But I am ready. I'm not going after the time that I had originally hoped for, but I was under the influence of pain meds when I set that goal back in April.
I can easily say that this is the sickest I've been ever in my life. I feel like I've battled the same little cold just about every month since June. That's what happens when you have 2 little ones and one is in daycare and the other doesn't sleep more than 4 hours at a time. Don has been good enough to put both kids to bed this week so I can get over this latest cold and be healthy and rested for Saturday. I am feeling much better and I only have an annoying cough remaining.
This is taper week, which of course means a lot less running and letting the body rest and recover from the months of hard training I've put in. I don't do the usual taper. I taper down my long runs, but not really my regular runs until the final week. This time around I started a week early mainly because I was sick last week. I did my usual 10 mile long run on Sunday and then my usual 8x500 meter repeats on Tuesday. Now it is 4 miles a day and rest, rest, rest!
I have a nasty habit of thinking beyond the race when it gets to be this time. I am already thinking about how I will recover next week and when I will start my new training program. I am kicking around the idea of trying out Crossfit for a while. I feel that not only have I lost the usual muscle you lose with age, but I also lost muscle and strength during my pregnancies. I feel I still have fast times in me, but I'm going to have to get stronger to get there again. I also want to work on speed, so no spring marathon for me!! But, I have to remind myself first things first, lets get through Saturday!
Recipe of the Week
Hash Brown Quiche
3 cups shredded hash brown potatoes
1/3 cup butter, melted
seasoning salt to taste
1 cup diced cooked ham
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Press hash browns onto the bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie dish. Drizzle with melted butter, and sprinkle with seasoning salt. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until beginning to brown.
In a small bowl, combine ham, onion and shredded cheese. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and a little seasoning salt. When crust is ready, spread ham mixture on the bottom, then cover with egg mixture.
Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.) Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until filling is puffed and golden brown.
Don loved this, but said he prefers the regular crust, so I will try it again, only with the regular pie crust and no onions, because I thought they were a bit overwhelming.
Pic of the Week
The Kids with Grandpa Parks, aka.. Santa
