Attack of the Green Monster
Heeeee’s baaaaaaaack! I forgot how much I missed my green smoothies! AND pretty much eating healthy in general. It’s amazing how good you feel even after just a few days of good healthy solid eating. Seriously, why haven’t I been doing this the past few months again instead of just talking about it? Ok, let’s not go there, let’s just look ahead. Quick post today since I’m busy procrastinating studying. But had a GM today for lunch and an awesome workout for the second day in a row. Pain free, I might add. Off to take a test and get my weekend starting.
WORKOUT – yoga, 30min bike, TRX (obsessed!!)
One Marathon Equals One Carrot Cake
5 gillion calories
How many marathons does it take to burn one big ass piece of carrot cake!? Probably more than one. I’d say… maybe two and a whole season of training. I’m not even sure how many calories were in this thing that I ate the other night but it was damn good. And I kind of didn’t even care.
Ok… so now I care. After running, and leading up to this race, I’ve pretty much been eating like food is going out of style despite the fact that I told myself I shouldn’t be. Well… I had 3 hours and 55 minutes to think about all this last Saturday and give myself a major mental pep talk. I also know my body could have worked a lot better and felt a lot better, had I been treating it like I was running a marathon, not like I was trying to score a spot on Biggest Loser. Although wouldn’t mind Bob Harper as a personal trainer (Shan – that one was for you 
).
Anyway, thinking about all of this food stuff has finally put me back into my place. If you want to perform well, you have to pull out all the stops. You can’t go half-assed. It’s like training without doing speedwork (something else I’m awesome at doing). Besides the fact that your body recovers much quicker if you eat right, drink water and rest. So if PR-ing or BQ-ing is something that I truly truly want, then I have to step back and look at my life as a whole and not just as a ‘season’ or a ‘race’. It’s a lifestyle, it’s a love.
According to DailyMile I burned 3,053 calories while running Bi-Lo. Pretty cool. One of the reasons I love long runs.
WORKOUT – yoga class
ANATOMY FUN FACT – In the recovery period the conditions in muscle fibers are returned to normal, preexertion levels. After a period of moderate activity, it may take several hours for muscle fibers to recover. After sustained activity at higher levels, complete recovery can take a week.
Re-fueling Without Cookies
It’s hard to get back into good eating habits when you were off of them for so long. And your Mom and Grandmom made 20 zillion delicious cookies over the holidays, that you claimed you wouldn’t eat but ended up kicking back most of them. Is this acceptable when you are training? Yes… only if you are up to your 20 mile runs and are already in shape.
However this is not acceptable when you have lbs to shed while you are training. Over the past few weeks it has been very refreshing eating healthy again, and I feel better. However, I still have a while to go. And logging tons of miles and working out like crazy definitely requires lots of healthy food options. Trying to get a lot of protein in with a good mix of fruits, veggies and carbs.
Some things I’ve relied on throughout the past few weeks of training…
greens are good
Fallen in love with Kale, Spinach’s BFF. Goes with everything and super easy to throw in salads or just microwave and add it to rice, pasta… maybe even smoothies? Haven’t tried that one yet.
tastes like dessert for breakfast
tons of protein
Good old greek yogurt. I have yet to find anything that has this much protein, without all the sugar, fat etc and tastes so good. AND you can do so much with. Goes well with fruits, veggies, meat, fish… on a potato, in oatmeal… literally everything. There is just nothing that compares.
And of course, NO COOKIES! (ok… maybe one on my long run day) Especially when they are this good. But hey, at least this little guy has cherries in it..
cherry chocolate oatmeal
Shot Bloks
These guys are starting to replace my love for Sharkies. 200 cals for two servings, which is one pack. Just the right amount of chewy-ness. Mostly all organic and natural. Packed with electrolytes and cals in each cube so you can track how much you are taking in. You can pop one at a time or eat the whole thing before a run (like I do of course). And what’s the best part… some even have caffeine!
Naked and Raw
Bet that got your attention! Well it got the attention of the guy at the market this morning too. I ran into RH Market to grab something to eat after my run this morning. Naked juices are delish! Packed with protein and all natural good stuff. You basically get all your fruits and veggie servings in one of these. They are great after runs, as noted before… as well as their coconut water. But while I was in there I grabbed a few Raw bars. I’ve been wanting to try these so I’m excited. So the dude at the counter is ringing me up and he says “Naked and Raw, huh?”. Thought that was pretty funny since I didn’t even realize it. Anyway, not as funny if you weren’t there I guess.
It’s Wintertime
cozy
It definitely got cold…. fast! Well, I guess not really considering it’s almost Thanksgiving and it already snowed. I’m just not really sure where the end of summer and fall went. Must have been too busy to notice it this year. One thing is for sure when you walk everywhere you need to be prepared when you leave the house. No more running out with your socks on to warm up your car. Cute coats need to be warm coats now. But one major plus of not having a car or having to drive…. snow-days! No more clearing off tons of snow and worrying about driving in it.
To go along with my cold day I thought I’d try a little oatmeal this morning. I bought canned pumpkin at the store the other day because I’d been craving it (more so, pumpkin beer and pumpkin pie – but I’m trying the healthy version). So I mixed about half a cup of pumpkin mush into my oatmeal and it was really good! Would have been much better with some honey but didn’t have any. Too bad it looks gross. I don’t know how food bloggers always get their food to look so good. Mine… not so much. Most of it really does taste good though!
pumpkin stuff
WORKOUT – yoga class, 30 minute bike, weights
More Spinach
goodness
So I’ve been pretty good with sticking to my two cups of spinach per day. You can’t go wrong with it… the stuff is packed with amazing benefits. Popeye had the right idea. Today I decided to go the smoothie route and mad a Green Monster. Haven’t had one of these in a while and forgot how good they are! Yes – putting spinach in your smoothie seems gross and doesn’t exactly look appealing but it’s actually really really good! And after my ‘cheat day’ and unhealthy eating last night I needed one.
The goods… spinach (two cups), soy milk (one cup), raspberries (1/2 cup), frozen banana, 1 scoop of protein. This usually comes out too thick to drink, but eating it with a spoon makes it taste a lot more like ice-cream anyway.
protein
Oats in a Jar
empty AB
Another quick post today and nothing exciting and original. I think I got this idea for the first time reading Carrot’s ‘n’ Cake. Have been wanting to try it for a while and today was the perfect day since I just finished up my Almond Butter. It’s always impossible to get out every last bit from the jar so a great way to use it all up is making your oatmeal in the jar. I used a bag of my instant ‘running oatmeal’, dumped in some water and a nanner and put it in the microwave. Definitely good for a morning when you are traveling too because you can put the lid right back on the jar and take it with you. Just make sure you remember to take it off when you put it in the microwave.
WORKOUT – yoga class
Good Eats Last Week
red cup! you know it's winter
I’ve been really getting into eating healthy and enjoying it again. Luckily! So here are some things that I’ve had the past week that are delicious and fun. SB – of course is number one. And I was kinda excited and also surprised to see the red cup on November 1st. You know the holidays are approaching now! Chai tea Latte’s are the best.
- green monster
branzino
fav
Healthy Labels and Stuff
Going from eating crappy food and not working out for a few weeks to trying to eat super healthy is tough. It’s amazing how much you can eat when you are logging in 16 mile training days. And it’s also amazing how much you can eat when you are drunk and/or hung over. Pretty much about the same – one problem you gain weight doing the second one.
So here goes eating healthy while not training to try to remain somewhat in shape. LOTS of veggies! Spinach has been the best thing ever, cooked up with mushrooms and onions.
looks blah but tastes good
Found these little guys the other day and they are pretty darn good! I try to look at Cals, Fat, Protein, Fiber and Sugar when I look at the Nutrition labels. Sometimes I take a look at salt too because some things can get a little ridiculous. And then of course the serving size. Because you can think something is really good and then realize there are about 5 servings in a container or two in a bottle, etc. Of course when you are sitting down to eat the whole bag of Stacy’s Pita Chips or Vanilla Ice Cream – as has happened on occasion – then you don’t need to worry about servings.
- raw stuff
So the past few days have been lots of this stuff, and tea – which is decent but I do miss coffee. And of course beloved PB – can’t go without this stuff… I could eat it on cardboard and still enjoy it! 
Same deal though, you can really eat a lot of it without realizing. Still, you can never go wrong with a PB&J or PB&honey sammie. Easy, quick and can take it anywhere.
1 TB of PB
Moosehead
matching your hat to your beer - classy
Let’s preface this post with a few things. Warnings, if you will. You ARE going to get really sick of seeing me in a Moosehead baseball hat if you haven’t already. Also, if you aren’t into hickville things then this probably isn’t your cup of ‘coffee’. And if hunting/fishing or the idea of eating anything that you caught yourself grosses you out, then come back tomorrow.
After taking PT on Friday morn (no, I wish it was Physical Therapy) instead it’s Public Trans (we’ll discuss this later), it was off to Mehoopany I went. In the back of the car, feeling like I was about 5 years old again, complete with my backpack and asking “if we were there yet”, and “can we stop to pee”… we finally made it to the Lake house in the afternoon. Not the best weather on Friday but nothing a Moosehead doesn’t cure. Jake picked up a case in town and it came complete with a free hat, which I decided I’d be wearing all weekend instead of doing anything to my hair – much more convenient! Friday night we had an awesome and healthy dinner and played an interesting board game. It’s called Worst Case Scenario – pretty funny actually.
say what!?
It consisted of completely random and off the wall survival scenarios. Most of which you would never encounter in a million years unless you are going on a safari to Africa (Emmy – you might want to look into this) , or you are Indiana Jones. Some however were interesting and could be helpful. Here’s an example of one of the questions. Question: How to Control a Runaway Camel Answers: A.Pull back hard on the reins in a series of sharp tugs. B.Hang on the saddle horn and ride it out. Camels tire easily and won’t run far. C.Yell in the camel’s ear as loud as you can. It’s fear of loud noises should temporarily paralyze it long enough for you to jump off. Which one do you think it is!!? I’m not telling… yet.
Enter – Saturday morning. The start of a nice gorgeous new day! A little rain on and off and kind of windy but decent enough to be outside and build a fire and other camping things. And how can you not resist an amazing cup of coffee on the dock. Best view ever.
perfect
Too bad my beloved caffeine got cold fast. Re-heating it old school style always works and creates a nice burnt flavor. Seriously, good!
burn it
Campfire time and starting to grill the bass that Jake caught right out of the lake. Ok – so that’s a little bit of a stretch. He caught it a while ago and froze it but none-the-less still out of the lake. Jbird stuffed it with fresh garlic and lemon and poured in some good ‘ol Jim Beam for some added flavor and cooked it on the fire all day.
Jim B makes everything better
grilled to perfection
Jake is definitely awesome at all things outdoors. I’m pretty sure he could survive for a while out in the wild. He needs to have his own reality show.
what year is it? 1811 or 2011
Since the weather wasn’t the best Mom and I decided to do the next best thing then being outside while in NEPA. Go to the winery!! Of course me, being the best blogger ever forgot my camera. Oh well… came home with the most important stuff. New wines to taste. Picked up Gewürztraminer and a Cab Franc. Grovedale is one of my favorite wineries and it’s always fun to get lost on the way and see some of the countryside.
can't wait to drink these
When we got back it was time for ‘pre-dinner snacks’. On the menu – fire grilled bass, fresh (really fresh) venison, pears, cheese, ceviche – from the lake (no lie), salsa and of course wine.
so fresh
I’ll save the gory details about the deer but basically got to see how one is ‘prepared’ right after being shot. I warned you! It was really interesting and very ‘real’ and ‘primal’ I guess you could say. But if we eat meat from the store it all has to go through this process, whether we like to think about it or not. This is just a more natural way, and has been happening for hundreds of years. It’s called survival.
before
- after
gorg
awesome
After watching some amazing sunsets it was time for the real dinner. More meat and some AH-Mazing corn bread that is dangerously addicting. More survival games and that’s about it for the night.
therapy
relaxation
Sunday is always a nicer day because we are leaving and don’t get to enjoy the majority of it. Still got to shoot some cans with the .22LR though. I actually did a pretty good job!! Even by Jake’s standards.
pretending i'm cool
score!
And then it was time to head back into the city. Culture. Shock. Can’t forget one of my most favorite rules of traveling. Always bring a good book and an alcoholic beverage. Grapefruit and Vodka seemed to be a good choice for a Sunday morn drive, unless you are driving. I am really starting to get used to this not having a car thing.
- enjoy it while ya can
murphster
Coffee and Company
finally K!
Since it’s been absolutely gorgeous weather!!! And since I can’t get outside to run 
what is there to do?? Go get coffee with friends! Or by yourself sometimes… that’s ok too. Wednesday Katya and I finally got to catch up. So nice to walk around the park on a beautiful day with SB and fun things to talk about. It’ so hard to keep in touch with everyone since people have such busy lives, but even just the little things make a big difference. You don’t have to plan a huge night out but meeting for just a few minutes for a hug, coffee and chatty chat is all ya need. Usually random meetings end up working out better anyway. So we had a great time! I think I could sit in the square all day and people watch. If I can’t start running soon and thinking of things to post about I just might have to do that for ideas!
But lately I have been doing a little cheating! :0 on SB that is. There are soooo many cute, fun little coffee shops around and I love trying new ones all the time. I found a great new place, Pure Fare. I walk by all the time and finally got to go in. Super healthy locally grown foods. Great coffee, vegan, gluten-free, fresh… all that good stuff. Plus they have a huge picnic bench inside with swinging chairs. How do you not love that? I did some homework while I was in there, which consisted of reading my chem lab while trying to talk to this yoga instructor about going back to school. Needless to say I didn’t get much done. BUT I did have an awesome lemon poppy-seed muffin, and coffee!
looks like fall
WORKOUT – fusion (kicks my butt… need to do this more often), and of course ITB stretches (yes, JE – I actually DO stretch!!)
Call me a Chic Pea
hummmmus
True and true – you ARE what you eat. Well if that was literally true I’d be a big chic pea (maybe mashed in with some red wine). Hhm… that would be an interesting humus. It is true that what you eat makes a huge difference in body fat/mass/skin/ over-all health. Very true. You could eat perfectly, drink a ton of water and only do organic stuff, etc etc and look amazing. However – I DO believe that running (and I mean running A LOT) can kinda counter act most of that. Yes, when training one should be careful about what they consume in order to make the most of their runs and workouts. But when running a ton and ton of miles you can really pack away the food! Trust!
When I was training for the SD Marathon and up in miles in my long runs, 16, 18 and 20 I would refuel healthy enough after runs. Which usually consisted of a beer and a chicken sandwich with cheese and fries (not exactly ‘health food’), and then still wake up in the middle of the night and be starving!! I could eat everything in my kitchen!! Taco-dip, oatmeal and toast with PB and honey was a fav. Or pretty much anything that I had in my fridge or freezer that was semi-edible. AND I must say for the amount I was eating, I looked and felt much better. So yes… I believe it’s true, you can counter what you eat by working out. NOW – I am not recommending becoming a gym rat and going 10 times a day or spending hours on the elliptical so that you can go out and eat a piece of pizza. But I think you need to know what your body needs in order to fuel itself for the miles and endurance it is facing.
So I guess what I am getting at here is… I can’t wait to eat Taco-dip at 3am again and have it be all good.
WORKOUT – 65min elliptical, yoga, stretches (stupid ITB – I really loathe you)
Don’t Puke in Your Burberry
blurry - like our vision is about to become
This somehow seemed to be the theme for the weekend… and was funny in the beginning but not so much by Sunday night. And I’m NOT going to go into details on this one. But maybe there are a few 30 year olds around here that are still learning to hold their own again. And let’s give a little credit – I did have about a year off from drinking.
Saturday into Sunday and Sunday Funday causes for a lazy day Monday and a lot of issues. I can however say that I had an absolute blast this weekend. Great friends, drinks, food. Del Frisco’s on Sunday – most delicious burger ever plus a few pineapple VIP drinks which should be called pineapple blackouts. Maybe they need to change the name.
Much better day for me today… but this pretty much sums up the weekend. And, it’s Tuesday already.
Cherries are Good for Your Joints
ice it up
Don’t think this is exactly what they meant but hey, it can’t hurt!! Ha. Frozen cherries are great in smoothies and they really are good for your joints (if you eat them). Tons of antioxidants, fiber… and they are fun. Since I like using frozen fruits and veggies as my ice packs I pulled out the cherries tonight for good measure. Oh, and they also taste good in red wine - score!
Twenty Big Ones
So the final big training run today went amazing!! I felt great from the start, ran well and finished strong. I think all of my drinking training has really paid off. I can honestly say that I was really proud myself today.
pre race fuel
It all started with my “pre-race” day prep. Food and shopping! A girl’s perfect day. Tons of water, great food, a good night sleep and a little retail therapy is what I cann a great pre-run day. Gotta treat yourself, right The night before I made a delicious din of pasta, chicken and broccoli, had one 80z glass of red wine and a Godiva dark chocolate rasberry truffle. Oh and I snuck an Ativan in for good sleeping measures
The day I had yesterday was also amazing. A little retail therapy does the soul good! Not the wallet though. KOP gets me every time. Lots of good shops, and lots of good deals marketing ploys that get you to think you are spending less money then you really are. So I stopped off at MAC, Arden B, VS, Bebe, Aldo and JCP – oops! Got some good steals though and didn’t end up spending too much mula. Isn’t it the best when you get to the register and they tell you your purchases are less then you thought!? Also, a good new coral lipstick is a must for a fresh feel.
the goods
Ok so enough of the prep day, let’s get into the actual mileage. I promise I’ll start briging my camera with me more so that I can get some actual pictures of actually RUNNING! So after a wonderful night’s sleep, I woke up excited and ready to go for the day. I said “let’s DO the damn thing!!” Ate my oatmeal, drank my Emergen-C, downed half a 32ozer of water, went to the bathroom, etc etc. Did all my other necessary pre run prep (full post on this later). Listened to some good tunes and took some pics and I was out the door!
Do it DO it!
Finishing up the run was amazing!! I even added in a huge hill at the end, and getting a cheer and congrats from TNTers is awesome!!
beeeeeeeeeeeeeer
chilly willy
Sunday Runday
What a RUNday it was!! 16 miles, baby…. I think the most consecutive miles that I’ve probably done ever. I’m not gonna lie, I was a little nervous. Especially because my ankle has really been bothering me. I had a stress fracture back in July and I worry that it will come back. The day started off with all my goodies, getting ready at 6:30am (yes, this is late for my “new lifestyle”… I used to get up at 5:30). So anyway… let’s talk about the prep and all the fun stuff.
Lil running helpers
First things first… the electronics – Garmin and Shuffle. My big I-pod is got left out in the rain out of service right now. I really just started running with music not that long ago. Running is really my time to think and reflect, and -don’t hate me on this one- but I always looked at using music as a weakness. Well, who said that?? Because I love running with music! I do think it makes it a little bit more fun and there’s nothing better then hearing a great song when you are really rockin’ it and feeling good. Still, really really enjoy running without music and I can honestly say it really enhances the natural and mental aspects of running. Now the Garmin is NOT a necessity and sometimes becomes an annoying and obsessive habit. But… I use it anyway and it is a helpful tool. Real time: 6:56, not 7:56am.
Second, but probably (actually, is) more important is the fuel. I have never been a before run eater but with long miles coming up it is definitely a must! I usually eat a pack of organic oatmeal – prepared just with water. Also most of the time before the run I will drink Emergen-C Joint Health which has Glucosamine, Vit C and Chondroitin in it. All which give you “Power for Joints” – these have not yet been evaluated by the FDA, etc etc – but this is what the marketing says so I believe it Another plus about this is that you can drink it warm and it is good for cold days to warm up your body and get you ready to go out there and freeze your little running butt off! Now… mid run I’ll down a few Honey Stingers and you know my love for them! Then there’s the lasts but certainly not the leasts. The Fitness belt to carry all your crap. AND Harvey’s Leukemia bracelet for good luck and motivation! Plus a rubber band and some safety pins for some ghetto-ness.
Not too much to say about the run except it was AMAZING!! Sixteen, enough said (sorry, I know that is the worst running blog description ever). I am more into talking about the extras today though. So, after the run comes the dreaded (insert scary music here) icebath!
frozen piggies
Well call me weird or crazy or cool but I really kinda dig the icebath. Mostly because I know how much it is helping and how it is going to cure some of the pain. But if you have a nice little setup going and try some of these tricks you might end up liking them too. When I remember, I fill up the tub with water before I leave, cold I guess is better but either way by the time you get home it will be room temperature anyway. Then I stop at Wawa on my way home (or other said convenience store) and grab a bag of ice… usually a 7lber or so. Now, one of the tricks is to get into the tub first and then slowly start to pour the ice in. Make sure the water is at least covering the top of your legs and up to your waist-ish. I always wear a sweatshirt which never gets wet you can hang up to dry after you accidentally drop it in. This helps keep you semi-warm and cozy! A winter hat helps too no lie. Then I make sure I have my coffee or something else hot to drink. And I put some tunes on! Stay in for about 3-4 songs and you are good to go! Put some (dry) sweats on and wait about a half hour to an hour before you get a regular shower.
While you are waiting you can pigout fuel up! Eating what you crave is the best thing to do. I usually crave eggs, pretzels and some kind of fruit. Sunday I didn’t have too much time so I grabbed a Chobani pineapple yogurt, Uncle Jerry’s hand made pretz’s and a banana for the road!
post run munchies!
And yes, you are right… that left me no time for a “regular shower”
WORKOUT – 16 miles!! and lots of stretching
Sting or Bee Stung
If you’ve ever tried GUs and absolutely hate them…. then you will love these little guys, Honey Stingers! Finally a gel that you can consume while running that doesn’t want to make you puke. Who wants to swallow warm ”GU-ey” liquid that doesn’t taste good… ah, hem… that is saved for times other than running
Anyway… these are amazing! They are “All Natural Energy” and taste just like honey! The Gold is my favorite, Honey with B Vitamins. Then there is Chocolate Honey with Cocoa and B Vitamins – both are fat-free and have 120 Calories and 29 grams of Carbs. The other flavor is Ginsting Honey – which has Ginseng, Kola Nut and B Vitamins, this one contains caffeine – LOVE!
Beeee Stung!
On long runs, fueling up is a must (for me, anyway)… everyone is different. BUT, after about an hour and a half of running, I usually start to feel a little faint. I stay away from any type of Gatorade or Powerade while I run and strictly do water… mostly because my stomach is better off. So getting in some quick cals (and caffeine never hurts!!), during a long run really pays off and gives me that boost of energy that I need to finish.
What is your fav power booster while running? Beans, blocks, GU(ews), strictly Gatorade… caffeine? Nothing? (because you are so awesome you don’t even need it)
