Hot Mess + Healthy Sloppy Joes

You guys. I think I might actually be losing it. This picture I had to snap of myself after last night’s run outside says it all.

As my friend Kelley so eloquently put it… “that’s the definition of a Hot Mess right there.” Ha. Really though, I couldn’t agree more.

Before we even get into the run, let’s talk about that big orange blob on my shirt. It’s pumpkin. I got a little creative in the baking department earlier that day and didn’t even notice it there until Scott came home and immediately pointed it out.

Oh, and how could I forget to mention that this pumpkin is from a can that took me three trips to the grocery store to get? I’m sure the first two stores I went to had pumpkin, I just failed to put it in my cart… even though my sole purpose in running to the store was to get pumpkin.

Frustrated at myself, I went back to the grocery store for the third time in two days yesterday afternoon just to get it, make the recipe, and get it all over my shirt.

That Time I Ate It Running

I mentioned that I was going to attempt eight miles last night in yesterday’s post. Once it’s out there, I have my mind set to do it, but I kept stalling throughout the day due to rain showers. Finally, I felt comfortable setting out around 7 p.m.

Before I left, I wanted to have dinner simmering in the crockpot, which we will get to in a minute. To make a long story short, I ended up leaving for my run around 7:30 p.m. which would have been in the daylight just a month ago.

These days, not so much. The sun was quickly setting and I knew I had to hustle if I didn’t want to get caught in the dark for the entire run.

I don’t know what happened, but I took a serious spill right at the 0.5 mile mark. It was slippery out, so I am going to blame a crack in the pavement or something… but I for sure ate it bad right there in front of someone’s house.

This picture definitely doesn’t do it justice! Somehow both ankles felt like they gave out at the same time and I launched forward, using my hands to catch my fall. The other hand had a matching scrape along with some grass and dirt for decoration.

The worst part of it all? I lost the top to my water bottle. Any of you who run with water know you can’t really do it without the top, so I was mostly upset that I would now have to tackle the miles without the extra hydration.

The funniest part of it all? I had a car actually turn around and drive up to me to ask if I was okay. Nothing to see here, folks… just me losing it!

Discouraged first by the rain, then by my fall, I set out for my run and wasn’t sure if I was going to get through the full eight miles. After mile three, my attitude changed and I finally found my running “mojo” – the part of my run where I feel invincible, like I could run any distance all day. Eight miles it was!

I finished my loop right in front of our house and felt like I could have even tackled another mile or two! It’s crazy to think that I almost didn’t even take that run at all. Mind certainly won over matter this go around.

After a stretch and a quick shower, I was more than ready to go downstairs and enjoy the dinner I made pre-run!

Healthy Crockpot Sloppy Joes

Some of you looongtime HWG followers might remember a variation of this one. I first made Diet Coke Sloppy Joes when I was blogging under a different name, so I’m sure it has gotten lost in the shuffle by now.

This time around, I wanted to see if I could recreate them without the Diet Coke, since I am trying to cut out soda and didn’t have any in the house. Scott said he enjoyed the sweetness of the syrup from the soda last time, but I personally didn’t miss it.

Ingredients

16 oz. (1 lb.) lean ground turkey

1 cup club soda

2/3 – 1 cup reduced sugar ketchup

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp white vinegar

2 tsp dry mustard

1/2 onion chopped (optional)

1/2 green pepper chopped (optional)

Directions

1. Start by chopping up your veggies.  You don’t have to have onion and peppers, but I think it adds flavor and texture, not to mention vegetables.

2. Brown ground turkey in a large skillet. (You can substitute lean ground beef if you prefer that taste). Drain meet to remove extra grease.

3. In a crockpot, combine meat, club soda, vegetables, dry mustard, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and ketchup. Feel free to add more than 2/3 cup ketchup to get the consistency you like.

4. Cook on low for at least forty-five minutes.

5. Serve on your bun of choice! I prefer to use a whole-wheat or 100 calorie Deli-Flat bun.

Diet coke, club soda, ground turkey, ground beef, vegetables, no vegetables… there are many different variations to this recipe you could make to satisfy your family. Although Scott didn’t like the fact that I took out the Diet Coke, he had no problem going back for seconds. Win for me! 😉

All right, I am off to work a full day of Pistons events. Hope you have a great start to the weekend!

Questions of the Day

Have you ever taken a fall while running or workout out outside?

If so, did it discourage you or add more fuel to your fire?