A Glimpse of the Old Me

This is week 2 of Couch to 5k, and, so far, I'm really happy about doing it. Thanks to Eric who encouraged me to try it out. I am really loving having a schedule again, and am finding myself really looking forward to my 3 days a week of activity. I also went for a hike last saturday and to the gym Sunday, so I was active 5 days last week! Still, my total 'mileage' for this week will only be 9 minutes of running, but it's something. I think it's more just being consistently active. Getting up in the morning and enjoying time by myself outside really reminds me of college when I was running most mornings. I love that I get that morning wave from other runners out there. Hopefully as I continue I'll get stronger and perhaps my leg will hurt less (a girl can dream).

The only thing marring this jump back into running is a flare up of bursitis in my knee. I got this a few months ago really badly, and it came back after I just barely tweaked my knee walking around work. Since I've had this before, I'm much less freaked out about it than last time, and have been good icing it and taking ibuprofen. I've also been wearing my knee brace to run and at work. As long as the pain isn't too bad, I think it's okay to keep doing my running program, though I'll probably take Sunday off (I'm hoping for a family hike Saturday when my mom and sisters come up to visit and help me try on wedding dresses :) ).

On the cooking front, my Tuesday dinner definitely fell flat. It was Chinese Chicken Salad. The dressing was good: 2 T lime juice, 2 t sesame oil, plus salt and pepper. However, I apparently really don't like cabbage, which made up a lot of the salad.

Last night's dinner was definitely yummy: Shrimp Arrabiata. You just combined sauteed garlic, 15 oz of crushed tomatoes, 3 T of tomato paste, oregano, salt, and red pepper flakes, and cook it on medium heat for 5 minutes to thicken. Then, add cooked shrimp and fresh basil. I also cooked some asparagus in the oven and added that to the sauce. Then, you put it over whole wheat pasta. Mmm!

Fingers crossed for tonight's gingered beef and broccoli!


(To close things off here, here's a picture I found from a run over two years ago that show's my future wedding spot in the distance :) )

A Recipe a Night

With Ed gone, I have been wanting to fill my time and have decided cooking is the answer. I bought a cookbook of healthy recipes some time ago and haven't yet tried any, so I decided to pick a recipe a night the week. After a large shopping trip, I am all set to make healthy dinners.

Tonight's recipe was a huge success and very easy.

Satay Chicken and Aparagus:
Heat oven to 375
Line pan with foil and spray with cooking spray
Cut chicken breast into strips and marinade in teriyaki sauce. Then, thread onto wooden skewers that have been soaked in water and place on foil.
Place asparagus on foil and brush with 2 tsp canola oil and 2 tsp soy sauce
Cook for 15 minutes

It really was wonderful. I'm not sure if it was the novelty of chicken on a skewer, but it just tasted really good, as did the asparagus!

Tomorrow, chinese chicken salad!

A Romantic Weekend and a New Plan

Life has been going well lately - I got a new job (wohoo!!!) teaching 4th grade in a new, smaller district, which is really exciting. Thanks so much for all the support as I moaned about the job craziness - I got some emails from some great people who gave really supportive comments and helped me remember that there are lots of people who are struggling in this economy. I am very thankful to continue doing what I love for another year :)

I am also cautiously excited about the couch to 5k program that I've started. This is my first week, and I am really enjoying getting up early before work to be out walking/running. The leg is sore, but I think I'm just going to push through for a while at least. This morning time has really reminded me how much I used to enjoy running in the morning. When I first started running, it was this alone time that really helped me to discover myself as an individual when I was feeling lost. Those solo runs helped me grow so much as a person and I think this alone time will be really valuable as Ed goes off to his summer teaching program again. I am really liking having a plan again, and am going to stick with it - 3 days a week :)

Since this was Ed and my last weekend together before he leaves, we decided to go for a romantic evening in Cambria, where his mom lives. We stayed at a beautiful bed and breakfast, the McCall Farm, which I would highly recommend. It's an 1885 farmhouse with only 2 rooms and it's incredibly picturesque. We biked from the Farm to the city (11 miles round trip) and got to enjoy the amazing scenery. We also went on 2 hikes on Sunday. Yes, we could totally live here! We definitely hope to be back :)