Baby Crack

As a treat for eating some of his (organic) mac & cheese and roasted chicken for supper tonight, I gave my son a "This Apple Walks Into a Bar" from Trader Joe's. When he finished that one, he asked for more, so I gave him a "This Strawberry Walks Into a Bar" - why the hell not, it's Friday, and he's a skinny guy.

But then he kept asking for more after he finished that second bar. OK, I've found his baby crack, and I'm cutting him off at two bars.

Dancing Fool

Just now, as a song comes on Yo Gabba Gabba!, he quickly stops playing with his magnetic doodler and starts dancing.

The other day, during a Tarjay run, I put him down in front of the store after carrying him from the parking lot. A car happened to pass by, blasting Michael Jackson through open windows, and as soon as my son's feet his the ground, he starts dancing.

My son is a dancing fool.

C25K - W3D1

I'm alive!!!

I'm also happy to report that I was surprised at how smoothly the start of Week 3 went. The three-minute running bouts were definitely challenging, but I actually felt like I could do them. It's true that you get some bad running days and some good ones, so I'm glad to have gotten off on a positive vibe for this week.

My next runs are scheduled for Wednesday and Friday. Doing this in the evening definitely helps - no heat, no sun, no 25lb toddler in his 30lb stroller to worry about. I'm planning on running in the evening on Wednesday, but Friday I have it scheduled for the morning since my son's baby sitter will be here. (Plus, I figure I should train in both day and night times.)

Looking forward to completing this week, and keeping up with the rest of the program. I really need to sign up for that Turkey Trot to help keep me motivated! For now, I'm winding down with a glass of red, and feeling good 'n proud.

C25K - W2D3

Today's session went a lot better, despite pushing my luck by doing it in the middle of the day - I had to take my son to swimming in the morning, and we won't be back from friends' until later, so it was the only time I could fit it in unless I do it at midnight. I just went around our little neighborhood - I figured if I did feel like passing out, I could attempt to crawl back into our garage, or pray that one of our neighbors would recognize the heap of sweaty mess on the street!

So I focused on pacing today and kept the runs slow & steady, while stepping up the walks a bit. I'm still feeling tight in my shins at first, then my hamstrings. I think that I may be hunching my back too much, and that when I remembered to keep my shoulders back and my chin up, the strides got a little easier. Must remember this for next time.

Done with Week 2!

Baked Angel Hair Pasta

I want to try and make this over the weekend.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 to 6 Japanese eggplants (about 2 pounds total), cut into 1-inch cubes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 pound mild Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
• 1/3 cup dry red wine
• 3 cups marinara sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
• 8 ounces angel hair pasta
• 1 pound mozzarella, diced
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 (17 1/4-ounce) package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed

Directions

Heat 1/3 cup of oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add half of the eggplant and toss to coat in the oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute the eggplant until it is golden and tender, about 10 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium. Add half of the garlic and saute until it is tender, about 2 minutes longer. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggplant mixture to a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining 1/4 cup oil and the remaining eggplant and garlic.

Add the sausage and wine to the same frying pan. Cook over medium-high heat until the wine evaporates and the sausage is brown, breaking the sausage into pieces with the back of a spoon, about 8 minutes. Add the sausage, marinara sauce, and crushed red pepper to the eggplant mixture, and toss to combine.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the angel hair and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until pasta is still slightly crunchy and undercooked. Drain. Toss the angel hair with the eggplant mixture. Cool completely. Add the mozzarella and Parmesan and toss to combine.

Preheat the oven to 375º F.

Roll out 1 pastry sheet on a floured surface to a 13 1/2-inch square. Transfer to a 9-inch springform pan, allowing the excess pastry to hang over the rim. Spoon the pasta mixture into the pan. Place the second pastry sheet atop the pasta filling. Pinch the edges of the pastry sheets together to seal. Trim the overhanging pastry edges to about 1-inch. Fold the pastry edges in to form a decorative border. Cut a slit in the center of the top pastry to allow the steam to escape.

Bake until the pastry is brown and puffed on top, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Let stand for 20 minutes. Remove the pan sides and serve.

C25K - W2D2

I thought getting out without the stroller would make this week's sessions easier, but man, I definitely struggled during the first couple of running intervals. I think I was trying to go too fast too soon. After the halfway mark, I tried to concentrate more on keeping a slower but steady pace, and I thankfully managed to finish the session alive.

I'm still nervous about Week 3. While out today I kept thinking that maybe I should redo Week 2, you know, just to be on the safe side. Then again, I need to go out and at least try. I have W3D1 scheduled for Monday, and I'm thinking I should try to do it at night, after my kid has gone to bed. It'll be cooler out and I won't have the stroller (or how I'm gripping it) to worry about - it'll just be me, the cool night air, my music, and all my attention to my pacing.

Forget the Sandbox

After some thinking and reading, I've decided that I'd rather not keep the sandbox in our back yard. Once in a while, I'll let him play in the sand at the local parks or beaches, but as far as sand for our own sand box, it's either $60 for 50lbs of Safe Sand or nothing. I realize many, many kids grow up to be fine after spending their childhood in and around "unsafe" play sand, but as with most things I do for my son, if there's a safer alternative available, I'd rather be safe.

C25K - W2D1

I stopped by a highly-recommended running store yesterday and picked up a pair of Mizuno Wave Rider 12 running shoes. (I had a hard time deciding between that and a pair of Saucony.)

I had originally planned to do my C25K session at night, after my son has gone to bed, but I couldn't wait to try out my new shoes! More than anything, I wanted to see if the pain in my shins (while running) would still be there. So I packed up my son and jogging stroller and headed to a nearby park.

I was very glad that I did not get the shin pains I was getting before. I did struggle at some parts where my thighs were feeling overtaxed and I questioned whether I can keep pushing the stroller. I tried to remember to not grip the handles so hard, and to my surprise, I felt the run was a bit easier if I pushed with one hand while letting the other arm move along with my stride.

Week 2, Day 1 was definitely challenging. I'm sure I can complete two more sessions of it, but I'm a bit fearful of Week 3: I have to survive jogging for a whole three minutes! Yikes!