Fitness Is Fun

I am a self-proclaimed runner. I hate exercise classes, lifting weights, and other indoor fitness venues. Sometimes I do CF because I love the short intense workouts it offers, but mostly, I stick to running. It's easy to run with a toddler. If I want to hit the gym, I have to try to time it right so that there is space available in the daycare. If I want to CF while Weasel is awake, I know she is going to want to participate and mostly just be underfoot the entire time. (It's a true test of my patience some days:)


A few weeks ago, my husband's company invited spouses and family members to run the obstacle course, fight with pugil sticks, and participate in SemperFit training (this is a mobile training unit that specializes in functional fitness). I was hesitant at first since I couldn't tell you the last time I did anything like this, but I dressed in my workout attire and headed to base. 


We were immediately instructed on how to complete the O-course (obstacle course) and two Marines demonstrated various techniques to complete each obstacle. Being a former Marine, I wasn't really paying attention, but rather, praying that I could actually tackle each one without injuring myself! I decided to give it a go, and successfully made it through. Boy was it exhausting, but satisfying!

I actually made it to the top! (it's all about technique)

After a few minutes of recovery, I decided to join in the SemperFit class in progress. We did about a thousand squats, crazy jumping maneuvers, and enough pushups to make me want to cry. But I can honestly say, it was one of the best workouts I've ever done.

This is why I don't do group exercise...I look totally ridiculous:)

Finally came the best part of the day. Jason and I donned protective equipment after a brief demonstration, and I got to take a pugil stick or batons while he had NO "weapons" and we fought:

Even the Weasel participated!

We only fought for 2 minutes, but it felt like a lifetime! What a fun way to spend a Friday morning! And while I love running, what a good reminder that fitness can be fun and not every workout has to involve a jogging stroller. I was sore for 3 days following this craziness!

Friends Make Me a Better Runner

We live in Eastern NC. And while technically it's still spring, it's HOT here! So on Tuesday afternoon, I messaged my running buddy, Jill, to ask if she wanted to do a longish (6-7 miles) run the following morning. Last week, we knocked out 8, but didn't start our run until 10:30 and it was way too hot. We wised up and decided to get it done earlier this time around. She told me that another friend posted her intentions of running 10-11 on our Stroller Warrior site, and was asking for partners for some or all of the run. We jumped at the opportunity to add more friends to our training, and met Nicole at the trail by 8 am. While it was still warm, the trail offered some shade in several spots and with rain in the forecast, we had a bit of cloud cover. 


We set off, Jill with Liam, and me with the Weasel in our strollers, and Nicole running solo. The first 5 miles flew by. We chatted non-stop and kept a good pace (1- 8:16, 2- 8:24, 3- 8:32, 4- 8:36, 5- 8:35). The trail provided enough room for us to run three across and it was nice to hear each of our GPSs click off the miles (they have fancy watches, but my iPhone app - RunKeeper - actually announces the pace you're keeping:). At the turn around point, I claimed that we needed to stop so I could open a juice box for the Weasel. In reality, I just needed a break and a chance to sip some water and down a few Honey Stinger Chews:) 


We turned and headed back to the start. While the pace slowed a bit, the conversation continued. Knowing we would be just shy of 11 miles since the turn around only took us to 5.45, I suggested a short turn off out-and-back to add the mileage BEFORE reaching our vehicles. We ended up back at the starting point at 1:38:46 for a total of 11.1 miles! (second half splits: 6- 8:54, 7- 9:28, 8- 9:00, 9- 9:06, 10- 9:36, 11- 9:25) 


Funny thing about this run, Jill and I aren't training for anything. We just heard about the opportunity to run 11 miles and jumped on it. That's just one of the reasons I LOVE this club. Nicole is preparing for another half marathon this coming weekend and another one the following weekend. She's a machine. She runs everyday, mostly in the wee hours of the morning. And she is ALWAYS smiling. 

Me, Nicole & Jill at the finish

How could you NOT have fun with these ladies?!

After the workout, Weasel and I hit up the local grocery store to get dinner items for tonight and tomorrow. Then we headed home and had lunch. I had leftovers - chicken breast stuffed with spinach, feta and onions, on a bed of whole wheat couscous. 

Then, Weasel helped demonstrate her own techniques on my beloved foam roller:

So it's days like this when I absolutely love being a stay-at-home-mom. Hard to complain, right?! And the true sign that it was a successful day - I actually showered within an hour of finishing my run! (Typically I forgo the shower and play with Weasel:) Lastly, a shout out to Weasel and Liam who were perfect angels throughout the entire run!

Food War - Husband VS Wife

I'm not sure how other families operate, but in our household, I do the weekday cooking and my husband takes over the kitchen on weekends. As a stay-at-home-mom, I don't think this is a bad setup. Unfortunately, we (my husband and I), don't exactly share the same ideas of what "good, healthy" dinners are. When Jason is deployed and it's just me and the Weasel, we probably eat meat once or twice a week. In Jason's mind, a meal is NOT a meal unless it contains meat as a protein source!  


I love adding new grains and veggies to my existing cache of recipes. Jason would be happy if I added sausage to everything. So in our house, it's:

Source

Versus

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So how do those of you in a similar situation make it work? How do you have happy meal times where both parties are happy? I tried to sneak zucchini into our spaghetti with meatballs and sausage the other night. That resulted in a happy me and a pile of zucchini on my husband's plate. I'm running out of ideas. My garden is in full bloom, so it's easier to convince him that we HAVE to eat salad as our side dish or the lettuce/radishes would go to waste, but I'm struggling. 

Making two separate entrees is not an option because our food budget is already too high in my opinion - particularly when we factor in that we don't always feed Weasel what we're eating (i.e. if we eat a spicy meal, she gets something different). So I'm open to ideas...

Salads are the Perfect Summer Food

Yes, I know it's only April, so technically not yet summer, but it sure feels like it down here in Eastern NC (and I'm sure it felt like that for all the Boston Marathon finishers!). I recently harvested a bunch of lettuce from my garden and we made huge salads for dinner. I thought I'd share mine with you:

Homegrown Lettuce & Spinach

Grape Tomatoes

Frozen Corn (cooked)

Black Beans (from a can)

Green Peppers

Cucumbers

Southwest Style Chicken (Deli Section)

Red Quinoa (leftovers from a previous meal)

Sliced Oven Roasted Almonds

I think I'd eat this every night if my husband was on board. Delicious, filling, and super easy! 

SW Take On The SemperFit 5k

Living near a military base definitely has it's perks. One of those is frequent free 5ks to participate in. These are just small races organized by SemperFit to promote different causes. On Friday, they held a 5k to support awareness of sexual assault prevention and discussion. So that day, instead of our usual workout, the Stroller Warriors decided to participate. There were over 100 Marines and family members present! The SemperFit crew came out with their van and did a short warmup with the participants and handed out tons of raffle prizes to include shirts, bags, and Timex watches! 


The race was scheduled to start at 11:30, so at about 11:15, I took off down the trail for a short warmup jog. After that, we did our best to gather the SWs for a photo op. The club has gotten so big, that we had to take two pictures to get everyone in:

As the coordinators indicated the start was looming, I headed to the front of the pack. Typically, stroller runners start in the back, but on that day, I didn't feel like having to weave around a bunch of people, so I took my chances at the start. I was standing next to these amazing women pushing TRIPLES, so I didn't feel too bad:

The one with the red stroller is on of our club members and she's amazing! She finished third for the women in 22:10!

The start was signaled and we took off at a good pace. I did my best to hang with Jane (the one with the red stroller). She's pushing well over 100 pounds, so as I only had the Weasel weighing in a 27.2 pounds, I decided to try my hand at picking up the pace as we headed towards our second incline (we don't have actual hills in Eastern NC). It worked and soon I was the lead female. We hit the first mile marker at just over 7 minutes and I started to worry. I don't run this fast! Instead of stressing over it, I just kept pushing the pace and trying to pass Marines. I got to the turn around and started to head back to the start. It was great motivation to see my fellow Stroller Warriors and cheer for one another!

I came across the finish line at 21:20, by far my fastest 5k with the stroller and I was thrilled! The Weasel was passed out, so I stationed her along the side of the path and cheered my fellow runners in. The 5k ended with on of our SW's husbands who suffered several serious injuries in Afghanistan about 9 months ago walking in with the assistance of a cane. It was inspiring to say the least, particularly, because doctors told him they weren't sure he would ever walk again. He's come so far in his recovery, and were were thrilled to be a part of this big day in his life!

So while I just blogged about not having time to write posts, I really wanted to recap this day! It was a good one and an inspiring one to say the least!

Priorities

In the last year, I've found a love for running that I never thought possible. While my priorities are, first and foremost, my husband and the Weasel, followed closely by other family and friends, running nears the top of the list for me. I've skipped playgroups or other functions to get my run in for the day. I've deserted my husband on Saturday mornings to do long runs with my Stroller Warriors. 

Source

Blogging falls somewhere in the middle of the pack. While I love meeting new virtual friends and following their blogs, I typically only write when I have something to say. I write to keep a journal of sorts about what running means to me. Sure, I've fallen victim to the "I must post every week day or people will stop following me!" mentality, but overall, I try to keep it real. No one will think differently of me if I can't write a post once in a while. 


Well, Jessica is super busy in Afghanistan and not really able to contribute right now. And we are in the midst of fixing up our house to either put on the market for sale or for rent, so blogging will be taking a back seat for the rest of this month. Yesterday was focused on taking down personal stuff around the house in an effort to start the "staging" process. Today I spent the morning split between playing with Weasel and stripping/priming a section of our front porch. Needless to say, we're super busy. And while I could keep up the writing and skip the running, I'm not about to do that:) 

So for now, thanks for keeping up with our blog. Hope you'll visit again soon when we get back to posting. And for anyone who has tips about prepping a house for sale, please share them!! Or, if you'd like to have us post one of your blogs to promote you, email me at jennifer.ryu@gmail.com!

My Other Hobby (besides running of course)

From a very young age, my father had Jessica and I out in the garden helping him tend to the vegetables. This instilled in me a passion for fresh produce - from the garden to the table. We are lucky enough to have quite a decent sized yard, so I took advantage of that a few years ago and put in three raised beds to grow a variety of plants. This year, I've already harvested enough lettuce for 5 or 6 GIANT salads, about 40 large radishes, and my new favorite: Spinach:

For the past couple weeks, every morning, I wake up, water the garden while the Weasel eats her breakfast, and return with a large handful of spinach leaves for my smoothie. My husband refuses to even taste it, but I think it's quite possibly the best masked way to get your veggies early in the day:)

I use a cup of frozen berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries), 1 or 2 kiwi, a Yoplait blueberry/pomegranate flavored yogurt, and the spinach. I top this with a little apple/carrot juice and some water and some chia seeds. It's a quick process and a delicious treat!

Note: If you add chia seeds, DO NOT let the smoothie sit unattended. It swells up into a fruity sludge of sorts and is a bit more difficult to stomach:)