Thanksgiving... a month late!

Photos from Thanksgiving week!

In the beginning, there was pecan pie.

Then we had apple!

A little pumpkin pie to round things out. Don't mind the burned edges!

We actually started with dinner... and maybe a second helping of mashed potatoes. 

On Thanksgiving morning I ran the Turkey Trot 5k.

I finished in 32 minutes, 9 seconds - a new record!

Gobble Gobble! 

Crisp, dry air provided for a smooth running experience. 

These dudes and dudettes decided to brave the chilly waters of Klineline Pond  for the polar bear swim.

 

Aunt Linda's cat, Keiko, who is adorable!

Zombie Apocalypse 5k

Andy and I participated in the Zombie Apocalypse 5k Trail Run over the weekend at Lee Farms in Tualitan, OR over the weekend. Wow, was it was tough! The survivors (us) started two minutes before the zombies took off. Their goal was to pull flags off of the survivors and make it across the finish line.

Classy Las Vegas tee shirt

Dressed in purple!

 As we ran through a corn maze, dodged personnel in fatigues, listened to the warning sirens and trampled through the mud, we were informed to watch our back and keep up our pace! For awhile I was being "chased" by bad fruit: zombie bananas! Despite Andy getting over a cold and stung by a bee while racing, he clocked in around 32 minutes, and I finished at just over 38 minutes (the hills were not friendly). I really didn't notice how much of the first half was uphill until the second time around the course. The scenery of the farm was quite lovely and I'm really happy that we participated and finished.

Finishers!

Race swag

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Freezer stories & weekends

This weekend I have grand plans to rid our freezer of the massive amount of bananas taking over the small space. I'll most likely make a few loaves of banana bread, which will go right back to the freezer. I keep meaning to bring in loaves to work, but haven't had much time or energy in the evenings as of late to bake.I'd also like to hit up the farmer's market or local u-pick site for more berries. I've been on a sorbet/sherbet kick lately, making a new batch every few weeks for our freezer. I've made orange sherbet, chocolate/cinnamon hazelnut sorbet (I used 6oz of cinnamon chips and 6oz of chocolate chips, plus added chopped hazelnuts. If I make this in the future, I would definitely use less cinnamon chips.), and most recently strawberry lemon sorbet (where I mirrored the orange sorbet recipe, using lemon rind instead of orange).

With two quarts at a time, it's definitely cheaper to make from scratch. Plus, using local berries and knowing each ingredient is a big plus. Here's a pro tip: if you're blending hot liquids with solids, use a blender instead of a food processor, otherwise you'll end up with a mess like the one seen below.

Yes, this mess drizzled between the fridge and counter.

We completely slacked for 3 weeks and didn't complete any runs (although we did hike at least twice and walked quite a bit in Vegas; at least two miles in 95 degree heat on the first day). We're on W9D2 of C25k, and with our 5k quickly approaching, we're trying to (slowly) increase speed and keep muscle aches at bay with extra rest. I am quite happy to say that I can successfully run for 30 minutes! Last night I tracked only my running mileage and was able to bust out 2.4 miles. Woo! I definitely have a ways to go and need to keep reminding myself that I am new runner, each run can't always be as fast as the one before, and I am still exercising and improving my endurance. I was feeling aok during the first 10 minutes, but quickly felt my legs begin to ache and a blister introduce itself on my foot. Argh! Andy's been timing himself for the last two runs and is completing a 5k in about 36-37 33-34 minutes (he was calculating incorrectly). We'll be focusing on weight loss and strength training very shortly which will hopefully improve our runs and help us build better definition. Here's the pretty view from my run last night:

Looking east toward Silver Star Mountain.

Summer is here!

The big 3-0 is right around the corner! It feels as if summer vacation is on its way and my to-do lists are ever growing. I have just the right amount of time to complete everything before we head out of town for vacation.

I had a genius idea around the 10th of June to compile a post per day, documenting every birthday thus far. Alas, I haven't kept the idea fresh in my mind when I'm around my mom's to poke around albums for birthday photos. I probably have a few on my flickr page and a few loose childhood photos floating around that I could scan.

We're still running into our 30s with Couch to 5k. W8D2 is next, although W8D1 was mighty difficult for both of us, mentally and physically. Here's the segment I'd like to call 

Awesome running tips!

1. Clip your toe nails and keep them short! Ugh. I found this out the hard way when my pinky toe dug into its neighbor, leaving an icky and painful mess. 
2. Don't consume juice or anything sugary prior to a run; stick with water!
3. Stretch. And when you haven't stretched enough, stretch a little more. 
4. Drink more water. Water, water, WATER.
5. If it's warmer outside than normal, run a little slower to ease into the hotness/humidity.  

I've been browsing 5k listing for late July/early August, hoping to peak Andy's interest (he finds them to be expensive). Yes, they can be with participation in frequent races, but think of the accomplishment you'd feel once complete! He won't read this so I might be preaching to the choir, but he's in veg mode at the moment and it's hard to retain his attention. Ugh, again. 

45 minutes later... We're registered for the Race for the Homeless, taking place on August 6, 2011! YAY! http://www.raceforthehomeless.org/ Matched donations will support Open House Ministries which helps homeless folks and families achieve self sufficiency.

Next agenda item... bed! I have more to share and will most likely have a few moments to write a post tomorrow.