Hi Everyone! We’re glad you liked our video interview about Mark’s dessert. We always have fun making video posts and it’s nice to know they provide a laugh for some. The Beer Ice Cream Float was the mystery dessert that I mentioned in this post.

My ankle is slightly less swollen than it was yesterday, but now it’s black and blue.  I’m pretty positive it’s sprained and not twisted after reading this article on WebMd. I’ve been trying to follow these treatment tips, referred to as the PRINCE approach from WebMd.

Protection. Use a protective brace, such a brace with a built-in air cushion or another form of ankle support.

Rest. Use crutches until you can walk without pain.

Ice. For at least the first 24 to 72 hours or until the swelling goes down, apply an ice pack for 10 to 20 minutes every hour or two during the day.

NSAIDs or acetaminophen. NSAIDs (such as Advil and Motrin) are medicines that reduce swelling and pain. Acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) reduces pain.

Compression. An elastic compression wrap, such as an ACE bandage, will help reduce swelling. You wear it for the first 24 to 36 hours. Compression wraps do not offer protection. So you also need a brace to protect your ankle if you try to put weight on it.

Elevation. Raise your ankle above the level of your heart for 2 to 3 hours a day if possible. This helps to reduce swelling and bruising.

I can stand, but can’t walk without some discomfort so I’ve been hobbling around and avoiding moving altogether. Extremely frustrating, but necessary and that’s that.

I decided to take this rest time as an opportunity to have some food fun. Last night this meant a potato chip taste test. Potato chips are not my favorite snack food (I am more of a pita or tortilla chip girl), but Mark loves Kettle cooked potato chips, so we usually have one or two bags on hand. Recently they were on sale 3 for $5  at Target so we got three bags of Archer Farms Kettle Cooked Potato Chips.

Traditional: Nice, classic kettle cooked chip. Perfect for a traditionalist who likes a chip to taste like a potato and doesn’t care for tons of salt.

Buffalo Wing: Spicy and flavorful, but I am not sure they scream buffalo wing because they were actually sort of vinegary.

Parmesan Garlic: Traditionally, I love processed cheese products, so I was the most excited to try these. Unfortunately, the cheese flavor doesn’t really deliver and these chips are more about the garlic and similar to a sour cream & onion chip.

So, overall I was pleased with my chip experience, but they were nothing special. Once again, I am not a chip lover, but I do think I prefer the texture and flavor varieties of Kettle brand.  Also, I noticed a lot of chip bits in the bottom of the bag, which is something I  know does not occur in the Kettle brand chips.

For breakfast this morning I had some plain fat free yogurt and an apple. I like to dunk.

I also had half of the Banana Nut Odwalla Bar I received from Anna, my Secret Valentine.

Many people have asked about the Chocolate Covered Figs she sent me. Sorry, but they were from a small gourmet shop near her apartment, so I don’t know where you can get them. I will tell you they are delicious, so if you ever see a chocolate covered fig, buy it. The fig is so soft and gooey. I am very excited I still have one left.

For a healthy snack I had carrots and Trader Joe’s BBQ Sauce. I love this snack.

Also, thank you to Sabrina at Rhodey Girl Tests who was kind enough to send me a sample of Zatar,  which she described as  a mix of thyme, oregano, and marjoram with teeny toasted sesame seeds and salt.  I can’t wait to use it to make her Zatar Bread.

Have a great day everyone!

Have I ever shared that I fall down once or twice a day?

Well, in typical Heather fashion I fell down while bowling Saturday night.  I was doing great, even got a strike. And then, I swung my arm too hard and took a spill. Yep, I fell flat on my face while bowling. I blame the slippery wood. Although I believe the fall affected my performance, it was still such a fun night!!!!! Bowling is fun and it was made even better because after League Night ended it turned into … Rock N’ Bowl. Thanks Caitlin for the bowling inspiration. It might be a new Saturday night tradition for me and Mark.

At the bowling alley Mark wanted my Oikos hat.

But I said, “No!”

Half Marathon Update

After my pity party for the potential loss of the Brooklyn Half Marathon, I got over it and decided to run the earlier race in Providence if the Brooklyn race is in fact canceled.

I am still working on developing my own half-marathon training schedule. I am having trouble committing to a plan because I’ve always just taken my running on a daily basis. I have to remember that it’s not set in stone!  Also, I feel like I am used to running more than the weekly mileage in the Hal Higdon Intermediate running plan I am using as a guide. It will be weird for me to cut back on running while I transition from the treadmill to the road. I imagine its a natural tendency for many runners to want to run more than the schedule they are following has planned. I also imagine this is not a good idea, so I am going to try to stick closely to the weekly mileage on the Hal Higdon program.

Do any runners have any advice on not running too much when training? How do you know when enough is enough?

On my tentative training schedule for Sunday was a day for a nice yoga session, which meant a  90 minute Dave Farmar podcast. Boy did I need it. My butt and hamstrings were sore and tight from Saturday’s 8 miles. Monday should be nice and I have 3 miles planned that I hope to be able to do outside. I know there are easy runs, pace runs and tempo runs, but honestly, any outside running for me is going to be hard at this point.

After yoga, Mark and I enjoyed the beautiful weather and took a nice leisurely walk. We made our way to Starbucks where I tried a Vanilla Roiboos Tea Latte without syrup. It smelled like Berry Berry Kix. At first it was so hot that I couldn’t taste anything, but as it cooled it was pretty good, but I am not in love. To me it had berry undertones, not the vanilla flavor I was hoping for.  I definitely prefer the Black Tea Latte instead.

For dinner I made BBQ Tofu, which I’ve made before. But this time, I made it bella eats style instead of in the oven. It definitely gets cripsy! I also made a wheat berry concoction containing with a balsamic vinegar honey sauce.

For a dessert/snack I had Nature’s Path FlaxPlus Multibran Cereal.

Mark thought it was too dry, but I am not sure what that means. I thought it was kind of like a thicker, heartier bran flake and quite enjoyed it. I especially liked that it did not get soggy in my milk like other flake cereals.

For second dessert I had an absolutely delicious Chocolate Covered Fig from my Secret Valentine. More on that tomorrow!

Also … please don’t forget to head over to Meghann’s site starting Monday at 11:00 A.M. to check out her Blogging Bake Sale. Meghann is training for the Rock n Roll San Diego Marathon to raise money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  All proceeds from the bake sale go to the charity.  Lots of great baked goods are for sale including my Mixed Brown Bread and assorted varieties of Olive Oil Oat Muffins/Loaves (Plain (vegan), Chocolate Chip, Cranberry Orange or Barney Butter/Almond Butter Chocolate Chip).

FOR SALE!!!!