milestone

or should i call it 4 mile-stone?  yesterday's objective was to go out and do a 4 mile out and back loop...  this is the first time i was out on the road and incorporated a run.  i had been doing rather well with the run aspects on the gym track loop.  i was excited to give it a try out on the open road.  OK - let's be honest with that - not all that excited but knew it was something i needed to do.
so out i went - my game plan was to walk the first half mile - do a run walk mixe for the middle 3 miles - and another walk for the last half mile
as usual that first series of walk runs goes rather regimented...  and then into the rest of it... my pace falls off
but yeseterday's highlight was my walking pace did not drop to pathetically slow after the run like it normally does
so i ended up doing all 4 miles in under and hour - which is my goal for this upcoming race
so very excited
today is going to be another good day - i am even considering adding a the bike into the mix - hey maybe a brick

headset

true to form - i crimped the wire of my headset...
and so tonight i had to stop at target to get a new headset...
didnt go running
back to the gym tomorrow

yay me

hit another milestone at the gym again tonight...  tonight's pace averaged out so that almost each mile was below 15minutes and the time definitely was below 45minutes


i was proud of the first few laps - i did more than just one lap on at a time - excited to try that again tomorrow...
i was lagging some in the second 2 miles - there some aspects of stiffness that occur after that first mile that i feel like i need to walk out...  and then there's always that feeling like i really have to us the washroom...  most of that is in my head...
then i got a text from a friend - i know silly while running but i listen to pandora on my phone so it makes sense - it reminded me that my day may be stressful but it was tolerable and achievable and that the battles arent that bad if battles at all - just how you choose to percieve them
and it got me motivated to run some more spurts in the mix
and then of course with pandora you get a few good songs and the feet start moving faster again - tonight's fun songs included bullet proof by laroux, a phoenix song that is not on the album i just bought, a vampire weekend song again not on the album i just bought, and randomly a rusted root song...
the next thing you know the 3 miles are complete and i am in the side room stretching....
ok - i actually was in the locker room when i remembered i didnt stretch - so i made the effort to head back out and stretch...  may be the most enjoyable part of the workout....

for dinner i had crock pot (or slow cooker) chicken - it was OK - i always find it a little dry but for the effort and taste and convenience - i will do it again...
started a new regiment of trying to eat dinner at the dining room table instead of the coffee table in front of the tv - i am liking that - the little guy not so much

then it was a 2 hours vampire diary marathon... really feels like a well rounded day...

note for road trip

i did the math with respect to yesterday's road trip...  i would be home in time to make it to the gym. the gym is open to 11pm.  so i can make it to the gym.  i did not think that arriving back to the office at 730pm would somewhat negate my desire to head to the gym at that hour.  i got in the car and did the math...  an hour workout would get me home somewhere around 930

so i went home instead and watched tv
not the best decision but... 
tonight it will be the gym again...
oh and loving the new mattress

OFTR

Observations from the road. Did I mention last week we drove past a guy that was brushing his teeth while driving down a major highway. What do you do with the spit?

Today we approached a car and it had an odd insignia on the side. As we got closer I realised it was a wolf or maybe a coyote. I was thinking wolf. And as we passed I was startled to see a wolf or coyote (given the size I figured it was a coyote) stuffed - you know the taxidermy kind - staring out at me.
What in the world?

i was not paying attention

so i sat down to pay my bills this evening...  i knew the recent trip to the mall and suit purchases were to be addressed this pay period.  it turned out the bill wasnt as bad as i had expected when it finally arrived.  however i was not paying attention to the other bill...  huh?  where did that come from...  kind of threw me off guard.  i was thinking i was on top of it all....  the clincher - ah, the auto re-subscribe function of oh say many things out there....  as of tomorrow when i get in the car there will no longer be sirius satellite radio... that's OK - did you all forget how much money i spent on cds over the holidays - this will give me the perfect excuse to actually listen to them...
also hopefully motivate me to use that gym more as well...
i did go to the gym this evening - did the 3.11 miles around the track - first jaunt with a run walk went well - broke that 15 minute bit... the second 2 miles not as good - legs got really stiff...
planning on going all this week - even with late nights at work - i joined this gym to be able to go later in the evening - so that i will
now if only i could find a good reason to watch the tele - i am paying way more for channels that i dont watch than should be allowed...  just not a tele person i guess

today in the kitchen...

i started back with the odd little breakfast concoction today... this week i found some oatmeal in the pantry and some cornmeal in the fridge.. so i added those to the mix as well with some fresh granny smith apples
in addition i made another soup - yes, i finally got around to making the lentil and apricot soup.. i have tasted it - it is pretty tasty...
note to self - i have some really dull knives that need to be replaced
note to self - pay better attention when cutting and chopping after replace knives or else you could lose a finger tip...  today i just minutely altered my finger print... and it has laready healed... thank goodness for he dull knife
oddly at the same time - well actually little afterwards - i found myself repotting some plants in the kitchen as well
i have a container garden from Christmas that needed some attention
and in the process realised the container garden i got years ago when my dad passed away was looking somewhat pathetic as well
so the older basket container was repotted into some smaller pots along with some plants i had been rooting - we shall see what survives.. the Christmas container will have to wait until i buy some more pots..
of course the purpose of the pots that i a had on hand is to put in my bathroom... i want to put in shelves above the shower to give it a rainforest feel - i sure hope it doesnt take me a whole other year to find and hang the shelves - that would just be stupid...
the remainder of the day is to be spent at a rugby game - i know how silly and old school
i am looking forward to it!
and yes that means no training
bed slept like a charm even with the continual sinus pain

dinner

seems like i have been doing more with the food aspects of training than training...  yesterday was a beautiful day - i was planning on working out after work..  brought clothers to change into and everything... but we ended up leaving a little early and grabbing some wine instead...  i have been obsessed with trying this wine i saw for a few weeks now - mostly because it has such an odd name - aqua pumpkin
so we grabbed a bottle and hung out with some old show tunes and snacks instead of the workout
i must admit - the wine was good but the etesian i had a few weeks earlier was better
http://www.freixenetusatrade.com/Wines.php?Wine=342
so no workout happened yesterday
today the mattress was scheduled for delivery
so i spent the morning cleaning the house and waiting for the mattress delivery
i was trying to work in a workout but between cleaning and going to the grocery store the workout did not happen
i did do some gardening - it was nice enough to dig in some dirt - much to my surprise it looks like the easter lilies have made it after all.  if the calla lily have i will be really surprised... and going to go through my thought to put the oleanders in the ground this year - they look to have done OK through the winter in the planters so we shall see

i took a long hot bath to get the dirt off and a little nap in the sun with the little guy

the great thing about the great weather is great sinus pain with allergies

instead of going back out into the weather.. i shut down all the windows and decided to stay inside for the remainder of the day - still have sinus pain

cooked a good dinner - grilled salmon, steamed asparagus, pretend mashed potatoes

it was tasty

now just waiting for a reasonable time to go to bed...  watching Wanted at the moment - doubt that will make for a restful night's sleep... may find something a little more peaceful

new mattress

have i mentioned this yet?  i dont recall.  it was a big day the day i went out shopping for suits and a mattress.  i knew it wouldnt be a cheap day.  macys was the destination as they were having a sale.  so i got 2 tahari suits on sale - i am very pleased with them

the mattress - beautyrest black lexi - it is their high end extra firm mattress - arrived today...

it is taking me so much to stay awake and not go to bed already

i figure just another hour or so... then i will be off to bed

almost forgot

did however see my favorite biker guy...  hadnt realised how long it had been since i saw him...  funny how a year flies by...  amazing how 5 years flies by...

oops... missed the workout...

ended up out for dinner with a friend for her birthday...
a fun night!

walk around the mall

there really is no reason why it wasnt more of a run ...  i get distracted mostly by all the noise and traffic
but hey it has been so nice i will try again to get out there today...
speaking of which - best go pack that gym bag...

valentine's day reprieve

somehow i gave myself this little wiggle room of fun things to eat for valentines day
so i bought a whole bunch of crazy treats at the grocery store

• piece of cake - remind myself time and again that this cake really isnt that good... i used to buy bakery cookies and realised they were always undercooked.. now just to convince myself of a similar thought pattern with the cake
• pretzels - i know not a bad snack... it was that honey mustard raspberry dip that found its way into my cart that was the problem... i have purchased it a few times before... in reality it is really just a whole lot of sugar and tastes good at first but you can seriously convince yourself it is a nasty sticky mess
• peach cobbler - that is still in the freezer - that will be a weekend treat this weekend with a nice dinner - at least i suspect
• ice cream - vanilla cant be considered bad can it?  it is to go with the cobbler but i have eaten a bit and the cobbler still needs to be baked
• raisinettes - this was my chocolate treat for the week - but never came to be - or at least not yet - friend at the office brought in a bunch of chocolate so that has taken presidence - should have tha polished off today - funny i dont usually buy chocolate and dont frequently crave it but... i ate my way through that bag of treats in no time

this week's observations

and this was literally from the road... on the way back from a meeting yesterday we passed a guy driving down the highway brushing his teeth...  what do you think he did with that whole spit aspect of teeth brushing... 

breakfast concoction

yes - i am calling it a concoction...
i have a box of cream of wheat that i just have not been able to find the motivation to finish... i find its lack of fiber and overall blandness great when you are suffering from a sour stomache but it just seems like empty calories and carbs at other times...
so i have been trying to find ways to change it up some - and here is what i found in my pantry to add to the grain - brown rice...  which i dont really like - i keep trying to apply the jamie oliver approach to steaming the race and maybe i would like it more but not so much.... so i boiled the heck out of it and threw it in with the cream of wheat...   bulgar wheat ...  which i do like but you can only eat so much taboule salad so this is a good use of the grain....  mixes with some dried cranberries - a purchase my mom makes whenever she visits that i dont find a use for - so add it to the cereal... and walnuts - i am always buying walnuts,  cinamon, nutmeg and vanilla...
we shall see how it tastes

walking

i turned out to be a nice day yesterday... so after the morning's obligations i decided to find some lighter weight clothes and go for a walk...  as usual my ears were colder than anticipated but overall it was a nice day and not very cold at all...
i covered a little over 3 miles - almost 4 - in under an hour...  it is always interesting to see that the stats on certain aspects - like when i have to run across the street - that always impacts my pace - especially stopping to cross and then bolting while crossing
i have hesitated to walk around this area as getting across the streets have become more difficult with the traffic
from there i also watched my pace - forgot that i could click through and watch my pace on the watch - i am trying to increase my walking pace - i do walk somewhere between 16 to 17 minute miles...  but when i pay attention it can be below 15... so if i am unable to get the run to be consistent perhaps i need to get that walk pace up to speed..
today is supposed to be in the high 60s again... packing outdoor walking clothes today for the workout...
need to try to get out right before 5pm before the expected winds and chill kick up
the remainder of the week will most likely be gym time...

how about while carpet cleaning?!?

I have been thinking about changing the carpet in the downstairs of my house.  I seriously would like to do some versionof tile in the back room and then hardwood throughout.  I originally thought I would start with the tile this year.  But I havent found anything that catches my attention for the time, effort and cost.  Then the little guy has started acting like he is not really fond of the slicker surface that is in the kitchen.  So I fear the upgrades may just immobilize him.  Part of the reasoning for the upgrade is I think it would be easier to clean up after him.  His bladder and bowel functions seem to be depleting.  I thought it was from his injury but the vet thinks it could just be old age. 
So instead I decided I would clean the carpets and start to crate him more often again.
I borrowed a steam cleaner from a friend.  The last time I paid to have them cleaned I was SHOCKED at the price and disappointed at the results.  So I figured some manual labor on my part was a good trade off.
So far today I am liking the results.
And I cant imagine that the exercise of pushing the heavy water laide cleaner around the carpets didnt count as some version of exercise. 
Of course not the 4 miles I was thinking I wanted to do.  But exercise none the less.
Today it is to be close to the 60s so I think I will try to get outside for that.

do you burn calories while driving

i sure hope so
the 4+ hour drive back from ATL would be so worth it if somehow i could determine i burned an extra 500 calories doing so...

at least i know i got my heart rate up on the ride home...
drive north on I85 at breakneck interstate speed...
TWO DOGS!!!  TWO BIG DOGS!!!  I would say pit bulls come frollicking out into the highway...
No, they were not running across far enough ahead of me and crossing...  They were frollicking...  Or perhaps in pit bull terms they were fighting and snraling with one another...  not even thinking about the 18wheeler behind me - i threw on my brakes... i was not going to hit these dogs...  thankfully the 18 wheeler saw me stopping and hit his brakes as well... he only fishtailed oh so slightly....  i was more concerned as the dogs frollicked - they really were playing in traffic - that the car in the lane next to me would come up and swipe them flat...  but somehow they made it - well at least from the view of my rearview mirror as i proceeded down the highway...  at that hour it was still light and i was still in GA
heart still races thinking about it.... probably will find i pulled a muscle by tomorrow

yesterday they was a dog meandering in the traffic as well... this was at a stoplight so everyone was more aware of the dog... a nice girl pulled over in her SUV to get the dog...  No, i did not stop...  i wasnt really familiar with the area so i had no idea what i would have done with the dog from there

and lastly i just remembered something flew up off the road into the passenger side of my car somewhere in SC.... i need to go check that before i return the rental car...  need to make sure there arent any huge gaping dents in the side....  hello amex...

Way too many calories today

I do OK with breakfast at hotels.  I usually go with coffee and cereal.  I avoid the odd concoction of fake eggs and nasty microwaved breakfast meat and cold potatoes.  But the lack of quick, easy, healthy foods at lunch just throws my good intentions right out the window.  For the past 2 days I have had McDonalds.  Yes, I know McDonalds.  The fries are 310 calories!!!  That is almost twice the amount of the calories in the bowl of cereal at breakfast.  The quarter pounder with cheese has 580 calories.  I mean what the heck is in that thing that makes it that many calories.  It is enough to make my stomache turn just thinking about it.  Hopefully it will be out of my system for a while.
I have found some other restaurants that are a little bit better.  You have to avoid the fries at all costs.  I mean a few fried potatoes - carbs that arent necessary and a whole bunch of hot fat... just not a necessary food item.  Chic Fil A has a grilled chicken sandwich that comes with a sauce and lettuce and tomatoe on a whole wheat roll.  It is pretty NASTY! BUT if you ask for it plain without the sauce and wilted veggies and no butter on the wheat roll...  it is a tolerable sandwich with less than 300 calories or so.  Subway promotes healthy items too - I just have a hard time avoiding the nasty tuna and cheese when i walk in the door.
So it will be back to the drawing board before the next road trip at the end of the month...
DINNER - should we even talk about dinner?
I was headed to Olive Garden.  You think - what are you going to eat at Olive Garden!?  Well, I like the all you can eat soup and salad.  I keep the soup intake minimal and really enjoy the salad.  That's what I was thinking - go get salad...
And then I hit traffic - I had to go back an exit to get to Olive Garden.  So I went to a local italian restaurant instead.  When traveling isnt it nice to go to a local place and try their food than a chain?  Sure that's what we all tell ourselves.  Of course getting a salad went out the window.
Now the salad was good but so were the garlic rolls, linguine and white clam sauce and OOoops cannoli...
It was VERY good but oh so not on the list - especially after lunch.
So I came back to the hotel and did an hour on the treadmill.  From the looks of it - I burned off at least 300 calories.  I kept a good pace.  And even ran some on the treadmill.  SO I wont complain.
Tomorrow - well overnight - it is supposed to be snowing.  So I may hit the treadmill again in the AM if I cant get out of the hotel.

no progress this weekend

Friday night was a great feat of firsts with the run...  Saturday and Sunday was useless in those regards.  I did lots of house cleaning.  Ended up in the office for a little bit.  OK - a bit longer that anticipated.  I was going to do the gym yesterday afternoon.  I didnt happen.  I worked too long and ended up at dinner at a friends.  Sunday was a rough start NO COFFEE IN THE HOUSE!!!  I never made it to the grocery store Saturday.  So went to Dean & Deluca and had coffee and coffee cake - OOooppsss not on the diet.  Was a nice relaxing morning.  Went to the office - I gave myself 2 hours.  I was there SO MUCH LONGER!!!!  I was again going to work out on my way home.  It was going to be a beautiful day so I was planning on running outside.  Then the motivation waned...

Hotel Treadmills

Well the treadmill and I did not spend much time together. I have be forewarned about the safety of hotel treadmills. That they an be old and out of shape and ultimately can impact your workout. So I try to just do some walking on the hotel treadmills. This one made even walking skeptical. So I avoided it Monday night. I did a little over a mile at a miserable pace yesterday. We'll see how the treadmill looks at this next hotel this evening. If it looks within reason I will try to get a walk in tonight and tomorrow.

Observations from the Road

No, not the road while running. Nor the road while cycling. But the road of travel and that is mostly work related. I have these snippets or would they be quips that pop in my head while I travel. I spend a good amount of time with people and the other part alone. So observations from when I am with people fill my mind when alone. So here are some from yesterday.
A portion of the highway was "Adopted by the Bahais of Alpharetta". Really? How random.
I don't think McDonalds was involved when they installed the manhole cover stating "grease trap" right by the main entrance of their store.
What is the purpose of having a locked area when everyone knows the code to get in?
Never knew there was an industry for THAT kind of cosmetic surgery.
Cranes are still fascinating.
When they said we will start at 730 they meant 730 not arrive early and be ready for 730
Can't wait to see what today brings.

Lentils - round two

this is where i started last year in re-introducing myself to the dried bean/legume...  i struggled with getting the consistency right so figured the smallest legume around is the lentil...  i must admit I will have to go through my notes - yes I keep notes on almost everything - to see what I did with them last year... this year - I am trying a lentil soup with a hint of dried apricot...  the beans go in the water today - guess the cooking will happen tomorrow...

Fan Fare

I was recently touting the importance of family supporting us in our athletic endeavors to an old friend.  That if family is near-by they should surely promote and cheer us on...  I was kind of opinionated on it.
IRONICALLY!!!  It has been pointed out to me that I am not always as gracious when others come out to cheer me on....
I have had a few friends come out to cheer me on - when instead i had wished they had joined me in the competition.  I have learned to be more gracious since then.

This coming week

I try to do this outside stretch on Saturdays and a walk with friend on Sundays.
Well Saturday looks like it should still be raining when I get up.  I am contemplating going to work and choosing one of two options for a walk/run in the afternoon.  I am supposed to go with a friend because our Sunday walk is not going to happen.  I just dont know if an afternoon walk when things dry out will happen either.
Sunday we wont be walking so I am giving some thought as to what to do that day.  Decisions decisions.
I know there are some work hours in there that need to happen so I can juggle that around some.
Monday is a drive to ATL - that will have to be my off day for this week.
Tuesday may be an early morning but I think I get done at an early hour - so that will be an evening walk on the treadmill.  I dont think I used the treadmill at that hotel the last time.  Hey - maybe if it's a nice afternoon I could walk outside. 
Wednesday - I could do a morning walk or an evening walk.
Thursday is going to have to be a morning walk - have to get on the road for a drive home on Thursday.
So those will all be around some sort of treadmill 3 to 4 mile an hour pace.
Friday will be the loop at the gym again - it has to be.
Saturday and Sunday - yeah back to that routine for a while....
I just need to stay focused while I am on the road.
This is the first of 3 road trips prior to my race in March and I just need to keep the focus.
THEN I have another big thing to keep me motivated.  12 weeks out!!!
Then a race in July
Then that fit for Ireland quest.
focus focus focus

Personal best tonight

After some delay and the realisation that I will be at the office again tomorrow I went to the gym this evening.  My friend got a guest pass with me and we hit the track.  She ran most of the way.  I did my normal routine - normal from Monday at least.  But it was neat to have someone else there to hang out with kind of...
So I did 5 minutes walk around the track; then the one run one walk... I came in at 1 miles under 15 minutes.  YAY me.  I did the same for the second mile - except I miss calculated where I was in the mile and in the progress of the laps.  I felt like I should be on the last run lap for that mile.  But I wasn't.  I thought it would only be a little more but it wasnt.  2+ laps later. I came in on the second mile under the 30 minute mark.  The last mile was awkward as my friend was good to be done at that point.  BUT I was only 0.25 into that last mile.  She went and did some machine things - and I kept going.  This was to be a pure walk mile.  But I was getting antsy to be done and to get in under a good time.  I was just short of making it on that last mile in under 45 minutes.  SO bummed.
But I am hopeful to keep it going.

January recap

Sounds like reports I generate for work.  So many people seen, so many actions taken....
This I guess dovetails well with how much exercise and training I can get in even though I am in the midst of being on the road and traveling.

Progress Summary Report - kind of excited to see how different this looks for February!
Count: 15 Activities

Distance: 35.42 mi

Time: 10:22:21 h:m:s

Elevation Gain: --

Avg Speed: 3.6 mph

Avg HR: 128 bpm

Max HR: 172 bpm

Avg Run Cadence: 61 spm

Max Avg HR: 143 bpm

Avg Bike Cadence: --

Calories: 3,026 C

rest day

I know some of you in your quests for later this spring have scheduled an agenda with no rests. At least I think that's what that was. What I learned from my trainer a few years back is you need to take at least one rest day.
So that is my night tonight. Sad to say I got sucked in on a bunch of market and fund research and the predominant geek characteristic took over. So I worked until 6ish
Had the last helping of that crazy salad
AND settled into the highlight of a good Thursday night. OK last Thursday night was restaurant week and I settled into dinner and wine with an old friend quite easily. But the normal Thursday night - Yea Vampire Diaries. So I watched 2 episodes tonight. It was a ggod time
Now I am nestled in bed with fears freezing rain in the morning. Reading Racing Weight.

random run

i brought clothes to work out yesterday.  it was to be in the 60s.  my goal was to leave the office at 430 and run a loop for 45 minutes and be back in the office to finish out a few things with my day.  i had a meeting get a late start so it did not come together as planned.  a little after 5pm i made my way out on to the road.  i was feeling sore from the hill run the day before so the excursion was going to be to just keep moving. 
the data capture ended up showing an even odder approach to the work out... not sure why...  i think the problems amounted from - the stairs:  not sure that the footpod captured that data right,  locked doors in the building: trying to get through them interrupts the pace, and the traffic - i forgot that the trek around the mall leads to having to stop for traffic and cross walks.
i did end up running in 4 areas for no apparent reason
and i went for 2 miles in a little over 32 minutes
but some of the data just came across wrong

tonight i think it will be the track again
a friend wanted to work out with me so i need to look into a guest pass at the gym because i think it will just be too cold outside

THAT was the other thing i forgot with yesterday - it was colder than i had anticipated... man did my ears get cold...  i forgot about that....

heart rate

i received an interesting comment today on my heart rate..
i always focus on how high and high fast my heart rate shoots up when i start to run
i mean look at it - i have unlocked today's work out as well - it just shoots up when i increase my pace
the comment made was that my heart rate does in fact recover rather well when i do stop from the run
i had never looked at that before... and you know what, the observation was right
now i just need to continue to work on it so that i can keep the faster pace for a longer period of time
5 weeks until the 5k

Hill Drill

Have we spoken about the hill drill before?  I pretty sure we have.  BUT it could be as old a conversation as two years ago.  When I was working with the trainer 2 years ago she made hill runing a topic for a week.  How to work the terrain on the down hill to your advantage.  How to moce the legs on the uphill to minimize the strain/work.  At that time I added a drill to running in my neighborhood.  Perhaps I have commented on the hills in the neighborhood before... Most recently the inability to get out of the neighborhood due to the ice build up on the hills. 
I had found that the 10th of a mile stretch in and out the main road is a good path to follow with hill drills.
And that was this evening's objective.
Run up the hill.  I can only make it for about a minute. 
Walk to until I get to the top.  Again about a minute.
Run down the hill.
Walk to the end of the road/stretch. 
Turn around.  Do it all over again.
I found with the hills the time and distance to get 3.1 miles in the mix was difficult to achieve.
So I stopped at 30 minutes.  DARN just short of 2 miles.
Tomorrow is back to the gym.  Gotta pack that gym bag to make sure it happens.  Not happening right now because I am blogging blogging blogging and watching NCIS

Shall we talk about the training instead

I have been slowly working my way up to more strenuous work outs.  Which equates to I have been walking alot up to date.  On Sunday the weather was nice I got on the bike as well.  And that little bit of sunshine and fresh air seemed to do wonders for my inspiration.
Last night I went to the gym for the first time in months.  I had taken an unexpected hiatus from the gym when my mom visited.  My objective was to only do the indoor track and to try to springle in some running in the track mix. 
12 times around the track is a mile.  If you think about it too long it will de-motivate you.  So you need to approach the scenario with a different objective.  Find good music to listen to while you are there.  People watch.  Challenge yourself.  Just don't think about counting to 12.  And so went last night.
5 minutes of walking and warming up.  Really just getting accustomed to the track again.
And then decided one loop run one loop walk.  I had done a minute on a minute off a few other visits... I found the constant glancing at the watch when you get to a minute to be difficult.  So I decided on the lap otpions.
And it looks to have gone pretty well for me.  My current walking pace is a little over 16 minutes per mile.  So to have knocked off 10 seconds to 15:50minutes made me happy.  I did 10 laps at a run over the 3.14 miles I covered.  My goal is to get to 12 laps in the mix this week.

Another twist in the diet

Still working on that weight loss goal.  Interesting, with working out the desire to snack and nosh is quite different.  And with looking over very options in dieting I have been reintroduced to various foods you forget when always on the road and in a rut.
This week's options beyond the soup...
Cream of wheat - I know that's not new for me.  I have had a box sitting in the fridge since last winter (hence its home in the fridge).  And ironically the SparkPeople web-site suggested mixing it with peanut butter.  HAH - reflections of my father.  Well he preferred peanut butter in his oatmeal.  I do have some peanut butter in the house but the option was with fruit.  And so I made a batch of cream of wheat (yes, a whole batch - it is easier than making a serving each morning and slightly less hassle in the clean up) and mixed it with a pack of frozen raspberries.  YUM! 
I have hesitated to eat too much of the cream of wheat because of the carb aspect but it is a lot less than some other cereals.  Probably gonna switch to steel cut oats once this box is empty.
The other twist - hold on to your HATS - cottage cheese.  I told you to hold on to your hats.
Listen to this crazy approach to this week's dinner menu - chopped romaine lettuce, grilled chicken, cottage cheese, strawberries, some salad dressing.  It has been wonderfully tasty.
I just hope the low calorie weight loss focus works.
Now to find something creative to do next week - and I will be on the road.  That really plain grilled chicken sandwich on dry whole wheat roll may be the mainstay for my time in ATL.

Soup for days

I have to say I am really enjoying the soup that I made on Sunday.  I just forgot that making a pot of soup from a bag of beans can last for ages.  Lunch lunch and more lunch...  Even brought some to share today but it may still last until the weekend.  But it is healthy so I wont worry about it too much just the boredom.
The next bag is of lentils.  Still contemplating what to make with that.