wanted to have some soup tomorrow... so:

i bag of 16 bean  mix from the grocery store
1 chopped onion
2 potatoes chopped
1 portabella mushroom, sliced
3 (more like 2) carrots
4 bouilion cubes (chicken)

wash beans
throw it all in a pot
we will see how it urns out tomorrow, but i PLAN to serve it with some steamed spinach and some noodles or something.....

yes, its lacking in spices right now. 
i prefer my soups BLAND so i can season them up to go with different stuff ....
after all, if i am going to serve it over rice, with cheese? different seasoning than by itself in a bowl
however i am almost certain to toss some small amount of seasoning in before morning.

this could easily be vegan with more vegetables and without the chicken bouillion

I pushed myself a little harder on my 2 mi run today and managed to hit 1.5 at 14 min! And finished up at 19 minutes instead of my standard 20 :) I'm slowly improving.

Any other success stories out there?

The (arguably*) French film Vodka Lemon is probably my top movie of the decade. I can never decide if it makes me want to laugh or cry or both. Depends on my mood really. It's brilliant, and if you don't want to take my word for it, it has extremely glowing reviews.




*According to wikipedia: "In spite of all the awards won by the film, the producers of the film did not succeed in qualifying the movie as a French one because the actors were not speaking enough French words in the dialogues. The French cinematic authorities counted out the words spoken in the film finding out that there were 41 French words lacking. The failure to qualify as a French movie pushed the producing company Dulciné Films to file for bankruptcy."

hey guys,

I just worked out with one of my friends who does powerlifting.  I have never done squats before so when we got to them we had to start with basics.  Well, I'm not flexible enough to get that low and keep my balance.  or maybe my balance is too bad.  either way, I can't do them.  He laughed at me and said "squats are great for runners!"

1) are squats great for runners?

2) am i the only one out there that can't even sit with their legs straight out and their back straight (ie, my back can't get perpendicular to the ground if my legs are out in front of me). 

Any negative issues that will arise from me being horribly tight?

One for the "Bad Graffiti Hall of Fame"...

One for the "Bad Graffiti Hall of Fame"...

I went for a run this morning.

As in, I woke up extra early and ran BEFORE work. Let it be known, I have never  been a morning person. But the thought of running in the dark on sidewalks is depressing. I find the cars distracting and prefer running in the park, which is dangerous and poorly lit at night. Plus, it's more difficult to get my butt outside when it's dark than in the sunny morning.

I know this morning was my first, but I may be a convert already. The first mile was rough - I kept telling myself death would be better than running at this ungodly hour. But eventually I switched to reggae on my Nano, found a groove and started enjoying the morning sights and sounds - other runners and walkers, fresh sunlight, hungry squirrels and ducks. It was an exhilirating way to wake up. Since I was already alert by the time I showered and dressed, I got ready faster and had extra time to check my email and make breakfast.

Most importantly, all I have to do for the rest of the day is get through work and then relax. And maybe take time to ENJOY cooking dinner.

For anyone who has scoffed at the morning run, you can do it!

I'll be in Baltimore at the Hyatt on Light Street for the next few days for work. Any good recommendations for runs in that area and the safety factor for running in the early morning or evening?

Interesting article in the NY Times.

http://ethicist.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/10/are-high-tech-prostheses-fair/

Good morning, runners! Super cute guest host hbfs here again to fill in for supermanz.

What's everyone up to today? I have class, am epic laundry/room excavation project, and practice, which is going to be some kind of taper-friendly light workout. We're getting ready for NCAA DIII Mideast Regionals on Saturday :)

In lieu of a question today, I thought it'd be fun to play a game. So this is Two Truths and a Lie. In your comment, post two things that are true about you and one equally-credible looking lie (or two equally incredible truths and one lie). And then we'll guess which one's the lie :)

Here are mine:
1. When I was 17, I played a munchkin in a community production of The Wizard of Oz. (TRUE!)
2. I once climbed through an open window of a locked building in order to skinny dip in a fountain. (ALSO TRUE. I've skinny dipped in more than one fountain, too.)
3. I didn’t get my driver’s license until I was 18 years old. (False! I was almost 18, though - it was November of my senior year.)

Here's a few more sets of two more truths and a lie:
1. In high school, a lot of people knew me by the nickname "Barn"
2. I am addicted to coffee
3. I've kept the same running long since 3-12-2002

1. I'm left-handed
2. I read Gone With The Wind in less than four days
3. I have a phobia of escalators

• 10:28 That's okay. I didn't really want a nap today anyways.. #
• 13:31 I will be done with school in 9 classes.. Assuming I don't fuck up somewhere along the way.. Oh, and if I can learn Spanish. #
• 13:34 Being Canadian is an ethnicity BTW. #
• 13:52 @rhouses I dunno. Do you? Do you not support people learning? #
• 20:45 CONFLICT OF INTEREST: Next term do I take Scriptwriting for Sitcoms or Book Marketing and Promotion? They meet at the same time. #
• 03:07 @Benco I think sitcoms are just in a lull right now. But I am more interested in the class because it's helpful to Pilots. #

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Running enthusiasts, I wish to ask you something.

Let's say you have a friend or an acquaintance, someone who says they want to learn to love to run but can't get over the physical hump of being out-of-shape, on top of bad Fun Run memories from high school and middle school. They don't necessarily dislike running but just can't get into it and get themselves to do it often enough TO get into it.

What advice do you have for wannabes? How would you encourage them or help them adjust to the runner's lifestyle?

okay so heres the story
its long because it actually is dammit!! haha
anyway
7th grade i started having knee problems with my right knee - over time it wound up being in both knees
a feeling of INCREDIBLE pressure right beneath my knee cap (by beneath i mean the gooshy part between my knee cap and top of my shin bone) and pain when moving it (i can feel a slight popping)
over the next 5 years i went tomultiple doctors and specialists and here are some of the prognosees:

"you need physical therapy"
"its patella tendonitis - just rest"
"your faking it"
"the fat pat under you knee swells when you work out - ice it"
"your quads arent strong enough in the right places"
"knee cap out of alignment"
"too much unchecked swelling lets try a cortizone shot"
"im all out of options lets go in and check surgically" <--- yep i got surgery

about a year ago on my right knee they went in and looked around cleaned out some gook and ultimately found out that my meniscus was fraying and probably had been over the past 5 years
this was a year ago and ive been FINE - recovered in about 3 months, ran indoors and outdoors BOTH hurdles! and up until tonight have had NO PAIN

the pain that is back tonight is in my OTHER knee which is also a previous victim of this weird ailment
its not meniscus this time unless its causeing the REST of my knee to swell without it actually hurting
all i know right now is that this specific pain has yet to be diagnosed and no matter whether im moving or sitting/laying still the pain persists
ive iced it, taken meds, etc its always follwed in my right knees footsteps so i dont know if it ALSO needs cleaning out but my right knee is fine no problems at all (good news!) i just dont want to get ANOTHER surgery even if it helps
but this pain is SO crippling and so sudden im concerned
im going to go to the school trainers tomorrow and be like look dont give me that "tendonitis" bull shit i KNOW its not that fake disease :P

my only other observation was that i was having some discomfort when pivoting doing drills today at track
i guess we'll see but if anyone else has any ideas or suggestions
im ALL ears id rather hear from people with experience than doctors who make me pay THOUSANDS of dollars for unsuccessful tests and remedies and a 15 minute session in which they just tell me to rest

hope everyones having a bettter night than i am!
x0 maddie

ps sorry about the length :[

Hello everyone!

Quick update before my question: I've been running longer distances lately. 4.6 yesterday (in 2.3 mile intervals to my friends house and back). I found this great site with a training schedule including push ups and curl ups to prepare me for bootcamp. Still no shipdate, but I take the DLAB on Thursday. I am so impatient!

My question is what are your opinions on running with weights? My friend gave me some gloves with weights to increase arm muscle while running since I love to run and hate the rest, but I'm not sure if they are safe or if it is a good idea. Is there any danger or something that I should know about?

Thanks!
-Jay

I made this for dinner tonight, along with some white rice and sour cream. It turned out wonderfully, so I figured I would share. I'll definitely be making it again!

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken
Courtesy Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes

Serves 8 / Points: 4.25 ww points

* 24 oz (1 1/2) lbs chicken breast
* 14.4 oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chile peppers
* 15 oz can black beans
* 8 oz frozen corn (I used canned, it worked just as well)
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* 14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth
* 3 scallions, chopped
* 1 tsp garlic powder (I added extra before serving)
* 1 tsp onion powder (I added extra before serving)
* 1 tsp cumin
* 1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
* salt to taste

Combine chicken broth, beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt in the crock pot. Season chicken breast with salt and lay on top. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Adjust salt and seasoning. Serve over rice (extra pts).

I added some shredded sharp cheddar to each serving, along with a blob of sour cream. Yum! If you're not a rice fan, this would also go well with warmed tortillas, or on top of a baked potato. Taste-wise, it's a lot like chicken tortilla soup, but more hearty. Enjoy!

Does anyone have a tried and true recipe for a really custardy pain perdu? I had a craving for it last night & made some baked french toast, but it didn't come out right. The leftovers are rock hard & I have them soaking in milk.
I usually think of regular french toast as something really yummy when it's hot, but that I choke on when it starts to cool & get tough. Is thicker bread the secret? I thought it might come out better if I did it in the crockpot.

(NSFW)

I did complete the Denver Half Marathon three weeks ago. It was far from a stellar performance. After I asked about my last long run on, what, 10/1/09, I did a 7-miler that day and promptly ended up horrendously ill that weekend and still don't remember the vast majority of the next 10 days or so. After 10/1/09 I didn't run again until 4 days before the race and that was a really good 5-miler. Mom and I survived the half, though.

I did have to walk some of it after twisting my ankle at the beginning of mile 10. It scared me so badly that I started hyperventilating and couldn't breathe. It was awful so I walked a bit. I did meet my time goal, so I was content with that. Were I to be here again next year, the race would be way different as Rock N Roll bought the series. The expo sucked...I mean really SUCKED.

At any rate, I then took two weeks off. I had exams, a trip back to Michigan to visit my grandmother (non-Hodgkins lymphoma and just moved into assisted living and was asking for me) and life got crazy. Did a 6-mile race on 1 November. AWFUL...only words to describe it. Between two weeks of no running and then to discover it was a mountain trail race...yea, did not go very well at all.

Been running about every other day since then. Racing 7 miles this weekend...another trail race but it's not on a mountain side this time. heh

My plan is to keep up my mileage. It'll help with winter doldrums and the stress of school as I enter the final 3 weeks of the semester. I do have races scheduled all the way through the end of February so that will help, too.

At any rate, I'm here and still running.

I'm just starting marathon training now (for next April - Shakespeare Marathon, Stratford, UK) as some of you probably know and I have decided to try a more formal approach rather than the mile gathering I've done in the past.

I have a SmartCoach program from Runners World but being a bit of a 'lazy' runner in training, I've never done speed work or 'tempo' runs as just couldn't be bothered with the faff!! LOL!
So my question is a bit naieve! It says I am to do a 7 mile with 4 mile @6:32 (ie race pace) 
 
Should I be aiming to do this on a flat, lap type circuit or my normal 7 mile route with hills etc?!

Secondly, all my days training (including long run) are at the same pace initially of 7:48 a mile. Whilst this isn't a hassle or too hard really, I always believed that one or more of my days a week training (5 out of 7 per usual) should be at a considerably slower, almost recovery pace. Perhaps nearer 8:15-8:30??

Anyone got any thoughts? Glad to hear them! Thanks all!