
1.79 miles
15'05" pace

Note From the Universe

When you finally get that call, meet that person, walk that walk, and live that dream, do you think you'll even care that there were a few dark and scary moments in a journey that made them all possible?

Trust me, you won't even remember. And won't you be glad you never settled for less?

Half Marathon, Day 28

A slow day, due to neck pain. Went to the chiropractor though - hopefully this helps!

19:08
1.94 miles
9'51" pace

+ a 3 mile brisk walk

Half Marathon, Day 26

76:34
8.5 miles
9' pace

Fastest 1k, fastest mile, fastest 10k! Woot!

Also, today I hit 100 miles on the streets of the ATL, not to mention the 1 day I used the treadmill and one on the elliptical. They count for something, right?

Half Marathon, Day 25

I'm embarrassed to admit that I injured my neck... while using my garlic press. It happened yesterday morning while I was making James' chili for the Chi O Stew & Brew cook-off, and I feel like such an idiot! I mean, it was a lot of garlic, and I guess the repetitive motion got to me at 8 a.m., but still! I ran ok yesterday, and I actually thought the running loosened it up a bit, but I was w-r-o-n-g wrong. I woke up this morning in such a massive amount of pain that I had to use my hands to help support my head when getting out of bed. After three hours of not moving and taking the heating pad on and off, I finally felt like moving again. But, by the time evening came, I knew I didn't have it in me to run, so I did 60 minutes on the elliptical. I figure low impact elliptical is better for the neck and better than not exercising at all, right? So no mileage or pace, just time:

60 minutes

Half Way! Plus, Mapping the Race

The race website has a PDF of the race map, but it's so abstract, I wanted to know where all I will be running. Many of the streets are close to home, and I'd like to start trying out some of the course, so I mapped it out on Google. It's not quite perfect - over by .2 miles, but it should help as I am planning my ever-growing runs!

View Larger Map

Also, I didn't notice that Friday marked an important day in my training. It was the half-way point - 22 days in, 22 days to go! If training is anything like actually running, the worst of it is over -- do you always feel like the first half of your run or race is the hardest? The good new is that I feel like I've made a lot of progress, but I also know that I have so much more to do. I have only run 65 percent of the total race distance (8.5 miles) at one time thus far, so I know where my biggest opportunity is. I think I'm going to try to do start doing longer runs every other day to build up. I did three longer runs last week, 65, 80 and 80 minutes, and if I can do that again this week but maybe 80 , 80 and 100 (trying to hit 10 miles!), I will be happy with my progress. Just have to keep mentally ahead, that's the hardest part! :)