Fatter and Fatter.

Fatter and fatter.

Wider and wider. 

19 weeks, 3 days to go. 

Knocked up.

I can't believe it's been so long since I've blogged. I am really not very good at this.  Anyway *drum roll please* I'm knocked up.

Yep.  Having a baby. 20 weeks. Halfway there. 

It's awesome.

It also means all kinds of things are happening to my body that I have to accept and make the best of because I know it's not permanent and for a good cause.  I was always one of those people that was sure I'd lose 20 lbs before I got pregnant so that gaining weight while pregnant wouldn't be as bad.   That did NOT happen.  Although I lost weight leading up to my wedding, the six months after were filled with a lot of drinking, eating and hanging out and not nearly enough running or working out.  I've had to get the dreams of being that really cute pregnant woman with a perfectly toned body and bulging belly out of my head.  That's not my story. So be it. 

Since I started this pregnancy weighing more than I would have liked, I have been trying hard not to put on a lot of lbs.  I was pretty surprised and relieved in a way to learn that during pregnancy you only need an extra 300-500 calories a day which is like NOTHING.  At 20 weeks, I'm up 2 lbs. and I'm pretty comfortable with that (on most days).  I still feel fat and huge but I think that's just because I see my self getting wide and large and know there's not much I can do about it.  That in between stage where you just look bloated and fat and not pregnant can be so frustrating.  

My working out during this pregnancy has been up and down.  Early on I was running about 4 times a week but that slowed down as morning sickness kicked in along with random bouts of dizziness that were horrible.  Now the daily morning sickness is gone (although it does pop up sporadically) so I've tried to get back to working out.  One thing is everything is so much harder than it used to.  I have to run so much slower and take a lot more breaks - not just to catch my breath but to PEE. Most frustrating thing ever. I ran three miles on the treadmill yesterday and my thighs hurt like crazy today. I haven't really figured out a real workout routine and plan and just try to do whatever I feel up to - on days when I'm feeling particularly lazy (which happens more than I'd like to admit) i try to do some easy miles on the stationary bike.  As I enter the final twenty weeks, I'd like to develop some kind of workout plan that is more consistent.  Thinking about maybe ordering some workout videos or taking up some prenatal yoga classes.  Any and all suggestions are welcome!  Particularly for arm workouts.  I figure even if i do get big, It won't be as mad if I have toned arms.

So far my boobs and thighs have gotten HUGE, my belly has started to grow but I think if you don't actually see me on a regular basis you might just think I've let myself go. Most maternity clothes are disgustingly frumpy but maternity pants are a life saver and the most comfortable things ever. Wrap dresses are clutch.  I thought I'd be much flyer as a pregnant woman but it's harder than I thought.  (My shit is still killing Kim Kardashian's tho.)

Anyway, I'm trying to keep my weight gain to 20 lbs are less so cross your fingers for me.  Hoping that getting back to blogging will help me make good food choices and workout consistently during this second half.  I've read that most of the weight gain doesn't occur until then so I gotta make sure I'm on it. 



All that being said....

I'm back.


-Nash

Hot Body Friday

Today's hot body friday inspiration is someone I know personally.

We met in middle school and body was ridiculous even then.

Nana Meriwether

Now she's the super glamorous Miss Maryland and the first runner up at this year's Miss USA contest (she was robbed).

Oh, not only is she Miss Maryland, she's an AMAZING athlete. Like, A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

She is a NCAA All-American volleyball player and went on to play professional volleyball in Puerto Rico.  
Watching her run track in high school was a surreal experience. 

Enjoy.

Race Recap: Memphis Road Race Series 5k

Sooooo last Sunday was my first race of 2012.  It wasn't anything major, just a 5k, but I'm excited about it nonetheless.  Sunday's run was the first race in the Memphis Road Race series.  The Road Race Series is one of the best things ever.  For $75 you run 10 races between now and November 18.  The series starts with two 5ks and ends with two half-marathons.  The $75 also includes a CHIP so all your races are timed.  This is a pretty big deal to me as I've paid $75+ for one race and at least $30 for races that didn't have chip timing at all. 

The races take place at Audubon Park in Memphis.  There's nothing super scenic or special about the location BUT there is lots of parking which is a plus.  The race started at 7am so I set my alarm at 5am. I normally like to have time to stretch, eat a banana and a sugar free redbull (don't judge me y'all) and get to the race about an hour advance.  I get super anxiety about parking and having to ask people for directions to the race so I like to give myself a lot of time.  Unfortunately, I ignored my alarm clock several times and didn't get out of bed until 5:55 am (side bar: ignoring my alarm clock seems to be my thing nowadays even when I get to bed early. Maybe I should get that checked out?).  I managed to get dressed quickly and got to the race site at around 6:20 am.  My nerves were calmed when I saw a bunch of people with bibs parking in a Chili's parking lot and walking to the race. 

I parked and walked over to the race.  One of my friends and co-workers was doing the race with me so I texted her so we could meet up.  There was a HUGE crowd.  When I went to pick up my bib and chip the day before, the guy told me that 1400 people had signed up for the series.  I'm not sure there were 1400 people there but I did think there were a lot of people up on a Sunday morning for a 5k.   The weather was gloomy which I welcomed with open arms given the HADES that has been Memphis recently (it was still HOT but not as bad as it would have been if the sun was out).  I haven't run an organized 5k since October of November of last year so I wasn't sure what my time should be.  I run 3 miles + on a regular basis but I run at a comfortable (ahem: lazy pace).  I decided that going into the race I wanted to run close to a 9:00 pace.  I know that's not fast for some people, but I am not a sprinter or a fast runner.  I'm better at keeping a decent pace for a long period of time.  My longer runs are done at about a 10:00 pace.  

Since I hadn't run a race in a while AND I didn't wear my Garmin watch, it was hard for me to pace myself.  I tried to guess and find people that I thought I could follow and keep up with.  I finished the first mile in 9:07 seconds and felt fine.  Eventually I found a woman to pace myself with and followed her for the second mile.  My second mile was 9:07 too.  The third mile is when things got a little tougher for some reason.  I wasn't super tired but my body just felt really hot and it was harder to move my legs.  The 3rd mile was in 9:30 seconds which given my goal was disappointing.  Because the first two miles didn't feel super exhausting, I was hoping to make up the :14 in the last mile.  When I ran a 4 miler a year ago, my final mile and a half was at an 8:30 pace so I know it's possible.  I didn't  get exactly what I wanted but I'm still happy with my performance.  It's not horrible [for me] and it gives me a very reachable goal to keep in my mind.

After the race, there was water and fruit.  I really have no complaints from the first 5k of the series.  People were friendly, it was a nice crowd, and given the cheap cost, the water and fruit provided was great. I think there may have been some stands set up prior to the race but I didn't look around. I'll have to check next time.

Lastly, I did notice a few brown faces in the crowd. Out of crowd of many, I didn't see more than 20 but I'm always encouraged when I see Black runners making it happen.

The next 5k is on July 22 but you'll hear from me before then because there is much to talk about (see: the 26.2 miles I signed up to run in Chicago). 

- Nash

Hot Body Friday

My new obssession.

Elisabeth Akinwale. 

Get into her. 

I'm back.

I can't believe I've been gone this long. Life has been extremely hectic, but I'm back for good now!

First things first...

Although I would have liked to be a LITTLE skinnier on my wedding day, I did drop 10 lbs. before the big day and I think I looked pretty good.

(right before the ceremony)

(for the collarbones, obvi)

Trying to plan a wedding, while starting a fairly new job in a new city was WAY more difficult than I expected.  As a result, my training suffered and 6 months into 2012, I haven't completed a single race. *sigh* Now that I'm officially someone's wife and not just a crazy person planning a wedding, I have a lot more time to work out/train, cook healthy meals and not make excuses.  This also means blogging more often and consistently.


In 106 days, I am running my first marathon - the Bank of America Chicago marathon.  My training begins immediately.   I like Hal Higdon's training plans so I'm doing his Novice 1 which will require me to run nine miles this weekend.  I haven't run nine miles in FOREVER and it is fiftyleven degrees in Memphis right now so planning + hydration will be key.  Oh, and prayer. PRAYER.




I've also signed up for the Memphis Road Race Series.  A co-worker introduced me to this and it's $75 for 10 races. That is AMAZING. Two 5ks, two 5-milers, two 10ks, two 10-milers, and two half marathons.  Did I say $75 for ALL the races combined? I'm excited.  I'm going to miss one of the 10-milers because it is the same day as the Chicago marathon but the rest should work out fine.


The first race is on July 8th.


Expect to hear a lot more from me.  I've missed y'all. 

Hot Body Friday

Because no matter how many times she falls off the wagon, she gets right back on...

And who hasn't prayed for abs like Ms. Jackson?

-Nash

26.2 miles is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of...

and yet, for some reason, I'm thinking about doing it. It was my dream for a long time to run a half-marathon and when I ran my first half marathon almost a year ago I was filled with pride and excitement. I also knew that I wanted to do it again. And again. And again. To me, 13.1 miles is the perfect distance. It's long enough to be a challenge but still manageable without aching or being bored out of your mind. The thought of running for over 4 hours straight seems absolutely ridiculous, painful and mind numbing to me but for some crazy reason, after a simple suggestion form a friend, I'm seriously considering it. On one hand, I don't think it will be fun at all. On the other, I think its a great challenge and I'm strangely intrigued by do something that I generally think is so horrible and painful.

The Chicago Marathon is on October 8th but registration opens on February 1st and fills up fast. I have a love affair with Chicago (I spent three years there while in law school and happened to meet my future husband there) and remember seeing thousands of people run down on my street with pained/excited looks on their faces. I have seven days to decide if I'm really about that life but I know I want 2012 to be filled with lots of new challenges so...why not?

If you're thinking about running a marathon for the first time or have already done so I would LOVE to hear your thoughts!

- Nash

Late Nights, Early Mornings.

It's 11:34 pm and I just finished a short 2 mile run on the treadmill. I'm at 36 miles for the month so far, i.e. no where close to reaching 100 miles for the month of January. To hit that mark, I'd have to run 5 miles every day for the next 13 days. It's possible but with my schedule it's not likely.

So I'm feeling a little discouraged. It will pass. In the meantime, I'm reminding myself of some thing I know I need to get on top of. I HAVE TO WORKOUT IN THE MORNING. As much as I hate getting up at 5am, I DREAD working out after a long day of work and having to hit the treadmill at 11 pm just to log a few miles. When I get home from work, I want to cook dinner, watch tv and hang out with my soon to be husband. It's so much easier when I get my workout done before I start my day. I'm making that a priority for the rest of month.

Night.

-Nash

2012 Races!

So I've finally decided on a few races for this year and I'm pretty excited. This is not a full list as I plan on adding races once I do more research. If you have any suggestions on races, please let me know!!

• February 11, 2012 - Valentines Day Sweetheart 10k, Bartlett, TN
• March 18, 2012 - Germantown Half Marathon, Germantown, TN
• April 28, 2012 - Rock n Roll Half Marathon, Nashville, TN
• October 28, 2012 - Rock n Roll Half Marathon, Los Angeles, CA

I also pre-registered for a Tough Mudder in Nashville. We'll see how that goes...Not sure if I'm ready for that kind of challenge yet and the date for that race isn't listed on their site yet so it may not fit in with my plans. I know that I want to do a Tough Mudder at some point in my life, but the whole thing is seriously intimidating.

The Valentine's Day Race, my first race of the year, is a team race for "sweethearts" ( corny, I know). Teams consist of two individuals. Both run the race and their times are added together to determine the winner. My fiance doesn't yet know he'll be running this race with me but I think it will be a fun thing to do so.....:)

I plan on adding another half marathon, an obstacle 5k race, and a bunch of other races of distances under 13.1 miles. It's nice to have a few races picked out so far though. I tend to do better when I have a plan and something I KNOW I'm working towards. I'm also looking forward to writing race some recaps since it's been a while.

SEND ME SOME RACE SUGGESTIONS!

- Nash

Hot Body Friday

In the prolific words of Big Sean....

ASS. ASS. ASS. ASS. ASS.

Because I love everything about Tracee Ellis Ross.

And that back.

And that ....

Whew.

Happy Friday.

-Nash

Week 1 of 2012 Update

So far 2012 has gone well and I've been able to start the year off on the right foot (I know it's only been 11 days). My new year plan/resolution(s) didn't *technically* start until January 2nd. From January 2nd-January 8, I worked out 6 out of 7 days at a total of 19 miles for the week. I haven't started any specific running plan so I basically was just running for as long as I felt. Since I gained a few lbs. over the holiday, I definitely felt heavier which was NOT fun. My longest runs for last week were 4 miles. The shortest runs were 2 miles. I also did a damn good job of eating well this past week, mostly because one of my added resolutions is to plan all my meals and not eat out. I brought my lunch to work EVERY DAY y'all. I know people do that all the time but that is a big, deal for me. AND i was the crock pot, meal prep queen. I finally feel like I've managed this how-to-grocery shop-for-1-2 people-without-always-having-to-throw-produce-in-the-trash-thing.

Still compiling my race list for the year and I think I'm going to join a gym....the jury is still out on that though. I have a treadmill at the house, a stationary bike, a medicine ball and some weights. The basics. But I miss the option of hopping on the elliptical to blast out calories from time to time without having to work hard. I also miss the occasional spin class. There's a gym in walking distance from my house that I'm thinking about trying out but I'm not sure if I really, really need a gym membership. Thoughts??

I'm going to weigh in this evening so I'll post my weight on here which I haven't done in a while. I have to buy a new scale because I think the one we have is broken (insert joke here).

Also planning on cooking some fun things this weekend including a jerk turkey recipe I got from my friend.

-Nash

Nash

2012 Resolutions

Here we go:

1. Read one book a month. I'd like to ultimately read 6 fiction and 6 non-fiction. I'm a fast reader and I LOVE to read. This year I want to devote more of my down time to reading and less to tweeting/facebooking/watching TV. Well, maybe not watching TV. The first book up is Manning Marable's "Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention." I purchased the book last year but have only read a few pages so far. I would LOVE any book recommendations.

2. I would like to join the "100 mile month" club. I don't know if this is an actual "club" but a friend of mine tweeted about it and I like the idea. This shouldn't be too hard to do with consistent running and why not run 1200 miles in 2012?

3. Become more fiscally responsible -- My pastor says that 10% goes to God, 10% goes to Savings and the rest you live off of/do what you want. I'm going to work really hard at making this happen (post-wedding).

4. Volunteer/Join a mentoring program. Volunteering was a lot easier when it's built into your curriculum as it was in high school. Since then, however, I have not done nearly as much community service as I should and that was a LONG time ago. I have one opportunity already in mind and I just need to stop making excuses, make the time in my schedule and do it.

5. Incorporate Cross Fit and Yoga into my routine on a consistent and regular basis. I fell in love with both Cross Fit and Yoga last year but have not be able to do them regularly. This is something I really want to work on.

6. Hit my 2011 goal of 4 half marathons. Run another obstacle/adventure race. This past year I ran 6 races. For 2012, I'd like to run 10. I need to sit down and figure out what races I want to do this year. Once I actually do that, I'll post them here.

7. Hit my goal weight (-15 lbs.) FINALLY and BEFORE my wedding.

8. Workout 5 times a week. I read Keyalus' 2011 recap on Determined to be Fit and was inspired and amazed that for two years in a row she has averaged 5 workouts/week. Impressive.

That's pretty much it but if I think of more, I'll add. Last year was very productive for me, so I'm looking forward to what this year has to offer and all the improvements I'll make.

- Nash

26 and I'm back

I'm FINALLY back. Not too surprising that my last post was entitled "Slump" right? I can't believe it's been a month and a half since I last posted. Since then I have been working and running out but not as hard core as I would have liked. The last quarter of the year has been difficult for me as there have been a lot of changes in my life. These changes have for the most part been extremely positive and exciting, but have still required major adjustments -- moving to a new city, starting a new job with LONG hours, learning the ins and outs of co-habitation, getting engaged AND planning a wedding.

When I originally started this blog, I had the goal of losing 20+ lbs by my birthday. THAT didn't happen. I did lose 7 lbs, but still roughly 15 lbs. from my goal. I had also planned to run two more half marathons before the end of the year and that didn't happen either. The week before the third half marathon I signed up for, the Ruben Studdard half marathon, I got sick and had to make a trick quip to the hospital so I had to lay that to the side. Although I didn't run the half-marathons, I did manage to run three races (that I blogged about) that were not in my initial plans.

As the new year begins, I have a new set of resolutions and can still look back at 2011 as a PHENOMENAL year for me. I made a decision to run for my first half marathon and did it. I ran a second half marathon and finished a Rebel Race with three other friends and I began to at least solidify my interest in and commitment to working out, running and creating a better me in a legitimate way.

I'm happy and I can't wait to share my 2012 resolutions with you all.

Also, I'm back for real. I missed blogging and I do think it really helps me stay on track.

- Nash

Slump

Over the last two weeks, I've been in a bit of a slump (perfect timing as I have a half-marathon in a week and a half, right?). I'm not sure where this slump came from but it [felt like] it hit pretty hard. The first week, I worked out only once. The second week I was determined to do better but only managed to workout twice. As a person who strives to workout at least 5-6 times a week, this was a big deal for me. Not to mention that the more days I missed, the harder it was to motivate to workout again. The dread that built up inside of me before a planned workout was almost paralyzing and I lacked the mental gusto/"mind over a matter" push I normally have during my workouts once I did start the workout. As soon as the workout got a little comfortable, I was ready to stop. A 3 mile run felt like eternity. I felt like I lost some of my "juice" - that little bit of something that pushes you to work hard even when you don't want to.

I started a new job about a month and a half ago and I think one of the reasons for my slump is that I haven't yet established a comfortable schedule that allows me to work long hours, cook, workout and spend time with my fiance (I can't even imagine what life with a kid is like; working moms are truly superwomen.) Right now I'm coming to terms with the fact that I'm going to have to get used to less sleep and that my week day workouts HAVE to take place in the morning or at lunch. Since day light savings time has occurred, it gets dark here around 4:00/4:30 pm and I don't run in the dark. I live in a pretty safe neighborhood but I'm just not comfortable with it. I tried once and turned around to head back home after one mile because all I could think about was (1) how I would protect myself if somebody jumped out and tried to steal me and (2) how mad my Momma would be if I ended up dying because I didn't have the sense not to run at night by myself. If I cant fit it in in the morning or at lunch, more and more of my workouts will be limited to the treadmill. Early on in my running, I loved the treadmill. Now, not so much.

In the past waking up early has been really difficult, but this week (my first week OUT of my slump) I've been doing a good job of waking up early and I'm actually finding that I enjoy it. I started putting my work blackberry in the kitchen and setting it for 5:15 am. The alarm on that things is WILDLY obnoxious but having to actually leave the bedroom and walk to the kitchen to turn it off, gets me out of bed. That's usually the hardest part for me. Once I'm out of the bed, I can usually talk myself into working out nowadays. Getting up at 5:15 also allows me to get to work early, usually sometime between 7:30 and 8:00am, which then gives me more time to ease into my work day, potentially bill more hours, and increases the likelihood I can get home at a decent time. The only problem with this early rise time is that by 9:00pm I'm exhausted and ready to go to bed. This does not bode well for quality time with my fiance and since I'm up and out long before he rises, it kind of sucks. I know that working out regularly/getting the body that I want/reaching new fitness goals requires sacrifice, so something has to give. I am hoping that after a month or so, I will get adjusted to this schedule, body will need less sleep and everything will fall into place. Although I hate people who tweet things like "rise and grind" and "money never sleeps" and other ridiculous slogans/cliches like that, I do envy people who have the ability to work without getting tired. That kind of discipline is inspiring, so hopefully I'll get some of that.

I am happy to say that this week has been going well for me so far. I haven't been able to follow my training plan to the T but I have been able to workout twice so far this week and feel like next weekend's half marathon should go well. I ran 10 miles two weeks ago and will run a 10 miler again this weekend. Monday, I started my day with a 3 mile run and then did an Insanity workout with my co-worker after work. Tuesday, I let my body rest because I was pretty sore and didn't want to also work myself too hard since I do have the half-marathon coming up. Yesterday, I hit the gym during my lunch break and did a run that totaled 4.15 miles (2 mile run + 2(2:00, 3:00) AIs + 1(4:00) AI. The training plan called for one more 4:00 (AI) + 2 more miles but I didn't have enough time to get all that done during my lunch break. I had hoped to workout again when I got home but I had work that had to get done so that took priority.

Today I'm shooting for either a simple 5 mile run OR a 5 mile run + 4(2:00)AIs + 6GPs. We'll see how I feel. One thing that I've decided to do coming out of this slump is to institute a new personal rule - Never go longer than two days without a workout. I have to accept the fact that there will be some days when it is impossible for me to fit in a workout. However, the longer I wait to workout, the harder it gets and I HATE that feeling. When I go longer than two days without working out, I start to feel "blah" and the process of starting to workout again becomes mentally difficult. So, 2 days. 2 days only [barring illness, of course].

Lastly, I picked a dress.

I love it but in order to do it justice, I need to have some amazing arms and a sculpted back. Over the next few weeks, I'm going to be looking for a good upper body workout so if you have any suggestions, please send them my way.

- Nash

Food Obsession for the week

I'm going low carb. I know low carb has its pluses and minuses (losing mad weight vs. gaining mad weight as soon as you look at a french fry) but I have 7 months to get the best body I can imagine and I want a little kick start. I know doing low carb for 7 months seems insane and who knows if I'll be able to stick to it for that long but I figured I might as well start early so that even if i fall short, I have plenty of time to make up for it (Note: I am eating fruit it's not COMPLETELY low carb, no bread, pasta, rice, etc. tho).

One of the things about low carb diets is that it can get boring really quickly so I've constantly been on the prowl for yummy renditions of meat and veggie dishes. Thank God for Chrissy Teigen because I found one I love that is super easy. She has a
recipe for Korean BBQ ribs (or as she calls them "beef curtains") that is SUPER EASY and super yummy. I made them for the first time last week, fell in love, and made them again tonight. Here is the recipe:

Korean BBQ Ribs aka Beef Curtains Swag

We have a grill but I never use it and I dont have a griddle so I seared the ribs then broiled them for a couple minutes. I also added chili paste and a squirt of fresh lime juice.

Hope you enjoy.

-Nash

Half-Marathon Update: Thank You Velvet Teddybear

I was originally supposed to run the Outerbanks Half-Marathon on Nov. 12 but some changes in my schedule made this nearly impossible. Luckily, even though I already paid my registration fee, I hadn't bought my flight or hotel. In order to make sure my expenses stayed around the same amount, I decided to find a replacement race in driving distance.

Thank God for the internet y'all because I stumbled upon this gem.

This velvety teddy bear, Christopher Theodore Rubeh Studdard, has a half-marathon in his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama.

God answers when you call him, I tell ya.

The Ruben Studdard Half-Marathon is November 20th at 8:00am.

I'm not sure who or what this race supports but I'm in there and I'm excited about it.

After doing a little quick research on Ruben to stay informed, I learned that he recently lost 100lbs and is now a vegan. #trivia

This race is a week after the race I was supposed to run so I have 20 days left to finish training. This was a bad week for me running wise (confession: I ran ONCE) but last sunday I ran 10 miles at a pace of 10:20 so I feel like I'll be more than ready by race day.

Looking forward to 5-6 running days this week because I do miss it and I need to stay ready.

- Nash

Race Report: Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5k

I signed up for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure through my firm and was excited to run. I was already familiar with the Komen Foundation and its efforts to find a cure for breast cancer and was looking forward to supporting the cause. When I woke up Saturday morning, it was cold. Really cold. 35 degrees. Although I generally prefer running in cooler temperatures, 35 degrees is a little colder than I'd like. I dressed in long running leggings, my race for the cure t-shirt and my BlackGirlsRun! sweatshirt (my fave piece of running apparel). I got to the race around 7:20 am to take a group photo with co-workers and was amazed by the sea of pink around me. The half marathons I did in Miami and Chicago had pretty big crowds but nothing compared to this. Someone told me there were nearly 20,000 people. It was amazing to see and truly encouraging.

I should have readjusted my expectations when I saw the race was referred to as a "fun walk/race" but I did expect things to be more organized. When you signed up, you had the option of purchasing a regular registration or a timed one. I paid $5 extra to get a bib with a timing chip because I like to have official race times for the races I do but considering how the race went, I should have just paid the regular fee because with so many walkers and not quite as much organization as was needed, the timing chip did me no good.

In the racing materials, there was a note that said if you were a timed runner to make sure you go to the front. Unfortunately, this was nearly impossible because of the large number of people (and people of ALL ages). Once the race started and I was slowly moving to the front as the crowd moved, I saw a sign to the far left of the starting line that said "Start - Timed Runners." I got excited and moved to the left quickly thinking that this would ensure I had a better chance of getting through to the front to run and not have to worry about all of the walkers. This didn't pan out though because non-timed runners/walkers, paid this sign no mind. I spent most of mile one, walking and weaving through tons and tons of walkers, trying to get to a space where I could actually run. I saw people running/jumping over bushes along the race path and going far out of the way in hopes of getting past walkers so they could actually run. I feel bad complaining about this because it was truly amazing to see so many people outside supporting breast cancer but it was truly, truly frustrating because I really wanted to run and make a good time. I was particularly interested in what my 5k race time would be given my new half marathon training schedule. I crossed the finish line around 33:00 but I know a few minutes had passed before I actually crossed the start line and I didn't get a chance to really run until mile 2. I haven't found my chip time online yet but I'm interested to see what that says.

All in all, I felt truly inspired and touched every time I looked at the shirts of people running around me with "In remembrance of _______" and that made up for any frustrations I had with not actually being able to "race." It was also a good learning experience for me in terms of knowing what to expect with different types of races.

- Nash

Delicious Dinner

I cooked dinner tonight for the first time in a while.

It was DELICIOUS so I thought I'd share.

Lamb + Roasted Sweet Potato and Spinach Risotto

I was in the mood for lamb and asked the twitter world for recipe suggestions. The one I got was great. I've never actually written out a recipe so bear with me.

Lamb

Ingredients:

Lamb chops

Salt

Black pepper

Rosemary

Olive Oil

Garlic

Mushrooms

Craisins

Port

Directions:

Season the lamb chops with salt, pepper and rosemary. Sear the lamb for a couple minutes on both side, then remove. Sautee the mushrooms, and garlic in the juices in the pain. Pour in port and craisins. Put lamb back in the pan with wine, mushrooms, craisins and garlic and let cook on very low heat for 5 minutes.

***

That lovely side pictured above was the result of my indecision on whether I wanted risotto or sweet potatoes. Then I googled to see if there was such a thing as sweet potato risotto. Voila! Found something even better (I had a bag of spinach in the fridge that I really needed to do something with).

I'm not going to post the recipe for the risotto b/c it is available over at Two Peas and Their Pod. Risotto can feel like a tedious process but this recipe was really easy and honestly tasted so good. I will be taking this to lunch tomorrow with the left over lamb.

Now I know this blog is about exercise, weight loss etc. but I have no idea how many calories are in this meal. What I do know is that it was delicious and portion size is everything.

Try it out and tell me what you think.

OR if you want to figure out the calorie count for me, that'd be great as well.

- Nash

Speaking of Black Toenails...

I was watching Real Sports last night and one of the features was on obsessive runners.

Let me introduce you to THIS guy.

Marshal Ulrich, the godfather of long distance running.

For his birthday he ran 52 days straight, averaging 60 miles a day.

This dude ran 2 marathons DAILY for 52 days.

Lawd.

Anyway, he took his running so seriously that after getting 948793568349 black toenails...

HE HAD ALL OF HIS TOENAILS SURGICALLY REMOVED.

Not me. Not neva.

But then again, you'll never catch me running 60 miles in one day.

Just wanted to share. For those who plan on keeping their toenails, OPI's William Tell Me About It nail polish is a good color to get you through the fall and to cover that dreadful discoloration.

- Nash