TRAINING FOR A 10K

So, as I have mentioned, my husband and I are running a 10k... actually tomorrow. And although, I run year round, it's nice having a race on the docket to keep me motivated. I tried running a half marathon last year and tore a groin muscle during my training, so I stopped running for about 4 months. This is my first race of this season, we'll see if a half is on the horizon for me. Anyway, for those of you who plan to race this summer, I thought I would share some of my training must haves.

The earbuds:

I like the Yurbud Ironman series. They are supposed to never fall out of your ear. I would definitely say that they are the best earbuds I have ever used... but last year while I was riding in my 28 mile mountain bike race BOTH rubber pieces fell off the earbud rendering them useless for the rest of the race. I was bummed. However, you can just order replacement tips so I did that and now it's great to have some extra on hand. Also, if for some reason the two sizes they offer don't fit your ear they can make a custom size for you, for free.

The shoes:

I run with the Vibram Bikila shoes. They are a minimalist fivefinger shoe. I love them! I used to have knee and hip pain when I ran and since using these, I haven't. Sometimes I will have a little knee or hip pain if I run a lot, but nothing like before. Also, sometimes my achilles tendon will be sore if I don't stretch it out after I run a lot. But overall running is so much more fun now that I don't have to worry about knee pain afterwards. There is a bit of a learning curve so don't go out and run 3 miles in them, work in to them a little. There are also minimalist shoes that don't have the fivefingers and I have a lot of friends who love those also. I think it's the whole idea of running as close to barefoot as possible-which in some races I have seen people do! I also have never been one for socks so I love that I don't have to wear them when I run and then I can just throw the shoes in the washing machine. My husband also always had knee pain and he bought these shoes and still has knee pain, so it may not be a cure all for everyone, but I think if you are having knee pain when you run, trying the shoes is worth a shot. Also, I feel like it has given me better posture because I am more cognizant of my foot placement on the ground.

The training schedule:

We used the Hal Higdon's 10k novice training schedule. I have used his training schedules before and I think they are the best. They were recommended to me from my husband's uncle who is an avid marathon runner. We just switched the days around on the schedule a bit to fit better with our family schedule. I liked that there were only three days of running, then if I ended up running a fourth day, I felt like I was doing great. I also would sometimes run more miles than requested. But this was a great guideline. There are different levels for each of his training schedules which makes it easy to adapt to your own skill level. 

So you are all set to go out and run a race! :) 

RASPBERRY JELLO PARFAIT

I love making berry desserts in the warm weather. I made these raspberry jello parfaits when we had some friends over for dinner. We just had eaten grilled steaks and garlic mashed potatoes, so a light refreshing berry dessert was perfect. And I think it's fun when everyone gets their own individual dessert. 

Raspberry Jello Parfait

1 package raspberry jello + hot water

Angel food cake (I made some loafs of angel food cake and used about 1 and a half loaves for 7 parfaits)

Homemade whipped cream (you can use store bought but homemade tastes so much better!)

Raspberries

Blueberries 

Strawberries 

1. Mix the jello powder with only the hot water requested on the jello box. Stir in the raspberries. Cool in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes, just enough time to let it cool down-but not too long that it starts to set. 

2. When the jello is cooled, begin assembling your parfait. I tore pieces of the angel food cake and layered: angel food cake, jello and other fruit, then the whipped cream. I repeated the layering until it filled the glass. Stick the parfaits back in to the refrigerator and let jello set (1-2 hours).

DIY CHALK PAINT

I am sure you have seen a lot of projects done with chalk paint these days... I kind of wanted to try it out... to see what the big deal was. I thought my white end tables were the perfect test subjects. After getting a white sofa cover, the white tables needed a change. 

Chalk Paint Recipe

1 cup paint

2 tbs plaster of paris 

1 tbs water

1. Mix the plaster of paris and water until smooth consistency. I just did this in plastic cups. Add in the paint. (I used Behr Mermaid Net Satin)

I applied two coats to the tables. Then distressed the table a little. You can easily double or triple the recipe if you are painting a larger surface. The chalk paint covers well so you don't need a lot of coats. If the paint appears too thick, add more water, if it is too runny, add more plaster of paris. 

I like how the tables turned out... I think the difference with chalk paint is that it creates such a nice matte finish. Not as muted as flat paint, there is still a tiny bit of sheen in it. And it covers so nicely that it looks so even... well, except for the fact that I distressed it :) So I would say give it a try if you are up for a little paint project.

SHARE IT LINK PARTY #63

Hello everyone, welcome to this week's Share It Link party! I have been so busy around here, planting our garden, spring cleaning, getting our pool ready, updating my screened in porch AND training for a 10k this weekend. So don't be surprised if I am a bit MIA these days. Thanks so much for stopping by this week! 

Here are the features from last week's link party:

 Chevron Citrus Wreath from Lolly Jane

 Barn Reveal from Pudel-Design 

Easy Gold Accent Pillow from Max & Me

 Chocolate Oat Krispie Bars from It's Always Autumn

Rocky Road Cheesecake from Butter With a Side of Bread

Raspberry Mini Pies from Twigg Studios

Congratulations! Go ahead and grab a feature button for some bragging rights.

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Now on to this weeks party, before linking up, please....

1. Become a follower of The Winthrop Chronicles 

2. Link back to my blog, or put the link party button anywhere on your blog or post to share the love.
3. Make sure to check out some of the other links before leaving.

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This link party is for crafts, recipes or diy projects that YOU made. 

Remember to link to a specific post. Thanks!

So go ahead and SHARE IT!

1975 CHAIR MAKEOVER

About two months ago my husband's great aunt moved to an independent living facility and gave away a lot of her furniture. I asked if by chance there were any chairs she wanted to get rid of. And she happened to have two chairs that were exactly what I was hoping for. I was so excited. My in-laws brought them to our house all the way from Ohio, bless their hearts! My husband was and is a little hesitant... he still sees them as just old chairs... but that's okay, I like them and they are so comfortable. As I was examining the chair, I found a receipt of purchase and it was dated 1975! Awesome. I Thought I would update the chairs a little so I cut off the bottom flaps, cut off the existing wheel-legs and stapled the edges of the flaps underneath. My husband made the legs and I stained them. I then screwed them to the bottom of the chair. I also added some upholstery tacks. 

I just love these chairs because they have so much character and they were from my husband's great aunt, so we know that they have been in the family for many years! And it's kind of crazy how much they happened to match the rest of the room :)