Running, revisited, and my plans to eat copious amounts of tacos

Good news everybody, I've started running again! And no, you aren't experiencing deja vu; I just make this claim frequently (such as here and here).

After the Hot Chocolate Run, I kind of stopped my running regimen. Granted, I still did 3 races after that (The Color Run, the Firefly Run, and the Warrior Dash (which I promise I will recap some day)), but each with less and less training (and less and less success). In fact, until last night, I had only even attempted to go running thrice since April. My first attempt, which was in May, was actually moderately successful. I tired out, but I didn't give up. Also, I got to explore the neighborhood near my then-new apartment! My second attempt, during the heat of the day in June, resulted in me just walking the entire path and almost passing out from dehydration (well, dehydration and being a drama queen). My third attempt was somehow even less successful, in that I didn't even make it out the front door (I'm trying to set a record for the most links to other equally uninteresting blog posts). And that was that. I was done with running. It was too hot outside and I was far too lazy to keep it up.

Earlier this week, however, I got an e-mail about an upcoming 5k, and while that one looked really boring and just all around awful (why would you have a race that celebrates how ridiculously hot it is outside?), it got me thinking about other 5ks that might be coming up. Finally, after some light googling, I came across one that was too alluring to pass up: the Great Taco Run.

I think their logo could only be better if the taco were
sweating hot sauce.

Just in time for National Taco Day (which I guess is a thing), the Great Taco Run takes place at the end of September. This should give me enough time to reboot my Couch-to-5k program so that I will have a fighting chance of not embarrassing myself. I mean, not embarrassing myself with how poorly I run. I do, however, plan on embarrassing myself with how many tacos (as prepared by a slew of local vendors) I will eat immediately after the race. 9am is the perfect time for tacos, right? Wrong. Every time is the perfect time for tacos.

Anyhoo, on Tuesday, I realized that with the race a mere 7.5 weeks away, it was time to get crackin'. I needed a plan. The Couch-to-5k program is supposed to last 8 weeks, so it wouldn't be that far off target. However, I am going to be out of town and unable to run at all for a few days this week, so I needed to stream line the process. In order to figure this out, I was going to need ingenuity, cunning, and most importantly, ORGANIZATION!

If Twilight Sparkle, inept at everything non-magic as she is,
was able to save the Winter Wrap-Up with nothing more than
a clipboard and her checklist, surely I could figure out a way
to cram an 8 week training program into 6.5 weeks, right?

I grabbed a calendar and starting marking down all the training runs I planned on doing in the next two months. The resulting schedule showed me finishing up the program about a week before the Great Taco Run. The secret to how I was able to trim off so much time? Skipping integral parts entirely. I started the program last night with the designated Week 2 - Day 1 run, bypassing Week 1 altogether, because it's what a rebel does.

Self portrait, basically.

The run itself went well. Although it only involved 2 minutes of running at a time, I was still somewhat challenged after not running for so long. It would have been disheartening, except that when I thought back to where I was about a year and a half ago, when I had barely run at all ever, I was able to see how much I've improved. Before, I wouldn't have been able to run those two minutes without gasping for air, clutching my sides, and giving up (with an extra serving of giving up). Also, because I accidentally got caught up in some TV shows for too long after work yesterday, I happened to not go running until it was already cool and nice outside. It was a win-win!

I've planned to do my Week 2-Day 2 run tonight after my kickboxing class, so let's hope my legs still function afterwards.

Does anyone want to take bets on how many tacos my friends and I will eat? Since it'll be in the morning, do you think they'll have breakfast tacos? Isn't it weird that this will be the first 5k I've signed up for without Maddy (who moved out of state a month or so ago)? Do you like how I felt it necessary to link to the same previous blog post in two separate locations?

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Only a month after moving into my new apartment, I decided to finally start using my awesome new kitchen for what it's meant for... cooking (as opposed to using it as my diet soda storage/chilling room).

I decided to start by baking some grab and go breakfast foods! These apple cinnamon muffins can be found in the Everything College Cookbook. They're pretty delicious, if I do say so myself. 

Yes, I use my heart plates for pretty much everything.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used canola oil)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups diced apple (I forgot to measure and just used one gala apple)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, Fahrenheit. Grease a muffin pan (or use muffin cups).
2. In a small bowl, add the egg and vanilla extract to the buttermilk and beat lightly. Add the oil and mix to combine. 
3.  In a large bowl, stir the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar into the flour and blend well. Stir in the cinnamon and nutmeg. 
4. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir to form a batter. Be careful not to overmix the batter; don't worry if there are still lumps. Stir in the diced apples. 
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins so that they are between 1/2 to 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes. 

Makes 12 servings

Nutritional Information (per serving):

• Calories - 162
• Total fat - 5.36g
• Unsaturated fat - 4.43g
• Carbohydrates - 25.46g
• Sugars - 10.75g
• Protein - 3.1g

Note: nutritional information may not be entirely accurate, as the values were found through some light Googling.  

Having these muffins around for breakfast will be perfect! Not only will it mean that I stop going by McDonalds for their Sausage McMuffin with Egg each morning on the way to work (which would be a guilty pleasure of mine if not for the fact that I have zero remorse about liking them so much), but it also means that I'll have an excuse to use my new individual muffin/cupcake carriers!

How perfect are these?

Next up: Pesto Chicken Pasta from the Everything Healthy Cooking for Parties Book. 

What's your favorite grab-and-go breakfast? Do you like that many McDonald's locations are now starting to serve a limited breakfast menu at midnight?Are you jealous that my new kitchen has an island and lazy susan cabinets?

Sweet Dreams are Made of These

On Wednesday, for the first time in recent memory, I had absolutely nothing to do (other than work, of course). I didn't have to pack or move anything (now that I'm finally all moved into my new apartment). I didn't have any classes. I didn't even have guilt of not going to optional classes because my kickboxing gym was closed for the evening. I didn't agree to any social engagements or make any plans with my family. I didn't have any errands to run (well, any that I had any intention of doing). I had even washed all of my dishes and whatnot during lunch so there wasn't that hanging over my head.

I had an entire evening to do whatever I wanted. Perfect opportunity to finally go running again, right?

There are a ton (literally 2,000 pounds) of running trails in my new neighborhood that I've been wanting to explore, but I haven't yet had the time or motivation to get out and do so. On Wednesday, however, when I got home from work, I was excited. Everything was in place: it was still light out, it wasn't blisteringly hot outside, and I had had a healthy lunch (a
homemade breakfast taco) so I didn't feel too gross to run.

I was feeling a bit peckish, so I grabbed a bowl of cheerios (because I decided to supplant every meal that day with different breakfast foods, apparently), started hydrating, and changed into my running attire. I sat down on the couch to put on my running shoes, and...

Whomp whomp!

... woke up 2 hours later when Hannah called (to see if I wanted to go running, actually).

But it was okay. I figured it was still light out and had probably cooled off even more. Despite my unanticipated nap, I could salvage this run. Still seated on the couch, I reached for my water bottle and...

Cue another sad trombone sound

... woke up and hour and a half later when Teddy Westside texted me about Star Trek.
 
By the third time I woke up (from a text about how great Data's daughter is), it was almost midnight and pouring down rain outside. Since I definitely couldn't go running then, I just moved from my couch to my bed and went back to sleep (still in my running gear - although, I did have the forethought to take off my sneakers).

I started to lament the fact that I had wasted an entire evening when I realized that sleeping on the couch was probably exactly how I needed to spend it.

As someone who tends to overbook myself, I sacrifice sleep more than anything else. Why choose between a late night party and an early morning breakfast the next day when I can just not sleep and do both? I really need to finish packing up my apartment tonight but my parents want me to come over for a long dinner? Sure! I'll just go pack after dinner even though it means I'll be up until the wee hours of the morning (side note: the drunks at my old apartment who were up at 4am last Friday were surprisingly willing (and weirdly insistent) to help me move heavy boxes to my car). My nephew's birthday party is tomorrow morning and I forgot that I was in charge of decorations? No problem, after I get back to my place at midnight, I'll start cutting out those mustache straws. It should only take a few hours, right?

Don't worry; they turned out great.

And I don't mean any of this sarcastically. This is genuinely the philosophy I approach things with. If I ever have to pick and choose between things, sleep is always the first thing to go. It's kind of like Liv Tyler in Empire Records, but without the drugs (also probably without most other aspects of Liv Tyler in Empire Records)*.  

It's how I operated in middle school - Why go to sleep at a reasonable time if I could stay up and watch Late Night with Conan O' Brien with my big sister?

It's how I operated in high school - There's no need to quit any of my extracurriculars; if I don't sleep, I can go to practice, get all my homework done, make the cookies for the bake sale, and finish the ad posters for all four of my clubs that will be at the club fair tomorrow! (or occasionally: Sleep? No thanks. Sleeping would mean I'd have to take a break from the new Harry Potter book!)

It's how I operated in college - Well, my big paper is due in the morning, so I'll work on that until 5am, then spend the next few hours before class decorating and cleaning the apartment for our Halloween party tomorrow night. (This one was Kirsten's favorite, because she was amused that she woke up at 7am to find me hanging streamers and watching Twilight while I visibly twitched from exhaustion. It was my favorite because by the time the party started,  I was so tired that I kept forgetting where I put my drink and thus avoided drinking too much.) 

And, it's how I operate now.

Happy Endings: "Did you make [these candied walnuts] yourself?" "Couldn't have been
easier. You just crack 'em, hole 'em, toast 'em, brush 'em with a little bit of olive oil, then rub
'em with cayenne pepper, some turmeric, and some cinnamon sugar, and you put 'em in the
oven for a quick roast, flipping them every five minutes for... an hour an a half."
"Are you crying?" "A little bit. I am just so tired." **

But even with a steady stream of caffeine running through my system at any given time, this lack of sleep eventually catches up with me. And when it finally does, what happens?

I was sitting on a box while coloring.

Hannah and I were very good at studying.

Caitlin and I had sat down for what was supposed to be a brief lunch when touring Brussels.

My sister and I were pretty lively during a retreat. I guess it runs in the family.

I fall asleep anywhere and everywhere, frequently without much warning. It doesn't matter where I am or what I'm doing. It's how I fell asleep during a live production of the Lion King in London (that'll learn me to not let myself get over jet lag) and how I fell asleep while swimming (that one was a little scary).

And every time that happens, I learn nothing. Despite all the research showing that a "lack of sleep is one of the main reasons we get overstressed" and that getting enough sleep is necessary for both weight loss and a healthy life in general, I never make sleep a priority. Once I've caught up on my sleep (or at least gotten enough that I can function like a normal person again), I start the cycle over again.

How long will I go this time before another bout of pseudo-narcolepsy?

What are your sleep habits like? Do you like how my link to research is just a link to another
blogger that has basically the same problem as me (don't worry, her blog links to actual research)? Does anyone else think it's a little weird that people keep taking pictures of me sleeping (because believe me, this is a very small sampling)?

*I realize that the blog I link to, The Great Fitness Experiment, also references Liv Tyler in Empire Records. This is purely coincidental.

**I couldn't help but think of this last Saturday when Regina Falange suggested that we all go bowling the next day. I involuntarily cried a little bit when attempting to calmly state that I would rather not because I would be busy packing up my apartment. I was just so tired.

Glow the Distance - the 2012 Firefly Run

I will always have soft spot in my heart for the Firefly Run. Taking place last June, it was the first running event I ever voluntarily participated in and might have been the first time I ever felt good about running. I had trained for it (sort of), prepared for it (by making light up tutus with my friends), and beat a couple personal records (like running for 6 minutes without whimpering). I had a genuinely (Jenny-uinely?) good time running with some of my closest friends and left feeling good about myself and what I could accomplish. It gave me the confidence to keep running (albeit sparsely) and the encouragement I needed to sign up for even more races! Since then, I've participated in the Hot Chocolate Run, the Color Run, the Warrior Dash, and, of course, the 3rd Annual Firefly Run!

Why did they use a phoenix for the logo?

I'll be honest, despite the soft spot in my heart, when March 31 (race day) came around, I was less than excited. I had probably done less training and prep for this race than any other running event I've been in (with the exception of the Warrior Dash, but more on that later). I had only been running once since the Color Run, which took place over a month before the Firefly Run. Rather than try to get a full night of sleep, I had stayed out until 4 in the morning the previous night and got up four hours later to attend an Easter egg hunt with my sister and nephew (it was super cute watching the little one-year-old try to figure out how to pick up eggs and put them in a basket). Instead of eating nutritious meals that would be a good source of energy during the race, I ate half a pizza, passed out on my couch, and woke up only when Hannah called to say that she was running late but was on her way to my place so we could ride to the event together. Once we got to the starting area, however, I was pumped and raring to go (I think the plethora of glow sticks we brought with us had something to do with that). Once we waved to the helicopter flying overhead (slow news day, apparently) and finished the countdown, we were off!

Hannah and I ran the first 1.25 miles (roughly - I'm bad at judging distances) before we started walking. We then started running again at the start of the third mile. After about 6 minutes, we broke into a walk again (because that first mile really took it out of me). As we approached the finish line (or so we thought), we started running again. Unfortunately, we had been bamboozled into thinking the race was almost over. Had we studied the course map (does anyone actually do that?), we would have known that the course was going to take us near the finish, only to curve and loop around (like a conniving jerk). Regardless, we kept running until the end to collect our participant bracelets and complimentary bottles of water.

This year, we decided to skip most of the after-party and just head back to my place. This proved to be a good idea because it took us forever to find my car (we might have accidentally re-walked a good portion of the course trying to find the parking garage - it's confusing when the start and finish areas for a race are in different locations).

I forgot my camera, so here is a picture of a bunch of
strangers that I stole from the Firefly Run website.

Even though I trained very little for this race, I think it went very well. In fact, I found it rather promising and encouraging. Up until then, it had always been my lungs that forced me to slow down and stop running. At the Firefly Run, however, it was my legs that were having problems keeping up. Rather than worry that my legs are getting weaker, I'm just going to
assume that my lungs are finally getting stronger, which is awesome.

Results: Time spent running: 24:03 (last year - 12:00ish)
Total race time: 43:14 (last year - 51:00ish)
Placement: 3431 (Hannah) and 3433 (Me) out of 4945 - top 70% (last year - barely top 90%)


Do you ever study course maps before a race so that curves don't come as so much of a surprise? Isn't it upsetting that we saw people who were running the 10k course passing us by the end? Wouldn't "glow the distance" have been a way better motto than "chase the night and win"?

"When you jump, try to keep your feet on the ground." What?

After spending years trying desperately to emulate ballet in my dancing (first in ballet, then in drill team, and even a little bit in swing dance (ah, the beauty of proper spotting)), it is very difficult for me to hear "you dance like a ballerina" and not take it as a compliment. But it's not... at least not in tap class anyway.

In tap class, "dancing like a ballerina" means that I'm too rigid, too structured, and working too hard for too little payoff. It means that I'm putting all the strain of every move on my weakest muscles, and making things much more difficult on myself. Basically, it means that I keep trying to point my toes.

I didn't even realize I was doing that at first! I had no idea that I was treating every shuffle and flap like a high kick (without the kicking high part)! Even had I known, I wouldn't have had the slightest inkling that that could be detrimental to my dancing. When Keira started teaching our class, though, she noticed right away the egregious error I'd been making, and tried to instill in me the proper technique. "In tap dance," she said, "you want to keep your ankles and toes as relaxed as possible. All of your movement should be coming from the top of your leg."

Even after being called out in class about it, I didn't think that pointing my toes or relaxing my ankles would make all that much of a difference, so while I tried to tap properly when I thought about it, I didn't work too hard on re-wiring my brain. That was all well and good when it came to shuffles and flaps. Worst case scenario, I would get tired out faster or maybe miss a couple sounds... not too bad. Then, we started learning pull-backs.

I don't just love this routine because
of the plaid suits, I promise!

Pull-backs are a tap dance step that involves jumping up into the air, tapping the ground with the balls of your feet whilst in the air, then landing on the balls of your feet. When done correctly, it will make two sounds. It's the gateway step to dynamic tap dancing; without it, there is little to no hope of dancing like Gene Kelly and Donald O'Conner as they performed "Fit as a Fiddle" in Singing in the Rain (which may or may not be a personal dream of mine). Though we started learning this step months ago, I never was able to do it correctly until last week. Why? Because my feet were always pointed when I'd jump.

I thought I'd tried everything to get them. I tried lifting my toes before I jumped so that they'd just brush back (which apparently is TERRIBLE technique, even though that's how our first instructor taught us to do it... w (for whatevs)). I tried jumping higher, then when that didn't work, jumping lower. I even tried following my classmate's advice, which was "when you jump, try to keep your feet on the ground." But what did I never try? Paying attention to whether my feet were pointed or not.

Pull-back instructions courtesy of the United Taps Tap Dance Forum

So finally, after a lot of frustrating hours and embarrassing attempts, I made a conscious effort to relax my ankles. Immediately, I was able to do pull-backs across the floor as if they were the easiest thing in the world.


Tl;dr: Always listen to your teachers, especially if you're a stubborn jerk like me.



Did you ever learn the hard way that dancing like a ballerina is not always a compliment? If it was when you tried incorporating arabesques and pirouettes into your krumping, will you please tell me all about it?! Does anyone else feel like a frog when doing pull-backs across a floor?



And for your enjoyment, here is a clip from Robin Hood: Men in Tights that I stole off the internet. I think it's the only routine I've seen that has been able to successfully mix hip hop and ballet.

Color Me Happy and Month Old Recaps

If you knew anything about me, you would know that I'm typically very good at finding opportunities to look like an idiot in public. Usually, this is involuntary and cannot be helped. Occasionally, however, I put myself in these situations willingly and with enthusiasm. Such was the case last month when I participated in the Color Run.

Maddy, Hannah, and me before the race

The Color Run, benefiting the American Heart Association, is a 5k that focuses much less on running and much more on being silly (so right up my alley). At each kilometer, runners go through color zones where volunteers throw fistfuls of color powder at passersby. In addition, everyone receives a packet of color with their registration (with the opportunity to purchase more) for use in the Finish Line Color Explosions (I was originally given a red packet, which I successfully traded with a friend for a pink one, because as we all know, pink is way better).

It worked well for me that the Color Run put very little emphasis on actually running, because between running the Hot Chocolate Run eight days before and helping Maddy pack up for her move into Hannah's duplex, I was pretty exhausted. It didn't bother me that everyone started cutting corners (at one point, everyone disregarded the confusingly spaced cones altogether and bypassed part of the route), and I didn't mind that it wasn't event a timed event [I did try timing it myself - according to my watch, we finished the race in 48:12 (that's making the unlikely assumption that I managed to start and stop the timer accurately)]. In fact, I think that everyone was a little relieved that it was a very informal event. Otherwise, keeping seven of us together for a 3.1 mile run would have been a little difficult.

Team: Color Me Happy
From left to right: Liz, Maddy, Hannah, Brian,
Jenny (me), Jeff, and Lauren

  

After making it through the treacherous course (of even pavement), we rewarded ourselves with a delicious and colorful brunch at Ozona's!

I want this picture of Maddy's hand to become next year's ad.

Have you ever participated in any of these color events? Do you also suffer from looking ridiculous in public? Do you also think it strange that they hosted a color-themed event on a Sunday? I mean, it wouldn't be a problem except that there was no way I would have been able to get all the residual color out of my skin/hair before work the next morning.

Egg Muffins and My Ability to Always Stay on Track with Diets Always

Remember when I was all "Oh, I'm totally going on South Beach Diet, and it's going to be super awesome and successful and I'll totally not give up after the first day!"

Well good news! I didn't give up after the first day! However, I may have given up after three days. What? I couldn't help it! The best part of Lent (food-wise) is enjoying grilled cheese sandwiches on Fridays!

However, before I quit the diet, I did manage to try out a new grab-and-go breakfast recipe: egg muffins.

Egg Muffins
Recipe courtesy of Kalyn's Kitchen

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

15 eggs
1-2 tsp. Spike Seasoning
1-2 cups grated low fat cheese (I like sharp cheddar)
3 green onions diced small (optional)
Other chopped vegetables (optional)
Diced canadian bacon or lean ham (optional)

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.
2) Spray muffin pan with nonstick spray.
3) In the bottom of the muffin cups, layer diced meat, veggies, cheese, and onions, as applicable, until muffin cups are about 2/3 full.
4) Break eggs into large bowl, add Spike Seasoning, and beat well.
5) Pour egg into each muffin cup until it is 3/4 full and stir lightly with a fork.
6) Bake 25-35 minutes or until muffins have risen and are slightly browned and set.

Voila!

Even though I made some modifications to the recipe (I didn't include any vegetables or Spike Seasoning, partially because I have no idea what Spike Seasoning is), I like to think that they turned out pretty well! While the two I made with just egg and cheese were pretty bland, the ones with ham were delicious!

You can make these ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator. Just 2 minutes in the microwave and you're good to go!

What's your favorite grab-and-go breakfast recipe? Has anyone had much success staying on the South Beach Diet? Are you angry and confused as to why I haven't been here in over a month?