Cabbage Soup

I had a couple of requests for the cabbage soup recipe so here it is.

1½ lbs ground lean beef or turkey
1 onion (browned with meat)
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can Rotel tomatoes
2 cans Ranch beans
1-2 cans of chicken broth
1 can CocaCola (regular, diet or zero)
1 package of cole slaw mix

After you brown the meat and onion, just "dump" everything in the pot and simmer until the cabbage is done. You can even add other things if you like. My husband and I take turns making it - he may add a little brown rice or barley. We've even added wheat germ. We really like and it's great to make ahead and have during busy times (such as getting your walks in).

Like yesterday, I got in from work, took Libby (my dog) out, fed her, changed clothes and headed for Strawberry Patch Park in Madison to get my 45 minutes in. I walked 2½ miles in 45 minutes. That seems awfully slow to me even though I passed a few people; of course, there were many who passed me. I'm still amazed by the runners - will I really get there? I guess I'm just impatient but as I'm pounding the walking trail, I certainly have my doubts. Is this normal or is it my body screaming, "Are you crazy!?"

I started thinking yesterday during my walk about the summers when I was about 12-13 years old. My Dad was a crop duster and I would sit in his office to answer the phone. Occasionally, a friend would sit there with me. If he wasn't very busy that day, we would walk to the local burger place which was about five miles away. It would be nothing for us to walk both ways twice. That's 20 miles!!! If I had just kept that up as I grew older and hopefully, wiser, I would be running now. But that was before we knew the benefits of walking/running.

I'm starting to ramble. Hope you enjoy the recipe. I AM A MARATHONER!!!! Whoo-hoo!

Monday, Monday

The start of a new work week is always blah, blah, blah. I'm really have trouble getting my xt in on Sundays. I'm much more active on Sunday than any other day of the week (except MM Saturdays). Weekdays I sit at a desk all day long then go home and do my walking for the day. Then Saturday it's out the door to MM; so Sundays are spent doing most of the things that don't get done during the rest of the week. By the time I get to bed, I'm exhausted. Should I move my xt to Friday and let Sunday be my day off?

Saturday was good! Notice I didn't say great. It would have been "great" without the "headwinds" all the way back to our starting point. I was reminded of my Dad, also a pilot, talking about flying from here to there in less time because he had a tailwind, which was great; but those headwinds would definitely slow you down! I certainly hope we have "tailwinds" in Chicago!! I need all the help I can get! Oh yeah! The bread from Great Harvest Bread Company was absolutely heavenly!

Have a great week everyone! Blog on!

I did my 45 minutes yesterday at Friendship Park. I DID NOT know that it contained a lot of "uphill" walking. I guess you don't notice the hills when all you have ever done is DRIVE by Friendship Park. It started off a little "intimidating" with so many walkers/runners going in the opposite direction. I kept thinking "am I going the wrong way?" But then I figured, what difference does it make, I'M WALKING! I'll be glad when I can quote Forrest Gump like my son did - "I was runnin'." I'm always amazed when I see someone running now. I keep asking myself, "Will I really be able to do that too?" I just have to have faith.

See you guys tomorrow - hopefully the rain will wait until our walk is over. I have faith!

After Monday, I thought I was really on my way. Then the migraine reared its ugly head. Today is starting off better so I'll be hitting the park after work today. I have a question for everyone - can you relate to this site? I sure can!
http://www.comics.com/comics/franknernest/index.html

I've moved my walking schedule to after work because, when I first get up, it seems to take these old bones of mine a little while to warm up. So after working all day, it doesn't take me as long to get moving and I can totally have my eyes open. It's very important to be able to open your eyes while walking. I'm just glad that after the Libby and the door incident I have eyes to open. I'm still laughing over that one.

Connie cracked me up yesterday. She thinks I'm so old that I'm going to come in last in Chicago. I told her that I might just surprise her. She joked by saying, "I'll look back and she Sheila catching up to me and say 'Uh-oh, I better speed up, here comes Sheila'." Ha Ha Connie! I don't care if I do cross that line last, I'm just gonna cross it!!!

I had a request for the cabbage soup recipe. Sorry I keeping forgetting, but I'll try to get it to you by the weekend.

See you guys Saturday! Hope it's not raining!!

Well, yesterday was quite an experience. I got up at my usual 4:45 a.m. and headed to the treadmill. Someone came in and, I could tell, he wanted the treadmill, so after 20 minutes I gave in. I told myself, "no problem, I'll just walk with Libby after work (Libby is our 5-year old, 75 lb. Weimaraner). So, after work I rush home, change into my walking gear, put on a big pot of cabbage soup (you guys need this recipe - the ingredients are a lot of the super foods Robin talked about last Saturday), grabbed the short lease for Libby and headed to Friendship Park on Lake Harbour. I parked the car, did some stretching and got Libby out for, what I hoped would be, a very nice and peaceful walk. Then the fun really started. . . Libby loves to go outside, but since we live in an apartment now, and my husband and I are such couch potatoes, it just doesn't happen very often - just when "necessary." Well here we go, toward to walking path which runs along Lake Harbour to Pear Orchard where we will turn left toward the Ridgeland Post Office. Keep in mind that it's about 5:30 p.m. - during the busy traffic time. Lets just say that I am a HUGE fan of The Dog Whisperer. And thank goodness, I knew what to do when she was frightened from all the traffic. By the time we could see the Post Office, she had figured out what she needed to do, most importantly, was to walk beside me and not try to pull me (since I was not on rollerblades). She learned to "sit" when we needed to wait for a car at an intersection, but she was a little freaked crossing the intersection because on the trail she was walking very close to grass and then all of a sudden there was no grass. By the time we got back to the car, 25 minutes had passed (20 a.m. minutes + 25 p.m. minutes = 45 minutes, right?), I could barely breathe and Libby could barely wait for me to open the door for her to jump in! The fun didn't stop there either. On our way home, my daughter calls my cell phone. We visit as I'm trying to get home, get Libby out of the car and inside, all while my daughter is telling this funny story of what happened in the library at school today (she's working on her masters degree). Meanwhile, the house phone rings and its my son (the one in Arkansas who is planning to go to Chicago with us marathoners). I tell him I'll have to call him back shortly. Well, duh on me, because I forgot to let Libby "do her thing" before going inside and she just squats in the middle of the living room. I jump up (still talking to my daughter), grab the leash, open the door with one hand holding my cell phone in the other, Libby darts out and the door comes back and hits me in the face! Okay, friends, you can see how dedicated and pumped I am about MM. Even my dog needs help! All in all, it was great! Sometimes hilarious, but great all the same!

Later. . .

Today was great! I was able to keep up with the "whipper-snappers"! That was probably because we didn't walk in Belhaven. I really enjoyed the levee walk and met some fellow bloggers. Hey guys! Sorry about the Mississippi State windbreaker, but it's the only one that fits. Next time you'll just have to walk in front of me. lol

I just saw on the MM website that we'll be walking 2 miles next week and I'm really pumped. However, I will obey our great and powerful leader, Master Marathoner Mark. I will not run! I will not run! At least until he tells me to, cause I know I'm not there yet. If he says we'll be ready after 10 weeks, then that's good enough for me.

Later. . .

Yep, that's me in the middle, the old one! lol As you can see, we are having loads of fun. Nina's on the left and the hysterical one is Connie. We're the pumped up marathoners very excited about making it across the finish line in Chicago. (Girls, please don't kill me for using this picture!)

My week started out fairly well, except for the lower back pain and the shoulder pain. The lower back pain, sure - but the shoulder pain - what's that all about? Maybe I've been such a couch potato that any increased movement has sent my body into total shock! I'm sooo looking forward to the time changing to Daylight Savings Time and warmer weather so the days will be longer and I can head to the local parks instead of the treadmill. I know there are a lot of you who brave the cold weather, but temperatures in the 20's, not for me. I'm actually looking forward to the springtime temperatures. Of course, that just means the July heat is getting closer. I guess I'll be one of those marathoners with the multi-bottle belts around my waist - sure hope my waist is smaller by then!


Keep on keepin' on and see you Saturday! Look out Belhaven, here we come!

I loved Saturday! Iloved the way Mark "broke" us apart into the many different sections. Funny how Connie and I started out next to each other, then were across the room from each other, then when we got to the birthdays, we were back together (she's July 5 and I'm July 11). I also met two other marathoners with the same birthday as mine. The walk was so much easier than the Saturday before in Belhaven. Of course, I promised my "whipper-snapper" friends that I was not going to try to keep up with them. I went at my own pace, which really isn't that slow, and I felt like I could do the 1½ mile walk again. Although I didn't do it again in Clinton, I felt like I did it while shopping with my mother. Each day seems to get easier and easier but then again, we'll be walking those hills in Belhaven again this Saturday! Slow and steady, up and down those hills should make it better than the first time. Training is fun!!! I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Great Week so far! I have been getting up at 4:50 a.m. and heading out for my walk and it feels great! Last week was not good for me but I'm really getting into the swing of things. I love reading the blogs but haven't been as good at posting. I'm working on it.

It's really good having two friends at work (Connie and Nina) who are also doing MM. It all started when I read the article in The Clarion-Ledger. I was so inspired by what MM had done with the prior marathoners that I made up my mind immediately that I was going to do it. I sent the article to Connie and Nina and here we are supporting each other every step of the way. I'm also looking forward to making many new friends every Saturday!

Another goal of mine is to lose about 60 pounds. I have been a "yo-yo"er most of my adult life when it comes to my weight. Several years ago I lost 40 pounds - then slowly gained 50. Then a couple of years ago, I lost 30 pounds then quickly gained 40 pounds so here I am trying to lose 60. When I read about the lady who lost 100 pounds doing MM, I said that's for me. I can meet new people, make new friends, take a wonderful trip to Chicago and lose 60 pounds to boot! It just doesn't get any better than that!!

Keep on keepin' on and I'll see you Saturday in Clinton!

Okay, I'm totally new to this blogger stuff not to mention the whole marathon thing. I am a total couch potato who is ready to make a change so I'm extremely excited about being a part of Marathon Makeover. Over the years I have been an occasional walker but I just never stuck with it. This "endeavor" will keep me motivated with many goals to achieve. I'm 53 years old, a mother of three and a grandmother of four (three of whom belong to my son & his wife who live in Michigan and plan to go to Chicago to cheer for me). Another son, his wife and daughter live in Arkansas and he does triathalons; he has also expressed an interest in going to Chicago to run with me. My daughter lives in South Carolina and is planning to make the trip to Chicago and stay with a friend so she too can watch me cross that finish line. So, you can see that one of my goals is to have all my children together in one place at the same time! ;o) I'll talk about some of my other goals in another blog.

I really enjoyed the walk on Saturday, but I sure am sore! How long will it take for me to work through the soreness?! I was up at 4:50 this morning to get my 40 minute walk in before going to work. I feel great, my legs are sore, but I am determined not to let it stop me from reaching the finish line!