When the Training Bug Isn't Biting.....

If running and I were having a conversation, I would be giving running the old "it's not you, it's me" speech.  Running, you're great.  I love your challenges, inspiration and accomplishment of training and achieving a goal.  I love the opportunities you give me to push myself to new limits.  That said, I just don't want to train for anything right now.  I think we need a break.  You know, like the infamous Ross and Rachel "break" from Friends.  It's not forever.  I know we are destined to come back together sometime. 

I completed post-baby half marathon #2 over Memorial Day weekend.  The race itself was amazing...over 11,000 runners tackling the streets of Boston.  The course was beautiful.  The weather was pretty perfect for a long run and I enjoyed my run.  I finished in 2:17, which is barely progress since my February race and no where near my PR or where I thought I would be. 

I wasn't upset about it at all.  In fact, I was really happy.  I was happy that I stuck out my training and finished the race because I had truthfully thought about switching to the 5 mile race....several times.  I was happy about my mindset on race day and I enjoyed myself.  And then there was my revelation at the end.  I was happy to be finished because it crossed my mind that I finished my training plan.  I felt relieved.  Mentally, I was relieved of not thinking about running X amount of miles at Y pace so many days per week. 

I decided to let it ride with my relaxed mind set and see where it takes me.  Here we are, 2 months since that last half marathon, and I still don't have the bug to sign up for something else and map out a training plan.  This is very unlike me.  I have been spending time doing some much needed strength work with Ms. Jillian Michaels (she's tough!), which I end up neglecting when training for a race because of time.  I take the dog for a walk.  Sometimes we throw in some quick sprints.  Sometimes we don't.  I am revitalizing my yoga practice.....and I am still running a couple times per week but shorter distances, no pace, no GPS monitoring, no daily mile logging and I have even stopped to walk...gasp...on occasion when I just felt like it.

I can't say that my training regimen had been so intense that I physically needed the break.  It certainly wasn't that.  Mentally, I am enjoying the relaxed attitude and the focus of just staying active.  I'm getting some things done at the house.  I'm squeezing in a quick Jillian Michaels DVD or a short interval workout, soaking in the endorphins and then moving on with my day.  I almost signed up for an October half-marathon, but I just haven't been able to bring myself to do it yet....

Other quick updates- I did finish out the 10 Day Detox by Dr. Mark Hyman and would highly recommend it.    The plan definitely restored my energy.  Once I got through the first 2 days, I felt great and I really loved the focus on relaxation techniques and proper amounts of rest (I know every parent in the world slightly giggles at that!).  I can honestly say that I no longer need a morning coffee.  That said, I do enjoy one every once in a while.  They just smell so good!

After the ten days, I slowly migrated away from the plan and back to old habits with some traveling, family celebrations etc., but I am heading back in the healthier direction now.  It's a work in progress.  My weakness is gluten.  I don't know that I need to be entirely gluten free.  There seems to be some debate on this issue and I do love some homemade bread!  That said, I certainly could benefit from less flour in my diet.

 

On the vacation front, I soaked in some very needed beach time recently.  How's this for the view on an early morning walk?

Now, some questions for you as I would love to hear your ideas and experiences!

Have you ever dialed back the mental intensity of your running or fitness endeavors?  How did you feel and did you return to training for races?

Any thoughts on the gluten free issue?

Have a wonderful week and enjoy this summer weather!

4 Race Day Lessons I Never Seem to Learn....

My recent return to running at the Hampton Beach Half Marathon jolted my memory to my regular race day bloopers that I never seem to learn.  These are solely based on my personal experiences, but perhaps there are a few of you out there that can relate...or even better, maybe some of you I can save!  For those of you gearing up for a race of some kind in the near future, keep these four things in mind on game day:

1) Don't overhydrate.  This seems counterintuitive to almost every race day "best practice" that I have read.  In fact, I think I have read so much about the importance of hydration since my high school cross country and track days that I have mistakenly taken this one too far on occasion.  I have a perpetual fear of finding myself in the middle of a distance event feeling dehydrated.  This is partially due to my Irish complexion and not doing so well in sunshine and extreme temperatures.  It is also partially from a high school track experience when I found myself dehydrated and had to demand that the bus pull over after a track meet so that I could vomit and pass out in front of my coach, team members and the local fire department.  Oops.  Fast forward several years to the one marathon I have ran and I was terrified of finding myself in this predicament part way through the race.  So, I drank water...and water...and water before the race.  I then took in a cup of water at every aid station there was and finished the event with a very uncomfortable Buddha belly.  I refused to stop at any porta pottie along the way.  Thankfully, my other half caught me slugging water on the 1 1/2 hour drive to this last race and told me to stop drinking water to avoid having to stop repeatedly during the race.  This brings me to my next lesson....

2) Stopping can be ok.  Actually, sometimes stopping during a race can be very important.  The uncomfortable Buddha belly situation above is one example.  I can only imagine that my race would have been faster and much more comfortable had I done so.  I also remember a stinging sensation around my ankle around mile 5 in that marathon, but I refused to stop.  I had this illogical fear in my head that I would never get going again if I stopped for even a second.  So, I didn't.  I kept going....until I hit mile 26.2 and the volunteer at the finish line was faced with a blood soaked timing chip around my ankle.  My ankle and sock were all bloody, which has sort of a "I'm tough" feeling...for about a second.  Let's be honest, the World Series were not at stake here (do you like my Red Sox reference?).  And was it worth hobbling around for the next week in low cut flats?  I don't know.  I think I could have spared the 10 seconds to adjust that timing chip.  Fast forward to this recent race and I felt a pebble floating around in my shoe.  Instead of stopping, I kept shaking my shoe to make the pebble fall all the way to the front.  Will I ever learn?  People- please stop for something silly like this.  Take care of your feet.  Thankfully, I only ended up with a tender spot on the front of my toes after this half marathon.  Once again, will I ever learn?

3) Don't try something new with your fueling plan on game day.  It is really awesome when race events provide a gel or energy snack at an aid station.  That said, make sure to bring your own stuff that you know works for you.  I have done this a few times where I roll the dice and just throw the provided gel into my mouth only to remember that it is a flavor that I absolutely hate and now my mouth is coated in it until I can get to the next water station.  I feel like Jim Carrey in "Me, Myself and Irene" with chalk mouth.  Also, plan out and try your refueling ahead of time.  I have found this especially important in triathlon.  At the last minute before my Olympic Tri, I decided that I would shave a few seconds off my precious transition time by opening my gel and leaving it ready for me in the transition area.  Oooh the 3 seconds I might save.  I was so slick.  I finished my swim to find all of my fuel swarmed in ants.  Again, don't try something new on race day....ever!  Unfortunately I once again ignored my past experience and threw a vanilla gel into my face during this race...it wasn't terrible but I should have just stuck to my own and knew so as soon as I did it.    

4) Don't over dress.  Yes, it is a great idea to plan ahead and be prepared for anything.  That said, add twenty degrees to the temperature to estimate what you will be feeling like once you get going.  I never learn from this.  Thankfully, my better half again saved me at this last race.  I stood at the starting line with my hat, gloves and coat.  He told me he would take them and I said "No, I'm soooo cold."  I was positive I would need at least the hat and gloves.  It was February after all.  He insisted I hand them over.  Thank you.  Less than twenty minutes into the 13.1 miles I realized that I would have had to carry them or toss them.  7 miles into the race and I wanted to strip down to my short sleeve shirt, but I didn't because that would have required me to stop and re-pin my number.  Refer back to lesson #2 :) 

Have a great week and run happy!

And the Hampton Beach Half Marathon is Done!!!

Yes it is!  I am very excited to share a "race report."  This is my first event since my Olympic Tri in July 2012 and baby #2!!!!  I had a blast getting back out there.  My race day jitters were surprisingly low key for me....I am generally pretty darn nervous before any event.  The weather was perfect- cold at the start with a race day temperature of the mid-40's but I felt great once we got going.  I didn't even need the hat and gloves I brought along.  Maybe spring is on the way? Ha!

Overall, the race went well for me.  My finishing time was 2:18, which as I predicted, is significantly slower than my previous half marathon at 2:06 when baby #1 was just about 11 months old.  I will get back there and faster!  My average per mile pace was 10:36, which I can't complain about as most of my long runs were in the 11:30-11:40 range.  I did set out too fast as I had no idea what my current pace was until the 3 mile mark, which I hit at 30 minutes into the race.  So much for negative splits!  The course had great views of the coast and was virtually flat- hooray! 

One thing I noticed very clearly is that my breathing and heart rate felt GREAT!  My struggle was with my legs- they just would. not. go.  any. faster.  I could comfortably talk, until maybe the very end.  As you can see in my pictures, my face isn't too flushed and believe me when I tell you that I am a red faced runner!  I'm thinking my legs just need to get used to distance again and probably could do with a healthy dose of strength, hills and intervals.  I did none of those things this training cycle.

So, there you have it!  Half marathon #1 of the year done and 12 weeks to go until the next one.  I am going to juggle up the training plan a bit and work to get stronger in addition to getting used to these long runs again.  Here are some of my race day pics to capture my happy running day.


Any race experiences to share?

Advice for legs that just won't go?

Have a great week!

One Week to Go....

It's hard to believe but here we are with only one week to go until this half-marathon.  Where did that time go?  It seems like just yesterday I was pregnant thinking about my first post-partum run.  Am I ready?  I think so.  I won't be setting a personal record, but I think I have put in an honest training effort and obtained my goal of rebuilding mileage and fitness to complete the distance for this race and then focus on getting faster with my next one.  Am I tired?  I'm glad you asked...yes!  In the spirit of keeping it real, I do find fitting in my "ideal" training plan with the wee ones, work and life in general a little bit tougher than I had imagined it would be.  Purchasing a treadmill over the holidays was a blessing and I'm confident my training would not have been where it is at this point without it. 

Today was my last long run and I covered 12 miles.  Funny thing is that my training plan actually called for my last long run of 12 miles to be last week, but somehow I calculated my training weeks off a little bit and I didn't realize my error until this week.  Ooops.  Ideally, I would have covered 12 miles last week, followed by a regular week of mid-distance runs ranging 4-6 miles and then a 6 miler this weekend with a taper next week.  When I realized the error, I contemplated skipping the 12 mile run and going with 6 for the weekend, but I just couldn't do it.  Mentally, I felt like I needed to do 12 miles.  Physically, I don't know that a taper is all that important this round as I am not really running "hard."  This event is all about rebuilding some mileage and fitness so I haven't been doing speed work.  My long, slow runs have started to feel easier over the last couple of weeks and I feel comfortable as far as cardio is concerned.  My hips still feel tight after 8'ish miles but it isn't so uncomfortable to be a problem right now.

So going into next week I am both excited and nervous.  I'm excited to be back at a race, full of positive people with fitness ambitions and a zest for life.  I'm also excited for that post-race event that will have Lindt Chocolate.  Yes, you read that correctly.  I have learned that the post-race gathering area will have Lindt Chocolate and I have actually envisioned the feeling of completing a frosty 13.1 miles on the Atlantic Coast and being greeted with velvety smooth chocolate.  What can I say?  I have a problem. 

As for the nerves, they are there even though I have a relaxed goal for this race.  I have no "time" goal for this race, but I am still nervous and anticipate the jittery stomach next Sunday morning.  I have learned that no matter the distance, goal or purpose of a race, I always have race day jitters.  Every. Single. Time.  This got me thinking.  Why do I get nervous for every event???  I thought on it...and thought some more....and I think I have the answer.....

My race day jitters stem from the commitment I make to myself for an event.  When I put my toe to the line, I commit to myself to do the best I possibly can.  To do the best I possibly can, I have to get to the point that I envision in my mind as a "crossroads."  The crossroads is a point when everything in my body says "No! Stop! You could just be enjoying a bagel and coffee on the couch silly girl," and the only way to do my best from that point is for my mind to go all "Braveheart" on me, scream "Freedom" as a battle call to keep the legs going (silently of course- I promise I won't wear blue face paint and scare you out there) and charge through to the finish.  When I get to that "crossroads," temptation can easily set in.  Temptation to walk when I don't have to.  Temptation to stop when I don't need to.  Temptation to back off.  All of these temptations are not visible to race spectators.  I could opt for any one of those options and no one would know the difference.  No one would know that I didn't leave everything out there....except me.  I would.  I would wonder.  I would say "next time."  I would inevitably wish I hadn't given in. 

Those "crossroads" are tough mentally...and physically.  I think it's safe to say that we've all been there.  It's why I get nervous, but it's also why I love running.  Running is something I don't have to do, but I am honored to do it and blessed to have the good health to do it....and I get that much stronger every time I hit those "crossroads" and keep pushing.  So, that's my plan for next Sunday: get stronger!

Before I go, check out these new, awesome gloves I scored at Christmas....they will be with me next week!

 

Do you get jitters before your races?  Have a great week!

Coconut Chocolate Chip Muffins and Long Run Update

I am forever on the quest for recipes to make fresh baked goods that I can feel good about and get the attention of the little ones.  I recently encountered a day at home with little flour in the house and I wanted to bake something on the healthy side to grab and go between morning runs and out the door.  I realized that there is a whole functionality of my Vitamix that I have practically ignored since I purchased it: grinding flour!  So, I processed my first batch of oat flour by grinding organic oats in the dry container and worked out this recipe for some grab and go muffins.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Muffins

Dry Ingredients

~1 cup oat flour

~1/2 cup coconut flour

~1 cup all purpose or whole wheat flour

~1 tbs aluminum free baking powder

~1/2 tsp baking soda

~1/2 tsp salt

~3 tbs unsweetened coconut

~3/4 cups chocolate chips of your choice

 

Wet Ingredients

 ~1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)

~1/3 cup honey

~3/4 cup full fat plain yogurt

          ~1/2 cup coconut milk (I used full fat)

       ~1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

 

Pre-heat over to 425 degrees.  Mix the dry ingredients (except the coconut and chocolate chips) together with a mixer.  Add wet ingredients and beat on low to medium speed until well incorporated.  Fold in coconut and chocolate chips.  Spoon into greased muffin tin and/or use muffin liners (I used silicone muffin liners).  Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees.  Bake for approximately 18 minutes.  Remove from oven, let sit for at least 10 minutes

 and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.  This recipe made 12 regular size muffins and 3 larger size muffins.  Enjoy!

 

The yogurt I used for this recipe is a new product of the farm from where I have been purchasing meat since last April.  It is delicious.  It worked great in this recipe and I have been bringing it to work with frozen pineapple chunks and chopped almonds.

 

As for running, my long run crept up to 9 miles this week and I felt pretty good during the run.  Just about one month to go before this first 1/2 marathon- eeks!  Admittedly, the balance of getting my running done with the little ones, work etc. is harder than I thought it would be.  I feel like I just barely get it all in each week but it's getting done and I am very lucky to be able to do it.

 

How was your week?



Treadmill Pace, Green Smoothies & Dessert

Our treadmill was delivered shortly after my last post.  Hooray!  We have had it for about 2 weeks and I feel like I can't imagine life without it now.  The convenience of a treadmill being in the basement combined with Netflix and Hulu at my finger tips have been making it much easier to stick to my training plan.  I still have to plan for the runs in the early morning or late evening as our basement isn't finished and I can't set the kids up with entertainment down there yet, but it has made running 5 days a week much easier to fit in and has especially opened up some time for me on these winter weekends before the husband heads off to work.

As for the specific model of treadmill, I went for the Sole F80.  There are so many treadmills out there, which made it hard to decide.  I used the treadmill doctor website and read the posted reviews, best buy recommendations in each price range and used their treadmill buyers guide.  I found this website incredibly helpful.  So far so good.  This treadmill had good reviews for durability but I played it safe and bought the extended maintenance plan to ensure it is maintained properly.  Mechanical maintenance is not exactly a strength of mine!

My first post-baby half-marathon is coming up at the end of next month.  Although I decided to approach this race without a time goal and focus on building mileage and getting used to running distance again, I have been surprised at my paces thus far.  Surprised, as in, they have been slower than I thought they would.  Pre-pregnancy, 10 minutes per mile was my comfy, stroller-less running pace.  Thus far, I have been struggling keeping a pace of 11 minutes per mile on the treadmill.  My long runs, which is up to 8 miles as of this week, have been in the 11:40 per mile or slightly slower pace range and I can't say those runs have felt easy.  I am not upset about it- just surprised.  I thought I would be faster, especially on the treadmill where I am not using the incline or contending with the elements. 

With these paces in mind, I had an opportunity yesterday to run outside in the afternoon.  It has been weeks since I ran outside and I guestimated my iphone would be telling me a pace of 11-12 minutes per mile based on how my workouts are going.  To my surprise, I finished my snowy, icy and a little bit hilly run in exactly 10 minutes per mile feeling good. Huh???  Does anyone else find significant differences in their treadmill versus outside pace?  I always thought treadmill pacing tends to be slightly faster.  Perhaps this was a fluke run or just a really good one for me lately.  I guess we will see when this half marathon rolls around!  Paces aside, I am feeling good getting regular mileage in.  I am up to about 22 miles per week and aiming to head for 30'ish as training progresses.

On the food front, I have been keeping up pretty well with the 30 Day Green Smoothie Challenge.  I did miss 1 or 2 days, but most of my mornings are starting with a breakfast like this:

 

 

For those that may be on the fence about green smoothies, give it a try!  They do not taste like spinach or kale or avocado.  The fruit dominates the taste of the drink and I am loving them.  It's great heading out for the day with 5'ish produce servings already consumed!  For those busy mornings, I have been making the smoothies in batches of 2 and storing the second smoothie in a mason jar in the fridge so it is ready to go for the next day.  Just add a straw and DONE!  Any old blender will work to try them out!

 

Oh- and on the dessert front (as you know, I can not forget dessert!), I had a chance to meet up with some girlfriends at a new favorite place of mine, which is a bakery/pastry shop/cocktail bar that makes homemade hot chocolate, desserts etc. etc.  Check out this beautiful apple tart:

 

 

So pretty and so delicious and fresh.  I want to go back!

 

Any treadmill pacing thoughts?  Favorite green smoothies?

 

Have a great week!

 



2014

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and all of that stuff!  How was everyone's holiday season?  We had a ball over here.  It felt super busy and I am somewhat relieved to get back to a regular routine and hopefully regular sleep schedules.  It's amazing how all of the holiday excitement totally throws the little ones off.   

And speaking of being thrown off, I am ready to get back to the regular diet.  The holidays were incredibly fun with a lot of events, gatherings and of course deliciously baked goods, but eating as healthy as usual when the schedule is so crammed can be tough.  There was the night I had a hunk properly portioned piece of brie cheese for dinner because the thought of making something and re-dirtying the kitchen after I had just got the kiddos to bed made my stomach churn.  There was the night I made these from scratch and I am pretty sure I just scarfed down excess frosting....you know, to make sure everything turned out ok for my loved ones' dessert :)

 

 

And my family is well versed in the fact that I am a chocoholic and I was spoiled with a lot of my favorite stuff for gifts.  It has been a great few weeks but I am ready to restore a little more balance to the indulgences! 

 

I do have a few New Year's Resolutions to share and I would love to hear your resolutions too.  Here goes!

 

1. Eat more produce.  Instead of focusing on what things to stay away from, which can be overwhelming, I want to focus on cramming more produce into the daily diet.  I'm going to aim for double digits of produce servings and my guess is that I will be staying away from more junk with filling up on that anyway.  To start, I signed up for the 30 Day Green Smoothie Challenge.  I have loved green smoothies ever since I got my Vitamix and need to keep those as a regular thing.  They taste great, provide a lot of energy and all sorts of great vitamins and health benefits.
2. Slow down the morning routine.  Mornings are so hectic getting the family out the door so everyone can get to daycare, preschool and work.  I know slowing it down sounds counterproductive but the reality is that we aren't fleeing a burning building (thankfully) so I think a more relaxed start might get us all off to a better day.  We prepare a lot of our stuff at night and I think with a few additional night tasks and some tweaking, we will be off to a better start.
3. Smile.  I'm getting too serious.  Maybe it's because the days feel tight with work, little ones etc.  Maybe it's from worrying too much.  Regardless, it's happening and I don't like it.  Life is too short.  Maybe I need some SNL re-runs once in a while....maybe a catch up with an old friend.  Maybe more running (more on that soon!!).  Whatever it is, smiling more is high on my priorities this year. Remind me when I forget please!

 

On the running front, I am only 7'ish weeks away from post-baby 1/2 marathon #1.  Eeeks.  I felt that my first 4 weeks of training went great.  These last 3-4 weeks have not been great.  The combination of my better half traveling for work for a couple weeks, the holidays, my own work schedule and some expected fevers, colds etc. with the little ones has resulted in missed runs.  My longest run to date is 7.6 miles.  I think I can recover in time to finish this 1/2.  I will be giving it my best and I am definitely approaching this first event as a training race.  There is no chance of a PR for this one!  I also have very exciting news that is going to greatly help with my running. 

 

Drum Roll. 

 

We are getting a treadmill! Yeehaw.  I'm spoiled- I know.  I am very lucky that my family is supportive of this.  Running seriously helps me to have a great day and I was struggling to get my runs in.  The time before work on the weekends isn't an option anymore with the ice and darkness.  I use the gym at 5AM on a few week days but need to be home for 6'ish and can't squeeze in the distance during that time.  Evenings don't work until about 8:30PM and the gym closes at 9 anyway.  I am very, very lucky and so excited.  Delivery is tomorrow.  More updates later!

 

How were your holidays? Any resolutions for 2014?

 

Have a great week!

 

Holiday Treats

How is everyone's holiday season going so far? Things over here are going well.  I am prepping for a young one's pre-school Christmas party tomorrow and signed up to bring in wrapped treats.  I wanted to bring something in that was both a treat but somewhat healthy as we all know how many goodies we get this time of year.  So, I bought some whole grain pretzel sticks, melted some chocolate chips with a little bit of coconut oil, dipped them and then sprinkled some "snow" or unsweetened coconut on top.  I thought they came out good until.....I remembered the "no hard pretzels" guideline for pre-school snacks.  D'oh.

I don't know what even made me think of it but it would have been helpful had I thought of it before they were all done and wrapped.  C'est la vie!  Although I had to kick in a plan B for my little one's event, I do think these would make a good snack for older kids if you are looking for an idea.

Plan B?  Well, I had stumbled on this recipe for Soft Ginger Cookies over at Pennies and Pancakes yesterday coincidentally and I was tight on time but whipped up 1/3 of a batch and they came out great.  Yes, there is regular flour and sugar but they are made from scratch without any chemicals or preservatives and it turns out that Blackstrap Molasses is a good source of iron, calcium and potassium.  The sign up for wrapped treats is saved.  Thanks to Pennies and Pancakes because these came together really quickly and taste great.

 On the running front, I had gained some momentum with my half-marathon training.  In 4-5 weeks of training, I only missed one scheduled run and I was up to 7.6 miles for my long run and keeping weekly mileage of just under 20 miles per week.  The last 2 weeks were sort of a bust though.  The husband had to travel for work for a couple of weeks and I kept up with some running the first week, but the second week was filled with fevers, colds, very little sleep and all those lovely things that little ones get hit with this time of year while work is still busy for mom.  I only ran once this week.  Oh well...there really was nothing more I could have done but I will be back at it this week!  Hopefully, I do not feel the blip in training too badly!  I have about 9-10 weeks left until half marathon #1 of the year. I can do it. I can do it.

How do you handle training blips?  Are you ready for the holidays?

There's What in the Cupcakes???

Beets.  Yes, there are beets in the cupcakes.  As you may recall from my ideas about what to do with all that summer share produce, beets have been a tricky one for me.  First, I don't like them....or rather, I used to not like them.  Second, I find them terribly messy to prepare.  Yes, the color is beautiful but I don't need it all over my hands, the dish towels etc.  I can barely keep up with the cleaning as is.  Lastly, I am the only person in my house who will even attempt to eat beets.  I have failed in all persuasion attempts to the four year old about the beautiful purple vegetable. 

Despite all of this anti-beet talk, I keep reading and learning about how incredible they are for you.  They are high in vitamins and minerals, cleanse the body, purify the blood and even contribute to increased energy and help prevent cancer.  So, I really wanted to like beets.  I put a peeled and washed beet into one of my green smoothies and it was fine...I could get a hint of beet taste but nothing overwhelming.  Then, I read this recipe on Food Babe about beet French fries so I whipped a batch of those up- I enjoyed them and will definitely do it again.  The family has still not joined me with the beets as of this recipe though.

Then there is the recipe that takes the cake...no pun intended.  While reading one of my weekly farm newsletters, I stumbled across a recipe for beet chocolate cake.  Hmmm....never heard of such a thing.  Weeks later, I decided to check out Pinterest for some ideas and sure enough, beets and chocolate seem to be like two peas in a pod.  I gave it a try with this recipe here.  I made a substitution of olive oil for the vegetable oil.  I also would suggest, in the spirit of trying to add more nutritional value to the recipe (if that's what you are going for), to swap out the flour for a white whole wheat flour and swap in some honey or maple syrup for the sugar.  I just didn't have any of these things on hand at the time (except the olive oil) and I had a pile of beets to use.  As for the beets, I washed them, trimmed the ends off and roasted them in a foil covered baking dish for about an hour.  After they cooled, I used a knife to peel the skins off and then pureed them in my Vitamix with a tiny bit of water added.  The result....quite tasty if you ask me!  I don't taste the beets...just chocolate cake! Yes, this recipe has sugar and should be enjoyed as a treat but it's a nice way to use a vegetable and hide it on the little ones.  Ok, I may have washed one down as a quick breakfast one day this week but I was in a rush.  I just got this week's farm share basket and guess what?  There are beets and I am prepared this time!

On the running front, I am finishing out week 3 of my 16 week half marathon training plan.  So far so good.  My "long" run is up to 6 miles.  Although still chugging along significantly slower than pre-pregnancy, it feels great to see some miles start to add up and feel like a runner.  I have been splitting my runs between the gym treadmill or outside early in the mornings.  I like running outside, but I am not a fan of needing a head lamp.  Even though the lamp provides visibility, I feel like I still can't distinguish uneven pavement very well and just don't feel too graceful on the feet.  Anyone else have this issue or is it just me? It's probably just me!  The trusty treadmill is at the gym for me once the icy roads settle in, which is great but I just need to factor in the car warm up time and 7'ish minutes ride there and back.  20'ish minutes is a lot of time in the mornings!

Anyone like running with a head lamp?  Would you prefer to run with a head lamp over the treadmill or vice versa?

Have a great week!

Registered. Registered.

It's not a typo.  I registered for not one but two events.  I have been going back and forth about what I should take on.  Should I train for 5ks to allow for effective workouts in less time because of the time crunch I'm feeling?  Should I take the plunge and go longer?

Drum roll....

I registered for two half-marathons.  I couldn't help myself.  There is nothing better than the feeling after a long run.  There is no such thing as a bad day at work when you can say to yourself all day long "I ran 10 miles this morning."  I know that 5K training would be better for my schedule and I could definitely use speed work and strength work, which I am much more likely to fit in while training for 5Ks, but I just love that long run....I'm not looking for a marathon long run right now, but hitting double digits might be just what I need.

The first race is the Half at the Hamptons in February 2014.  This race is 17 weeks away and I have decided that my race approach for this event is all about building mileage.  No time goal.  Get back to longer runs, rebuild my fitness and have some fun.  I am going to follow a 16 week beginner half marathon plan that has four training runs per week with a long run each week building up to 12 miles.

My second event is Boston's Run To Remember.  This race happens to be in my favorite city and on the lovely Memorial Day weekend.  I have watched my better half run this race the last two years and I have had my eye on it....it's time!  I understand it's a pretty flat course, highly motivating...and in Boston so sign me up.  My approach for this event is going to be different.  There are 13 weeks between the two races and I have a time goal in mind.  Four years ago, I ran the Providence Half-Marathon when my first bundle was just over ten months old.  For that race, I followed the FIRST Training Plan from "Run Less Run Faster" based on my finishing time for a 5K I did right before I started training.  I crossed the finish line in 2:06.  I want to break 2:00.  I know 6 minutes is a lot to take off a half-marathon, but I think it's doable.  The 5K time that my training was based on was significantly slower than what I was running right before my pregnancy, the Providence Half Marathon was really my first event post-pregnancy that I fully trained for and bundle #2 will be almost 11 months old when this race rolls around.  I don't have a specific training plan in mind yet for this race- I can't think that far ahead!  I will see how training goes for event #1 and then go from there, but I do welcome any suggestions!

There you have it.  I'm excited to have some events and goals on the calendar.  I'm a little nervous with the winter training and not having treadmill access at the gym on the weekends with work schedules, but I will figure it out.  It will be done!

Any races coming up?  Have a great week.

Loving Fall

 

This is my favorite time of year hands down and we are just a few short days away from my favorite month.  Don't get me wrong- I love a summer beach day, but October's sweater and rosy cheek weather is ah-mazing.  I love the fall fashion.  I love the fall running weather.  I love the fall food.  I love the fall brews. I love the fall coffee. It's all good. 

Like most fall enthusiasts, we headed out for some apple picking a couple weekends ago and of course that brings on some baking and some "oh I need to do something with all of these apples quick" moments.   Once again, thank you to my Vitamix.  I am not a fan of peeling apples.  I was looking at my bag of apples standing in the kitchen one day this week and just decided to wash them, chop them, throw them in and see what happens.  Apple puree in moments!  So, I call this my Lazy Lady's Apple Sauce.

Lazy Lady's Apple Sauce

8-10 apples

1 Cinnamon Stick

1/2 cup brown sugar (optional- or substitute maple syrup)

 

Wash and chop apples into small chunks.  Place in Vitamix or other high powered blender (I had to process my apples in 2-3 batches).  Turn onto low, use the tamper to press the apples into the blender and blend until desired consistency.  Pour apple puree into a crock pot.  Add sugar or other sweetener(optional) and cinnamon stick.  Set on high for one hour and stir occasionally.  Reduce heat to low for an additional hour and stir occasionally.  Let cool and store in a jar or container in the fridge.  As a bonus, this recipe also makes your house smell incredible- no candle required!

 

After I made this, I then searched the internet and my Vitamix books for other recommendations (I should have done that first!).  Vitamix calls for a recipe of adding some lemon juice to the apples while blending and skips the crock pot/sweetener step, which could make for an even quicker version, especially for those who do not want added sweetener.

 

My next fall favorite with my applesauce on hand is overnight oats!  Have you guys heard of these recipes?  A friend of mine told me about overnight oats and then I also came across a bunch of great recipes for them over at My Whole Food Life.  You have to check them out because they are super easy, make a great breakfast on busy mornings or a mid-morning snack at work, taste great and pack some nutrition while keeping you full. 

 

As usual, I never have all of the exact ingredients on hand so I substitute.  There are a ton of varieties you can make once you get going.  Here is a quick base recipe for you to create any of your own flavors or be inspired by the amazing varieties from bloggers such as My Whole Food Life.

 

Overnight Oats Base

1/2 cup oatmeal of your choice

1/2 cup milk of your choice

1-2 Tbs Flavoring

1-2 Tbs Nutritional boost

Fruit

 

I generally use unsweetened vanilla almond milk for my milk choice.  For flavoring, I have used unsweetened cocoa, peanut butter and unsweetened coconut for a decadent version that rivals a dessert and I imagine is similar to these Almond Butter Overnight Oats.  I also used my apple sauce as flavoring for this week's breakfasts and my oatmeal tasted like apple crisp.  For a nutritional boost, you can add things such as flax meal, chia seeds, whey protein powder or wheat germ.  Mix the oats, milk, flavoring and nutritional boost into a jar or container and store in the fridge overnight.  Then you can eat the recipe cold or heat it up the next morning, top with your fresh fruit and enjoy!  I highly recommend sliced banana on the version with unsweetened cocoa, peanut butter and unsweetened coconut- dee-licious.

 

Now that I have rambled on about food, I have a quick running update.  This week was great-  I am on track for a 12-14 mile week with a couple strength workouts in between.  Baby girl had her first spin in the jogging stroller this week too!  I have a couple of 5Ks in mind to get back out there- more on those another time.

 

How was your week?

Just go with the flow...

I get busy and then I feel like I fall off track.  It's a vicious cycle.  These past few weeks have been great and busy.  I tackled the transition back to work from maternity leave- go me!  I felt like I had a few hiccups but overall it all went well.  The wee one tackled the transition out of her co-sleeper and into her own room- go baby! And then my mileage tanked with all of that commotion. There was not a whole lot to "tank" from, but it had taken a decent amount of work to get up to my 12 miles per week after not running at all through the second half of my pregnancy. It took pretty much all of my 12 weeks of maternity leave to be able to tackle some of the hills on even the short 2-3 mile runs, but I was making progress and happy about it.

I have been back to work for 3 weeks now and the running has dropped to 2-3 runs per week of 2-2.5 miles each with a circuit or two in between running days.  My head was spinning as to when else I can squeeze more mileage in and I was obsessing over my pace when running to the point of frustration.  My better half and I have different days off from work so we can't trade off the kiddos on the weekend days and night feedings are still in effect- our oldest bundle was sleeping through the night by now but #2 has her own plan and she is sticking to it!  I started feeling stressed about it and decided to stop my insanity.  I remembered this awesome quote from a fantastic book, Born to Run:

“Ask nothing from your running, and you'll get more than you ever imagined!”

~Christopher MacDougall

Source

 

Those words are exactly what I need to remember right now.  I too often take my hobby, outlet & "me-time" activity and turn it into stress when I fall short of my expectations.  I love structured training plans and working towards a goal like a particular race or finishing time, but it's just not that time for me right now and that's ok.  I'm going to enjoy running! I am going to get as many running endorphins as I can, let the rest go, soak in the fall air and see where it takes me.  I just got back this morning from an early and quiet 3 miles.  I was able to arrange the feeding and work departure schedules to squeeze something in at 6.  I love early morning runs.  Hooray!

Oh- My boss likes my new philosophy...

 

 She's the cutest, right?

Do you ever feel like you need to throw in "the plan" & just run for fun or go with the flow of your fitness endeavors?

Have a great week!

 

 

 

 

What to do with all of those vegetables and running update!

 

This is our second year with a summer share from a local farm.  I love committing to a share, but I have not been as crafty as I thought I would be about preserving and/or using everything this year as it has been a little busy with the newborn.  Our farm sends out a weekly electronic newsletter with tips and ideas to get the most of your share and the most recent one referenced ideas for those that might be feeling overwhelmed with how much is coming in the recent weekly baskets.  Phew- I'm not the only one! So, although it is still a work in progress, here are some of the tips that have worked for us:

Greens: In the beginning of the season, there were so many greens! Spinach, kale, lettuce, bok choy etc.  I think my husband would have thrown a salad at me if I made one more.  I used as many as possible in green smoothies with frozen and/or fresh fruit.  I found that spinach is perfect in green smoothies- I don't even taste it.  I can only taste the fruit.  Kale & lettuce flavors stood out more in my breakfast drink but it used the stuff up once the house was on a salad strike.

Beets: I am not a huge fan of beets.  I have tried pickling them in the past, which works to preserve them if you like beets.  In my case I just ended up with jars of beets sitting around the house for too long.  This year, I followed a simple recipe from the farm to make beet chips.  Thinly slice the beets, toss them in olive oil and salt and put them on a parchment lined baking sheet and in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.  I learned a lesson the hard way to watch them carefully, especially if sliced by hand and not evenly sliced.  Some of mine burned really bad in one batch and were not tasty for eating!

Herbs: Pesto freezes really well.  I used up my basil by making up a batch of pesto and scooping it into ice cube trays, top each cube with some olive oil, freeze and then store in a freezer bag.  Other fresh herbs such as cilantro and parsley came with instructions from the farm that we could cut them up, wrap in foil and then place the foil packets in a freezer bag or container for use later on.  Done and Done!

Cucumbers: Holy cucumbers!  Those things must grow like weeds because we have a lot of them.  I do not have a pressure canner but I found a recipe that gave processing time for the pickle jars to be submerged in boiling water.  We had fresh dill and garlic from the farm, stuffed some into the bottom of the jar, sliced cucumbers on top and then poured a mixture of boiled water, pickling salt and vinegar on top before sealing.  We just opened our first jar this week and I have to admit that they taste pretty good. 

Zucchini and Squash:  These vegetables also come in an abundance.  We use as many as possible in stir fry dinners and they are also a perfect vegetable for roasting.  I also love zucchini and squash for baking.  It is easy to find zucchini bread recipes out there or you can try these Lemon Zest Zucchini Muffins and make an extra batch for the freezer.  Baking and freezing is great because the day will come when I don't want to bake something or don't have time and it's awesome to have something ready to go.  If you don't feel like baking right now, that's ok too.  I used a mini-chopper (a food processor would work great- I have not invested in one of those yet) to shred and my Vitamix to puree squash and zucchini for future baking.  I just put the puree or shredded vegetables into freezer bags and into the freezer.

Tomatoes: I found this recipe for quick marinara sauce using the Vitamix and it inspired me to make a quick tomato sauce with what I had on hand to go into the freezer.  The Vitamix seriously pulverized quartered tomatoes in seconds.  I modified the recipe by adding a bunch of basil leaves that I needed to use, red wine vinegar and probably way too much garlic, but it tastes great- I think!  I would recommend adding some tomato paste to the mixture to thicken the sauce once it is out of the blender and simmering on the stove.  I haven't found the perfect ratio of it just yet though.  One batch was too runny for my taste and another just tasted of too much tomato paste.  I am still working on it, but I now have sauce in freezer bags and in the freezer for later use.

Green Onions: I saw something on the internet about being able to keep your green onions growing in a sunny window sill for use in cooking....I was skeptical, but it works!  Mine are sitting in mason jar on the kitchen window sill and they keep growing.  I just keep a small amount of water in the bottom of the jar.  Need onions? Just grab the kitchen shears and snip some off to throw into anything!

Share: Last but not least, sharing is always fun! Bring some of those good veggies to family and friends.  Who doesn't love that?

Next year I hope to make even more out of the share!

On the running front, I am still hovering around 11 miles per week, which is ok.  I edged out my "long" run from 3 miles to 3.5 miles this week.  This week also included my first post partum run where I felt strong at the end! Woohoo.  I was a bit disappointed when I looked at my pace once I finished as it had felt faster, but that's ok.  Hills that were bringing me to a walk a few weeks ago are being conquered so there must be progress!

Any tips for using up the summer produce?  Do you ever have a run that feels awesome and then you learn it was slower than you thought?

Have a great week!

Lemon Zest Zucchini Muffins & Quick Mileage Update

We took a quick trip to see family at the beach for a couple of days.  Our 4 year old had a ball with her cousins and the wee baby seemed to take to the ocean air and napped like a champ during the day after a walk in the sea breeze....maybe we need to move to the ocean? Ha.  Night time sleeping is still a struggle but all in time I guess.

In preparation for our trip, I put together a batch of muffins for breakfast and snacks.  I had zucchini from our farm share that needed to be used up and I am always game for a recipe that hides vegetables for the kiddies.  These were easy to throw together and quite tasty with a hot cup of coffee...especially while listening to the ocean.

Lemon Zest Zucchini Muffins

Dry Ingredients

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

 

Wet Ingredients

1- 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini

2 eggs

3/4 cups honey

1/4 cup coconut oil

zest of 1 lemon

 

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and grease a muffin pan.  Shred or process zucchini in a food processor until finely shredded.  Mix all wet ingredients together and zest the lemon into the wet ingredients.  Mix again.  Stir together all of the dry ingredients.  Add dry to wet and mix thoroughly. Scoop into the muffin tin (I use an ice cream scooper).  Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a knife comes out of the muffins clean and tops are slightly golden.  Let cool in the muffin tin before removing and enjoy!

 

 

  And on the running front I bumped up my mileage from the whopping 4.1 miles last week to 7 miles this week! We are heading in the right direction! 

"Running," a Mild Case of Amnesia & Ice Cream!

Time is flying by!  I can't believe we are creeping up on the end of July and my new little girl is already 5 weeks old.  Overall, things are going well.  Baby is growing healthfully.  The big sister is having a great summer and I am getting into the swing of things of being mom to 2.

One of the things I looked forward to for me is my return to running.  While pregnant, I only kept up jogging until about 22 weeks and then kept cardio to the elliptical, walking and spinning.  I know ladies who kept up running right until delivery, which I think is awesome.  It just wasn't comfortable for me between a high heart rate and a lot of pressure from the growing baby.  I also had not been running as regularly as usual when I found out I was pregnant.  As delivery got closer, I was constantly day dreaming about running again.  My vision was that of a mom going out jogging in between feedings. I would be up to 4 or 5 runs per week of 3 miles each by now with strength workouts in between.  I would be glowing with endorphins and relaxed.  This is where my mild case of amnesia comes in....how did I forget so much about a newborn in just four years??

I forgot that the estimate of feedings every 2 hours does not mean that one has 2 hours of free time once a feeding is finished (what was I thinking?).  Newborns feed more often than every 2 hours, especially in the first month.  When I have gone out for a jog, I have jogged for 15-20 minutes, returned home, taken a disgustingly quick shower and the baby is past ready for a feeding right then and there- not 2 hours after the last feeding.  Or there are the times when feedings just blend into each other :) I knew there would be little sleep, but I guess I forgot exactly how that feels after a few weeks.  And I guess my husband still has his regular work schedule to contend with. What do you mean you have to go to work right now?  I just got the baby down, the big sister is happy and fed- I can go for a jog NOW and only NOW.  I laugh.  Ok, I may have cried at least once too, but all of the important things are going well, which is what counts. I may have given out more TV time and nutella sandwiches to the big sister over the last few weeks than any mom would want to admit, but the kiddos are healthy and we got our first smile this week from bundle #2, which makes everything in the world just right...at least for a moment :)

My weekly mileage last week was 4.1! Woo hoo....Not the 12'ish miles I thought it would be and I know 4 miles is many runners' warm up/cool down of one of their weekly workouts, but I get out there when I can and am striving for more mileage each week. Pace? Slow but I am concentrating more on time out there at this point.  As for the strength workouts, I do better squeezing those in as I can just drop to the floor with my weights and calisthenics for 15 minutes at a time without having to worry about timing childcare etc.  And boy do I need a crash course in pushups!  Every little bit helps, right?

Moving onto summer fun, the recent heat waves bring about cravings for one of my biggest weaknesses: ice cream!  I love ice cream but do not love the paragraph of ingredients on the back of most brands of ice cream available.  I have been following sites like 100 Days of Real Food, My Whole Food Life and Food Babe and they all have posts of recipes of their own ice cream.  I finally took the plunge with a recent birthday gift and bought my very own ice cream machine and it was worth it! 

Source
Except mine is in red!
 

This thing is dangerous....a house with no ice cream to be tempted by can have fresh ice cream galore within 15-20 minutes.  Seriously, it's awesome.  Get one if you don't have one.  Oh the recipes to come up with.  So far, I have made a simple vanilla ice cream and my favorite is this recipe over at the Detoxinista.  This was my first use of coconut milk and it made this chocolate ice cream heavenly and rich.  Confession: It did not last as long as it should have in our freezer and I can't blame family.
 
So there you have it.  Any home made ice cream tips for me?  Tips for short workouts that are effective?  Have a great week.

Training Tales

Without a doubt, last week's training highlight was my first outing of the season on the tri bike.  After a couple of years on a borrowed bike full of good karma, I was fortunate to invest in an entry level tri bike of my own last year.  You will quickly learn that biking is my weakness if you check out a post on my tri training blog .  It isn't that I have physical limitations to it- it's that I'm a chicken.  I have a lot of technical cycling skills to develop and I need more confidence to stop doing things like feather the brakes the entire way down hills etc.  All in time!

Last Saturday, the weather was beautiful and I got to head out on a training ride with a training buddy.  I am always amazed at the different demands on the body between actual road cycling and spinning class.  Despite regular spinning classes and/or use of my spinning bike all winter long, the first road ride of the season brings out aches and pains in muscles that I forgot were part of cycling.  My neck ached from using the aero bars and those pesky hip flexors started to yell a little bit towards the end of the ride. 

We rode just under 22 miles on the Olympic distance course of the upcoming MA State Triathlon. For me, that's a darn good first ride of the season!

In other training, I only headed out for 2 runs this week; one not so good and the other felt awesome and finished up just under 5 miles.  Swimming has been neglected like my house plants this week (it's a work in progress) and I squeezed in couple of yoga workouts to round out with some strength and flexibility training.  All in all, not a bad week!  I hope you were able to get some healthy time for yourself this week too!