Trick or Treat

Logan and Celina off to Trick or Treat...

Friends..

Steve wants to go with... He just can't resist being a kid too!

Steve and the kids.. 

 The Trick or Treat Crew.... out to cover all the houses in one night!

Last School Parade...

Our last school parade for Halloween.. 5th grade and that's it.. 

A few creative costumes.. lots of store bought ones. When I was in school we'd make our own costumes. I was a witches hat, butterfly, and a garbage bag (it rained one year). 

Logan always likes to be something scary.. I think Clown tops the list of scary!! 

School party is over.. Now on to eating some treats.. before the kids show up to take all the candy that I'll be feasting on all night. What would the fun be if I didn't sample all our treats?.. After-all, I have to make sure they are safe!

Celina came home from school with some random Halloween trivia (Made up by her teacher).  Did you know 99% of parents eat their kids candy after they go to bed. 50% of kids sort their loot/Candy. I think that has to be 100%, I've never heard of a kid not sorting it into piles. That was all she could remember. 

Halloween...

Happy Halloween .. Started the day off with a sweaty 6 mile run. I not only did a one minute plank with straight arms but a 1 minute plank with bent arms along with my 50 squats. Still super sore from lifting weights a few days ago.. 

The kids pumpkins turned out really good this year. We actually purchased those cheap orange tool carving kit and what do you know.. they really work! 

Our roasted pumpkin seeds turned out really good this year. I washed the seeds for at least 5 minutes or more, dried them a little in a strainer, but them in a bowl with melted butter and coarse salt, mixed then spread out on a cookie sheet, baked at 300 for 40 minutes.. 

We might just need another pumpkin just so we have some seeds. 

I'm totally going to follow..

Do I know how many miles I run in a month? 124 miles this last month.. (4 weeks) and that was a low mileage month due to a week long vacation. It averages out to 4 miles a day.. Which 6 days I did zero running. If I calculate the non-running days =24 days and the miles 124 it averages out to 5 miles per day.. more like it. 

I've read that runners like to eat pasta. Since I was in charge of making dinner (not sure how that happened?) I cooked up some Kraft mac & cheese Extreme.. Sometimes simple tastes so good. 

Logan was too into carving his pumpkin to want his photo taken but he paused for this moment.. nice smile! 

The fun begins when I have to dig through this. It some how became my job to pick out all the pumpkin seeds and cook them up. I cook them in butter.. and lots of salt. 

I'm still really sore from the weights.. time to take it easy.... and a little Advil never hurt. 

I almost forgot... I'm following (living through)a blogger on her way to run an Ironman this Saturday in Florida. There is actually an Ironman Tracking site www.ironman.com, her bib # 1054 just in case you are totally going to follow too! Check her out on www.shutupandrun.net

It's the Pits

Yesterdays workout sure did leave my pits sore. Of all places to feel sore. 

(melt butter & chocolate, stir the remaining ingredients all together and bake 350 for 30 minutes)

I did some baking yesterday and made one bowl brownies. Of course I added marshmallows, caramel bits and chocolate chips. This is the easiest way to make Brownies since the recipe is right on the package of unsweetened chocolate. It's almost easier then buying a ready to make box but 100 times better tasting. 

It was back at the gym, up early, early.. Yesterday I had one of those days where I just could not convince myself to go for a run. I settled for just the 2 miles on the cross ramp and called it good for the day. I didn't want to do that again, so I was happy to go to the gym, warm up by doing my squats and did a 1 minute plank then got on the cross ramp, read a magazine for the entire hour finishing 6 easy miles. It's time for a change in my workout. I was feeling less then thrilled to do anything and the cross ramp feels new once again. Plus, I really like how I can run backward.. working out my buns.. back seeing my gym friends which makes working out go quicker too... killing time talking always is a good distraction. 

Getting back to toning up!

It's a good  idea that I decided to go back to the gym. We are paying for it even if we don't use it. I mean paying in more then one way.. I pretty much lost all fitness over the summer months I didn't go lift weights. It doesn't feel good to start all over again from ground zero.. My plan is to lift weights every day.. all winter long. 

I have a feeling tomorrow I'm going to be a bit sore. I did an hour of weights then joined Steve on the cross ramp and ran just 2 short miles in the time remaining before we had to leave.. I'll finish up my running miles outside after it warms up a bit. (for the record.. I'm not too excited to do more running today.. I kind of just want to go back to bed.. might just do that for an hour.. )

Last night we went to a Pizza party for Logan's soccer team. The girls found ways to entertain themselves.. otherwise it's always a bit awkward sitting around. I noticed how the adults are all afraid to grab food, they eat like birds. I guess that's the polite thing to do, but I really just wanted more then 2 little squares of pizza and a bite or two of salad. If I only could have filled my plate with salad.. then I might have felt like I ate dinner. 

What are your workout plans for the winter months? 

Do you eat like a bird when around other adults at a party? 

I kicked myself out the door..

I really didn't want to run this afternoon, but it is pretty nice out in the 40s and sunny. Not to mention the trees are still extremely pretty. There is also the fact the weather report for tomorrow could be snow. I'm not sure I can run safely in that until I invest in some YAK tracks.. At least that's what I think they are called?? I have 3 options 1. Skip running outside all winter 2. go buy these Yak things either they are screws you put on the bottom of your running shoes or 2. you wear the YAK metal bands around your running shoes. I'm not sure which I'd prefer at the moment?

This view is the reason I kicked myself out the door to run. I wanted to go somewhere new to run or a place where I don't run that often.. it's exactly 2 miles around 2 lakes.. a good distance for sore calves. 

I was not expecting to have sore legs from the race on Saturday. I've read the best thing to do when your sore is to still workout.. go nice and slow. The workout will make you less sore. I'd like to believe that but my throbbing legs are telling me something else. 

Another lake photo..just because!

I'm guessing since trails are very uneven, hilly, with turns and dips.. it was not a good idea to do a recovery run.. 

Done.. 2 miles.. no idea of how long it took.. finished my 1 minute plank and 50 squats for the day. 

Don't you just love the look of running shoes in a pile of leaves? 

No more braces!!

I remember the day Celina got her braces on and being told in 8th grade she will get them off. Well, here we are.. Celina's in 8th grade and today she got her braces off!

Happy,happy day.. now comes the fun part.. retainer for life!

 All the old glue came off and her teeth were polished.. 

Our beautiful girl.. 

A really nice smile!

Fall Family Photo Time..

Schedule..I'm sticking to it???

No running for me this morning... I promised myself some time during the afternoon I will run my 8 miles or at least 4. I can not pass up a beautiful fall day of running. 

I had to share a picture of our maple tree out front. It's turned a bright orange color. 

We did some Cannon Falls wine tasting yesterday afternoon. The temps climbed back into the 60's and we couldn't resist being out doing something on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. 

This winery even makes Wine named after me.. Lorraine's White! It was my 3rd favorite wine out of all we tasted. 

 Looks like we are out of wine!

Nice little town.. with a waterfall.. 

Steve's brother joined us.. We used the goodies from my race to eat with the wine. M&M's, Beef Jerky and string cheese with my pumpkin bread and some pretzels. I know how to improvise!! 

Red wine does taste 100% better with chocolate! 

Free entertainment while we drank up!