[dog days are over]

-florence + the machine (lovelovelove)

Note to self: do more pushups.

Good.

I have made a few adjustments to my workout routine this week - I was so wiped out yesterday that I opted to use it for my rest day, thus switching my tempo run to Friday. This morning I hopped out of bed and did 3 miles at a 9:27 pace. Not bad, but not quite where I'm looking to be yet. That's okay, I'm still only a third of the way into my training for the Monster Dash. This afternoon I did the Feisty 50 again, with less butt-kicking this time around. I still couldn't do all 50 burpee push ups, I only made it to 40. Next time, burpee push ups, next time you will be mine.

The hubs and I made a special trip to Bed, Bath, and Beyond tonight (it's within walking distance of our humble abode, joy!) and walked out with not one, not two, but three new Yankee Candles! Maybe it's a little weird that I get so geeked about candles, but these are pretty extraspecial. We procured Meyer Lemon, Apple Pumpkin, and Meadow Showers. Our apartment is slowly filling with a clean, lemony scent as I type. It really is the little things...

Tomorrow's Friday, yippee! My first official full week back to work is coming to a close :) Things are slowly taking shape, and I'm finding I enjoy this position more and more each day. It's certainly challenging, to say nothing of trying to craft a schedule (which is a beast of it's own), but so far a wonderful experience.

Here are a few of my fav dog pics (hubs and I watched a show that happened to have a pack of dogs, so I'm sharing the dog love.)

 

 

you keep dreaming, little frenchie!

Life is good :)

[don't wake me up]

Hello, Tuesday.

This first full week back to work is definitely making itself known - I came home, had a quick snack and promptly napped on the couch! Ridiculous. I could swear it's Thursday, which means I'm in for a looooong haul. Sigh.

However, my return to training has been successful thus far, as well as my clean eating. Some notes about my menu:

The Runner's World Black Forest Blizzard Smoothies are indeed divine, however, they are also expensive. Michigan's cherry crop was a big flop this year, so unfortunately cherries are hard to find and are pricey! My local grocery store did not have frozen cherries on hand, so I bought a 2-lb bag of fresh cherries. 

It took me a hot second to realize that, in order to make those cherries usable for my smoothie, I would have to pit and freeze every. single. one. of. them. Needless to say, I got REAL good at pitting cherries.

Though the cherries were a huge investment of time and money, the smoothies are worth it in the end! Yummy!

The crunchy veggie wraps are quite good, make sure to layer on the hummus!

Finally, the piece de resistance: the Cajun Shrimp and Polenta (which turned out to be fairly pricey as well - shrimp is $$). But I've got a major beef with this recipe, and it's all in the first line:

Whisk 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal into 3/4 cup boiling water. Cook over low heat 10 minutes, whisking frequently; remove from heat, stir in 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan and set polenta aside. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Sauté 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1 minced garlic clove, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, and 1/2 teaspoon paprika 2 minutes. Add 1 cup chopped green bell pepper, 1/2 cup frozen corn, and 1/2 cup black beans; cook 6 minutes more. Add 12 large cooked shrimp and sauté until warmed through. Serve over polenta.

Seriously, what idiot wrote this recipe? They couldn't have known too much about polenta, that's for sure. 3/4 of a cup of water is not nearly enough water for 1/4 cup polenta! As soon as that yellow cornmeal hit the boiling water, it promptly {schwooooop} sucked up all the moisture and became a giant yellow, lumpy ball. Woof. Using my better judgement tonight, I boiled nearly two cups of water, including a chicken bouillon cube for more flavor. Then, slowly, I poured in the cornmeal (I just went by sight and kept slowly adding as much as I thought I needed) and stirred it with a wooden spoon so that I could scrape the polenta from the bottom and prevent it from burning. This worked out much more effectively, thank goodness!

Not only have I had culinary adventures that would have turned Julia Child over in her grave, but I have also had some pretty grueling workouts!

Monday was the Feisty 50 and then the bike for an hour. Let me just tell you, this workout is NO JOKE.

50 air squats - those were okay, I just took them slow and concentrated on my form.

50 burpee push ups - DEATH!!!!! AAAAHHH!!! After laboring intensely through the first ten, I promptly decided to divide them into sets of ten and do them after every other set of moves. Yeah, that didn't work out so well. I think I only did 3 sets. They're fridiculous.

50 butterfly situps - decently hard (and I can definitely feel the burn today). Again, I had to break them up in sets of 10, as I'm so out of shape!

50 stairs - yeah right. Working out at the YMCA, I wasn't about to go bounding up and down the one set of stairs FIFTY TIMES while the good patronizing folk tried to climb around me to get to and from their workouts.

50 in and outs - again, burning. While I had to content myself with slow sets of ten, the mother who brought her kid with her to the Y was ripping these out next to me like they were a summer frolic. Awesome.

50 tuck jumps - so. much. cardio! woof.

This is where it starts to get really ridiculous:

50 hand release push ups - Seriously now, 50 more push ups after doing (almost) 50 burpee pushups? And you can't half-ass it with these pushups, they are full up and down. On the plus side, my triceps and biceps will be ripped like crazy if I keep these up!

50 Russian twists - more core here. These aren't too hard, so I may add a medicine ball or weights after a few sessions of this.

50 reverse prisoner lunges - They would not be hard if they were the first thing on the list - but unfortunately they're the very last thing. And every muscle in my body was trembling while I completed these lunges.

After nearly collapsing in a sweaty, spandexy heap on the floor of the Y, I somehow managed to drag myself down to the cardio room and put in 14 miles on the hilliest setting of the bike in an hour. Not too shabby for my first time on the bike in two weeks, especially after such a grueling floor exercise.

Looking back, I'm surprised I'm not more sore today! I managed to drag my sorry butt out of bed at 6 to go for the 3.5 miles as dictated by my dearly beloved Hal Higdon schedule.  I pulled off a 9:17, which I am pretty pleased with, considering all the working out I did the night before! Tomorrow's a speed day, and I'm trying to psych myself up for that 35 minute tempo run (never my favorite thing to do, but essential when building speed over longer distances.)

Wish me luck!

Happy trails.

[could it be you]

-h*wood


" I like a punk rock chick..."


6 miles completed in the drizzling rain this afternoon. 

Pace: 9:46/mile

::smiles::

I swear, this run felt ugly all over. I couldn't breathe for the first three, then felt sluggish and tired for the last three. DESPITE all those nasty, icky feelings while running, I managed to maintain a pace pretty consistent with the 5 mile run I had put in two weeks ago during the first technical week of training.

My operating time right now for a 5k is about 9:10, so staying anywhere under 10:00 while building up miles is way solid.

My goal time for my half marathon is a 9:30. Anything under that would just be sensational!

My eventual goal (aka within a year from now) is to be able to run a 7:15 mile and run a 5k in under 22 minutes.

With that positive time under my belt, let the training really commence!

[feel so close]

Grocery shopping time! This week, I feel really great about starting on a clean slate. I've crafted up a low-cal, clean eating list courtesy of all the beautiful people on Pinterest. I've linked to my Betty Crocker board if you're looking for more inspiration on food.

Breakfast: Delicious Black Forest Blizzard Shakes from Runner's World

 Lunch: Crunchy Hummus Wraps from Shape Magazine

Dinner: Cajun Shrimp with Polenta from Fitness Magazine

I'm already feeling inspired by my delicious meal choices. My plan is to really kick my running into gear as well, as I've kind of lost the last two weeks of training already, based on my schedule from Hal Higdon.

Today: 6 miles

Monday: Feisty 50 and an hour on the bike

Tuesday: 3.5 miles

Wednesday: 35 minute tempo run

Thursday: 3 miles + Feisty 50

Friday: Rest!

Saturday: 3 miles

Sunday: 7 miles

I'm also going to try and post my mile pace each day. I feel like this will definitely put the pressure on as far as ratcheting the speed up for each workout, as well as ensure that I actually complete my run/workout each day.

I'm running in the Monster Dash  half marathon on October 21st and the Hot Chocolate 15k on November 4th. I couldn't be more excited!

Here's to getting into the best shape of my life and to a whole new chapter of running in my life - long distance racing :)

[little talks]

 -of monsters and men

This weekend has been full of little delights! 

*it's raining right now, breaking the streak of blistering 90 degree days this week.

*my husband and I went out to a delicious breakfast consisting of seafood benedicts (yum!) this morning, making it home just before it began to rain. eggs benedict is perhaps my most very favorite breakfast/brunch item, and these were particularly delicious.

*we had a lovely Friday afternoon, picking up Giordano's deep dish pepperoni pizza and watching the third Harry Potter - since we moved to the Chicago area, Phil and I have had a Harry Potter and pizza night at least once a month. It's a nice slow way to eventually buy all the Harry Potter movies, and a good backup plan for a relaxing weekend night :)

*that evening, after Harry Potter, we were able to drive into Chicago to spend the evening with Phil's cousin and his wonderful girlfriend. We scarfed down delicious peach and raspberry cobbler and played Parcheesi (there was definitely a "P" theme on Friday - Harry Potter, pizza, peach pie, and Parcheesi....whew!). If you haven't played Parcheesi, I highly suggest you do! It is a more complex, grown-up version of Sorry, but without the insincere apologies. The game enables players, who, landing on the same square as another opponent, to send their opponent back to start while reaping the additional benefit of moving 20 more squares. There's definitely a promotion of vindictive behaviors! We had an absolute ball playing games and talking til past midnight. 

So, on this rainy Sunday, I am feeling quite domestic. I have visions of a small Craftsman cottage set peacefully on a lake, nestled amongst trees and blooming hydrangea bushes with a gorgeous golden retriever bounding around the yard.  

Now, mind you, this vision is still many years off, but for whatever reason it resonates with me today.

Of course, this house is just an approximation. I do adore the Craftsman style house, with all the intricate detailing and woodwork.

 These hydrangeas are gorgeous, but I think I would want white for my front yard :)

 

 I'm simply drooling over the fall foliage in this picture. Can it be fall now, please?

And of course, the house wouldn't be complete without a critter frolicking around in the yard. For now, this is the cute golden puppy that will complete the picture. Though, those of you that know us well know that we have had a running, rotating list of about five or six different dogs that we want to own eventually. 

1. Australian Cattle Dog (heelers)
2. Australian Sheedog (aussies)
3. Labrador Retriever (chocolate, of course!)
4. Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever (tollers)
5. Shiba Inu
6. Hungarian Vizsla 
7. Goldendoodles (Phil's not so sure about these yet, but I'm working on him!)

Enjoy your Sunday!

[whistle]

It's FRIDAY!!! This has been one crazy week. I was offered the job on Monday, took care of household business on Tuesday, started work on Wednesday, met all the students on a half day Thursday, and had a full day today!

Whew.

I feel very successful coming into this well deserved weekend, as I have established working relationships with two out of the three special education teachers in the building (the other one I haven't had time to meet yet!), made some headway on creating a caseload, and gave a pretty peppy "bus rules" performance nine times today (and even received a compliment from a classroom teacher on it :)

So this post is going to be short & sweet: my little delight for the day is the song "Shake it Out" by Florence + the Machine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbN0nX61rIs

I also think this pic is GORGEOUS. I can't explain my love for peonies, but I do know where I fell in love with them. I was working at a YMCA camp as an Outdoor Education counselor on the west side of Michigan. The counselors and I took a trip one Saturday morning to a farmer's market, where I found bouquet upon bouquet of these gorgeous pastel beauties. I instantly snatched up a bundle and proceeded to spend the afternoon photographing them. See, love at first sight does exist...

As it is a thousand degrees outside right now (okay, maybe only 95), I will leave this post with words of autumn, in hopes that we will be graced with sweet, cool air sometime in the very near future.

Happy weekend, y'all.

[heavy]

So, if you haven't noticed by now, then let me explain. Each title to my blog post will also be the title of a song. It won't necessarily be a song that has been stuck in my head, but it will definitely apply to whatever I'm blogging about. Today's title, "Heavy" by John Mayer, accurately describes my physical state at the moment.

Heavy.

Ew.

I most definitely do not transition well. And this transition from Denver to Chicago was a BIG one. This summer was so unscheduled and so stressful with trying to get licensed in Illinois and find a job all before the start of the school year, that I ate like a raging maniac and ran only sporadically, if at all. Needless to say, I ballooned. Ooops.

Now, before I had left Denver, I had my ducks in a row. I was running every day, constantly improving my mile time. I was eating healthy and light, and therefore trimmed down significantly. I bought clothes, because I was absolutely drowning in my old digs. So now, the pressure is on (for real - that waistband is no joke) to trim back down to my pre-move status. I'm even hoping to shave some more inches off so that I'll be slim and trim for the 1/2 marathon I'm running at the end of October. My ultimate goal: to be able to run without a shirt on.

Shhhh.

That one's a ways away yet.

But here are a few recipes and exercises that I'm going to incorporate into my weekly routine, as well as my half marathon schedule. Hal Higdon, renowned distance runner and trainer, has put together a great training routine that incorporates both strength training and speed training, both of which are essential to putting in faster mile times, as well as long runs and cross training. I feel really confident with this schedule, and when I was implementing it with fidelity in Denver I was seeing big results. Here's the link.

http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51132/Half-Marathon-Intermediate-Training-Program

I found this little beauty of a workout on Pinterest, and though it looks killer, I anticipate major results. It is a workout inspired by crossfit, taken from Blonde Ponytail's blog (which I highly recommend you check out for any fitness inspiration needs - she's totally legit.)

http://blondeponytail.com/2012/04/feisty-50-at-home-crossfit-workout/

 

This next workout, from Back on Pointe's blog, looks super useful for those days that I can't necessarily make it to the Y to workout but still want to put in some time strength training (which should be done at least two to three times a week - I know Hal's running schedule says twice, but up to three times a week is good for you!)

 

This next beauty describes how best to implement portion control - this one's gonna be a toughie. I have had next to no portion control in my life, and it's caught up with me. Fast. So using this as a guide, I'll be able to eat the right amounts of lean meats, healthy carbs, and delicious fruits and veggies. I'm nixing the popcorn, chips, and pretzels, though. I don't really like those things anyway!

While I am not quite on the eating bandwagon yet, I did put in my own 3 mile run this morning at 5:45, in the slightly muggy, but still cool Chicago air. While not the prettiest or easiest of runs, it sure did feel good knowing that I was putting myself back on the right track. That's one of the beautiful things about running, the more you do it, the better it feels :) I can't wait be completely immersed in my training, really amping up those speeds and logging double-digit runs in race preparation. There is also a slight element of competition, as my husband is out on his run right now. He, having been a cross-country star runner in high school, can put in some blistering speeds in any 5k race he attempts. One day, I hope to at least match his speed, so that we can run off into the sunset together.

 

 For now, I will continue to plod along, slowly building speed and loving (almost) every minute of it.

 

[some nights]

 -fun.


IT HAPPENED!!!! Finally!! I am proud to say that after nearly three months of waiting, I have become an Illinois educator. I was offered a position as a Special Education teacher and math interventionist at, get this, a school a mere mile from our apartment!

Thrill! Swoon!

All excitement (temporarily) aside, I believe that this position will present a marvelous opportunity for me. I will be working in an intermediate elementary school, meaning they only serve 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students. There are three general education teachers and one special education teacher for each grade level, which means the class sizes are extremely small and the students are very well taken care of. My role in this happy environment will be to provide some resource hours for these students in the form of small group literacy and math interventions, most of which will happen in the classroom. I will also have the unique opportunity of being the school "point person" for math. The common core standards are rolling out for math, and the school also just adopted a brand new math program that incorporates those standards to some extent. My job will be to fully integrate the common core standards with the new program, and essentially provide support and modeling for all the other teachers. I imagine that I will be doing quite a bit of research, receiving quite a bit of training, and providing tons of support by giving presentations, answering questions, and even going into classrooms and modelling with small groups. 

Eeeek!

I definitely feel like the bar has been set high, but I look forward to setting high standards and being an outstanding resource to all the teachers. And the best part is, I won't have to wait very long to plunge into the myriad of curricula and standards; the teachers start tomorrow!

Needless to say, I'm feeling very positive about the impending fall - a new, exciting teaching position, crisp cool weather, beautiful Midwest fall foliage and lakes, apple cider and fresh cinnamon-sugar donuts - the list is endless. I'm particularly excited about the prospect of wearing oversized, comfy sweaters and riding boots. I've definitely been Pinteresting up a storm in preparation. So here are some of my favorite looks for this glorious season.

I absolutely dig the chambray slouchy shirt with dark denim and boots.

This outfit has one of my favorite colors (green) and sweet feathery detail at the top makes it interesting.

 

I LOVE the camel and cream color combo, and the big comfy sweater is definitely going to be a theme for me this season.

 

That dress layered with tights, blazer, and a scarf is precious! I love the pop of mustard yellow. And of course, the boots.

If it's one thing I knew I had to have for fall, it was a pair of cognac riding boots. They're happily sitting in my closet, just tempting me. I'm waiting for that first 60 degree day, when it will finally be acceptable to wear them outside, instead of just tromping around my apartment! Now, to pick up a chambray shirt....

Ah well, the closet will have to wait. My husband is flying back from Minneapolis as I type, and it is time for me to pick him up from the airport. 

Cheers!

[the dreaming tree]

-dave matthews band

 as this is my first post, i do feel obligated to provide a little explanation as to it's purpose and general direction. so, here it goes.

hi, my name is kate.

i am a special education teacher.

i am a wife.

i am a runner.

i am a photographer.

i am a baker.

i am a reader.

i am a musician.

i am a person with a multitude of interests and passions, and i see this blog as a venue for describing whatever delightful flight of fancy i am reveling in at the time.

my current whimsy is the written word - this passage i have included is one of my personal favs.

[toward accuracy]


we're high enough that what I call fog might be cloud.
not Everest high, or Chomolungma, "Mother Goddess of the World." if we named things what they are, our sentences would be monsoons, long rains of sound.
morning is "the time I suspect I am a horse," dusk "the light which treats our shadows like taffy."
the number of times my name changes in a day,
from "looking at the world with eyes of wood rasps"
to "feathers have replaced my bones," rules out
the wearing of name tags: i wear a chalk board,
thesaurus, that book of whispers, of meaning sex.
"there's a woman who smokes a cigarette now and then, who picks tobacco off her tongue
as something moves along the fault line
of the horizon, knees pulled to her chest,
her breath wearing a dress of smoke"
is one way i think of your when i think of you.
and when i think of you, "wants to be a candle" isn't romantic but accurate, wicked light
leans in, away, writhes to get out of, to leap harder into what it is.


-bob hicok

welcome to my blog. i hope this may be a catalyst, an inspiration, a motivator, or even a companion at times.