Going Long

I was a little worried about my 10-mile run this morning for two reasons...1. I felt a bit of a sore throat coming on yesterday and I was afraid I may be coming down with a virus, and 2. I had a GIGANTIC serving of fat-laden ice cream from the creamery last night and I wasn't sure how my body would digest it!

So I was pretty stoked about this morning's run...I felt fantastic! It's been a while since a long run has felt soooo good. I guess you have to experience the bad runs sometimes in order to truly appreciate the good ones.

Here are the final stats for today's run...

TOTAL TIME: 1:26:38

AVG PACE: 8:40 min/mile

Mile Breakdown:

Mile 1: 8:47

Mile 2: 8:44

Mile 3: 8:42

Mile 4: 8:44

Mile 5: 8:47

Mile 6: 8:46

Mile 7: 8:41

Mile 8: 8:43

Mile 9: 8:38

Mile 10: 8:04

I love to see my mile breakdowns, especially since I am really working on maintaining a consistent pace throughout my runs and finishing stronger than I start. Today's run definitely accomplished those two goals. I loved kicking it in at the end too! Only 6 more weeks until the half-marathon and I'm feeling pretty confident about it now!!

After a few stretches, I did my "wall-sit" for about 15 minutes. This is a great way to stretch out your hamstrings after a tough and/or long workout and it also helps to drain the lactic acid from your leg muscles so that they aren't as sore for the rest of the day. I have noticed a huge difference since doing this wall sit at the end of each long run.

(Please excuse those pasty legs and dirty ankles...we ran along the C&O towpath today which always leaves me a bit grimy.)

After a nice long, hot shower, I refueled with my breakfast staple...protein and flax oatmeal. Nope, it never gets old!!

I also ate a banana before heading out this morning and I fueled mid-run with some Nathan Catalyst Sugar Free Electrolyte Drink Mix tablets in my water bottle as well as some Clif Shot Bloks Electrolyte Chews. I am loving this new combination I have been trying out during this training season. Gatorade and the power gels were a bit too sweet for my taste and they always left a nasty film in my mouth afterward.

Talking Point: How do you fuel before, during and after a hard workout? I used to be unable to eat anything before a run, but I have gradually weaned my body into being able to handle a bit of fuel before long runs so that I don't run out of gas too quickly. My shorter runs during the week are usually done in a fasted state though. What about you...to eat or not to eat before exercise, that is the question, right?

Music Mojo

I think everyone has a song that makes you get your groove thing on...a song that just listening to makes you want to get up and move, dance, run, bike, etc. I call this your "music mojo." Sometimes the right song helps to make those last few reps/miles/laps a bit more bearable, and dare I say it...even fun!! I have a lot of these songs in my life, but this one is my new fave. Go ahead and listen to it...I bet you can't do it without at least bouncing your foot a bit!

Shakira: Waka, Waka (This Time for Africa)

My daughter loves rocking out to this song and my son loves watching all of the soccer balls in the video! And did you catch some of the lyrics...

"The pressure's on, you feel it...But you got it all, believe it...When you fall, get up, oh oh...And if you fall, get up, eh eh...Today's your day, I feel it...You paved the way, believe it...If you get down, get up, oh oh...When you get down, get up, eh eh..."

Pretty good motivation for those tough workouts, don't you think?!?!

Talking Point: What is one of you favorite "music mojo" songs, one that makes you work even that much harder?

My Eats

After way too much indulging during our family reunion, I was more than ready to get back to my clean eating ways. I definitely feel a difference in my body and energy levels when I fuel it well.

I thought I would take a typical day and show an example of what I would normally eat for each meal. So here's what I had today...

Meal 1:

1/2 c. oatmeal

1 T. ground flax seed

1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder

(I eat this almost every single day for breakfast and never get tired of it...very filling and a perfect way to begin each day!)

Meal 2:

My Green Smoothie

1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder

1 handful of spinach leaves

1/4 c. greek yogurt

water + ice

(This is my usual post-workout drink and it is super filling despite being pretty low in calories and fat)

Meal 3:

Spinach and turkey wrap (the wrap is a Flatout Flatbread...love 'em!!)

Grapes

Light Mini Babybel cheese wedge (I love cheese, but need it portion-controlled so I don't go overboard!)

Meal 4:

Handful of raw almonds

Baby carrots

One whole egg + one egg white

Meal 5:

Green Beans

Brown Rice

Tilapia (seasoned with basil, cumin, and curry...I adore this combo!)

Meal 6:

Protein Pseudo Ice Cream Goodness

(Recipe here)

And of course at least 3 liters of water each day. Water is definitely my beverage of choice. Since I don't like wasting calories on beverages and I try to avoid artificial sweeteners, water is kind of the only thing out there. It's a good thing I like it so much. Sometimes I'll throw in a lemon or lime wedge, but I really do like it plain too.

So there you have it, a typical day of eats in my world. I try to eat 5-6 servings of non-starchy vegetables each day along with 2-3 servings of healthy fats (flax, nuts, healthy oils, etc.) and 2-3 servings of fruit. I also try to eat a lean protein source at each meal too. Of course it's not always this clean, but I do try to follow the 80/20 rule...80% clean, 20% other. Saturday night is usually my "treat night" too where I allow myself a little more freedom in eating choices. When I am trying to lose weight, I try to follow more of a 90/10 split and cut out meal #6.

Talking Point: What are some yummy snacks that you enjoy eating during the day? I'm always looking for new ideas!!

I Scream, U Scream

Anybody who knows me well, knows that I LOVE ice cream. That gooey, yummy, creamy texture does me in every time. I have been known to down large quantities in a single sitting and was the one thing I craved almost everyday while pregnant with both children. Summertime seems to bring out my ice cream addiction even more...that cool goodness on these hot days is something that I just adore.

I have discovered a fairly good and healthy substitute for ice cream recently that I thought I would share. It still has the cool, creamy texture of ice cream but without all the fat and calories. The best part is that it contains a huge amount of protein too (about 30 grams) which is great for anybody like me who sometimes struggles to get in enough protein during the day. I call it "Protein Pseudo Ice Cream Goodness!"

Protein Pseudo Ice Cream Goodness

1 Banana (cut up and frozen -- this is important to get a good, creamy consistency)
1/4 c. nonfat plain greek yogurt
1/4 c. lowfat cottage cheese (for all those cottage cheese-haters, I promise you will not taste it at all in this concoction)
1/2 scoop chocolate whey protein powder
1 T. natural peanut butter (try to use something that lists peanuts as the only ingredient)

Combine first three ingredients in a food processor until smooth (this may take a couple of minutes with the frozen banana, but the more it mixes, the creamier it will be). Then add in the protein powder and peanut butter and mix until well combined. Pour this creamy goodness into a bowl, freeze for an hour or so and indulge in this creamy treat without all the guilt! (I will often make this right after dinner so that it is ready for a nice evening snack!)

Talking Point: Do you have any healthy alternatives to any of your favorite foods?

National Dance Day

(Image found here)

Did you know that tomorrow is National Dance Day? There are festivities going on throughout the country to help celebrate the world of dance. I took dance lessons for 10 years and competed on a dance team in high school so needless to say, dancing holds a special place in my heart. Dancing has become quite popular due in large part to TV reality shows like "Dancing With the Stars" and "So You Think You Can Dance." I am a huge fan of the latter show which is where I found out about National Dance Day.

This a great way to get off the couch and get your groove thing on! For details on what may be available in your area, check out this site.

For those of you who live local, the Hagerstown Gold's Gym is doing a Dance-a-Thon in their parking lot tomorrow from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. with Body Jam and Zumba classes. There's free food too (I heard something about fajitas) so definitely worth checking out.

Also, Nigel Lythgoe will be in Washington D.C. to kick off the festivities there, including a flash mob!! As soon as I heard there would be a flash mob, I knew where I would be tomorrow afternoon...the National Mall!! If you're interested in learning the routine, it can be found here.

So get your dancing shoes on...it's time to booooogie!! See you there...

Good Quote

I really like this quote by George Sheehan. It emphasizes the point that so much of the battle that rages in our quest to "make it fit" occurs in our own heads...

"It's very hard in the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants to quit."

One of my favorite ways to combat this "quitting attitude" that my mind sometimes gives my body is by chanting a certain catch-phrase in my head over and over again. It gives my mind something else to think about rather than concentrating on wanting to "hand-in-the-towel" during any given workout. Any motivating phrase can work, as long as it's short and personal to you. Some that I have used recently are...

"Do it."
"Power."
"Stronger."
"Strength."
"Move that body."

Find something that works for you and try saying it to yourself when the going gets tough during your workouts. This definitely helps me to win the race that regularly occurs between my body and my mind!

Muhammara Recipe

I found this recipe here and it is delicious. It makes a great dip for vegetables and pita chips and we discovered that putting it on sliced baguettes and baking in the oven for a few minutes is DIVINE!!

Muhammara (Red Pepper-Walnut Dip/Spread)

1 12-ounce jar roasted red bell peppers, drained
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup panko (found in breadcrumb aisle)
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1 T. honey
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. cayenne pepper

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until puree forms. Makes about 2 cups. Keep covered in refrigerator for up to one week (if it lasts that long!!)