Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Several Newsworthy Items!!

Wednesday, November 10, 2010 0

A clip of Jill in the New York City Marathon! She's famous!!!!
Catch her almost at the end, wearing the poppy! You look great Jill!



In other exciting news, Steve created the first ever 10km TOY RUN to celebrate the end of the 10 k clinic he was teaching. The runners brought gifts for the VOCM Happy Tree instead of a registration fee. I was very sad to have to miss this event due to work travel commitments, however, I am really looking forward to being involved in dropping off the gifts at the Happy Tree!

Here's the link to a short news story about Steve's race on VOCM news.

Here's the photo of the racers and volunteers. Congratulations to everyone!








Sunday, November 7, 2010

New York City Marathon

Sunday, November 7, 2010 0
Today was the 2010 New York City Marathon.
While I didn't make it in the lottery for this year, I will be submitting my application tomorrow for the 2011 lottery (even though I know I won't be able to run it in 2011) - it's one step closer to my guaranteed entry by 2013!

Sometimes it's hard having a goal that could be so far-off, but I'm feeling re-motivated by the fact that my fabulous friend Jill ran the marathon today! A BIG CONGRATS TO JILL! As we were chatting about it the other night I got a new sense of the energy that the marathon brings.

Juat take a look at these fans and choir along the marathon route.



Isn't that amazing? How could you not keep running with that kind of support?

Can't wait until I experience it myself.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

There are many reasons why we choose to run - this could be one!

Sunday, October 24, 2010 0

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Recreating Italy - Homemade Pasta

Sunday, October 17, 2010 0
It's been quite a while since I last posted. Life seems to be getting in the way.

Yesterday we re-created our Italian experience by making homemade pasta - in 2 courses. It was delicious!

We started off with some Italian bread drizzled with olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Brought us right back to Tuscany.






Everything prepped for pasta making. Since we did all of our prep right on the kitchen table, we used a disposable plastic table cloth. Makes the clean-up really easy!

Making pasta is really easy. Using flour, create a little well for an egg and then slowly mix together with a fork. Then knead the "dough" until you get a good consistency.



Use pasta press to roll out pasta. mmm mmm. Use a round cutter or glass to cut circles for ravioli. Or, for linguine, simply run pressed pasta through the cutter on the other side. Voila!


Fill pasta circles with spinach & ricotta filling, fold, and seal with a fork.


Finished ravioli and linguine. Waiting to be cooked.

Primi: Linguine with bolognese sauce.
Secondi: Ravioli sauteed in a little butter, covered in freshly grated parmesan.


Monday, September 27, 2010

So Proud

Monday, September 27, 2010 0


I'm so proud of my wonderful husband and his team (3 guys and a girl runnin' the huffin' puffin) who came SECOND in the first ever Provincial Marathon Relay yesterday!!! Congratulations to Clark, Steve, Gord (G2) and April!!


Also, big congratulations to some of our other running friends, Mary, Jody, Gord and Colleen who's team (running with the big dogs) came in THIRD in the marathon relay!

Here's a picture of the whole group!


What a great bunch of people I am privileged to run with!! See the full Marathon, Half-Marathon and Relay results here!

As my return flight landed at noon, I rushed home to shower and go with the group to attend the FABULOUS race reception at the Bowering Park Bungalow. BBQ hamburgers have never been so tastefully presented.

I would like to try to run in the marathon relay next year.....who's in??


Tuesday, September 21, 2010

A great rainy day meal

Tuesday, September 21, 2010 0

Last night, during the beginnings of Hurricane Igor, we went for a run with the 10 km clinic.

It was raining HEAVILY and we were all soaked through by the time we got back to the running room in the dark. It was a lucky coincidence that we had supper ready and waiting for us in the slow cooker for us when we got home.

It was a new recipe, so I had been hoping it would turn out OK. Turns out, it's probably my favourite slow cooker recipe so far!


Slow Cooker Provencal Beef Stew
Here's the Recipe (source: Kraft Canada)

1 lb. (450 g) boneless stewing beef, cubed
3 Tbsp. Flour
1 lb. (450 g) sweet potatoes (2 large), peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 can (28 fl oz/796 mL) no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1 Zucchini, cut into 1-inch-thick slices
1 Onion, chopped
4 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 cup 25%-less-sodium beef broth
1/4 cup Kraft Calorie-Wise Sun-Dried Tomato & Oregano Dressing
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

Toss beef with flour in slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients except basil. Cover with lid. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir in Basil just before serving.

I was pleasantly surprised at how much flavour this had!
The slow cooker is one of our best friends on running nights - no worrying about what to eat when you get home late!

Monday, August 30, 2010

Will Run for Cupcakes

Monday, August 30, 2010 0


Had to write a post!
Anyone who knows me well, knows of my somewhat unhealthy obsession with the Web site Etsy. For anyone who is not familiar with Etsy, it's very similar to eBay but consists of all things handcrafted/artisan (love).

Not a day of mine goes by without spending a little bit of time seeing what kinds of goodies I can come across on Etsy (in fact, some of you are getting Christmas presents that have come from Etsy - get excited, because they're awesome!)

Anyways, THIS is what I just discovered. WILL RUN FOR CUPCAKES! I have often said that I want to get a t-shirt custom made that says just that. Seriously great.


On another note, tonight was the first night of Steve's 10 km clinic at the Running Room. What a turnout! It was a fabulous first night and I am looking forward to helping out with the group and meeting new people!


Friday, August 27, 2010

Link to an Amazing Giveaway!

Friday, August 27, 2010 0
Being a blogger, avid blog follower of many blogs, and photographer, I was SUPER excited to come across this giveaway. For anyone who reads blogs regularly, MANY do giveaways (I'm hoping to do one for this blog soon!)

Anyways, here's the link, and Monday, August 30 is the last day to enter!

I have been admiring these Epiphanie camera bags for a while now! I've never won anything in a blog giveaway yet, but if this time was the winner, it would be amazing!

Good Luck!

Gift Bag Giveaway: Epiphanie Bag and Photojojo Instant Camera from Mighty Girl.



Wednesday, August 25, 2010

My favourite pose

Wednesday, August 25, 2010 0
(in yoga that is)





photo source: yoga journal
To be completely honest, I haven't been running much lately. Once a week, twice if I'm lucky. I think I needed a break, and it seems to be working well for me right now. Next week I will be helping Steve as he begins teaching a 10 km clinic, and that will get me back into a regular schedule. In the meantime, I'm practising yoga, at least once a week (sometimes twice) and really enjoying it.
I have recently been introduced to the online world of the Yoga Journal (http://www.yogajournal.com/)
It's amazing! I think I would like to subscribe to this magazine.
My favourite part so far is the visual description of poses, along with the health benefits of each pose. For example, in "Half Lord of the Fishes" pose, above, some of the health benefits are stretching the shoulders, hips and neck (and my shoulders can use all the stretching they can get), energizing the spine, stimulation of liver and kidneys.
Another recipe coming soon!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Some Upcoming Films.....

Thursday, August 19, 2010 0

That I would like to add to my view list.....


Beautiful Islands - watch the trailer - because I live on a beautiful island.

Flippped - watch the trailer below



Nowhere Boy - the story of John Lennon's early years.



Waiting for Superman - a documentary about the state of the education system in America

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Cupcake in a mug!

Thursday, August 12, 2010 0

Craving a little chocolate?
Make this "cupcake" in a mug, in your microwave in seconds!

I recently experimented with the recipe - you might want to add chocolate chips or similar to make the chocolate flavour more intense!

Here's the link to the recipe I used - Chocolate cake in 5 minutes

However I'm now tempted to try this recipe, which uses chocolate chips (see, I know what I'm talking about!) and vanilla.

Try it for yourself, and let me know how it works!!!

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

My Tely 10 in Pictures

Wednesday, July 28, 2010 0

See the Tely 10 Web site for all things Tely 10 - including times. I had a personal best this year. 90 minutes!

My orange shoelaces make me feel like a superstar runner.



Waiting at the start line
Photo Source: NL Running

Coming to the corner of Bannerman Road for the finish.
Thank you to Andrea for this picture!

and a link to a photo of me from the Tely 10 photographer.


Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Inspiration!

Tuesday, July 13, 2010 1
What a beautiful and important message to focus on your own personal strengths and abilities.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Mews 8 km

Monday, July 12, 2010 0

It's only 2 weeks until the Tely 10 and I am getting into race mode. After the 10 km race a couple of weeks ago, I decided to try the 8 km race this past weekend as well.

It was HOT.

It being my first time racing the 8 distance, I again had no goal time, but I am totally happy with 42 minutes! I can feel the hill and speed repeats paying off.

Here are some pictures of me during the race!




It was a great run, and I'm looking forward to the Tely. Yoga tomorrow to stretch out my weary muscles!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Thoughts of the day brought to you by.....

Tuesday, July 6, 2010 0

Lululemon has this GREAT campaign going on.

It seemed very timely to share this image, as I just finished my first Moksha ("hot") yoga class. and let me tell you, I did not sweat as much on my 19 k run earlier in the day as I did in this class. I am looking forward to more!

Read lululemon's full blog post "why you should sweat once a day" and get out there and move!

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Summer Salad

Saturday, July 3, 2010 0

A few weeks ago we spotted a great summer salad recipe in our new edition of Runner's World. Last night we finally made it! What a great, light, fresh and unique salad.

Watermelon is a good source of lycopene, an antioxidant that may lower risk of developing certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, and macular degeneration. Pair the salad with a few slices of toasted French bread for a light lunch.

SALAD
2 pounds watermelon, rind removed
1 cup Greek feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup fresh mint leaves, cut into a chiffonade (thin strips), or left whole if small
*(Note: the mint adds a very strong and unique flavour. If you are not a fan of mint, you might want to leave this out)
1 cup mixed baby greens

LEMON OLIVE OIL DRESSING
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil or lemon oil

Cut the watermelon into large chunks. Place an equal amount of melon on each of four chilled dinner plates. (Alternatively, cut the melon into four large circles, each one inch thick and four and a half inches wide, and place one circle on each plate.)

Sprinkle one-quarter of the cheese, mint, and greens on the watermelon.

Then make the dressing: Place the salt and lemon juice in a jar with a lid and shake to blend. Add the oil and shake once more.

Taste for seasoning, then drizzle the dressing over each salad. (The dressing will also keep in the refrigerator for up to three days.)

Serves four.

Tranquil Moments


Breakfast outside by the pool in the HEAT. It's amazing, this was such a special treat for me. I wonder if I lived in Florida all the time, would I appreciate this so much? Probably not, we always tend to take the things around us for granted after a while.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Lounging by a pool in Florida! Back Tuesday with new posts!

Friday, June 25, 2010 0

Monday, June 21, 2010

Impromptu Race!

Monday, June 21, 2010 0


Since Steve and I had a wedding to attend on Saturday night this week, I decided to get my long run in on Saturday morning. As it so happened, the Molson Timex 10k race took place on Saturday, and a day or 2 before, I decided to register for it.

I have literally never run an official race for a distance less than 16 km before, so I wasn't really sure how I would do, or what my time would be. I DREAD racing. I get really nervous and anxious thinking about it, so we decided this would also be good practice. It was a really nice day for a run, and I'm glad I didn't spend much time analyzing the race course, because there were a few more HILLS than I thought there would be!

All in all, I'm quite pleased with how I did for this first time.
I'm now prepared to run an 8 KM race in a couple of weeks.


The "official" results are here on the NLAA Web site, however, we were told that there was an accidental extra 200 m on the course, so my time should really be a little less than this!

57:05 - not bad for hills and wind. I think my goals for the Tely 10 are within reach!

My wonderful friend Selina took some great pictures at the race, including this one:



Thanks Selina! Let's see what the Mews 8 k brings....it's a faster course!

Thursday, June 17, 2010

What's playing on my iPod?

Thursday, June 17, 2010 0

It's time for an iPod update.
As I have probably posted before, I like to run to REALLY upbeat music....all the time.



Here's my new playlist:



1. Emergency - Paramore

2. California Girls - Katy Perry

3. Not myself tonight - Christina Aguilera

4. Best of you -Foo Fighters

5. OMG - Usher (my current fave upbeat song)

6. Winner - Jamie Foxx (this one has gotten me up over a few hills lately!)

7. Hell Yeah - Rev Theory

8. Big Girl Now - NKOTB & Lady Gaga

9. Imma Be - Black Eyed Peas

10. Out of my Head - Black Eyed Peas

11. Party all the Time - Black Eyed Peas

12. Rude Boy - Rihanna

13. Telephone - Lady Gaga feat. Beyonce

14. Empire State of Mind - Jayz feat Alicia Keys - MY THEME SONG

(this weekend I heard a DJ mix this with Sinatra's New York, New York - I loved it)

15. Give it All You Got - lil Jon

16. Hello Time Bomb - Matthew Good Band

17. If we ever meet again - Timbaland feat. Katy Perry

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Motivation!

Wednesday, June 16, 2010 0

Found here

Things I'm Excited About


In keeping with my summer plans, I've found a yoga class that I think is going to be a great fit with my needs.
1. Moksha Hot-Inspired Yoga


(for those of you not familiar, this is yoga in a heated environment!)
Read more about Moksha yoga and what I've signed up for here!
I hope to start in the first week of July. Thanks to my sis Julie for connecting me with this!

2. Cake Decorating!

I'm taking the Level 1 Wilton cake decorating class beginning on July 5!
Because really, I'm all about the sweets.
Maybe, once I complete a few levels, I'll be able to make a cake for one of our running parties that looks like this! Maybe?!


source


3. Summer Reading

This book and this book just arrived in my mailbox. Can't wait to read them both. All part of my quest for healthier eating! Thanks to Jill for the recommendations!




Monday, June 14, 2010

Salt Water Joy

Monday, June 14, 2010 0

Spent part of my day off drinking my coffee by the ocean. I love that I can do that.





and in other very important news!

If you are a runner or sports enthusiast in the St. John's area. PLEASE consider donating previously loved running and sporting gear THIS SATURDAY, JUNE 19 at the collection blitz.

Full details on the NL Running Web site

I'm making a collection of items now, hope you will too!



Thursday, June 10, 2010

Breakfast: Part One

Thursday, June 10, 2010 0

HOMEMADE GRANOLA = DELICIOUS!


Recipe:
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup wheat bran
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup canola oil
1/3 cup dried cranberries, blueberries


Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Combine oats, bran, wheat germ, almonds and cinnamon in a bowl. Heat the honey and oil in a saucepan until small bubbles appear around the sides of the pan. Pour over dry mixture and toss until well combined. Spread evenly in a foil-lined shallow baking pan. Bake 40 - 50 minutes or until golden brown, stirring every 10 minutes. Add cranberries and blueberries. Makes about 5 cups.

Here's the finished product for breakfast with yogurt and blackberries. mmmmm mmmmm!

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Quiet Time

Tuesday, June 8, 2010 0


Trying new tea from the lovely Britannia Teas in downtown St. John's. This particular one is Organic Blueberry.

From the Web site:

"Wild Blueberry Organic Fair Trade"
A unique blend of black teas combined with Canadian wild blueberries. Steep 2 to 3 minutes only. Serve without milk but lightly sweetened to enhance the natural berry taste.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

I got my run back

Sunday, June 6, 2010 0

Today I finally had a good run. Patience is not my best virtue, but it paid off. Let's hope I can continue to have good runs for the rest of this upcoming week!

Yesterday the SUN was shining. I was WONDERFUL. I planted a small indoor herb garden - hopefully later in the summer we will be able to have fresh herbs with some of our meals. We are also trying to move into a healthier eating plan (more to come on that in a later post).


I have been reading an entertaining book called "The Guinea Pig Diaries" by A.J Jacobs. Basically, Jacobs is an experiential journalist - conducting life experiments and then writing about them. It's an easy, amusing read, and I highly recommend it. Various chapters highlight his experiments, such as outsourcing his entire life, passing as a celebrity for a day, and practising "radical honesty" (where he tells everyone exactly what he thinks ALL the time).

but the chapter that really got me is the one called "The Unitasker". Jacobs trys to eliminate multi-tasking from his life, and just do one thing at a time. It's really all about trying to be present in the moment. It made me think about running.........when you run, it's just you, your feet, the pavement, and wherever you want to go.
Once you get into a rhythm it's very peaceful. Everyone needs a break from their crazy lives, and even though we come out of University bragging about our amazing ability to multi-task.....really? It sucks. Everyone should take a little more time to try to be present IN THE MOMENT.

I'll leave you with a few Spring-like pictures from my garden.


Spring Tulips

My outdoor herb garden - chives, lemon thyme and lavender



flowers on the deck

Friday, June 4, 2010

Friday

Friday, June 4, 2010 0

I haven't been sure what to write for the past few days. I try to keep my blog really positive, but the truth is, I have been struggling with my running, and have been feeling somewhat frustrated lately.

I realize that this is compeletely my own doing. I trained for, and ran the half marathon in February, and since then, my runs have been irregular at best. Where did that time go? No wonder I'm not feeling good about my runs when 4 months have gone by.

I have lot's of great "excuses" - school was really busy (yes it was), work was really busy (it always is), we went on our honeymoon etc.

So now I am trying to get back into regular training, despite my life. I am registered for the Tely 10, and want to have a good run.

I ran:
last Sunday (a very difficult run for me with lot's of hills)
Wednesday morning (tempo run - mornings are always hard, but I feel great for the rest of the day)
Thursday night - 4 hills - "ugh"

Let's hope it's going to feel easier again soon.

I have to end my post and start off my weekend with something positive, so here's a "Wordle" that I created with running inspiration!


Image created on http://www.wordle.net

Sunday, May 30, 2010

My Weekend - Local Flavour

Sunday, May 30, 2010 0


There is really nothing better than a Saturday when you have absolutely nothing that HAS to be done. No weekend work, no school, no obligations or commitments.
Yesterday was one of those rare days for me.

We had lunch at a delightful local restaurant in Portugal Cove called the Ferry Last Stop. Tucked in off the road on Portugal Cove Road, shortly before the Bell Island Ferry turnoff, you might almost miss this cosy spot!

Probably the most unique restaurant in the metro area for sure, the food is homemade, many of the products come from the organic farm, and it is delicious. We had the stuffed french toast, cream cheese "stuffed" between 2 of the thickest pieces of homemade bread I have ever seen and covered with local berries in a white wine sauce. It was AMAZING. and I was full for the entire day.


I highly recommend that everyone make plans to visit. Artwork covers every wall, and you feel like you are dining in the sunny home of a dear friend. A "typical" restaurant, this is not - I love unique and interesting dining experiences.


Happy eating!

 
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