Words for Wednesday : C25K - W1D3

Ugh. Wednesday you middle of the week beast you. 

Why does it take so long for you to show up?  After that warm welcome.. So glad you are here!

 

My vagine still hasn't fully recovered from last week's Spin class.  I don't know if it will ever.  I read on some other blog I was clicking through (sorry I cannot remember..) about how she was going to have to explain to her gyno about why her lady bits were bruised... I completely understand. I was tempted to grab a hand mirror and see if they were discolored!  Sorry.. TMI I am sure..

Since I was not up for another beating, I completed another day of the C25K Program this morning.  I completed W1D3 (week 1 day 3).  And then I stayed on a little longer and increased the incline to 5.  For 5 minutes.  I don't know really what that will do, other than make me work more (which it did).

 

I really do like the handy App that I could download on my iPhone. I think it was originally free and that I paid for the GPS add on feature. It shows that the Ease into 5K, by Bluefin Software is sitting at $2.99. I still think it is worth it.  They have some sort of subscription feature now that does more than I think I need, so I do not pay for it.. but getting little 'badges' is always fun, if that is more motivating to you?  The main things I like about the App, are that it

1. GPS you if you run outside
2. Let's you play your music
3. Tells you when to Run/Walk
4. and has a timer/shows your progress (walk 8 of 9)
5. It keeps track of your pace (with GPS) for your run vs. walk
6. It will track how many calories you burned and weight (accuracy.. I dunno)

I am not that great at keeping track of time, I get lost in lots of random thoughts, and forget to change it up.  Plus the person's voice isn't real demanding or anything.  Well, maybe when I get up to that 20 min run again I will think differently..

At any rate, I did it, I completed about 45 minutes on Mr. Dreadmill, and I lived to tell about it.

 

I would like to say, my gym is not the most AWESOME gym in the world.  My main complaint is that there is ZERO air circulation up in the joint.  Those fans on Mr. Dreadmill?  They are worthless, I can't hardly feel them at all, unless I put my sweaty palms over the vent.  So stupid. I wish they would just put like... 1 fan in off the ceiling.  Or open that door on the 2nd floor where all the cardio equipment is, where I spend most of my time.  I mean really people, the smell of stale sweat is not the most appealing. Maybe that's just me.

 

What you got for me.. any App recommendations? Gym variations?  Good libations? 

Leave me a comment!



Trying out the Blogger App

So, when I was putting in some research on blogs, I wanted to know the best App to help with posting or editing of said blog.

Blogger got the best reviews. Don't get me wrong, it has some negative feedback. Some of the feedback made me wonder what the heck these people were trying to do. I honk they were literally trying to only update or post to their blogs via a mobile device. Which I have no problems with that idea. But I think they didn't want to set up a blog with a laptop/desktop, but instead start the new blog from scratch entirely on the mobile device.

I started my blog on a laptop, so we will see how the posts look as I use the Blogger App. Hey, I might even hate it too!

I am basically just looking for something that maintains the parameters I already set for blog posts so I can be super savvy and blog on the go.

I just added a photo, and I am pretty sure it will just add it to the end o the post. Which I guess is fine. I am pretty darn sure though, that I could just go on later and move said photo to a position in the post that I more favor.

The photo is of one of the last of the stargazer lilies that popped back up this year. The Boyfriend and I didn't plant or tend to the garden this year, and I just kind of said whatever happens, happens. So it is filled with weeds, the raspberry and blackberry bushes, a couple of rhubarb plants, about 5 satgazand and a couple of baby trees. I think once they are done blooming, I am going to dig up the garden, and lay a black piece of vinyl or tarp over it and try to kill everything.

Do you have any suggestions for a mobile blogging tool? It suggestions on how to regain control of an out of control garden? Do share!!

HeartBeat 5000!

The 10th Annual HeartBeat 5000 took place today.  The money raised helps support the cardiac care program and efforts at Children's Hospital of Minnesota. 

How did I get roped into this one, and more importantly - how did my good friend D? Well, my company is a partner sponsor, and it was offering free race fee.  I went to the site to see about signing up, and yes, I did fill out the info, but it hadn't asked for payment info.  Which yes, would make sense since my employer said they would pay.  But I wasn't thinking, I hit next, and BAM! I am signed up.  And so I text my good friend D, and says, please tell me you have nothing going on, on this date, and that you are completely interested in participating in two 5K's in 7 days.. told her to use this code to get signed up for free.  She half reluctantly agreed, and signed up to take on the HeartBeat 5000.

Side note: My company is one of the partner sponsors.  I would like to point out, we did not have company t-shirts on.  Which is HIGHLY interesting, as the Big 3 medical device manufactures were present, and 2 out of the 3 were very well represented. 

The HeartBeat 5000 had t-shirts.  So, no worries, I still got one, that I will not wear - ever.

Not really sure what my deal is, I do not want to do a race with out a t-shirt, or other fun little perks.  But I have no care to actually put the t-shirt on.  I figure eventually, I will take that collection of technical and t-shirts and make one of those fancy shirt quilts.  Let me just say, I have never made a quilt.  But it can't be that hard, right?

So did the race, used my handy Couch to 5K app on my nifty iPhone.  And according to that map of my 'run', it puts the distance at 3.43 miles, which is .33 miles too far that what I signed up for.  My average pace was set at 12:53/mile - so that was pretty cool!!! :)  *for a non runner*  But it was warm.

I am not going to lie, the end - SUCKED.  It was on the Stone Arch Bridge, and it was still open to the public, which included, a pack of bicycles, and a Segway tour.  So freaking annoying.  Dodging random pedestrians, bikers, dogs, leashes, Segway tours.. are you kidding me?  Really annoying.

AND also, there were warm waters available at the end.  SUPER!

The view from the bridge.

On a high note though, on the walk back to my friend's car, there was a garage sale.  I 'heart' garage sales.  Many a stories of riding around in my grandma's station wagon garage sailing. :)   BUT - at this garage sale, there was a double papasan chair!  And I had seen this on the internet, where you change the papasan chair into a canopy! WAY cool.  We were in my good friend's convertable, so we put it on it.  I scored the chair frame for 3 dollars. Super cool!

What's not cool, is that it turns out that chair would not fit in my car, no matter how we tried to work it.  The chair is wider than my car.. oy.. BUT, crisis averted, as my friend drove me to my house to drop off the frame, and then drive me back to my car so she could get back to her place and continue on her way.

So, one day, I will get around to making the canopy... but for now it takes up space in me and and the Boyfriend's basement of the duplex we rent.

We will see when I get around to it.. sorry Boyfriend.

Cold Brewed Coffee!

I have a new obsession.  I will admit it.  It is borderline cRaZy.  But, I am okay with it, because it also saves me a couple of greenbacks a week.  Okay.  Honestly, about $20 a week.  Which is uber ridiculous.  I know.

Please note, both are not mine! One is the Boyfriend's.

See, I drink what I would call 'fake' coffee drinks.  I go to the Caribou, or Starbucks and order a mocha of some sort, lately it's been over ice. At Caribou it's a White Northern Lite Mocha - no whip.  Or at Starbucks I get a Mocha Frappuccino.  I generally will go to Caribou though, not sure why, maybe because it is sweeter. 

But my problem comes in, that I will stop 3-4 times a week. In my city, I pay $4.70 a pop.  And that is too much to be wasting a week; I would rather buy shoes or something more fun, and lasts longer.

So I was floating around trying to find a way to make something as enjoyable at home.  I found this blog, but there are tons out there with a recipe.  And they all pretty much follow the recipe published in the New York Times.

People say cold brewed is better for you, as it it is less acidic.  I say okay...?  Whatever that means.  The coffee does taste better than the made in a coffee maker, and cooled coffee.  There is a different flavor in it.  I am serious!

My dad quit drinking coffee because he wasn't enjoying the flavor any more.  I didn't know that, and brought him some when I went to the Patriot Ride (post can be found here).  He was quite surprised that it was Folger's cold brewed coffee, as Folger's was his brand he drank, and he said his didn't taste like this.. :)

I like Snapguide.  It's an app for my nifty iPhone.  It hasn't really caught on I don't think.  They have a little fine tuning to do, but I hope it does catch on.  You can make step by step guides in a SNAP! :)

You can see the guide that I created here if you would like, but it is pretty basic.

You will need a large container, preferably with a cover. A strainer, a coffee filter or two, a large bowl for the strainer to sit in, filtered water and your favorite blend coffee of course!



Basically everything you need!

The recipe:

1 cup of coffee, ground

4 1/2 cups of filtered water

Put them together in a container, stir them up to make sure all of the grounds are wet, set it on the counter for 8-12 hours.  I do this while I sleep, and in the morning, I set up the strainer, put a coffee filter in it, and strain it. 

AND Boom! Coffee is ready to enjoy.  But not straight - are you nuts?! This is a highly concentrated mixture!!



Mix it half and half with water-milk, cream what have you, and enjoy with ice.  The NYTimes says you can heat it/add hot water to it, but I am currently not interested in trying it that way.  I fill the cup about half way with ice, dump the coffee mixture in about 3/4 full, put some milk, and about 1/16 cup of Italian Sweet Cream Coffee mate.



Hello lovely!

I am not going to lie, it is kind of nice to come home in the morning after a 'run', grab a shower, get ready for work, dump this together and head off to work.  I will literally head to bed looking forward to the morning, because I know I will be enjoying this!

Hope you try it - SOON!