I’m not good at saving the best for last, so I’ll just start out by saying that I chose my winter race! You might remember I was deciding between several different options. There was the sandy, close by 50K; the “Forgotten Florida” which is a 50 mile race in Central Florida; a 50K that sounds beautiful but is four hours away; and a “last person standing” race, which is also relatively close to me (meaning, about a hour away.)
I wanted to do them all! I got some great advice in the comments of that post- the problem was, every piece of advice was so good, they canceled out opposing opinions. I still want to do them all, but I finally chose…
Forgotten Florida! This race is perfect EXCEPT for the fact that it’s 50 miles, and I was really looking for a 50K. But you know what? You only live once, and I couldn’t get this one out of my mind. It’s a point-to-point race on a trail that sounds incredible. It’s about two hours away- I’ll have to stay in a hotel the night before, but I’ll drive home after the race.
I’m really excited! It’s on February 3, and knowing that helps me structure the rest of my summer. I’ll continue to focus on and prioritize strength until September, at which time I’ll start increasing my long runs. I don’t have a specific training plan yet, but I would like to do some back-to-back long runs (i.e. a long run one day and then another one the next day.) This is a little tricky because my work schedule is Monday-Tuesday, Thursday-Saturday; I don’t have two consecutive days off. But I’ve officially signed up for the race, so I’ll work it out.
I could talk about the race all day, but let’s move on. Remember how I said my son, husband and I split up the dinner duties for the summer? Well, there have been a couple snafus.
One problem is, too many trips to the grocery store. No one decides ahead of time what they’re going to cook, so it means someone is shopping almost every day. This is not good! We need to sit down at the beginning of the week and make a plan. This would also eliminate the second problem…
Last night, I made this recipe for gochujang tofu, with rice and broccoli. Tonight, my son made tofu with peanut sauce… with rice and broccoli. Okay, there was a different SAUCE. But other than that it was a very similar dinner. I don’t really mind this, but my daughter and husband don’t like eating the same thing too often. Again, we need to have better communication. It turns out that having three chefs in the family is actually kind of challenging. Well, we’ll get it right, eventually.
Meanwhile, my “Summer of Reading” is going well! My current book is…
I got this for my son last Christmas, and he just got around to reading it. He loved it, and ordered all the books in the Ender Saga. I’m about halfway through, and I’m enjoying it. The fantasy/sci fi genre is pretty new for me, and the books I’ve read up to this point are definitely fantasy. This one falls firmly into the sci fi category. Normally I would say that’s not my thing, but it’s so well-written and the story is compelling. There’s a reason it’s a classic!
I also have three library holds I’m waiting for- Most Wanted by Lisa Scottoline, Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb, and Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano. I’m not sure when these will be available, but I would love it if I could have all three of them for my “Week of Reading,” coming up at the end of June.
Anyone want to join me at Forgotten Florida? – There’s also an 8 mile, 15 mile, and 100 mile option.
Have you read Ender’s Game? Do you like science fiction?
41 Responses
Wow, 50 miles is like 80 km! My eyebrows just disappeared into my hairline. That’s a huge race! But I am sure you’ll do great, just like you did for the 50km!
I HATE science fiction. I just cannot read it at all. Same with fantasy and horror. I try to be pretty open minded but those genres are just not for me.
Hello Beautiful is on my list, I have had it on hold forever, so hopefully it comes in soon.
I used to hate sci fi/fantasy, and then Harry Potter changed that. Sci fi is still not my favorite, but maybe Ender’s Game will change that as well.
Somehow I keep thinking “I did a 50k, I can do 50 miles.” Ha ha… I just can’t let myself think about how much farther that is!
I want to join you! What town is it nearest to? Haha. I would love to do a trail race in Florida; I have run a 10k in a town near Tampa, but that was ages ago and it was on the road, so it would be fun to do a trail race!
I don’t know what kind of phone you have but my brother and I will often create a shared Google Keep document if we are going camping or on a trip and we will add a list of gear and/or food on that so that we are both on the same page and don’t duplicate. It can also be copied, so that the next time we go camping, I usually just duplicate it, change anything we are not needing for that trip, and then we both add our list/notes etc. That way we can go shopping only one time before the trip and we don’t forget anything! Maybe something like that could work for you guys.
Kyria, my husband read this while I was at work (I hadn’t even read the comments yet) and by the time I got home, he and my son had set up a shared grocery list on notes app. So now we have that part of it taken care of, at least. Thank you!
The race is only about 30 minutes away from Orlando- come join me!
Exciting about your race!! That distance sounds incomprehensible to me, but hey, all the power to you!!! 😉
I was just telling my boys last night (inspired by you, I think) that we are going to start assigning them each a day to help or cook dinner. My older son especially is very much the type who, if he needs to be in charge of his “own dinner” usually chooses one of the following: a) some frozen chicken nuggets on a plate, microwaved b) a Ramen cup or c) maybe a sandwich (but ooh, that’s pushing it- that requires multiple steps!! Gotta open the turkey AND a slice of cheese AND seal the bread back up… KINDA too much effort there sometimes…. lol….). My younger is actually more likely to make eggs or he’s even made pan-fried chicken before, etc. But I told my older one- you have about 4 years left here at home before college!! If you don’t learn how to do some of this stuff now, you’re going to be in a tough spot later. (Not to mention, I am not cool with him dumping all future cooking duties on his potential future spouse because ” he never learned to cook!”). I agree that probably a pre-planned menu a week at a time or so would be best. My family also doesn’t seem to like to eat repeats much, which is super annoying. No one tends to want to touch the leftovers, except me, even if it’s a meal they all really liked the first time around! I am the human garbage disposal over here. Which is fine, but I have my limits, too!!
50 miles sounds incomprehensible to me too, if I think about it too much. So I don’t think about it, ha ha.
I think it’s a great idea to get your kids interested in cooking. My daughter also needs to start- we’ve discussed it but so far all she does is make pasta. As a matter of fact I think she’s had pasta every day for lunch this summer, while I’ve been at work.
One thing- my son didn’t cook AT ALL while he was in high school. My husband kept telling me he would be completely helpless and not know what to do once he got to college. Now, he cooks all the time and is very good at it. So… it’s never too late for them to learn.
So exciting about your race and I know you can do it! Yay!
Thank you Liz!!!
Great News. That is so exciting. I’m in the middle of deciding on my winter Fla race. I want to visit friends but can I without a race?? Should I try FT Lauderdale again or is it jinxed?
3 cooks… sounds lovely. jealous.
Not a big sci fi fan. prefer mysteries but now I’m reading Kara’s book. just finished Des’
My favorite genre is mystery. I’m trying to branch out but I always come back to mystery eventually.
I don’t know… remember the Ft. Lauderdale race (in addition to being jinxed) is very sunny, hot, and kind of boring. I think a different Florida race would be more fun. But on the other hand you have a lot of friends in this area so maybe that’s a good enough reason to try the race again.
Yay for choosing a race– this one sounds so amazing.
Yay for choosing a race– this one sounds so amazing. And that recipe sounds excellent– will have to try.
If you like tofu, you will like this recipe!
OMG 50 miler!! You are amazing, will be fun to follow along. The recipe pic looks fantastic. And while sci fi isn’t my typical genre, I have read Ender’s Game and I liked it (though not enough to read the whole series. Maybe someday . . .)
Since my son is liking the second book so much, I’ll probably read that one as well. Not sure about the rest of the series though!
A 50-miler! Nice, Jenny! I’m looking forward to following your training. You can do this!
Thank you Catrina! You’ll be hearing all about it : )
So exciting to settle on a race! I think one of them was close to Christmas so this Feb race sounds like a better time, calendar wise. Maybe training for this will help offset some of your post-Christmas blues? It’s always motivating/exciting to have something you are working for and you’ll be training during the ideal running season in FL!
I generally do NOT like sci fi. There are a few exceptions, like Blake Crouch’s books. I haven’t read Ender’s Game nor had I heard much about it before they made it into a movie!
I hope you figure out your meal plans snafus! We have such a regimented system. It would not work for many families but it works for us. Phil always does his grocery shopping on Sat morning while I take the boys to the library + gymnastics. On Thur/Fri, Phil and I start to discuss meal ideas – having it be a shared process is key as picking things out is very fatiguing for me. So we come up with the ideas and make sure they aren’t too similar (one one rice-based dish, for example), I make the shopping list in a shared apple note (which he also contributes to, but I’m the one who looks at the recipes and add items I’ll need since I do nearly all of the cooking). We only need to make 3 meals/week since they tend to yield alot of leftovers. He buys lunch when he goes into work and I eat a salad every day.
I think a very regimented system like this works great. Some people might think it’s TOO regimented, but if it’s too loose then you end up shopping every day and repeating meals. I think your way is better.
Yes, I’ll be doing some long training runs in January, and getting really excited about the race. I think it’ll definitely help my post-Christmas depression.
I haven’t read any Blake Crouch, but I want to! I’ll bet my son would like him too.
I’m so glad you settled on a race and it sounds awesome (even if that is, like, SO FAR, JENNY!!) It must feel amazing to know what you’re training for and when and I can’t wait to follow along. Yay!!
Ah food, meal planning, etc. It takes up so much time, eh? Seriously: if we didn’t have to think about food, shop for food, prep food, eat food (the quickest line item of the bunch) and clean up from cooking/eating, we’d all have so much free time! But I love eating, so the other bits have to happen 🙂
Ha, I love eating as well. But as you said, it takes so much time- sometimes I think I’d rather just take a pill that would provide all the necessary nutrients. For dinner, at least- I still want to eat breakfast and lunch!
Tofu dishes like that are my fave the spicier the better. That’s my dinner a few times a week. Your race sounds great! I would suggest staying in the hotel after the race as well. I imagine you will be quite tired! And stiff! Traveling. Home on race day is stressful
You would like the gochunang tofu- it was definitely spicy.
I am considering staying two nights in the hotel- right now I think I’d rather drive back and wake up in my own bed the next day. But, we’ll see- I might change my mind.
Yay for picking a race! That sounds like such an amazing experience and I can’t wait to follow along as you prepare! And, I totally get the dinner cooking challenges. My guy and I try to plan and balance who cooks and preps across the week based on activities, when I’m in the office, etc. – but, something always gets tripped up and we end up having old standbys like Greek chicken bowls multiple nights in a row, which is what we try to avoid by making a plan and a schedule in the first place! I am hoping once we settle into summer schedule after school ends next week, we’ll be able to make it through at least 80% of a plan as planned haha!
Okay, I’m glad to know we’re not the only ones having trouble with meal planning! I actually wouldn’t mind eating the same thing several nights in a row, but the rest of the family would NOT be happy.
Wow, a 50 mile race! That’s so cool! I’m so happy for you that you found one that you’re truly interested in and excited about! February must be a decent time for a long race in Florida?
We frequently eat the same-ish food several days in a row. But we don’t mind, as long as it has the right nutrients and tastes good! (Kind of boring, I know, but that’s us!)
Yes, there’s a CHANCE the weather could be amazing in February… we’ll see.
I’m with you- I don’t really care what I eat for dinner- I just want it to taste decent and be nutritious. I doesn’t have to be fancy for me.
YOLO. Why run 50k when you can run 50 miles;-) I’m looking forward to the journey (from the comfort of my couch).
Yes, the lack of meal planning has been a huge stumbling block in the rest of the family cooking dinner. The latest thing that we’re trying is planning one week of meals as a family. It worked great…for one week and then we had end of the school year crazies and now we’re kicking off Boy Scout camping season and then it will be family vacation season so we really won’t be back to our normal family schedule until later in the summer. It’s a great idea on paper anyway.
I’m reading Hello Beautiful right now and it is everything. When a book gets that much buzz I always worry that it’s going to be a flop but this one lives up to the hype.
Oh, that’s good to know! I’m looking forward to reading it.
Glad to hear your meal planning worked for a week (ha ha.) I have high hopes for next week- we’re going to try and plan the meals. I’ll report back.
50 miles! You are going all in! But you have time to train for it, and focusing on strength this summer should give you a good baseline.
LOL on all the cooking snafus. I only go grocery shopping once a week, so if we don’t have something we have to tough it out — unless we run out of 1/2 and 1/2, that I will make a special trip for!
Ugh, once a week????? That’s my dream. I’ll settle for just not going to the store every day this week. Of course, it’s just you and your husband- two adults are probably more willing to make do with what you have than a ravenous 20-year-old boy and a finicky teenage daughter.
Hmm, Forgotten Florida is tempting as I’m frequently down there around then, as you know 😀
Love the top pic, and now I’m hungry!
Yes, that top photo is beautiful and it’s from the race course! Come down! You could do one of the shorter options (or just cheer and spectate : )
That’s so awesome that you decided on a race. 50 miles!! That’s scary 😉 (but you can do it – I know you can).
Thank you San! I’m definitely scared, but I also think I can do it.
50 miles! That’s…so far! I can’t wait to hear about your race prep and how all that goes!
I love sci fi and fantasy, so I’m constantly confused when people don’t! LOL. But then I realize that I don’t like to read memoirs or a lot of non-fiction (especially self-help) and it’s clear to me that I’m using literature for escapism and reading non-fiction just makes my anxiety worse. So. I think reading outside of your preferences once in a while is a good thing to do, but I also think there’s a reason why you like you what you like.
I think Ender’s Game is such a great intro into sci fi. I was so surprised by it! OSC is not a good guy, though, so I have a lot of cognitive dissonance about supporting/recommending his writing.
uh oh, I didn’t know that. I guess I shouldn’t ask WHY OSC isn’t a good guy? I don’t want to know!
Yes, Ender’s Game is amazing. The ending was something I could never, ever have predicted. Now I’m reading the next book, Speaker For the Dead. Everyone has their thing, like you said. I don’t think sci fi will ever be my favorite, but I can appreciate when a book is really great no matter what genre it is.
A 50 miler! Jenny, you’re amazing! What city is the race in?
Having people to help out with dinner must be so nice, but yes, having a shared doc will help eliminate snafus like this!
The race is in- for real- Christmas, Florida. It’s very near Orlando!
Holy Moley, Jenny! 50 MILES? That’s bonkers! I really admire you for taking on these challenges – including the challenge of racing somewhere other than your home location (racing? stressful enough. racing with travel? yikes!).
I hope your books came in! When is your Week o’ Reading??
Ooh, my week of reading is coming up! Next week! I’m excited about it.
Yes, sometimes I think I am bonkers, ha ha. 50 miles is going to be a challenge, for sure.