As promised!

http://tryoneitsgoodforyou.blogspot.com/

Here's the link to the new site.  I will shut this one down soon.  Check us out, we'll be having lots of fun!

Sunday Sunday Sunday!

The new site is launching on Sunday ... I will post a link then! 

Get excited people!

Fear Not Loyal Readers

for I have not abandoned you!  But I will be soon.  Yikes!  I decided that blogging would be much more fun with a friend.  So after some arm twisting, I have recruited my BFF-Missouri (there is also a BFF - Kansas and a BFF Ohio, you know who you are) to blog with me.  We are working on getting it up and ready, we plan our first post for the monday of easter week. It is going to be all about fitness, food, and fun!

Stay tuned - I'll post a link to the new site as soon as we are up and running!

Run for the Helmut 7K Cottleville, MO

So Saturday was race day and I did it!  Wahoo!  I only had two goals for the race ...

1.  Run, no walking allowed.  Check and check.

2.  Finish in 45 minutes or less.  Drum roll, please ..... official time 43:53. 

I was pretty proud of myself.  Wade brought the kids down, so they got to see my cross the finish line.  And then they got smoothies.  Pretty sure they were more excited about the smoothies.  Keira kept asking me why I didn't win?  The concept of doing something and not winning is still lost on her.

Overall, it was a good experience.  Here is what I learned: 

• It is going to be crowded, figure out a way to deal with it. I don't like crowds, at all.  Slightly claustrophobic here.  So before the race started, I just kept wandering around finding pockets of air.  Once the race started, it was a bit more difficult, but still do-able to find your space.
• It is really hard to pace yourself when you are running in a crowd like that.  Which is why I love the Map My Run app for the iPhone.  Love it, love it, love it.  It pops on every 5 minutes and says, the time, the distance and your pace.  This really help me.  I stated a bit to fast, just trying to keep up with some and get out of the way of others and this really helped me know if I needed to speed up or slow down.
• Jogging strollers should NOT be allowed.  Enough said.
• You will get a great sense of accomplishment by crossing the finish line.
• Beer, after a hot and sticky 4.5 mile run does not sound good ... even when it's free!

Signing up for a 10k this week.  It is in late April.  More training until then .... still toying with the idea of doing a mini, I'll keep you posted.

Top 10 Things I wish someone would have told me about Running before I started

Well, was that a long enough title for you?  Ha.  I have my first race tomorrow and I am excited.  Nervous.  Excited.  Nervous.  It's dumb to be nervous, right?  Because I already know I can run the distance.  I have run twice the distance before.  But for some reason I am terrified of having to walk!  Hopefully that fear will propel me towards the finish line. I'll post my mile by mile replay this weekend :)

*****

Last night I had a real Epiphany ... I am a runner.  This came to me while I was running in the dark in the rain.  Uh, yeah, I was the psycho out there drenched getting in her miles.  Because I wanted to.  Because it felt good.  Because now, it is just what I do ... for fun.  What?  For fun?  From a girl that would do nothing but bitch and bitch about running.  For months, all I did was complain and talk about how I was going to quit.  Here are a few things that I uttered in those beginning months ... mostly to poor Wade, who was doing way better than I was at running.  His speed and distance increased much faster than mine ... which quite honestly, is probably why I kept at it.  I hate being beat, I am far too competitive.  Do any of these sound familiar?

"This is torture, why am I doing this again?"

"Why is this so hard, I have been running for months?"

"I hate running"

"Well, that run sucked"

"I am just going to quit, I am never going to be good at this"

And then, yesterday, it was just fun.  I was no longer miserable at the end, even though I was soaking wet.  Not only was I not miserable, I actually felt good!  So to encourage all you other runners out there, I put together a list of things that I wish someone would have told me when I first started. 

**Please read in David Letterman Top 10 fashion!

The Top Ten Things I wish someone would have told me about Running before I started:

10.  It's going to suck for awhile.  There is just no getting around it.  Especially if you are starting from scratch.  Running is hard.  You are going to sweat.  You are going to be out of breath.  You are going to be tired.  But these are all good things that will pay dividends in the end.

9.  It does get better.  Eventually, it will all be worth it.  Like when the weight starts falling off.  When you finish 3 miles and know that you could go for at least 1 more, maybe 2.  When you can eat that Mint Oreo Blizzard with no guilt.  When you go buy pants that are 3 sizes smaller.  Oh yeah, it does get better.

8.  Go Slow.  When I first started, I wanted to run a 10 minute mile right out of the gate.  Uh, yeah, that isn't really the way it works.  And if you try to do that and fail, you will be discouraged, like I was.  Oh how depressed I was that I was such a slow runner.  But the truth is, you can go so much farther if you slow down.  My advice is to focus on distance first.  Doesn't matter how long it takes you, the speed will come on it's own.  A little faster every run.  Focus on getting 3 miles down.  Then focus on improving your speed.  I used the Couch to 5k Program to get started.  It mixes walking with running.  A great beginners program.

7.  Make sure to warm up and cool down.  This is so important. I didn't use to do it.  I have a very limited window to workout and I didn't want to waste any time with warming up or cooling down.  I just wanted to get at it.  But your muscles really need warmed up and stretched out to avoid injury.    See point 6.

6.  If you get injured, treat it properly. As hard as it will be to stay off of the injury, that is exactly what you need to do.  I had some trouble with my hamstring and had to sit out a week.  It sucked.  I was afraid I wouldn't got back to running after being lazy for a week.  The injury likely would have been avoided, if I had followed point 7.  I followed RICE for my injury.  Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.  If you think it may be serious, go see a doctor!  The sooner you get the proper treatment, the quicker you can get back at it.

5. Drink your water or Gatorade (But really water, Gatorade is gross, right?  Who's with me?)  It is so important to stay hydrated.  Your body needs water to function properly.  You need it before, during and after your run.  Not getting enough water can lead to muscle tightness or cramping, heat exhaustion, and many other nasty things.  Drink your water.

4.It helps to have a goal.  Be it weight loss, training for a specific event (5k, 10k, half, etc), fit into a great pair of jeans, whatever your goal, it can help keep you going on days when you really just don't want to go. You can also use the reward strategy too.  Run for a month, get a new running outfit, something like that.

3.  It helps to have a buddy.  You don't necessarily need a buddy to run with, this would totally annoy me.  I need to set my own pace, go at my own speed.  I don't want to have to slow down or speed up or adjust my length for someone else.  But some people like it and it motivates them to get out there.  What I need is someone to talk to about running.  How hard it was, what is a good new route, how do I pace myself, etc.  And well, there is the competitive nature of my psyche.  If Wade had not taken up running at the same time, I probably would not have stuck with it. A little competition is fun.  He motivated me, I motivated him.  Dammit, if he went and ran 6 miles today, I was going to do 6.5 miles.  And you can bet the next time he did his long run, he went 7.  It works for us. 

2. You NEED a good pair of shoes.  And for that matter, a good pair of socks too!  If you want to avoid injury, run farther, feel better after your run, you need to wear a good pair of shoes.  Go to a running store and get fitted.  The have great computer programs that tell them which shoes fit YOUR feet.  Yes, they are going to cost some money.  But the $45 shoes I bought from Kohl's seriously do not compare to what I got a Fleet Feet.  I now feel like I am running on air.  And if you need an awesome pair of socks, you have to try Drymax Socks.  I cannot say enough good things about them.  No foot sweat.  Very very comfortable.  I rain in the rain last night and my feet were dry!  I wear the no show running socks and they are fantastic.  And padded.  Like running on pillows.  Sorta like sleeping bags for your feet.  Ok, I'm done here. 

1.  Running is 90% mental.  Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right. This saying holds so true with running.  My biggest battle with running has not been physical, it has been mental.  That little voice saying, "You can't run 5 miles, who are you trying to kid?"  In the beginning, I would answer, "You're right.  I better walk for awhile, I am exhausted, I just CAN'T run any further."  But really, I probably could have.  The body almost always has something left when the brain just wants to give it.  What did Jillian Michaels always say -- "Unless you puke, faint, or die, keep going".  I won't say the voice ever goes away, at least not for me.  But the voice has gotten quieter and less frequent.  And now when she says, "No way can you do this, you aren't going to make it", I answer, "Shut up, I totally got this!"
 

Rainbows

We worked on some St. Patrick's Day crafts this weekend.  The first was making rainbows out of dyed pasta.  Never dyed pasta?  It's easy! 



Place whatever shape noodle you like into a ziplock bag.  Add 1/4 to 1/2 Cup rubbing alcohol.  Add about 10 drops of food coloring.  (I have found that red and blue take more like 20 drops to get them really colorful.) 

Close the ziplock bag and lay out flat on covered space.  Squish it around and make sure everything is covered.  Flip the bag after an hour.  Should be done in about two hours. 

Drain and let dry overnight on top of paper towels.

The kids love Pasta Art.  Here are their creations:

The one at the beginning of the post was mine.  Totally Type A, right?

Our other "craft" was to make rainbow cupcakes.  Except they didn't really turn out like rainbows, the turned out more like Tye Dye cupcakes, which is cool.  My problem was I didn't have a box mix for the cupcake batter, so I looked up a recipe for one.  And while it tasted yummy, it was a very thin batter.  To hold the layers for the rainbow, you really need a thicker batter.  Nonetheless, it was still fun and still rainbow-ish, wanna see?

Here is our batter, nice and separated.  Using the ziplock bags helps to keep down on the mess.

This is the point that I knew we were not going to get rainbows, each layer sank into the last.  Still looks cool though!

The finished product.  My icing skills are coming along!  I am actually taking a decorating class later in the month, very excited about that!



The inside of the cupcakes.  So, if you ever have to make a treat for a 70s party, this is your cupcake!

That is how we spent our weekend.  Hope you all are having this awesome weather that we are getting and enjoying it!



Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes (minus the wiskey)

Why minus the whiskey?  Well, two very good reasons, really.  One, I hate whiskey.  Two, I didn't have any.  Those good enough reasons for you?  Thought so.

I thought since I was running this race on St. Patrick's Day that I deserved a treat before hand.  This way, I will eat these all week and then feel like I really HAVE to run on Saturday to burn off all the calories and that will keep me motivated to the finish!  These cupcakes were delicious!  The cupcake itself was over the top chocolate ymminess and the icing was to die for and don't forget the filling, super rich!  As a warning, these are definitely for the chocolate lover.  Wade liked them, but could have done without the filling. I didn't let the kids try them because of the alcohol factor, though it it probably fine.  I made them tie dye rainbow cupcakes intstead, so they were happy!  These are perfect for St. Patrick's Day treats :)  Here's the recipe:

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes (minus the whiskey)
very slightly adapted from Annie's Eats

Cupcakes
1 cup Guinness
2 sticks butter
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder - I used Ghirardelli
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1½ t. baking soda
¾ t salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Ganache
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (Again, I used Ghiradelli)
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. butter, at room temperature
4 tsp. Bailey’s Irish cream

Frosting
2 sticks butter, at room temperature
3-4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 T heavy cream
2 - 4 T. Bailey’s Irish cream

For the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F. Combine Guinness and butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Stir until butter is melted.  Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly, aprox 8 to 10 minutes.

In a large bowl,whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.  In another bowl beat together the eggs and sour cream.  Add the Guinness mixture and beat just to combine.  Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until incorporated.  Pour into cupcake pan with liners, filling each aprox 3/4 full.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 15 to 17 minutes.  Allow to cool completely before filling.

To make the filling, chop chocolate into fine pieces and place in bowl.  Heat the cream in a small saucepan until simmering, then pour it over the chocolate.  Let sit for one minute and then whisk until smooth.  If the chocolate is not completely melted, place the bowl over a double boiler and continue to whisk until melted.  Add the butter and Bailey’s and stir until combined. Let cool until thick.  Aprox. 40 to 60 minutes.  Once cool and thick, put ganache in piping bag or use a zip lock bag with corner trimmed to fill cupcakes.

To fill cupcakes, using a small knife, cut out a small, deep top from the cupcake.  (Pictures below).  Pipe in the ganache.  Trip the top you cut off and place back on the cupcake. 

To make the frosting, beat butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Gradually add the powdered sugar until it is all incorporated.  Mix in the cream and then the Bailey’s until smooth.  Add more Bailey's if necessary until the frosting has reached a good consistency.  I wouldn't suggest going to heavy on the Bailey's.  I used a bit to much the first time around and had to pitch it, the flavor was just off.  Frost your cupcakes.

Never filled a cupcake before?  Here's what it looks like:

Use a paring knife and cut out a piece from the center.  Pipe in filling.  Trim the piece you removed.

Replace the top.  Doesn't have to be perfect, no one will ever see it as it will be covered with frosting!

The finished product

Hope you have a great week!