Juicer, How I Love Thee!

Last week we received a big box in the mail. My mom opened it, not knowing what it was. Out came a big 'ol, snazzy juicer! We were both confused because neither of us remembered ordering one, even though I've wanted a juicer for quite a while now. I shot my dad a quick text seeing if he ordered it for us and he didn't. After coming to the conclusion that my mom may have accidentally bought it with the "one-click order" system through Amazon.com after her 3rd or 4th glass of wine, we opened that baby up!

After ignoring the instructions on how to assemble the juicer and taking twice as long to figure it out ourselves, we went straight for the fruit bowl. We tossed in everything we could find...apples, pears, cantaloupe, oranges, peaches, and we even debated on throwing a banana in (even though I eventually decided we shouldn't...do bananas even have juice? Just the thought of that mushy stuff incorporated into my fresh, drinkable juice did not sit well with me). It was delicious, and now I'm hooked!

This is the juicer I got. It's made by Hamilton Beach and around $50.
You can purchase this blender through Amazon.com by clicking on the picture.

I have mainly only been juicing fruits we have lying around the house and drinking that first thing in the morning for breakfast. I've even got my dad hooked on it (Yay! Healthy family). I've been juicing large quantities at a time so it'll last 3-4 days. The only downside of this juicer is that it is a pain in the butt to clean, so I'd prefer to wash it every few days versus every day when I want fresh juice. I need to branch out and try veggies soon. I have a weird texture complex (i.e. banana example above), so I don't know how I feel about drinking vegetables (other than tomato juice, which I love). I'll be sure to blog about the first time I try it out. 

There are many great benefits to juicing:
1. Juicing helps you absorb the nutrients from the fruits and vegetables
2. Juicing allows you to consume an optimal amount of fruits and vegetables in an efficient manner
3. You can add a wider variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet
4. When making juice, you can add fruits and vegetables that are about to spoil. That way, you don't waste produce (the food we waste the most money on each year).

I'd love if y'all would care to share some good juicing recipes you've tried out. Right now, I've just been wingin' it and throwing whatever fruit I can find in it...precise, I know. 

02/26/2013: Miles run - 149.25 of 1000. Miles remaining - 850.75 of 1000 

Weekend Recap and Running With A Partner

Happy Monday everyone! Hope y'all had a fantastic weekend. Mine was a treat! Jon came into town Friday afternoon and we crammed a lot of activities into a quick 48 hours together.

He arrived Friday afternoon from a conference in Vegas and was a tad tired. We grabbed a quick lunch and came home for a cat nap. I didn't want my mom to cook a big meal after a long week of work, so we decided on PaPa Murphy's pizza for dinner. I had never had their pizza before, but after my mom told me that you could customize your pie and that it was freshly made right in front of you for you to take home and bake yourself and they had thin crust, I was sold! My friend Chelsea and her boyfriend Hayden came over and we enjoyed some healthy pizza, wine, and cigars (for the boys) outside by the fire pit.

Saturday, we woke up and went golfing with my dad and his golfing buddies. I didn't actually golf (I drove the cart around and watched), but Jon and the 3 guys played a quick 5 hours. After that, Jon wanted to buy a gun so we ate some chinese food for lunch and went to the gun store. After a quick nap back home, we headed out to downtown Austin to meet up with my friend Korie.

Jon and I with my Dad

Before heading out in Austin

On Sunday, we slept in a bit and met up with a few of my extended family members for lunch at Jack Allen's Kitchen. I was really craving their Twisted Cobb Salad (with grilled chicken, roasted corn, grape tomatoes, cotija cheese, homemade corn nuts, and ranch vinaigrette) but on Sunday from 10-2 the only option if the buffet. I wish I would have known that before picking the place, but it was still delicious! 

Jon and I with my Aunt Tamie

After lunch, Jon convinced me to go for a run. Since we had such a busy weekend, I hadn't hit the pavement since Thursday, so I needed to get a few miles in before I got too behind. We did a quick 3 miles before heading to the airport for his 6pm flight. 

Surprisingly, that was the first time we had ever ran together in the 6 months we've been dating. He's about 6 or 7 inches taller than me, so I knew I'd either have to run faster or he'd have to run slower to make up for the difference in our strides. He ran slower. I wasn't about to try and keep up with his 6-7 min/mile pace! 

I was a bit weary about going for a run with him at first because I usually like running alone, listening to music, and I hate talking while running. But it actually made the time go by faster and I was forced to push myself and keep up the pace. I felt a little bad that all he got out of it was a brisk jog, while I was pushing myself to the limit, but it was a good experience overall. 

Running with a partner can actually be quite beneficial:
1. If you're comfortable with talking while running, a good conversation can make time fly by!
2. Running with a partner can be safer, especially for women and at night. 
3. I usually feel more comfortable testing out a new trail when I have someone else by my side. You never know what you may encounter on a new route. 
4. A partner can push you to that next level, if needed. Whether you just need help getting motivated to get outside and get moving, or if you're trying to hit a new personal record, having someone along for the ride can be a great motivational tool to provide you with that little nudge you need. 

This short month of February is almost over! 10 more miles to go by Thursday. Wish me luck! 

02/25/2013: Miles run - 146.25 of 1000. Miles remaining - 853.75 of 1000 

The Phoebe Run

Last night, I set off for my second run of the day. I was planning on going with my mom when she got home from school, but she noticed a big puddle of water in our backyard. A pipe had burst from a tree root! Long story short, my uncle came over and fixed it, but she was in no state to go running after that. So I left without her...sorry mom! 

During my 3 mile run, I passed a man also running in my neighborhood. Since I live out in the country, I rarely see anyone else out exercising. He was running the opposite direction towards me and once I got closer I almost burst out laughing! But I kept telling myself I couldn't have him see me laugh so I had to hold it in until he passed.

What was so funny, you ask? 

He was running exactly like this video. Dead serious.

I love this episode of Friends and the attitude Phoebe has with running. One day, I hope I can let go and do this...even if it's just for a few seconds. 

Even though this man was very humorous, I have respect for someone who can run that way and not care what other people think. Proper form is important, but having fun is also a must for sticking with it. I hope I see him again soon! 

02/22/2013: Miles run - 137.25 of 1000. Miles remaining - 862.75 of 1000 

Run Like The Wind

Today's run was a tad windy! But I think the weather gods listened to my post yesterday and gave me some awesome 65 degree weather for my run at lunch. It rained a lot this morning, so I thought I'd have to stick to the treadmill this afternoon. Luckily, that wasn't the case. I did 2.25 miles at lunch and will be doing another 3 this evening with my mom when she gets home from work. 

My friend Michael shared a link in my comments section yesterday that took me to some pretty funny, yet true, running pictures. I thought I'd share a few of my favorites today.

Enjoy!

My Favorite!

02/21/2013: Miles run - 134.5 of 1000. Miles remaining - 865.5 of 1000 

Warm Weather Runs vs. Cold Weather Runs

I wish Texas would decide if it wants to be cold or hot right now, because I'm not a fan of 75 degree weather one day and 50 degree weather the next. It's messing with my running! Today was a cold one (well, cold for me...about 52 degrees). But after running my 3 miles at lunch, I warmed right up! 

I am still debating which type of run is tougher for me. A cold weather run vs. a warm weather run? I wish I could run in 65-70 degree weather every day...it's perfect. 

But no excuses!

I do find myself running faster in cold weather, but it is much harder to breathe, my nose always runs, and I'm more prone to cramping. Whenever Texas randomly decides it's going to be a cold day, I need to stretch more and remember to take a tissue with me, because a runny nose and tight leg muscles can be a huge distraction. 

In the upcoming Texas Summer, I'm either going to have run early in the morning when it's somewhat cooler out or on the treadmill, because heat exhaustion is definitely possible here. You can always add more layers in cold weather, but disappointedly, we can't run naked to deal with the heat (how weird would that be?! I just googled "naked running" and started cracking up...I won't post it on here, but if you need some entertainment, check it out). 

Crazy people!

I'm still not sure which I prefer. Would you rather run in cold or warm weather, and why?

02/20/2013: Miles run - 132.25 of 1000. Miles remaining - 867.75 of 1000 

A 14 Mile Weekend

Happy Monday, Y'all! Hope you had a great weekend. Mine was productive, yet relaxing. 

Saturday was another two-a-day run. I did 3 miles around my neighborhood in the early afternoon and another 4 in the evening with my mom. After her first running trail experience on Thursday, she wanted to go back for more! This time, she was determined and I was even more impressed than before. I guess the running bug bit her because she went out and bought new running shoes and shorts. Once we hit the trail, she ran the first 1.25 miles without stopping! I was so proud. We then walked less than 1/4 mile and were back at it. All in all, she probably ran about 3-3.5 mile out of the 4 total. And we got her down to an 11:20 min/mi. MUCH improved from Thursday's 12:30 min/mi. Progress! 

On Sunday, I went out for a solo run. The weather was perfect and I went running in a new neighborhood, so it was a nice change of scenery and people watching. I completed 7 miles in 1:08. Somewhat slow, but that was my first time running a straight 7 miles. I usually only do 5-6, or I'll split it up into 2 runs throughout the day. I was exhausted last night and crashed by 9:30. I'm taking it easy today with a laid back 2 miles at lunch. 

Congrats to everyone who participated in the Austin Marathon this past weekend! I still can't wrap my mind around running 26.2 miles. I am usually beat after 6 or 7...but I WILL run a half marathon within the next year! 

02/18/2013: Miles run - 127.25 of 1000. Miles remaining - 872.75 of 1000 

Running with Mom

Happy Friday!

Come April, my mom and I are running the Capitol 10,000 race in Austin. In order to start preparing,  I convinced my mom to go running with me after work on the trail I hit up last week. She agreed and we headed out. I wasn't quite sure how it'd go, seeing as how my mom is much more of the "power-walker" type and not so much a runner. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised and quite impressed. 

The trail is a 2 mile loop so I told her we were going to go around it twice because I needed to get 4 miles in (quite the long distance for a beginner like her). They have mile markers every 1/4 mile so we agreed to start off by alternating walking 1/4 mile and running 1/4 mile, and so on. The first few running sections were a little tough and our pace was slower than I'm normally used to. But after the first mile was logged, we just kept going! She didn't want to stop. We came back around to the beginning of the trail and walked a bit more before starting the loop again. We ended up finishing the 4 miles in about 47 minutes. This came out close to a 12:30 min/mile, which is much slower than my normal time, but is quite impressive for a mom who never runs. 

I think I can easily get her under a 12 min/mile before March if we keep it up and continue training. Once we hit that and continue on, I think she'll be closer to a 10 or 11 min/mile by the time the 10K race comes along in April. 

I'll be sure to keep y'all updated on her progress...whether she wants me to or not! :)

02/15/2013: Miles run - 112 of 1000. Miles remaining - 888 of 1000