Sunday Runday: Resolution Run

Last week I wrapped up 2015, so it's only natural that this week I talk about 2016.  You know, my hopes, dreams, and desires for the near year.

After last year when my main goal was to have a baby and run again, I'm keeping this year fairly low key in terms of my running resolutions.  No big goals.  No unrealistic expectations.  This year is all about running more and getting back into my groove. 

Between work and the kids, I really have neglected my running time.  Which is my "me time."  Which is such a necessity in my mental health and well being.  So this year is all about running more, and running for fun.

With that in mind, my "goal" for this year is to run all the holiday races.  Just fun little races I can have a good time doing. Well that and to come pick up the pace a little with my half marathon time.  So here's my races planned for 2016:

Resolution Run
Legoland Marathon Mile
Sweetheart 5k
Mardi Gras Run
St. Patrick's Day 10k
Zombies Run Virtual Race
Sharon's Ride.Run.Walk for epilepsy 
Scripps Ranch 10k

Grape Day 5k
Spooktacular 5k

Surfing Madonna

Turkey Trot
Jingle Bell Run

So in that vein, and speaking of resolutions, let's talk about how I'm doing so far.  I mean, it is already 3 weeks in!  So far I've done great, knocking 2 of those races right off the list.  

The first race I didn't even want to run.  I actually was going to run a different New Year's race because I dislike running at Mission Bay THAT much.  But NeighborRunner was going to be doing the Resolution Run, and I do enjoy having company at races.  So I sucked it up and signed up.

Let's start with how well everything started out.  NeighborRunner and I have terrible luck with races we run together.  It started with the Aloha Run, when my alarm didn't go off and I was terribly late in picking her up and we had to race to the start line.  Then came the Fit Foodie 5k when her alarm didn't go off, and she didn't make it to the race at all.

But new year and all that, 2016 is off to a good start, because both of our alarms went off, and we got to the race with time to pick up our bibs, make a bathroom stop, and wander leisurely to the startline.

The race made its own successful resolution - a new course!  Guys, I am so excited about this, because this opens up the world to me.  I have 4 races planned for Mission Bay in 2016, and now I actually like the course!  A lot of people hate running Fiesta Island, because there is no shade and it's a little boring.  But I love not having to dodge people out for a leisurely stroll, or try to find the course.

Which means I can actually appreciate the beautiful views of Mission Bay.

My only gripe about the race, is that it was too long!  NeighborRunner (who is much faster than I) and I both had the same problem.  We both reached 3 miles, at our goal pace, and realized the finish line was not in sight.  Which is a little unusual at a 5k when the finish line should be 1/10 of a mile in front of us. 

We both sprinted to the finish, and came in seconds after our goal times.  Booooooo!

(See, running with faster friends means someone is there to capture your finish!)

After we finished, we wandered around, indulging in samples until we decided it was time to head home.

Overall, it was a great experience, and I enjoyed the race even if it was too long, meaning I didn't meet my goal time.  Plus the medal was fun and unique - a mini-chalkboard to write your resolutions.

It's going to be a great year!


What are your goals for the year?  Any fun races planned?

Chanukah 2015: Rum Punch

At Thatkid's first Chanukah he was a teeny, tiny newborn.  The holiday meant nothing to him.  But Thatbaby is older, and more aware, and as such, had a lot of fun with his first Chanukah.

Thatkid is old enough to take part in a lot of the traditions.  Like the making of the latkes.

This year we used a bunch of different types of potatoes - sweet, Russet, Yukon, red, and purple.  They may have been our best latkes to date!  I've given up on recipes and completely go on feel.  A little more flour and a little less egg than most recipes I've seen.

We had a family party at Thatmom's house.  You can tell Thatbaby is super excited about the holiday.

While Baby B is now old enough to get into trouble with Thatkid.

Thatkid is getting to be quite proficient in both getting the candles ready, saying the prayer, and playing dreidel.  He even taught his friends how to play!

I figured Thatbaby was too young to be able to unwrap presents.  I was wrong.

I didn't get a chance to share with you some of my favorite holiday drink recipes back during the holidays, so I'll share them with you now.  January is not really the time for parties and get togethers, but tuck these away for upcoming events, like any Superbowl parties you may be planning.  Winter is the perfect time for citrus-y drinks, since those fruits are still phenomenal this time of year.  Our orange tree looks like a Christmas tree, decorated with bright, orange balls.  Throw in some rum, and you have crowd pleasing beverage to brighten up your winter days.

Rum Punch

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup lemon juice

3/4 cup grapefruit juice

2 1/2 cups orange juice

3 cups unsweetened pineapple juice

1 1/3 cup Jamaican rum

3 cups tropical punch

1.  Make simple syrup by boiling the sugar with 1/2 cup water for 5 minutes.  Let cool.
2. Mix together with all the other ingredients and let sit for at least 1 hour.   Serve over ice.

Crave Wednesday: Southwest Salsa Burgers

Did you have a phenomenal Thanksgiving?  Do you smile thinking about the food and family?  Me too!  So let's relive it!

Thatkid usually helps me out in the kitchen on a regular basis.  So when it came time to make a pumpkin pie for his class party, it only made sense I would put him in charge of it

He did a fantastic job of making the crust, the filling, and combining the two.  (I did the heavy lifting of putting it in and out of the oven).

Normally we head up to Thatmom's the day before Thanksgiving.  But since she was in London this year, we got to wake up at home.  I went for an early morning run with friends, then came home in time to shower and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with Thatkid.  Which also marks the day we break out the hot chocolate.

The night before, Thatkid had informed me that for Thanksgiving you have to dress up like a pilgrim. Ever one to please, we made him a pilgrim hat while we watched the parade.  After he decided Thatbaby needed a hat too.  Since Thanksgiving is supposed to symbolize the friendship between the pilgrims and native Americans, I thought it fitting to recreate the symbolism at home.  By the way, once you have a toddler, owning construction paper is a must.

We headed up to Repro and Nissan's home and got to spend Thanksgiving with family, despite Thatmom's absence. Which made it a Thanksgiving success, because I love spending time with my family.  I especially love the fact that my now-adult cousins spend so much time playing with Thatkid.  I remember when they were just little guys themselves!

I brought up the idea of making our own Thanksgiving at home with Thatboy, but he quickly shot down that idea.  That's a lot of work.  And you've probably figured out by the fact I'm blogging about Thanksgiving in January, time is not a luxury I have lately.  Most of our meals are thrown together very quickly.  I've really hit my stride when it comes to that.  Because I just don't have time to spend in the kitchen when I have a million other things to accomplish.

Burgers are such an easy weeknight staple, and there are enough variations that it's hard to get bored.  I'm on a very spicy kick lately, so this burger plays into that very well.  If you're not as into heat, you can easily sub in regular Monterey Jack.  And the salsa can be as hot or mild as you like it.  I definitely recommend some fresh, refrigerated salsa versus the jarred stuff you find in the chip aisle.  But I would recommend the same to go with your chips.

Southwest Salsa Burgers (From Cooking Light)

1/4 cup finely chopped shallots

3/8 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground chipotle chile pepper

1/8 tsp black pepper

1 lb 90% lean ground sirloin

1/4 cup salsa

cooking spray

4 slices reduced fat Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers

4 boston lettuce leaves

4 hamburger buns, toasted

1. Combine first 5 ingredients and 2 Tbsp salsa in a medium bowl.  Divide mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2 inch thick patty.  Press thumb in center of each patty, leaving a nickel-sized indentation.
2. Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium high heat.  Coat pan with cooking spray.  Add patties to pan, cook 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Top each patty with 1 cheese slice; cook 1 minute or until cheese melts.
3. Place 1 lettuce leaf on bottom half of each bun, top with 1 patty, 1 1/2 tsp salsa, and bun top.

Mommy Mondays: 7 Months

Weight: 16lbs 14 oz (+8lbs 10oz) (will be updated Friday)

 Height: 27.75 inches (+7.5 inches)
 Head: 17 inches

Sleep:  This has been a terrible month for sleep, culminating in our worst New Year's Eve ever, when Thatbaby woke just about every hour until 1:30am.  But after that, we turned a corner.  This past week he's been sleeping great.  (So I'm probably jinxing myself) Going down easily, staying asleep all night, waking at 5 or 6 am and then going back to sleep. I hope it sticks, but know enough about babies not to put money on it.

Eating: Thatbaby now eats 3 meals a day, even at daycare.  His nursing hasn't decreased at all, and he's still eating about every 3 hours.  Even at daycare, he's still drinking 12 oz over the 10 hours he's there.

Best Moment: Christmas.  I was honestly in tears I was so happy.  It was so wonderful to have it just be our family, and spend some great, quality time with the boys.  They were sweet, wonderful, and happy.  There were cuddles, and naps, and lots of playing together.

Monthly Wisdom: Up until 6 months, most babies follow the same tract along the same timeline.  They all coo and smile right around the same time.  This is where things start diversifying in terms of development.  Where some babies sit or crawl, and others don't.  And the comparisons and worry start.  I remember it with Thatkid, who was never early developmentally.  But they all get there eventually.  It's even more evident with my Oppo-baby who is moments away from crawling at 7 months, when Thatkid was just getting the hang of sitting unassisted at this point.

Goals for the Upcoming Month:
- More baby signs.  Thatboy thinks the baby is signing "more" when he claps his hands, so I want to keep an eye on that.  I think it's reflexive.  The way he is constantly signing milk, just because he opens and closes his hands a lot.  Not because he knows the meaning behind it.
- Move to the convertible car seat.  Because someone is getting too tall for his infant seat.

Things Thatbaby is doing:
-babbling
-pulling to stand wherever he can
- he gets on all fours, or bear crawl position and then launches himself forward, but hasn't figured out he can crawl yet.
- clapping
- he does this thing with his mouth, where he basically beat boxes.  Like a cross between a popping and a raspberry.  He also clicks and pops.  And bowls raspberries.
- Squealing.  This kid is a very noisy baby.
- Scooching.  Since he hasn't figured out crawling yet, he gets pushes himself into sitting position and then uses his hands to push himself backwards.

Sunday Runday: A Running Year in Review

I know.  It's 2016.  Yearly reviews are SO December 2015.  But my December was busy, and we're not that far into January yet.  Besides, this review is meaningful because it's a recap of my pregnancy running.  It's also fairly short since my races were few and far between this past year!

Alright, enough exposition.  Let's talk races!  Normally I divide these between races I love and races I won't be running again, but this year I loved almost every race I ran.  It helps that most of them were repeats.  I didn't venture too far afield. 

Grunion Run  -Of the 8 races I ran this year, 5 had water views.  And really, how can you not love that?  I ran this race with Thatmom, and it's been years since I've done that. Races when pregnant can be very depressing.  For me, this one was empowering.

Sharon's Ride 5k - This is a really fun family event, with more than just the race itself.  The "after party" is almost more fun than the run.
 
FroYo 5k  - Honestly, the course is my favorite in San Diego.  I would run just about anything here.  Add in frozen yogurt and it's almost the perfect race.  This was also the last race I ran while pregnant,

 Grape Day 5k - I love this little community race.  And this year was extra special since Thatkid ran a portion of it with me.  It was his first real interest in racing.  I can't wait till next year!

Surfing Madonna  - Our first race as a family of four!  And being on the beach together is always delightful.  Even if this year was a bit of a disaster, I still hold high hopes for continuing our tradition.

 Fit Foodie 5k -This may be my favorite San Diego run.  It's on my favorite course, and the post-race festivities are unlike any other race.  I'm a sucker for swag.

Jingle Bell Run - I'm never disappointed in this race, even though I walk it instead of run.  Even though we rarely finish in under an hour.  It is the perfect way to ring in the holiday season.

Holiday Half Marathon- This is the only race that I for sure wouldn't do again.  Partially because I probably won't be in town, and partially because there are so many amazing San Diego half marathons, that I don't need to run one which doesn't wow me.

A Wild One: Cafe Brulot

It's been a hot minute since I've mentioned the Ks.  Which is not to say we don't see them, but lately our visits have been centered around our children's birthdays.  In November K4 turned 1!  And the Ks are phenomenal about first birthday parties.

This had a very girly bohemian feel to it, with lots of flowers, feathers, wood, and lace.   

 

And there was lots of entertainment for the small guests.  Even the super small, like Thatbaby were enthralled by the musician who led the kids through song and musical instruments. 

And after came the bubble lady.  Because what kid doesn't love bubbles?  She explained how bubbles worked, and did various demonstrations of different bubble shapes, sizes, and properties.  The highlight was when she had the bubble completely surround the birthday girl.

It became even more exciting when each of the guests had their own turn at being bubbled.

The kids were also let loose to make their own bubble creations. Thatkid and K3 had a blast trying out all the different bubble wands and chasing each other around.

It's funny, K3's first birthday party was a rainy April day.  Which is a little surprising in Southern California.  On the other hand, K4's birthday was a sweltering hot November day.  Also surprising.  It took forever for winter to hit this year, but we are officially there with a vengeance.   It is so cold and rainy!  All I want to do is curl up under a blanket with a warm drink, before a roaring fire.

The fire is out since our firepit is outside.  But I got a beautiful, soft blanket for Christmas (from my favorite cuddle-buddy, Thatkid) and a hot drink is always just a few moments away.  Thatboy loves to curl up on the couch and watch the rain out our windows.  This is the perfect rain sipping beverage.  Coffee is already a "warm you up" kind of drink.  The addition of brandy and curacao add some sweetness, but also a little bit more to warm you up from the inside.  Think of it as your own personal St. Bernard, to save you on these cold winter nights.

Cafe Brulot (From the Fannie Farmer Cookbook)

1 1/2 inch stick cinnamon

5 cloves

3 Tbsp slivered orange peel

3 Tbsp slivered lemon peel

2 lumps sugar

1/3 cup brandy

2 Tbsp curacao 

3 cups hot after-dinner coffee

1.  Put the cinnamon, cloves, orange, and lemon peels, and sugar in a chafing dish or brulot bowl with a flame under and mash together with the back of a spoon or a pestle.
2. Add the brandy and curacao, and when hot, ignite.  
3. Stir to dissolve the sugar, the gradually add the coffee.  Serve in demitasses.

Crave Wednesday: Simple Perfect Fresh-Ground Brisket Burgers

Hey guys!  Happy New Year!  I feel like it's been ages since I've posted anything of substance.  And usually that kind of radio silence is usually followed by some kind of blogger pregnancy announcement.  

Don't get your hopes up.  That's not the case here.  I was actually working on another little project - Thatbaby's Christmas stocking.  Thatkid was born in October and his stocking was done by his first Christmas.  I had 6 months to make Thatbaby's stocking.....I spent pretty much every night in December working on it, forgoing most of my other duties.

But it's a new year, and we've been busy.  So stay tuned for lots of catching up adventures.  Like Thatkid's first football game!

Thatboy called me from work to see if I would be interested in going to a football game that night.  One of his coworkers won free tickets to SDSU's Homecoming game, but already had tickets.  So she passed them along to us.

It was a night game, but it was worth it because Thatkid was fascinated by the game. 

I'm sure it didn't hurt that Thatboy introduced him to one of the best parts of sporting events - junk food.

And it was an especially exciting game because the Aztecs won.  Or as Thatkid calls them "our team."  He has also decided he wants to play football when he grows up.  This week at least.

I had hoped Thatbaby would fall asleep on the way there.  He didn't.  He also didn't fall asleep immediately once we got there, despite the late hour.  He was too interested in all the excitement around us.  But eventually even that couldn't keep him awake.

Being at the game reminded us of our own college football game experiences.  And given the success of this outing, we're excited to take the kids to a UCLA game next fall.  And though we didn't tailgate this game, one of the highlights of a football game is the barbecue in the parking lot.  All the little grills and smells of sausages, hot dogs, and hamburgers. 

This is a fantastic upgrade from your typical burger recipe.  It's the same preparation and easy seasoning, but with brisket instead of ground chuck or sirloin.  Brisket adds a whole new level of flavor, as anyone who's a fan of barbecue can attest to.  The original calls for grinding your own brisket, which you can do.  I find it much easier to ask my butcher to grind it for me.  After all, their meat grinder is far superior to anything I might be able to use at home.

Simple Perfect Fresh-Ground Brisket Burgers (From Cooking Light)

1 lb ground beef brisket

1/4 kosher salt

1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

cooking spray 4 slices cheddar cheese

4 hamburger buns, toasted

4 green leaf lettuce leaves

4 slices tomato

1. Divide meat into 4 equal patties.  Press thumb in center of each patty, leaving a nickel sized indentation.  Cover and chill until ready to grill.
2. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.  Sprinkle patties with salt and pepper.  Place on grill rack coated with cooking spray.  Grill 2 minutes.  Carefully turn patties and grill 3 more minutes.
3. Place 1 cheese slice and 1 patty on bottom half of each bun.
4. Top each serving with 1 lettuce leaf, 1 tomato slice, and top half of bun.

Mommy Mondays: Solid Man

Our biggest six month milestone was the introduction of solids.

I'm a "stick with what you know" kind of gal, so we returned to BLW (baby led weaning).  Especially because it worked so well with Thatkid.  I can't think of an easier method of introducing solids since it doesn't take any additional effort on my part.

So far, it has been a complete success in that Thatbaby LOVES food.  I mean, seriously loves food.  I nurse right before we eat, and he still grabs at the objects on his tray as though he had been lost in the desert for weeks.

Clear favorites so far include meatloaf, latkes, and blueberries. He also does really well with vegetables. 

In a way he's a very similar eater to Thatkid in that he is open to trying everything and really enjoys solids.  In a way he is very different in that his motor skills far surpass his brother's at this age, and he hardly gags at all.  He started ingesting the food much earlier than Thatkid did.  He also has a much higher spice tolerance.

I do modify some of his meals.  For instance, we had creme brulee French toast for breakfast Christmas morning.  I don't really think he needed to have toast in caramelized brown sugar at 6 months, so I made him regular french toast.  And when we had honeyed carrots, he got the pre-cooked carrots.

Being a second time mom has its perks when it comes to introducing solids.  Because I already know the best way to cut and serve the foods.  Like tonight when we had grilled corn and I cut it into rounds instead of just handing him an ear like I had done with Thatbaby.  I also have my tricks on how to handle things like soup - either sopped up with bread, or the good stuff scooped out sans liquid.

We've also modified our way of eating -  not that I was a heavy salter before, but now everyone is in charge of salting their own food, so that I don't have to worry about adding extra sodium to Thatbaby's diet.

BLW has also come in very handy at restaurants.  Although this guy, whose nickname is "the claw" gets very upset when he can't shovel handful after handful of food into his mouth.  He seems to do better when it's immediate family only, maybe he gets overstimulated in a group?  In any event, he's a little more high maintenance at restaurants than his brother was.

And, just like last time, here's the "full-length" (edited) video of Thatbaby's first experience with solid foods.

Sunday Runday: Holiday Half Marathon

When I was pregnant with Thatkid, Disney announced an inaugural race, the Tinkerbell Half Marathon.  I loved the idea of the race, and I love running inaugural events.  There was only one problem.  I would be 3 months postpartum at the time of the race.  I spoke with my doctor about the recovery period and she felt that as long as I had a non-complicated vaginal delivery, it didn't sound impossible.

And it wasn't.  3 months after Thatkid was born, I ran a half marathon.  Sure, it wasn't my fastest ever, but it also wasn't my slowest.

So this time around, I thought nothing of signing up for a half marathon 6 months after Thatbaby was born.  6 months - I gave myself double the time!  I liked the idea of having a goal in terms of getting back to running after birth.  I also wanted to run this particular course.  The San Diego Holiday Half Marathon prides itself on being a PR course, because of the net downhill elevation.  I mean, look at that.  Doesn't look so intimidating, does it?

Plus, since this is the one year we weren't traveling for the Christmas holiday, it was my only chance at running it, since usually we're out of town during the running of the race.

This is one of those stories that you can probably already tell where it's going.  It was a disaster of a race for me.  And I blame it on a lot of things.  The first was my lack of training.  I really got into the groove in 2014 with my training, I cut back on my weekday runs, going for quantity over distance.  I only ran 3 miles a day, but I ran 3 miles every day.  Oh how much easier it was to train with only one kid instead of 2!  And when I wasn't in trial!  I barely got a weekday run in during this training session, relying only on long weekend runs.  Which is fine for endurance, but not for speed!

The second problem is that although the course is NET downhill, there's still a lot of uphills involved!  It may have been the hilliest course I've ever run.  None of the hills were terribly steep, but there were enough to really wear out my legs.  I don't know that I've ever been so sore after a race!

My running partner for the race was SDMom, which is always fun, because she knows every runner in San Diego.  Plus, our paces were on par for this race.

The first couple of miles weren't all that bad.  Despite being uphill.  We had the nervous energy and adrenaline to carry us forward.  Plus is was cold!  When I parked for the race, it was 30 degrees!  We had to run to warm ourselves up.

We started with the 2:30 pacers, which I felt was appropriate, given it had been over a year and a half since I'd run a half marathon.  We passed them and maintained a comfortable pace ahead of them.

By mile 8, SDMom mentioned that as long as we stayed in front of them, we were golden.  Which didn't seem so daunting, because at that point we couldn't even see them.  Plus the boring part of our run was over.  The course ran along the 56 freeway.  Which meant we had a view of a freeway for a majority of the course.  No crowd support.  No beautiful vistas.  But that was all about to change, because we were heading off the freeway and onto the trail.  I know this trail!  This is my trail!  The trail I ran on every day for years because it was about a quarter mile from home.

But it was also where we started feeling our miles.  By mile 10 we could hear the 2:30 pacers right at our heels.  By mile 11 they had passed us.  This is also where SDMom and I split up.  Those last two miles were hot, boring, and hard. And painful!  My bodyglide had failed me and I had chafing on my bra-line.  But eventually, the finish line was in sight.

And of course, I had my cheering squad waiting at the finish line, which is the best part of finishing a race.  No matter how slow.

Well, that and the shiny new medal.  Which Thatkid has already claimed with the insane 4-year old logic of "well Daddy and I drove the course, so I did the half marathon too."

So it wasn't my best race, but it's a good benchmark, a starting mark for how far I need to go to get back where I was.  And I've got a couple months to get there.  My next half-marathon isn't until May, so I have some work to do!