Hi I'm 340 calories.....

would you still eat me?  I'm fat free though.....

(photo courtesy of MSNBC)

I was reading some news headlines today and came across a few articles about the new regulations in NYC regarding nutrition information.  Chain restaurants have to post calories alongside items on their menus.  You can read one of the articles here.  

Would actually seeing the calories you are about to eat stop you?  Its one thing to have it on the side of a box.... where you have to actually pick up the box and turn it to that side to read it.... in this case, its staring right back at ya..... saying hello!  Plus eating out is where many of us fall off the healthy eating wagon, often eating food we would never make at home or never prepare that way at home (ex. fried food).  

Personally I wish more places did this.  Its so hard to calculate the calories in restaurant food.  Although I rarely eat at chain restaurants, it would be nice to at least have a ballpark idea of what the calorie count is.   Although I wonder when they will start fudging and saying that what they serve you is actually 1.5 servings or 2 servings.   

What are your thoughts on this?  Good?  Bad? You are smarter than me and can figure out how many calories there are already in food when you eat out?  ;-)

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I have to briefly revisit my road race directing glory.....  at least I'm feeling more glorious about it.  Here are a few pictures snapped by others of the start.

Look at all those fast people.......

See they are a blur once they get going.....

Even thest people are a blur.....

Yay!  So now I'm inspired to volunteer at more races too!  Figure its helpful to the race and it will be helpful for me to see how others coordinate volunteers and handle logistics.  The weekend after the NYC marathon I'll be volunteering at a local 1/2 marathon!  :)

Now on to FOOD!

Lunch time I headed home to walk the pooch.  My lunch consisted of leftovers from last night. 

LUNCH

-sandwich thin w/ leftover haddock, greens & some soft herbed cheese

-leftover soycutash w/ feta 

Then it was back to work.  Needed an afternoon snack..... 

Strawberry Chobani & granola

At work today I got my flu shot.  Regular flu shot, not a swine flu one. My arm is a little sore, but I'm glad I got it.  I usually get one and they have managed to keep me healthy through flu season, so I'm a believer!

After work I headed home.  Reggie and I went for a walk.  I started some laundry and finally got around to swapping out some of the pots on our entry stairs with hearty fall plants.  The summer ones were looking a bit scraggly and after a few more nights of frost they were going to be toast.  So I changed them to mums, kale & cabbage.  By the time I was done it was a wee bit dark so no pictures.  :(

I got caught up on So You Think You Can Dance and made some dinner.  Where was that show when I was little miss dancer back in high school, I would have tried out in a heart beat.... I was running from one class to another for awhile... ballet, tap, jazz, modern... ah those were the days. 

Anyhow.... dinner.

DINNER

-sauteed chicken with mexican seasoning

-ww tortilla

-salsa

-mexican shredded cheeses

-plain Oikos 

And a Pumpkinhead Ale.  :)

In case anyone missed it, I'm in search of vegetarian chili recipes.... got one you love and want to share???

Have a great night!

Britt

Rainy dreary day....

Good morning!!

Its a rainy chilly day here.  Very glad I don't have to go run in this, instead it was a kettlebell morning!

Todays Workout

-warm up

-Go heavy!

  5 overhead presses with the bar + 20 lbs

  30 swings w/26kg or 60lbs

  We did this with a partner so while one worked the other rested.  Kept repeating until 20      minutes was up.  

-abs & stretching

Got home showered up and grabbed a glass of good ol' OJ.  :)

Enjoyed my OJ while I prepped my breakfast that I will eat at work.  This cooler weather definitely has me on an oatmeal kick!

BREAKFAST

-1/3 c oats, couple tablespoons of Multi Grain Hot Cereal for variety

-1T almond butter

-1T ground flax

-1T chopped walnuts

-couple T of magical maple granola

The granola is from a local health food store.... basic bulk granola, its pretty tastey though!
Hoping today goes by quickly.... of course now that I said that it won't!  I want to get home and work on the whole.... "what do I want to do with my life" issue.  Nothing heavy at all.  ;-)

I am also looking forward to this weekend, we have some fun stuff planned including a friend's Chilifest party.  Got any great vegetarian chili recipes???  They always do a contest and it seems like the vegetarian category always has some slim pickings.  So I thought I'd go that route.  I'd love to hear about your favorite recipes!

Have a great day!!

Britt

Payback for a late night......

Yawn....

I think my late night last night has caught up with me.  I'm tired!

Hope y'all had a good day. 

On my way home at lunch time I thought I'd snap a few pictures of one of the places my crew plants & maintains downtown. 

This is an old fountain that leaks, so we put plants in it!

Yay!  Pretty mums, also I'm happy that some of my summer plantings are still going strong at the lower level.  I really need to split those monstrous hostas sometime. 

Once home I made myself some lunch.....

LUNCH

-sandwich thin w/ turkey, provolone, hummus and greens

-side of roasted sweet potatoes & brussel sprouts

While I was home I responded to some more post race emails and caught up on tweets & facebook updates.  I feel so far behind, my iphone has no service at work..... as I'm not really suppose to use my work computer for that stuff.  :(

Back at work I had a mid afternoon snack of yogurt.

TJ's Mocha.... interesting flavor, I think I like it.  Needed some granola mixed in though!

After work I was a woman on a mission.... had to get my run in!

So I suited up and was off on a 6 mile run, I didn't wear a watch though, it was suppose to be a relaxing run..... although I felt great a few times during my run and pushed the pace a bit.  On my way home I swung by my in-law's to pick up Reggie.  Reggie & I walked home from there. 

The hubby wanted to go for a walk too, so we headed out again for about a 2 mile walk through town.  I was STARVING by the time we got back. 

DINNER

-baked haddock w/ panko crumbs, lemeon juice and some seafood seasoning

-left over roasted sweet potatoes and brussle sprouts

-TJ's frozen Soycutash (corn, red pepper & soybeans), I added a little feta to it

-Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale.... YUM!

The haddock was from a local fish seller that promotes locally harvested seafood.  I love that the CSA idea is being translated into the fisheries, you can actually buy a share of seafood during a particular season.... we haven't done this yet but I'm tempted.

Well.... I wanted to do some volunteer oportunity hunting.... but my eyes are getting heavy.  I think an early bed time is needed, especially with 6am kettlebell in the morning!

Do you have a tv in your bedroom? We do, although sometimes I think it would be better if we didn't, too easy to get caught up in shows and not get sleep!

Goodnight!

Britt

Dirty stay up.....

I was bad and stayed up way too late last night..... I got home from school board around 9:30 and then I decided to get caught up on a couple shows on Tivo and read a few blogs, something I haven't done in AGES!

So my run today will have to wait till later. 

I have my breakfast packed for work, it looks so yummy!

BREAKFAST

-oats made w/ .5 c almond milk, .5c water

-mix-ins: apple, maple granola, ground flax, chopped walnuts and almond butter

On tap for today's run is 6 miles.  It will be a leisurely six, since I did my 20+ mile run on Sunday.  I decided to take yesterday morning off from Kettlebell and sleep in, but since the rest of my day was jam packed I couldn't find any time for it.  

I decided not to run for school board again, so my term will be up the end of the year!  I have other areas of my life that I want to focus on, including what I want to do professionally.  Taking a step back and figuring out how best to focus my volunteer efforts to achieve my ultimate goal seems to make the most sense to me right now.  

Have you ever made a career change?  Do you want to make a career change?  How did you approach going about it?

Have a great day!!!

Britt

Running races.....

Running them.... as in directing one!  :-)

Running them.... as in running one.  ;-)

Sorry for my lack of blogging!  It was a crazy busy weekend.  Between the race, my dad visiting and running a half marathon plus a few extra miles. 

Friday

-was up early for 6am Kettlebell

-then took the day off from work to prep for the race

-got race bibs in order, picked up last minute race prizes, organized everything....

-at 5pm I set up registration downtown as there was a concert in the part as part of the weekend festival

-LOTS of folks showed up for bib & t-shirt pickup, plus more registered!

-more race prep and then to bed by 11pm

Saturday

-up at 4am!  and it is raining :(   oh well.

-on the road by 4:30am, putting out signs on the course

-headed to the office to prep post race refreshments

-then packed up and headed to the registration area

-set up registration, got sponsor signs up, put up the start & finish signs, and set up the food for after the race

-7am volunteers arrived for assignments, I had about 40 of them helping out!

-then racers started to arrive!!!

Rainy registration....

All was going well but.... where was my timing company!!!  ack!  I called, got a machine.  Finally they arrived less than a half hour before the start.  I was annoyed but glad we didn't have to go with a backup plan.  

Next thing I knew it was 8:30 and my racers were off!!!

After having a little moment (eek!), I headed to the finish and started to prep, prizes, food, etc.   Next thing I knew the first runner was coming in, finishing under 16 minutes!

All went really smooth. 

Except....

For that stupid timing company!!!  

They. Took. Forever. 

I actually am still waiting for them to clean things up.  It is a company that I am very familiar with from doing local races, never had any issues..... lucky me, I got the timing team with issues.  I almost had a mini meltdown waiting for results.  I had gone to great lengths to get great prizes for my age group winners and the results took so long, and were still with mistakes, that many people left before we were able to give the prizes out.  :(

Despite the timing issues, people were giving me great reviews of the race... course was challenging but good, loved the shirts, great prizes, good post race refreshments, etc.  So what was within my control the day of the race went well.   So I guess I should consider it a success, especially for the first year!  So over 300 people registered and 250 finishers!  (a few no shows with the rain)  

I am so excited for next year!!  :)

I'll skip the rest of Saturday... it involved clean up, catching up with friends, napping and then dinner. 

Sunday

-up at 6:30am  (no rest for the weary)

-off to the beach at 7:30am

-arrived and got my bib & chip for the half marathon at 10am

-headed off for 7 miles, accidentally ran 8.5 miles (had to run 20 miles)

-met up with friends and headed to the start of the half marathon

-off and running, we kept a moderate pace.... I ran with my friend Tom

-finished in about 1:48.... not my worst but not my fastest

-post race refreshments involved BEER, so me and my beer buddy grabbed one.....

My MOM! (us before our beer)

My mom rocks as usual.  She ran my 5K race on Saturday and then the half marathon on Sunday, yay mom!!!

So hopefully you are still reading.  Sorry so long.  Guess that's the problem when I don't blog for a few days. 

But YAY, I am officially a race director!!!  :)  I've been wanting this race at this festival for YEARS and I finally made it happen with LOTS of help from some great people!!!!!  (thank you mom, Elizabeth, Michelle, Micaela, and everyone else)

Hope y'all had a great weekend too!

Britt

Lots of running around... but no running....

Busy day!   

I wanted to blog this morning, but just no time.  So evening is all you get.  ;-)

I packed up my breakfast this morning to bring to work. 

I've been on an oats kick this week.  Must be the cool weather that has moved into New England.

BREAKFAST

-oats: 1/2 c oats, 1/2 c almond milk, 1/2 c water

-toppings: apple, dried cranberries, walnuts, almond butter

At lunch time I headed home to walk Reggie.  It was cool enough at lunch time I had to keep my jacket on.  Ack.... back to weather where a jacket is a necessity and not an accessory, boo hoo. 

LUNCH

-ww tortilla, hummus, apple (yes still on the apple kick), little mozzarella cheese

Then I took some TJ's pirates booty to snack on at work.....

After work I stopped by the hubby's office to work on the road race stuff.  After about 2 hours of that I finally headed home to make dinner. 

I apparently was a bit wrapped up in stuff as I totally forgot to take a picture of dinner. 

DINNER

-grilled chicken

-TJ's mushroom risotto

-sauteed baby bok choy

-ciabatta bread

With all of the craziness I didn't get my run in :(  

I'm going to try to squeeze in some speed work tomorrow at some point.  I hope.  I will be happy when the race is over, the festival is over and things go back to "normal".  

So once dinner clean up was done, I made another mess prepping making tomorrow night's dinner.  Since we will be busy with registration and a concert tomorrow night, as part of the festival, we won't have much time to eat.  So I made some easy to re-heat food.....

LASAGNA!

Its not the heathiest recipe in the world.... but I trimmed it down where I could without sacraficing too much flavor.  I used TJ's Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage, ww pasta, some part skim cheese. Also I prefer to use the Newman's Own Cabernet Tomato Sauce.

Onions, mushrooms, italian chicken sausage, garlic, spices and wine.... smelled so good!

I took it out before it got too brown, I figure it will brown up a bit when we heat it up tomorrow night.  But it smells so good.  

I'm letting it cool a bit, throwing it in the fridge and then hitting the hay.  

Tomorrow is all about road race prep!  Getting racers, numbers, t-shirts all organized.  Getting the spreadsheet together for timing company.  Laminating signs that will give runners directions on where to go.  Organizing all the prizes and gathering any last minute supplies.  The weather unfortunately is not looking all that great, but despite the forecast we still have applications coming in!  I hope we will hit 300 runners.  Not too shabby for a first year race!!

What makes a race for you?  What gets you to come back again next year?

Have a great night!

Britt

Applemania!

Ahh fun night!  I'm sure I'll get more great pictures from the other ladies later on but I'll share the few I snapped. 

But first, remember my packed lunch from earlier today.....

Well I spruced it up with some brussel sprouts and broccoli at work.  Yum. Much better.

After work I ran some errands.  Grabbed some supplies for the road race, I felt a little sketchy about my purchases..... duct tape, 200 feet of rope and tent stakes.....  

Then I stopped by the grocery store.... again, to grab some pears for the recipe I found for ladies' night.  On my way home I stopped to trim up some hostas in the planter downtown, just cut back their flower stems so you can see some mums that we planted.

Changed and freshened up and was off to ladies night.  Soon my friend Aviva's house was a flurry of activity......  Lots of apple chopping going on!  I should have taken a picture of all the apples (I'm a bad blogger).  She had 3 huge buckets of them, a bucket of each variety.  They were all so yummy!

I started off as bartender but then Amy here got adventurous and tried her hand at it.  The results were delicious!

Caramel apple martinis!

My contribution to the meal was broiled apples & pears with rosemary. 

They smelled awesome and tasted great!  I would highly recommend it, especially since it is a quick, easy and simple recipe. 

Another martini.   ;-)

Plus so me water.

DINNER

-pork roasted with apples, onions & cider

-broiled apples & pears

-pumpkin/cheddar cranberry ravioli w/a maple pecan cream sauce to which we added apples (this was a bit of a cheat as it wasn't from scratch, instead its from a local pasta company.  They make awesome pasta & sauces, Terra Cotta Pasta Company, so good though!!!)

Not the most colorful meal, but it was extremely flavorful.  We all definitely enjoyed ourselves and the wonderful apples from Aviva's house!

My camera forgot to come out for dessert..... oops. 

But we enjoyed a delicious apple crisp w/ vanilla ice cream.  The perfect ending to our apple themed dinner.  Ahhh.......

It was great to hang with the ladies and catch up.  We haven't done one our ladies's nights since July and even then it was a small crew.  Life gets so busy and we get wrapped up in all the craziness of it.....  it feels so great to take a break and have some belly laughs with friends.  Going to bed happy for many great reasons..... I know I'll be stressed again tomorrow, but I'll hang out in my happy place for now.  Plus the race will soon be done and tomorrow is my "Friday" so that I can be free to work on last minute race details on Friday (and get my haircut). 

When was the last time you connected with good friends and had some belly laughs?

Have a great night!!

Britt