The Shmidts

Looking for a fun Top Chef-like event? Try the Hills Market

2012-01-25T12:48:00.001-08:00

Oscar Dinner | 6:30 p.m. | $45

This dinner, served in our Wine Department, is a compilation of courses inspired by all ten 2011 Oscar Nominees for Best Picture. This evening will feature five courses, four wines and three film critics: John DeSando, co-host of WCBE's It's Movie Time, Cinema Classics, and On the Marquee, Johnny DiLoretto co-host of WCBE's Cinema Classics and entertainment reporter for Fox 28, and Kristin Dreyer Kramer, co-host of WCBE's It's Movie Time and On the Marquee and editor-in-chief of NightsAndWeekends.com.

Tuesday like part 2

2012-01-24T17:28:00.000-08:00

Favorite Tuesday likey part 2

Love Clinique's blush stick! It's awesome for busy days or post-workout. Love! Especially in the winter when your skin is drier.

Luna Bars are great if you need to get a healthy quick snack!

Buik Candy at Yutzy's or Cheese house. Candy for 2.00? I'm in like flint.

Tuesday likey

2012-01-24T16:56:00.000-08:00

Feeling blah?

Make this Tuesday likey recipe--Paula Deen's concoction for a yum strawberry sorbet. I used frozen strawberries and fresh lime and it was fresh and yum on a winter day. Use your Cuisinart ($50) ice cream machine maker to make it smooth and creamy and freeze with plastic wrap on top before serving (at least a good 3-4 hours prior to serving).

It's Tuesday, which means a rather blah night for TV, preschool for Ava cakes this morning, and the gym with my little buddy Sophia. I had a great time at the gym, and got in some swim workouts, including working on my breathing (tend to inhale water), power per stroke, and not getting a mouthful of water from the guy swimming like a freakin shark next to me. He was literally making big waves in the water that I got to swim through.

Waves+water=open water tri practice. ha.

I still feel like being prego and doing any exercise can be frustrating.

You cramp if you go too fast. Your poor legs remember their 8-9 min pace and want to go there and sadly they can't. And you want to beat that wave making guy in the next lane and you can't because you get cramps. But, it feels so good after a good workout. Did 650-700 yards and felt good since it was a mental thing of remembering what I was working on from my last session.

I also ran 3.2 miles last night outside in shorts! Shorts I tell you. In the middle of January and it was bliss.

Baby is 24 weeks tomorrow! Feeling good and just get tired after a long day. This week marks our 6 month! Very exciting. Our next doctors appointment will be the glucose test. Gained two pounds this week alone. Whew. Brandon says he can tell my belly is an inch bigger.

Brandon is busy at work and running and maybe thinking about doing the Cap City Half. We are also busy helping out with the Vista Worthington church plant. It's been cool to see how God works things out every Sunday. It's been a really awesome experience.

Ava loves her preschool and loves to show me everything she is doing with her class. Her birthday is this weekend so we are taking in goodie bags for her class. She also has a ballet party, Barbie and the Three Musketeers, on Sunday. She loves to act like she is riding horses or is a big girl. She is really practical and a big helper. Some of her tasks now are washing off the table, turning off TV, lights before we leave or helping me sort laundry.

Sophia is our little clown and literally makes Brandon and I laugh all of the time. She is funny and cheerful most of the time and will share anything. She loves to mimic me and say, "My belly hurts," or "What's that noise?" or "No fair!," with her little pout (that makes me laugh inside). They are really best friends and play together so well and just go up to their rooms and play for hours sometimes. It's kind've making me spoiled. What is going to happen when Ryder shows up and needs 24/7 attention? Sophia is really good at putting her plate away after dinner and helping me cook. The girls really both love to help me cook.

They also love their gymnastic classes on Friday with Coach Karen. Sophia loves to do somersaults and Ava is working on her roundoff.

Have a great week!

Chicken pot, chicken pot, chicken pot pie!!

2012-01-19T12:00:00.000-08:00

Don't you love to try new fruit? Especially in the winter when everything is blah? The girls and I got some blood oranges last week and had them and they were good! They were purplish/orange and tasted more like grapefruit than oranges. Soph ate them and Ava and Brandon were leery of the color.

Pier One had some cute large white ramekins for 2.50. I purchased four for indiv. chicken pot pies that I saw on the Barefoot Contessa. You could also do individual lasagnas as well. We had the Coffey's over for dinner so I tried it out then. The adults got large ramekins and the smaller ramekins were for the kids.

Chicken Pot Pie!

preheat oven to 400

I used Martha Stewart pie crust recipe
Sauce-a half broth/bechamel (2 table butter, 2 table flour f0r a roux then add 2 cups broth and stir and cook for 10 minute add 1 cup of heavy cream, with a dash of lemon juice, nutmeg and a bay leaf steeped in it. Season with salt, pepper.
For the filling I used sautéed carrots, celery, onions, parboiled potatoes and sweet potatoes, frozen peas and corn for the kids and cooked chicken breast (bone-in chicken breast seasoned with olive oil, kosher salt, pepper, bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes then tear apart. Don't use boneless chicken breast as it can be dry).
Fill ramekins and make circle and add little pie crust overhang so that they will completely cover ramekins. Make a little slit on top, brush with milk and add a sprinkle of kosher salt, opt. Put on a baking sheet and cook until middle of crust is completely cooked, around 50-55 min. Let cool for 10 min. Enjoy!
Can also make veggie with veggie stock and veggie filling or adding beans.

Swim class!

2012-01-19T11:31:00.000-08:00

I kind've feel like Ava and Soph as I had my first adult tri swim class yesterday at 7 am. I used some of my bday money to schedule a coaching session with Tracy who coaches at Aquatic Adventures. I had some great advice from my friend Heather on swimming and swimming in open water and thought it would be good to get some more lessons under my belt.

The Healthy Tipping Point blog has a great series on tris and all three disciplines, including swimming here.

On Wed., I got to the pool around 6:50 am and was a little intimidated after seeing an ironman water bottle at the end of one of the laps of the group exercise class prior to my session.

Tracy was great at talking about the basics and helping me to learn how to effectively exhale in the water, inhale out of the water, stroke basics and kicking. I pretty much unlearned everything I had been doing and worked on making sure both of my arm strokes were "awake" as my left arm was barely working. Also, I guess I was kicking too much and not using my arm stroke to propel me forward.

As a stay at home mom, it was really nice to get out that early and have a chance to work on a hobby. And Tracy was a great coach!

Who I would recommend a coaching session to:

Anyone wanting to really enjoy swimming laps and increase their endurance
Sprint/Olympic/Half/Full IM/interested people
Beginner swimmers wanting to learn how to swim with maximum efficiency
Advanced swimmers wanting to become more confident in long swim
Great for pregos who have to find alternative ways to exercise or injured runners/bikers
For the price ($50/hour or $60/two similar swimmers/hour) I felt like I really got my money's worth as I learned so much from her than almost 6 months of swimming and reading articles on the internet.

Working out is still going really great this week. I ran 3 miles Monday, 3 miles Tuesday/weights, Wed swim class. Running while prego is def. doable and is easier outside where it's cooler. The gym is so hot right now. Literally. :)

Bday weekend !

2012-01-15T17:56:00.001-08:00

So I turned 34! gulp, last Friday the 13th. It was a really nice bday week (yes, bday week around here) with dessert with friends, dinner with family prepared by mom (so good) and dutch blitz, dinner with Brandon and a shopping and lunch date with Ann. It was a great week. Kind've sad it's over. But it's nice to have a slower week and relax and nest/organize the pantry as inspired by the House of Smith blog.

On my actual bday, I dropped the girls at my mom and dads house for the night and they had a blast. Doing things like hanging out with their cousins Ethan and Charlotte (these pics are from yesterday) and getting waffles and ham. Um, their fav.

I met Brandon for a pre-dinner coffee since we were 20 min early and then we headed over to Tucci's (entrance photo). It was so beautiful and relaxed and we were seated right away. And it's our fav. place to eat. We started with the server's suggestion, mussels in a light tomato broth, and they were amazing. I was dredging up the broth with my sour dough bread. Brandon was in the mood for a pizza and salad and I wanted a full out bday dinner so I ordered the short ribs in the kona coffee sauce with sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts. We both had the house salad with their homemade shallot dressing. I once got the recipe out of the server. :)

I loved the food and especially loved the french silk pie Brandon had the server bring out for dessert. The chocolate was a definite craving I had! After dinner we went to our first IMAX movie and watched Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. It was awesome with the IMAX screening. Kind've want to watch every movie that way. We made sure to sit in the middle so that it wouldn't be too loud for the baby. I included a photo from outside Starbucks since I didn't take a 22 week prego shot. The pre-prego black coat is starting to fill out and pop my buttons. :

23 weeks

This week I am 23 weeks. Brandon and I have started organizing around the house, talking about having the girls take a big sister birth class and planned some baby purchases. I also went baby shopping with Ann and got the cutest boy outfits. We are talking tons of blue baby.

I am still having the round ligament pain and the update says to expect the baby to double in weight over the next four weeks. So those pounds I was gaining wasn't because of the half pan of cinnamon rolls I devoured. Nice to know....I am craving sweets baby. I made Martha Stewart's brownies from her classic blue recipe book and they were...i.n.s.a.n.e. Brandon laughed because I asked him 4 times how much he liked them. Cinnamon rolls, brownies, cookies, donuts, I could marry you all.

Fresh face

2012-01-11T05:32:00.001-08:00

With the new year upon us, resolutions abound. Just going to the gym shows how many people want to look their best, shape up and make a change.

I was swimming laps yesterday and had to wait almost five minutes for a lane. It was crazy. It's never that busy. The treadmills are packed, the weight room is busy as well as the nursery. I am secretly glad that people do those resolutions if only for their opportunity to see how amazing working out can be--both mentally and physically.

Yesterday I swam about 500 yards and worked on my flip turn, pretty much sucking in as much water as possible. It wasn't pretty and at one point I hoped the lifeguard didn't think she had to rescue me as I downed water from the turn like it was my job. If you want to learn more about doing a flip turn, check this out.

After I get out of the water, for some reason my face is usually totally makeup free and it's sometimes intimidating to have no cover up on like these famous stars here.

Today we are going to the library, making some tortilla soup from my fav Barefoot Contessa and facing my nemesis--the laundry.

House of Shmidts..

2012-01-10T05:26:00.000-08:00

I love discovering new blogs that pack loads of fun information into their space--home, family, MAC makeup, which is why I found the House of Smith blog so entertaining. They focus on decorating on a budget and feature product reviews and photography tutorials.

Our iPhones have the Instagram app and HOS featured StickyGrams, a company that turns Instagram photos into magnets for around 14.99/9 pictures. A great birthday idea or just fun thinking of you present.

Funday Monday

2012-01-09T05:48:00.000-08:00

My first fire! We had hot dogs and chicken sausages.

Ava and Sophia's favorite thing was riding their bikes around a loop that is at Glacier Ridge Park. Saturday morning I had about 30 minutes to drive and get in a quick 2 miles before I was meeting Becca at Piada. The weather was gorg. So beautiful with the clear sky and relatively warm (50) temps so I called Brandon and we decided to have him cycle to the park (20 miler) and we would meet him with food and hot chocolate.

I used to wonder why people used the bbqs at parks when they had them at home. But just getting out in nature and being surrounded by the beautiful park made you feel like you were on vaca.

Besides hot dogs and sausages we had strawberries, hot chocolate, roasted marshmallows and had chocolate chip cookies that we warmed up on the grill. Such a great memory snapshot.

Brandon really enjoyed biking and then having dinner at the end. Now if I can only save up my 600-plus dollars for a bike to join him. :) I am on the way, currently I have $100, so 1/6 of the way there.

Oh, and on the way home the girls were pooped. Ava kept saying, "Best day at the park ever!" and Sophia loved riding her little trike all around the circle and even rode it into the bathrooms. She's becoming such a little comic. She always makes me and Brandon laugh with her funny sayings and her little spunk. Ava is so good on her bike and I bet it won't be long before she gets rid of her trainers.

Happy Monday!

What was something fun you did over the weekend?

Erin

Empty Fridge Giveaway winner

2012-01-05T13:42:00.000-08:00

Okay. Big fail. I announce a contest and then wait two weeks to post the winner. But in my defense the holidays and a broken keyboard sidelined my blogging attempts.

The winner was LaRonda Stauffer! She wins a five dollar gift card to Starbucks for her comment.

Today we had a great day. It started off a little later than usual, but we got Ava to school only 10 minutes late since we had slept in (always okay when you are pregnant.:) Soph and I went to the gym and I ran 4.2 miles and then did some free weights. While running, I was not into it at all until Owl City came on my Pandora. I love when songs motivate you to run longer.

I posted some early December photos like when my awesome brother helped us add sconces by the fireplace. After trying four different types of lights, we found these at Home Depot and Luke and Brandon both liked them. Sophia had a birthday and turned 3! She loved getting money from Aunt Rachel and Uncle Myles. And then we found out in early December that we were having a boy! We visited First Expressions at Polaris to do a private screening in a room with a big movie theater screen. The experience was extra special since I had been so nauseous 24/7.

Seeing our baby boy was just a big relief and made it real for the girls. At first the tech was not able to spot anything, while I could plainly "see" what we were having. So I was somewhat disappointed when she said we would have to come back in two weeks until another tech walked in and said she was 100 percent positive we were having a boy.

21 week update

Feeling really good! Sometimes I get tired at night and take more naps, but I am still running and eating normal foods. Baby boy is a straight up kicker. He kicks hard and it hurts. But, thankful that I am feeling good. Belly also is stretching out and getting bigger. This week baby boy is the size of a banana. And almost 1 pound.

Cravings-hmm. I crave chocolate and fruit. And of course the ginger salad from House of Japan. Mmm.

Last minute gift ideas

2011-12-18T14:47:00.001-08:00

How adorable are these polaroid fridge mags from Ambrosia Creative? Love! I want to do this with our new family pics that Jess took last week. Also, Walgreens is having a special right now on their photo orders. We got our Christmas cards and photos for 37 percent off and saved almost $40! Use 37OFF20 code at checkout.

Enjoy!

Also, the Empty Fridge Winner will be announced early this week!

Empty fridge meal contest

2011-12-13T16:19:00.000-08:00

Soo...what to make for dessert when your oven coils break and are being shipped by Dec. 21? Yes, that's right no oven until Dec. 21.

Well, today I made some no-bake cookies with crunchy peanut butter and yesterday I made my grandma's fudge with 70 percent cocoa and semi-sweet chocolate. Both were amazing.

Brandon jokes that it's like I am on Top Chef where they keep taking away your appliances mid-way through a cooking test. So far I have made beef stew with our local beef (and I substituted a little Coke instead of wine/beer and it was divine. I adapted the famous Julia Child beef bourguignon recipe and didn't use mushrooms or carrots and instead used sweet potatoes in place of carrots. Mmm. Brandon loved it and the girls liked the steak although it was wasted on Sophia who is not feeling that good right now.

Also we had stuffed ricotta shells with homemade pasta sauce that I made in a 12-inch skillet, pizza toasts today in the skillet, and we are toasting english muffins in the skillet for breakfast, which according to Rhulman are how they really are made.

Picture from Rhulman's site

Which brings it all back to how much of a better cook you can become when forced to improvise. I mean some of my favorite recipes have come about on those empty fridge days, including my family's favorite--roasted spicy cauliflower. Roast cauliflower, butter, chopped garlic, red pepper flakes and kosher salt in oven at 350 until roasted. mmm.

I dare you to try to use what you have in your fridge and pantry and to try to make some new items from scratch this week. With careful planning it can be done!

When making something new:

Have your mis en place in order (everything measured and cut)
Use your imagination
Try reading cooking blogs like Ruhlmans that makes things from scratch or KERF or other blogs.
Reread your kitchen's cookbooks.
Find out the right cooking technique for a stew (dutch ovens are amazing) or how to properly cook your recipe right then mess around later with adding on. A great item I learned to cook was steak and then salmon. Many times I will reread the recipe for a couple of days to learn the steps. Then, I don't have to rely on the recipe and can do it by memory later on.

What are some of your favorite empty fridge meals? There is a $5 Starbucks card to one lucky random commenter. Comments will be done by Friday, Dec. 16!!!

Keeping it real

2011-12-09T05:37:00.000-08:00

Mom Devos

I just saw this devotional suggested for me on Amazon.com and loved the first part of it! It's about motherhood and written by Jen Hatmaker in Austin, Tx.

I can relate with her first part of the story of a disastrous school day, when Ava was the only kid not dressed for her Halloween parade. I literally got her dressed quickly in the bathroom and left for the gym feeling the mom fail as all of the other girls were beautifully dressed as princesses and my little Ava didn't want me even touching her hair. Her Ariel outfit was missing so she had to dress as a cowgirl, which she fought me all the way. It was a bad day that at the time seemed so much more worse than it was. I left the school almost crying as I watched other parents gathering in the students rooms (didn't know this was scheduled either) for a class party.

Being a mom is tough and you are not always going to have "perfect kids" or "perfect moments." Good reminder to this perfection-minded mom.

Running streak

2011-12-09T04:49:00.000-08:00

Me at home after running and Brandon and I on Thanksgiving day after our trail run in Michigan.

Did you know Runner's World is having a Runner's World holiday running streak? The mag is encouraging runner's to run at least one mile each day between during the holidays. Since I am prego, that's not going to happen. Every other day is a great thing for me to accomplish. So I am doing a every other day running streak. ha.

Tuesday I ran 3 miles, including some slow hill work, and then Thursday I ran 4 miles with the last half at an incline of 7.0 and slow. It felt really good to work other muscles. Since pregnant, it takes me almost a third longer to get in four miles. This means my time in the gym is longer as well and can include major boredom of the treadmill.

To combat bordom, I pick fast people to run by for extra encouragement or I just think of future goals or how lucky I am to be able to run at this point in my pregnancy (17 weeks).

What is your favorite way to work out when it's cold? Do you like running or yoga or pilates?

Also, it's Christmas soon! If you have a person who runs that you want to buy a gift for I am working on a holiday Christmas list. What is your recommendation?

Happy Birthday Sophia!!

2011-12-08T12:07:00.000-08:00

Week 17 is going great! Little Sophia is 3 today! She is having a Sophiapolooza and got to have a family birthday party on Sunday night and friend playdate at Graeters on Wed. She loved her playdate party and her little friends. She ordered the black raspberry chocolate chip ice cream and loves playing with her little cat, Edwin the cat, from Aunt Becca. Our family also spent time with both sets of grandparents and got to FaceTime the Ragains. That was a blast.

When we were talking last night over dinner, Brandon said the coolest thing, "We are so blessed to have so many people who love us in our lives." And it's so true. God has really blessed us and friendship is such a great, great thing.

We got Sophia a red coat that she personally handpicked and a Max and Ruby book. Sophia is three and is a nurturer, loves dogs and cats, loves to nurse her babies when they have a "booboo" and loves shopping and "looking pretty." Her favorite foods are pizza, grapefruit, ice cream, yogurt and anything "for her mouth." She is such a blessing in our life.

Sophia was born on Dec. 8, 2008 at 6:58 in RM. 08. So many 8s!

Continual reminders

2011-11-29T19:18:00.000-08:00

We have to be continually reminded of what we believe. Neither this belief nor any other will automatically remain alive in the mind. It must be fed. And as a matter of fact, if you examined a hundred people who had lost their faith in Christianity, I wonder how many of them would turn out to have reasoned out of it by honest argument? Do not most people simply drift away?

C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

In a weird way, C.S. Lewis's quote from his famous book is oddly comforting. It means that I am not alone in needing a daily reminder of Christ, what He has done for me and where I am going. It means I am not alone in my need of daily grace. It means I don't have to feed myself with knowledge from my own mind, but can receive that knowledge from the Word. That to me is comfort.

Psalm 16:2, 5

Working out while pregnant

2011-11-29T18:40:00.000-08:00

Keeping the exercising routine strong

As soon as I tested positive for being pregnant, I was quick to make sure what kind of exercises I could do at the gym or outside. Here's what I have found that works for me.

Before you do any workout, assess your current physical condition. Are you someone who exercises for 5-7 hours per week or 2? Or none?

Did you know that studies have found that exercising will even help jog your memory and stimulate nerve cells in your brain? A great plus when dealing with prego brain!

Never try to increase duration, intensity, or decrease weight while pregnant.

For me, I exercise about 3-4 times per week. I run, strength train, TRX, hike, walk and swim laps.

While running outside, I wear a garmin and run no faster than 11 min miles. I read this somewhere online and it's usually about right for my heart rate (I try not to go above 150-155). While running inside, I usually run on a treadmill so I just check it periodically while I am running. I usually think about how I want to run that marathon and how this is helping me keep my mileage up.

I drink lots of water (8 ounces every 20 min if recommended) and sometimes even pop candy for sugar since I feel really hungry after mile 2.5 or so. Like today, I ate 5 M&Ms.

Strength training includes arms, legs, lunges, some machine work, and always dips because it's nice to have your arms toned while prego.

Really, working out is a great stress reliever and helps you feel normal. My doctor has given me the go ahead to run (not more than 5 or so miles at a time) and thinks it helps!

At TRX class, I have to modify some exercises since you are not supposed to lie on your back or do ab rotations. I usually just stretch or do leg lifts.

Pregnancy yoga was amazing at 20 weeks or so because it helped my poor hips feel normal again. Highly recommend!

Hope this helps you as you enjoy exercising while pregnant!

This is just my personal opinion and not a doctors recommendation.

What's your favorite way to exercise?

16 weeks today!

2011-11-28T05:10:00.000-08:00

Pardon the large photo. I snagged it off Facebook since I haven't taken my 200-plus pictures off of it yet. Fifteen weeks looked like this: throwing up, throwing up, nauseous and throwing up so hard I popped blood vessels in my face. After a long drive home I think the car sickness just stayed with me. I have never been that sick. Hopefully it's my last hurrah before week 16 (today!).

The girls really enjoyed getting to spend Thanksgiving with Momma and Poppa Shmidt, Troy, Christina and Cale. And seeing Grandma Chambers and Uncle Dave. While we visited them we ate tons, watched the Muppet movie (grade of B-), and hiked and feed animals at the nature center. I have the cutest photo of Ava banging a bell and Sophia holding her nose at the pig pen. "What's that smell Mom?," she kept saying.

Brandon and I went on an almost 3 mile trail run that was beautiful, except for a crazy muskrat who was swimming right toward us. Since I am pregnant, the pace was pretty slow. The ups and downs of the trails were hard to climb.

Ava and Sophia got to share a bed and slept all night without waking up. They did great! And they loved playing "Don't Break the Ice" with Cale. We left Friday night at 5 pm to miss traffic and got home before 10:30! The next day we went to Ethan's bowling party with pizza and a Transformers cake. He was so cute. He turned five and is such a little man.

Sunday Ava and I had some mommy and Ava time and went to run a couple of errands together. Then we put up our Christmas tree (Brandon and Ava) and ornaments (me and girls).

Sadly,we have probably had four ornaments broken already from little Sophia's clutches. :)

Ava's first field trip

2011-11-18T05:57:00.000-08:00

Ava had her first preschool field during the end of September to a pumpkin farm in Dublin where she learned about all types of pumpkins. The talk was actually really interesting -- did you know there is a Cinderella pumpkin? After the pumpkin talk, her class enjoyed their fresh donuts and apple cider.

Although it was a chilly 40 degrees, the kids had a great time!

Last night I made this new recipe from Food and Wine for a lighter version of chicken with gravy--I used chicken thighs and oh my, the recipe was amazing. It used really inexpensive ingredients and was technically easy to make. Brandon loved it and Sophia ate the gravy like it was soup.

Here is the recipe if you are looking for a comforting and inexpensive meal. I made it with fresh green beans and yukon mashed potatoes. Instead of the slice of bacon, I used one teaspoon of bacon grease. Hey, my grandma is from Tennessee would you expect less? Also, I left the thigh skin on, but didn't eat it.

Happy Birthday Mom!

2011-11-15T15:37:00.000-08:00

Momma Kuhns is 55 today! We wish her all the best and lots of love. She has five children and almost 13! grandchildren. So many kids you can imagine how crazy the Kuhns House is during Christmas or family times. We love her and her love of Christ. Momma can be found canning in the summer fresh veggies from the garden, sewing quilts (amish heritage showing through), making amazing dinners or suggesting the next best book to read. Her little Lady has been quite the hit and Poppa and Momma love to spend time with their family. Love you!

Welcome baby Norah

2011-11-15T15:31:00.000-08:00

Our dear friend Sarah had baby Norah on Nov. 1! She is so sweet and we had fun visiting her and Nadia during preschool. Sophia and Ava were playing around when we got these pictures taken.

Being outside

2011-11-15T15:26:00.000-08:00

Can I just say I never thought I would enjoy running. Just this year running got easier and I finally started enjoying it for what it is--a great way to burn off lots of stress, reconnect with nature and create goals. Anytime you can walk, run or bike and enjoy being outside is a great day to me. :)

Week 13!

2011-11-12T14:06:00.000-08:00

Well, we are doing really good. Minus evening sickness-Baby is growing and my little pooch is turning into more of a round belly shape. :) Hopefully, not like I just inhaled two or three Chipotle burritos.

I have been feeling a tad better (read-can actually go somewhere at night).

The extra saliva and gagging thing is still here, along with food aversions. I had been enjoying caesar salad until my "What to Expect" told me it was a "no-no." Darn.

It does help to have some candy or something to suck on. My energy level is pretty good in the morning so I am trying to keep running (think 11-12 min. miles), lifting and doing TRX. I can still run 4-5 miles pretty slowly, which I felt good about. It's really such a blessing that I can take Sophia to the Dublin Rec Center to work out. It just makes me feel normal.

Below are some of the amazing pictures from last Saturday's fall run. Gorgeous weather. The porch picture is at 8/9 weeks.

We have a checkup this Tuesday with my nurse practitioner. The baby is doing well and Brandon and the girls are very excited.

Sophia and Ava have been playing together so well lately. It's cool how as they get older they are playing by themselves for longer periods of time. Today they had a tea party and a birthday party for each other. Ava sang, "Happy Birthday to myself!" which cracked me up.

Sophia is officially done with her pink paci. This is a BIG achievement and we are very proud of her. She has had it for almost 3 years and was obsessed. Literally we tried almost 3 other times to take it away. The girls had dentist appointments (you see where I'm going with this...) and the dentist told Sophia that she needed to stop sucking so her adult teeth would come in okay. For some reason, this seemed to work in her mind. Thank goodness. :)

Fun things to do with kids indoors

2011-11-12T14:00:00.000-08:00

When colder temperatures roll around, the girls are in the house a lot more. One of our favorite activities is to fill the sink with water and let the girls play in colored water. I have some tie-dye colors and they pick what dye they like.

Not kidding. This will get you a good 30-45 minutes of time to do baking or cooking dinner.

Add food coloring to sink of warm water. You might add the rule of "water stays in the sink." The girls like to play with measuring cups, basters, teaspoons, paintbrushes, etc.

Trick R Treat and Jersey time

2011-11-12T13:48:00.000-08:00

Brandon and the girls went trick r treating in our neighborhood while I stayed home and passed out candy. I was still having lots of evening sickness and didn't want to say, "Thanks for the candy," proceeded by throwing up on their front porch. That's not very neighborly.

Anyways, the girls had such a fun time. Even the mid-40 temperatures didn't deter them from going around the block. They came back excited and happy. And we went through almost 6 huge bags of candy in one hour. We could have passed out at least 6 more!

Ava was Ariel and Sophia was Cinderella.

Brandon got his bday present back in the mail and tried it on that night-his Garmin bike jersey and it looks sweet.

How to Run

2011-11-01T15:57:00.000-07:00

primer magazine

Congrats Brandon! Cbus Marathon

2011-10-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

MARATHONFOTO

Remember our Air Force 10K Brandon and I ran together in September? The one where I had a goal of running fast and couldn't understand why I was huffing and in slow motion? The one where Brandon was jumping over barrels while I barely kept up pace? Yes, that made me sick. Well, we didn't know it, but three people crossed the finish line that day!

We were almost 5 weeks pregnant when I ran the race so it was actually a good thing I didn't have my Garmin and forgot my gels. Running by feel was a great way to make sure I was keeping it safe for Baby! And 55 minutes for a 10K prego is pretty good!

Brandon took my place since I was unable to race. :) He had been cycling and running, and had a great base fitness. I was so proud of him!

He killed the Columbus Half Marathon by getting a 1:54! It was so cool to see him pushing himself and running it He ran alone so he could run at his pace and left really early that Sunday morning of the race -- I woke up at 5:50 am to get ready to go cheer him on and he had already left and was downtown Cbus! This is sometimes a bone of contention with us because I don't like to get to races too early --it makes me more nervous. The girls and I tried to find him at mile 3, 6 and 11, but didn't spot him among the 17,000-plus people. I think at mile 6 he was on the opposite side of the street. It was just really hard to spot anyone unless they spotted you too or were wearing dayglo colors.

The girls and I made pink and black shirts that said, "Run Dad Run" and "Go Shmidty!" And a sign with all of our friends name on it and "Run Jess-Sub 2 or Bust!" Jess killed it too! We saw her at mile 6 and she was so excited! She was going strong and was so happy. She achieved her goal and I was so proud of her. We had run together all summer and it was just so cool to see her get sub2!

On the opposite side of the sign we put, "I don't even know you, but I am so proud of you!" And that sign got so many smiles from runners. Runners would shout out, "Thank you!" as they ran by and it was this great community of runners and spectators. The photographer right by us said we were a great plant because we made everyone smile. :)

So proud of you Brandon! Love you babe.

After I told Brandon we were pregnant, I said, "Okay babe, you know what this means. After our last baby we are doing a marathon together." So our next goal is a marathon. And a 100 gran fondo like Levi's in Santa Rosa for our 10-year anniversary.

Levi Leipheimer's King Ridge GranFondo from Bike Monkey LLC on Vimeo.

Oh baby!

2011-10-24T09:12:00.000-07:00

So the reason for the blog hiatus is this little guy/girl in the photo above. We are expecting baby #3 in May! We had our first doctor's appointment last week and it went well. They took blood, did an ultrasound and we chose our hospital. The baby's heartbeat was 180 - our little hummingbird. Brandon and Ava were there with me and it was really sweet to have Ava with us. She did great and was such a big girl.

I used to feel like Superwoman. Everyday I would have tons of energy to work, clean, do fun crafts with the girls, working out every day and running and swimming without feeling like I was gasping for air. And Brandon would come home and get to rest and appreciate a home cooked meal. While I am slowly getting some energy back, after about 5 pm most days the couch beckons me. And he gets to have lots of quality time with the girls. This giving up the "notion" of being superwoman was admittedly very tough at the beginning. But what grace you get when you allow other people to do things for you.

On the way to church yesterday, Brandon said he would rather do things for other people than accept them -- it's harder to accept someone doing something nice for you and I have to agree. It takes grace to know you have weaknesses. You get tired. You are not superwoman.

In terms of exercise, now, I run and enjoy it but at a much slower pace. This slower pace actually is nice and helps me appreciate just running for running sake. And I am lifting weights again.

Spending time with the girls while sick has been nice. Cuddles on the couch and lots of kisses. That's pretty much all they want anyways. Mommy time.

Week 10 and I feel like I am finally popping in the belly a bit. I have cravings for Orangina, clementines, ice cream, anything salty like ham or sausage, beans (weird), jelly beans and hard candy. Any veggies are mostly pot, carrots or celery (last week I had 6 stalks in a sitting--heard they have lots of sodium).

Ragains visit from Colorado

2011-10-24T09:03:00.001-07:00

This little blog has felt neglected...but here are some great pictures to bring some fall life back into it, including our family game night with Jess and Nick and the whole fam, Brandon's 34 birthday (Happy Birthday sweetie!), and sweet Luke reading to the girls. Fall is here!

Carmel Apple bar for a party, how fun!

2011-10-01T06:07:00.001-07:00

carmel apple bar -- great idea!

Source-pinterest

costume swap

2011-09-29T12:52:00.000-07:00

This is such a great idea!

We have lots of costumes, but some are for 2s and 3s, not a lot of fours.

Source

Throughout October, Febreze has partnered with Macaroni Kid to participate in National Costume Swap Day™ events.

I am excited to provide 50 bottles of Febreze at Magic Mountain to giveaway during this great costume swap!

Do you have a need for costumes or have costumes you no longer need? I have a solution for you that is cost and time friendly!

At Magic Mountain (Polaris) on October 6th you can drop off your no longer needed costumes betwen 8:30am and 9:30 am and then at 10am shopping will begin!

You can find this event happening downstairs by the Toddler Gym, in fact, children can play for a discounted rate of $2.50.

If you have costumes you no longer and would like to donate for this event I would be thrilled to arrange a time to pick them up from you. Please contact breeA@macaronikid.com

For the event details please click HERE.

For all the great Febreze product information and beautiful scents you can click HERE.

Cbus Marathon 2011

2011-09-28T05:25:00.000-07:00

Well, my sweet husband is going to play pinch hitter and take my spot for the Columbus Marathon. He's ready, his last long run is this week (12) and after his pacing me for the Air Force 10k, I can safely say he's going to ROCK it.

He was really strong during the 10k and could have done it in at least 10 min faster. He has a 50- mile bike race/ride next week on Saturday that we are going to cheer him on! And then the following weekend he has the Columbus Marathon Half. I already am thinking of getting the girls some shirts with Ava's cheer for Brandon, "Oh yeah, Oh yeah, Run Daddy Run!" We cracked up laughing after she said it.

I have never really cheered for a half or full marathoner. Any tips? I would love to see him multiple times, but not sure how to do that with crowds and two little girls.

Thanks!

Velvet Ice Cream and Ye Olde Mill

2011-09-28T04:58:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we had a great opportunity to head to Holmes County for a Kuhn's Family reunion. As we headed out that morning it was a beautiful fall day. You couldn't ask for a better day. Both my mom and dad's parents used to be old order Amish so this reunion was mainly with old order Amish families.

We got to Leroy's farm where we were having the reunion and Brandon was in awe as he entered the room and saw many, many families eating lunch already. It was a great day and the girls had a blast playing with their cousins. Sophia loved playing with the baby pigs in the barn. And Ava loved the little lambs that were only a week old and couldn't even walk yet. My Mom tried to take home some of the cutest little baby chicks. The chickens had these little brown eggs in the hay. It was a really beautiful home and situated on top of a little hill with their little farm animals. I would have loved to have some animals to take home for a little hobby farm. We have a great family and Brandon pointed out a genealogy book that had all of our names in it recorded in the family.

We had a great lunch there and then headed home. On the way, Brandon wanted to take the girls to Velvet Ice Cream where he used to go with his family. I got birthday cake, Brandon got peanut butter, Ava got Superman and Sophia asked for, "purple ice cream mom!"

Ulrich!

2011-09-28T04:23:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from the U.S. Air Force Marathon. We had a ball and Marshall Ulrich was a fascinating speaker as he explained climbing the seven peaks and running across America. When he said he was going to talk about his mountain climbing instead of just his book, "Running on Empty," I thought, "Brandon will love this!"

http://youtu.be/R1RBp2eek2Q

Ulrich was so inspiring. He answered many questions after his presentation including how did he fuel for his daily 70 miles that he ran in 46 days. (Answer: He would eat a huge breakfast, run slow marathon, take a nap, eat, then run quicker at night until 1 am or 2 am.) He kept on telling us that the human body is amazing and it can do more than we can possibly imagine.

After the expo we went to our hotel in Miamisburg (love the doubletree chocolate chip cookies) and had a quick dinner at Bravo. Half sizes there and it was just enough.

We loved the location of our hotel because in the morning everyone was coming from the opposite direction and our entrance gate was not even backed up. Supposedly some people had to run the mile to the start because it was so backed up. We had no problems and got there at 6:10 am.

Air Force Marathon 10K

2011-09-26T04:40:00.000-07:00

Brandon and I headed to Dayton a couple of weeks ago to run the Air Force Marathon 10K. We had thought about doing the half, but it sold out quick!

I had seen information about this race last April when I was sick with pneumonia and running was just a dream. I had lots of time to read and I saw this race somewhere online. It looked amazing and was a great training run for the Columbus half.

Brandon hadn't heard a lot about the race so he was on the fence if it was worth a hotel, driving 75 miles, etc. But, at the end he was hooked. The race has a small feel with a big race production feel. It's really perfect if it's your first race or 100th. You get the best of both worlds.

We got up on race day about 4:50 a.m. Ouch, it was super early, but we had to be at the race gate to check in at 6 a.m. since it's at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. We drank a cup of coffee and a banana and headed to the race at 5:30 a.m. from our hotel. It was about a 20 minute drive and we got there in plenty of time. But, it was chilly, chilly. Like mid-40s chilly. I was so cold. We had worn old shirts that we tossed at the start line.

We got through the line to get in pretty quick and parked our car. It was here that we started getting excited. The long lines of cars just was electrifying. The base was sweet. They had airplanes lining the finish line.

We stretched a little bit, talked and went through the port a potty lines. We lined up in between the 8:21 and 8:47 pace groups and had a goal of just leaving everything out on the course. We didn't have gels or a garmin (dangit-left it at home), but thought we would run by feel.

We had a great time at the start. And at the moment right before the start, a B-1B did a flyover. It was so low it was just amazing. We were off with a horn and got started running. We did great on pace until the huge hill that went on forever. It was almost a 350 feet climb upwards and it was hard! Hardest hill I have ever done in a race. I kept on thinking - "I thought Ohio was flat!"

The hills were hard, but the downside of the hills were so fun to fly down. I was like, "Let's go Brandon!" and he would fly down with me. Brandon was super sprinty during the race. He could have gone a lot faster, but he wanted to run with me--at times I would tell him, "just go ahead, leave me!" My foot was still pretty sore and I was feeling it at every step. I drank a full bottle of half gatorade/half water and still stopped at miles 4, 6 to get more water. The volunteers were awesome and cheered for you by name (was on bib).

At mile 3.5 the marathoners split from us and we waved goodbye. Honestly, I was felt sorry for them. :) There were lots of military groups doing training runs with full gear, honestly, I don't know how they did it.

At mile 5 I took a last drink of water and we sprinted to the finish. I was so tired and feeling really sluggish until we saw the airplane jumper with a huge American flag in front of us in the sky. I have always been patriotic, but being on a base and seeing so many emblems of our nation just really got us motivated and inspired. We ran past the presidential hanger and then sprinted to the finish line that had airplanes lining it.

At the end we held hands and crossed over the finish line. A captain put a medal over our heads and gave us a handshake. Those men wait at the finish line all day - almost 7 hours for the last finishers to cross. PS-that's a random lady in the picture below. :)

Such a great race. Def. recommend it to anyone looking for a race. It's a bucket list race. And a great training race to test your pace before the Cbus Marathon.

We finished at 55:02 - about a 8:51 pace. I would have liked to get a 8:30 pace, but I just wasn't feeling it that day. I knocked off almost 15 minutes (wow!) off my previous 10K time last August of 1:09! Two goals down!

And you know Brandon and I have never really had the desire to do a marathon until that Saturday at the race. Those marathoners were just so darn inspiring. These guys below, yeah, they beat me by almost 3 min. in full gear. Geesh.

79033-522-002

We had a great breakfast celebration of a biscuit and gravy, hard egg, and hash browns at Bob Evans. It tasted so good. And the girls had a great time with Momma and Poppa Kuhns. They didn't want to leave when I went to pick them up. I mean, would you when you get to go with them to see Aunt Becca and go and get fro yo with Aunt Kelly and Charlie and Ethan?

Okay, so what are some of your goals? C'mon, don't be shy. Inspire others with your goals!! Thinking Rachel and Kelly would like to complete nursing school, Brandon wants to do a 100-mile bike race, etc.

apples galore

2011-09-22T04:57:00.000-07:00

Black Friday at Lynd's Fruit Farm happens during the second week of September. It's a mass of cars, crying toddlers, swarming bees and oh, so delectable honey crisp apples. The reason for all of the mile-back car lines. It's a good thing.

We went about two weeks ago on Friday with our friends, Jess, Eli and Jude. We literally picked two huge bags of apples in like 10 minutes. Those apples were ripe and juicy and aside from crying kids (mine) and swarming bees that stung children (mine) we had a fun time. Or I should say, a fun experience. Because when you go to an apple orchard with your little kids, you are playing Russian roulette. And well, you win some and you lose some.

But, they love eating the apples every day and we had a great time with friends, although we never could find Tonia and saw Sarah later. And we saw Amber and little Garrett, cutest little baby ever.

Now the girls open the fridge and pull out a ripe apple and enjoy every bite. I made some freezer applesauce and would love to make some apple tarts.

Freezer applesauce

Roast apples that are peeled and cored in 350 oven until very tender.
Add brown sugar, cinnamon, and a little water or apple juice and puree in blender.
Put in jars and freeze. Mmm! I love it a little slushy. Apple slushies are the best.

Thought for the week...

2011-09-18T18:03:00.001-07:00

Source

College journalism

2011-09-15T17:18:00.001-07:00

In college, I was the editor of our paper. And it was there that I grew to love typography.

And oh how I love this poster. It's just the coolest.

Sweat dates

2011-09-15T14:24:00.000-07:00

Brandon and I are excited to get a great night away and have a "sweat date" weekend. We have the 10k this weekend, which I am thrilled to be running.

I did a tempo run last night for a quick mile to see how my foot was feeling and I did about 7:30 mile pace. I was at 7:20 or so but wanted to make sure I didn't hurt my foot. The rest of the 5 miles I did recovery after the mile and a 9:35 pace. It felt really good to run and you could not beat the fall leaves and chilly weather.

Today I ran at the Rec Center about 3 miles and took it easy. I did maybe 9:15ish pace and some at 8:40 pace and a cool down. I start to go fast and then worry about my foot. After I did the three miles, I went and did some swimming laps. Oh my, I have missed swimming.

I remember when Heather was helping me train for my first triathlon and I asked her, "What do you think about when you are swimming?" because she was so relaxed...She would say, "Oh, you know, my shoes that are coming in the mail today..." Right. I was just trying to get my breathing in.

Today I tried that approach and thought about things other than technique and the laps passed very quickly. I love how stretched out my muscles felt and how nothing hurts while you swim. So relaxing. I want to keep doing cross training and incorporate into my training like "Run less, Run Faster" suggests.

Oh, and are you under a rock or have you heard about this book? I totally, totally agree with their ideas. Because 1. you can't run a pace during a race you don't train at and 2. overtraining equals burnout and injury. You can hear a live podcast at Run Run Live.

However, there are two schools of thought. You may be into rocking the high mileage training philosophy. If that works for you. Hey, great!

For me personally, I have always run a better race when I have taken almost a week off pre-race and then almost two sometimes. Like I used to say when Brandon and I first got married, every marriage is different you have to do what works for you.

Highly recommend the Run, Run Live podcasts for long run listens. They rock!

What camp are you in? High-mileage or High-intensity? Or a little of both?

From Amazon reviews:

The key feature is the "3 plus 2" program, which each week consists of:

-3 quality runs, including track repeats, the tempo run, and the long run, which are designed to work together to improve endurance, lactate-threshold running pace, and leg speed

-2 aerobic cross-training workouts, such as swimming, rowing, or pedaling a stationary bike, which are designed to improve endurance while helping to avoid burnout

Air Force 10K this Sat. with Brandon! Can't wait...

2011-09-15T10:35:00.001-07:00

10K Race

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Start Time 7:30 a.m. Full Marathon and 10K **

The 10K race will take place within Wright-Patterson Air Force Base's Area B, where runners will get to see historic buildings as well as facilities housing cutting-edge research and technology. The last mile of the race will pass the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force's Presidential Hangar and finish among several historic aircraft static displays. The course is sure to be a great experience for the casual runner as well as the competitive athlete.

The 4 hour closed course includes Hydration Stations approximately every mile, including water, electrolytes, and fruit. There will also be medical stations and port-o-lets throughout the course.

Time Limit: 4 hours

Registration Information - SOLD OUT!
Bib Pickup
- See: Race Rules
There will be no bib pickup on Race Day (Saturday).
Bib Pickup Authorization [pdf]
NOTE: Bib Pickup representatives will be limited to picking up four race bibs, including their own
Course Map 2011 - 10K [pdf]

Make your own photo lamp shades

2011-09-14T15:06:00.000-07:00

Last Pinterest post!

Love this shade - especially for someone who is recovering from a sickness or post surgery or just had a baby and need lots of rest -- they would just feel so loved having their loved ones' pics right by their bedside.

Super cute. You can click on the link below to find the directions for the shade.

From ashleyannphotography.com

Pinterest Wed!

2011-09-14T14:58:00.003-07:00

My lovely blue room (not really so lovely), could use some storage help like this. What do you think?

Bean bags

2011-09-14T14:41:00.000-07:00

The girls are really big readers. Ava loves to fall asleep to about 10 or so books fanned out around her. And they love reading by their bookshelf in Ava's room. I found these cute bean bags that were amazing. Not sure how to do it, but they would make great Christmas presents.

Little friends

2011-09-14T09:24:00.000-07:00

Here's little Eli and Sophie after church sitting and playing. Jess captured it and I love their little faces. Jess called me yesterday and said that Eli wanted to take Sophia on a date to Chipotle. It starts young huh! : )

2011-09-14T04:53:00.001-07:00

First morning run!

2011-09-13T13:34:00.000-07:00

On Monday I woke up and had my first morning run, pain free! I had done almost 7 miles on Saturday, but usually I have to wait until the later day so I can ice my foot. It was so nice to start again and have a morning start. I did 3 miles at an unknown pace -- just listening to the birds and my podcast, which was really nice for a change.

On Sunday we had the best dinner- Tyler Florence's recipe for pulled pork shoulder. Mmm. I halved the brown sugar and added in less garlic and it was scrumptious! It cooked in a le cruseut stone baking dish I got at TJ Max for $20!

Thanks Jessie for the tip!

Here's the recipe for Tyler's pulled pork sandwich. I used pork shoulder cut with the bone in. I added the green goddess dressing coleslaw on top. Mmm. The girls loved the corn on the cob.

Below is from the Cleveland Fab Food Show that mom and I went to about two years ago.

Ava's first day of preschool

2011-09-12T05:13:00.000-07:00

My little Ava had her first day of preschool last Tuesday. We loaded up by the door to get into the car and Ava was dressed, picture taken...you get the picture. Until I realized the pilot was locked and the keys were in the car.

Officer Katie from the Marysville Police was so nice to come out and get my car opened. After some mom prayers sent up -- lots --- we got the pilot unlocked and went to preschool. We had yogurt parfaits in mason jars for snacks. Mmm.

Ava loved her class, reading stories, seeing her class and meeting her teachers. She goes to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Sophia kept on asking, "Mom, where's my class?" I can't wait to see how much Ava learns this year. She is pumped to go and wanted me to leave her classroom after the first couple of minutes.

Come away

2011-09-11T05:53:00.001-07:00

It's been a busy week that followed a very slow and leisurely week around our house. We had first week of preschool (pictures to come), lots of meetings and apple picking. It's so easy to lose sight of having quiet time with God amidst the hurry and bustle.

That's why I love the devotional today on the Proverbs 31 site about coming away and finding rest in Christ. So good to read.

“…He said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’” Mark 6:31b (NIV 1984)

Good morning!

2011-09-11T05:34:00.000-07:00

I love succulents. They are these cute little plants that you can have in your bathroom and need watered about once a week. And they love humidity and only cost about 3 dollars. This is my little plant in our bathroom. So pretty.

Yesterday was a busy day. We watched Kristy at her race (got second place in women) and met some neighbors at a 5k behind our house (really sweet). The winning guy was like at 17 min. or something. Crazy. The girls made little grass pompoms and cheered. We spent some time at the park while Brandon mowed and then went to little Caroline's birthday party at Emerald Fields Playground.

Amy had a butterfly party and it was so cute. I will have to ask her to post her amazing swiss meringue icing recipe. It was out of control.

We also had date night with the Coffey Lifegroup. We were tagalongs and loved that we got to have dinner with great friends. So fun getting to catch up. They were going bowling, but honestly we were both pooped and headed home after amazing Jeni's ice cream. Brandon chose black coffee ice cream and I got backyard mint and milk chocolate, which tasted like a peppermint patty!

So, do we start doing date mornings? What is your fav. date night?

Love this...

2011-09-09T13:35:00.000-07:00

5 tips for marathoners or half marathoners

2011-09-09T11:44:00.000-07:00

Competition Magazine has a great article about five things every runner should remember as they head to the starting line for fall races.

Check it out here!

Painfree at last!

2011-09-08T17:41:00.000-07:00

After some prodding from my husband, I made an appointment and went to the doctor for my foot. I was pretty sure it was plantar fasciitis, an inflammation on the bottom of your feet.

It kind've cracked me up though when as I was telling the nurse about my last long run of 12 miles and she said, you ran 12 miles, do you get paid to run or money if you place? No. And then my doctor asked me if it was 12 miles at one time.

After looking at my foot, which has hindered me from running for almost three weeks, the doctor said she would recommend a cortisone shot to my foot because of the plantar fasciitis. The girls were so sweet and held my hand while I got my shot to the bottom of my foot. What to expect when you get a shot on the bottom of your foot -- searing, searing pain followed by a weird feeling like you are wearing a sock and then soreness. I would recommend ice and ibuprofen after the shot, which will literally hurt all night. But in the morning, sweet relief.

Dr. Z said to take it easy for two or three days and that I could run today!

Score! I ran 2.5 miles today for the first time almost pain free since three weeks ago. And my middle mile was at 8:50 pace and it felt fine. I also did some weights and stretched for 15 minutes. My friend Heather says she stretches for 45 minutes!

Running today was almost a religious experience. You laugh. But when you haven't ran or exercised and you are used to those endorphins, it's almost like a drug. I kept on thinking today that each day is such a gift. Such a great gift.

So after my fail of running the Emerald City Half Marathon in Dubin, I still really wanted to fit in a half marathon this fall so today I registered for the Nationwide Half Marathon. I have already done long runs of 9, 10, 11, 12.5 mile runs so I think the extra 3 long runs of 10, 11, 12-13 will really help my endurance.

Excited to see if this time works and if the foot heals. The best way to prevent this injury is to maintain your running shoes. I wore mine out. Literally. It may seem like $100 is a lot to pay for shoes, but hurting your feet and not being able to keep up with your kids is not worth it!

Just in case you ever have PF, here are some items that have helped me the most:

Helpful items that brought about relief

Frozen water bottles rolling on bottom of feet
Ibuprofen
Lysine Vit - for sports injuries
Not running
Taking small french rolling pin to my calves - Brandon rolled my calves out for 20 min. and I felt 60 percent better.
Cortisone shot helped to take away the edge and helped me finally run pain free

What didn't help

More rest. As I read somewhere, PF can sometimes hurt more if your calves are tight and the foot pain is just a symptom. Even if you rest, your calves won't untighten themselves. Doctors would disagree about the finer points of this logic, but the rolling pin to the calf helped me so much. I read about a guy who ran Hood to Coast after having a calf massage.
Heat
Shoes with arches helped somewhat but I was still sore after walking around for awhile.
Yoga. I thought that yoga would be good, but it really aggravated the foot. Ouch. Felt like leaving mid-downward dog pose, but that would be awkward! :)

Covered bridges of Union County

2011-09-07T05:14:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we visited Farmhouse Ice cream with the girls and then went to visit the covered bridges dotted all around Union County.

Brandon gets to see them on his cycling trips and we thought it would be cool to show the girls.

We talked about how cool it would be to create a cycling event for the bridge festival that would be around 60 miles or so. And a shorter one that would be 20 miles.

It was so much fun. Good clean fun.

The girls loved walking on the Pottersburg trail by the Pottersburg bridge, which was built in 1868. And we also had a great time making leaf bouquets.

There is an amazing Union Covered Bridge Festival this weekend in Marysville and Plain City. Here is the schedule. I would def. recommend this to anyone with young kids because you don't even have to get them out of their car seats to view the bridges. And the girls really enjoyed driving around with us. Another great kid festival is the Shekinah Festival also is this weekend! We visit almost every year and a great thing to do there is arrive early for the pancake breakfast and then head over to the petting zoo. If you enjoy quilting, there is an all-day auction.

You know that race I was supposed to do? Well, I woke up on Sunday just not able to run. My foot hurt still and I couldn't imagine running 13 miles with a sore foot and rain. I just couldn't do it. It's hard enough to run that far, let alone when your foot hurts like a motha. Weirdly though I read about a guy who had someone take a massage stick to his calves who had PF and it worked. So Brandon took my little french rolling pin and massaged my calves with my shouts of "holy mother!!" It hurt, but afterwards I am returning back to normal. I have an appointment with my doctor today and will see if it's okay to run again. We are doing the Air Force 10k next weekend. Can't wait.

And good luck to Kristy this weekend on the Union Covered Bridge 5K and Heather on her quest for Ironman domination (again) this weekend at the Ford Ironman Wisconsin. Heather- want full Ironman details when you return!

And Jess, Dave, Glenda and Andrew as they continue to train for the Columbus Marathon.

To celebrate the return of fall and the great blueberries we had, I made Martha Stewart's blueberry coffee cake. Oh my, it's divinely good. And I love how

the house smells like yummy vanilla and butter.

To make it a little lighter, I cut the streusel topping in thirds and add lots of almonds--it was perfect.

Perseverance

2011-09-03T06:35:00.000-07:00

Isn't that the truth?

"For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again." [Proverbs 24:16]

“Never, never, never, never give up.”

~ Winston Churchill

Eggplant fries just like Tip Top

2011-09-02T05:58:00.000-07:00

My mom and dad have these beautiful eggplants in their garden. After eating eggplant parm for some time, these eggplant french fries are a beautiful alternative. Are they beautiful looking? Not really. But add some really finely chopped parsley if you want to make it prettier. And honey, once you try them you will want to eat them instead of french fries.

One of our favorite places to go in Columbus is Tip Top, a local restaurant that has amazing eggplant fries. I love them so. That make us happy. Mmm.

We had a ton of eggplant from mom and dad so I thought I would try my hand at making them.

You will love these. They are just like the Tip Top eggplant fries only a little lighter. And the dip is a half mayo, half sour cream base with salt, little vinegar and basil, mint and parsley. It's very summer fresh.

Your husband will love them.

And you will steal them from your child's plate. Guaranteed.

I tried two methods, cooking them plan in veg oil and dredging them in flour before I fried them and the latter worked the best. The flour helps cut the bitterness in the eggplant skin.

Eggplant french fries

You can also find a more in-depth tutorial here.

Cut eggplant into circles. Then cut into strips. Put the eggplant in a bowl of ice water to keep it from turning brown. This also helps it not absorb so much oil while frying since eggplant is extremely porous.

Dredge in salted flour.

Add fries to oil when oil is heated.

Cook for 3 minutes or until fries are brown, but not dark brown.

Stir fries so they don't burn.

Cook in small batches and lower eggplant close to oil so it doesn't splatter your hand.

Remove fries to a napkin lined plate and immediately salt with kosher salt. Be liberal!

Enjoy these fries. They are super crunchy on the outside and lush and velvety on the inside. I made the homemade basil ranch dip to dip them. We loved it!

Check out these socks

2011-09-01T05:03:00.000-07:00

How cute are these socks? They are compression socks that you wear after you run or workout so you heal faster. I love the butterflies. Super cute.

And I am in love with this room. Love.

2011-08-30T16:44:00.001-07:00

Coaster cuties

2011-08-30T16:40:00.000-07:00

Truth be known, paying $20 for coasters I semi-like doesn't make me happy. What does make me happy are these cute coasters I found on Pinterest. How cute are they? And cheap. That's what I'm talking about. You could even take black and white photos and add instead of scrapbook paper.

Make your own coasters- 4x4 tiles ($.16 Home Depot); 4x4 scrapbook paper; adhere to tile with Mod Podge and let dry; Spray a coat of clear spray paint and let dry; attach felt pads to the bottom

We got our bib numbers today!

2011-08-30T16:19:00.001-07:00

Dear Erin Shmidt,

We are looking forward to seeing you at the 15th Air Force Marathon, Half-Marathon, 10K and 5K! Your bib number is 11343. Please be sure to print this email and bring it with you to the expo, along with a government-issued photo I.D.

Brandon's bib no. is 11344.

The Expo is located at Wright State University's Nutter Center, 3640 Colonel Glenn Highway, Dayton, OH 45435. Hours of operation are Thursday, September 15, 11am-7pm, and Friday, September 16, 10am-8pm. There will be no bib pick-up on Saturday.

Sincerely,

Air Force Marathon Staff

What's for dinner?

2011-08-30T13:27:00.000-07:00

When 3 or 4 pm roll around in my house, the question of what's for dinner plays in my head. I go on these wildly creative spurts where we eat different, new recipes every night. And then sometimes we have cereal. Yes, my mom is horrified. Cereal? That's verboten. ha.

Well, although I could live on one meal for a week, my husband is this character who's love language is...food. And food on the table when he walks in the door or about 45 minutes in or he starts getting twitchy like I do without my run. Poor guy gets up at 5:30 am to leave for work, what can you do?

In the last couple of days we had tomato and mozzarella with basil (don't pre-salt, it makes tom. watery), salmon with lemon and asparagus and spaghetti squash. I call the Spaghetti squash recipe Poppa Kuhns Spaghetti Squash because it tastes almost like his favorite french bread pizzas and it's from his and mom's garden. When my mom leaves for vacation or to visit grandkids, he always stocks up on french bread pizzas.

Poppa Kuhns Spaghetti Squash

Preheat oven to 400

To prepare squash

Cut squash in half and pierce skin with knife, remove seeds and place on a 9x13 pan with one inch of water. Cook 40 min. or until squash is soft. Take a fork and fluff up spaghetti so squash strands come apart.

Add pizza toppings (i use san marzano crushed tom for sauce and return to oven until everything is melty and crispy, maybe 10 min. For Ava and Sophia, I usually add mozzarella, sauce and pepperoni. For me, I added green peppers and onions.

So good you won't miss your old french bread pizzas!

Fresh Salmon with lemon and asparagus

Preheat oven to 400

Season salmon with salt and pepper and feel for pin bones that might be left on fish. Add olive oil and let sit for 15 min. Heat skillet or cast iron skillet for 3 min. Add salmon to skillet flesh side down. Don't move or touch fish until side of fish is cooked halfway through. Add cut, washed asparagus and season with salt. Add lemon to pan.

Flip fish and finish cooking in oven until fish is cooked - 3-4 minutes. The top of the fish should be firm, but give a little. Bring out and let fish sit for 3-5 minutes so it can finish cooking.

Oila! A one pan meal fit for a date night! I finish it with a squeeze of the lemon and a drizzle of olive oil.

Amazing Caprese Salad

For the tomato, basil and mozzarella salad

Slice tomates, balls of fresh mozzarella

Take about 5-6 basil leaves and roll them up like a cigar and cut them in little strips. Finish with kosher salt and olive oil. And balsamic vin. if you like. Best if used with garden fresh tom.

You can also add all ingredients to bread to make a caprese panini

Mmm!

Enjoy!

What do you like to make? Quick and easy meals? Creative? fresh and local?

That's Verboten

2011-08-29T17:15:00.000-07:00

Day 10 of no running has subject morose, quieter than usual with signs of twitching. Patient exhibits marked irritability, fatalistic thoughts of never running again and motivation to throw projectiles toward runners out her window.

Pool at rec center is closed for week and bike kind've hurts her foot. Yoga made her foot hurt but her legs hurt in a good way. Patient needs exercise soon or will eat entire Dairy Queen supply of twist flavored ice cream.

Husband agrees. Especially when he ran a blistering five miles at 8:29 pace (one mile was 7:58) and came home and exclaimed about it. Danger zone. As patient's sister Jessie says, that's verboten (forbidden in Pennsylvania dutch. We often use it while playing dutch blitz, a crazy addicting card game.

verboten - excluded from use or mention; "forbidden fruit"; "in our house dancing and playing cards were out"; "a taboo subject

Talking about your "great run today" may get you a shot to the gullet. Or at the very least a very, very bad look.

I have the Emerald City half marathon this weekend, which is why I am trying to rest my foot, ice it, and take lysine (helps with sports injuries-only one vitamin a day.) Hopefully, I will be able to run the race.

Also, Brandon and I are pumped about the Air Force 10K Sept. 17. It looks sweet. They have it at an air force base with flyovers while you are running. My goal if healthy is to run it under one hour.

Fun weekend.

2011-08-29T16:26:00.000-07:00

Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address. On the other hand, this not knowing has its charms.

It's getting to be balmy and mid-70s in Central Ohio now. That mixed with beautiful sunny days has me trying to figure out how to enjoy it! We are used to 80-90 degree weather with humidity that makes your toes slip in your sandals.

Don't you love "You've Got Mail?" My sisters and I love to quote the movie lines including, "that's a garnish!" It was Meg Ryan at her ultimate. It's just this cozy movie that you can watch over and over and always feel like time has not changed. We had a great weekend and today I caught up with some housework and canned tomato juice. Pictures to come!

The girls and I had Becca join us on a girls road trip to Apple Valley Lake to spend time with friends for Saturday. We played at the beach, went tubing (first time) and had some amazing dinner including pulled pork with cole slaw, gratin, and brownies and brownie trifle. MMm. Thanks Banks! We had an amazing time! I have never seen Sophia and Ava so tired on the way home. And the boat was so fun. I could live there on the weekends.

While we were there, Brandon was mountain biking and cycling. He took some pretty pics of Union Country covered bridges. We also went to his softball tourney on Sunday and they made it to the semi-finals. Good job guys! We had a great dinner to celebrate at El Vaquero since Momma and Poppa weren't home. The girls actually sat down and ate and it was a beautiful night. So nice to spend quality time with our family together. We had our Sunday calendar night - planning the week, which my geek side totally loves. I love to plan. :)

Columbus or bust!

2011-08-24T06:38:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pics of Colorado including our airport, Brad in his cowboy outfit and ninja outfit, cute Colin, Jessie, our fearless tour guide, my hot airport pickup (Brandon) and the girls in front of our famous Columbus Zoo. Jessie and I also enjoyed our trip to Tommyknockers Brewery to sample beer. My favorite was a wheat beer. Mmm. We also went for fro-yo and a bookstore after. How much do I love books! They are peaceful, energizing and so easy to get lost in. I usually read books in like 24 hours if they are really good. Brandon says I hibernate.

12 miler

2011-08-24T05:53:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I ran 12 miles for my last long run before my race. I felt awesome and had a great time running it with Jess and her stepdad Rob. They did about 10 and I went ahead and did my 12-12.5 miles at a 9:41 pace. I felt awesome and could have pushed more, but wanted to try to make sure I didn't run it too fast. We started at 7 am and then headed back and joined the Columbus Running Company in Dublin at 8 am. They have a free club and water stops and a fun way to get your long runs in.

At that last mile my foot hurt a little, but I felt overall really strong. I drank half gatorade, half water. My fuel was two gels and 3 lifesavers (mint). I did eat a half bagel at 7 miles when we went back to the CRC. Fuel was perfect this time and starting earlier was so nice. It wasn't so hot. And I got some sweet new shoes and a new hairband that I love to keep my hair back. Don't you love the baby pool ice bath idea? It's was awesome because outside it was 80 degrees!

But, it's Wed and my foot hurts like a motha. It's my heel and outside of the foot.

Please say it's not the dreaded PF. I have a race in two weeks. So I have been using the RICE method (Rest, ice, you know the drill) to help and Brandon gave my calves a great massage last night. Supposedly if you are suffering from foot pain it's usually tied to cramped or tight leg muscles.

On Tuesday I had an epic workout fail. I woke up at 5 am to run 6 miles before Brandon went to work. I had everything laid out and was out the door and tried to run. Nothing. I was limping down the road for about .35 miles. I heard people running behind me and I tried to run, but my right foot hurt so badly I couldn't make it happen.

In all of my years running, I have never ever had to stop running. However, I would rather make sure I am healthy and have a long term approach then a short term approach. That evening I was heading to our pool to swim laps and guess what? It's closed for the season. Epic fail.

So I went on a beautiful hour bike ride and did about 10 or so miles on the road and trails. It's gorgeous here now and the trails are lush and green. Don't judge me though if I silently look at runners passing my window and mutter under my breath.

Brandon was really sweet and prayed for my foot. Not sure if it will feel better by next weekend, but I guess just take it one day at a time.

More pics from Colorado

2011-08-23T17:10:00.000-07:00

I never got a chance to load all of the pictures from my time in Colorado. We have been super busy and now we are catching up on house things and blogging!

During my trip, we visited Jamba Juice, a cowboy store for the girls (red for ava and pink for soph) and went out to eat with Jessie and Lydia. Those sweet potato fries were amazing.

Brandon was amazing and took the girls everywhere.

Thanks to both Momma and Poppa Kuhns for watching the girls overnight and Nana and Poppa Shmidt for coming down and helping Brandon.

I came back and said, "I need one of these weeks every year!" and he just groaned. But really, it was so rejuvenating to get a little break and see Jessie and Nick and the kids. Sister trips next! Highly recommend to any mom to get some great downtime! The girls loved being with Brandon and he enjoyed his one-on-one time with them. FaceTime through our Apple helped me say goodnight to the girls every night.

Becoming a fab grocery shoppa

2011-08-10T13:30:00.001-07:00

Am I a die-hard eco friendly consumer? Not always, but what counts most to me is making sure we try to buy things that save my family money so I can use it for fun things. And that our family takes care of our resources.

My mom and dad used to plant trees for our big events like birthdays or anniversaries. I love that idea.

Here are some ideas for you to become a fab grocery shoppa:

Ditch your sandwich bags for mason jars as containers for pasta salad, milk for kiddos instead of horizon milk from starbucks, ice coffee, etc.
Purchase bulk items like beans, pastas, spices, and labeling them.
Grow your own lettuce, peas, etc. Cold weather veggies are easier to grow and you can sow seeds in spring/fall.
Splurge on items you get most taste like rich 60 or 70 percent chocolate, craft beer (mmm), San Marzano tomatoes, big chunks of parm since pre-shredded cheese that has enzymes on them (thank you Adrienne, I never knew that!--Mom, you were right to buy big chunks of cheese to shred), etc

Have a veggie, sandwich, or frittata night once a week and use up all of your leftovers. Make this amazing banana ice cream with old bananas - it looks yummy.
Buy a camelbak or water container and tote your own water (unless your at the airport). Did you know water is being called the Blue Gold of the 21st century? Most companies use tap water and filter it in their plants. Hey, that's just wrong.
Make our own jelly if we have time.
Pack snacks ahead of time for your kids or when you are on the go. I cut up carrots or fruit and put it on a plate on the bottom shelf of fridge if I have time so the girls can help themselves to veggies.
Buy tomato paste in that toothpaste disp. so you don't waste.
Freeze leftover wine in ice cubes for risotto or a stew.
Use veggie bags like ice packs.
Use herbs like lemon balm, mint, basil (Olivia's fav), or citrus to add flavor to your water.
Buy a whole coconut like Faith from Gracefulfitness instead of one serving of coconut water if it's affordable.
Make your own cookies instead of buying them. Invest in a cookie scooper, this will change your baking world. Seriously love this thing.

Most of all, don't sweat it. Have fun with it and see how much more you can do with less.

What are you ideas? How do you save money by buying smart?

Vista series on relationships

2011-08-10T11:29:00.000-07:00

This series is amazing--Pastor Mike and Tammy are doing a thought-provoking series on lavish love and refocusing our lens to appreciate our relationships including marriage, dating, and besties. Is our marriage or friendship there to make us happy? Can (fill in the blank with person's name) make me happy? Don't waste a minute, listen to it today by clicking here.

Truly encouraged our personal relationships.

On a jet plane

2011-08-08T19:55:00.000-07:00

I made it home! I had a great flight yesterday from Denver to Columbus. The only hard thing is the two hour time difference when the girls get up at 6:55 --it's like 4:55 in Colorado. Ouch.

Here are some snaps from the trip including Sweet Lydia giving kisses to mommy, Chris (Nick's brother) with Colin, the boys and me swimming, and our cousin Erica with Lydia and the little kids with grasshoppers on the plains of Colorado. Visiting our cousins was great and we loved seeing Jen and Erica and their kiddos. Jen made this amazing pork roast with butter potatoes and Jessie made this amazing slaw/salad with green goddess dressing. My new favorite.

Just got prof. pics from tri, love the flag pic

2011-08-08T07:38:00.000-07:00

Saturday long run goodness!

2011-08-07T17:21:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Erin and I have two little girls - 2, 4...On vacation without said girls and you know what I wanted to do? Get in as much running as I could!

I was thinking about doing a long run so on the second day I got here I borrowed Nick's car and went to Evergreen (elevation 8,000) to run. Boy, I wanted to get in 9 or so miles, but that elevation just killed me and I wasn't acclimated yet. I did finish 6 miles around a 9:50 pace, which was good for me since the altitude was killa. Read gasping for breath on the hills.

My friend Jess warned me about doing a race and I was like, "no, I got it." Wise Jess. Very wise.

So, I started looking up running clubs on Yelp and google and found Runner's Edge of the Rockies, a running group in Denver that lets you have a free complimentary long run. They train people for marathons and half marathons and have speedwork sessions.

Hello! I called up the guy, Dave, and waited for the long run e-mail about the time, place etc. and met them in Golden at 6:15 am on Saturday morning. On the phone Dave had warned me that the group would be smaller because people were doing the Boulder Ironman and I thought, okay, this means like 30 people? No....I get there and there are many, many runners heading to the center of the park to warm up, break into pace groups and finish their business. At least 100, easy. Maybe 120.

It was such a beautiful morning and a hot 75-plus degrees. Getting out of my car I saw a lady and we actually ended up running the last 5 miles or so together in the same pace group!

Runners Edge of the Rockies breaks runners into pace groups starting at 3:10 marathon pace and goes upwards to walkers. Since I have been doing long runs around 9:20 or so, but wanted to make sure I was okay for the altitude, I joined the 1:57/4:10 pace group. It was the perfect group. They warm up slow for the first two miles and then do negative splits (faster second half) the last part so you are dying, but in a good way. It helps simulates race conditions.

We joined up in our group and I ran beside the nicest girl named Sonia. What a great running buddy! Then we headed out behind the 1:52 pace group and ran for two miles until we got to the aid station with water (you bring your own cups to help curb waste) and then started again. Some people would turn around at certain mile markers if they only wanted to do 7-8. I said goodbye to Sonia at her turnaround. I was on vacation what fun to get to do 10 and not have to worry about time or being late somewhere.

The turnaround had some killa hills that literally had me bending over to suck up as much oxygen as I could. I mean, I was dying. I just kept watching the lady I had met by my car (God is funny like that huh?) and her feet and then our other pace leaders feet to slog through the last couples of miles. Instead of my usual GU, I had 5 gummy bears, but they didn't really help that much. I def. need more fuel.

And at the end, after punching it up those last killer hills I thanked the Lord I had toughed it out because we got to soak in the Clear Creek full of icy mountain goodness.

That soak made the run, I mean, where in the world do you end a run with a mountain water soak?

I would recommend this running group to anyone who is in the area or visiting--super friendly and social group with loads of helpful information and great aid stations.

Hot hot

2011-08-07T08:57:00.000-07:00

I am still in Denver with my sister and it's so nice here. Like running in the 80s, not 100s like the picture below. However, it's super bright here--my hat is not here, my sunglasses were left at home and desp. need to buy some glasses!

Ohio weather is hot, muggy and like a steam blanket. Colorado weather is like this nice breath of fresh air. Will post some more photos when I get home today.

Photo: Run Mommy Run

Denver bound

2011-08-03T16:18:00.001-07:00

It's Wed and I am visiting my sister Jessie and Nick and my nephews and niece, Colin, Brad, Adam and Lydia...alone. Yes, tears were shed at the airport as I left Ava and Sophia--Brandon gave me a big hug and kiss and we said goodbye. Brandon was in the first picture eating peach and blueberry spoonbread. I love to vary the ingredients and use whatever is freshest and in season. This was out of this world. I put fresh lemon zest with the peaches and blueberries. Sophia was in a marker war and the marker won--oh Soph. Jess made this amazing green bean and feta salad today - so yum!

I have already texted or written "we" at least three times referring to myself because I am so used to being with either Brandon or the girls. The plane ride was great although a little tight quarters -- it was a full ride and I was beside someone who looked uncomfortable sitting in his seat. Thank goodness I got a window seat. I listened to the History Chix podcast, read a mag and dozed for a little bit of the 2.5 hour trip.

So fun to see Jessie and the boys when they picked me up. Love them! We had pizza and Jessie made a delicious custard rhubarb pie with coconut. Have to try that out. Loved hugging little Lydia and the boys. Lydia is a great mix between Colin and Adam and Jessie. And her cheeks are pinchaddicting!

This morning we went to Evergreen and I got a run in at Elk Valley--amazingly beautiful. The temperature was only 68, but since we are higher up the sun was super bright. Great to see Jinjer and her sweet kids, Jade, Jersie and Justice. Jessie and I went to college with Jinjer and love seeing her. She is having her fourth soon.

Ava and Sophia are staying the night with my mom and dad tonight. They were so excited to sleep over and see Lady, the dog and Ethan and Charlotte.

Enjoy the pictures.

My first tri!

2011-08-01T06:18:00.000-07:00

Swim, bike run? Yes, please!

This weekends Ohio Tri for the Cure race was so freakin fun. I mean it was like this fun experience of pushing yourself and seeing how training pays off!

I just really learned how to swim right about 4-5 weeks ago so this was a stretch for me. Can I say how much I have learned to love swimming? And how much better of a runner it has made me? I can def. tell it has helped with my breathing.

Anyways, I got up around 4:50 am on Saturday morning to leave for the race. I had half a bagel from Panera and a cup or two of coffee. My clothes were all laid out so I just packed them up and put them on and headed out. That early morning was killa!

With my bike loaded on the back, I headed to Alum Beach. The traffic was non-existent and when I arrived at the beach for the race, it was a beautiful morning. The sun was rising over the water and it was just peaceful and serene.

I went to the transition area and got my place set up. I put my bike helmet on my bike seat and my sunglasses in the helmet. I opened a GU and put it in the helmet for after the swim. Then I went over and got my first markings and chip to put around my left ankle. They told us to put it around our left ankle so it wouldn't get in the bike chain.

After that I went to the bathroom one more time and then headed to the beach. Right before I was ready to go in I saw mom and Kelly and then Brandon and the girls.

I was really glad I had signed up for a smaller swim distance. I have read so many times about open water panic and thought that if it happened I didn't want to be stuck.

They had us line up by our estimated swim time and I lined up somewhere in the middle. The first ladies to go were amazingly fast.

My goggles were fogging up so I licked them. Casey was standing beside me and she was 16 weeks pregnant. She was only doing the swim portion of the race.

At last our time came to line up by the timing mat that started the race. When we were given the go ahead, we went running into the water and then started swimming.

I have swam in Alum at least 3 times before this -- I had done laps 2-3 times at the pool per week for 5 weeks--but I still got that race panic. I wasn't able to get full breaths because I was so worried about being passed or about not going fast enough. I started panicking and wasn't even able to go underwater for longer than 2 seconds.

Finally I just told myself to relax and to "enjoy this part you have worked so hard for this" and I could start taking full breaths. The nice thing about this race is that it's in waist/chest deep water so you can stand if you need to. I got my stride about halfway through and was able to stop doing the breaststroke and do more freestyle.

I rushed from the swim to transition one and put my feet in the water bath they had to wipe the sand off your feet. Running to the bike my legs were tired and I felt like I was running through mud. I got my helmet, shoes on and put the GU in my mouth and started walking my bike to the transition end. I got on the bike and started pushing it out of the park and around the 7 mile course. In the first half mile, my shoelaces got stuck in the chain and pedal -- now I know why bikers have bike shoes. And Brandon let me ride his road bike, which was amazing. Amazing. I felt like I was in the Tour. I got down for the downhill parts and tried to climb on the hills. I passed maybe 20-30 people! Biking and running are my favorite parts of the race and I would actually have wanted to do longer distances except for my swimming.

I could tell my days of spinning had helped. Really -- it translated to road biking -- and my endurance was great going up this big hill. I passed like 6 people going up it. Maybe the magic powers of the bike? I told Brandon I need a road bike next year.

The only thing that probably slowed me down was my shoelace (2 minutes to tie up, stop, regain speed). And my weird thing of passing people - in tri races you have to pass within 15 seconds, pass on left, and make sure when you pass that you get back to the far right. I felt bad passing people! I would say, "Great job!" "Thank you" and I need to be not afraid of passing people, while saying great job. I have to race for the race -- not worry about other people's feelings. I mean what guy does that?

After I got back from the bike to the transition area, I got my bib number pinned on and running Nike hat on and BOOKED it. I wanted to have a really fast T2 time to make up for my slow swim time. I knew I could make up some time if I was smart.

I started running and felt like I was running through mud. Like Ali said you feel so weird after running off the bike. I thought to myself I should have done more bricks (double workouts) even though I had done at least two a week. I felt like I was running 9-10 minute miles when I had wanted to run at least an 8:30 mile.

The course was on a sidewalk and then through wet, muddy grass and then back to the sidewalk. I got water at the end of mile one and stopped for three seconds and then booked it back. I passed a couple people with my age division and by some really fast women in their 50s (hello, i want to be you ladies!) and then headed to the finish line.

It was around 50 minutes, I was hot, tired and huffing.

I finished thinking -- probably did that in an hour or so. I had a goal of 55 minutes for the race, and hour for my second goal.

My family was there afterwards and I loved seeing them. It was such a blur for almost and hour that I just wanted to collapse. Ironman for 14-plus hours? How do they do it?

(That is my new bucket list goal by the way. :) )

We had a great post-breakfast with Brandon and the girls. They had a singer there and we ate bagels (the guy asked me if I wanted a half or whole bagel and I thought, "This is def. a girl's event." Where else would they ask you if you wanted to have a whole or half bagel?

Can I say how excited I was with my running time -- 14:06 for two miles! 7:03 per mile. Whoohoo! I got 17th place for running out of 200! And 33rd place overall. In my age division I got 7th place.

Swimming could use some help - but that comes in time. Sans water panic will help lower my time. And the biking will be fun to train for -- Brandon and I love to ride together. I did about 14.5 mph, which is slower than I usually do. There was a pretty big hill at the end though.

Age name bib swim time t1 bik ov.bike T2 run ov. run

Erin Shmidt

125

07:21

01:32

28:38

00:50

14:06

52:30

Erin Shmidt, 33

Bib 15

Swim, 07:21 (125 overall, 26 age group)

T1 1:32

Bike, 28:38, (58 overall, 10 age group)

T2 00:50!

Run, 14:06! (17 overall, 3 age group)

I can tell that training really does help! And the swim, bike portion helps you run faster.

There were a lot of really fast women. Amazing how people that look really fast sometimes are not and you look at other women and think they aren't fast and they kill it. Can't judge a book by it's cover for sure. One thing that I took away from this was how many women were moms and how the dads and kids and extended family would come out to support them. It's okay to want more than staying at home and taking care of your family. It's okay to be a great role model of fitness for your kids.

If you want to push yourself and go for something, go for it!

The last lady came running in at 1:30 minutes and all of the remaining ladies stood up and clapped for her. It was this moment of complete support and honestly, I had tears in my eyes. She was the last person, but she was putting all of her heart into the race. I thought, that's strength. Finishing and finishing strong.

How many times do we fail to do something because we are afraid of being last or doing poorly?

How many times do we miss that moment of bliss because we want to have a perfect performance? Next time you are afraid --- just go for it!

Preparation

2011-07-29T10:49:00.000-07:00

The Ohio Women's Tri for the Cure is tomorrow! I am really excited about doing it and a little peeved.

Like--"Why the heck did I sign up for this thing that has me swimming when i just learned how to swim right four weeks ago?" I didn't know that you had to wear a swim hat and goggles or that you should exhale through your nose in the water.

Every time I get ready to do a race, I get testy and just want the gosh darn thing to be over with. For me, the best part if planning it and signing up for it -- the rush of excitement, my goals going through my head, marking off my training schedule.

And then race day comes...

Or the night before...and my stomach hurts all day.

Having the girls and Brandon cheer me on are about the only thing I look forward to.

Wednesday night I swam with Heather again and felt a lot better. We did the swim race course twice so I would feel comfortable. And can I tell you how amazing Heather is? I just love her spirit and how much she goes for her goals--hello Ironman! She has a race in September and I know she will do amazing.

And Brandon is letting me ride his rode bike, which is sweet. I told him now I know why road bikers name their bikes. Going from the hybrid trek to his road bike was like going from peanut butter to nutella.

So, how do you handle new situations? Do you become more outgoing? Or less? I have all of my things on the floor, ready to go.

I would love to finish the race under one hour. Second goal is to finish the race under 55 minutes. I know I can run pretty fast, but not sure how I will run after swimming and running. I would love to run a sub 8:30 for two miles.

Fresh summer goodness

2011-07-29T06:32:00.000-07:00

Summer food like Jeni's strawberry buttermilk ice cream and fresh corn on the cob from the farmer's market are my favorites. On nights when the temperatures soar to 90-plus in the humid plains of Ohio, soothing ice cream going down your throat cool off the days' extreme heat, making even the grumpiest person happy.

With ice cream, I try to use whatever is local and in season. For the ice cream in the machine (far below), I picked them from a farmer's market. The corn was from a farmer's market too.

I have also made fresh peach custard from another recipe (Curtis Aiken), which had little frozen peach chunks with peach juice from the macerated peaches. MMM.

Jeni is doing a book tour to promote her recipe book, Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream at Home. In Columbus, her ice cream has cultlike status and seasonal favorites like lemon blueberry yogurt and my personal favorite backyard mint are unctuous creations--tart, sweet, bursting with flavor.

LEMON & BLUEBERRIES FROZEN YOGURT PINT
$12.00
Add To Cart
PASSION FRUIT FROZEN YOGURT PINT
$12.00
Add To Cart
PEACH BUTTERMILK PINT
$12.00
Add To Cart
BACKYARD MINT PINT
$12.00
Add To Cart
MACAROON 8-PACK COLLECTION
$56.00
Add To Cart
CORIANDER RASPBERRY PINT
$12.00
Add To Cart
BRAMBLEBERRY CRISP PINT
$12.00
Add To Cart

Plus, you can't forget coffee in your french press to go with it! We have the bodum french press and love the coffee!

For perfect corn every time, fill up a large pot with 10 cups of water (more or less depending on corn), add about 3 tablespoons kosher salt and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Cook only until you smell the fresh corn smell and remove. To make it easier for little kids, break cob in half before cooking. Also, the sugars in corn start to break down very quickly--after losing many ears of corn to this I have learned it's best to buy corn on the day you want to make it!

I love to make different compound butters to top corn. Here are some favorites:

To one stick of butter (can half recipe)

Pizza butter - 1 tsp kosher salt, 1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 TB of fresh basil cut, red pepper optional
Chili butter - 1 tsp kosher salt, 1 TB chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1 TB diced green onions, 1 tsp. chopped cilantro
Parm butter - 1 tsp kosher salt, 1 TB of parsley cut, 1 TB of basil, Add 2 tablespoons of fresh parm.

Heart-shaped valentine

2011-07-28T05:20:00.000-07:00

Here are some more photos of our friends, Sarah and Jay and their little Diesel and Lula. We had a great time visiting with them. Love them. Also, I made some cute heart cutouts from watermelon for our pool snacks. The girls loved them and you can do almost anything with cookie cutters.

Enjoy!

Trip to Michigan

2011-07-27T13:13:00.000-07:00

We visited Michigan last weekend so we could celebrate Sharon's birthday and Brandon could go salmon fishing. He had a great time with his dad and brother and the girls relaxed, visited the splash park with the kids and had pizza and the cutest little cupcakes for Sharon's birthday. Christina and Cale ate with us too and loved getting to see them--miss watching little Cale grow up! He's a little Troy!

The girls love sleeping together in the basement although they both ended up sleeping with one of us. And they love seeing Poppa and Momma. Ava was following Poppa around all weekend. Sophia is still a little mommy's girl. She loves to give hugs and affection out. That is def. her love language. Ava's is quality time. Anytime we spend alone time together she is so happy and just brilliant. Momma and Poppa cooked a great dinner on Saturday--we had brisket, potato casserole, fried green tomatoes and corn on the cob. MMm!

We used Yelp on our iphones to search for food around Sylvania, Ohio and found Sahara on our way up. It was the best gyro I have ever had. All of the money went into the food-not decor! I had a greek salad because my stomach was so upset from being sick.

The morning we left I met Jess at Glacier Ridge at 6:30 am for a run. I got there early and got about 2 miles in at a great pace of 8:58. I ate a banana with chocolate GU while meeting Jess because I couldn't keep food in and the ran. But, I started feeling really sick, like the great Cap City half marathon of 2011. I bonked. I had almost zero food in my stomach, dizzy, and it was 80-plus degrees at 6:45 am. So frustrating having limits to what you can do while you are sick. Funny thing is I had just told Jess that running should be fun! Def. take a sick day when you are not feeling great. Or just run short and easy.

I swam in Michigan in a pond that had little fish nipping my leg. That was an experience. : ) I just looked at the water after the little fish bite and said, "Fish, you aren't going to keep me from practicing."

This morning I got a great, great run in early. I woke up at 5:30 am and ran 7 miles at 9:17 pace. And I had my first ever negative split for that long of a distance (running end part faster than beginning). I stopped for three water breaks and a chocolate GU.

On mile two, I ran up this hill overlooking fields in Marysville and watched some of the sunrise. What a beautiful way to start the day.