{A Bad Run is better than no run...}

Since I had to skip out on yesterday's run due to body issues (aka upset tummy issues), 

I went for a run today.

It's nice and cloudy out but only 64 degrees.

That would be h.o.t. if the sun were out.

Anyway, so I went running.

It felt like a horrible run though.

The first mile was great.

The second mile...not so great.

I just wasn't feeling it, ya know?

This was my first run since my 5k race this past Saturday.

I was also dumb and had 3 beers last night when I met my friends at the brewery.

I was pretty dehydrated during this run.

My blah face?

So, speaking of last night at the brewery.

I had so much fun.

Those guys are seriously the best people.

I love them.

That's only a handful of the people there also.

It was good times.

{Clean Eating & Bunny Bolt 5k}

Yesterday, I was very productive and made 2 meals ahead for this week (and possibly the rest of my life).
Seriously, for only feeding one person, this stuff will last me forever.

I made a healthy version of Fettuccine Alfredo and a mis-mash spaghetti squash meal.

The spaghetti squash alfredo is delicious!

I've made homemade Alfredo before and there's only one recipe I really cared for, but this one is easily beating the other in yummy goodness.  Creamy, garlic-y, amazing. The spaghetti squash worked really well with it also.

Spaghetti Squash with Chicken & sun-dried tomatoes was absolutely probably one of the best meals I've ever made. I can even say I liked it better than the Alfredo dish above.

I've never eaten a dish with sun-dried tomatoes in it (at least, I don't think so anyway) and they really enhanced this dish.  I thought it would be bland and boring. It was anything but.

Try it. I dare you. 

haha

So, all this food prep gives me lots of food. Like 10 days worth of food.

It's insane and awesome.

Later today, I'm also going to make a quick avocado chicken salad.

You know, just to have something to mix it up a little bit.

So, today is the 3rd race to my goal of One 5k Race A Month for 12 Months goal.

It's the Bunny Bolt.

Today was a fantastic run! 

Well, other than the fact that I got there 10 minutes late.

Yeah...

I don't even know what happened. 

I looked at the clock and it said 9:24. 

I should have left then but I did not.

The next time I looked at the clock it was 9:35 and I said oh shit and ran to my car.

The race began at 10 and was 35 minutes away.

So, I get there and park and, by the time I begin running, the race had been going on for 10 minutes.

I kind of knew where the start line was from running my first race here, so I just started there.

I probably was the last runner for the 5k.

My official time for the race is 45:06.

I ran the "Map My Run" app while I ran to see what my time would be according to it since I knew it was going to be off from the official time.

I also was just shy of 3.1 miles.

I'll let the picture speak for itself...

Say What?! Right at 3 miles in, we'll just say 35 minutes!

And a pace of 12:01?!

Talk about extremely happy.

That's a PR for the win.

It probably was because I had to pee so badly.

I did stop at mile 1.7.

At a porta potty.

Gross.

Yes, that definitely happened.

So, what's a girl who just ran a 5k do?

You go to the gym and do the lower body workout you missed yesterday.

 And really, I didn't miss my workout yesterday.
I went there.
I got on the elliptical for my 10 minute warm-up.
I finished the warm-up.
I left the gym

I absolutely did not feel like being there.
I wasn't feeling well or like myself at all.

So, I came home and then made those two meals listed above.
Good deal.

{Run, Run, Run}

Today was Week 4, Day 2 of the Couch to 5K program.

It was an okay run. The main thing that made it unpleasant for me was my dog. I'm just gonna have to leave him home for my running now and only take him on long walks. Other than the dog, it really was a decent run.

Since the last time I ran the GPS didn't get picked up with only the C25K app, I decided to use both C25K and also Map My Run. I also wanted to see how accurate they were compared to each other. Pretty close!

Soooo... Here are my update photo's.

Here is the before...

Eh. I like the improvement on my back for sure. Otherwise, still lots of work to do.

Next month, I'll try to make sure the update photo's are not so dark!

{C25K Week 1 Day 2}

Whew. Yesterday was very windy! Temp wise, it would have been nice without the wind.

Overall, though, it was a good run. I really tried to pick-up my pace since I always run so slow. Distance isn't so much a problem for me as is my pace. Anyway, here are some pictures from the run.

Pretty good pace there for the run part. :)

I'm not sure I can say I've EVER had that pace.

This shows how erratic the dog was at the end lol

Windblown dog 

At the end, he stopped and refused to go any further!

We were only a few feet away from the condo building too.

Crazy dog.

Yay! We made it!  :)

{Race!}

My  5K race is coming up! Two goals I have for this race? Beating my last time of 41:33 and running the whole time. The last race I stopped for about 30-45 seconds. I'm running the Valentine's Day 5K and it's at the beautiful Washington Park, or Wash Park as the locals call it. 
I ran a mile and a half today. I did walk a little bit but ran up the massive hill. Overall, it was an okay run. I've definitely had better but I've also had worse runs.
I didn't take the dog with me on this run and I think that made a difference from this run & my last outdoor run.

{Today was not a good workout day}

So, I worked the last 2 1/2 days and I work tonight and tomorrow night. 

I woke-up at 11 A.M. this morning and couldn't get back to sleep, so I thought I'd just get up to workout and make some bean & butternut squash soup.

I needed to run outside and the weather was perfect for it. It was in the mid-50's, nice, and sunny. I also decided to take the dog with me. Normally, I like running with Gandalf; he usually does so well with it. I think it was me though. I just wasn't feeling it today (maybe PMS has something to do with that?). With the way I was feeling about it, Gandalf definitely annoyed me on this run. I was just annoyed the whole time. The total mileage in was 1.4 miles but I walked some as well.

Then I decided to head to the gym to get in an arm and back workout. I realized while doing this workout that I have cut back on my strength training. It wasn't intentional. It just happened I guess once I started running more. So, I'm going to start adding more of that in there as well. Wednesday will be an off day from working out, so I'll use that day to make a workout plan.

The soup smells amazing by the way.  :)

I think it's time to try and get in a short nap before work tonight.

{Another cold day}

Today's high is 15 degrees.

I'm pretty sure this is one of the coldest winters we've had since I got here in 2006. Don't get me wrong, we've had cold days but not weeks of single digit temps. Brrrr.

I may have mentioned my hate of night shifts once or twice. Today is one of those days. Seriously, working nights just makes me angry. I'd say I need a new job, but this is a new job! Maybe I'll still look anyway.

Saturday is the big day for my first 5k of the year.

I was going to run with Gandalf, running connoisseur, but if it's going to be this cold on Saturday then I won't run with him.

No, but really he does love to run. I've also not ran longer than 1.5 miles with him yet; which is another reason I'm rethinking running with him.

One thing that I'm upset about right now, in regards to doing one 5k race a month... My cousin told me yesterday that they are having a surprise party for her mom in June. Sweet, I'll try to go since I'm off that weekend. It's also the same weekend as the Estes Park 5k!! *grumble grumble* I was really looking forward to that race since Estes Park is bee-u-tiful!!

They even run by the Stanley Hotel! You know, the hotel that inspired Stephen King to write The Shining!

Anyway, so I guess I won't be doing that now unless I decide to not go to Louisiana in June. I was actually  looking to go earlier than June anyway since my grandma's been sick a lot lately.

Yesterday I ran 2.5 miles (well, almost). It was actually a decent run. I was dreading it, didn't want to do it, was dragging my feet. Once I bumped up the speed though to a running speed, I was actually glad I was running. What? Impossible. Nope, true story.

I was definitely NOT motivated to run in the 10 degree weather

On another topic, here's a photo of one of my favorite Target finds...

Well, the dog's staring holes into me. I think he's trying to tell me something.