Last Week in Running + Fitting It In

I had all these grand plans for training really hard for the upcoming Boilermaker 15K. We've been so busy with various things, from house projects to family obligations, that I've just been running where I can fit it in. Not only that, we're getting into my least favorite season for exercising outdoors.

Excuses, excuses.

M: 9.3 mile long run at 8:25/mile average pace
T: 3.5 mile shakeout run, not timed
W: Yoga for 1 hour at gym
R: Off
F: 3.1 mile jog, not timed
S: 3.1 mile progressive run (8:10, 7:50, 7:30)
S: 6 mile stroller run at 8:30/mile

TOTAL: 25 miles. But that 9.3 should have happened on the Sunday of the previous week. So, yeah. I need to get back to serious training if I want to meet my 1:40 half marathon goal for the fall.

You read that right, I didn't do much cross-training either. After a grand post about my at-home spinning routine, I skipped my cycling workout to rest. Grrr.

• I feel good that I am actually getting out there most days and moving myself. 
• I feel bad that it's not for longer distances or more challenging workouts. 
• I feel good that I'm living a healthy balance and actually enjoying my workouts. 
• I feel bad that I might be stalling my progress toward a major goal by being lazy.

Now that I'm a mom (yup -- the mom-card), things really are different with training + racing. I always knew they would be, it was just a matter of to what extent. How much time would the baby take away from my running? Or, rather, how much time would I take away from running to focus on other things?

For example, I see/know some moms training for marathons, Ironmans, etc. -- and I think, WOW. That's incredible. On the other hand, I think -- WOW. That's absolutely insane. I'd rather do other things with all that time.

Right? I'm not sure all the time. I waver. Toggle between cool-with-it and feeling like I'm just lazy.


What I do know.

• I don't have the desire to completely fill up my weekends with running events. I'd rather focus on family time, me time, and getting things that need to be done . . . done.
• I don't have the desire to wake up early on weekends to get in key training runs; I get up early enough during the week (5:30) to start my work while Ada's still sleeping. I don't deserve a medal, but if Ada sleeps past 7:30 on a Saturday, I'd like to as well.
• I have a bigger social life now that "our" friends have encompassed Ada's friends, too. Instead of planning a day around working out, I'm finding myself squeaking in runs before/in-between/after birthday parties, picnics, and other play-dates. That stuff is important.
• Sometimes being at home with a toddler all day long is great and other times, not. Some nights I'd rather use my free hour to get out + see friends. Or watch TV. Or get my hair cut.
• And my free time is limited unlike before. As in, finite. I only get so much, so if I do feel like doing something instead of working up a sweat, that's it.

Again, I hate making the excuses. So, instead of fitting in key workouts, I'm finding I'm fitting in working out in general. Period. Mom or not, I'm sure you can relate. We all have periods of life that just push our priorities elsewhere. I'm OK with that. I just can't be surprised when I don't do well at a race. I can't mope when I'm not knocking minutes off PR-times.

What I am committed to:

• Working out 4-5 days a week. Even if it's just Jillian's Ripped in 30 + a short jog. Which I started last night. My butt hurts. I ran two miles after the video and almost cried died.
• Keeping my comfortable long run distance 10 miles. This way, I can easily jump to the 15K or half marathon serious training if need be.
• Cross-training. I WILL get in my spinning workout this week.
• Doing some type of speed-play with my running, whether it's intervals or what. I need to get my legs moving fast.
• Signing up for a 5K. As a reality check. It might help motivate me back into hard-core training if my time isn't so great. We'll see.

Moms + other busy runners of the world (that's everyone, right?): How do you fit in your training?

Do you have a similar experience of wanting to train hard but having life just get in the way?  I know it can be done, but I think balance is always good -- and when there's a lot to balance, everything has to give a little.

Do I just lack discipline? Maybe!

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Mighty Leaf Iced Tea Giveaway

I'm a beverage guy. Beer, coffee, smoothies, hot tea -- you name it, I'll drink it. So, when Mighty Leaf Tea was kind enough to send us a sampling of all their summer iced teas to try -- of course it peaked my interest. Unfortunately for her, Ashley's avoiding caffeine, so I'll take over this review for today.

Conveniently, each sachet makes a half gallon (64 ounces) of this cool drink, taking out the guesswork for an admittedly lazy teacher on summer break.

Plus, I have a ton of 64-ounce growlers hanging around the house perfect for re-purposing. What we always like best about Mighty Leaf is the quality of the whole leaf pouch itself. If you've tried their teas, you know what I mean. If you haven't, check out our last giveaway with a detailed photo.


The Organic Black is the variety I chose to try first. Described as a "refreshingly rich and smooth South Indian organic black tea . . . hand-picked on the dewy slopes of the Nilgiri mountains," I was surprised by how smooth it actually is. I've been enjoying it all week in this 90+ degree weather, and I can't wait to break out the flavored varieties: Ginger Peach, Sunburst Green Tea, and Calypso Mango (this one's next).


I like to control the sweetness of my beverages (well, I actually prefer to avoid sweetness -- I always take my coffee with no cream or sugar, for example). And the "extra steps" of making iced tea at home really aren't all that daunting.

1.) Add 1 tea pouch to a glass pitcher
2.) Pour 32 ounces of boiling water over pouch and steep for 4-5 minutes.
3.) Remove pouch and add ice to remainder of pitcher.

Simple, right? Though I haven't done it yet, I'd love to use iced tea as a base to a morning smoothie. I could go on, but what might be better is if you try some of this stuff for yourself. Which is why we have a giveaway for you: Mighty Leaf has offered a generous package to one lucky reader -- their Summer Brewing Package . . .


What you'll win:

• A box of each of the four new iced new teas (Black, Ginger Peach, Sunburst Green Tea, and Calypso Mango). You can read more about each on their website.
• The Bodum Iced Tea Pitcher.

TO ENTER: Leave a comment with the word MIGHTY somewhere in the mix.
IN ADDITION: Tell us about your favorite summer beverage. Iced Tea? Iced Coffee? Lemonade? Beer? We've all got our thing.
GIVEAWAY CLOSES: Friday, July 29th at 9:00PM EST
PRIZE SHIPS: USA only.
ALSO: To win, I need your email address -- so please provide it (or your blog link so I can find it -- just some way of contacting you) or, unfortunately, you cannot win.
PS: One entry per email address is allowed. The winners will be selected using Tara's Random Number Generator and announced Monday (8/1) morning.

And if you just can't wait, we have a discount code for you!

Discount Code – SUMMERTEA15 – 15 percent off all loose leaf tea and tea bags
Twitter - @mightyleaf
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/mightyleaftea

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Chill Out! Curried Coconut-Avocado Soup

When I think "soup," I don't exactly think "filling." Stew? Yes. Chili? Tremendously. But soup? Most definitely not. Cold soups, in my experience, have even less stick-to-your-ribs staying-power. And where is all this discussion leading us?

Well, I made something that challenged my preconceived notions.

First, note that this recipe is not my own. It comes from the Sundays at Moosewood cookbook (a read I highly recommend, along with these books that are on our kitchen shelf). However, it's a variation on their recipe that makes it vegan and even more delicious, if I do say so myself.

CURRIED COCONUT-AVOCADO SOUP

What you'll need . . .

• 1 large (medium-ripe) Haas avocado
• 1-1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 cup light coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon curry powder

Method . . .

1. Scoop the flesh from the avocado into a blender. Add the vegetable broth and blend until well incorporated. (It may help to chop the avocado a bit first.)
2. Add in the coconut milk and curry powder. Blend again until smooth.
3. If you'd like a slightly thinner soup, add some more coconut milk.
4. Serve with banana naan for dunking.

Like I said, this soup is as filling as it is satisfying in the flavor department. Even at 20 weeks pregnant, I found it difficult to finish my portion (the recipe above makes two bowls).

The texture is incredibly smooth. Not unlike an avocado green smoothie, but different in a savory way. If you'd like to stick with the more original recipe, you can use heavy cream.


And -- seriously -- don't forget to get some banana naan in there. Between dunking and slurping, I hardly used my spoon!


What's your favorite soup? With the temps in the mid-90s today, I can't really think about eating anything warm. So, I guess this question is strange. If you know of any other great, filling chilled varieties, we'd love to hear 'em! Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

Speaking of chilled. Stephen's most recent beer creation is on tap. Too bad I can't enjoy it! Oh, well. Being pregnant definitely has its perks, too . . .


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We're Baaaaaack!

I wanted to post these photos last night, but pre-pregnant Ashley and pregnant Ashley are totally different travelers. The plan was to leave on Thursday afternoon to spend the night with my brother in Philly.

Packing usually goes a little something like this:

• I start grabbing clothes and towels/etc. right before bed the night before we intend to leave.
• I make a small hefty pile of stuff I need to wash the next morning (before work at 5AM).
• I make a list of non-cloth items we need to bring and gather as much as possible.

Basically, I don't have the energy to pack this way anymore. So, at 10:30 PM on Wednesday, I called my brother to say we'd be skipping Philly and heading straight to Cape May on Friday morning. It worked out SO MUCH better!

We left town at around 6AM, stopping several times for food/etc. And when we got to NJ, Stephen hunted down a Wawa . . .


After 6 hours, we were there. It was hot. And we headed straight to the beach, only to find we needed to purchase tags (we've paid tons for parking before, but never to just set foot on sand) for $5/each per day. Yikes!


We ended up scoring a 3-day pass for $10 each . . . but still! Ugh!


To be honest, I didn't take many photos on this trip. Usually I take hundreds . . . but for whatever reason (intense relaxation), I took around 35 total.

Here are my favorite horizontals:


And verticals:


This one ISN'T a favorite . . . but I'm rocking my preggo bathing suit (well, the top is new from Target):


SOME THINGS:

• I found my new all-time favorite Italian restaurant. Panico's Bistro on Broadway, if you're ever in the area. I'm hoping to go back for my birthday on the 28th.
• Stephen's favorite remains the same -- The Lobster House (Raw Bar), right as you enter town. It has the freshest market price stuff you can find down there.
• We both ate pancakes for breakfast every single day at Uncle Bill's Pancake House. Stephen's choice: Potato. Mine? Peanut butter chocolate chip.
• 4th of July fireworks on the beach are always best.
• Tolls are expensive, and we spent nearly $40 on them going to/from our hotel.
• Car trips while pregnant aren't fun. But frequent stops help.
• Online hotel reviews are pretty reliable. We got one of the last reasonably priced rooms available in the area, but it was dirty (as many had warned) and we slept on towels the entire time.
• Wearing a hat and sunglasses, slathering on SPF 60+, and staying underneath a beach umbrella is the only way to not get a burn. And it's glorious to come home without peeling skin for once.

So, yeah. We ate, Stephen drank, we ran, and we walked . . . a lot. We even bumped into a fellow blogger -- Amber from Busy, Bold, Blessed -- while scoping out new beach chairs at the grocery store! The temps were absolutely perfect -- in the 80s with little humidity (well, most days).

And the best part? We're headed back in 2.5 weeks (for our anual family trip to Wildwood Crest). The countdown begins now!


Stay tuned for part II of our trip recap, which will be on (never home)maker, baby! later today. And if you missed it, we posted our first big change to the nursery -- the chalkboard wall!

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Zero Calorie Tazo Chai Giveaway

***Giveaway Is Now Closed***

Congrats to lucky winner Andrea, who writes: "Lately I've been cooling down by running through the sprinkler with the kids. I would love to try some of this tazo chai tea."


Before we get to the review of Tazo's tasty tea, I have a confession. Well, I guess it isn't really a confession. It's more an apology. I feel like I unknowingly duped you all into thinking I made those sweet potato tots from scratch. I most certainly didn't. But I was SO excited to find them in our freezer section this weekend.

The evidence:


Though I didn't make them on my own, I feel this incident has inspired a challenge. I have some ideas on how they'll come together . . . and I'll be sure to share the results soon!

ZERO CALORIE CHAI


When Tazo contacted us to see if we'd like to review their newest flavor of Zero Calorie Iced Tea, we happily signed on. But as Stephen will tell you (he was the primary taste-tester this time around), he would have bought this stuff himself -- and plans to -- any day of the week.

Seriously. Get a room!


Naturally sweetened with the stevia plant, the drink is a healthy alternative to other beverages (think soda!). It's made from a rich and spicy blend of freshly brewed black tea, sweet cinnamon, ginger, star anise and fragrant cardamom -- all the stuff we love in the fall/winter -- summer-ized.


If you don't feel like taking Stephen word for it, you don't have to. You have a chance to win a few bottles of your very own chai, along with cute tumblers and a cool lunch tote (that actually keeps things cool!).

To help you picture it:


TO ENTER: Leave a comment with the words ICE ICE BABY somewhere in the mix.
IN ADDITION: Tell us about your favorite way to cool down in summer.
GIVEAWAY CLOSES: Tuesday, June 21st at 9:00PM EST
PRIZE SHIPS: USA only.
ALSO: To win, I need your email address -- so please provide it (or your blog link so I can find it -- just some way of contacting you) or, unfortunately, you cannot win.
PS: One entry per email address is allowed. The winner will be selected using Tara's Random Number Generator and announced Wednesday (6/22) morning.


Pssst: Yesterday on (never home)maker, baby! we posted a bit of a registry rant. How much stuff do you actually need to raise a child these days?! We'd love your help!

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Bowtie Pasta for Dinner

A pregnant woman can't live on garlic knots and s'mores bars alone. Though I'd certainly say I'm trying to -- I even joked that our baby will come out orange (from the pumpkin) and reeking of garlic (from the gazillion cloves we use). Guess we'll see about that. Anyway, I've been trying to bring more variety (and nutrition) to my dinners.

This meal was a collaborative effort. Stephen wanted pasta and greens. I wanted a yummy sauce.

BOWTIE PASTA WITH PEANUT SAUCE

What you'll need . . .

• 1 box whole wheat bowtie pasta, cooked to package directions
• 3 bunches of baby bok choy, rinsed and chopped
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 1 inch fresh ginger root, grated
• 1/2 cup avocado oil
• 5 large basil leaves, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Couple tablespoons water

Method . . .

1. Cook the pasta, then set aside. You won't necessarily use all of it.
2. In a large pan, saute the bok choy in a little olive oil. Just till it wilts. Then toss in however much pasta you'd like to use. I think we added around 3 to 4 cups. Continue cooking on very low heat.
3. In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter, oil, garlic, basil, lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, and squeeze in the grated ginger (discard the pulp). Then depending on how thin or thick you want the sauce, add a few tablespoons of water. Whisk to incorporate.
4. Pour the sauce into your pasta mixture pan. Cook for a couple minutes. And then serve.

Stephen liked his pasta hot. I think I might like it even better cold -- for lunch instead of dinner. However you serve it, it's a great and easy summer dish with some flair. Toss in more veggies for variety.

Anything goes!


And for a tasty non-alcoholic drink to accompany dinner, try this lemon-ginger mocktail we posted yesterday on (never home)maker, baby!

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Summer, Salads, and Spectacular Gardens

Long weekends in summer are the BEST. After being away Saturday and most of Sunday, we spent Monday gardening and fixing up our backyard spaces. The temps were in the upper 80s, but I'll gratefully take the heat over all the rain we've had.

Here are some progress shots. We'll post more details soon!

I had asked for an additional day off on Tuesday. A day just for, well, me. I never get much time to myself since Stephen's work schedule lets him off the hook around 3PM most days. So, I did exactly what I wanted to do. All day.

I woke up and took a steamy 6-mile jog around the neighborhood. Then I showered and sat outside for a few hours.

I mostly caught up on baby-related reading . . .


When the outdoors got too hot for me, I ventured inside and watched a bunch of baby shows on TLC. Big mistake. I think I'll avoid watching labors for the next 6 or so months. It didn't used to bother me at all. But now . . . I'll pass.

I prepped some pumpkin garlic knot dough for the coming weeks . . .


I also recorded a 14-week vlog post for (never home)maker, baby! if you're interested in checking that out. We recently got a new laptop, so it was fun testing out the video on it. Not so much fun was realizing that the sound recording sucks. Grrr.

This fast, refreshing dish is quickly becoming a new favorite of mine . . .


FRUIT AND CHEESE "SALAD"

What you'll need . . .

• 1 large apple, chopped
• 1 large nectarine, chopped
• 2 sticks of pepper-jack (or other string) cheese, chopped

Method . . .

1. Toss everything into a bowl.
2. That's all.

Along with our 14-week video post, we're divulging if we're on team pink or team blue today on (never home)maker, baby! Our gender scan isn't until 20 weeks, so we have a while to wait . . . but we're keeping ourselves occupied in the meantime!

What'd you do over the holiday (or weekend)? Get anything done . . . or just relax? Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

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Vacation: Wildwood Crest, NJ

It's taken me a while to weed through and edit our vacation pictures. But, I've finished enough . . . and I'm just dying to post them for friends, family, and all you awesome readers. So, as I mentioned the other day, we were in Wildwood Crest, NJ, with my in-laws (Stephen's family) last week. It's an annual event that we all look forward to . . . and now that it has passed, we're already wishing away the days till July 2011.

Last week was also my birthday week, and I turned 27!


Still can't believe that one. And -- yes. My cake was in honor of shark week.


The weather was absolutely amazing. I mean, it rained maybe twice (though we did have a tornado warning and power outage for several hours on Sunday) . . . but otherwise, the temps were in the 80s and the skies were only minimally cloudy. Of course, this made for perfect running weather. I didn't even wear shoes once the entire trip.



Yup -- I ran barefoot on the beach or in my Vibrams (right after the above photo was shot, I took off my shoes because I couldn't stand them!). My feet are as strong as Arnold Schwarzenegger when he was at his prime. More on that in another post!



We also stayed busy with biking, walking, and kayaking. In fact, that's one of my favorite parts of being on vacation -- cross-training. While kayaking, Stephen and I found ourselves in the middle of a pod of dolphins. There must have been at least thirty of them in all. And one day I squeezed in an awesome 13 mile ride and 4 mile run.


And here's a tip I read in a magazine: Even if you don't eat well on vacation, if you keep your activity level up, you should maintain your relative fitness/weight. So, that was good news to me. Because for my birthday, we took to the boardwalk and put all those "best" pizza places to the test.


Only one spot could win. We were thorough in our evaluation -- including points about crust, sauce, cheese, and general portability on a scorecard. In the end, Sam's Pizza Palace won. And we want to take this pizza trek again next year because we simply couldn't try them all in one night.


I need not say much about the beaches. They were awesome. Sandy. Breezy. Full of great boogie-boarding waves. And all that water sure came in handy on the first couple days, when my beach runs were at noon in the near 100-degree temps.

Thanks, ocean.



Now, we've had some new additions to the family in the last couple years. The two cuties were loads of fun. I think these photos speak for themselves.



The rest of the family enjoyed a relaxing time. We all kind of did our own thing in the mornings (most of us headed out on runs, bike rides, walks, fishing expeditions, kayaking adventures, and some just slept in). In the afternoons, we went to the beach. It was that simple. In the evenings, we got together for dinners and desserts (so many great ice cream places!).



Even my dad came down for a night -- I think he enjoyed himself immensely. And please excuse my "angry glasses," as Stephen calls them. I rolled out of bed to clean the shore house . . . and, well, didn't exactly primp myself :)


Yeah. We could really get used to the whole not working, living by the ocean, eating out every night, running when we want to thing. Definitely zero stress. But, I guess until next year, we'll have to live through these little snapshot memories.





Tell us! Where have you vacationed (or where are you planning to vacation) this summer? We also camped in Maine earlier in July -- check out those photos now, if you like. And if you haven't yet entered our SHUTTERBUG giveaway, be sure to check that out for a chance to win a cute trivet.

One last thing: We have received an overwhelming response . . . tons of beautiful and motivational stories . . . to next week's celebration of healthy living. If you'd like to participate, it isn't too late! Just email us (at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.) and tell us what inspired YOU to live healthfully. No story is too short or silly, etc. We'd love to include you in next week's (and perhaps longer) posts.

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