What a Little Determination Will Do

I mentioned on the Weekly Wrap on Sunday that my plan for Monday was to come right home from work and call Icon Fitness about my iFit module. I needed to call right away because I knew I would be on hold for a majority of the evening before speaking to someone.  But when I got in my car to come home and saw the outside temperature was 64 degrees, I told myself that I was NOT going to let Icon Fitness hold me hostage today.  They have already monopolized so much of my time already this year. I needed to do some errands and of course why not soak up this sun and go for a run!

Can you tell I am wearing my flip belt under my shirt?

I took my run to the trail since I had to run errands near there.  I wore my RunDisney shirt because all this talk about Princess Half Marathon weekend this weekend has made me excited to plan my next Disney vacation!

I hadn't quite committed on how many miles I was going to run, but I knew I was going to run further than my usual 3 miles that I do during the week.  

I did a mile on the trail and then deviated off the trail (but still stayed on the adjoining sidewalk) and looped around the shopping center and fitness center. That gave me 2 miles. I figured all I had to do was just run back to where I started and I'd have 4 miles in already!  

By mile 4 I was feeling pretty good so decided to just continue on the trail a half mile more (and turn around a half mile) for a total of 5 miles.   Also by mile 4 my ipod battery went dead. I considered just playing music on my phone but remembered that I had to call icon Fitness when I got home and needed a full battery for that because who knows how long I would be on hold!  So I continued to run with no music and ya know what? It didn't suck.  By mile 4.5 I could feel a blister forming on my toe.  The funny thing is, I often get a blister on the side of one of my inside toes. I could understand blisters forming on the outsides toes from possibly rubbing on the side of the shoe, but the inside toes? I just don't understand what that comes from.  So anyway, after feeling a blister, and having no music, I still decided that ya, know what, I could run one more mile. I might as well do 6 miles since it is so nice out.

And I not only did 6 miles, I completed 6.2.  I Figured I need to ramp it up if I was going to be running a 10K next month.  I know it's only 6.2 miles but I was pretty darn proud of that. So here's the thing, it's not that I can't run far (I've run a marathon or two), it's just running is really time consuming. It's hard when you have a full time job, errands to take care of, and other interest beyond running.  So yea, runs beyond 3 or 4 miles just don't usually happen during the week.

So I was feeling pretty good after my run but that came to a halt when I went to the vet's office to pick up Baylee's food.  I need to tell you a little back story here. About a year ago the vet's office decided to put these LED candles on the counter and there was a little sign that read something like this If these candles are lit, someone is saying good-bye to their pet.  I buy Baylee's pills and food at their office so I visit more than normal. There were a few time I left that office with tears in my eyes because I had seen those candles lit.  I understand that they want people that come in to be mindful and respectful that there are pet owners there who are sad. I get it. But this was also working on my nerves each time I went in and finally I had to say something to the lady at the front desk about how sad it is to see those candles. The vet's office is not a happy place for me to be to begin with but than having a reminder of those candles makes it worse (I can imagine other people may feel the same way).  Well, when I returned, those candles were still on the counter.

Okay, back to Monday's visit. I was paying for my food and I noticed those candles were no longer on the counter. However, as I was completing my transaction, I man leaned over the counter and in a somber voice tells the assistant that his dog was in the car and wasn't able to get up, but she was ready.   I knew right away what he was talking about and I just wanted to get out of there ASAP before I broke down.  The assistant helped me carry my food out to my car  and I stayed focused only on my car and tried not to look at my surroundings because I did NOT want to have that dog in my vision. I put the food in the trunk and as I got into my car, I accidentally caught a glimpse of what I  thought was a blond dog head through the window in the car beside me.  I thought it may have been a retriever but I certainly did not want to look again.  I needed to get out of there.  I was successful at leaving emotionless (which is a good thing).

Okay, back to running. My February runs have been pretty good so far, with this being the best one all month. We have two more days this week and warm weather ahead so perhaps I'll get in another one that even surpasses this one. -M


If you read all this, thank you. I know it was long.

What do you make of the blister situation? What's your opinion on the candles?

We will be linking up with the gals from TOTR.

Weekly Wrap..Feb 25

On Monday my new iFit modules arrived and I was eager to set it up to see if THIS ONE actually would work. It was a success. 

 Since it was Presidents day, I chose to do the Presidential run around the monuments. I didn't get to record how far this was because guess what? My treadmill stopped right in the middle of the run!  The belt stopped and the screen went completely black!  I was shocked, this has NEVER happened before.  I unplugged it, rebooted, and started on it again to finish out the mile I was in. Guess what? As soon as that mile was finished, the treadmill shut off again.
Scott seems to think that something with the module is messing with the treadmill.  I have no idea but I hope that is not the case.

On Tuesday I took my run outside since it was warm. I wore my #PinkPawLove shirt and Fabletics capris but really could have worn shorts!

Wednesday was clearly the best run of the week (or perhaps the whole year at this point). We had a preview of summer weather. I definitely wore my shorts and should have probably worn a tank instead of a short sleeve shirt.  I did my normal route around the island and across the bridge, but added some out and backs to it.

I knew in my mind that it was going to be more than my normal 3 miles but wasn't sure how far it would be. I decided that I wouldn't stop when I hit a certain mileage on my watch, but would stop when I completed the entire route.  Usually I stop at three miles regardless to where I am on the route and usually have to walk a little bit back to my car.  This time I was at 4.5 miles when I made it back to my car,  However, I decided since it was so nice out that I would push it to an even 5 miles!

Do you remember last fall when I wrote a post called "Cat Burglar on the Run"?  Well, on this run on Wednesday I looked to see if those cats were still there under the bridge, and I saw one of them.  I also met the guy who was taking care of those cats. He said he came and fed them every day this winter! Apparently they still live there because there is a little cave under the bridge.

Thursday was a rest day and Friday it rained all day so I tried the Treadmill again. This time I couldn't even get the routes to load up. I couldn't even tell you how far I got on this run because the machine kept stopping again. It was a lot of trial and error and we discovered that it was indeed the cassette module that is making my treadmill turn off. When I take the cassette out of the treadmill, it works fine.

Saturday I was up bright and early with the intentions of calling Icon Fitness to get this Treadmill thing workout out YET AGAIN! I thought if I was the first caller of the morning, I wouldn't have to be on hold so long.  Turns out, they aren't open on Saturdays. So guess what I'll be spending my entire Monday afternoon doing?  I will call at 3:40 and I will predict that I won't even get anyone on the phone till 4:40. Fair assumption?  I was so frustrated with the whole treadmill thing I decided I was going to run outside, but it was really a little too foggy to be safe.  I went back in and just walked a few miles on the treadmill while I read my book. I figured I'd run outside later, but I never did. We ended up getting ready for the day and doing those weekend errands (grocery, Target, hardware store, etc).   

The weather is looking pretty good this week as we enter March so I suppose I won't need the treadmill anyway (unless it rains), but it's still something I want to get taken care of. Hopefully I'll have good news about it for the next weekly wrap!  -M

We are linking up with Holly and Wendy for their Weekly Wrap.

Icon Fitness hit or miss

Icon Fitness is the parent company for Altra shoes, Golds Gym products, NordicTrack, ProForm, Lotus, and several other fitness brands.

I've mentioned a few time about the iFit program that I have been using with my Nordic Track Treadmill and bike. Although I think it is a cool option to have on my equipment, it has been a very frustrating process. I could write several posts on experiences but I will try to keep this to a minimum.

Let me explain.
My equipment has always had the iFit compatibility but I only just subscribed to the service last January (in 2017).

1. Not only do you have to subscribe to the service, you have to purchase a module (that is pretty much a cassette that you have to insert into your treadmill or bike (or tread climber or whatever equipment you have that is compatible). I paid last January for my module and subscription.  The subscription is only good for one year but the module could potential last the life of the equipment.

The first module that I was given would not work properly. They had to send me another one.

2. Anytime I would call customer service, I would be on hold for no less than 30 minutes. Sometimes I've been on hold for over an hour. THIS IS FRUSTRATING. Apparently they need more customer service agents.

3. In addition, very little instructions on how to use the program are posted online. I asked a customer service rep once if I could find instructions online somewhere and he said "There are none, I guess this is my job security..haha"!   This was even more frustrating because of how long I have to wait on the phone to get someone to help.

4. On January 1, 2018, I decided I wanted to start using the ifit module with my TM again (#NewYearsGoals).  It again was NOT working properly.  The customer service department is understandably not open on New Years, so I end up calling them later that week to ask for help again.

That Wednesday (after another long wait), I get a customer service rep on the phone. She tells me that my module must have gone bad and that I need to purchase another one. WAIT JUST ONE MINUTE... I have a subscription to this service for one year (until the end of January 2018), there is NO WAY I am spending that much money on another module if I didn't even get a full year out of the one I have now.  The Customer Service rep tells me that there is only a 90 day warranty on the module. WHAT??? But the subscription is for one year, why would the module only have a 90 day warranty on it? She informs me that most modules last ten years or more.

I call back a week later (and wait on hold for what feels like FOREVER) and this time I want to talk to a supervisor.  Of course the Customer service rep wants to know what I want so I tell her my story.  She comes back and informs me that I need to renew my subscription (I am so frustrated that I don't know that I want to renew, but I do kind of want to try the service again since I didn't feel like I got my monies worth out of it last year). So here's the deal, If I renew my subscription it is going to be "X" amount of dollars. However, if my module is not working than I can buy a new module (that comes with a free subscription for one year) and they will knock $115 off the price.

This almost doesn't even make sense.  I take the deal. So now I just saved $115 off the subscription price and I am getting both the subscription and a new module.  She said I would have the new module in 7 to 10 days.

5.  My  new module was suppose to be here in 7-10 days. After 2 weeks, no module, and I finally decided to look my order up online to track it. I see that it hasn't even been shipped yet. Not only has it not been shipped, but I was charge $5 for a " Delivery Upgrade".   Upgrade???  Why?  Turns out they were out of the modules at the current warehouse. Since I called, they decided to send me a module from a different warehouse. Why not just do that from the beginning?  I got my module a week later.

But, that's not the end of the story. Remember when I said Scott and I spent about 6 hours one weekend trying to set it up?  Yup, turns out that module was broken too.  I called customer service (stayed on hold for 34 minutes, which I know is now par for the course), and she pretty much told me that if the light on the module does not come on, than the module is no good.   She sent another one and in 7 days I had it.

I've only used this new module one time so far but so far it works!

So tell me, how would you handle this situation? Do you think you would continue to subscribe to this program? I am going to see how this year goes and then  decide if I am willing to pay again for a third year. -M

Thank you if you read to the end of this post. We are going to be changing up the Friday 5 soon so stay tuned!

An InLinkz Link-up

My Weekly Eats

Believe it or not, I actually like reading WIAW (What I Ate Wednesday) Posts. I've never  wrote one though because I never documented what I ate and by Tuesday I had already forgotten.

I was hoping that by documenting what I was eating, I would be more cognizant of it and if I knew that I was going to be sharing it here, that I would make better choices.

Well, let's just say that the week of Valentines day was probably not the best week to track what I was eating, but at least it kept me honest!

                                                                       Sunday

I actually found a Pumpkin Spice Latte that I had in my pantry from the holidays. I don't know what I was saving it for but I finally drank it on Sunday morning and it was fabulous!  I also had a bowl of vanilla bean yogurt.

Sunday lunch was pork, mashed potatoes, and peas.  We usually only make one meal on Sundays.

After I had showered and we settled down to watch TV, cheese and crackers and a glass of Alpine Spice wine was my snack. I had used the spiced wine in the crock pot earlier that day when I was cooking the pork, so it was kind of calling to me to have a glass.

For dinner I had another plate of the pork, potatoes, and peas, and for dinner I had some vanilla bean yogurt with blueberries.

                                                  Monday

At work

 For breakfast I had two Belvita biscuits. For lunch I had another plate of Pork, potatoes, and peas (That will be the last time you see that meal). I was making my valentines out for my school kids so of course I had to have a pack of Sour Patch kids (but you only get like 5 in those little packs).

At home

I eat lunch at 10:50 (and sometimes have a small snack at 2:00) so by the time I get home I am starving. I have to have a snack before I go run. Today's snack was puffed pop corn. I could seriously eat an entire bag of this stuff. I put a little in a small bowl and I may have filled it up twice.  For dinner we had lasagna and salad. Scott brought me home a chocolate peanut butter egg. I know it is way too early for chocolate Easter eggs, but there is church that sells these eggs at a local store in town and they go fast, they are that good. Scott said by next month they will probably be sold out! 

Tuesday

At work

Breakfast was vanilla bean yogurt and granola. Lunch was frozen Lean Gourmet pasta. I know those are not the healthiest but they are very convenient to grab in the morning when I didn't make anything the night before. My 2:00 snack was a piece of Dove chocolate I got on a Valentine. 

At home

My after work snack was some cheese and crackers and just a few pieces of the puffed pop corn.  Scott had gone to a Deli for lunch today and bought some different salads and some hamburg barbecue so we'd do a picnic for dinner. I had a sandwich, pasta salad, and some buffalo pretzel chips. 

      Wednesday

At work

Breakfast was some gingerbread oatmeal. Lunch was catered today since it was Valentines day.  There was so much food there but I settled on a slice of lasagna, Caesar salad, pasta salad, fruit salad, and an amazing cupcake!

At home

We went to dinner with friends so there was no picture but I had caprese salad, angel hair pasta, 2 slices of bread, and pistachio gelato.

                                             Thursday

Breakfast was actually another cupcake and I actually ate it before I got to work!

At work

For lunch I had a Lean gourmet mac and cheese and some left over Caesar salad from the day before.  My snack was a piece of Dove chocolate and then later another pack of sour patch kids.

At home

I was in a hurry to go run so I did not have my after work snack.  For dinner I had left over pasta from the night before and yogurt with blueberries for dessert.

                                                 Friday

At work

I did not grab anything for breakfast today and was hoping I could hold out till lunch time.  For lunch I had another Lean Gourmet and a mini bag of Doritos.  I think not having something for breakfast threw me off so by 2:00 I was starving and had another mini bag of chips (bad I know)!

At home

For my after work snack I had a box of sour patch kids. I only meant to have a handful, but you know how that goes. Friday night we didn't eat till late and I was craving comfort food so I had grilled cheese and potato soup, and a pickle.  I didn't even have any snacks when we sat down to watch TV later that night.

                                               Saturday

After a really good run on Saturday morning, I made scrambled eggs with cheese.  We were out shopping for the day (or at least that was the plan). We stopped at Garfield's restaurant and pub since we hadn't been there in ages and it was near where we wanted to shop. I got the quesadilla salad. It was pretty good but we only got to one store before I got violently ill. We ended up coming home and cutting our errands short. Scott dropped me off and then went to the grocery store by himself (which can be a bit frightening but he did okay). He came home with a box of Ferrero chocolates which are my favorites.  I had a few later that night when I was feeling better.  Dinner that night was just cereal for me. That's all I felt I could eat. 

Like I said, I don't know if Valentine's week was the best week to keep track of my food since I had some sweeter treats than I would normally have.  

Obviously I didn't eat as healthy as I should have this week, but there are some days I was surprise to see that I ate very little.  Tell me about your meals from last week! -M

The Worst Time to Run is Now

I feel like this time of year we are in that in between stage. It doesn't always feel like winter, but it's not quite Spring.  However, this is when the training for Spring races needs to happen.  A lot of us are just not motivated right now and running seems hard.

I am not lacking total motivation at this point but I do feel like running is harder for me this time of year and I'll tell you why.

I haven't done a whole lot of running during the winter months. It's not that I don't like running in the winter, but with the holidays and all I just feel like it's a good time to take a break.  Well, after taking a break and getting a little too comfortable being cozy at home, when I started easing back into running, it felt hard.

 Not only does it feel hard because I'm just getting back into a routine, the weather is very temperamental this time of year. One day it may be 60 degrees (or 70), another day it's very windy, one day it's raining, and one day it may snow. This makes it hard to want to get outside.  And although I don't mind the treadmill, I can't commit to longer runs on it.

Another reason I think running this time of year feels hard is because of the expectations we often bestow upon ourselves.  I usually have a Spring race planned and Spring races bring all sorts of expectations with them. For some of us it is the first race of the year and a chance to show how refreshed we are and that we are ready to run.  My first race of the year is coming up next month and at this point I certainly don't feel refreshed and I worry that even though it is only a 10K, the race will feel hard because I am expecting more of myself.

Even with the heat and humidity, summer running will always be my favorite, followed by fall running.  Eventually I'm sure I will enjoy spring running but the journey to get there (which is Now), is not my favorite!  -M

We will be linking up with the gals from TOTR.

Weekly Wrap.... February 18

Welcome to another edition of the Weekly Wrap! 

Of course the biggest highlight of the week was Valentine's Day. Although I do feel like Valentine's day is a made up holiday just to boost the sale of frivolous items, I do think it's a fun day.  Of course I like that the candy is flowing on this day and you can't really feel guilty for having some!  I love making cards and putting little gifts together for friends and family.  Baylee and I usually make our Valentines but this year we didn't. Maybe next year.

At work on Wednesday we had a catered lunch and it was fabulous! This table is just a sampling of some of the desserts we had.  See those cupcakes in the corner? They were AMAZING! 

When I got home, we had plans to meet friends for a Valentine's dinner. We were suppose to meet this same group of friends on New Year's Eve for a dinner party, but so many of us were sick we decided to re-schedule till Valentine's day.  We had such a good time and didn't end up leaving the place till  10 pm, that's late for me on a school night! Heck, who am I kidding, that's late for me any night...lol.

One of my holiday headbands from Race Day Headbands.

Even though there were a lot of treats consumed this week, I am really proud of the workouts I did.

I did Treadmill runs on Monday and Tuesday and an outdoor run on Thursday because it was so warm and then another treadmill run on Saturday.

I say this was a good week for me because I not only got in an extra run this week, but my legs were SO sore!  They weren't sore from pain or anything, but from stretching and strength training. I've really been doing more leg exercises and weight lifting lately. I'm not over doing it, but doing enough just to feel the burn!   -M

Do you acknowledge Valentine's day?  Did you add anything to your workout routine this week?

We are linking up with Holly and Wendy for their Weekly Wrap.

Spring Fitness

Wow, I can't believe we are talking about Spring Fitness goals already!  Don't get me wrong, I am certainly looking forward to Spring, and we actually got a preview of Spring weather this week!

However, I've been concentrating on some other things so I haven't given a lot of thought to what I want to do this Spring as far as fitness and running.

Here are just a few things that we have scheduled and some things that we are considering.

1. I have a St. Patrick's day race in March. This will be a "new to me race".

2. Lacey has a Marathon coming up in March.  This will be a "new to her marathon". I think she may talk about this soon.

3. I'm headed back to the April Fools race in April. Last year I missed it in order to do the Hershey race. I'm looking forward to going back to AC. This is always a fun race! I think this will be my 5th year doing this race.

4. I am considering a half marathon in May. Right now I'm not in half marathon shape but I feel like once I know if I am running it or not, that might make me more motivated to run longer.

5. Regardless of which races we run or don't run, I'm looking forward to getting back out to running at my favorite park and trails.

I'm not really crazy about spring running because it just seems like a busy time of year and it's hard to really concentrate on running. I do look forward to summer running though. I know it's hot and humid, but I have more time in the summer to spend on the trails and by then I 'm pretty motivated.  I guess we will see what this year brings!

What races do you have planned for Spring?

An InLinkz Link-up

Weekly Wrap....Feb 11

Wow, what a week it has been!

Since it was the first week in February, I got out my Valentines decor.  I have a Labrador flag for every season but could not find one I liked for Valentines day, so I ordered this  (I Love My Dog) flag, and I think it matches. Plus I can keep it out longer that February if I want to!

I was excited that we got some snow here on Sunday afternoon, but by the time the Super bowl had started, the snow had stopped and the plow had come through.  I had no reason to believe that we would have a two hour delay on Monday Morning, but we did. Imagine my disappointed when I pulled into the parking lot and no other cars were there! I was literally bummed and to be honest a little angry. I hate that I not only missed an opportunity to sleep in, but also spend the extra time with my girl Baylee.  I thought for sure I had missed my last opportunity to sleep in on a school day.  I had all my work completed on Friday, so what did I do for two hours?

                                                                   I started a new book!
(Rushing Waters is a fictional story about Hurricane Ophelia that destroys lower Manhatten.)

Luckily, the weather Gods gave me another opportunity to sleep in on Tuesday with another 2 hour delay. I did not see this coming, but I got the memo this time!  Wednesday, work was cancelled altogether, and Thursday was another two hour delay!  Friday was the only day this week we had a full day of work. Not a bad start to the first full week in February!

I only got two runs in this week opposed to the three I had been shooting for. On Sunday I did a very substantial treadmill run before before the Super bowl festivities started.

 On Tuesday, I had a really great outdoor run through town. We heard there was going to be some snow coming on Wednesday, so running on Tuesday afternoon/evening felt like it was the calm before the storm. When I got home from my run on Tuesday, I had got the text that school would be cancelled the next day!

  Our snow day fun on Wednesday. Doesn't everyone build a snow dog?

The rest of the week I had wanted to run outside because even though there was snow on the ground, it was actually warm outside.  I was just worried because I could not find a safe enough route that was completely free of snow and pieces of ice. You know I'm a path and sidewalk runner and don't like running on the roads and dealing with cars.

Finally by Saturday, I decided I was just going to stay indoors ( call it laziness) and run on the treadmill. I had received my new  iFit module on Thursday and tried hooking it up then but got frustrated so figured I would try again on Saturday with Scott's help.  We literally spent all of Saturday afternoon AND evening trying to connect the iFit to the treadmill and the bike. It's not working. This process has been so frustrating and made me feel like I wasted an entire day. Yes, I know that I can run on the TM with out the iFit but I was so determined to get it working that I just became frustrated and threw in the towel. We will be calling customer service on Monday after work.

(The Apartment is about four gals who share a loft in NYC and the different paths their lives take them)

With all the time off this week, I did finish the Rushing Waters book, and even started a new one and finished that too. At least I feel like I've accomplished something this weekend!  So far this year, I've completed 5 books!


I do feel bad though because 3 out of the 5 books have been e-books that I've down loaded from my library. I know the difficulties Libraries have these days with getting enough funding to stay open and for buying books. Even our school library is losing books and becoming more of a technology center. I hate that libraries are losing books but now I feel like I am part of the problem!  I have always been a "real" book person but downloading e-books on the iPad is SO convenient!

Because I read a lot of books by the same author, I've put them on a Pinterest board so I can keep track of them, If you like to read too, feel free to check out my board called "Books Worth Reading".   Let me know if you have a book board too.  Do you prefer e-books or real books? -M


We will be linking up with Holly and Wendy for their Weekly Wrap!

New Runner Stuff

I previously shared with you that I received a variety box of Clif bars over the holidays.  I thought I would share a few more runner gifts that I received (but haven't yet had an opportunity to use).

I love my Flip Belt, so I was so excited when I received these Flip Belt Capris from my sister. They are basically a pair of running capris with a Flip belt attached to the waist band.

My lovely friend gifted me with this awesome light weight running hat.  I have a Nike cap I use to borrow from Scott and I liked it because it was good to wear in the rain. This one is made out of the same material!

My mom gifted me with a pair of PR soles (and a matching headband). I haven't used them for recovery yet, but I have been wearing them around the house when my feet feel tired from being on them all day and they feel great!

I also got this therma fleece lined Reebok half zip with the thumb holes.  I got a therma fit shirt from RBX last year and absolutely loved it! I looked all year long for another one and could not find one. The one I got last year kept me warm in temps less than 32 degrees and that was the only layer I had on. I haven't gone on a cold run yet this year but I bet this one would keep me toasty too since it is made the same way.

These next products were not a gift, I bought them for myself. I was in need of some new non slip headbands for running ( a lot of mine had stretched out over the years) so I searched on Etsy.

Not only did I buy 5 new headbands, but also got this shirt. I got such a good deal on it, I couldn't pass it up.  You know how I love running Disney races!

I got the sparkly headband to match this shirt but I also got a few holiday themed ones that I can't wait to wear (Valentine's day, St Patty's day, Easter, etc)

What new running things have you got lately? -M

An InLinkz Link-up

Fun Fuel

My husband loves to shop on Amazon Prime, so guess where most of my gifts come from?
Last year for Christmas one of my gifts was an entire box of GU's of various flavors.  This year I was the lucky recipient of an entire box of Clif bars.   One year he bought me a box of the Holiday flavored Clif bars (pumpkin spice, gingerbread, and pecan pie).  This year he bought me just a variety pack of flavors that I didn't even realized existed.

The variety box consist of the following flavors:

Peanut Toffee Buzz
Chocolate Crunch Peanut Crunch
Coconut Chocolate Chip
Apricot
Blueberry Crisp
Oatmeal Raisin Walnut
Chocolate Brownie
Chocolate Almond Fudge
Chocolate Chip
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut
Crunchy Peanut Butter
Nuts and Seeds

Some of these flavors I have had before, but I did not know you could buy a variety box of all of these.

I really do like Clif bars, but they are very filling and if I eat them after a run I rarely eat the entire bar.

Another running favorite are Honey Stinger Waffles. I never had a Honey Stinger flavor that I did not like.

Okay, now for an unhealthy treat. I've been eyeing up this cookie dough from the cookie dough cafe at my local grocery store. It's not cookie dough to be baked as cookies, it's to eat right out of the jar as it is. I'm assuming its safer to eat than regular raw cookie dough because it doesn't have eggs in it. I've been putting off buying because I know it's not healthy, but this week my appetite got the better of me and I had to try it. It is A-okay!   -M

We will be linking up with the gals from TOTR.

Weekly Wrap....Chocolate Tour

This weekend was our community's Ice festival.  The Ice Festival consisted of the Frosty 5K, games in the park, ice sculptures, the Polar Plunge, the Chocolate Tours, and the Chocolate Banquet.  I heard later that the Polar Plunge was cancelled (Rightfully so, even though it is for charity, I find it ridiculous that an organization would put volunteers at risk for this in freezing water in February. I definitely think they made a good call. Polar Plunges should be banned!).

I was debating on running the Frosty 5K. I was bummed that I missed the price increase deadline (because I could not find the updated web page to register), so I decided if the organization could not produce clear communication for the race that I was not going to pay extra to run it.  I realized that I did want to run and that I was just being stubborn, so I thought about it some more and did some weather stalking for that date. Turns out, we were suppose to get freezing rain the morning of the race. That solidified my decision to not run.  However, I knew that I wanted to participate in the Chocolate Tour and the other festivities later in the day. We never got any freezing rain although I'm sure the morning was colder than what I would have liked but the sun was out in the afternoon and it was a perfect day for walking in town.

My sister and I, and our friends K,  all met on the third floor of the Barnes and Nobel book store to purchase our tickets for the Chocolate Tour. We got a lanyard with a punch card on it, a bottle of water, and a small goodie bag. We asked what the bag was for and we were told that it was to put some treats in along the way. We assumed that we would just be eating the treats at each stop and would not need the bag. Turns out, we had so many treats that we could have used a larger bag!

There were 15 or so stops along the tour that had some sort of chocolate concoction.  There were chocolate truffles, chocolate bagels, lots of chocolate bark, and other various chocolate treats. There was even chocolate wine at one of the stops.

                               Here are some of the many ice sculptures along the route.

Of course we couldn't go to an ice festival and not stop and visit Olaf.

We had ate quite a bit of chocolate already while on the tour, but we all had twice as much that we did not eat and got to bring home with us. This was my stash.  After the tour we all went back to our friend K's house and had coffee, shared our treats, and played games.


You would think that after eating all the chocolate (and I didn't eat all my stash yet), that I would have had some great workouts this weekend, but I didn't.  I did my two treadmill runs earlier this week and planned to do an outside run on Saturday since it was nice but I did not plan very well.

  I was planning on getting up this morning and running at the park but when I woke up, there was already snow on the ground (I didn't think it was coming till this evening).  I can not get into the habit of skipping runs so I'll call it another treadmill day. I'm getting pretty use to this (not usually because of the weather, but by choice). I'm finding TM runs to be pretty darn convenient although not as satisfying!

                                After the run it will be time to put on the Chili for the big game!

 So glad to be cheering on a local East Coast team!  Fly Eagles Fly!  At the grocery store last night they had really cute Eagles cupcakes that I wanted to get for the game but after having all the chocolate the day before I thought better of the decision to buy them!


Any cool festivals near you?  Will you be watching the game? -M

                       We will be linking up with Holly and Wendy for their weekly wrap.