Friday, July 29, 2011

Winner #1: Fundraising Giveaway for the Children's Tumor Foundation

Today I picked the first winner of my fundraising giveaway.  I'll choose one winner each week until all the prizes are gone, so if you haven't entered, please do so HERE, your donation to enter benefits The Children's Tumor Foundation.

I am exactly halfway to my fundraising goal for the NYC Marathon.  It's so exciting to see the number go up, THANK YOU to everyone who has donated, I truly appreciate it.  And THANK YOU again to all the companies who have donated items:

Tommie Copper Compression
Running Skirts
WrightSocks
GU
Sweaty Bands
Lift Your Sole
Ryders
Gone For a Run
Inperspire

Now, on to the winner! I used random.org to choose the winner, I have a print screen of the results, but I think those charts are boring to look at, so I'm leaving it off the post : )   So without further ado.....congrats to Marcia, The Studly Runner!  Let me know which two items you would like, and I'll hook you up!

Happy Friday, and Happy Training!!!!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Q & A Part One

We're back home, and now my Mom is here visiting, which is nice since she hasn't been up here since winter.  So I'm snagging a few minutes to answer some of the questions asked in my last post.

Erin from See Mom Run Far asked:

What food(s) are your biggest temptations?  If chocolate is staring me in the face, I have to take a nibble.  Pizza often calls to me, and if we're out somewhere and Mike gets fries with his meal, a few of them some how manage to make it onto my plate.

If you could run any race anywhere, what would it be?  I would love to run a marathon in Ireland, I just think that would be so cool.

Would you rather run a flat marathon in crazy heat, or one that was all uphill?  I can deal wtih hills pretty well, but I think 26.2 miles of them would be extreme. I'd rather load my hat and sports bra up with ice and run through the heat.

Who is your favorite blogger from Wyoming??   Well, she has 12 kids and is running the NYC Marathon, and I'm looking forward to meeting her, so that would be you Erin!
 
AJH from Age Groups Rock also asked:
 
What is your guiltiest food or drink pleasure?  I'm happy to expand on my answer above....drink wise, I love wine, or a margarita.  When I was waitressing I came across the best taste combo ever, chocolate mousse with a glass of red wine. Heaven.
 
So what is your favorite terrain to run on? Is there a terrain you hate?  I really enjoy running on the paved paths of my neighborhood, and I love to run in the Adirondacks.  Every once in a while I'll do a trail run, but I'm so clumsy that half the time I'm watching the ground for roots or rocks and I don't enjoy it as much as I could.

Raquelita from Historiadora on the Run asked:
 
When and why did you decide to become a runner? I had to run in high school when I played field hockey, but I didn't run on a regular basis until after I graduated from college.  I was trying to drop some weight, and soon enough, I was hooked. After several years of running for fun and health, I did a Turkey Trot, then 10k's, 15k's, a half marathon, then a full.

What is your favorite pizza topping?  Mushrooms and Onions, I kind of have a thing for onions, I put them on everything.

Suzy from Running On My Time asked:

What are you looking forward to most about doing a tri?  I'm looking forward to the challenge of three different sports in one race, it's a whole new type of race for me, one that I never thought I would do.   I'm also secretly happy that this race is All Women, it lowers the intimidation factor a bit.

Are you afraid of any animals?  Geese scare the heck out of me.  If I come across them on the path, I run the other way, even if I have Frank the dog with me.

Run or bike?  Definitely run. Before my tri training started, I liked to take leisurely bike rides, which I'll continue to do for cross training.

Baby Weight My Fat Ass asked:

What's the hardest part of training for you?  Fitting it in around everyone's schedules.  On Sunday's I look at my week and figure out when I can work out, it's usually when the kids are at school or summer camp.

Kristen from Run For Wine asked:

What did you do before you had children?  Before Luke and Eliza came on the scene, I was an Account Exec (which is a fancy word for working in Advertising Sales) at a newspaper in NYC.  I worked with a fabulous group of people, and handled national retail accounts, as well as small Mom and Pop shops.  Mike and I took advantage of our time there, we worked hard and played hard, we traveled, explored the city, went to concerts and games, stayed out until 4 a.m.   We waited through 31.5 hours of labor for Luke to be born, but when I held him for the first time, I realized I had been waiting for much longer than that. 

Part Two will be in my next post....but in the meantime....have you checked out my Fundraising Giveaway??? Great gear from Tommie Copper Compression, Running Skirts, Wrightsocks, Sweaty Bands, Lift Your Sole, GU, Gone for a Run, Inperspire and Ryders!  Click here to enter!

Sunday, July 24, 2011

What's That You Asked?



We're spending some time at my Mom & Dad in law's house in the Adirondacks, with some of the best summer weather I can remember.  Usually I have to put jeans or a hoodie on at night, but last night at the campfire I was still roasting.

Yesterday I practiced swimming in the lake, Mike walked along the shore with G-unit, to keep track of my time and distance.  The water was choppy, and I got slapped in the face with water a couple of times, but I managed a quarter mile in 10:34. 

Today my marathon training plan called for a three mile run on hills, what better place to be for that!  I took Frank with me, I thought he would be tired after a mile, but he went the whole way, pausing once to drink out of the lake.  He's pretty fast, but then again, he has four legs, and I only have two.

I'm probably the last blogger to jump on the Q & A bandwagon that Colleen started, but what the heck.  Let me know if you have any burning questions for me, and I'll answer in my next post.

: )

Thursday, July 21, 2011

I TRI'd it!

The other day Jason and Jess and I were tweeting about doing a #kcirb, which is a reverse brick.  I tweeted about how I was going out to do my first swim/run, and would that be called a #swib??  So the next day a woman in Scotland tweeted that she was intrigued, and asked me what that meant, since for her, it stands for Scottish Women In Business. 

I thought that was kind of funny.




Last night I went up to Oneida Shores with Jeannine and Gina to do my first open water swim, then practice my transition to the bike.  It was still almost 90 degrees at five o'clock, so it was good night to get into the lake.  We got there pretty early, there were about 150 people there, so we were able to talk to some of them about the best way to set up our bikes and ask about the swim.

As we were watching everyone else set up, I noticed that several people were wearing either water shoes, what looked like rubber socks, or duct tape on their feet.  I know that there are Zebra mussels in this lake, and they can really tear up your feet if you step on them.  So I started to get worried about that, the last thing I wanted was bloody shoes.

They set us up in waves of 50 people, and I saw Kristin as I went in.  Everyone was walking until the water was waist high before they dove in. A woman next to me asked me if this was my first time there, and I told her it was, and that I was nervous about the mussels.  She pointed out the spot where they start to show up, and instead of trying to pick my way through them, I decided to just start swimming. 

It went really well, although when I put my face in the water, the murky green color reminded me of the opening credits of True Blood, so that freaked me out.  I kept my head up for a while, and kept my eyes on the first bouey, passed that easily, and went straight to the second.  I was actually coming up on people so when I saw their legs I slowed down and went around.  I need to practice my sighting, I figured if I stayed with the group I'd go straight to the shore, but when I looked up, I realized I was making a circle away from shore.  So I straightened up, and swam until my chest hit sand.  I was really paranoid about those mussels.

The swim went fast, I thought it was 400 meters, but someone told me it was 600, which is even better.

I transitioned really quickly, I had my sunglasses in my helmet, and G-unit was already strapped to my bike.  I just put on my shoes, shorts, and fuel belt, since I still haven't bought a holder for a water bottle.  I'm feeling confident about my training, the only part that has been bugging me is the bike,  I aim to ride between 16 - 18 miles per hour, but because it's a mountain bike, it slows me down.  I lost track of how many people said "On your left" as they zipped on by me with looked like much less effort.

We did nine miles in about 40 minutes, which is slow, but what can you do.  We were dripping with sweat, it
was still very hot, but we went out and ran a mile. 

I don't know why I'm so hung up on how long it's going to take me to do this race.  It's a whole new thing for me, I've got to get grip and just do it.  If it takes me 2 hours, so be it, I just want to have fun. 

Remind me of that on August 7th, okay?

Monday, July 18, 2011

Full On Training Mode

Whose idea was it to train for a triathlon and marathon at the same time?

Oh, that's right, mine.

I'm in the middle of juggling my training schedule, in order to hit the right workouts, not miss any of them, but not overdo anything that might irritate my foot.  Saturday I went for an 18 mile bike ride, so I can now do each of the distances for my sprint, just not all at once! 

I had an issue with one of my new bike tires a couple of weeks ago, I got a really bad flat, which was surprising.  In the interest of time I took it to the bike shop near my house, not the shop I bought the new tires from, and they told me the tube was pinched inside the tire.  Whoever had put on the new tires didn't do it correctly.  So now I'm paranoid that the back tire is going to blow out, right in the middle of my race.  

On Wednesday I'm heading up to the lake for an open water swim and bike ride.  I'm going with my sis in law/running partner Jeannine, and her sister Gina, who had the idea to do IronGirl.  I feel really confident in the pool, and I'm eager to see how I do in the lake. 



It's Monday again, with another great weekend behind us.  Mike put together the playhouse:






and we went berry picking for the third Sunday in a row, this time for blueberries.  They are the size of my thumbnail:





Now it's time for a run.


And please check out my NYC Marathon Fundraising giveaway here, with items from Running Skirts, Tommie Copper Compression, Lift Your Sole, Gone for a Run, GU, Inperspire, Ryders Eyewear and Wrightsocks!!! 

You can help me meet my fundraising goal, your donation benefits The Children's Tumor Foundation!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

NYC Marathon Fundraising Giveaway for the Children's Tumor Foundation

You might have heard me mention that I'm running the NYC Marathon this fall, raising funds for Team Ladybug, which benefits The Children's Tumor Foundation.





This is Julia, she is eight years old, and lives with neurofibromatosis, which is a unpredictable genetic mutation that causes tumors to develop in nerve tissue. NF is a progressive disorder that affects 1 in 3,000 births and can show up in any family, at any time. NF can produce tumors, bone deformations, learning disabilities, deafness, blindness, malignancies, and chronic pain.
 
And there is no cure. 

In an effort to help meet the fundraising goal given to me by NY Road Runners, some fabulous companies have donated products for this giveaway.  This time around, there will be multiple winners.  Starting Friday July 29th, I will pick one winner per week, and they will have their choice of two items up for grabs. 



Here is the lineup:

1. cheeta print skirt trimmed with aqua, in size 2 (fits a size 4/6) , from Running Skirts!  They didn't have a photo of that particular print, but here is what it looks like in black.   chosen by Darlene





2. Three items fromTommie Copper, copper infused compression wear to address a natural solution for pain.








      a. your choice of two individual compression sleeves these were chosen by Giraffy




        b. one compression shirt:  this item was chosen by the first winner, Marcia : )






3.  A pair of Ryders Eyewear Sunglasses, the VTX model, in white.   This item was chosen by Marcia.





I have a pair of Ryders that I love, they stay in place during a sweaty run, and the lenses do a great job blocking out glare. 


4. One large runner girl charm necklace from Lift Your Sole:






5. An Ultra Pocket Hat from Gone For A Run  this was chosen by Giraffy





6. A GU Performance Energy sampler, along with a Gel Bot.  I am a huge fan of GU, I used the gels durning training for my first marathon.  On long runs I would start with a caffeine free strawberry banana about four miles in.  If I had a second one, it would be one of the flavors with caffeine, to give me an extra boost to get me through to the end.  Chocolate is the best : )   
It  includes: 9 GU Original Gels, 5 Roctane Gels, 2 Chomps, 2 Electrolyte Brew Packs, 1 Recovery Pack, 3 Individual Electrolyte Tablets. this was chosen by Darlene


7. Two pairs of Wrightsocks, one set in size large, one set in size medium.






8. Two Fitness Towels from Inperspire,  (chosen by Colleen, the Irondiva)








9. A Sweaty Band in this pattern:   this was chosen by Colleen







To enter, please make a donation to CTF, you can find my fundraising page here, and leave a comment.  The more you donate, the more entries you'll receive.  If you've already donated, you'll receive 10 additional entries!

You can also receive entries if you tweet, facebook, or blog about the giveaway, or if you're a friend of my blog, or follow me on twitter @MollySBaker.  For even more entries, you can like or follow these great companies on twitter or facebook:

On facebook:

On Twitter



Thank You!!!!

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Fish In Foil

In case you haven't been keeping track, next week is the final Weigh In Wednesday.  I was happy today, no gain, no loss.  I'm wondering if this is going to be it for my weight loss. I'm in week two of marathon training, and there are four weeks until IronGirl.  Last year when I trained for the 26.2, I didn't lose weight like I thought I would, so maybe history will repeat itself.  I've just got to keep an eye on the amount of foods I'm taking in, and make good choices.

Last night was a perfect example, I made fish en papillote.  Well, I didn't have the parchment paper, so I made due with tin foil, which I think is easier to use, thus making it "Fish in Foil."  I used filet's of tilapia, olive oil, salt and pepper, and lemon slices.  I took a sheet of foil, folded it in half, placed the ingredients inside, then folded over the edges so it made a half circle, leaving room to allow the foil to puff up while it cooked.  I put it in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.  So easy, quick, and good for the waistline.





I also had a bunch of lovely spinach, so I sauteed that with olive oil and garlic.  I can never get over how much spinach shrinks when you cook it.

Before.



After.




I also made some brown rice to go with it, and voila, the finished Fish In Foil:





Do you have a favorite healthy dish??? 


Final Weigh In is next Wednesday!  Good Luck!!


Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Blog Bling



The lovely Irondiva Colleen tagged me with this one.....ready for some random facts about me??


My favorite cartoon character is....Piglet!







My favorite thing to photograph is…my kiddos.  This was taken this morning, of Ninja Luke and Ballerina Eliza, ready for "Halloween in July" at summer camp.







My favorite thing to cook is… comfort food, I consider myself the queen of one pot meals, quiche, Shepard's pie, enchiladas, lasagna....and of course, pizza!






My favorite way to exercise is…isn't it obvious?






My favorite movie is…I love so many movies, but this one is probably my favorite:






My favorite article of clothing is… this super comfy skirt from Old Navy that I bought for $5.






My favorite flower......not sure if I have a favorite, but sunflowers are always cheerful!


 



My favorite breakfast is…I usually have a smoothie, or peanut butter toast.  If I'm out, I'm all about an omelet with feta cheese and spinach.






For this one, I tag:

Jess at The Blonde Ponytail
Giraffy at 365 Days of Awesome
Jill at Run for the Hills
Green Girl at Journey of a Running Green Girl
Erin at See Mom Run Far


Have Fun!!

Sunday, July 10, 2011

A Weekend of Finds

Don't you love it when you find things that make your day?  Or just surprise you?  I had several of those moments this weekend. 


The first one was yesterday morning.


I found out that I bought the wrong paint color:






Then I took the kids shopping, where I found these goodies:




Cultured almond milk, I'm assuming it's like yogurt.  It has a whopping 8 grams of fat per cup, but I was curious. Anyone ever have it?



In the next aisle I found this:





Marley's Mellow Mood decaf iced tea. I love reggae, during our wedding reception, Mike and I had the venue play reggae during our cocktail hour.  So I had to buy this tea.  Later on I read the back of the bottle, this isn't your usual iced tea, there is a warning not to drive after you drink this stuff, and to limit yourself to two bottles a day! It has melatonin in it, which is a natural sleep aid.  I think I'll save this for when my friend Insomnia comes to visit.



When we were in BJ's, I came across this frozen treat:




I only buy ice cream for the kids, I can't trust myself around it, I can easily scarf down a tub, no problem.  But this time I made an exception.  I love those Baci chocolates, we used to get them in our Christmas stockings as kids, and now when Mike brings them home for me, the kids know not to touch "Mommy's candy."


In another aisle, I spotted something on sale, that I've wanted to buy the kids for a while:




It was $100 off, so it finally fit into my budget.  The instructions say to allow 3 - 4 hours for assembly.  But if you can remember how long it took me to put together that toy kitchen at Christmas, it's going to take more like 8 - 9 hours.


When we got home, I found my new bathing suit in my mailbox.  It's a grab bag suit, and I was happy with what they sent: 





I went right out and swam 600 meters. I felt as slick as a seal.



After my swim, I saw that Eliza found her inner yogi:







That was some Saturday.

Did you find anything great this weekend????

Friday, July 8, 2011

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 for Friday

1.  It's going to be hot this weekend.  Which means I'll be able to fit in a bunch of biking, swimming and running.

I'm going to appreciate the warm temps since we'll have this in about six months:






2.  I'm not in a cooking mood, so we're having Thai food tonight.  Although I'd rather have this:







3.  I ordered a TYR grab bag bathing suit last week, but because of the holiday, the shipment has been delayed. I may or may not post a photo of myself wearing it.  I must say though, I'm getting more and more comfortable in the water.  I still have to take on an Open Water Swim, so let's see what I have to say after that.

4. I have been wearing my kids OUT.  They have summer camp in the mornings, followed by swim lessons.  Then I take them back to the pool in the late afternoon.  This morning I literally had to drag them out of bed, I felt like a drill Sargent. 

5. I am posting Mega Fundraising Giveaway Number Two next week.  This time around, there will be multiple winners.  Here is a list of just some of the fabulous companies who donated products:  Running Skirts, Ryders, Lift Your Sole, GU, Wrightsocks, Sweaty Bands, Gone for a Run, and Inperspire!  And remember, if you've already donated, you automatically gain entries : )

Have a fabulous weekend!!!! 





Wednesday, July 6, 2011

It All Worked Out

I appreciate all the comments over my Boilermaker 15k Dilemma.  After thinking it over, talking with Mike, and checking in with my Doc, I decided to forgo the race this year.

I'm very bummed not to run it, I'm going to miss running with my girls for the fifth year in a row, and I was planning on meeting up with Jon, but it's not in the cards this year.  I ran two miles yesterday, and my foot is a teeny bit sore today, nothing like it was after my 3 miler.  I just need to take things slower than I hoped, but I'll get there.

I spoke with the Race Director, who was very helpful and optimistic.  Since I have an injury, I can defer my registration until next summer (the 35th Anniversary of the race!), and he's giving my slot to a runner on the waiting list.  So it works out all around. 



Oh. And it's um, Weigh In Wednesday.................but it's a good one, I lost 2 pounds!

I was a little surprised, since we're coming off a Holiday Weekend.  But I was mindful of what I ate all weekend.  At one BBQ, I avoided the burgers & dogs, pasta and meatballs, and filled my plate with salads, including this whole berry salad that Mike's Aunt and Uncle make, it is soooo good.





The photo is blurry since I had to use my phone, but it's made with wheat, barley, nuts, dried cherries and feta.  You can find the recipe for it here.

But I wasn't a saint, I had beers, half a chocolate chip cookie, and these salt and pepper Kettle Chips that are seriously like crack.  I never buy them for myself, it would be too dangerous.  But it's perfectly fine to bring them to a party.  Along with a party hat.






At another BBQ, I did the same thing, ate salads, and a veggie burger, and clams.  And some of Mama's Little Helper aka Chardonnay.  My friend Norine made a couple of dips based on Weight Watcher recipes, where you substitute yogurt for sour cream, and light cheese on top of a corn salsa dip.   So I didn't feel guilty over my choices.

I'm sure the fact that I ran four times since last Tuesday, and swam almost every day last week contributed to that weight loss.

Anyhoo, I hope everyone else had some good direction on the scale. 

My question this week is:

How do you handle eating at parties?  Do you avoid treats?  Eat just a small portion of them?  Do you ever switch ingredients to make a dish lighter? 

Inquiring minds want to know!

Monday, July 4, 2011

I have a dilemma

Well, I have a decision to make.

I've been registered for the Boilermaker 15k since winter, the race is closed, and it's coming up on Sunday.  I love this race for many reasons, and this summer marks my fifth year in a row running it. 

Although I'm not sure if I can do it.

I haven't been able to run for over 4 weeks due to my sprained foot.  I've rested, iced, had orthotics made for my running shoes.  I've been swimming more, and biking when I can. I've broken the orthotics in gradually, and last Tuesday I ran 2 miles, no sweat.  Thursday I ran 2 miles, no sweat.  Saturday I ran 3 fabulous miles, and felt great. 

Saturday night and Sunday morning, the foot pain was back.  And that new knee pain was there too, which I'm hoping is due to the orthotics.

So on Sunday I swam, and have no pain today.

As much as I want to run my race Sunday, I could probably run/walk it, I don't know if it's such a great idea.  I have Irongirl coming up in August, and this week I start marathon training for NYC. 

I don't want to jeopardize those races for the Boilermaker.

I heard that there is a waiting list of people hoping to get a spot for Sunday, so at least I could help someone out if I bail out. 

I see the podiatrist on Wednesday for a follow-up and I know what he's going to say.

But I need to decide today.

Bummer.


On a bright note, I picked a winner for the Gotein giveaway, congrats Ozone3!

Happy Fourth!