Run for the cure & homemade pizza!

Earlier today I posted about my desire to start running.  Like I mentioned before, I have zero experience in running.  Well… back in elementary school I was on the track team but I wasn’t ever super speedy but I was always very leggy and awkward…. and I still am!

Walking in this year’s run for the cure was a lot of fun and it got my engine going.  I could easily see that one of my major problems is getting UP and off my ARSE and getting to work!  That morning I had a major hangover (celebrated my SIL’s birthday with a bottle of vino to myself) and I was waking up earlier than what I would on a typical work day.  I was SO wishing I could have just curled over and gone back to sleep but HECK no.  There are THOUSANDS if not MILLIONS of women who live each day with breast cancer and I can’t get up out of bed to represent them and do a 5K walk… umm yeah… I quickly popped out of bed after putting my head in check.

While I was there I realized how much I enjoyed doing the walk.  I enjoyed walking around downtown Halifax (somewhere I have only ever driven through and never really took the time to absorb my surroundings).  Granted – I am sure a lot of the enjoyment was the thousands of people doing the walk with me… seeing the wave of people walking/running up and down the streets… but either way, deep down inside of me something clicked and I got the urge to run!

That day I went to the run with my friend Nadia who’s cousin Alana was diagnosed with breast cancer in March.  For such a wet and dreary day, she came out in her wheelchair with her husband and two kids, backed with a HUGE team of supporters (me included).  One of them (Nadia’s brother) came in 3rd for the male runners… wow!

More info on Alana’s story can be found here.

I am thinking of starting with couch to 5K…since I am the n00best of the n00bs.  Case in point: Doing Amy’s week 2 challenge with Angie and farmgirl and being POOOPED beyond my belief after just a LITTLE bit of jogging.  My endurance is CRAP.  I have got to slowly work my way up and this is what I hope couch to 5K helps me with.

Lynn mentioned that I should do the couch to 5k outdoors and not on a treadmill.  Initially I think it’d be a good way to start – but I’ll have to figure out how I’m going to train in the winter. 

If anyone can offer some a lot of advice, please leave your comments!  Bring ‘em on!

In other news….

Dave & I watched Real Housewives of New Jersey (love it!) and one of the moms made homemade pizza.  Instantly we both got cravings for homemade pizza so you don’t have to guess what was in store for dinner tonight!

Super easy insta-crust:

2 Cups whole wheat flour

1 cup white flour

1 tsp salt

1 TBsp sugar

1 8g package of active dry yeast

2 TBsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Cup warm water

1TBsp basil

 

Pizza toppings:

- Pizza sauce

- turkey sausage

- 1/4 diced spanish onion

- 1 red pepper, diced

- 1 cup white mushrooms, chopped

- 1 cup spinach

- topped with shredded mozza cheese

 

Combine flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Mix in oil and warm water  & basil. Lightly knead.  Let dough rest while you prep your veggies. 

Spread out on a large pizza pan. (The dough was not spreading for me so I did the tossing technique like real pizzachefs do… and I think it helped!!)

Bake at 375 degrees C (190 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes.

Pre-cheese & pre-cooked:

All cooked & ready to eat!  Delish!!!

 

Oh – one more tidbit… here’s a pic of Dave & I from our family portrait day we had a few months ago.  This was done by my good friend Christine Newhook.