Barefoot Run #1

I woke when Ben got up. Being in bed but not sleeping just isn't my thing. I tried to fall asleep and my mind wandered. Several times I thought of exercising. I could get up and read the Bible (exercise my soul).. I could start up the 20 Chin Ups challenge again (I can do 1 now).. I could clean the school room -it desperately needs it! I could run. Finally, I just got up.

Ben was gathering his things. "Is it too late to go for a run before work?" of course, he's already showered and is about to head out. I sat a few more minutes listening to the rain before finally deciding. The sitter would be up soon, it'll work out fine. I pulled on a couple layers, kept my feet warmish, loaded up the C25K app with memory work (Psalm 91), and let the sitter know I'd be out for a bit. The rain let up.

The Couch to 5K starts with a warmup walk, then alternates runs and walks, ending with a cool down walk. Day 1 is 9 runs, I made it through 6 before my left calf tightened. I walked back, happy with my progress! After a shower, I checked my feet and they look great.

Oh yeah, I'm running barefoot. When I tried running in shoes, the flat soles kept my feet from bending naturally and my shins would hurt -like stabbing pains with each step. In my VFFs or barefoot, my feet warm up along with the rest of me (they're a little cooler in the rain, but after the first or second run, they're warm enough) and give me feedback on my form. I concentrated on picking up my feet (shorter stride, more steps per minute) and I was amazed I was able to run that much. Now I just need to strengthen my calves!

Does running in the morning make the difference? Last time, my calf hurt after the first or second run. Either way, I'm excited that I may actually be able to run. :)

Citrus-Marinated Chicken & Orange Salad

Yum. The children weren't too keen on the radicchio, but best to get them started on bitter young, right?

Holiday Cookies

'Tis the season & all. MissA, especially, has been asking me for several weeks to make cookies. On Monday, I finally mixed the dough. A friend had mentioned Sunday that she'd like to make cookies with us -keeps the mess out of her house ;) -so I called her up.





They had fun. I had the colored frosting already set aside in bags when they arrived. The children were put right to work rolling the dough and cutting cookies. As the trays were loaded, into the oven they went. Once the last tray was baked, we cleared and cleaned the table, and set it up for decorating. Each child had one cookie to decorate, and once that was done, it was exchanged for a new one until all the cookies were done.

Everyone had a nice time!

Nutcracker

Watching the Nutcracker ballet today. The children are in awe, except LG. He'd rather be running, so he's getting a nice nap. :)

Lunchtime

I woke about 2:30 this morning and haven't been able to get back to sleep. I changed LG's diaper and nursed him back to sleep, but just couldn't get the zzz's going for me.

The husband will need lunch. Visions of salad danced in my head. He's generally a healthy eater, but I'm not sure how well just a big ole salad will satisfy him. After all, he likes his sandwiches. So, I grabbed the Laptop Lunchbox; the PB&J was made and boxed with some carrots & Craisins. There's a cookie for good measure.. But, the salad sounds so good! I grabbed a slightly longer container, half filled it with the lettuce and moved his lunch over.

Lettuce (per cup): 4 Cal, 0.6 g carbs
Craisins (2 Tbsp): 49 Cal, 12.5g carbs
Pecans (2 Tbsp): 94 Cal, 1.9g carbs, 1.2g protein
Caesar Dressing (2 Tbsp): 160 Cal, 2g carbs, 1g prot
Tangerine: 50 Cal, 15g carbs, 1g
Carrot: 25 Cal, 5.8g carb, 0.6g prot
Sandwich:
Bread x2: 200 Cal, 40g carbs, 6g
Natural Peanut butter (1 Tbsp): 100Cal, 3.5g carbs, 3.5g prot
Preserves (1 Tbsp): 50 Cal, 13g carbs
And a cookie: 69 Calories, 8.9g carbs, 0.9g prot

To give a grand total of:
801 Calories, 98g carbohydrates, 13.6g protein
The sandwich alone carries 350 Cal, 56.5g carbs (!), and 9.5g prot. I recently read that high carb intake is a great part of what keeps fat on the body. I can eat a huge salad (2-3 cups of lettuce, a handful of nuts & cranberries, and a slosh of dressing) and still have less carbohydrates than that sandwich. And, it'd be fabulous with some roasted chicken on it.

So, here's a start. I'm working on balancing the meals well. Maybe I'll toss in some cheese, too!