An Alcohol-free St. Paddy's Day!

Hi Guys! Happy St. Patrick's Day! I hope yours is filled with a lot more green beer than mine will be.....

This morning I met my friend Shiloh for a walk around Lake Quannapowitt.  The lake is about 3 miles around, so it's a very popular spot for walkers and runners, and they have a weekly 5k fun run that I've been wanting to do forever.

The sky was over cast and even though the temperature was 49 degrees, we felt pretty cold.  It was just a gloomy yucky day.

I did manage to take some nice pictures of the scenery like this pretty weeping willow tree.

After some nice girl-talking and walking we headed to Creation's Cafe for lunch.  I ordered a Tuna melt with cheddar and drank a Nantucket Nectar Apple Juice.

It was just perfect.  Yum!

After lunch, I stopped at my gym to use the foam roller on my calves and hamstrings (which are still killing me from tabata!).  I felt like a loser just coming in to use the foam roller for 5 minutes, maybe I should invest in one of my own!

For dinner, CJ and I are making Beef Stroganoff.  We've attempted to make it a few times, but it's never come out the way we want it to, but maybe this time it will.  I made a special trip to the supermarket to pick up red bell peppers and mushrooms.  We're using this recipe.

Verdict:  It tasted ok, but it looks like dog food...maybe we just don't like beef stroganoff after all....

Tonight I'm heading to a friend's party for a little while.  I'm not planning on drinking because I have the 5k tomorrow morning.  I know a 5k isn't that long or hard but I do not want to be hungover for it!
Remember how I said I had to do it alone, but CJ was going to be there for moral support/photography?  Well, now he has to work so I'm really going to be 100% alone!  Wahhhhh..
Wish me luck!

Jumping on the Tabata Bandwagon

Like any good gym goer/cardio junkie/person with no life, I hopped right onto the tabata bandwagon and took the first class my gym offered.

My gym is doing a 5 week series of Tabata classes.  I guess the point is to see if people are interested, and it might become a regular thing.

I've seen lots of Tabata popping up lately in fitness blogs and conversations with friends, so I wanted to try it for myself.

What is Tabata exactly, you ask?

It is a method of HIIT (High-intensity Interval training) where 20 seconds of ultra-intense exercise (at an intensity of about 70% of VO₂max) followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated continuously for 4 minutes (8 cycles)

Tabata is a good workout to do if you are short on time.  It has also been shown to improve  the VO₂max of an individual.

VO₂max is a measure of  "the maximum capacity of an individual's body to transport and use oxygen during incremental exercise, which reflects the physical fitness of the individual." Source

A Tabata workout can be done in the form of an organized fitness class, on a run or treadmill workout, or on your own with nothing more than a timer.

Example of a Tabata Treadmill workout from Carrots 'n Cake.:

The class I took worked like this:
The instructor had her iPad propped up, and set with a timer.  The timer was set for 20 second intervals and then a 10 second rest period.

I knew it was a good workout because I was literally dripping sweat by the end of it.  The gym floor was actually slippery where I was standing (gross).  The next day or two,  I was pretty sore.  My calves were really tight and walking down stairs was really painful!  We did so many jumping jacks and air jacks, I don't think my body was used to all that hopping around.

The exercises we did included:
Jumping jacks
Jumping jacks (with squats)
Air Jacks
Lunges with switch leaps
High knees
Burpees
Pushups
Front kicks
Mountain Climbers
Planks
Squats
and more..

It doesn't look all that hard, but trust me, it is!  Before the class started the instructor said "this will be harder than childbirth," now that isn't something I can speak on, but I will tell you that it is hard, you will sweat, and you will be sore!

Running Outside > Treadmill

Only a couple more days until the Ras na hEireann 5k!
Today, on my way home from work, I picked up my bib and t-shirt at Marathon Sports in Melrose.

The funny thing is, when I signed up for this race, I thought all my friends were going to sign up too.  It turns out that none of them did, and I don't know anybody running this race!  I'm fine to do it myself, but I just would have liked to have a running buddy.  Oh well....at least I'll have my personal event photographer, CJ. :)

This week's training has been going well.
Saturday:  I ran 3 miles and took an upper body express class
Sunday: Unintentional rest day
Monday:  3 mile supah fast run!  time: 26:22 and pace: 8:46
Since today was unseasonably warm so I took advantage and went out for a run after work.
I decided to try and run faster than normal, just to see if I could meet my 5k goal of under 27 minutes and I succeeded! 

I know I've said this before but:

Running outside is soooooo much better than the treadmill!

Treadmill = boring, repetitive, has lack of scenery, lack of wind, unnatural, and reminiscent of a hamster wheel.

I shouldn't hate on the treadmill too much because it was my savior during the winter months when I couldn't run outside during my training for the black cat race.  I'm just happy to give it a little rest for the warmer months.

after my run

Running outside = more hills.  Yes, you can increase the incline on the treadmill, but I very rarely do that.  Why punish myself?  But, as I learned in my 10 mile run, training on hills is essential.  Hills are hard, they take a lot out of you and then you have to recover.  They slow me down.  Now, when I see a hill approaching, I remember the advice my brother gave me, I keep my chest up and lifted.  My tendency is to lean forward and hunch, but if you keep your chest up and your eyes forward, it will help.

Some interesting running factoids:

What can runners teach you about managing your money?

40 Random Facts about Running

Hiatus!

Hi guys!
This week I took a little hiatus from exercise.  I was feeling burnt out from the big race.  I also felt that a lot of pressure was lifted off my shoulders and I didn't have to train so hard.  My next race (on the 18th) is only a 5k.  My goal is to run it in under 27 minutes.

So instead of spending my nights at the gym, I spent some time doing other things I love:

I baked.

anatomically shaped heart cookie!

I went to dinner with friends.

I caught up with my TV shows.

I napped.

and I hung out with my cat.  I <3 her.

It was nice to relax, and give myself a break.  Now I feel refreshed and ready to jump back into training mode!

Post-Race Reflections and a Yummy Tuna Salad Recipe

Hi!  I just wanted to share my thoughts and feeling about Sunday's race.

It was tough. Even though I love running, and all the training that goes with it, I'm really relieved that the big race is over. I'm very happy that I don't have another long race until September.  I have a couple 5k's and 10k's coming up within the next few months, so I'll still be training.  I just want to focus more on strength training and yoga for a more well rounded approach to my fitness.

Almost to the finish line!

The Black Cat Race was both physically and mentally demanding. I have to say that even though I wish I could have finished a little faster, I am really proud of myself for completing it.  After the race I was kind of beating myself up about not finishing faster but I realized that I was being crazy.  I ran 10 miles!  That's a big accomplishment!  I've only been running consistently since September, so I am still learning all the in's and outs of racing. It was a really good challenge for me, and an awesome learning experience.

The race was hard for my body.  I didn't stretch after the race because I was focused on getting some water and food.  My knees were sore right after it, so I iced them when I got home.  The next day my knees still ached, but my quads were really killing me!  Take it from me, stretch after your run!

Today I went to the gym for a quick little workout.  I ran 1 mile, and then took a pilates class.  It was a nice way to ease back into my routine.  After the pilates class I had a long and intimate session with the foam roller.  That thing is a miracle worker.  I rolled all the tension out of my calves, quads, and especially my shins!  I feel 100 times better now.


In food news, here's a healthy tuna salad recipe I invented this weekend!
You can spread this on a sandwich, or use it to top a salad, like I did here.

1 Can White Tuna

1 tbsp Olive oil

1.5 tbsp Honey Mustard

1 tsp Parmesan cheese

Garlic Salt to taste

Cayenne Pepper to taste

Yum yum! Enjoy!

Black Cat Road Race

Today was the big day.  The day that I've been training for (and freaking out about) since December.  It was the Black Cat Road Race!

Last night my friend Stacey came over and we had a little pasta party to get ready for the race. 

We made whole wheat pasta with homemade sauce, and roasted eggplant.  Yum!

The race started at 8 am in Salem, which is about half an hour from my house.  We woke up really early and left my house a little after 6:30 am.  My brother's gf was running the race too, so we decided to carpool, and my brother and CJ came along for moral support.  

For my pre-race breakfast I had a glass of OJ, a bagel with cream cheese, and a cup of coffee.

When we arrived at the race, we picked up our bibs and tech shirts.  I was pretty happy that the tech shirts were long sleeves! I also got a pair of gloves, which I wore during the race since it was pretty cold this morning.

check out the dork in the neon pink headband

At a few minutes after 8, we were off! 

Yulia ran ahead since she's a speed demon.  Stacey and I decided to run together since we both wanted to run at a 9 min/mile pace.  The course started off mostly flat with a few hills.  I felt like the majority of the first half was downhill, with one major uphill.  The first 3 miles flew by, and I was feeling pretty good. There were lots of gatorade and water stations, which is helpful.  I still haven't mastered drinking out of a cup while running thing, but I figured out a new technique this time, and it was better than spilling water all over myself. I pinched the top of the cup so that it was narrower and easier to control.  It seemed to work out.

At mile 4.5, there was a bathroom stop, which I didn't take advantage of and I definitely should have.  Mile 4.5 was also the turnaround, and the course went back the same way.  This was ok, but I felt like there were alot more uphills on the way back.  At mile 6, I took my energy gel.  This is also where I lost my gloves.  I tried to take them off and dropped one.  There was no way I was going to go back for a measly glove!

At around mile 7, I started to fall back from Stacey.  This made me feel disappointed in myself, but I just knew I couldn't keep up, so I started to slow down.  For the remainder of the race I tried to keep my pace at about 9:30- 9:45 min/miles.  The last 3 miles of this race were a huge struggle for me.  I was trying to push myself, but I was running out of steam and my feet were getting pretty sore.  This was my first time running 10 miles so I just wanted to finish it.

The best feeling was seeing the finish line.  Right when I crossed it, the song "Halleluah" by Paramore came on my iPod and I couldn't have picked a better song for how I was feeling.  I was just so happy to finish!

My time was 1 hour 34 minutes and  15 seconds. 

The finishers medal makes it all worth it!

The Pea's Knees 1.2

1. The blog world has gone bananas for St. Patty's day. I've yet to get on board. But I will share this(cool), and this(holy yum), and this(a little overboard).



2. My Joy the Baker Cookbook is finally here!!!  Wahooo!! Can't wait to read it cover to cover! She is such an inspiration to me.





3.  I think this is pretty cool  Weird how some people don't change at all.




4.  My boss told me about this website, and I've since discovered tons of internet gold. Like this and this.



5. So far this year I've been doing pretty good reaching my 2012 fitness and life goals:

a. I sort of ran a 5k in under 29 minutes (I ran a 5 mile race, with a 5k marker, that I reached in 26 min and 48 seconds)
b. I signed up for (and am about to) run a 10 mile race. Black Cat race this Sunday!!
c. Go on a trip: Been on 2 weekend getaways this year!
d. Continue to blog my little heart out: Continuing!

Things left to do:

• Learn to juggle
• Master the crane pose
• Learn to eat at a slower pace
• Move out (Will I ever leave the nest? Stay Tuned)

 6.  My friend Anthony told me he had some pictures of me from the ICycle event.  I just hoped they would be a little more flattering than these, but I'll share them with you anyway:

 Peas out.

Turning into an Icicle at ICycle

Happy Leap Year! Day!

Today was my ICycle Homestart Fundraiser (again I just want to thank everyone who donated to me!  I exceeded my goal and raised $280!).  I worked a half day at the office and then headed over to the event.  It started to snow right when I was leaving work.

I arrived a little early so I chatted with my friend Anthony, who actually works for the organization, Homestart.  He told me I could use the gym Fitness International to get changed.  Since I had time to kill I went up to check it out.
This is when I discovered something horrifying.
I forgot to pack my running tights and grabbed a black tank top instead!  Gah!  Luckily I did pack shorts that I was planning on wearing over the tights (Is it just me or anyone else feel awkward wearing just leggings and nothing else over your butt?).

This was obviously not ideal, but what could I do?  I doubt this nice gym has a closet full of spare pants.

So I did what I had to do, I did the spinning class outside, in shorts, in the snow!

I felt a little silly because:
a.  My legs are extremely pale
b.  Lots of people kept asking me if my legs were cold, and I had to keep saying, "Yes, but I didn't mean to wear shorts, I just forgot to pack my pants!"

Exibit a: pale legs.

While I was a little chilly, I warmed up pretty fast, and I didn't turn into an icicle!

After the event, I headed over to the RaceMenu Office to pick up a medal they had for me.
As you may know, one of my main motivations for doing races is the medals! I love them!  The folks over at RaceMenu were awesome, we ended up chatting for a little while, and they even gave me a free T-shirt as well!
RaceMenu T-shirt + Medal= Success!

Overall a great day!  Now it's time for some quality time with my space heater.

I Lovermont Weekends

Is there anything better than playing in the snow like you did when you were a kid? (Especially when wearing your mom's snow suit from the 80's?)

Is there any better exercise than sledding?  (Especially when you have to walk back up a giant hill.)

 This weekend was a wonderful change of pace and scenery for me.

The fresh air, the powdery snow, the good company, and the yummy food... it was good for the soul.

hand cut fries

juicy lucy's stuffed with Munster and bacon

a wood stove to keep us cozy

I spent a lot of time preparing for this weekend, and it was all worth it. I food shopped, prepped, and packed. I also had to squeeze a 9 mile run into the work week since I wouldn't be able to run while in Vermont. I can't believe the 10 mile race is this Sunday! Time is flying!

 Here's my nike report from the run, can you tell where I ran out of energy? 

This Wednesday is the ICycle Homestart Event. I reached my fundraising goal (a big thanks to everyone who donated!) The weather report doesn't look too promising (snow??) but that's part of the point of the event. While I'm cycling outside for one hour in the cold, I'm going to imagine not having a home, and having to be out in the elements all day and night. It's a good thing I've become quite familiar with exercising in the cold this winter. This will be my third outdoor event this year! Remember when I said I wasn't going to do anymore outdoor events/races? So much for that..but after my very snowy weekend I should be able to handle it.


All photo's by CJ!

My Lousy Vocabulary and a Delicious Snack

The other day I forgot the word "apostrophe."
I was trying to spell a word and I was like, "what are those things called? You know, they're like commas in the air?"
Things like this happen quite frequently.
CJ is used to it by now, he just laughs and shakes his head.

Sometimes I forget a word can have more than one meaning.
Like the time my brother said he was doing research for one of his law professors.
I was like, "research? How do you do research for Law?"
At this time I was working at a clinical research center and I forgot that other types of research existed.

Sometimes I mispronounce/make up words.
Like the time when I was talking about a person I found annoying and I told CJ, "I wish I could exo-communicate them"
CJ was like "Huh?"
And I was like, "you know that word! It means to be kicked out of the church or something"
"I think you mean EX-communicate" he said.
 "....oh...."

While my vocabulary might not be the best, I certainly excel at other things, such as snack-making!

Here is one of my current snack obsessions:

Bananas with a peanut butter and yogurt sauce topped with walnuts
(I copied this recipe based on the dish served at Red Elephant Inn)

What you need:

1 banana

2 tbsp greek yogurt, plain or vanilla

1 tbsp peanut butter

1 sprinkle of brown sugar

Optional chopped walnuts

How to make:

Peel & slice up the banana

Mix the yogurt and peanut butter together until you have a nice creamy consistency.

Sprinkle in the brown sugar, however much you want.

Pour over the sliced bananas, and top with chopped walnuts!

That’s it!

 Quick, easy, tasty, and healthy!  Just the way I like my snacks!

ICycle Homestart Fundraiser Event

Hi Guys,
I need your help!
I'm doing a charity event for an organization called Homestart, Inc.

"HomeStart’s solution to homelessness is simple: Housing First.

At HomeStart, “Housing First” means that our first priority for every person is a stable housing situation. We then work with each person’s individual needs to provide services and support to make sure they are able to remain housed.
Since 1994, HomeStart has helped more than 4,000 homeless people move to their own homes.
Ending Homelessness. Changing Lives. HomeStart."

The event is called ICycle.
It's a outdoor spin-a-thon that goes on for 12 hours. 
In order to participate, I need to raise $250 by next Wednesday. 
Please, donate to me and help me reach my goal!
My Fundraising page:
http://www.crowdrise.com/icycle/fundraiser/amysinclair1
You can donate through your amazon account, or directly to me!


From the Homestart page: HomeStart ends and prevents homelessness. 
If you're homeless, HomeStart is your realtor.  Much like a real estate agency, HomeStart helps you find permanent housing by assessing your background, financial ability, and a variety of other factors.  But once HomeStart puts you in a home, they make sure you stay there.  HomeStart provides stabalization services like money management, life skills training, etc. to make sure that you re-integrate into the community and never become homeless again.  

That's how HomeStart ends current homelessness, but HomeStart also prevents it before it starts.  If you're on the verge of losing your home, HomeStart offers emergency assistance that helps you stay in the home and avoid costly taxpayer shelters.  Usually HomeStart can keep a family in a home for $700, while moving that family into a shelter, could cost taxpayers upwards of $40,000 (nevermind the moral cost.) 
So you ready to help HomeStart end homelessness?  Then sign up, raise at least $250, and let's see if you're as tough as some of our clients.  Also while you're riding, just think, you're only outside for an hour, imagine if you were homeless.  

"I hate the cold and I really hate the breeze.  When you're homeless, you can't even feel yourself you're so cold.  It's all you can think about.  And when the wind blows, you want to be anywhere else but outside"  

"I was talking to a client the other day and he told me how grateful he was for HomeStart. HomeStart helped him get his first place, manage his money, go to school, but he was the most grateful to HomeStart for getting him out of the cold."