Long Run and The Great Minnesota Get-Together

I am about to run out the door and do my 15 miler. I woke up at 4am today in order to blog, eat breakfast and be on the road running by 5:20. I have to be back no later then 8 and then I have to hurry up and shower and be ready to roll to the airport by 9. I am off to Minnesota to enjoy The Minnesota State Fair. It is definitely one of a kind. You can find pretty much any food on the planet deep fried and put on a stick. There is also your fair share of non-fried foods but alas I would not consider most of them "healthy choices". =) Realizing I was going to be totally overdoing it food wise this weekend I thought it would be a good idea to get my hard workouts done early in the week. That way I hopefully avoid making 20 bathroom stops while on my 15 miler.

Here is the low-down on my workouts so far:

Monday: Total Conditioning class
Tuesday: 12x400's with 1:30 recovery between each one. I averaged a 1:36 for all repeats with my fastest being last. (I always like the fastest to be last, so when it happens I am happy =))
Wednesday: 22 Mile bike ride with some pushups and pullups
Today: 15 miler @ around a 9:00 mile. I would like to run this a little faster, but we'll see how I feel. I am not too worried about it.

Then I leave for MN. Friday I'll be doing some cross training.
Saturday: 7 miles with 5@ 8:20

On a side note, food has been on my mind lately and I am happy because I finally created a menu for myself that is gonna last me through September. If I don't have a menu then all bets are off and for dinner it is cereal or PB&J. Here is some stuff I have made in the last few days.

I realize Sarahs Egg Sandwich looked delicious in the previous post but I would have to say.... this might be better.  Hickey smoked bacon and Buttermilk Pancakes smothered in peanut butter topped with maple syrup. Delish. (Heather is who taught me to put peanut butter on pancakes and waffles and if I haven't said so before, THANKYOU)

Crock pot roast beef sandwich. Along with fruit and a grilled asparagus and tomato salad sprinkled with rock salt and pepper. Oh, and some baked chips =) Delish #2.

Spinach salad with all the normal veggies, grilled chicken and to sweeten it a bit I grilled pears and apples with a little bit of rock salt and sprinkled with cinnamon. Delish #3. (I really like rock salt lately. I also have a weird infatuation with my grill....)

Now go enter the Giveaway if you haven't already and eat some treats. I surely will be doing plenty of that the next few days.

Happy Running -Jen

Does anyone else out there have an amazing state fair they attend?
They call this one, The Great Minnesota Get Together =)


Who else needs a menu in order to cook?
If I don't have one, I wait until 6 o'clock when my family is starving and wonder what to do...

My New Favorite Salad

The other day I was making lunch at my moms and was just using what she had in her fridge.  I didn't feel like making anything extra special so I was just throwing stuff together and I came up with this gem of a salad

Spinach 

Chicken

String Cheese

Craisins

Cottage Cheese

Gold Fish

Parmesan Cheese

A light drizzle of a dressing of your liking.

It was so good.  That since then I have made it three or four more times. I am really loving these days using just spinach leaves as my greens.  You all must try it.

On a side note I am sort of looking forward to school starting again.  Anyone else?  My kids are getting bored and I am getting bored of thinking of news ways to keep them moving.  Dance is starting back up again and my girls are over the moon excited.  But they still need something to do in the mean time.  So this is what I came up with last night.  I made my salad and really wanted to eat it outside.  I have been missing eating outside this summer since we are in a apartment and we have no porch.  But we do have a courtyard so I took my salad down and made the kids run around and around it.  I even kept them instreseted buy timing them.  I was calling it time trials and that made it even more exciting.  What are you all doing to keep your kids from killing each other??

-Heather

Bake Sale

First off let's start with my workout.  15 miles @8:45 pace.  I was supposed to do a 9:08 pace, that is for the 3:40 marathon training plan but for the 3:30 training plan it says 8:45 so I decided to push myself just a little harder today :)  Warmed up 2 miles that averaged a 8:15 pace.  I will be honest. I was tired.  BUT you will all be happy to know that I went out prepared!  Water bottle, check! shot bloks in my spi belt, check! Sunglasses, check!  It was a success!

Moving on...  Today was are having a Bake Sale on our stoop!  The girls from my church are trying to raise money to go to girls camp.  I made fudge nut bars, yum. So if your in the hood come on by! We will be outside from 11-1.

My Spring 12 collection it moving right along.  I finished this shirt yesterday and I totally love it!

I have also moved on for my love of mixed greens and now just like my spinach straight up.  And I am totally loving blueberries right now.  Who's with me?

This is a picture of the other day but I am really hoping to eat some more 16 Handles later today :)

Anyone have any fun plans for this weekend?  Jen good luck today at your tri!! I know you will do totally great and I can't wait to hear about it!!

Anyone else have a long run today?  Was it hot?  It was too hot here that is for sure.

XX
Sarah