She Sells Seven Sea Shells

July 24, 2010 at 11:32 am | Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments
Tags: 7 miles, Clif Blok shots, iced coffee, Kashi Go Lean, marathon training, Protein Pancakes, stuffed shells

Training Calls For: 7 miles

Miles Run So Far: 101 miles (!!!)

Days Left: 79

I have never appreciated a shower so much before.  Phew!  7 miles + yard work = stank.  There simply is no other word to describe how I felt and smelled.  Stank.

Rewinding back to Friday (remember how almost all rental VHS had a sticker that read, “Be Kind and Rewind”?  Oh…the good ol’ days!):

I whipped up a batch of Protein Pancakes to fill my belly right.  I had a statistics midterm on the agenda and needed the right brain food.

I can’t speak highly enough of the Protein Pancakes.  Simple ingredients, great taste, mega staying power.  You know those traditional ‘cakes are torched in about an hour in your belly…even though you stuffed yourself.  Not these babies, they go the distance.  I mixed 1/3 cup of each: cottage cheese, oatmeal and egg whites plus a dash of vanilla.  I wanted Banana Walnut PP, so those joined the party.  So incredibly delicious.  It made 3 good sized pancakes, which I topped with more banana.

Obliterating that exam felt so good.  I knew most of the answers and was able to slog through the ones I didn’t, so I was feeling great when I turned it in.  The feeling of having a weight lifted off your shoulders should be bottled and sold.  Priceless.  I treated myself to an iced coffee while I walked back to work.  I love that we don’t have a Starbucks in town (well, we do, but it’s in the grocery store — so kind of doesn’t count).  Only at a locally owned cafe would you find this:

Those would be the cream options.  Skim Shady, David Hassolhalf and 2 Pac-cent.  Sam told me they change them up every once in while.  Glad I could catch this run of current creativity ;).

Lunch was kind of blah:

PB and J (crunchy PB, look out!), blackberries, an unpictured apple and some chips.  Chips every once in a while won’t hurt ya.  These are all natural, Cheddar and Jalapeno.  Be still my heart.

All day, I was daydreaming about dinner.  I had an almost full tub of Ricotta cheese in the fridge, spaghetti sauce in the pantry and a half box of jumbo shells from month ago.  When these powers combine, you get:

Stuffed (sea)shells.  I loooove this meal.  I didn’t even follow a recipe for this one.  Into a bowl went the Ricotta, an egg, mozzarella cheese, chopped baby spinach, garlic powder, nutmeg, salt, pepper, parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.  Mix, mix, mix and fill, fill, fill.  Don’t feel thwarted by a lack of a recipe.  If you know basically what’s in a dish, you can figure it out, I’m sure.

After 7 (sea)shells, I was the one that was stuffed ;).  Good thing I drank my “It’s Friday, Heck Yeah!” beer-fore I ate.

Coors Light.  That’s why it looks transparent ;).

Sam got home late (he was on a business trip this week) and after some rental car wrangling, it was time to hit the hay.  After last weekend’s Teachable Ten, we’re sticking with the improvements we talked about making, starting with: heading out earlier.

Early to bed (10:30PM) early to rise (6:30AM).

Like the library book you drive around in the back of you car for months on end, I was overdue — overdue for a good long run, that is!  I reminded myself I needed to focus on form, stay hydrated, start slow and build strong and decide when I would walk BEFORE fatigue set in.  The walking thing is mental.  If I know I told myself I can walk at X miles and X.Y miles, I can power through.  If I let my legs and my huffing breath do the talking, I’m never going to make it.  I’m not in charge anymore — the fatigue is.

Even at 7:30AM it was hot and stuffy, but it was only going to get hotter, so I’m glad we set out early.  The first 2 miles went really well: I was able to build my speed and by 3.5 I felt good and comfortable.  I set a realistic goal (read: easy to obtain) before running and I was well on my way to reaching it.

A little walk break at 3.5 and some Clif Blok shots (strawberry…mmm) and before I knew it 7 miles had come and gone!  That’s the best feeling!

Can you see Sam in this picture ;)?

Grr 7 miles!  I DOMINTATED YOU!  Warrior Bethany.

A little victory photo shoot in a field of flowers.  Okay, in the flower bed of the reception hall near the bike path.  Whatever.  I was elated to have a good run.  FINALLY!  YAY!

Thanks to everyone who gave me a little pep talk after last week’s crummy run.  You guys were right — the bad ones make the good ones so much sweeter. 🙂

My refueling breakfast:

Kashi Go Lean with agave nectar and light vanilla soymilk + nectarines.

That, plus a protein shake, was just the right amount to get me back out into the heat and mow the lawn.  What a jungle.  I am so ready for fall/winter.  Stop growing, grass!  At least it’s over now and I can relax and enjoy my weekend.

Have a wonderful Saturday!!!