Shipping Down To San Diego

Disclaimer: I received an entry into Rock n Roll San Diego as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

It’s race week!

I loved Rock N Roll San Diego and I am looking forward to returning to enjoy everything that I loved last year. Throw in the new upgraded aid stations and miles markers and more music along the course and I am stoked. Oh- did I mention that Des Linden is pacing the 2:00 hour half and Meb Keflezighi is pacing the 1:30 half group?

Holy crap!

Now, I am notoriously bad at spotting celebrities- though I do have a pic of Kara Goucher hauling past me at one race- so I am not sure how likely it is that I will run into or see either of them but I am going to keep my eyes peeled.

And aid stations- I read that there are 8 aid stations for the half. 8! My last marathon had 11- so that’s 8 for only half the miles! If there was ever a time to practice running without my own water this would be it but I think I would be too paranoid to do that so I just need to make sure that I don’t drink too much liquid.

But the best part??? Friends!!!!!! Kate and Mai! I haven’t seen them since Las Vegas so this is like a reunion- woo hoo!!!! Kate’s coming all the way from Texas!! Makes my 6 hour drive seem piddly! I’m so excited!!!!!

Now- the less exciting part. I’m having some issues in the hip/glute area so I’m not quite sure well this is going to go. I’m actually less concerned about the miles than the 6+ hour drive to get to San Diego- sitting has become distinctly uncomfortable.😒 So with that being said, I have zero goals for this race. Well unless you count have fun and finish. I would take finish off but we all know if I start, I’m finishing even if I have to walk it in. I hope it doesn’t come to that but I am prepared for it if it does. There could be lots of pictures in my recap if that happens.

Is it time to leave yet????

Week 21- What is in the Air???

Upcoming Races-

Rock n Roll San Diego 13.1

Dudes, this week- last week, whatever- was flippin’ weird. Was something in the air?

Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t all bad- I ran, I ate pizza, I watched movies, I slept in, it just started out Rough.

Monday and Tuesday were so rough at work that by Tuesday evening I had somehow convince myself it was Friday and we had worked an entire week. When my alarm went off on Wednesday I almost cried. 😂 I’m not normally that emotional. I pulled it together and got through the week.

In better news, I ran! I also went to the movies- twice! I saw Solo and Deadpool 2. Both were good in very different ways. I also went into Solo with very low expectations but I did like it.😀

Monday- 3.51 miles- I was a little leery of how my hips and legs would after the previous week of pain so I decided to stick to the lake path and keep things nice and easy. Any thing more than a twinge and I was calling it and going right back to the car. It took a long time to warm up but I felt ok and decided to do 3 laps of the lake before calling it a day.

Tuesday- Yah no- The day went south real fast when we lost the server at work and it never came back. Any post work plans were put on hold as I had to drive to another location to take care of some things.

Wednesday- Rest- My overly emotional day. And there was reason I didn’t run but I can’t remember what that reason is.😛

Thursday- Rest- So, I changed into my running clothes after work and drove to the river path after work. I was exhausted but the entire 45-50 minute drive I kept telling myself I could run a few miles. I could. Then I parked and the weather was just cold and miserable. I changed into my running shoes, I grabbed my running pack and put on my hat. But I could not make myself get out of my car. For whatever reasons, I just couldn’t do it. And FYI- I park in front of a friends house so if they had looked out the windows at the moment they would have wondered what the hell I was doing. I tossed the pack into the back and just drove home. I don’t regret it. I later fell asleep in the chair.

Friday- Nada- Typical Friday but we were down 2 people and I was so glad that it was actually, finally Friday.

Saturday- 5 miles- After a leisurely morning, I headed out in the afternoon. I was expecting much as I had woken with another migraine but this was a surprisingly steady run. My pace was relatively steady and I actually had to reign myself in a few times. My playlist playing 3 fist bumping songs in a row didn’t really help with that. The only issue was that my stomach cramped up twice. The odd thing was that my stomach cramped at the same geographical location but miles apart in the run. Dude- was there something in the air?

Sunday- 3.61 miles trail– Instead of a long run, I hit the trails. My mother and I decided to do 3 Bridges again which while nice and short does give you a good climb. We power hiked up and then I let myself run like crazy down half of it. I knew the pounding probably wasn’t good for my hips and I didn’t want to leave my mother far behind but I think I needed that mad moment of freedom. Even taking a hairpin too tight and almost going off the side of the trail was fun. Well, after I saved myself it was fun, while I was teetering I was wondering just how far back my mother was and why wasn’t I wearing neon colors? But I did not go over the side. Yes, I realize I tend to run a little recklessly on trails- which is why I am never completely by myself.

12.1 miles for the week. Better than last week!

How was your week?

Flipping for Luvo

Disclaimer: I received Flipped Bowls from Luvo as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

Food! My second favorite subject after running!

Except, real talk- I can’t cook. And I am lazy, I eat out way more than I should because by the time I get home from work I just don’t want to do anything else. As for lunches? I usually only get 45 minutes and sometimes that doesn’t happen uninterrupted. I like my lunch to be something that is easily prepped, easily cleaned and I can eat quickly. Anything that fits my issues doesn’t necessarily mean it’s healthy. I’m the first to admit I need help.

When I read about the new Flipped Bowls– where 1/3 of the protein comes from plants- that Luvo was rolling out, I was intrigued. Pasta, chicken meatballs and good mix of veggies? I could get behind that. Plus, the convenience factor was so up my alley.

So I went online on a Monday, placed my order and by Friday, a big white box showed up at work. Everything was nice and frozen, in fact the dry ice was so cold I almost burned my hands. 😛 Which would not be the first time I’ve burned myself with ice so maybe it’s just me.

So what did I get?

Chicken Meatballs in Creamy Pesto Sauce
Chicken Meatballs in Stroganoff Sauce
Chicken Meatballs in Garlic Wine Sauce
Chicken Meatballs in Tomato Basil Sauce

Beef Stroganoff (my mother’s recipe) is actually my favorite meal ever so I really high hopes for that meal but it also had really standards to measure up to.😛

I loaded them all into the work freezer and planned for some healthy lunches the following weeks. So what did I think?

Like I said, the Chicken Meatballs in Stroganoff Sauce was my prime choice- in fact I ordered more of that one with high hopes and just paid extra. I followed the directions on the back and less than 5 minutes later, I had a steaming bowl of pasta and veggies in front of me. I liked the taste of the sauce, the chicken meatballs had a good kick to them and I was eating kale! The only downsides were that I realized I needed to add about 15 seconds to the cook time for the noodles and Luvo adds legit mushrooms to their Stroganoff. *My mother does not- I hate mushrooms! So I was eating around those. 😛

Next up was the Chicken Meatballs in Tomato Basil Sauce. Holy, yumminess. And my 5 year old palate didn’t have to avoid any ingredients. I adjusted the microwave time and the whole wheat penne pasta noodles were perfect. Plus I was still eating veggies!

The Chicken Meatballs in Garlic Wine Sauce is pretty good too but like I had to avoid the mushrooms in the Stroganoff, I have to avoid the white beans. I did mention I have the taste buds of a 5 year old right? As for the Chicken Meatballs in Creamy Pesto Sauce?? Well, those juvenile taste buds are too scared to try it. I’ve eaten everything else-only have 1 left of the Tomato Basil, which makes me sad- but I can’t bring myself to push that far out of my comfort zone yet. Why am I writing this review before eating it? Well… I am hoping for some good old online encouragement to make me branch out. So…help?!

Overall, I am definitely ordering more. The Chicken Meatballs in Tomato Basil Sauce ended up being my favorite which made me glad that I had ordered more of those as well. I loved that I could pop one in the microwave, go the restroom and get a few things done while my lunch was preparing itself. Plus, I was getting protein and more veggies than usual.

Now, there were a few downsides– Mushrooms. Sorry, I hate mushrooms so to me that’s a downside, but I’ll keep eating around them. Lastly, I never received an email notification that my order had shipped so I had no idea when it was coming. As I was having these meals shipped to work, that could have been problematic as there is no one there to receive packages on Saturdays or Sundays. I was surprised when they showed up on that Friday- glad but surprised. Right now the Flipped Bowls are only available to order online but I am hoping that they will soon be in stores too. That said, shipping is very reasonable.

Have I made you want to order yet?Use code BIBRAVE to get 1 free when you buy 7.**This works for everything on their site!

Week 20- More of the Same

Upcoming Races-

Rock n Roll San Diego 13.1

Last week did not go like I planned. Have I ever said that a week has gone according to plan? But this went south real fast in my first run of the week which was a drastic contrast to the awesome run I ended week 19 with. Maybe that should have been a sign? Who knows.

I did make it to my gastro last week to finally see about the left side pain that’s been nagging me since January. He’s scheduling a CT and politely recommended a few dietary changes, haha. Is it sad that I’ve just become used to the side thing?? Actually I prefer the side pain over the migraines. 😛

Monday- Rest As awesome as Sunday’s run was, I was cognizant to the fact that I was running faster than I should have been and I am only 2 weeks past a marathon. I figured running would probably be stupid so I just did a few of my PT exercises and squats/ lunges. Plus I had a headache again.

Tuesday- 1.5 miles I headed to the lake path hoping to try for some speed work. It might not have been the best idea but I was feeling like some 400’s. Things started to go wrong in the first 100 yards. I always walk the first 1/2 mile of my runs but I was keeping pace with someone on the path and it was awkward. Instead of running ahead, I like power walked to get ahead and then stay ahead and something in both my hips just felt wrong. I figured I would walk it out. No dice. It just kept getting worse… I tried to run and whimpered out loud. I felt like my legs weren’t connected to my pelvis correctly. What the hell? I thought about pushing through but this was straight up pain so I turned around and hobbled to my stretching bars then my car.😒

Wednesday- Holy migraine hell. Are you kidding me?? This is getting old, not only did my head hurt, now my jaw hurt. Oh and my hips still hurt.

Thursday-2.5 miles Shouldn’t have done that. My head still hurt but the hip pain had faded slightly and I really wanted to run. I kept moving forward in hopes that I just needed time to warm up but it just hurt. I finally grew a brain, turned around and hobbled back to my car.

Friday-Nothing Work and a little bit of stretching and rolling. I stopped sitting in my recliner- I think it’s making things worse. Oh and I still had a damn migraine.

Saturday- Rest I slept in knowing that the smart thing would be to take the weekend off, both for my head and my hips. I ran some errands then took a nap in the afternoon. On the ground. Funnily enough- that helped my head more than I could have guessed. (Better not have jinxed that)

Sunday- Rest More of the same. Sleeping in, stretching, rolling, and all tv watching is happening from the ground, usually with a foam roller not far.

4 miles for the week, if they even count. I knew May wasn’t going to be great mileage after Big Sur but I didn’t think I was going to fall apart. Grrrr.

How was your week?

Rambling On 33- Favorites Style

I love Friday, well the idea of Friday’s.

Let’s ramble in a positive way this week. I have no idea who started Friday Favorites or Loving Lately, if you know, let me know and I’ll give ’em a shout out but at this point I think they’re both pretty widespread.

So- favorites-

Shinedown– I’ve mentioned before that they are one of my favorite bands. I’ve had their newest album on repeat for weeks. Even is some of the songs make me second guess ever taking a running selfie again.😛 Anyhow, I also follow them on Instagram and the other day they posted this-

Say what?!? Make this happen now!

Wildflowers– they’re almost all gone but they were pretty while they lasted. It was worth getting stuck behind super slow drivers on the scenic route home when they suddenly realize the road is more than they bargained for. I swear they are in both of the scenery pics above but you can only stop for seconds on that road.

Sleeping in– With running up in the air this weekend, I won’t have to feel guilty about really wanting some extra sleep, right?

Pizza🍕 – No shock here, right? However, I may have to go predominant low carb again in the near future so I have a feeling that pizza will be calling my name this weekend.

What are you loving right now?