Hemp Hearts...No Blender Needed

Sorry for the delay, friends! My Blogger hasn't been working properly. 

I've gotten a chance to try a new product that I want to share with you.  This little bag of goodness is called a Hemp Heart. What's  Hemp Heart? It's a shell hemp seed that is cold-processed straight from raw, live hemp seeds. They have a nutty flavor(I thought they tasted like sunflower seed) You can put it in just about anything you would like. This little packet is full of nutrients. You can learn more about Hemp Hearts Here.

So, What did I make with it?! A pumpkin smoothie. It's fall people, get with the pumpkin. 

My blender broke the other day so I had to use a whisk and it still came out great.  

I eyeballed everything but here's how I made it:

• Vanilla greek yogurt
• Pumpkin (About 1/4 of the can) 
• Milk
• Pumpkin spice
• Nutmeg
• Hemp Hearts

Whisk it away!

This was sooo good and I bet you're wondering how you can get your own, right? Well, Manitoba Harvest is offering a 5lb. bag to one lucky winner.

How to enter:

• Get creative in the kitchen, tag @manitobaharvest, #hemphearts, and  #sweatpink in your Instagram and/or Twitter post and you'll be automatically entered.
• Anyone is eligible for the contest
• Contest deadline: November 30, 2014

Get 20% your purchase using promo code: HHSweatPink14

LucyTown Half Marathon Recap

...So to finish after the 5k that Adam and Danielle finished. 

After the race we went to Tim Horton's for breakfast. I had never been there because in Pittsburgh we don't have them. It was one of the greatest coffee shops ever. I tried the dark roast coffee (which was wonderful) and some breakfast and drove around Jamestown, Chautauqua to see where Katrina's family worked and where she lived during college. Later, when we got back to Katrina's parents we laid down for a few minutes which turned into a 3 hour nap. (Whoops! I guess I was sleepy from watching them run?) I'm not going to lie... I missed my animals but it was nice laying down to nap without having to chase a dog around the house. 

My mom sent this because I missed my babies so much on Saturday night. Note: I will not be leaving them again. 

After waking up, Katrina and her mom took us to the Chautuaqua Insititution to see the lake and take pictures. The Chautauqua Institution is an adult education center and resort that is only open to the public after summer. 

It was so beautiful. 

We took down photos by the lake. 

Then we went to see the fountain where St.Elmo's Fire was filmed. 

We walked around and took more photos because it was so beautiful.

Then we went back to Katrina's parents where they made us dinner. 

Carbo loading for race day. It was delicious. I tried my best to calm Katrina's nerves since this was her first half marathon and she has been sick for the past two weeks. ((And by sick, I mean, sinus infection turning into bronchitis turning into bruised ribs from coughing.))

We ate, hung out with her family and friends, are some more and then got ready for bed for race day. 

Sunday is here! 

It's race day!!! 

I woke up at 6:50am and the first thing I did was a breathing treatment. Once that was done I got dressed and ate breakfast. By this time I could tell Katrina was really nervous so I tried to get everything ready the best I could and take lots of pictures to take her mind off of it. 

On our way! It was a cold 35 degrees and I was wishing I had brought pants. Katrina kept telling me that once we start running it will get warmer so I listened because I made her listen to me all training season. 

It was such a beautiful sunrise. I was feeling really good about this race. 

Then we hit fog and I was a little nervous about running in that. 

About 10 minutes later we arrived at the ice arena where everyone was preparing. 

I can honestly admit that at this time I was not nervous. This was the first time ever before a race that I felt confident in myself and my running partner. I think my nerves were okay because I knew that I had her with me. Someone with me the entire 13.1 miles to keep me from being alone and lost. ((Because, let's face it...I suck at direction and my biggest fear during a race is getting lost on the course)) We got a few pictures taken and headed outside for the national anthem. 

Then out of nowhere I heard Osielle runner, Natalie call my name. I was so happy to meet her! I was looking for her but I'm the worst at trying to find a runner that says wem meet up together. 

Then it all began...

They walk us to start line where "Lucy" blows the horn to start. ((My least favorite part of the race was that they rate you on gun time and not chip time. But I had my Garmin, so it's all good.)) We started. 

About .10 of a mile I looked at Katrina and said,"Welp, there's no turning back now. Next stop..finish line." And we ran. We ran the entire hill as I coached Katrina through it because I only made her run the hills through our town. We ran through parts of her area that she had never been to before. It started to warm up and we had a good pace going. We walked through the second water stop at about 3.50miles. And kept trucking.At about mile 4.50-5, we saw the winner coming back through and he was at about mile 10-11. We talked a little and made sure each other was feeling okay. I think adrenaline got her through the first 5 miles because she kept saying she felt good and I was just rolling with it. ((I had a lot of calf cramping but since she was doing okay I wasn't stopping.)) 

At about 6.5, our second water stop I had an asthma, panick, chocking attack for a second. I could hear myself wheezing and all of a sudden I couldn't stop coughing. (The great thing about running with someone that knows you is that they usually know when you're having an asthma attack and my not be able to help you but can tell you to take yor inhaler) so I listened and walked for a second. After I regained composure we started running again. A few minutes later we saw Katrina's parents and sister. (Our other photographers for the weekend) 

We look pretty good for what just happened. ((This is my favorite race picture of us.)) We kept going and saw them again when we looped around. 

We're doing okay. We made it to mile 10ish were Adam and Danielle were. Danielle was and is our photographer. She takes our action shots and posts them to Facebook so our families know we're alive on the course. 

At this time I thought we were going in for a PR and we were doing really well. They cheered us on and told us to keep going because we were so close. Just about 3 miles left then we could go back to Tim Horton's. At about mile 11 I was losing it. The bottoms of my feet were killing me because my shoes were too tight and I was ready to be done. I started to give up when I realized that I wasn't going to make it to my PR but Katrina kept me going. 

We rounded the last hill and saw the finish line. At exactly mile 13 we saw our family and friends waiting for us and we pushed. 

We kept getting a little closer to the finish line and then we crossed it!

Being that it was gun time and not chip time, our "official time" was just over 2 hours 31 minutes and a few seconds... But I stopped my watch at 13.1 miles and got 2 hours and 29 minutes so we're going to go with that. 

And then we took celebatory photos with "Lucy", our medals and each other. 

The course was beautiful and the race was pretty perfect. If you ever have the chance to visit and run this race..do it! 

I couldn't have had a better running partner. I am so proud of the work that Katrina has put to finish her first half marathon. I'll never forget when I first met her and she thought I was crazy because I love these races. This race wasn't about me. It was about her. I hope I was a good running partner for her (and not too bossy) and I hope she plans on running more in the future (hopefully with me) even though her and Danielle say they have retired. 

This weekend was so great because I got to meet so many new, wonderful people and watch my friends and husband cross the finish line. 

Thank you, LucyTown for having me. It was a great weekend and I hope to be back next year. 

And thank you to Katrina's wonderful parents and sister for putting up with us all weekend, cooking us dinner and welcoming us into their home for the weekend. It was a wonderful trip. 

My First trip to Chautauqua, NY

A few months ago when I was asked to do the LucyTown Half Marathon and 5k, I asked my bestfriend whom is from NY where Jamestown is. Luckily it was only 20 minutes from her hometown, Chautauqua. She agreed to run her first half marathon with me where we trained together. Somehow we talked our other friend into running the 5k and my husband into running the 5k. 

Let's go back to yesterday 

Well, for the past few weeks Katrina has been sick with bronchitis. She hasn't been running so I asked her to take one little run with me before we left. She agreed. 

I was a little happy at 7am. She not so much. 

This is a beautiful sunrise to start the day. 

So we ran and went back to our homes to get ready. At about 10:20am we were ready to go. 

We were safely on our way to Grove City Outlets.  After about an hour and half we got there and did some hard core shopping for a few hours. We got a lot of awesome deals! After we shopped and ate lunch we drove another hour and half to Katrina's parents' house. 

Once we got there, we unloaded everything and went to packet pick-up, and dinner. Packet pick-up is in one of the ice rinks. It was very well organized and we got right in and out. 

We have our bibs! Next we went to dinner at Wing City. 

It was so good! 

I got the Chicken Wing Soup

And Rattlesnake Pasta 

After dinner we headed to Southern Tier...

I had a PumKing and an Unearthy beer. They were delicious and it's such a nice place. 

Afterwards, we went home so Danielle and Adam could sleep for their 5k this morning. 

Today's race and festivities 

We woke up to me say that it's "Race Day!!!!" It was for Danielle and Adam. We got showers, got dressed and left. It was a beautiful chilly morning. Once we got there we got photos taken with them and got them ready to head to the start line. 

And we get them to the starting line... 

This is the official car of the LucyTown Halfmarathon and 5k. 

And they're off!!!

After about 30 minutes we spot Adam coming back in.

Headed to the finish line!!

And then a few minutes later we spot Danielle! 

And she finishes! 

And they both finish! I'm so proud of them even if they say they'll never do it again.

Now we get ready for the half tomorrow...

The Newest PGH Marathon Puppy Runner

Hudson, my Goldendoodle went to puppy training school a few weeks ago.  He's a very wild dog since he is so young so we needed him to calm down when we take him on walks. The classes were great! We took him home and put him through his two week "reprogramming period" and he calmed down dramatically. My husband is usually the dog walker so this was the first night that I took him running. 

And that's how our run started. 

We were crossing the street and he took off because he heard a loud truck that scared him. New mental note: Trucks scare Hudson. 

Downside: the fell in the middle of Main Street and cut my hand and knee 

Bright side: I kept a hold of the dog. 

Two of my best friends ran with us so they help hudson and me get our act back together. 

We walked to the park and then hudson and I practiced our running together. He does much better when he is no where near cars. 

Afterwards, we rested and set a plan for our next run together. 

He was telling me about his race goals. 

And then we walked home. He did very well for his very first training run for the Pittsburgh Marathon Pet Walk. I think he's excited. 

Do you run with your pet? 

Have you entered them in a "Pet Walk"?