Disney Princess Running Gear? Yes, Please!!

Sometimes, I feel like the internet knows exactly what I want.

I spotted this yesterday on Fashionably Geek and The Mary Sue: Disney Princess running attire from the Etsy shop This Princess Runs. 

Does this item come with Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather -- just in case I need a color change? (image source)

The designer also has an amazing Wonder Woman running costume at her shop.  Now, don't get me wrong -- I love the Disney Princess franchise and would love to tear up a marathon dressed as my favorite, but think about how much more awesome it would be to tear up the same course dressed as Wonder Woman!

I'm going to exercise a bit of restraint and hold off on spending all of my extra money on running costumes. For now...
 

TGI Carb Night: Recipe - Pasta with Chicken, Asparagus, and Tomatoes

I spent a few days in Greensboro, NC on a business trip; now, I’m back in DC and ready to start the weekend! 

This afternoon, I took a walk over to City Sports to pick up the Garmin Front Runner 110 that I’ve been eyeing.  Sometime between the marathon in October and now, my pedometer decided that it had no interest in accurately tracking my distance and speed. I thought that adjusting my stride length, weight, and sensitivity would help, but it didn't.  

Most of my runs ended with me calling it a liar. 

After debating whether or not I wanted to spend as much as I did on a GPS/heart-rate monitor, I decided that it would be a worthwhile investment since I intend to run as long as I'm physically able.

In other news – it’s carb night!

To fuel for my 12-miler tomorrow, I prepared another recipe from the good people at Cooking Light: Pasta with Chicken, Asparagus, and Tomatoes. 

You’ll Need:

8 oz pasta (I used penne tonight)

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken tenders cut into strips

1 cup sliced asparagus

2 cups cherry tomatoes

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons chopped basil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup crumbled goat cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Heat a large, nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat.  Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. 

Add chicken and asparagus to pan. Sauté for five minutes.

 Add tomatoes, garlic, and basil to pan.  Sauté for one minute.  Remove from heat. In a large bowl, mix pasta with chicken mixture.  Stir in balsamic vinegar and oil. 

Plate and top with goat cheese.

Finally, I made the decision not to run the ¡VAMOS! 5K.   Instead...

...Jenny -- widely known for her love of party shades, delicious eats, and being a total badass -- is coming to DC next weekend. (I'm so excited!) There will be brunch.  There will be a dance party. And, there will be the St. Patrick's Day 8K. 

Time to break out the party shades! 

Going for Speed: Weekly Round-Up (3)

It’s bloody cold again in DC.

On any normal day, I’d think that I was a wimp for not running outside because of a little cold weather. (I'm from New England, damn it, and I'll tell you when it's cold.) Yesterday just happened to be the coldest day so far this season, and I decided that it would be best to allow my better judgment to prevail and complete my long run on the treadmill. When I went out for errands, I layered just enough to make sure that I would be mistaken for a giant, teal marshmallow.

Of course, none of this actually prevented the worst cough/headache/sore throat combination from setting in. It's cool, though. I didn't mind having some time to rest and catch up on my pleasure reading and a few projects for work. Hopefully, whatever cold this is will be mostly gone by tomorrow so that I can move onto Week 4 of my training:

Monday – Cardio/Strength Training
Tuesday – 3 miles
Wednesday – Speed Workout: 6 x 400m at 5K Pace
Thursday – 3 miles
Friday – Rest
Saturday – 8 miles
Sunday – 3 miles

On the subject of Saturday's errands, I made a trip to my favorite running store yesterday to restock my stash of Jelly Belly Sport Beans and ended up purchasing my first Sweaty Band. My hair is too short to pull back in any meaningful way, so I was excited to find something that would keep it out of my face and stay in place during runs. I mean, I haven’t actually worn it during a run to test it out -- but not one strand of hair has fallen out of place while writing this post.

If you’re interested in winning a Sweaty Band, one of the coolest fro-cos (freshman counselor in Yale-speak) in the history of fro-cos is hosting a giveaway on her blog. Check it out the giveaway and her general awesomeness at Stuff Jewish Girls Like.