Warm Comfort Foods

This past week has been challenging since being diagnosed with the Flu on Sunday morning. My body is SO fatigued and I feel worn smack out. Thankfully, I was able to jump on my symptoms as soon as the first signs started showing themselves which I think has helped in the long run. On Tuesday evening, I couldn't walk around my house without having to sit after just a few minutes on my feet, so I knew I needed at least one additional day off of work. Sitting around doing nothing all day is NOT my cup of tea but I honestly haven't been able to do anything else, physically. I went back to work yesterday which was ok - I was definitely fatigued and had to sit a lot but I somehow made it through the day.

I'm pretty sure I've never had the flu in the past - and since I can't remember, that probably means no...because I know I'll never forget this! My lower back ached like crazy and my legs felt like I'd just run Dopey Challenge all over again. I also had sinus congestion and extreme fatigue. Oh yes, and I somehow managed to lose 5 pounds over all of it! Thankfully, I was pretty much over the flu itself in about 4 days, although the sinus congestion and fatigue are still lingering.

Something I learned from all of this is that comfort food is definitely a necessity and warm, nourishing soup seemed to hit the spot every time. My mom was so generous to make a big pot of homemade vegetable soup for me, which was delicious! 

Another staple over the past several days has been chicken noodle soup.

I definitely survived off of chicken noodle soup and Gatorade the first few days...

...and had I been closer to a McAlisters, I would have requested a bowl of their broccoli cheese soup!

Another two favorites are taco soup and potato soup, both of which I might have to make before winter is over!

I hope you are all staying well and sickness free this winter season!

What's your favorite warm, comfort food when you're sick or feeling under the weather?

It's FRIDAY!

Link up with Running on Happy & Fairytales and Fitness for the Friday Five 2.0 linkup!

Snow Day In Louisiana Take 2

In a rare and incredibly crazy set of events, Southwest Louisiana experienced snow once again yesterday.

 
 Snow.

Twice in one season, about 5 weeks apart.

In the south.

The deep south.

I still can't quite believe it!

On Monday afternoon, we were notified that schools were going to close the following day due to the crazy weather predictions. Well, Brayden was scheduled to attend Mother's Day Out on Tuesday (which was also closed due to the weather) and since everyone else was working, I ended up with a "snow day" myself! By mid-morning, the sleet started to fall and continued to do so the remainder of the day. It began to snow around 4 o'clock yesterday evening and to be honest, I was shocked to see it once again! Y'all have no idea, this is seriously unheard of here, and to have it twice in one season...say what?

As soon as I saw the snow, I bundled Brayden up and took him outside to play in it!

He had a blast and loved crunching in the snow with his boots!

If you remember back last month, snow stayed on the ground for two days and as I ran my half marathon, I saw snowmen all over town. Yesterday's snowfall wasn't near the accumulation we had in December, but it was still fun to play in!

My dogs weren't quite sure what to make of it! Aren't puppy prints in the snow just the cutest thing? :)

For a look back, here's a snapshot of December's Louisiana snow fall. Isn't it crazy how much it snowed that day?

We definitely didn't have near this amount of snow yesterday, but it was still fun to see! We are cutting our day at work short today and instead of starting early, we are starting around lunch time when it's hopefully warmed up a little more and it's safer for people to be on the roads.

Our entire town shuts down every time it ices over like this which is totally understandable because we aren't used to this at all!

How does my husband feel about all of this cold and snow?

Well, I'll let you be the judge of that! Hah!

How has your winter been? Do you regularly see snow or is your area like mine where it's an exciting event every time it snows?

Winter Fitness Rants

Today's Friday Five topic is one about Winter and Fitness Rants at this time of year. Sadly, we really don't have much of a winter in the deep south...but now that I say that, it brings me to my number 1....

#1 Lack of Winter

I mean hello. The end of summer and beginning of fall always brings a promise of cooler days ahead. While the temps outside definitely ARE cooler, we just don't get very many "really cold" days. Give me a nice, clear, crisp 40 degree day and I'm in heaven - perfect running weather. Sadly, those don't come around often enough.

#2 Cray Cray Weather

Seriously, one day I am running outside in shorts and short sleeves and the next, I'm bundled from head to toe. As mentioned above, we do have a few "really cold" spells during the winter months, but they usually turn to warm and crazy humid the following day. Cray cray.

#3 Cute Winter Running Gear

Do I own any? Not really. Sad times. I just don't have the need for it! However, I do love long sleeved tops with thumb holes (I have a few)...one long sleeved pair of tights and a few dry fit jackets and you've got my winter running wardrobe.

#4 Sickness

With the weather going back and forth like it usually does around here in winter, people ALWAYS get sick on a routine and regular basis. I'm currently nursing sinus garbage right now. 

#5 Random

While recovery from my recent oral surgery has not been near as rough as having my wisdom teeth removed, I do have occasional pain and discomfort. I was released to resume running yesterday, however Brayden didn't sleep very well on Wednesday night (like at all and I was home alone because my husband was on nights...go figure), so my brain gave in to a 2 hour afternoon nap on Thursday instead of running. I am regretting it a little because Thursday was one of those beautiful clear and crisp days I mentioned above but oh well...sometimes sleep is more important.

Bonus #6: I've been working on my Princess Half Marathon costume! Can't wait to reveal it next week...stay tuned! :)

Link up with Running on Happy & Fairytales and Fitness for the Friday Five 2.0 linkup!

Fitness Friday - 1/20

Happy Friday, guys! I'm so excited for another weekend and a chance to relax with my little family...it's going to be a great one!

I know I haven't done a Fitness Friday post in a while...but better late than never, right? The events of last week left zero time for working out (like at all), so I'm back in full swing this week. Also, after my back to back half marathons in December, I needed a break. It was a nice break, I enjoyed it, and now I'm ready to get back out there and go again!

Currently Training For:

• Rock n Roll New Orleans Half Marathon
• Disney's Princess Half Marathon & Glass Slipper Challenge

Monday - 4 mile run with Brayden
Tuesday - Rest Day
Wednesday - 3 mile walk with Brayden and Melissa
Thursday - 3 mile walk with Brayden and Melissa - also PT routine/leg strengthening
Friday - PT routine/leg strengthening combined with Tone It Up Girls YouTube workout

On Saturday, I plan to run a long run with my running buddy Heather. It's going to be strange without our running group, but it will be nice to get into our "new normal". Rock n Roll NOLA is literally right around the corner! Eeek! We basically have two Saturday runs left before the race weekend hits!

This past week wasn't a busy one, so I was able to log a decent amount of mileage throughout the week.

On Monday afternoon, Brayden and I set off for a 4 mile run. It was windy, warm, and somewhat humid. 

This weather made me appreciate the somewhat non existent cool days here lately and made me not look forward to summer. Ugh. 

After the run, we had dinner with some friends at Walk Ons. I had the VooDoo shrimp which was basically wrapped in bacon, cream cheese, and jalapenos. Talk about delicious!

Also included in this dish was a side of grits which Brayden ate most of.

This week, we dealt with our first bout of stomach upset with Brayden. Now that it's all said and done, I think something in his food didn't settle right and he threw up all afternoon. It was awful. I did call his Doctor's office who helped give me some advice. Thankfully by the following morning, his stomach was good again. In an attempt to not overdo it, we tried to start slow with pedialyte and just give him a few ml's followed by an ounce in a bottle. He did NOT want pedialyte. He wanted his (formula) bottle and he wanted it ASAP. Poor baby was so hungry! Thankfully he's all back to normal now!

On Wednesday, my friend Melissa and I went for a walk with Brayden. I knew that talking and walking would be beneficial for both of us (which it was). Brayden fell asleep almost the entire time and was still very sleepy for the picture!

On Thursday, my work crew and I went out to eat at a local bistro. I know the owner and loved seeing his place. The little dining area totally reminded me of the tower of terror at Hollywood Studios minus the dust! :)

We also ended up with an amazing King Cake for dessert. This was my first of the Mardi Gras season! Ours was stuffed with strawberry and cream cheese. YUM!

...and after all of the calories consumed, when Melissa asked if I wanted to go on another walk on Thursday afternoon, I said YES! Again, it was good to get out and walk around and just simply talk and laugh!

 Last but not least, this little stinker can get almost anywhere in my house but still won't crawl. He gets excited and tries to army crawl really fast which cracks me up. I looked up from a sewing project last night to find him under the jumper, playing with the hanging toys. He's too funny!

I hope you all have a fabulous Friday! Any fun weekend plans?

Fitness Friday–1/9

Currently training for:
Louisiana Half Marathon
Rock ‘n’ Roll NOLA Half Marathon
Glass Slipper Challenge

Saturday –  8 mile solo run
Sunday – Took all of the Christmas things down (an 8 hour process); squats/lunges/PT routine
Monday –  3 mile run
Tuesday –  2 mile run 
Wednesday – Rest Day
Thursday – 20 minutes of squats/lunges/PT routine
Friday – 4 mile run

This week, I decided to incorporate PT exercises back into my daily routine. I got lazy and quit doing them a while ago, but I know that I definitely need them back! If I want my knee to continue to cooperate, I need everything to be at it’s best.

On Monday, I began using a pair of Mizuno’s that I received for Christmas. The mileage on my other shoes definitely added up and it was time for a change! I currently wear Mizuno Wave Inspires and I love them!

This week, an arctic blast hit the south. It’s been cold, but I’ve been enjoying it for running outdoors! As long as it’s not raining, then you’ll find me outside. :)

It’s this precious? Madalynn ran through a pile of mud on Tuesday, so she got a bath and all she wanted to do was snuggle. Moments like this makes my heart full. :)

Tomorrow holds a 6 mile run as I’m tapering for the Louisiana Half. I’m also coordinating a water stop/volunteering in the  morning for the local Color Vibe 5K. I’m worried about the weather (it’s supposed to be super cold), but we’re all planning on bringing extra clothing to bundle up!

I hope everyone has a great weekend! What does your weekend hold? Any fun plans?

Winter Running Tag

In the spirit of the season (and this crazy cold spell going on throughout the US), I decided to combine a few Winter tags to create one all about Winter running.

Winter time in Southwest Louisiana doesn’t hold a candle to Winters where a lot of you guys live. Yes, 40 degrees is FREEZING to me, so I’m curious to see your answers when it comes to running during the super cold months! 

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What is your favorite thing about Winter?
Christmas, hands down. After Christmas is over, Winter time is for the birds. Bring on Spring!

I do love long runs in the Winter time – down here, we aren’t able to train for Marathons during the Summer because it’s way too hot, so Winter is optimal Marathon training season!

What is your least favorite thing about Winter?
Treadmill running…boo.

What is your favorite piece of Winter running gear?
My tights – I don’t remember the brand because I’ve had them for so long, but they provide just enough warmth for cold morning runs.

Layering is also important – I like to start my run by being overdressed rather than underdressed.

Another favorite is “hot hands” – these help keep my hands nice and warm! Nothing is worse than cold hands or feet!

What is your favorite way to fuel for long runs in the Winter time?
Luna Chocolate Peppermint Stick bar and a banana

Favorite Winter drink?
Peppermint tea – the first thing I do when I wake up on Saturday morning in the Winter time is brew a cup of peppermint tea.

Where do you prefer to run in the Winter? Indoors? Outdoors? Track? Treadmill?
Outdoors, only when it’s above freezing…which is pretty much all the time (except the past two days)

What is the current temperature where you are right now?
27 degrees, feels like 20 degrees – this is crazy cold for us!

What are the first three things that remind you of Winter?
-Changing of the leaves
-Cooler temps
-Christmas decorations

What has been your favorite Winter run so far this year?
Saturday’s 21 miler – I had a good run and felt accomplished once I was finished. That run definitely helped build my confidence for Rock n Roll New Orleans!

What race/races are you currently training for this Winter season?
-Rock n Roll New Orleans Full
-Disney World’s Glass Slipper Challenge – Princess 10K on Saturday followed by the Princess Half Marathon on Sunday

I tag YOU! Answer these questions in a blog post or pick a few to answer in the comments below – I want to know what Winter running is like for you!

Any Winter running secrets to share?