First item of business, CONGRATS BILLY for rocking your very first semester of Law School finals… before you know it he will be graduating and doing lawyer stuff.
My body loves sea level altitude. I can’t even begin to explain how much better my run felt yesterday in comparison to my three weeks of Utah runs. All of you people living in high altitude areas, you are rockstars. My PureFlow 2s felt like running on heaven. I did 10 miles at about a 7:35 average. 40 laps on a treadmill… I bet that sounds like complete torture to most people. I watched Friday Night Lights while running which made the time fly by.
You may not have noticed this but my friends in California kind of like to plan get-togethers that involve delicious foods as often as possible. We planned a Christmas lunch where we all brought different appetizer type foods.
The star to me was this poppyseed sweet bread with a sugar glaze that I want to drink.
Brooks sent me a special challenge for this month, “Make a really awesome meal for your husband and friends out of pasta shaped of your favorite things: running shoes and little runner people.”
A look of determination.
I am actually pretty proud of myself because of this meal. I don’t think I have ever made my own pasta sauce so this is kind of a big deal to me. You can’t go wrong with the Pioneer Woman and you really can’t go wrong with whipping cream so I knew this recipe was going to be good.
So Bangs and I love to text each other a million ideas a day of fun things that we want to do and when she texted me an idea that involved Christmas, candy and frosting I knew we had to make it happen. She brought over all of the candy that she has been collecting for this activity.
Can you guess which one is Billy’s Christmas tree? He really gets into things like this.
I don’t have a picture for you today of Brooke (I will make up for that in the next post) but I will show you the cute leg warmers and diaper cover that my mom got for her. I can’t wait to put her in these.
For the next MONTH be prepared to hear all about me and Brilly’s adventures around California because he is done with school for a FOUR whole weeks!
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Do you notice a big difference when you run at different altitudes? Do you live at sea level? High altitude? Medium altiitude?
What is your maximum distance on the treadmill… when do you start to go crazy on the thing? Longest treadmill run?
Favorite type of pasta and sauce?
69 comments
Karen @ Runner Girl Eats
Ten miles?! I max out at 5 lol but if I had commercial free tv I could probably last forever. I love vodka sauce on pasta. Or just massive amounts of cheese :)
TorontoRunner
Ok, those little Christmas trees are SO well done!!
CONGRATS to Billy. I hope he’s settled right into this whole Law school stuff :)
What a great run Janae!!
Deb
I love Brooke’s new outfit. Can’t wait to see her in it.
Okay – so which one was Billy’s? I’m guessing the one with cookies….
My longest treddie run was a little over 6 miles. It was hard, and slow. I much prefer running outside. I live at sea level, so anything other than that kills my lungs.
Four weeks – awesome! Have a great time!
Deb
PS – just checked out the pasta recipe – O.M.Goodness! I’m making this 4 sure! Just wish I had some really cute shaped pasta to use (hint, hint). ;-) (wink)
Christina
Those leg warmers and diaper over are adorable!
The longest I’ve run on a treadmill is 13 miles. My legs got tired before
I got bored, so I would have gone farther if I could have!
My favorite type of pasta are the swirly-shaped ones with homemade marinara sauce…mmm.
Happy Wednesday!!! :)
Pam
great job on the TM & speedy too!! :) I think the longest I’ve ran on the TM is 2 hrs (14 mi) EMZ is incredible on the TM! Girl, can run marathons, double digit runs consistently on the TM. It takes great mental discipline to run double-digits on the TM!! :)
love, love Pioneer Woman! I haven’t made any of her recipes yet, but when I watch her cook I’m def. inspired.
cute Christmas tree idea. looking forward to last day of school on Fri. The kids will have a 3wk vacay!! I’m looking forward to baking & getting crafty w/them!!
CONGRATS to Billy!!! That’s awesome!! Looking forward to seeing the most adorable family soon!! :) xo ttyl
Christina
By ‘over’, I mean ‘cover’ :)
Kari @ Running Ricig
The furthest I’ve run on a treadmill is 20 miles. I don’t think I’ll ever do it again, but at least I know I can if I have to.
The only time I’ve run at a different altitude was in Vegas and it was ROUGH. I can’t imagine doing that all of the time.
Kattrina
How fun to have four whole weeks to explore and not have to worry about working or studying. I can’t wait to hear what kind of fun stuff you end up doing.
I have only ever run at sea level. I guess I tried to do some runs in Mexico City once and that was higher elevations. I thought I was going to die though and didn’t go too many times after that.
The longest run I’ve ever done on a treadmill was 7 miles. I was training for a marathon but was in Atlanta for a conference. I didn’t want to run on the street because I wasn’t familiar with the area so I did it at the gym. I didn’t have anything to watch or music to listen to – and halfway through I accidentally pressed the emergency stop button and erased all my previous info. Very frustrating!
My favorite sphaghetti sauce is Vodka Sauce – I love it!
Kari
8 miles is longest I ever tolerated it. Hats off to you!
Nicole@TheKidlessKronicles
I AVOID the treadmill at all costs. I find more aches and pains on the treadmill than anywhere else. Of course, me new Brooks Ravenna’s are going to fix all that.
I am not sure about altitude, but moving to a city with more pollution did get to me.
Any MEAT sauce is fine with me!
The Kidless Kronicles
Cindi B
Mmmm, that bread looks good (for breakfast!). My longest treadmill run was 18 miles, in the middle of marathon training when I was recovering from a hip injury. I thought I might die of boredom…I can’t imagine how you’ve done longer!
Lindsey
I noticed it was way harder in the mountains!
I cannot remember the distance but time wise 3 hours!! Cold Canadian winters will make you do crazy things.
Mac and cheese :) That pasta is the cutest!
NYC Fit GIrl
I am in love with Brook’s outfit!! Too damn cute! When is she wearing it?
Erica
Yes, altitude makes me feel like I am sucking wind. When we were in Cusco, Peru I was out of breath and had an elevated heart rate walking form the hotel bed to the bathroom.
I love running on the treadmill. Never, ever get bored really anytime before 13.1 miles.
Have a great 4 weeks with both the B’s.
Becky C.
I have made that recipe from the Pioneer Woman! Love it. So quick and simple.
I hate the treadmill. My toes hate the treadmill. I try to avoid it as much as possible.
Amanda @ Romancing the Unusual
Yay for Billy (and you and Brooke!) for being done with school for a few weeks. I can’t run on the treadmill. I despise it. It’s looking like I am going to have to learn to deal with it, though if it gets much colder. I’m being a wimp these days about the weather!
Elizabeth @ My Neon Running Shoes
I think there’s definitely a difference if you’re trying to run fast! We had our conference meet at CU in boulder one year and running the 10k was like 3 minutes slower! It feels like breathing through a straw!
Not a treadmill person at all… I think my longest is probably 10 miles.
Favorite pasta sauce is pesto!
Ashley @ My Food 'N' Fitness Diaries
Gahhh LOVE those little leg warmers and diaper cover! Too stinkin’ cute. Great job on that 10 miler on the treadmill… I think my max on the treadmill is 6-7 miles and then I cry of boredom after that. That pasta sounds delicious! You’re right, you really can’t go wrong with The Pioneer Woman. I love any kind of pasta sauce, but I’d say alfredo is prooooobably my favorite. Tough choice though!
Karla @ myhighonlife
I don’t know how you people run long on treadmills.. the longest I’ve done (and ever intend to) was 6.5 and it was brutal. However, I say this quietly but I enjoyed my 5.5 miles on a treadmill the other day watching NCIS.. so maybe I’m turning a new leaf :)
I love all pasta! Yum.
Missie
I couldn’t help but notice that the poppyseed sweet bread was served on a “You Are Special Today” red plate. We have one in my family and it’s a big deal to get the red plate for dinner. It’s used on birthdays, after passing a test, running a great race etc. Every family should have a red plate!
Elizabeth @ My Neon Running Shoes
There’s definitely a difference in sea level and altitude if you’re running fast. I don’t notice it so much on slower runs. We had the conference meet in Boulder, CO one year and everyone running the 10k added at least 2 min!
Not a treadmill person… Longest probably 10 miles.
Favorite pasta sauce is pesto!
Have a great day!
Renee
I notice a huge difference at high altitudes…I think I’m going to die after 3 steps.
My longest treadmill run is 6 miles and honestly it wasn’t that bad…but I’ve never trained extensively on the treadmill.
That pasta looks so cute. My favorite is probably any tube pasta and I’m not a big sauce fan…
Shanna
Now that you’re back, you should check out Christmas in the Park in downtown San Jose! It gets super busy on the weekends, but if you go on a weeknight it’ll be better. Brooke would love it!
Elizabeth @ My Neon Running Shoes
There is definitely a difference between sea level and altitude when you’re trying to run fast. It’s like trying to breathe through a straw. One year we had our conference track meet at CU in Boulder and the 10k times were at least 2 min slower!
Not a treadmill person… longest is probably 10 miles.
I love pesto on pasta!
Liz @ Tip Top Shape
Aaww, congrats to Billy for finishing his first semester!! I take my first final tomorrow, so I know the ridiculous amount of work he had to go through.
And favorite pasta — pasta carbonara. I never used to really know what it was but then I ordered it on a whim and fell in love :D
Katie
I live in the midwest right now, so I’ve gotten used to the altitude, but in a month I’m moving to San Diego. I’m expecting to suddenly be an amazing runner, resulting from the sea level altitude. We’ll see if that comes true…
kim@hungryhealthygirl
When I was training for my marathon, I think the longest I did on the treadmill was about 18 miles. I watched a couple of movies….The Beautiful Mind took my mind off of the running.
Andrea @ Andrea Out Loud!
I love any type of red sauce for pasta – as long as it isnt spicy! :)
And I am so jaelous of all your delicious food extravaganzas lately!!!
Jessica R @ fromthekitchentotheroad
I think my max is 0. I am anti treadmill. If I had one at home and a dvr I might give it more of a try. Until that day, or until there is 3 feet of snow on the ground, I’ll be outside.
Sarah @PickyRunner
I am SO jealous of you and all of your fun adventures with friends!!! You guys have the best get-togethers (duh, there’s tons of food) and I wish my friends were coordinated enough to do that!! I mean, runaroni pasta? It doesn’t get any better than that!! I bet it would taste delicious in some mac and cheese…. :)
Natalie @ Free Range Human
That outfit is adorable! Enjoy your quality time with Billy-can’t wait to see the adventures you guys have!
michelle kim
Ooh that 10-miler must have felt awesome! Running at altitude is tough!
Favorite type of pasta has to be those bow-tie ones… or rigatoni. Anything that can get a bunch of sauce on it.
Crystal@TheFastFitRunner
J: Please tell us how awesome Billy did when he gets results! I am dying to know, and crossing my fingers, praying for you guys. I know how important those first year grades can be!!! PS. Get ready for a long time away in Utah when it is bar review time. California is the hands down hardest bar exam!!! My hubs best friend friend had to take it THREE TIMES!!!! I might have given up, but he is happily practicing away in So. Cal now!
Holly
Look at you go Miss Speedy! I need to find a tv series that I can keep myself occupied with while running on the treadmill…but Craig doesn’t like if I bring the ipad to the gym. He thinks I’ll drop it or break it…he says it has something to do with my extremely bad case of the dropsies…silly boy ;)
LOVE those leg warmers & diaper cover. SO adorable! Brooke is so fashionable!
Eugenia Byrne
Yes! Running at high altitude is definitely rough…
I am training for a marathon, and I was supposed to run 15 miles last Saturday. The weather was HORRIBLE…sheeting rain. I am a wimp, and I love my treadmill, but I wasn’t sure if I could manage 15 miles on it. I set out not knowing if I could mentally do it, but I did. 15.25 total. That is the longest treadmill run ever….and I was glad it wasn’t 20!
Greatest pasta sauce that I have in my fridge now involves all of the COSTCO veggies plus a few from Trader Joe’s that Costco doesn’t have (broccoli, red, yellow, orange peppers, carrots, celery, mushroom, sweet potato, zucchini, onions, garlic, basil, and other driesdherbs) all sauteed with a little olive oil & a packet of ground turkey. Mix 2 jars of Costco brand tomato sauce to the veggies & turkey & let simmer for at least a few hours. SO YUMMY!!!
Kaitlyn
I live at 7,200 feet and train at about 8,000 feet. Whenever I drive an hour and a half south to my Mom’s and run at 5,000 feet I shave easily 30 secs per minute off my mile pace. When I head back to my Dad’s in Maine or Rhode Island, I can’t believe how much oxygen I get. I hardly breathe heavy at all and my workouts don’t feel hard.
Meagan @ Managing Meagan
CUTEST OUTFIT EVER!!!! The ruffles! SO CUTE!!!
Farthest TM run I’ve done is 8. It’s just SOOOO boring. I can’t take anymore than that. You’re a rockstar for doing so much on the TM. :)
Megan D
I will be anxiously awaiting a pic of Brook in that outfit.
Way to go on your run. I knew it would be awesome for you!! I really have only run at high altitude. When we went to DisneyWorld I was really looking forward to running at sea level because I heard how awesome it was. Whatever awesomeness it offers was immediately counteracted with the humidity. Bleh. It was bad.
My longest treadmill run is 11 miles. But I have done that distance on the treadmill several times. I didn’t go crazy, so I am not sure how long I could go.
Way to go Billy on finishing your 1st semester…and surviving a friggin 8 hour final. Have so much fun the next 4 weeks!!
shelly
What recipe did you use for the frosting? I’m making gingerbread houses this weekend and it looks like it calls for raw egg whites as the “glue”. Ick!
Stephanie
YAY, I’m so glad you and Billy have 4 whole weeks together :) Have so much fun! Congrats to Billy!
Irene
Yay! Congrats to Billy! That first semester is so tough and so much to get used to for your little family! I still remember what an adjustment it was for us, and I was also in school, which I think makes it easier b/c we just studied together all the time. But I think grades matter a lot more in law school than a lot of other programs, so I know it is very stressful. I am really excited for you guys to have a wonderful 4 weeks together! Amazing! Enjoy every second of it:)
CatieB
Janae!
I feel like I’ve been MIA for so long! I miss your blog! I’m happy to read everything is going great with you, Billy and baby Brooke :)
The longest run I’ve done on a treadmill was 18 miles… If you’re in the right mindset it’s not too bad. :)
Khushboo
I once ran 16km on a treadmill but lord know hows…10 is my max now, and that has to be on a GOOD day!
Lyric
Longest run I have done is 13 miles, I know I am crazy. I love spaghetti sauce and noodles, I am a creature of habit.
Brooke @ Running In Heels
I live at normal altitude now but when I lived in Colorado during my first two years of college I wasn’t a runner yet and wasn’t planning on being one anytime soon because simple workouts were so much more difficult at first! I probably could have gone once I got adjusted but I was in such a slump at the time! When I transferred back to Wisconsin my second semester of sophomore year I started working out again and started to train foru first half marathon. I found that I was happy again and life only got better from there! Now two half marathons and one full marathon later I can honestly say that running saved me!
And I have so much respect for you for running long distances on the treadmill on such a regular basis! The longest I’ve gone on the treadmill was 16 miles for a training run and I felt like a hamster on a wheel!
Katie @ Peace Love & Oats
I love those trees, they’re so cute!!! And CONGRATS TO BILLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rachel @ Operation Rosebud
CONGRATS TO BILLY!! Law school… WOW. That’s some serious dedication!
I like Alfredo sauce, but with good spicy sausages mixed into the pasta. Weird, no? It’s like Zuppa Tuscana soup but in a pasta form. I would kill for that soup right now– down side to living in England! Longest treadmill run– 4.1 miles. And I was GOING CRAZY!! I had my Kindle, music and a TV going, but I was DYING! Kudos to you!
Ashlee
Pioneer Woman MADE my Thanksgiving :-) Her recipes are delicious and full of buterry goodness ;-)
Whitney
I LOVE the diaper cover and leg warmers!!! :) SOOOO cute!!! Also, I can’t wait to hear about all your adventures with your hubby for the next month! :) YAY!!! Go Billy for completing your first set of law school finals!! :)
Annette@FitnessPerks
OH my. Those are the cutest! Can’t wait to see her in them!
Emma
I was just perusing Pinterest and look what I found!
http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2010/06/poppyseed-bread-from-not-so-desperate.html
Katie@skinnyminniemoves
That bread looks unbelievable!!!
CoMo
YES I go crazy on the dreadmill, and the most frustrating part is that I KNOW it’s mental…and I have a pretty strong mental game and STILL can’t beat the constant mental nagging while running on a treadmill. My longest run ever was 8 miles…AND I felt SO GOOD when I was done. At this point I usually do speed work on the treadmill and try to get my long runs in outside. That may change soon with the cold weather here. I will KEEP trying to figure it out!
My favorite pasta is big fat rigatoni noodles with my homemade sauce! DEELISH! <3
CoMo
Oh yeah, CONGRAT’s to your HUBBY! What a great accomplishment I know you are so proud of him!
Andra Enoiu
Longest run on a treadmill: 3 miles. :) I start to crazy after 2. I don’t know how you do it! Each minute feels like 5 minutes.
Got this in my active.com email:Indoor vs. Outdoor Running: 3 Things to Know About Treadmill Training
http://www.active.com/running/Articles/Indoor-Versus-Outdoor-Running-3-Things-to-Know-About-Treadmill-Training.htm?cmp=291&memberid=114349252&lyrisid=37732737&[email protected]
Stephanie
Please tell me you ate those beautiful candy creations.
The longest run I have done on a treadmill was 13 miles at the gym with my mp3 player. If I had a treadmill at home and could watch TV or movies, I know I could go longer.
Deirdre @ Oh Well Whatever
Congrats to Billy!!! Enjoy your time together, I am sure it will be so much fun!
How is it possible you still have episodes of FNL to watch? Might need to get sucked into 24 next, that has been my latest.
I am actually going to try and make a pasta sauce from scratch for the first time tonight. A bit nervous….
Yellow Haired Girl
Wahoo Billy!
Do those leg warmers come in grown up sizes? ;)
Sami
That diaper cover is adorable!!
Ps, I nominated you for the Liebster Award! :)
http://psalms139verse14.wordpress.com/2012/12/13/the-liebster-award/
Jill
The last time I was on a treadmill, I ran a mile and was so annoyed that I jumped off and went for a real run …haha. I am never in a good mood after running on a treadmill. But my mood skyrockets after 5+ miles in deep snow with blowing wind. Probably not normal…..
We live at 7,200 ft. I fell a difference when we are at much lower (or higher) altitudes, but I think humidity actually bothers me the most. I much prefer dry weather.
Thanks for your blog, it has further increased my passion for running.
Jory
I’m on the treadmill train also – the only time I can run during the week is before work at 4:30 am. That isn’t happening outside since my “town” consists of about 3 square miles and no street lights. I’ll take the cozy, warm, inside setting of treadmill and Netflix, please and thank you :)! OH – Friday Night Lights got me through last winter’s inside running. It has a special place in my heart!
Kay
Congrats to Billy!!
STUFT Mama
Those cone trees are awesome. I have to copy that idea.
I’ve never ran in high altitude come to think of it. Hmm…..
When are you coming down south?
Cathryn
Yay Billy….rock star!!!
Laura @ sweatingforit
When I was in high school, I could crank out 10 miles on the treadmill with no problem. Now I feel lucky if I can do 4 miles on the treadmill!
Laura
Friday Night Lights makes time go by so quickly. It really just makes life better.
That poppyseed loaf looks delicious! Did someone make it? If so, they should share the recipe… :)
Arrienne
When I came home from living in Germany my chest hurt for a long time running in Utah again. I couldn’t believe how much easier running at sea-level was. I’m jealous and will need to run in Cali asap to feel the difference again:)
Still looking for a treadmill to buy and trying to convince my hubby that it is necessary and then maybe I’ll be able to whip out a 10 miler on one.
Kathee
I try to run when I’m working in Rock Springs, Wyoming. 6500 ft above sea level. Then when I race at sea level I feel like a rock star!! We made those christmas trees for part of family cookie day and they were a blast.