Lots of Walking, but zero running.

 I took the kids to the MN zoo on Thursday evening. Every year in July Dakota Electric sponsors a free night at the zoo. Who can pass up Free? We did a ton of walking! 

Evan was super cute. He was very excited to look at all the animals. We got up and close with all the goats. 

Watching the otters swim around in the tank, while we took a little rest break. 

I'll be working this Friday and then resting. No running today as I have my half marathon tomorrow.. I'm getting a little nervous for my feet! I can run the distance but I want my toes to not hurt during it. Wish me luck on Feeling good during and after!!! 
Goals for this half:
1. feel good during and after the race
2. Under 2 hours
3. Finding my family easily after the race. I don't want to walk around in circles looking to meet up with everyone. 

What a week..

It's been a great week, but packed full! Monday and Wednesday night I coached soccer and Tuesday we did something out of the norm, went to see a Shania Twain concert 

She didn't look anything like I expected and her voice was a big smoker like. Come to find out, she dyed her hair blond and had vocal issues. Not crazy about the choice in costumes. 

Before the concert we ate at a  Mexican Restaurant on Hennepin Ave, chip, guac, salsa and dessert. 

A few more concert photos..

No running yet.. I went biking instead. I'm not sure this is a good plan for my race on Saturday but I'll find out if not running an entire week before saves my legs and toes for 13.2 miles?? 

I sure had a lot of energy so when Steve suggested we do the shorter route but fast, I was all in.. Fast it is!

A very UP and down week and it just started.

I am having one of those weeks. I went from an all time HIGH of being voted the MVP of my soccer team to finding out, I'm no longer going to be able to get my lash extensions. Ugh!!! I really liked my long eyelashes. I can still get them done but its going to cost me a whole lot more. That was my low.. I know First world problems. I will have to live without lashes.. once again. 

It also rained this morning during my running time. This might have been a good thing, because it allowed me to rest. I have my half coming up this weekend so I have to take it easy and have fresh legs.

I have zero expectations about my half marathon. I just want to run and enjoy the 13.2 miles. I'm making this my easy run on Saturday. 

Celina took her final in her summer math class today. It was an entire year of math crammed into 6 weeks. She took math this summer just to be in Honors math in the fall and to skip ahead in one of her favorite subjects. Its time to celebrate! 

Logan finds out today if he made the select soccer team. They take so few kids and over 40 showed up for tryouts. The current team had 11, and they only need 7 more to fill up the roster. Not very good odds. He will more likely, tryout for competitive soccer, starting tomorrow and be placed on a team. I just hope he is happy with the outcome. My hopes are that he just continues to play a sport and enjoys it. 

I spent the day with Evan on Monday. He is so funny... waves to everyone...He might not say much right now but he sure know how to tell you what he wants. This kiddo understands everything you say! He is very good at getting his way. 

MVP - Most Valued Player..

It was really nice to hear all the great complements from my adult co-ed soccer team. They all voted me the MVP of our Sunday game. I played the best I ever have. I think the coaching before the game really helped me figure out what to do. A little direction is always welcome from a newbie like me. I played defense. There is no shortage of action. I got my 2nd header EVER! I got knocked over when going to the ball against a guy forward. We both fell over, I got up faster and got to the ball quicker to pass it up to our mids. I also had a great assist on a goal. I was at the mid line (defense, got the ball and took it up the side). I played aggressive and didn't let anyone get past me without a lot of slowing them down.  

Playing soccer is no joke.. Its tough and rough out there on the field. Lots of pushing, shoving and aggressive playing. You can't be afraid.. you just go for it and don't give up. You don't see many 46 year olds out there playing soccer. It's mostly 20's to early 30 year olds. Everyone else seems to be injured and unable to play. 

I think the real reason I was MVP, was because for a beginner soccer player that never played when I was younger.. I'm doing okay.. Better then they expected and improving with every game. Something to be proud of!! 

Before my noon soccer game, Steve went for a 12 mile bike ride with me to warm up and get my legs moving with out tiring them out too much. We didn't race, just took it easy. 

The cows along the dirt road were even taking it easy. It was a very hot, humid 89+F Sunday! 

After soccer for me and soccer tryouts for Logan, we all went to Mpls and ate out. Kendra was nice and gave up a Groupon to Mattie's on Main. We were treated to a 3 course dinner that also included 2 drinks. 

The food was really good.

 We shared two of these chocolate molten cakes. One just was not enough. I like that idea of drizzling caramel on top. I'll have to do that next time I make this at home. 

The walk back to the car along the Mississippi river front.. 

Some day we will bike around Minneapolis.. 

It's the count down to my half marathon this Saturday.. My plan is to take a running rest day on Friday. I have to rest up these toes. I really hope they can take running 2 hours for my 13.2 miles I need to run. I've been cutting back on my long miles but today I ran 6 this morning and my feet felt pretty good even with my fast speed soccer running miles yesterday.

Saturday's Ride

Its hot out there, which means it's the best time to go for a 14 mile bike ride. I love going biking when it's already warm. Chilly days make it cold biking for the first few miles so it's nice to just ride and not be cold. I'd rather sweat! 

I put a penny on the track maybe a month ago? We stopped to look for it and nope.. couldn't find it any where. 

We did our normal 14 mile loop, mostly on dirt roads up to Starbucks for a coffee and water half way break. 

I just needed a break from running. I haven't been running 6 miles every day. Instead I run 4 miles.. some times 6?? I'm just not that into running right now but I know I need to keep doing it or I'll lose my running fitness. Biking is a good 2nd option when I'm feeling burnt out. It was good coming home after biking to find left over fruit tart waiting for me to eat. 

I didn't want to go out for Dinner Friday night like we usually do. It's kind of boring not going out on a Friday night. I decided to make Chicken lettuce wraps. The whole family loves these, even the kids! Imagine that! 

Our deck painting is coming along.... We still have the 2nd coat on the rails and under the deck to finish. I'll be working on that today. Next project.. tar the driveway. 

Missed Opportunity for exercise.

There are many opportunities to get in exercise. I have a lot of neighbors and people I know that like to hire out everything. While I'm thankful that there are people who hire myself and my husband do to some of their home- work, I often think that they are missing out on opportunities to get in some exercise. It's a win-win, you save on money by doing it yourself, get self satisfaction of completing a job and you get the benefits of exercise. How hard is it to mow the lawn? Paint a deck? Wash the windows? Clean your home? Some people just don't have the time. Working 40 hours a week, driving kids to activities,  and there is laundry, dinners to make, dishes to clean up, bills to pay and a having a little down time. A lot to fit into our day and hiring out some household jobs for some, reduces stress in their lives from having to do it all. We all know too much stress it's good either.  Luckily, Steve and I have the time to do all ourselves. For us, it is our stress relief! 

When it came time to paint the deck, we got to working.. Sure its a big job, but doing it together it was therapeutic. Just painting away the time went by quickly. We pretty much finished the first coat of paint on all the stairs and rails. I have no idea of how many calories I burned in the 3+ hours I was painting but I got a good arm workout. The first coat always takes the longest and the 2nd coat should take half the time. It sure feels good to do this ourselves. It sure doesn't seem like hard work when you do it together. Plus, I get exercise without having to go for a run, bike or head to the gym to lift weights. Painting provided a 3+ hour workout.. slow and steady.. burning the calories for a longer time then I would have spent doing anything else. 

Another miss opportunity for exercise I just read about this to help my speed. Its just plain old jumping. Jumping in place, jumping rope, box jumping and one foot hopping. I really need to try adding some jumping into my daily exercises. 30 seconds to start and I'll keep adding more time. 

After all this deck painting.. I needed some downtime. Finally got around to reading my new book after finishing The Orphan train. I do hate finishing books.. Its a real let down but glad I had a book in waiting to read. Reading is my favorite way to spend some much needed down time after a good afternoon nap. It takes a lot out of me working out, working and doing projects around the house. 

I'm not sure this will be a running morning. I'm waiting for the thunder storm to pass and the sun to come out. I didn't run yesterday. It's not exactly a great plan for running a half marathon in a week to skip any of my morning running. My training plan has been to just run and that's about it. No specific distance or speed. Just running the same route, over and over with a little soccer speed work, my normal hilly route is all the training I've gotten. My only long distance is the 10 miler I did a few weeks ago other then that, I run 4 to 6 miles per day on most days. That should be good enough to finish 13+ miles. If I was running a full marathon, I surly would be doing more long runs on a regular basis.. but I'm not going that distance and not sure I ever want to. 13 miles is good enough of a challenge. I just want to finish feeling good.. not like I'm going to pass out from lack of food and water. I did missed some opportunities to run longer distances to train, but I have a solid base of consistent running at least 5 to 6 days a week.. I should be worried about the race distance. 

What is going on here?

I have been a bit of a slacker recently. Slacking on my running and daily exercises.  I'm just so darn tired. I've backed off to let myself rest up. Is that an excuse? I'm not sure because I've been skipping my run far more lately then I ever have since I started. I can tell you it makes me a bit antsy not running. 

I have to admit, when I have a very busy work day where it will take a lot of my energy just to get through the day, I think and want to skip my morning run. Unfortunately, I'm awful at making up those missed miles later on in the day. I'm just done, done working, done moving and not in the mood or ready to run after 12. If it doesn't happen in the morning.. Its not going to. If I do get out and bike or run later on.. that's a bonus! 

I'm not exactly taking it easy all the time. I just need my down time to rest up. My life is pretty full of everything I want to do. 
Run, working part time- because I like money to live, coaching boys soccer, playing on a co-ed soccer team, biking, boating, driver for my kids, baker, photography, reading.. and so on and so on... I don't want to take up my time doing anything I don't enjoy. 

I'm also at that age where I'm dealing with body temperature control. Hormones are completely out of whack! And nope, exercise has not tamed the hot flashes. I am blaming this on my lack of diet control too. It's just not fun aging.. I'm trying the best I can and I have to remember that. You can only do so much and to stop being so hard on myself if I don't run and do my daily exercise.. if I slip up and eat crap. Just do what I can and try to make some changes little by little.. or start fresh once again but never quit. 

Time is ticking.. I'm off to work and then I have plans to go to the gym with Celina this afternoon. She is good and trying to get me to workout in the afternoon. I just want to have the energy to do that! Tiny changes.. that's all it takes.. or so I tell myself!

Making Due with what you have.

I don't know why I miss place my running stuff. I have a lot of it and most is black. It all kind of blends in together. I was looking for 2 of my favorite running hats and couldn't find either. I had to make due with my pink Adidas hat which doesn't fit my head very well and if it was even slightly windy, it surly would blow right off my head.  Lucky me, and there was zero wind. Good enough. This is what happens when you have multiple places to keep all your running stuff. I think its time to get a new organization system in place. I don't like running delays to not being able to find what I need to get out the door quickly. When I'm ready to run.. I'm ready and I want to just GO!

At least I match from my head down to my toes with all the pink, the hat, shirt and running shoes. 

What else is going on i my non-running life? While I'm all about my running, Steve is busy sprucing up our weathered deck. 

I picked a deck color that was more gray brown,  but it's more orange then the sample. Oh well, it can always be painted over..We are, meaning it's my job to paint the top of the rail. We are still in limbo if we should replace all the rails with black metal. To be continued.. 

At the store I saw all these geese playing follow the leader. They walked across the entire parking lot  single file and in step.  

I was so busy with Evan on Monday.. and then had soccer coaching in the evening. 

I made a batch of Peanut-butter play dough. Evan was more interested in eating it then playing with it. 
2 cups confectioner sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup honey

My Co-ed soccer on Sunday was fun. Our team had zero subs so I got to play the entire game. I played defense and I still ran over 4 miles. My legs have been pretty sore the past two days from all that un-even grass running and kicking around the soccer ball. It's been very slow going on my morning run. I cut down to 4.28 miles to give my legs a little break.