Goal: Complete Princess Half completed... but hurting

Pre-race photo (probably around 4am) Leah, Michelle, me, & Becca 

When you are going to run a long race, you're supposed to train and bulding your endurance to complete the race. However, if you're a busy person like me, you forget to train and don't want to waste the cash spent on the bib, hotel, and flight. So, you go anyway, change your goal of getting a PR, and have fun with your friends who are also in attendance. :-)

My goal was to finish and run as much of the race as possible. I would say that I ran over half (closer to eight miles total, walking about five miles). I was able to do this in just under three hours.

Unfortunately, my legs hurt for a couple of days after the race. At least I was able to walk up and down stairs without pain three days after the race. I probably will do a light workout tonight.

Lessons learned:
- If you're going to do a race ... train!
- It's not really a race to set a PR
- Hot and humid = drink lots and don't forget nutrition.

Here are a few pictures from the weekend

:-)

(Lack of) technology challenge... pt 3 wrap up

I know it's been a little while since I posted about my technology challenge, which wrapped up a week ago. I would have to say all in all, it was difficult. I missed being able to have hot foods when I wanted, partly because it is winter time and I am not very good about making tasty cold food. Had I completed this project in the summer, I think this would have been easier. But, I missed having the ability to cook in the manner that I wanted. It just made cooking more of a chore than I normally see it as.

(Lack of) technology challenge (pt 2): reheating food

Heating a soup should not be too difficult: microwave the soup for about 2 minutes on high, stir, and reheat if needed. If my technology challenge was no microwave or electricity based cooking technology, then I could just use the stove. The reheat time changes from about 2 minutes to about 10 minutes after the soup starts boiling. The result is evenly heated soup that just took longer. But, I didn't decide to take the "easy" route. My technology challenge eliminates both gas and electric powered cooking appliances.

Good thing I have a charcoal grill, but heating soup this way takes a long time. First, you have to set up the grill, which includes setting up the charcoal brickettes, lighting them, and letting them sit until the coals are smoldering and giving a even and consistent amount of heat. Well, admittedly, I am impatient. I started heating the soup before the coals were smoldering. It took roughly 45 minutes from set up until food was ready. Luckily, I had a few crackers on hand to munch on while I waited.t

(Lack of) Technology Challenge Week (pt1)

For my Culture, Technology & Organization class, my first assignment is to choose a technology that I have to live without for a week. Call it a "technology lent". Most people are not using smart phones, going without Google, or going without using debit or credit cards (one guy said people looked at him funny when he used his checkbook at the grocery store).  I've decided to go without any cooking technology that requires electricity or gas. That means no microwave, stove, toaster oven, oven, crock pot, or Keurig. When I mentioned my plan in class, the prof was actually surprised that I would go to the extreme of excluding the stove and oven. Most people would just give up the microwave and rely on the stove to heat food. If I were to only exclude the microwave, I really wouldn't be bothered by it. Having to live without the stove and oven adds a new level of complexity to this challenge.

For the past two days, I took a survey of all the cooking technologies I use and what I use them for. Here's how they break down for each meal.

• Breakfast: Keurig (coffee) and toaster oven (bagel) or microwave (instant oatmeal).
• Lunch: Microwave (reheat left overs from the night before)
• Snack: Microwave - for the few times I heat up edamame for my snacks
• Dinner: Microwave (thaw meats or heat up canned veggies), stove or oven (main cooking).

I haven't fully thought out how I'm going to complete this challenge, especially since I like LOVE to cook. I think this will be a week of salads, sandwiches, and other cold foods.

too late for a "new" year's resolution? Nah

I know it's already Febraury and most people make their resolutions in the first few days of January. But recently, I started a new semester at Mason and a new quarter/semester at work. So, in a way for me, now is a great time to make my resolution or set my goals for 2013. (These are in no particular order)

1. My racing goal this year is pretty straight forward. Participate in three races. The ones I have planned so far are Disney Princess Half Marathon (Feb), Rocket man triathlon (May), and Ragnar (Oct). So, come October, I would have met my goal.

2. Go to the gym 4x/wk. To get ready for said races, I need to go to the gym, go running, or just do something active. I also want to get healthier overall, so exercise is needed.

3. Become a week day vegetarian. This was inspired by a TED talk that I saw not too long ago that I thought was pretty cool. I need to eat better and get more veggies in my diet. So I thought this would be helpful.

4. Stay consistently organized.I am cyclically organized then messy, then organized again. I need to get to a point where I am more organized than messy

5. Grow a vegetable garden in my front yard.