Andy

I am not ready to write of this yet. On his blog our friend, Scott, wrote a loving tribute to my husband.
Like Andy, Scott has a beautiful way with words. Thank you Scott.

Grief

Thank you for your prayers. I am still in shock that Andy is gone. The obit will be in tomorrow's newspaper.

Celebrating Christmas without any money

Here are some of my favorite links for celebrating this joyous holiday with little or no money:

Goshen College -wonderful Advent devotions - subscribe to have them emailed to you daily

How to celebrate Christmas without any money

39 Frugal Tips for Saving Money at Christmas

Dollar Stretcher –Christmas articles

Toymaker –lots of free beautiful Christmas printables along with printables for other holidays & toys

Homemade Christmas Cards

How to make a 3D paper snowflake

Free and Low-Cost Christmas Gifts-Homemade Christmas Gifts that Won't Break the Bank

My Frugal Holiday: Clue Gift

Christmas Gifts that don't cost a dime - Dollar Stretcher

Giblet Jog

Thursday morning was quite a bit colder(22 degrees) than I had planned and actually a tad bit colder that I like for running but after the first 1/2 mile when the numbness in my fingers wore off-I rather enjoyed the experience. I ran in a local Thanksgiving day 5K which was held on a small town high school cross country course. It was not easy, but it was enjoyable. There were less than 150 people running which I liked and it was a beautiful morning on an interesting course. I enjoyed the after race chit chatting and I met some nice runners and their families.

I finished in just a few seconds past 34 minutes. I do not know my official time yet and I forgot to turn off my watch for several minutes after finishing. This finish was not a personal best or even a great time by my own standards. However, considering I had just recovered from an 48 hour intestinal virus earlier in the week and I had not been able to exercise at all for the 5 days prior, I was happy with just finishing in under 35 min. I will probably not run another race for a while now because there are not that many in the winter and to save on cash. I will continue running through the winter as I do love running best in 30-40 degree weather. I would love to do this jog again next year.

Thrifty and simple holiday -freebies from Oprah

This Wednesday on her show, How to Have the Thriftiest Holiday Ever, Oprah has some great suggestions and freebies. (Click here for the link to get to her site about this show.) She has a free holiday album that you can download for the next 24 hours-HURRY--along with a CD cover and label. Among many other ideas she has downloadable notecards for making gratitude notes for loved ones. I love this idea-take the time now to tell those you love what you love about them, what you are thankful for and for what you wish for them! Thanks, OPRAH!

late 11/28/08 UPDATE: The free album is no longer available but you can still get the free notecards for gratitude box gifts.

Hummus - a toddler's delight!

My toddler is a picky eater but he LOVES eating hummus. Making hummus is one way I ensure that he gets enough protein and at least some green veggies. He calls hummus, "Thomas" and he has been known to eat 3-4 servings! (I love it too! If it were less points, I would eat half a batch myself.) We serve it on crackers, pita bread, raw veggies like cucumbers or carrots, or as a spread for sandwiches. Hummus is high in iron and vitamin C and chickpeas are a good source of protein and fiber.

Hummus is SO EASY to make and you can adapt it to add whatever flavors you like. We like it with spinach, but I have used roasted peppers or dill.

Hummus with tahini & spinach
POINTS® Value: 3
Servings: 8
cost when using dried peas: ~ $1.35 per batch, ~ $ 0.17 per serving
cost when using canned peas: ~$1.55 per batch, ~$ 0.19 per serving

Ingredients:
* 2 cup(s) cooked chickpeas
(I use 5 oz of dried chickpeas-see prep note below, but you can use a can of prepared chickpeas to save time.)
* 1/4 cup(s) water
* 1/4 cup(s) lemon juice, canned or bottled
* 4 clove(s) garlic clove(s) minced
* 1/2 tsp table salt
* 3 tbsp canned tahini
* 1 tbsp dried parsley
* 1-2 cups fresh spinach
* 3 tbsp olive oil

Instructions:
The day before soak the dried chickpeas in water for 8 or so hours. Then cook for 1 hour or so until tender. I soak them in the crockpot with the pot turned off and then cook them for a few hours in the crock pot.

Place all ingredients in the food processor or blender and puree to a fine consistency. Add more liquid if necessary. Serve with pita bread, crackers, or fresh crunchy veggies.

FRUGAL / SUBSTITUTION NOTE: To pinch pennies or if you do not have tahini on hand you can use 3 TBL. of peanut butter instead of tahini. It does change the taste. My toddler doesn't seem to care which version I make.

Peanut butter version is
POINTS® Value: 3
Servings: 8
cost when using dried peas: ~ $1.10 per batch, ~ $ 0.14 per serving
cost when using canned peas: ~$1.30 per batch, ~$ 0.16 per serving

Family, healing, Thanksgiving Day race & budgeting

I have had an odd week. My husband has been very ill and I have needed to take sick leave all week to care for him and our toddler. I am thankful I have the days to take and I am praying that he is healed SOON!

I just registered for the Giblet Jog instead of the Turkey Trot. Some gals from Weight Watchers are running in the Jog and plus I did not feel like facing the hills of the trot. At this point, I am just hoping I can make it to the race since my dh is not recovering at this point. Also, I am out of the training loop with being in the house mostly. I have tried to do some workout videos but it is just not the same as running.

Also, I regret that I am going to have to end my membership in Weight Watchers due to budget constraints. My last meeting will be the one after Thanksgiving. I could not have made it thus far in my weight loss journey without my local WW unit. Our Saturday leader is the MOST wonderful teacher and a positive influence. She inspires me to continue. I love the WW e-tools (point tracker, recipe builder, etc.) Maybe sometime next year I can rejoin.

Long recovery, new race

I have had a dickens of a time with recovery since the 10 miler. My hamstring continues to bug me and I just feel like I am running so sluggishly. I am planning to run in the Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving day. I have not prepped for this race like I have others I have run. I can't seem to get into a regular routine of running with the cold temps, rainy weather, and since the time change. I have not been getting in miles each week like I was doing a month or so ago.

I have gone to the Y on several occasions in the last week or so to do speed drills on the treadmill and also to do work on the elliptical to give my knees a break. I still feel sluggish. This past August when I ran my last 5K before the 10 miler, I was pleased with my mile pace of just under 10 minutes. I am just hoping to get even close to that for the turkey day race. (esp. since the upcoming race seems to have a fair number of hills.) I think I just lack a little race "fire" and drive for competition---or maybe I just need some good old-fashioned Jamie Summers/Bionic Woman "music" when I am running!

Exercise and thriftiness

A friend of ours repaired and tuned up my bicycle. I have gone out several times in the past week or so to try it out. This area has lots of nice bike trails and parks. In addition to biking for leisure, I plan to begin commuting 1 or 2 days per week to work. I will combine cycling on the roads and a short distance on a bike path for a total of about 9.25 miles each way. I have done trial runs on the commute breaking it up into 2 halves for the purpose of testing it out.

This will save us gas. I can cut out the driving to the YMCA for the 2 days a week. I had been going to spinning classes. Plus I will save by cycling instead of driving the car to work 2 days per week. I used www.fueleconomy.gov to figure out that each day commuting by car costs me about $3.50 in gas. By commuting 2 days and not driving to the YMCA to "cycle" we can save almost $10-12 a week. This may not seem like much but we are pinching every penny and this will mean about $40-$48 a month. That is a week's worth of groceries!

Plateau ~aaarrggh!

For the past few months now I have been on a plateau and struggling back and forth with the same 5 or so pounds. Last weekend and this weekend when I weighed in at Weight Watchers, I was disappointed to learn that in these 2 weeks I have gained a total of almost 5 pounds. I am considering switching to Core but I am apprehensive because I feel like I need the accountability of Flex with point counting plus I need to study up on Core a bit.

I am perplexed as to why I am having these difficulties. It maybe it is because Mack has been totally weaned for 3 weeks now (I have adjusted my points accordingly.) or maybe it is because I am only getting 4-6 hours of sleep a night (too many tasks to get done at home and for work). I think I also need to get back to strength training to build more muscle mass. If it is not one of those I will have to do some serious reflection.

Lentil Soup ~ Tasty, Healthy & Frugal

This is one of my favorite recipes to make especially on chilly days. It is originally from the 1st edition Moosehead Cookbook by Mollie Katzen. I have doctored it a bit to make it thriftier.

Servings: 8
Points per serving: 4
Cooking time: all day
Cost per serving: Less than $ .40
Goes well with: Grilled cheese sandwich(see recipe below), any sandwich

Ingredients & Directions:

Simmer for 4 hours covered:
1 lb raw lentils, rinsed
8 cups of water or stock
2 tsp kosher salt

Saute in 2 tsp of olive oil. Then add to simmering lentils.
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 c. onion, chopped
1 c. celery, minced (I substitute celery leaf or even celery seed if I am out of celery.)
1 c. carrots, chopped

Add these last ingredients about 30 minutes before serving:
black pepper
1 can of diced tomatoes (or use fresh tomatoes--sometimes for a change I use store brand "rotel" tomatoes)
2 Tbs lemon juice
1.5 Tbs brown sugar or molasses
1 Tbs wine vinegar

Hints: Thicken it up by decreasing the liquid slightly or by letting it simmer longer. I cook this all day in the crockpot.

2 Point Grilled Cheese Sandwich
2 slices of nature's own double fiber bread
1 slice Borden 2% cheese (counts as one milk serving)
Spray bread with nonstick spray and grill!

Personal note: This soup was part of the first meal I fixed for my husband when we were dating. I was a strict lacto-ovo vegetarian back then. My body was used to the amount of fiber, but his was not. We ate this meal together, then he got in his car to make the 2 hour commute back home. We dated long distance for that first year. Needless to say it was a bit of a painful drive home for him that trip. :)

Frugal posts ~Stretching a dollar

My friends have been persistent in their requests for how I save money. My husband has threatened to start sitting at my side and taking notes so that he can answer their questions. Therefore, I am going to begin trying to post on this blog some of our frugal practices. My future posts on this blog will include:

1.) my running and training, (It IS my addiction that gives me energy to do everything else!--If you are not a runner, just skip these posts.)
2.) my couponing practices,
3.) grocery shopping techniques,
4.) frugal, healthy recipes,
5.) my CVS mega savings scenarios, and
6.) other general frugal practices.

Back to normal ~ Recovery

This week I finally feel like I am back to "normal" with running. The first week after the 10 miler, I had numerous general aches and pains and my legs felt like they were made of lead which made running more of a chore than a joy. That week I could hardly get in 10 miles total. The following week we celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary with a get-away trip. Between the get-away (which was delightful and made me wish we had days and days alone together-but that is another blog entry in itself) and the rainy weather I did not get to run for several days---to boot I forgot to pack my running shoes.

With a delightful 7.5 mile run this beautiful, autumn morning, I am back up to a little over 25 miles for the week --plus 2 cycling classes. I feel refreshed and invigorated again. Running and exercise is truly an addiction for me. I feel grumpy and slow when I miss my workouts. Physically,I am still struggling with a tight left hamstring which I have not been able to shake. Also, speed seems to elude me a bit, but working back in speed work in the coming weeks in order to cut my 5K times is my goal. Plus, I have been battling the same 5 pounds off and on since APRIL!

I had hoped to reach my weight goal by taking off my last 30 pounds by now. I considering switching to Core with weight watchers...I just haven't figured what to do yet. It does not help(calorie wise) that we are weaning our 2 year old. Weaning this time is tough for me, since I want to hang on to every last bit of babyhood with our last child. If money was not an issue I would love to have 1 or 2 more ~ plus having a girl would be nice. Children just grow up so fast. ~sigh~

Not last!

Race finished....not last....mission accomplished! The 10-miler was more and less than I expected. There were many more participants than I had envisioned. Starting a race with more than a thousand people was something I had never experienced before. It was humid, it was hard, but I did it. I finished in 2 hours, 2 minutes and some change.

I met my goal of keeping my own pace in the beginning of the race and I managed to not get caught up in the excitement of running with others faster than my pace. As it turns out, my beginning pace was the pace (about 12 minute miles) I maintained throughout the remainder of the race. I was not fast by any stretch of the imagination. I had hoped to finish in under 2 hours --but now that's my goal for next year's race.

I expected to have to pull out all my reserves in the last 2 miles of the race but unexpectedly I struggled between miles 1 and 3 as well. In training, I enjoy getting into a groove on longer runs and getting lost in thought, however, this is hard to accomplish when there are so many other people around and bands playing loud music every few miles or so. (I like my own MP3 selections.)

The spectators and volunteers were great! There were more groups than I could count. I saw quite a few familiar faces and for once I was not concerned with what I looked like as I passed by them.(frazzled, exhausted, red-faced and sweating like a pig) One of my coworkers, who is a perpetual cheerleader in life, was on the sidelines encouraging me onward both times that I passed her on Rivermont Avenue. The students in front of Randy Mac were awesome. One group formed a line and high-fived me as I passed by-I needed that at the 6 mile mark!

My favorite encourager by far was my 6 year old son. He stood just inside the barricades, a few yards before the finish line. Before crossing the finish line, I went over and high-fived him....I wanted him to run with me across the finish line but I wasn't sure if that was against the rules.

I had victory in finishing and reaching my goals. (Also, I had victory in the last 1/4 mile as a gentleman, who I surmise was in his 70s, started to pass me and I gathered every bit of strength I had left to "sprint" and keep ahead of him--my husband referred to this man as my "Octogenarian nemesis." My husband blogged about the 10-miler from his point of view. I could not have gotten this far without my husband's support and encouragement--he is truly my greatest cheerleader!

My legs felt like lead for the rest of the Saturday and Sunday. They were sore when I ran a short 3 miles this morning....but the addiction continues.

My goals for next year's 10-miler:
1. Finish in under 2 hours
2. Train for heat and humidity
3. Lose 30 lbs

My goals for the next 6 months:
1. Work on mile times to work towards 9 minute miles
2. Do more speed work
3. Run in some 5Ks to work towards goal #1

No rain delay - running in the rain

When I heard that the remnants of hurricane Hannah would bring us rain, I saw it as an opportunity to try my first run in the rain. Although this was my first "rain run" it was not my first foul weather run. When I was in Boone this past Christmas, I enjoyed a 2 mile run on the Blue Ridge Parkway in the sleet and snow.

I ran the 10 miler course again today with the temperature in the mid 60s and a nice, steady rain. The first 4 miles were not bad at all, although I warmed up more slowly because normally I am warmed up 1 mile into a run and today it took 2 miles. I added only a visor to my regular running attire. I did make sure to wear my smartwool socks, knowing that wool wears better than cotton when wet. (I learned that lesson backpacking in downpours in the back country in Denali Park.) I also applied vaseline to known and predicted friction spots.

Things I learned today:
1) My rain soaked shorts "grew" longer after 5 miles.

2) My inner upper arm is a friction spot --I will remember next time as pain creates change.

3) I prefer running in the rain to any running on days with temps over 70 degrees.

4) Trying to avoid puddles is not worth the extra effort especially after 5 miles.

5) Running in the rain requires less water than hot days but more nutrition. Although I drank 2 liters of fluid (1 propel & 1 water) after finishing, I was jonesing for food after 6 miles.

6) I missed my MP3 player, but it was not as bad as I thought.

7) Running with a partner is a good practice in rain or shine.

8) I ran slower in the rain.

9) It is best not to run until there is at least some daylight.

9) I can do this!

withdrawal

I have not run on the road in 4 days and I am going through withdrawal. My dh was out of town for these days and as a result I have not been able to run. I took the kids to the Y several days so I could run on the treadmill on Thursday and take a spinning class on Saturday. I missed getting to the Y on Friday b/c of work and sitter arrangements. I HATE running on the treadmill as it is long and tedious and I guess b/c of my plodding running style it is awkward and hard on my feet. I did speed work but it seemed to take forever--the treadmill is soooooo boring.

The spinning class was interesting. I have taken cycle express classes (30 minutes) before but this was a 75 minute class. I liked the workout but the next day my backside felt bruised from the horribly uncomfortable seat. It is hard to have a 3 day weekend and not be able to get in a long run. Oh I am so addicted to running, I feel sluggish when I do not run.

I also wish I had more time to get in other workouts. I want to get back into strength training/weightlifting. I used to do this when I was younger. Maybe it is time to add some equipment here at home.

My amazing husband!!!

I have always known what a brilliant and incredible man, friend, husband, father, creative talent and soul my husband is and here is further confirmation from a friend of his who blogged about their recent trip to Indy.

Scott's blog entry about Andy

Will it always feel this way?

This week I managed to get in a little over 24 miles. This is the longest I have run in a week so far. The first long run was 9.39(a weird number, but just how the route worked out) on Tuesday. I felt like I could run a mile or two longer but I did not have time to do that and still get to work on time. My pace was 12 minute miles. I did make one mistake in that I ventured off my regular route in order to add miles and so I had just mapped out the extra online but did not know what it really looked like. I turned a corner onto one of these new streets and was faced with a steep long hill. I had wanted to make this a flat, long run. Oh well, I finished it. I ran a shorter run in the middle of the week, but it seemed longer due to the higher temp and humidity. At the 4 mile mark, I knew I did not want to run any further than I had planned.

Today, I met my friend to run the entire 10-miler course. It already felt warmer than I prefer at about 71 degrees. When I ran a portion of this course 2 weeks ago, I felt great about it. Today, I was already feeling strain at about 3 miles into the run. I am so glad that I have run the entire course before my first try at the 10 miler because I was not prepared for the hill in the part, just before the 5 mile line. I finished in 2 hrs, 4+ minutes with three water break stops.

Also, I discovered some hot spots to take care for on my feet. I certainly do not want blisters. I am also experimenting with different undergarments to deal with a chaffing problem. My friend tells me Vaseline is my best bet. I guess I will feel like a greased pig before each race and long run.

Whenever I stretch into my new longer runs, I am wiped out for the rest of the day. I am ravenously hungry and I feel like I could sleep for hours in midday. I try to eat healthy choices with good protein, fruits and veggies. Also, I try to have long runs on days when I can catch a nap and not have to do any long stints of sitting. I am wondering will it always be this way when I run after all long runs?

Running withdrawal

When I looked at the date of my last entry, I did not realize how long it had been since I "blogged." I have been just trying to keep up with work.(I started back last week-already behind!)

Already, I am a bit behind on my runs too. I don't like to go 2 days in a row without running. My hubbie was out of town working at GenCon for 5 days. My mother-in-law came came in town to help through Saturday, but since then I have not been able to get in a run since the 5K race on Saturday. (running withdrawal) In running this 5K, I improved my time (to 30:47)to break just under 10 minute miles -a PB for me. I was expecting better since earlier this week I ran 3 miles in under 29 minutes. I guess I do differently when competing. My friend, who I have run part of the 10-miler course with, did very well as she won the masters' award (She is coming back from a bad injury which has taken over a year to recover from.) I had a 3 goals for this race: 1) better my time 2) test out nutrition and prepping routines and 3) beat another female runner I know. I accomplished all 3.

My plan is to have a nice, long run tomorrow (8.5-10 miles). Since it is registration day at school with afternoon & evening hours, I can take lots of time to run in the AM. I plan to get in a couple of easier runs mid-week and then run the 10-miler course Saturday with my friend.

Dragging, training, and soreness with YIKES less than 8 weeks to go!!!!

I slept in a bit this morning ('til 5:45 instead of 5:15 AM). However, I did not feel like running, I felt like crawling back into bed. I donned my running atire and then laid on the couch for a minute trying to convince myself to run. After dragging myself off of the couch, I drove to my usual running spot. My feet and right knee are a bit achy.

Today I ran speed sprints which were not easy. Actually the speed work was not bad, it was the recovery that seemed long and hard. Overall, I was more sore today from running speed sprints during my 5 miles than when I ran the slower 8 mile long run a few days ago. Tomorrow morning's run will be short because I am meeting a friend early Saturday morning to run 8 miles of the 10-miler course. She is an avid runner of 30 years whose PBs include mile paces in the 7 minute range. It makes me nervous to run with her. Add to that, I am nervous about running the hilly Langhorne Rd. section of the 10-miler and it makes me anxious just thinking about it. Oh well, I have got to attack these hills sometime...might as well be now.

I haven't figured out how to work in training and running time in the warm weather once I go back to school. I don't think I will have time in the mornings to run long runs while still having time to get ready for work and drop my son off. I am getting 2 longer runs in each week and they usually take me 1.5-2 hours each. I either have to run really early (before 5 AM) or run in the evening after dinner or the boys bedtime. I don't know if I am up for long runs in the afternoon heat, but the thought of running after dinner doesn't seem like a good choice either.

Joy, thankfulness, sorrow, & anniversaries

Today I was reminded of many things which bring me joy and for which I am thankful. Daily I am reminded of what a wonderful family I have---an incredible husband who is a wonderful partner and father---2 cute, delightful boys who make me laugh and smile daily---my Saviour who loves me and looks out for me in ways I cannot even comprehend but I am grateful.

Today on the way to my son's swimming lesson, for which we were already running a bit late, the station wagon got a flat tire. I am glad this happened today, not tomorrow while we were on the road to NC. I was able to call my husband, who came right away to help. A wonderful, God-sent stranger who helped change the tire and inflate the deflated spare. Financial provisions from God which meant we could buy a new tire today instead of having to borrow money or not pay a bill to do so. My being in better physical shape, so that I could put the baby in the stroller and hike the mile or so in 15 minutes to the YMCA to still make it for part of the swim lesson. A year ago, it would have taken me much longer to get there with many more aches and pains. It is hard to believe that a year ago I started this journey and could not even jog halfway around a track.

Thankfulness----I am so grateful for this station wagon, which used to be my Dad's. I can transport 5 children and 2 adults or other combinations of people while toting "stuff" in the back. The car gets good mileage, runs well, and means no car payment---all of which I am very thankful for as our budget is very tight these days. It is as if my Dad knew we would need it when he insisted that Mother pass it on to me upon his death.

Sorrow----It was 3 years ago this month that Daddy died. I know he would be proud of me in the strides I have made this year. He always encouraged my competitive nature from my elementary years to my high school judo competitions through my graduate school days. He would have been proud of my recent 12 month weight loss journey losing 53 pounds. He would have been proud of my new running ventures. I am sorry he is not here for these but mostly I am sad that he never knew his newest grandson who was born 11 months after Daddy died. I am reminded of Daddy often as I drive his car and wear his watch when I run. I miss him.


PS. I registered for the 10 miler today.

Free your mind...

I have finally reached a point where I enjoy running. Getting past the first 1/2-1 mile warm-up is often a mental hurdle for me. After reading RUN RIGHT NOW by Joe Henderson, I felt much better knowing I was not alone in my distaste for the warm-up period. The 2-3 mile portions of my runs are my favorite. During that time my mind easily wanders away from any thought of pain, length of the run, or the like. Free your mind and the rest will follow. I know that most of my challenges in running are mental. The music I listen to on runs on my mp3 help a great deal. Some of my fav songs which help me conquer my mental battles are(sometimes it is the lyrics, sometimes the rhythm, and sometimes both):

Top 3 fav running songs
Ain't Nothing Wrong With That (Robert Randolph & The Family Band)
Free Your Mind (En Vogue)
I Will Run (Misty Edwards)

Other favs
Rhythm Nation (Janet Jackson)
Smooth Criminal (Alien Ant Farm)
Fight for your right (Beastie Boys)
List of Demands (Saul Williams) i know the topic
Switch (Wil Smith)

Yesterday, I hit my longest run of 7.5 miles in 1:21:54. At mile 6 my mp3 player ran out of power, but I had control of my mind and kept moving on with spirit even through the final 1/2 mile.

In mid to late July, I have been adding swimming as a different cross training activity several days each week. Today, I clocked 600 yards in 25 minutes with some concentration on arm work to balance out my running leg work.(I swim while my son takes swimming lessons.) I am hoping to get my bicycle repaired so that I can begin adding cycling/commuting to work for cross training.

A friend from Weight Watchers told me she read that every pound lost decreases 4 lbs of pressure off of your joints. I have a goal of being between 171-165 for the 10 miler. I have lost 2 lbs since setting this goal, only 6-12 lbs more to go!

Hmmm, maybe new shoes do make you run faster

July 19, 2008
Race day
Length: 5 miles
Finishing Time: 54:23
Mile Pace: 10:53

My dh says new shoes make you feel like you can run faster....this is is based upon his childhood memories. I wasn't sure about this theory, since on the first day I wore my new shoes I tried to hurdle a small chain barrier while running and landed on my face. But today in running a 5 mile race, I think his "new shoe" myth may have been realized.
I met one (and part of another) of my goals:
-Run the 5 mile race on July 19th in 58:00 or under
-Run a regular 10:30 mile in longer runs (Although my regular pace isn't yet this, I am so much closer than I was at my 11:15 pace.)

Still need to
---Figure out what nutrition works for me best on race mornings
I ate a banana and drank G2, 30-60 minutes prior to the race. I think the humidity was working against me today. Although the temperature was fairly decent, the humidity was high and as I pushed through at the end of the race and for 30 minutes after finishing, my stomach was queasy.
---Pace myself in the beginning of the race
Today, I ran the 1st half of the race faster than the last half.

Well, 70 days 'til the 10-miler. I may squeeze in one more race before that-who knows...but the training continues.

How to cut your child's hair

I checked out the book, How to cut your child's hair at home : a step-by-step guide to giving your child a professional looking haircut at home by Laura DeRosa, from the public library. It was so easy to read and this morning I cut both of my boys' hair (ages 2 and 6) and they look great---if I do say so myself. I have messed up their cuts several times before, so I was tickled pink to finally have success with such an easy to follow book.

For more "Frugal Friday" ideas, check out the Biblical Womanhood blog.

Keeping up with coupons for different stores & trips

With all of the trips I have made to different stores for various coupon/saving deals, I found I was sometimes misplacing coupons or lists. In addition to my regular coupon organizers (which I carry with me to all stores in case I find unadvertised or clearance deals) I have two other "wallets" (picked up at my fav consignment shop for pennies). One is for Food Lion and one for CVS (these are the 2 stores that are on the way for most of my daily travels and from which I use the most coupons). I organize these wallets before I leave the house. In each I place:

1.) my lists of good deals that I get from reading circulars and other wonderful blogs like Money Saving Mom and Centisble Sawyer
2.) coupons needed for the deals on my lists

For other great Works for Me Wednesday ideas check out the Rock in my Dryer blog.

Cooler weather, new shoes, training for the 10 miler and goals

There are only 82 days 'til the 10 miler! Every time I think about this upcoming race, I get butterflies in my stomach. Some friends of mine who are runners, some of which have run this race before, have offered a variety of advice. I am sorting through their advice and what I am researching as well. In addition to the physical preparation left in the coming weeks of training, I still need to tackle the mental battles of the training and the race. My mind is my most challenging battlefield.

I am up to 10Ks in my long runs and totals between 12-15 miles per week. I miss running on the trails where the miles are clearly marked. However, because I have been running early in the AM (starting between 5:30-6 AM) I do not feel safe running alone on the trails through the wooded areas. I have been sticking to a fairly busy and well-light road with sidewalks. I like the relative coolness of the AM runs (this morning it took me 45 minutes to lose the red-faced look & feeling from the 73 degree 10K run.) I like the summer sunrises before 6 AM but I will also be glad to get back to the 45 degree and below winter days! I am very thankful for these past weeks with many days of temps below 90 degrees.

My dh got me a gift certificate to the local running shop so I could purchase new shoes. I have began running last August in a pair of leftover, many years old cross trainers that I picked up at Sam's Club. Months later after a couple of 5Ks, I purchased my first pair of shoes just for running--a pair of men's Reeboks for $17 from Sam's Club. Now I have a pair of Asics Gel-Nimbus 10. They are very nice although it took me several days to get over the sticker shock. I have NEVER paid that much for a pair of shoes before. I know I need good shoes for running.

My goals to accomplish prior to the 10 miler:
1. Drop another 8-15 lbs(from my current 179) to make it easier on my joints
2. Run the race course in its entirety at least twice
3. Run a 5 mile race on July 19th in 58:00 or under (This will be my first race as a 45 year old---seems like the 45-50 year old women run faster than the 40-44 year olds ---go figure!)
4. Learn to pace myself better in the first 1-1.5 miles
5. Figure out what nutrition works for me best on race mornings
6. Run a regular 10:30 mile in longer runs--I am currently struggling to break the 11:15 mark.

Pressure Cooker -Healthy eating while saving time & money

Usually, in order to save time & energy and prevent using convenience foods (like "instant" rice, rice/pasta mixes, frozen dinners, etc), I plan ahead and cook in advance several things at once.

One evening this week, dh was jonesin' for "chinese" food. Needless to say, as I am exhausted by these last days of the school year, I had not planned any further ahead for the evening meal than thawing out precooked chicken. In addition, I had not prepared the usual container of precooked brown rice that we keep on hand in the fridge. I did not want to hold up dinner by having to wait the traditional 45 minutes to cook brown rice.

Then I remembered that using the pressure cooker can save time with brown rice. I dug out the pressure cooker and quickly researched cooking instructions. Indeed, the pressure cooker, cut the cooking time down 1/3. Using a pressure cooker, helps to retain nutrients sometimes lost while cooking with traditional methods. :)
Here are some helpful links about pressure cookers & recipes:
Dollar Stretcher
Presto (my brand)
Miss Vickie's Pressure Cooker Recipes
Fastcooking.ca

Also, check out Rocks In My Dryer blog which hosts the weekly, Works For Me Wednesday!

Earning "screen" time

Our son has many pursuits--playing with friends, going to school/kindergarten, drawing, "riding" his skateboard, playing with Legos, catching bugs, watching TV, and playing his video game. Of course, like many other children, if we allowed him to - he would stay in front of the screen (TV or video) for hours on end. So we devised a system whereby he earns his "screen" time. We have a dry erase chore chart (a clearance treasure from one of my CVS trips). It has all of the days of the week listed horizontally across the top and blank spaces vertically for the numerous rows. For each chore or activity he completes he earns a check which equals 15 minutes of screen time. He has the following categories:

-earning/keeping his "happy face" behavior at school
-feeding his dog
-keeping his room clean
-repeating his weekly Bible memory verse
-reading at least one book
-completing at least one workbook page (this is beyond regular homework)and
-other (we use these for extra occasional activities we deem important--like learning to spell his last name, learning his phone number, helping with a special chore, etc.).

For each 15 minutes of screen time he uses, we cross through a check on the chart. He can bank time and choose how he uses it (after homework is done and also, we stress getting outside playtime before playing in the afternoon.) Now he eagerly reminds us that he needs to do his chores!

Check out Works-for-me-Wednesday ideas at Rocks in my Dryers' blog for more ideas to fight kids summer boredom!

Sprouting

My recent foray into gardening again reminded me of my hippie days and through that mental trail brought me back to the idea of sprouting. I dug out one of my sprouting jars and after a trip to the health food store to purchase sprout seeds, I am beginning to "sprout" again.

Many moons ago I never ventured past cultivating alfalfa sprouts, then I discovered broccoli sprouts. The latter are my favorites by far, however, they do cost more than the run-of-the-mill alfalfa sprouts. Upon my latest sprout shopping trip, I discovered a "sprout sandwich mix." I am not a sprout expert by any stretch of the imagination, so I cannot name the types of seeds in this mix. Nonetheless, my mouth waters just thinking of the coming harvest.

Until my other garden is ready for harvest, I am delightfully awaiting my sprout harvest of nutritional, crunchy, home-grown veggies.

Check out Sprout People and Wikipedia for more sprouting info.
Saunter on over to the Biblical Womanhood blog for more Frugal Friday Ideas!

Frugal homemade microwave PoPcOrN

Making your own microwave popcorn is a breeze and costs less than 10 cents.
1.) Put 2 tablespoons for popcorn kernels into a brown paper lunch sack.
Spritz with nonstick cooking spray.
2.) Fold over the top of the bag 2 times.
3.) Place the bag on its side in the microwave.
4.) Nuke on high for 1 minute plus 20-30 seconds. Stand by and listen for the popping to slow (nobody likes the smell of burnt popcorn!)
5.) Dump into a bowl and sprinkle with popcorn flavored salt. (we use Act II, butter flavored salt-it is a big jug we purchased from Sam's Club over 2 years ago and even though it is past the stated expiration date, it still tastes great.

Tah-dah!! A ONE POINT snack for pennies!

I survived my first 10K

I survived and finished my first 10K in 1:10:57 (a mile pace of 11:26). I met most of my goals....to finish, to run the entire course, to finish in less than 1 1/4 hours (and my unofficial goal to not be last). The uphill beginning was not easy and still I struggle to find my pace at the beginning of races. I did get a mini surge between the 2 and 3 mile marker and again between 5 and 6 miles. Since I have been doing some hill work, the hills were not intimidating. Now I just need to pick up my pace. I want to break that 10:00 mile on my 5Ks and 10:30 on my future 10Ks.

Several friends and acquaintances of mine ran the race as well, so I did not feel alone in this endeavor. Although they are all avid runners with mile paces around 8:00. I hung around a while after the race chit chatting and listening to prizes for age group finishers. I have learned from my other races not to get into my car or sit down because my muscles tend to painfully stiffen up.

I am stiff now and probably will be for a day or so, but I am happy to have finished my first 10K. In a few days or so, I will have to pick out my next race/goal to keep me accountable and headed/training for the 10 miler in September.



PS. I ran w/o my mp3. Still contemplating that one.

Nerves

Tomorrow I will run in the Central Virginia Kidney Association Memorial Day 10K. I am nervous as this is the longest distance race I have participated in thus far. Unlike the other races I have been in, I did not run this course prior to the race. I have only run 6 miles once last weekend and this race begins with the first 1/2 to 1 mile uphill. This will also be the first race that my hubbie and kids do not attend. It is getting hard for a 2 year old and 6 year old to stay occupied while mommy is running (unseen to them) for 30-60+ minutes.

My goals for this race are:
-to finish
-to run/jog the entire route
-to finish in under 1 hour & 15 minutes (I would be tickled to finish in 1:05!)
-to keep my mile pace under 11 minutes

The weather forecast looks good with a morning temperature of 55 degrees. (My ideal running temp is 32-40 degrees.)

I am still debating as whether to use my mp3 player or not. Sometimes there is freedom in running with just your thoughts.

CHEAP salsa at Food Lion

This week Food Lion has the 16 oz jars of their brand of salsa on sale for $1.09. Use the coupon for B1G1 from the site www.foodliongrilling.com which scans as $1.89 off means that the total cost for 2 jars of salsa is $ .29! Salsa--one of my favorite 0 point foods!

Frugal "free" wax paper uses

Over the past weeks, I have gotten great deals on cereal and therefore, I have stockpiled quite a few boxes. My dh & sons go through cereal fairly quickly, so I am breaking down cereal boxes often. I save the wax paper liners to use in one of the many ways:
1.) use as "shake and bake" bags for preparing taco chicken (chicken coated in taco seasoning) or in the "old" days fried chicken
2.) cut up into strips or squares for dividers between hamburger patties to be frozen
3.) cut in to strips for rolling and freezing cookie dough (rolled cookie dough can be sliced for individual cookies to bake as needed)
4.) wrap sandwiches in and seal with freezer tape (for lunch, picnics, etc.)
5.) use 2 liner bags to double bag meats for freezing (some bags are big enough to freeze entire chicken carcasses to use for making soup later)
6.) use as a liner on the kitchen counter top for prepping meats, veggies, etc. This saves some time and clean up for items that might otherwise lead to cross contamination
(These cereal liner bags usually open easily at the seams.)
7.) use as playdough or painting "placemats" for kids (rinse off cereal crumbs first)

I store my extra bag liners in an empty "ziploc" gallon bag box.

Why the Frugal Weight Watcher blog? (an introduction)

My purpose in blogging as the "Frugal Weight Watcher" is because in my searching of the internet, I have not been able to find many sources for information about the combination of weight watching, healthy lifestyle and frugality.

Let me introduce myself and give a little bit of background as to how I came to this point in my journey. I am a wife and mother of 2 boys- ages 6 and 20 months. I work full time as an elementary library media specialist here in Virginia. My husband stays at home doing freelance work as he keeps our toddler. We are actively involved in our church.

I have struggled with my weight since my teen years. Last year when my peak weight hit 231 pounds (size 22 inching towards a 24), I decided it was time to go back to Weight Watchers. I first began WW 7 years ago( Jan. 2001). I was successful in losing 25 lbs. in 8 weeks. My doctor says that is why it was easier for me to become pregnant with our first ds(darling son) after 1 1/2 yrs of trying. Needless to say, pregnancy (a wonderful time in my life that I would not trade for anything) put my weight loss on hold.

Now 2 children later, I began WW again in July 2007. It was my birthday present. I asked my dh(darling husband) and in-laws for that as my birthday gift. So they gave me the 10 visit passes.

Successes thus far:
1. Losing 47 pounds from July 2007 top Feb. 2008
2. Moving more--progressing from barely running 1/10 of a mile in Sept. 2007 to running my first 5K in Dec. 2007
3. Adapting my WW routine to a much tighter budget
4. Going from a size 22 to a size 14

Struggles thus far:
1. Plateauing for the last month (dealing with the same 1.5 lbs over and over again)
2. Having the flu this winter which threw my exercise routine out of wack
3. Trying to find time to exercise and get enough sleep amidst my hectic work, church,
family, and housekeeping schedules
4. Trying to find ways to eat to lose and feed a family of 4 on a $50/week or
$250-300/month budget (veggies, fruit and lean meat don't come cheap)

My Goals:
1. To lose 30 more pounds by my next birthday
2. To fit into at least a size 10/12
3. To finish my next 5K (not come in last, run the entire course and finish in less than 37 minutes)
4. To plant a frugal, successful vegetable garden this spring
5. To continue to consistently exercise through the Virginia summer
5. To run a local 10-miler race in September 2008

My BLOG Goals:
1. To post menus, recipes, etc.
2. To post money saving/frugal practice ideas
3. To link to other related blogs and websites
4. To document my journey