Chevron Houston Marathon Weekend 2016

wooooooo!  more than 27,000 runners from all 50 states and various countries participated this year. WHAT a turnout and what a blast i had!  it took a record 41:00 min JUST for everyone to get across that start line.  soooo many people.   finishing my half marathon was my ultimate goal but seeing so many fit friends along the way was icing on the cake (that i'm eating later). 

CONGRATS, RUNNERS!!!! WE DID IT!

friday afternoon, we headed to the GRB Convention Center for the  Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Sports Medicine Institute EXPO.

i have made visiting this EXPO a friday tradition since 2009.

 

follow the feet, Dego!

we went straight to pick up my race packets, 

i know, i look a lil' 'Hell Raiser-ish' (remember that movie? lol) but i will get back to this hair of mine in a moment. keep reading!

then we visited a couple of the vendor booths.  Dego saw that basketball and it was all over.  nobody else could shoot it but him. nobody.

    

this was Sonny's first time attending the EXPO with me!  all the other years he was working at his engineering job. a lot has changed for us in this past year!

ready!!!! kinda sorta not really!!!!

 

 i finally feel like i'm getting somewhere with this natural hair of mine.  Bantu Knots for the win!  there are plenty of YouTube tutorials on how to create these guys and i love how they turned out. going on day 3 and my curls are still poppin'.  i was supposed to get braids for the weekend but we simply ran outta time for an 18+ hour job.  my girl Ogechi was still able to hook me up cause that's what she does!  

saturday morning, it was 5k time!  i parked right in front of the Toyota Center and booked it to Discovery Green. 

    

i squeezed right into a good lil' spot at the 7:00 min per mile mark this year!  last year  i was back by the 13 min mark.

peek-a-boo

 done in 30 min and some change! i found some fit friends and started snapping victory pics.  great job Ayesha! she did the half marathon the next day and we literally ran into each other during the race.

beautiful, buff, natural sisters, Ama & AJ! #HairGoals i was crushing HARD on Ama's pineapple top! AJ competed in her first bodybuilding competition a few weeks ago.

  then i ran into my Soror, Arlene before and after the race!

i had to go teach my Lifetime class after running but i wanted to go check out the post-race food first. so i did...and the line was crazy long and i didn't have enough time to wait. so i walked out of Discovery Green and tried to go back the way i came (i.e., walking right into the flow of post-race people traffic) and a security guard immediately warned me that i could NOT do what i was about to attempt and that i'd pretty much have to walk all the way down towards Minute Maid park first and go around. i was like, "but i parked by Toyota Center and i need to get outta here, sir!".  that's what i get for being greedy, LOL. out of nowhere though, this guy appeared and said "it's ok, i'll escort her since i need to go tell people to keep moving along anyway." WHEW. so off we went!  i saw the back of his jacket and thought, angel indeed! he definitely saved my butt.  i would not have made it to teach on time if it weren't for him.

after HIIT class, it was time to carb the heck UP!

oh yeah.  Jason's Deli has always been a favorite of mine.  i got the manager special: half turkey sammich w/ fruit & side salad bar. oh and some un-pictured self-serve vanilla fro-yo.

back home to get ready for the next day!

sunday morning, i got up and headed down town to the GRB.

this was around 6:30 as the runners were heading out to the start line a few blocks away. MAN IT WAS COLD out there! but the GRB was nice and toasty and i did not want to leave.

waiting and being random....

taking my traditional starting line selfie and talking myself through this!  

why he so salty back there though? bwhahaha

i wore my Fearfully & Wonderfully MADE shirt by Active Faith Sports.  a few spectators saw it along the route and shouted "Amen!" 

the race officially started at 7am, but i finally made it to the start line around 7:21.

but not before running into one of my  5:30am crew Lifetime class members!! 

and we're off!  about 2 miles into the race a heard a bunch of commotion.  naturally, i turned around and proceeded to have a good laugh.

look, it's a Wookiee!!! Chewbacca had no idea how much he lifted my spirits!  i ran with him for a while and EVERYBODY he passed shouted his name. everybody!!  hilarious. 

i so wish i could have taken a pic of all the ridiculously funny signs i read!!!!!! here are a few that made me bust out laughing:

*at the 5k mark* "You're almost to the finish line! Wait, my mistake. " -Steve Harvey 

 "Remember when this sounded like a good idea?"

 "You feel like crap, but you look good."

"You run better than the Government."

"Could you hurry? We're freezing."

"Worst Parade Ever."

"I love your endurance.  Call me 713-229-3390"

"Pain is temporary, but Facebook posts are forever."

"You trained for this longer than Kim Kardashian was married." 

aaaagh, there were SO MANY.  a sign contest needs to be apart of this event, seriously.

 

was having a little hip soreness at the halfway mark but i kept going. i even had to pee before we started but i kept putting off using the port-a-potty and never did! passing mile 12 and entering downtown made me one happy girl. time to book it.

mama is on her way, boys!! Sonny told me Chiso turned around and said "Papa, this is not very fun." waiting does suck sometimes, Chi!

[video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="http://fitfoodiele.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/chevron-2016.mp4"][/video]

we DID that!!!

2:25:04!  #SkeeWee

couldn't wait to hug my boys and find more fit friends.  HEB was handing out ice cream sandwiches and i couldn't wait to kill mine! then... Chiso happened :) 

great minds think alike :)  Lifetime Fitness instructor and trainer, Milton, finished strong today!  his wife, Jessica, is preggo with their first child! congrats to them and their expanding family.

 

ran into my girl Pam....again!  she run yearly as well; always fun chatting it up with her!

soooooo proud of Nike.  she said FORGET a 5k, i'm taking on a half marathon for my first race.....ever!!! she wanted to cross it off her bucket list...... and she did.

in 2 hours and 30 minutes at that! 

 

i ran into my girl and supporter, Angel! she got to meet Chi and Deg in person, lol.

 

afterwards i sat down to stretch and wait for Papa to go get the car so we could go EAT!  all i wanted was a burger from Jerry Built!  they wished me luck on Instagram so they had been fresh in my mind ever since.  thanks again, guys! that burger did not disappoint! 

   

never does. #LookAtIt #GoneIn60Seconds

thanks for reading!  i put off my post-race nap to blog so GOOD NIGHT!!! :)

Q: do you have a favorite race or event you participate in annually?

all pink everything

my sunday started with the usual breakfast (oat bran pancakes and egg whites) but this was my lunch:

Weber Kick 'N Chicken grilled chicken breast and veggie stir fry using every fresh veggie i could find: mushrooms, yellow squash, asparagus, and red bell pepper.

i skipped church (but listened to the podcast later) and stayed home to finish getting things ready for my sister Michelle's  baby shower! this was a #sisterssquared production; something my other sis Kara and i like to refer to ourselves as!  as of may 17th of this year she officially became my sister-in-law as well as my Soror.  i had so much fun hosting with her.

#skeewee

cake batter rice crispy treats were requested so cake batter rice crispy treats were made! Sonny brought me back the super-duper jumbo size marshmallows from the store which didn't exactly melt aaaall the way down in the cooking process but i was totally OK with that. why? the clumps of ooey gooey marshmallow in the bars was an awesome touch in my opinion! recipeeeee: (fyi, this is definitely a treat that should be eaten in moderation, guys.)

Cake Batter Rice Crispy Treats

the stuff:

• 5 cups rice crispy cereal (can use brown rice puffed cereal too)
• 10 oz marshmallows
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup dry boxed yellow cake batter
• 4 tbsp butter (i haven't tried any dairy-free alternatives in place of regular butter yet)
• 1/4 -1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles

do this:

1. coat the sides of  a large pot/saucepan as well as the pan you intend to press the rice crispy batter into
2. melt butter in large pot/saucepan over medium heat
3. add vanilla
4. add marshmallows and cover; let melt for 1-2 minutes
5. add cake batter & sprinkles and stir a few times to incorporate then immediately add cereal and KEEP STIRRING
6. remove from heat and stir until all combined. be sure to scrape the sides of the pot really good
7. pour batter into a rectangular or square pan and press down on the batter until even across the top
8. add more sprinkles
9. once cool (bout 10 min or so), cut in squares, bars, or however you'd like!

who remembers this drink? who still makes this drink lol!? rainbow sherbert and 7 Up (or Sprite, or natural ginger ale). the ugliest, tastiest party drink, ever. it's been a good while since i've had it, whew.

 Kara made the most adorable, pink cupcakes.

 and she also got another idea from Pinterest: mini strawberry shortcakes in a glass. aren't they beautiful(bottom right)!? there are cubes of light angel food cake, sliced strawberries, cool whip, and sprankles in there. SO.GOOD.

per Michelle's request: subway sammiches, shrimp fried rice, egg rolls, chicken meat pies, wings, and chips.

happy shower day, Michelle! eviction notice goes into effect in 4 weeks (or less).  aaaand we can't wait to plan your shower, Kara! HAHAHAHAHA

thanks for reading.

Q: what's your favorite, indulgent party food?!

le

skee-wee!

well it's about time!!! for this post, that is.  

non-fitness related, but this is definitely a part of  le.  i give God all the glory and praise for allowing me  to be apart of such an illustrious, historical,  organization of exceptional, talented women.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated! #21 ;)

we are the ladies of 'AKAtch 22'.

 God has blessed and enabled me along with 21 other ladies to give our time, our efforts, and our service to this respected organization.  to be able contribute to and continue this historical legacy is an honor i don't take for granted.  i love these ladies and look forward to a lifetime of sisterhood with them.

enjoy these highlight photos from a very, very special day in my life.

gifts, gift, and mo gifts from the celebratory brunch held for us at the end of this past June 30th, 2013.

i heard my name, so out i came!

one by one we entered into the main ballroom as new initiates for all of our friends, family, and new Sorors to see.

posing with the incredible Soror Shakia after our ceremony. 

Sorors Tiffany, Ijeoma, and Dami. my special day would not have been the same without these ladies and i'm excited to be able to call them Sorors. thanks for the photo, Tiff ;)

this guy right here... i've been waiting a looong time to show my hubby some SKEE-PHI love!  Sonny made it back from his 4th Musclemania bodybuilding show in Miami that same morning, just in time.  i sure did want to go to Miami with him though, not even kidding :shocked:

and then i got the surprise of my life - THIS guy came aaaaaall the way from Afghanistan to celebrate with me and see the fam!  he has been overseas working since the beginning of the year and we have missed him terribly.  he's my only sibling and we are super close so i was pretty dang happy to see him.  cue the ugly-cry-face.

posing and celebrating with the beautiful sister Sorors Brandi and Shalonda just before AKAtch 22 made our grand entrance.   excuse my raccoon eyes from crying my face off all morning.

i look up to and admire my mentor, Soror Brandi, tremendously.  this woman is always on point.  ALWAYS!

making memories with a dear friend of mine and 21 klub, Tiffany.  thank you for..... simply everything.

my girl Andonnia and i!  my sister for life.  i was honored to be able to share that day with her.

Chiso had noooooo idea what was going on,

but his little confused face was priceless.

there might not be any fitness up in this post, but i couldn't get away with mentioning food.

Matthew caught me finally sitting down after it was all over to EAT!! i told him to tell those waiters to NOT touch my plate cause i was coming back. and boy did i.  i had one of everything from the humongous buffet, dessert included. #allout

i loved all my gifts...but this one touched my heart sincerely and means so much to me.

just a quick snippet - the journey really is just beginning...

thank you to my precious FAMILY & FRIENDS for supporting me in countless ways throughout my entire journey.  my heart is completely full of gratitude for each of you!!!  to my dear Aunt Hazel and Godmother whose role was pivotal in my journey to AKA...i love and appreciate you. i thank my loving mother and Soror Andrea for joining me at my ceremony table as well and for their incredible support.

thank you for reading!

le

jam. oooooh jam

man the weekend went by freakishly fast! yesterday morning i missed my saturday morning workout for the second straight saturday, uuuuugh. but with good reason!  i attended my first AKA chapter retreat with my Sorors and had a seriously fun time.

posing with Soror Peach on the left, and Crystal on the right.

i enjoyed fellowshipping with these women, learning more about them, and more about myself.

fun, memorable times were had,

and plenty of cake was eaten :) .

i found myself looking back on some of my older posts recently and they were so dang long i lost interest myself :shock: . so i'm gonna try somethin' a little different in an effort to get more posts out during the week. cool? cool.

i have so many dang recipes on Instagram (fitfoodiele)  i need to add to the fit recipes section it's not even funny.  so here's  the homemade strawberry chia jam by request and as promised!

homemade strawberry chia jam

the stuff:

• 1 cup diced strawberries
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 2 packets stevia

do this:

add your chopped strawberries to a small sauce pan on medium heat; add stevia and mash together with your fork.  as SOON as it starts to simmer, turn the heat off and add the chia seeds; incorporate real good.  you can also do this in the microwave.  just nuke the strawberries for 30 seconds, stir in the stevia,  nuke for 30 more seconds, take out, and add the chia seeds and mash it all up with a fork.  if you have an emulsion blender, use it!  if not, do i like i did and throw it all in your bullet, food processor, or blender and give it a few quick whirls until smooth.  put it in the fridge so the chia seeds can do their thing and thicken.

for 2 tbsp:

here's another healthy breakfast option from my first ebook, Fit Foodie Lean- pineapple upside down pancakes!  just one of almost 50 healthy, cleaner, leaner recipes for breakfast, lunch, brunch, dinner, and dessert.  if you'd like a copy for 9.99, click on the book cover over there on the right side of this page and it's yours!  thank you for the FAN-FREAKIN-TASTIC support i have received thus far!!! i just can't stop saying thank you.

oooooh my life would be OVER and yours just might be too.  as we go into another week, make it a point to LAUGH MORE!  happy monday eve you guys!

Q. what is one product you'd rather make at home than pay for? 

le