So, it's Wednesday, not Monday. Whoops.
So, my marathon Monday was spent grilling out and going to the beach for Memorial Day instead of running or working out. Whoops.
So, my weekend in general was one big unhealthy pile of fun. Whoops.
Oh well, it's a new week (or a new mid-week)!
Plan for this week to get me back on track for Marathon Training:
-LOTS of Turbo Jam for hip and core work.
-Tracking everything I eat on Sparkpeople.com
-Trying to lose another 10 lbs ASAP without going overboard.
-Ordering Hal Higdon's marathon training book.
-Running a 5 miler tonight!
I'm a gal with a plan!
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Monday, May 21, 2012
Marathon Monday: Why Am I Doing This? -Amy
For Marathon Monday this week, I decided to blog a little bit about why I decided to run the marathon and why I chose to do it with the charity that I am running for.
Why did I decide to run the marathon? That is definitely a question that I am still asking myself. It seems totally insane and crazy to purposely run 26.2 miles AND pay to do it. It seems absolutely absurd that I would put myself through a lot of mental and physical pain just to have the glory of saying that I finished a marathon. I totally understand that it seems crazy, and quite honestly I wonder about my own sanity sometimes when I look at the training schedule or think about the daunting journey that I have embarked on. However, it's not just about the glory. Don't get me wrong. I am going to brag. A LOT. I am going to milk this thing for all it's worth and tell anyone who will listen that I have conquered a marathon (as long as I actually do...). It has become something a lot bigger for me, though. I want to challenge myself and I like the fact that I feel like I am making myself better throughout the process of all of this. I am making myself healthier which is making me happier as a result. I feel more motivated, more energized (believe it or not), and more productive since I have starting running longer distances. I am paying more attention to my sleep patterns and listening to my body when it tells me it needs something. I am much more conscious of what I am putting into my body. Granted, I haven't even officially started training for the big one, but this already started happening when I got really serious about training for the mini-marathon. I can only imagine that it will continue throughout marathon training. I am excited to see the person I am after the marathon and to feel that confidence that I have the will power to achieve something monumental.
Why did I choose to run with Team Sweetness? Well, that also is a two part answer. First, I was INSTANTLY drawn to the Walter Payton Foundations because Roger is a HUGE Walter Payton and Bears fan. My registration through this organization first became a possibility because as I was browsing different charities I said ,"Hey Rog, Walter Payton's Foundation is still open. I could run for Team Sweetness!" The rest is history.
More importantly, I researched the foundation and realized how much it aligns with things that I think are important. I obviously have a very soft spot in my heart for kids, as I've dedicated my entire life to a profession that focuses solely on helping kids achieve things. However, since moving to the city and experiencing teaching in an urban environment my eyes have been opened to the injustices that are still out there for a lot of kids. For a lot of them, these injustices are there from the moment they are born. Whether it's economic status, race, or any other factor that is stacked against them, it's not fair. I am 100% dedicated to making sure that every single kid that comes into my path hears 3 things. You are so smart, you are so great, and you can do WHATEVER you want to with your life. I am also dedicated to make sure that each one of those kids knows that they can come to me for strategies on how to achieve those things. Every single kid on this planet deserves to hear those things and deserves to be given tools that will help them learn how to succeed and be strong. Team Sweetness is one of the many organizations out there that helps at risk and underprivileged youth succeed through new opportunities. The work that they are doing is incredibly important to me and extremely close to my heart.
So. Why am I doing this? Because I want to be challenged. Because I want all of the children in Chicago (and everywhere for that matter) to be successful and to be given opportunities to thrive. Because I can. This whole experience is bigger than me, and I am so excited to get started. Thank you so much for ALL of your support!
Click below if you're interested in donating, or if you are willing to pass the link along. Thanks!
AMY JACKSON'S TEAM SWEETNESS SUPPORT PAGE
Why did I decide to run the marathon? That is definitely a question that I am still asking myself. It seems totally insane and crazy to purposely run 26.2 miles AND pay to do it. It seems absolutely absurd that I would put myself through a lot of mental and physical pain just to have the glory of saying that I finished a marathon. I totally understand that it seems crazy, and quite honestly I wonder about my own sanity sometimes when I look at the training schedule or think about the daunting journey that I have embarked on. However, it's not just about the glory. Don't get me wrong. I am going to brag. A LOT. I am going to milk this thing for all it's worth and tell anyone who will listen that I have conquered a marathon (as long as I actually do...). It has become something a lot bigger for me, though. I want to challenge myself and I like the fact that I feel like I am making myself better throughout the process of all of this. I am making myself healthier which is making me happier as a result. I feel more motivated, more energized (believe it or not), and more productive since I have starting running longer distances. I am paying more attention to my sleep patterns and listening to my body when it tells me it needs something. I am much more conscious of what I am putting into my body. Granted, I haven't even officially started training for the big one, but this already started happening when I got really serious about training for the mini-marathon. I can only imagine that it will continue throughout marathon training. I am excited to see the person I am after the marathon and to feel that confidence that I have the will power to achieve something monumental.
Why did I choose to run with Team Sweetness? Well, that also is a two part answer. First, I was INSTANTLY drawn to the Walter Payton Foundations because Roger is a HUGE Walter Payton and Bears fan. My registration through this organization first became a possibility because as I was browsing different charities I said ,"Hey Rog, Walter Payton's Foundation is still open. I could run for Team Sweetness!" The rest is history.
More importantly, I researched the foundation and realized how much it aligns with things that I think are important. I obviously have a very soft spot in my heart for kids, as I've dedicated my entire life to a profession that focuses solely on helping kids achieve things. However, since moving to the city and experiencing teaching in an urban environment my eyes have been opened to the injustices that are still out there for a lot of kids. For a lot of them, these injustices are there from the moment they are born. Whether it's economic status, race, or any other factor that is stacked against them, it's not fair. I am 100% dedicated to making sure that every single kid that comes into my path hears 3 things. You are so smart, you are so great, and you can do WHATEVER you want to with your life. I am also dedicated to make sure that each one of those kids knows that they can come to me for strategies on how to achieve those things. Every single kid on this planet deserves to hear those things and deserves to be given tools that will help them learn how to succeed and be strong. Team Sweetness is one of the many organizations out there that helps at risk and underprivileged youth succeed through new opportunities. The work that they are doing is incredibly important to me and extremely close to my heart.
So. Why am I doing this? Because I want to be challenged. Because I want all of the children in Chicago (and everywhere for that matter) to be successful and to be given opportunities to thrive. Because I can. This whole experience is bigger than me, and I am so excited to get started. Thank you so much for ALL of your support!
Click below if you're interested in donating, or if you are willing to pass the link along. Thanks!
AMY JACKSON'S TEAM SWEETNESS SUPPORT PAGE
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Home Sweet Home - Brady
As most of you probably know, I lived in Fort Wayne, Indiana for two years before I moved back to Chicago. I really loved our house there. It was set on about an acre and a half out in the country. It had a lot of character inside and really pretty plants and flowering trees in the yard. Because it was our first home, we got to pick out furniture specifically for it, so I just really liked how it all looked. Oh, and there were windows everywhere. In the summer, we never had to turn on the AC because we could open up and turn on our fans and stay plenty cool with the cross breezes. It was also really nice at night to be able to hear the insects and trees and even coyotes sometimes.
I'm really happy to be living in Chicago again, but for a long time I wasn't loving our condo as much as I liked our Fort Wayne house. The place itself is great - we have cool exposed brick, a high slanted ceiling in our living room, hardwood floors, a balcony, lots of light - but the way our furniture looked in it bugged me. I always felt like there was too much going on...that the couch and chairs and table and art on the walls and everything else from our old place looked like too much of a hodgepodge here.
The last few weeks or so, though, I've really started to get into it. I moved around some of the furniture, and took a couple of paintings and photos off the walls to make it all simpler. We bought a couple of new pieces of furniture. And today we planted flowers and herbs on our balcony.
It's made me think about some of the things I love about this particular apartment. For example, I really like, believe it or not, when I can hear our neighbors talking (we've got quite the singer somewhere near here) or construction going on or even cars honking. I like that density - knowing there are lots of people close by. I also love being able to walk out our front door, down the stairs, and out the gate and having access to anything I could need - a drug store, a coffee shop, a bus or train to a different neighborhood, just about any kind of restaurant you can think of, etc. - just blocks away. This is another weird one, but our washer and dryer are in a closet in our bedroom, and I like falling asleep to the sound it makes. I also like our neighbors. We've gotten to know many of them personally - sometimes I feel like I live on Sesame Street. I love, of course, that Lake Michigan is three blocks away. I like the shady street that we live on. And I like that we're on the third floor - sometimes it feels like a treehouse to me.
I still miss our old house a lot. And there are still plenty of things I'd like to do to this place when we have the time and money and energy. But I've been really happy here these past few weeks and am appreciating the little quirks that make our apartment special.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Belated Marathon Monday -Amy
Hi Blog World!
A busy work week makes for a belated Marathon Monday post. That and the fact that I don't have all that much to report!
Since marathon training doesn't officially start for a few more weeks I have been taking this time to try to get myself in tip top shape in other ways. I doing a lot of stretching, work-outs for my core, and I am taking glucosamine chondroitin on a regular basis. This is a supplement that is really good for joint health. Since my hips and knees tend to give me a little trouble on long runs I decided that this would be a good addition to my routine. I have already noticed much more comfortable joints during running and other exercise. Let's hope that continued use improves it even more!
Also, I am feeling pretty good this week because I have lost 13 lbs since I originally signed up for the Indy Mini and for the Chicago Marathon in January. Overall, I am feeling much less bloated, much more healthy, much more addicted to working out and eating healthy, and pretty successful. I hope to lose a couple more lbs before the marathon, but I'm feeling pretty good about where I currently stand.
Click here for more information on glucosamine chondroitin and it's health benefits.
Click here for the link to my fundraising web page. I would love any help or support for this amazing cause that you can give!
A busy work week makes for a belated Marathon Monday post. That and the fact that I don't have all that much to report!
Since marathon training doesn't officially start for a few more weeks I have been taking this time to try to get myself in tip top shape in other ways. I doing a lot of stretching, work-outs for my core, and I am taking glucosamine chondroitin on a regular basis. This is a supplement that is really good for joint health. Since my hips and knees tend to give me a little trouble on long runs I decided that this would be a good addition to my routine. I have already noticed much more comfortable joints during running and other exercise. Let's hope that continued use improves it even more!
Also, I am feeling pretty good this week because I have lost 13 lbs since I originally signed up for the Indy Mini and for the Chicago Marathon in January. Overall, I am feeling much less bloated, much more healthy, much more addicted to working out and eating healthy, and pretty successful. I hope to lose a couple more lbs before the marathon, but I'm feeling pretty good about where I currently stand.
Click here for more information on glucosamine chondroitin and it's health benefits.
Click here for the link to my fundraising web page. I would love any help or support for this amazing cause that you can give!
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Morels! - Brady
Last weekend Kevin and I spent Saturday and Sunday with my parents in La Porte. Before we left, we decided to take a hike with the dog, and lo and behold my mom and dad each found big beautiful morels!
They very, very generously insisted that we take them home, and last night we made a semi-fancy dinner and fried them up.
Kevin let me do the honors, since I've learned from the best. (I'm looking at you Susie Jones and Max Sherman.)
First, you soak, rinse, and pat dry your mushrooms. I cut up the two big ones we had into smaller pieces to make cooking them more manageable and also decided to use the stems. (Some people don't like them, but I thought they were pretty awesome.) Then you dip them into a mixture of flour and salt.
Oh, and then after dinner also make him share his secret stash of Trader Joe's Oreos with you. (He actually made me CLOSE MY EYES so I wouldn't see where they were hidden!)
I think morels are one of the very best parts of living in the Midwest. Hope you found some yourself this spring.
They very, very generously insisted that we take them home, and last night we made a semi-fancy dinner and fried them up.
Kevin let me do the honors, since I've learned from the best. (I'm looking at you Susie Jones and Max Sherman.)
First, you soak, rinse, and pat dry your mushrooms. I cut up the two big ones we had into smaller pieces to make cooking them more manageable and also decided to use the stems. (Some people don't like them, but I thought they were pretty awesome.) Then you dip them into a mixture of flour and salt.
At the same time you can get some butter going...plenty of butter. I added another pad this size between round 1 - cooking the stems and round 2 - the heads.
You put the morels in and let them fry over medium heat until they're brown. It's important to give them lots of room and flip them halfway through. It takes awhile.
After that, you scoop them out and pat them down with a paper towel to absorb the extra grease.
Finally, you should get your husband to make pasta with olive oil, cherry tomatoes, goat cheese, and oregano and open a nice bottle of red wine.
I think morels are one of the very best parts of living in the Midwest. Hope you found some yourself this spring.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Marathon Monday - Amy
The 2012 Indianapolis Mini-Marathon is complete! Kelly and I successfully completed this extremely HOT race! More on that in a minute...
As you know from earlier posts, my crazy sister and I have decided to run the Chicago Marathon this year. I decided that as a way to hold myself accountable for training runs and as a way to keep all of my wonderful supporters updated on my progress I would start "Marathon Mondays" on our blog. The Mini-Marathon was sort of the big distracter before my official marathon training began, so I decided that today's update of the mini would be a great way to start the Marathon Monday tradition. For the next 5 weeks you will be reading a lot about the shorter runs that I'm doing to work on form prior to actually starting official marathon training. Also, I will be reading some books and doing some research on diet, stretching, and other things that I should be doing to keep my body healthy and functioning during training. After the first 5 weeks you will be getting an update on my weekly runs and how I am progressing. I also am going to be touching a lot on the mission of the Payton Foundations (the cause that I am running for) and my personal connection to it.
So, for the first installment of Marathon Mondays:
WE DID IT! 13.1 MILES COMPLETE!
Kelly and I (along with two of her good friends who are now my new friends) finished the very hot and humid mini-marathon. Kelly can update you on her experience, but I can say we both got times that were relatively close to our times last year. At first I was really bummed about this because I feel like I am in SO much better running shape than I was last year. However, it was incredibly warm and there were lots of water stops (which led to a couple bathroom stops that did not happen last year). After hearing accounts from other seasoned runners who have said that this was one of the hardest minis they have been apart of I am happy to take a similar time to mine last year. I imagine that if the weather was exactly the same as the year before I would have had a better time.
The race itself is very impressive. There are 25-30,000 people who run this race every year and every mile has at least one water or gatorade station. Also, they added lots of "misters" to help cool people down. I can safely say that I have never been more sweaty in my life so all of this hydration was very important. There are lots of fun bands along the race route as well. Running around the Speedway is also really exciting and fun (for about the first 5 minutes). I had two wonderful sorority sisters passing out gatorade on the speedway and it was great to see them. Around mile 11 I did have to fight a bout of nausea (and my fight it I mean I had to throw up in a port-o-potty) and then I did a lot of very SLOW jogging after that until I felt a little bit more like myself. Feeling totally like myself didn't happen until Sunday morning after lots of rest and water. After the race, I was really looking forward to going in the hot tub. So much so that I had my sister buy me a bathing suit at target because I forgot to pack mine. Well, my body had different plans. I laid down for what I thought would be a 15 minute power nap and didn't wake up for 4 hours. Whoops. Oh well, I got a cute new suit out of it. Also, I ended up losing a toenail at some point during the 13.1 miles. RIP Second Toenail of my Left Foot. You will be missed.
So, all in all it was a great race. The weekend was lots of fun and we got to see lots of people in Indy who we haven't seen for awhile. I will definitely be signing up for this mini-marathon again. It really is a fun weekend.
On to marathon training! I have 12 miles on the schedule for this week. I will be running a 3 miler, 4 miler, and 5 miles this weekend. If you are interested in helping me out with fundraising for my wonderful cause, the link to my fundraising page is below.
http://www.active.com/donate/teamsweetness2012/AmyJackson
As you know from earlier posts, my crazy sister and I have decided to run the Chicago Marathon this year. I decided that as a way to hold myself accountable for training runs and as a way to keep all of my wonderful supporters updated on my progress I would start "Marathon Mondays" on our blog. The Mini-Marathon was sort of the big distracter before my official marathon training began, so I decided that today's update of the mini would be a great way to start the Marathon Monday tradition. For the next 5 weeks you will be reading a lot about the shorter runs that I'm doing to work on form prior to actually starting official marathon training. Also, I will be reading some books and doing some research on diet, stretching, and other things that I should be doing to keep my body healthy and functioning during training. After the first 5 weeks you will be getting an update on my weekly runs and how I am progressing. I also am going to be touching a lot on the mission of the Payton Foundations (the cause that I am running for) and my personal connection to it.
So, for the first installment of Marathon Mondays:
WE DID IT! 13.1 MILES COMPLETE!
The race itself is very impressive. There are 25-30,000 people who run this race every year and every mile has at least one water or gatorade station. Also, they added lots of "misters" to help cool people down. I can safely say that I have never been more sweaty in my life so all of this hydration was very important. There are lots of fun bands along the race route as well. Running around the Speedway is also really exciting and fun (for about the first 5 minutes). I had two wonderful sorority sisters passing out gatorade on the speedway and it was great to see them. Around mile 11 I did have to fight a bout of nausea (and my fight it I mean I had to throw up in a port-o-potty) and then I did a lot of very SLOW jogging after that until I felt a little bit more like myself. Feeling totally like myself didn't happen until Sunday morning after lots of rest and water. After the race, I was really looking forward to going in the hot tub. So much so that I had my sister buy me a bathing suit at target because I forgot to pack mine. Well, my body had different plans. I laid down for what I thought would be a 15 minute power nap and didn't wake up for 4 hours. Whoops. Oh well, I got a cute new suit out of it. Also, I ended up losing a toenail at some point during the 13.1 miles. RIP Second Toenail of my Left Foot. You will be missed.
So, all in all it was a great race. The weekend was lots of fun and we got to see lots of people in Indy who we haven't seen for awhile. I will definitely be signing up for this mini-marathon again. It really is a fun weekend.
On to marathon training! I have 12 miles on the schedule for this week. I will be running a 3 miler, 4 miler, and 5 miles this weekend. If you are interested in helping me out with fundraising for my wonderful cause, the link to my fundraising page is below.
http://www.active.com/donate/teamsweetness2012/AmyJackson
Friday, May 4, 2012
Back in the game. - Brady
Last weekend Kevin and I went to Minneapolis. It was really fun. It's a beautiful little city, we saw some good friends while we were there, and I had the best pasta I've ever eaten in my life. Literally the best. I'm ruined for regular pasta now that I've tasted Bar La Grassa's red wine spaghetti with pine nuts and mushroom & taleggio agnolotti.
But, more exciting even than the life-changing pasta was that I ran again! My physical therapist cleared me to start their "return to running" protocol. All that means is that I'm easing back into it. Right now I'm running for three minutes and then walking for two, running for three, walking for two, for thirty minutes. I've also started attending yoga classes again and am able do almost everything the rest of the students can. (Weirdly, the hardest pose for me is "child's pose" - which is a rest posture - because of the way my foot has to stretch into a hard point with the weight of my body on it.)
I forgot how good I feel after working out in the morning. And now the sun is shining and the birds are chirping and another Chicago/Indiana summer is about to start! It's almost like this crazy past winter never happened...
But, more exciting even than the life-changing pasta was that I ran again! My physical therapist cleared me to start their "return to running" protocol. All that means is that I'm easing back into it. Right now I'm running for three minutes and then walking for two, running for three, walking for two, for thirty minutes. I've also started attending yoga classes again and am able do almost everything the rest of the students can. (Weirdly, the hardest pose for me is "child's pose" - which is a rest posture - because of the way my foot has to stretch into a hard point with the weight of my body on it.)
I forgot how good I feel after working out in the morning. And now the sun is shining and the birds are chirping and another Chicago/Indiana summer is about to start! It's almost like this crazy past winter never happened...
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!
Happy 32nd Anniversary to the best parents three girls, two son-in-laws, and one crazy dog could ask for. We love you guys and hope you have a wonderful, wonderful day. You are two of the coolest cats we know!!!!
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