Life's a race so run it!!!

UCLA and Pre-Race Dinner

Last night was a blast! I am not a huge fan of college football, partly because I went to a small private school that only had a baseball and basketball teams, but I loved all of the school spirit UCLA fans had the tail gators, and parties looked like a fun times( I feel a little jiped on my college experience). We watched most of the game, but of course us girls started chatting and the next thing you know the game was over. UCLA was murdered, good thing I didn't really care who won.

The boys looking O' so serious


Us girls taking pictures



If you have ever been to any sporting event the healthy options are so limited. Between the bacon wrapped hot dogs, and the bbq cheese nachos it's slim pickings! I think that I need to come up with a small chain of places called Bobbi's Better CHOICES, that serves healthier food at all sporting events!!!! I stuck with these yummy, sugar coated almonds. The ingredients were simple, water, almonds, and sugar.The lady assured me that their was not butter or oil.

The ginormous DIET COKE!!!!! I had to pee every five seconds!


After the game we hit up old town Pasadena, one of my favorite spots in So Cal. I love the streets lined with the best restaurants, and stores. They have everything from the Container Store(I know this classifies me as a nerd) to the biggest Crate and Barrel I have ever been to. We walked around a while to find the perfect eatery. We decided on a little Italian restaurant tucked in the back streets. We got to sit on the heated patio which was nice, and the food was delightful. I had a race in the morning so I stuck with one glass of red, and ordered the Tuscan Chicken with steamed veggies, and mashed potatoes. A nice balance of protein,carbs,fat, and veggies. I also had two small pieces of sourdough bread and balsamic vinegar.

The photo credit for this shot goes to Melissa:)

Before we were seated we got to sit at the bar and watch the chefs work their magic, what an amazing show!

10k Personal Record!!!!

Woke up this morning and it was raining, I was sure that I would be getting wet today, I decided to lay in bed and listen to the rain for a bit.

Pre-Race Breakfast. I knew I had plenty of time to eat before the race, but we didn't get home until 11pm so I wanted to sleep in as much as possible.I grabbed this PowerBar Nut Naturals on the way out( I got it for free at last weeks race). This is not something I endorse, please eat something that works for you!

We headed out the door at 7:30 am which is so late for me, I haven't run a race this late in a long time. As we drove to downtown Riverside, thoughts about last years race started running through my head. I ran well, I just remember wanting to throw up at the end because I think I had pushed myself to hard. I wanted to think positively, so I thought about my Marathon, that always works! I can do this, I ran 26.2 miles in the RAIN!!! Ok I took a few deep breaths, checked my time from last year and it was a 47:26, which means I ran a 7:45 pace, not bad. I know I was just nervous because I haven't been running a lot lately. As we approached downtown the rain cleared up and the sun shined down, I was smiling and ready.

Hubby dropped me off to pick up my bib number, and run and stretch before the race started. It was a good 30 minutes before the race started after I got all my registration taken care of, so I jogged for about ten minutes and did some deep stretching. I also went to the bathroom TWICE my tummy just can't hold it before a race, it's part of the experience. Of course there was no TP, another thing I need to add to my list of things to bring to a race. Waiting at the starting line I thought to myself, I need a small laminated check list for race days (this is the OCD coming out in me). So what would be on that check list? What's on your check list?

Race day Must haves

1. Shoes
2. Tank
3. Socks
4. Hat
5. LongSleeve
6. Sportsbra
7. Skirt
8. Warmups(I need new ones something for the Christmas list)
9. Ipod
10. Garmin
11. Vaseline
12. Race Number Belt
13. TP
14. Camera
15. Heed/Water
16. Protein Snack
17. Banana
18. Recoverite
19. Face Wipes

What did I forget?

Race Recap:

Mile 1: Obviously I was pretty chipper...lol...I clock in at
5:1o too fast I slowed down.

Mile: 2
12:15

Was a nice flat street around the pond, I was feeling great. No pain in my legs jut a little side ache here and there. I took lots of deep breaths trying to ignore the cramps. There was a small hill, but once again the key to pushing over it, is mentally telling myself YOU CAN DO THIS. I also always look down at the ground a couple steps ahead of me and pump my arms low. That way I don't see it as a hill but just the road in front of me, try it it works!

Mile 3:
Hubby caught me adjusting the Ipod, I need new headphones mine keep slipping out of my ears!

Mile 4:
The race did a loop, which means we did the same 3 miles twice, booooo!!! lol...It actually wasn't that bad I knew the course now and could anticipate the hill.

The last three miles were a killer I knew I was going to beat my time as long as I just kept telling myself this is MY RACE, I am running MY BEST. It's hard sometimes running with others because I tend to get caught up in their stride and I will be going either too fast, or too slow. I tried not to look at my Garmin to much and focus on my body, on the way it was feeling. I was all warmed up, but starting to slow down a little. Then all of a sudden this older gentlemen started running next to me and helped me pick it right back up. We didn't speak but we knew we were helping each other. He stuck with me the last 2 and 1/2 miles and then at mile 6 he passed me up a little, and I got competitive, and sprinted IN! I know it's a fun run, but hey every second counts in my book!

Final Stats:

10k time:41:48 (no chip could be faster)
Avg pace: 6:44
Max pace: 4:09
Calories Burned: 709
8th girl, 69th overall, 4th in my division

WOW I PRd by 6 minutes from last year!!! WOOT WOOT! I received a metal for being in the top 100, I did that last year too. Last year I also got second in my division, this year I got fourth. O well I ran so much faster, I was pleased. Hubby was there at the finish line to take care of me, which he does so well. I was good and had my Hammer Recoverite right away. I also went for a little jog and stretched, I never do this and I know I need to. It was the perfect weather, for a perfect race! People ask me why do you pay money to run, and I tell them this, because running a race is not just running it's an experience!!!!

"Everyone in life is looking for a certain rush. Racing is where I get mine."- John Trautmann

On the way home we stopped by Starbucks, it was getting a little chilly and I was craving some hot apple cider. It was so yummers:) Then when I got home I took an hour nap and woke up and made lunch. It's cold outside now and nothing sounded better then Chile. I made a protein packed sweet potato! The best thing to have after a race :)



I also worked on my BSI recipe, I know I am cutting it close, but I never seem to have a free moment. I mean even tonight after all that has happened today we have a softball game!

I was little nervous about cooking eggplant, but once I did a little research I quickly found out it's not all that hard. I love all types of grilled food, so why not eggplant right? Well here it is:

EGGPLANT,TOFU, AND PEPPER SKEWERS WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISSOTO

1/2 block of extra firm tofu, cubed
1 small eggplant, cubed
3 tbs of olive oil
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 yellow bell pepper chopped
2tbs of balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon of sugar
2 wooden skewers

Served on Top of Lundberg Butternut Squash Risotto!

Preparation:

1. Put the eggplant,bell peppers, and tofu in a large plastic bowl. Pour on the combined oil, vinegar, garlic, and sugar and toss. Marinate for 10-15 minutes.

2. Make the Lundberg Butternut Squash Risotto while marinating.

3. Thread alternating eggplant,peppers, and tofu onto the skewers. Cook on hot,lightly oiled bbq grill or flat plate for 7-8 minutes, or until eggplant is tender, turning occasionally. Serve on top of Risotto.

WONDERFUL!

Well I know this post has been long if your still reading, I have changed one thing on PILE ON THE MILES CHALLENGE instead of posting me a comment with your miles on November 28th you can send me an email at marie.bobbi@ gmail .com . I am excited about all who are doing it, the prize I have decided will be a package full of my favorite race day treats!!

I am proud of all who raced this weekend, way to run! Have a restful Sunday evening...remember tomorrow is MAKE A DIFFERENCE MONDAY :)

P.S. Through this entire blog I have been listening to christmas music next to the fire, I know I am one of them...lol

Freaky Friday!

Man this day has gone by so quick it's FREAKY, I am barely sitting down to blog.

Well let me do a mini recap on last night.

Got home and changed super fast because I went to a power yoga class at a new gym down the street. The class we an hour long and there were only about 6 of us so it was kind of like a private session. It was ok until these other women in the class started laughing, a little hard to hold poses and concentrate with all the noise. After we were done, I kinda wanted more...it was free I can't complain.

After yoga the hubby and I decided to stay home from study and spend some quality time with each other. We didn't know what to eat for dinner...so I decided to take a look through the cupboards and see what we had. I decided to finally try and make some tofu. I have had it in the fridge for a week now, and it was about time I gave it a try. I have had tofu before and I love it, but I have never cooked it myself. I just through in the sauce pan, added a little evoo and some seasoning salt(added a little too much because it was too salty). I added some Annie's BBQ sauce to the tofu and it tasted just fine. On the side I cooked up some brussel sprouts,hubby made organic mac and cheese, and some black eye peas. I know it was a weird combination but very filling.

This morning I got up at 5am, and was contemplating going to an hour spin class.It's my last day on my free 7 day past, so I thought what the heck I better go. The only reason I was thinking of not going was because I was worried that my legs would be too sore and that I would feel it during the race tomorrow. So I just did 40 minutes of the class and then some free weights and ab work out. I feel ok today, so I think that was the best move!

It was Halloween sofor bfast I made a bloddy mess!!! Here it is:

Because hubby and I are going to Memphis for Thanksgiving, I decided to find a local race there and run it. Hey why not race on vacation, it's what I love to do! I found a race on the 27th at 9am, it's called the Memphis Turkey Trot!!! So I could run and then stuff myself with goodies:) I hope it works out.

Well it's the night before my race, and Halloween so once again my plans are conflicted. For all YOU racers out there you must KNOW what I mean about sacrificing either Friday nights or Saturday nights for early long runs or long races. We got invited out to a couple parties, but I sadly had to decline because of my 4:30am wake up call!!! O' well I ll party at 9am tomorrow, when it's all over:) I will post result's on Sunday, because I want to spend as much time with Ray Hay as possible! Have a safe and Happy Halloween....the hubby and I will be at our house for the first time this Halloween so we can't wait to see all the trick or treaters!

I am going to Boston!

When I arrived at home this evening I received an exciting letter in the mail. MY BOSTON CONFIRMATION letter! I am going to Boston.!I am so excited, not only to run the race but as a History major I will just eat up all that Boston has to offer! I have friend named Christina who lives there and has graciously offered me and the hubby a place to stay. This is a huge relief for two reason, one being that it cost like a bazillion dollars to stay anywhere near downtown, and everything else is booked! I can't wait to see her too, we haven't seen each other in quite a while. I can't believe that I have actually qualified and will be training again in January, it's all hitting me now, and to top it off the Boston Marathon this year is on my BIRTHDAY April 20th, what a way to celebrate!

So today was a pretty nice day, lots of sunshine so no complaints here. I don't really post what I eat for lunch because it's about the same thing every day. I work with a few simple ingredients.
Romain salad mix,goat cheese,tomotoes, can of salmon, pine nuts, pita chips,pita bread hummus,carrots,apples, and some watermelon on occasion.


I don't eat all of this at one sitting but a combo of it throughout the week. So if I took pics they would all look the same:) My true passion is cooking dinner! I think I love the challenge and I love LOVE love the faces I get when hubby takes his first bite.




This year hubby and I didn't make it out to get a pumpkin, but my wonderful coworker Cheryl brought me back on from her classes Field trip to the pumpkin patch. He so cute, I shall name him Corbin:) I am hoping that when hubby gets home from softball we can carve him.







I skipped out on my women's group tonight, I need a night to myself. Some weeks just catch up on me all too fast, and I need some serenity, some peace and quite. So as soon as the hubby left, I turned up the Boss System and played some Run Kid Run and cleaned up a little, and then turned it down to some Frankie for cooking music and a glass of wine. I am currently waiting for dinner to be done, I will post pics in the morning. I am making a Chicken Green bean and Mushroom type casserole, with Alexis Red Potatoes.

I will have it on my new plate I got along with the bowl at Marshalls, only $2 and it's my favorite color!


























I will have to add it to my chest of dishes....






















Tomorrow I have high hopes on running an hour run, and doing some free weights/ab workout. I want to get up nice and early, but it's so dark outside right now so I might have to wait till the light comes out. I can't wait for the time change!!! Three more days...

Hubby and I are headed to Memphis for Turkey Day this year. I wasn't too excited because the weather isn't the best out there, 30 degree temps are not my fave. But it will be nice to see my sister in law,and the parents. I am also excited to get some great food there too like O'Charlies, McCalisters, and the best Thai food place ever! Some background in case you don't know hubby and I met in Memphis TN, where I went to college and then he moved back to California with me when we got married, what a trooper. Seeing that I have four brothers and all, I missed them all sooo much! I love that I have a huge family, it makes me want to have 5 kids myself, but I am willing to wait a little while:)

Well I better go check on the food! Have a great night. Oh and by the way go Phillie's (this is for my friend Steph in Jersey).

New Plan & SkirtChasing Weekend!

WOW Tuesday was absolute madness! I was up at 5am, did a great spin/weight class and then I didn't' get home until 10pm last night! Needless to say I had no time to blog or catch up on my blogger reading.

This morning I decided to sleep in and wake up with out the alarm. My body is sore from this week already, and I needed to listen to it. I got up and watched the news for the weather this weekend, and saw that there is a major freeze over the south! I am praying for you all to be safe out there. I remember what it was like living in Memphis and having the roads shut down because of the ice, and also the ice on my windshield that I had to scrape off with a credit card..lol...It still is in the 90's here, and I think this weekend it should go down to the low 80's.

I wasn't in the mood to cook anything up this morning, my tummy has not been so nice to me this morning. So I just had a combo bowl of Fiber One Honey Cluster, and Kashi Almond and Flax, with a half of banana(wasn't worthy of a pic). Stomach just isn't back to normal. It might be because I had ice cream last night, which I haven't had in a very long time.

Well this morning I wanted to share with you all two things, a new plan that I want to start on, and the 5k Skirt Chaser Race I am doing this weekend.

First the Plan

I have decided that until January I am going to mix up my workouts a bit and do some major cross training. I want to do kickboxing,cycling,yoga,running, and weight training. Well there are only seven days in a week so I needed to get serious and jot down my goals. Here is the plan; Spin class, or ride twice a week, run at least twice a week, do a yoga class at least once a week(and one at home too), do weights at least twice a week(I would like to do it three times but I am trying to be realistic), and do akb(aerobic kickboxing) 3 times a week. I know this is a lot but I might have to pull some two a days, this is not unusual for me. I would love it if I was able to do a swim workout, but the gym I am looking at joining doesn't have a pool:( I am trying to lay out a schedule for the plan but until I join a gym I will not have times of all the classes so for now this is what I can do.

Mondays-AM Spinning, PM AKB
Tuesdays-AM Weights,PM AKB
Wednesdays-AM RUN
Thursdays-AM Weights/Run, PM AKB
Fridays-AM Spinning, PM Yoga
Saturdays-AM AKB, Softball
Sundays-AM off!( but not really,I have a 5k or 10k every other Sunday this month), PM Softball

So I am setting high goals but once I have a gym membership I will know exactly what days I want to do what. I need to have a plan otherwise I don't like thinking I can just sleep in and do my workout later, I need to get up early and have a purpose! I have 4 races either 5k,10k, or 15k's between now and December. I also have one Tri in December that I want to PR at!

Skirt Chaser 5K presented by SkirtSports

When I heard about this race, I got so excited! I love the theme and idea. Every women participant gets a running skirt, or if you buy a larger package you get even more! You know me and my running skirts, I just love them! At the race the women get to take off three minutes before the guys and the point is for them to chase us down:) I think it's cute! The Winner Snags $500!Regardless of gender, the first person across the line takes home the grand prize! Ok I know there are going to be a lot of fast people going out there for that prize but I am thinking I would really like that GRAND PRIZE, I am going for it! I am going to try and break 19minute 5k time! The course is pretty flat so it might be possible. I know that I am not half as fast as a lot of men out there, but I think I have a pretty good chance with a three minuet lead...lol...well we shall see.

Sense the race is out in LA, I am going to make a weekend out of it. Rachel and I will go down on Saturday morning early, the race starts at 8am and it takes about an hour and a half to get there. Then after the race they will have a block party for us to go to, should be fun times, and then we shall go to WHOLE FOODS MARKET! They have one only ten minutes from the race, I am so excited, I have been wanting to go for so long. I feel like a kid who is excited about going into a toy store for the first time, I know it's silly but so true. Then after some shopping I am going to meet up with my other friend Ray Hay and hang out for the night. She lives in Marina Del Ray, she moved here from Memphis. I am excited to see her and catch up on life. So the race has turned into a girls getaway weekend, I love it!

Well I am off to take on the world, or maybe just my students..lol..have a Happy Hump Day!

Men Cyclists Kicked My Bootie!!

This morning I woke up at 5, even though I didn't have to get up until 6. Guess my body was ready to "shake and bake". I woke up early enough to enjoy a pre-race snack two slices of whole wheat toast cut in half with some Z Pb and honey, and my cup of coffee of course. We got down to the University about an hour till race time, so we had plenty of time to check in and set up. There were only about 350 people racing and about 100 of them were doing the 5k. I like local races small and quaint, but no expo:(

I was getting those pre-race butterflies, which is when I think I have to go to bathroom but I really don't. I wasn't as nervous when I finally got up to the starting line. I tried to get up to the front as much as possible seeing that I wasn't wearing a time chip. The race started at 8am sharp and I took off running. The start of the race is always interesting I am always more worried about being tripped then anything else. When I finally broke free from the pack I was running a good 7 minute tempo, trying to stay at a steady pace. The run was nice not too many hills, mostly flat. My biggest problem was NO MUSIC. I swear by my Ipod! I hate hearing myself breath and my feet hit the ground. I know that hearing your body is better for you, because it helps you keep better rhythm, but I disagree. I think that my music pumps me up and gets me going fast. Well I did fine without it and ran a 19:10 5k.

Pre Race Pic

When I hit the transition point I threw on my helmet and took off on my bike. This is always the hard part for me. Not that cycling in itself is difficult for me, it's just the speed part. I took off and felt great. Legs were pumping but I was trying to pace myself because I new I had 11 miles and a swim to go. As I was going up this hill a couple cyclist started to pass me, and I got mad! I knew I had killed those guys on the run, they should still be back there. Well this happened more then once, no girls passed me just a bunch of MEN. I started feeling very harsh toward men cyclists, because I knew I was in just as good of shape as they were yet they were taking ME! I even at one point was following in another guys petal steps and he was soaring passed me in his 3,000 dollar bike! This is where I had to take deep breaths in and remind myself that this was MY race, they have been doing this longer. So I speed up passed a couple of guys myself, and came into the last transition area.
I threw off my shirt, cycling skirt, shoes, and Garmin and booked it into the pool. My legs felt like jello but I used my arms to run and sprinted hard. I jumped into the heated pool(even though I was burning hot) and quickly realized I should have taken my socks off! I pushed hard even though my body felt so heavy. I played water polo in high school, but I always hated swimming. I did ok in the swim seeing as it was not too long. Made it to the finish shoot, and grabbed HUBBY! I was done, and mad. I know that I didn't do too bad, I was just beating up myself for not being able to beet some of those cyclists. I am a runner, but I know I can get better at cycling I just need to get out there and practice. Seeing that, that was only my second time riding sense my last Tri, I knew I was doing pretty good.

I love my face expressions rrrrr!!!! We waited around for about two hours for the results, I was famished. I was not smart, I forgot to bring something to munch on for after the race, and my Heed got lost on the bike ride. We finally got the results and I got second in my age division, with a time of 1:05. I wasn't too proud of that time because my last sprint Tri my time was 1:03. I am glad I did get out there but I want to be FASTER. I need to start cycling more, and I am getting a better road bike for sure!!!!! I am just glad I made it out, and finished.

I just got done taking a 2.5hour nap(which I have never done), so I must have been exhausted when I woke up I was starved so I had a bowl of banana,pb, and Natures Path Pb granola ( very yummy stuff). I had a glass of milk with it, and because I haven't drinking cows milk in a long time, the tummy is hurting:(

I am going to go rest for the evening, I am glad I have no plans for tonight again, so I can recuperate! I was going to go to a kettle bell class but I think I need to listen to my body. Thanks fo all of the encouragement!!!!!

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend:)

Review of Tight Curves and so much more!

The weekends are so nice and busy. They are usually packed with all sorts of things like, races,softball games, kickboxing, birthday parties, social gatherings,lunch dates,cleaning, yard work, and so on. It happens to be one of those weekends.

Last night was so nice. We decided to keep it low key and quiet, kinda like the calm before the storm. I made Chicken Parmesan the hubby's favorite, and tried a new granola bar recipe. Dinner was great, but the bars didn''t turn out the way I anticipated. They were a little too mushy for me.



I will have to perfect that!

Then we watched a movie that I got for Christmas last year, I can't believe I still hadn't seen it. The Persuit of Happiness, I have to say it couldn't have been better timing. It was a little sad and emotional but it was so encouraging and real. With me dreaming big these days it was a great reminder to realize how blessed I truly am already.

This morning I slept in a bit, didn't get out of bed until 7amish. Then I had a yummy bowl of oats to get me energized for bootcamp. For those of you who don't know, I am a teacher by day and kickboxing instructor by night. This was my first boot camp I got to teach at, I was a little nervous at the begging but once I got started it was a blast! Did a lot of bags, squats, and abs hope I am not too sore before my race tomorrow morning.

Once I got home at 11am , I was starving. So I thought I would try my new protein drink from Body Well Nutrition, called Tight Curves. It is a protein made especially for women. Here's what the company says about it.

- Support low carb diets
- Facilitate muscle toning
- Accelerate fat loss
- Reduce water retention
- Increase endurance
- Increase bone density
- Elevate mood
- Improve, hair, skin & nails

It also has only natural ingredients of the highest quality—soy protein, PeptoPro amino acids, calcium, Black Cohosh, and St. John’s Wort—all scientifically proven to deliver the benefits women want most. These include enhanced weight control, muscle tone, bone density, mood, endurance, and recovery, as well as healthy cholesterol levels and an overall sense of well-being.

So I tried it in a protein shake, and it was delicious. I could definitely taste the grainy protein flavor, but it wasn't too bad. So lady's are you ready for some tight curves??

Here is the recipe:

1 scoop Tight Curves berry flavor
1/2 cup of nonfat milk with ice
handful of frozen blackberries
half a banana
one small cup of yogurt (I had banana cream pie)

Then the hubby and I deiced to do some outside chores. We washed both of our cars, which was so needed! Then we started lawn work, which is fun for about five minutes and then I am pooped! I then came inside, but it was more like two hours later, and needed some more food! I pulled out my new fiber one crackers, some Colby cheese, and ran out to the garden and grabbed some grapes. It's been a busy morning already, and I can't wait until tonight. We are cooking some yummy steaks and I am making homemade corn bread. I have an easy 5k race in Malibu tomorrow (part of our training plan) but I have to get up early because it's a bit of a drive. I might be going alone, I hope not because races are so much more fun with friends..wish me luck!