Pumpkins in the Park 5K

A couple weeks ago I signed up for my second 5K, Pumpkins in the Park. This was definitely a race the entire family could take part in. It was so cute seeing the kids running around in their Halloween costumes and running in the CLIF Kid Spooky Sprints. There was also a tent where kids (and adults) could decorate a pumpkin to take home with them. Good times had by all!

The Run

This was a hard one for me for multiple reasons. We were running on a trail which I'm not used to and it was packed. The trail was not only packed by runner and walkers but strollers, double strollers and dogs.

I always wondered why a lot of the races didn't allow dogs to run and now I know why. About 8 minutes into the race an owner lost control of her dog and I tripped over him. Normally I wouldn't be upset but this owner didn't say sorry and gave me a look to suggest I did something wrong. I have 2 dogs and if I chose to take them on a 5K race I would make sure to stay to the side and not weave in and out of all the people like this owner was doing. Okay my bitch fest is over;)

I put the "tripping" episode behind me and ran on. I wasn't able to train prior to this race so my only goal was to beat my PR. Due to some of the race conditions I didn't think it would happen but I'm happy to say that I did beat my PR!!!

Sorry about the lack of pictures but I will make up for it in a couple weeks when I do my 3rd 5K race, Hot Chocolate!

Question:

Is anyone else going to be running or walking Hot Chocolate in Chicago? Did you do any running this weekend?

What a Great Day...

yesterday was. Can you guess why?

First off it was a great date, 10-10-10, very cool.

Second, it was the Chicago Marathon.

Ariel view of the finish line (from a bit of a distance):

Chicago's finest, helping to make sure everything went smoothly:

Loved the huge screens set-up so everyone could see what was going on:

A whole lot of people cheering for all the amazing runners. Makes me happy to see the people of Chicago (my city!) being so supportive:

The biggest reason Sunday was such a great day is because it marked the 1 year anniversary of Patrick and I getting married.

We decided to have a low key anniversary. We started off by cheering on the marathoners and then went to one of my favorite breakfast spots in Chicago, Bongo Room.

Started off with the best iced vanilla latte:

My breakfast appetizer (I'm allowed an appetizer, it was a celebration) was 1 Pumpkin Spice Pancake topped with browned butter & dark brown sugar cream mouse topped with sweetened glazed toasted pecans. It was delicious!

My main dish was an omelet with broccoli, Canadian bacon and smoked aged white cheddar. Very good, I was shocked at how good the broccoli tasted in the omelet. The sides were multi-grain toast and potatoes. However, I did not eat the potatoes because they tasted strange to me.

Even though I didn't like the potatoes, I left the Bongo Room feeling very happy!

Dinner

Most people engrave their wedding bands with something romantic like never to part, love always, together forever but, not us. See, we bonded over many late nights eating Tombstone pizza and tater tots. So when it came time to engrave our bands we couldn't think of anything better than: Tombstone & Tater Tots.

We had to celebrate our first anniversary with nothing other than...

Tombstone:

& Tater Tots:

accompanied by ketchup and BBQ sauce for dipping:

Champagne for sipping:

1st anniversary meal recap: Tombstone, tater tots and champagne - cause that's how we roll;)

Oh yeah, and a salad so we could get some sort of veggie in:)

Our first year of marriage has been full of adventure. Can't wait to see what the years ahead of us have to bring.

I'm so lucky to have found my best friend and husband all in one!

Question:

What did you do Sunday 10.10.10?

Cookiehead Cookies !

I have to start off this post with an apology. See I've been enjoying some really great tasting cookies and haven't shared them with all of you. Not only are the cookies kind to my taste buds but they are filled with some healthy ingredients!



Remember when I ran my first 5K back in May. As mentioned in that post one of the highlights of the race was being able to try these cookies:



To be honest, I wasn't all that excited to try the cookies when I first saw them. The reason being I've tried many healthy cookies and they've never really been all that great. But, when I saw how many people were crowded around the cookie display I knew I had to try them.

I'm SO glad I did! YUM!!!





I was able to take a box of the Belgian Chocolate Chunk cookies home:






Cookiehead Cookies!




I was extremely impressed that I could read ALL of the ingredients!




The cookies are smaller in size:




but packed with pieces of Dark Chocolate:




See, look at the size of the chocolate chunks!!! I think this is a cookie kids would really enjoy and parents would enjoy giving them to their kids:)



The inside of the cookie is filled with a bunch of healthy, great tasting ingredients:



I really liked these cookies but what impressed me the most was that my husband really liked the cookies! This was both good and bad. I'm happy he liked them because it is far better for him than Oreos or Chips Ahoy cookies. I'm not all that thrilled he likes them because it means I will have to share them:(

Now I need to head out and buy another box. I was told I could purchase them at Whole Foods in the Chicago area. If I can find them I will most likely try out some of the other flavors they offer!

If you are a cookie lover and looking for something a bit healthier you MUST check out their website: Cookiehead Cookies !


Question:

Have you tried these cookies before? If yes, what did you think?

5K, Williams Sonoma and Dogs - Oh My!

Saturday morning I woke up bright and early to get ready to run my first 5K. I was pleased to see that the weather was fantastic for a run!





I put on my running clothes, Polar F6 and laced up my sneakers with the orange band with the time chip in it.



After the national anthem and a police helicopter fly over with sirens blaring (I didn't even know the police helicopters had sirens) the race was started. As I ran through the start line I was greeted with people playing the bag pipes and was off to the races!

The race was an all-around good experience. I didn't do as well as I wanted but I was able to accomplish at least 1 out of the 2 goals I set for myself. I finished the race in 40 min 33 seconds. Not a great time but I'm happy I finished and finished under my goal of 45 minutes.

After the race my husband and I walked around the tents that were set up around Soldier Field. It was really a good time. I was able to talk to some Physical Therapists about some pain I was having in my hip. We were also able to watch the tots 40 yard dash. These kids were so into the races and fun to watch!





One of the highlights after the race was being able to try out some new healthy cookies! They are delicious and I will be doing a post about these later this week so be on the look out.




Sunday morning I woke up and promptly made myself a plate of cut up apples with a side of melted Mighty Maple Nut Butter!!!

I really like this combo. It tastes great and the nut butter really helps fill me up!

I also introduced my boys to apple slices:

They weren't really sure what to do with them at first. It was hilarious watching them. I think it took each of them 10 minutes to finish just 1 apple slice each!

Around 11:00 am, the husband and I headed out to Williams Sonoma to attend a cooking demonstration they were having. We learned about Copper Cookware as well as how to make a risotto dish that was delicious!

There is no way I can spend an hour in WS without purchasing something, just not possible to walk out empty handed:






New cutting boards. Love that these cutting boards are color coded so you always use the right board for what you are needing to cut:




I finally got a Microplane:





A couple new All-Clad accessories:





And some amazing tasting and smelling Roasted Garlic Puree:





I love this store! So many things I wanted to buy but I was strong and only walked out with what I could afford.

After our adventures in the city my husband and I came home to relax and spend some quality time with the dogs. However, I don't think Solera wanted anything to do with us because he shoved his head under the couch and just laid still for about 10 min:



No, he was not stuck, he was staring at a toy that was under the couch. He is such a goofy dog!

Question:

Do you have pets that do strange things? If so, what do they do.