Foodie Penpals and Weekend Plans!

I have been waiting sooooo long to write this post! I am seriously so excited to have gotten to participate in the foodie penpals this month.  I've already signed up for next month!
First a little background info about the program, for all the details please visit Lindsay@theleangreenbean.

• On the 15th of the month you get your match.  
• You have a different person that you receive from and a different person you send to
• $15 spending limit
• honor any and all dietary restrictions you penpal may have

This month I got  Cheryl@LiveFitDaily, we have so much in common!  We both have 2 children, she used to live in ATL, my neck of the woods, and some other stuff...
Anyways her blog is awesome she's raised my awareness on my beloved bleach (beloved no more!) and she shares some awesome recipes.

So without further ado:

The Goods minus one Lara Bar!  The kids attacked it before I could get my camera out! 

Adam even got in on the action... Cheryl's sweet boys sent him some Star War's pencils. He LOVES pencils and has been practicing his writing skills... perfect timing!

Let me start by saying it is ALL gone.  Except for the NUUN.  It was all so good and it was cool because it was unique to Cheryl's region.  Those heart shaped cookies were like 1lb each and they were so good. They're from a Vegan Bakery and let me tell you, better than any non vegan cookie I've ever had.  The popcorn was amazing, my husband finished it off and we got in a fight about it. I'm serious.  I had never tried the snappea crisps and my kids gobbled them up.  I've bought them again because I like the stats better than their standard Goldfish.
I used the NUUN for my marathon. It worked out great especially since I was running in 80 degree weather.  I've never tried NUUN and I really liked it.  I don't do sports drinks because they upset my stomach and I can't take the sugary taste, but these were great.  The taste was very light and it did not upset my stomach.  I'll definitely be stocking up on these for the very long very hot summer!
All in all foodie penpals was awesome and I can't wait until next month.
Thank you so much to Cheryl for the thoughtful and unique goodies!

I sent my box to Sara@NourishandFlourish I was stoked when I read that she had just tried and loved chia seeds for the first time, because I sent her some too! Good timing.

This weekend we have 2 Easter egg hunts to attend.  I'm also taking a 3 day hiatus from working out.
My entire body is sore and not in a good way. I think I need a bit of extended recovery.  I may run a few easy miles, but other than that, I am RESTING!

Question?

Have you tried foodie penpals?  Will you?

What are you doing this weekend?!?!?!?

WIAW #2

I love Peas and Crayons WIAW's because they give me ideas for new foods!
I am always looking for new snacks, especially sweets (clean one's)!

 Toasted pita, left over roasted tomatoes, melted provolone, topped with egg whites... this was sooooooooo good!

 Quinoa salad (quinoa, red onion, tomato, feta, kalamata olives, garlic, lemon juice, acv), chick peas, greens, and sliced turkey

 

Grilled tilapia (this was quick, easy, and really good), roasted asparagus, and baked sweet potato
unpictured: salad

Unpictured: protein shake and some almonds!

I pretty much eat the same foods in rotation each week.  I meal plan, so I try to stick with things I know I like.

Yesterdays workout was 5.5 miles running and P90X Plyometrics. It wasn't great, my knees hurt. I think maybe I should've taken a few days off after the marathon, I don't know. Today I'm going to do a HIIT incline workout on the treadmill (incline is easier on the knees). As for P90X I've got shoulder, biceps, and triceps and Ab Ripper X.  I'm starting to (slowly) notice some changes, so I'm happy. I know for me, my results are more tied to diet than workout... so I've got to keep the diet clean!
It's hard though. It seems there is always something... with 2 little kids, there are always birthday parties, holidays, school parties, oh and did I mention my neighbors have a custom cake business and happen to make the BEST cakes in the world? Yup... they make cupcakes too and bring over new flavors...


Question?

What is your biggest temptation?

Mine is sweets 100% No doubt about it.

Bad Run, Good Weekend.

Friday's workout was P90X legs and back + Ab Ripper.  Saturday morning my legs were more sore than after the marathon last week!  I wanted to run 10 miles, I made it 5, barely.  It was such a tough run and no matter how much I slowed the pace, I just couldn't get my legs right.
Oh well, you win some, you lose some.
I had a birthday party to take my son to anyways.
 We partied pirate style at a giant indoor playground/sand box.

 

Saturday night we couldn't decide on what to do for dinner so we hit up whole foods and and $24 worth of salad and hot bar later, we were only semi full. Gosh, I don't know how you guys do it, it is so expensive.  I'm just not cool enough for whole foods.  

Sunday started like any other Sunday, Dekalb Farmer's Market. 

We hit up Kennesaw Mountain for some great incline walking and a picnic.

The kids "rode" bikes (neither can peddle too well) and we had a great day, enjoying great weather.

I love Monday's, since Sunday's are always a rest day for me, I'm always excited to start the week off with a great workout.  It seems Monday - Wednesday are pretty intense workouts and Thursday - Saturday are more cardio intense days.

It's a good schedule.

Right now I'm using 5 and 10 lbs weights. 5 lbs for triceps and straight arm shoulders. 10 lbs for biceps, presses, and leg moves.  I would like to increase that within the next 3 months.

Pull ups are chair assisted or I use resistance bands hung from the door.  I'm not sure which I like best and I'm not sure which are more beneficial to me.

Basically I suck at pull ups.

On the running front, things have been slow, literally.

My weekday runs are usually 5-7 miles long. My pace is usually anywhere from 8:00 - 8:40 min/mph.

I would really like to get to the point where my pace is 8 min for all of those runs.

Question?

Please Help! If you use free weights, what weight do you use?

I need to get to a weight to where I can actually BUILD some muscle. I just don't think 5 and 10 lb dumbbells are gonna do the trick!  

Now What?

Well now that the marathon is over, I don't have any excuse to binge on carbs... wah wah wah.

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Seriously, I used to think an hour was sooooooooo long for a workout and there was no way I could dedicate that amount of time.  Than I realized how many hour's we actually waste.  I have the workout part down, for me that's the easy part. I love to workout out, I love to sweat, I love to feel exhausted and exhilarated at the same time.

The eating part is the hard part for me.  I mean don't get me wrong, I eat clean 85% of the time, but if I want abs, that number has to be way closer to 100%.   Basically, I have to stop snacking after dinner completely.  That is going to be difficult, and that is the only time I eat anything that isn't clean and isn't a whole food.  Odd that I would pick the worst possible time of day to eat my worst possible food of the day!  Oh well... it stops now.  I've got Casein to help! Totally dessert like, right?

I plan to supplement with whey (before workouts) and Casein (before bed).  I eat dinner right after strength training so no need for a protein shake immediately after working out.  Although, I did read that it is good to have whey (a quickly digested protein) right after eating a meal because it slow's the digestion of the protein.  I'm definitely a believer in real whole foods and I don't really consider protein powder to be that, but I'm not a big fan of meat and I can barely eat 3-4 oz in a day, let alone multiple times a day.  If I am going to get the protein I need, it's going to have to come from supplements.  That is ok.  I like protein powder, it tastes good!

It always happens, so I don't know why now would be any different. But, after a race, I get all motivated and have one goal in mind. Get. Faster.  Which actually may workout better for me this time.  Since I don't want to run 10 miles a day... I'm quite good with 5, thanks.  That's the perfect distance to really add in some speed training.  So I'm planning on running 4-5 days a week, 5 ish miles, except Saturday's will still be long runs (don't want to lose that endurance).
Strength train 5 days a week (still on the p90x kick) with increasing weights.  Sunday's off. 

To me, this sounds like a good plan!  Oh and I'm going to try to remember to take progress photo's at least every 30 days.

Question:

Do your workout goals change throughout the year? Or do they remain consistent?

Last year I ran almost the same amount of miles, regardless of marathon training.  I was lucky to get in 2 strength workouts in a week.  I was much more focused on building endurance.

Georgia Marathon/Weekend recap

***I don't have any pictures*** I'm just a terrible picture taker.  I wish I would've gotten some but with my hands ALWAYS full and two little kids running away from me, it just always slips my mind.
With that said hopefully some of the race photo's won't be horrendous. 

The weekend was busy busy busy beginning Friday afternoon and didn't stop until 9pm last night.
The kids had a bday party at good ole Chuck E. Cheese on Friday (my least favorite place on earth).
It ended at 4 pm, the perfect time to drive home from ATL in traffic!

Saturday morning we were up bright and early.  After fruit/protein smoothies and oatmeal off to the expo we went.  It was crowded but not too crowded.  The kid's loved all of the samples of food and protein drinks, nuun, and coconut water.  We also all ate yogurt's and got a bunch of lara bars and granola bars.
I didn't buy anything except for some gu's for the race.
After a couple downtown errands we went to the Dekalb Farmer's market and home to make carb loading pizzas.  They were delish, I made one with fresh mozzarella, roasted tomatoes, basil, and garlic.  One with grilled portabello, roasted red pepper, olives, red onion, and feta.

I watched like 4 episodes of Felicity on my ipad and tried to goto sleep, but obviously, I couldn't sleep.

I woke up at 4:45 am and had my coffee, talked to myself a lot, and drove to the race.  I was there by 6:15, parked and used a port o potty and in my corral at 6:30.  Much better than being IN the port o potty when the race started last year!

I loved that the temps were warmer at the start time, because I hate standing around freezing, but, I was worried, about the temps when the sun came up.  The miles went by pretty quickly and I felt really good and at a very comfortable pace.  I heard a lot of people say the hills were brutal, but I didn't notice them.  It got very lonely after the marathon and half marathon split and were even stretches where I was running alone.  As it got later and later I definitely started to feel the heat, but we were running through a lot of neighborhoods and there was plenty of shade.  The race took us through two of my favorite neighborhoods Druid Hills and Decatur.  I love love love Decatur it is absolutely the most charming place on earth.  I'm there every weekend and always tell my husband I want to run there, I finally did!

The volunteers were amazing and the crowd support was HUGE!
I felt really good until the last 2.2 miles.  Which in my book is a win!  It just got really warm, I was really thirsty, and there was no more shade.  I kept thinking I was sooooo close, but didn't seem to be passing any mile markers. 
I finally finished got my water, chocolate milk, and medal, and sat down! It's hard to get up once you sit down.... the final stats

Distance	MAR
Clock Time	4:11:38
Chip Time	4:08:57
Overall Place	573 / 1868
Gender Place	125 / 636
Division Place	32 / 134
10K	58:19
Half	2:00:11
22 1Mi	3:23:37
Divtotal	137
Sextotal	655
Pace	9:31

According to my running app I ran 26.96 miles!!! I need to learn to run straighter and not take turns so wide. 
Overall it was a great race and I'm itching to run another one ASAP.


Question?

What did you do this weekend?

Marathon #2 Goals

Last year the Georgia Marathon was my FIRST ever race. I ran the half.  I didn't have intentions of running races or marathons.  I had just gotten into running regularly and was really beginning to enjoy it. As a Valentine's Day gift my husband registered me for the half marathon. I told him some women may take offense to that!  Well with 5 weeks to "train" I got nervous. I had never run more than 10 miles (and I thought I was going to die the one time I had done it).  I got in another 10 mile run and an 11 miler (yep I thought I was bad ass) and off I went.  It was an awesome experience and set my current love and dedication to running in motion. 

Since that race I've run a 5k, 10k, 15k, and marathon.  Sunday will be my 2nd marathon.  I would like to run all those distances again this year, mostly because I'm better conditioned as a runner and want new PR's. 

For this marathon I didn't follow a training plan.  I did get in (2) 20 mile runs but besides those my longest runs were 12 and 13 miles.  I didn't do any speed work or really run hills... but.... I'm still hoping to beat my time from my first marathon.  Is that weird??? I think because my body has already done it once, you know muscle memory. Also, the 20 mile runs this time around went much more smoothly than the first time.  Back in January I had dreams of breaking 4 hours.  I also had plans to hit a training plan hard.  Oops.

A Goal:  Beat my first marathon's time of 4:18
B Goal:  Get close 4:20 ish
C Goal:  Finish and not die of heat stroke (high is 82)

Baby Leila yesterday 3/15/11!   

A year change's a lot!  Baby Leila last year (3/19/11)

So that's it.  Other than that "long run" this weekend.  I have kid's bday parties to attend, food shopping and prep, dinner, and hopefully a nap.

I know what I WON'T be doing this St. Patrick's Day!

Question?

What is your favorite running weather?

I'm a little nervous about the heat.  I've only been running in colder temps lately.
But, it starts at 7 am so I'm sure most of the race will be cooler.

Running food vs. Strength training food.

The two kinda contradict each other. With any endurance sport you go HEAVY on the carbs and not just any carbs the simple, easily digested, quickly adsorbed kind.
 That's the total opposite when trying to build muscle and gain strength.  Strength training is moderate carbs and HIGH protein.

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Well that's confusing.

After this marathon, I have plans, I have goals!
Those goals include some muscle definition and very clean  eating!
Which does not include the white rice I plan to eat, the gu's I'll be sucking down while running, and the hopefully epic post race dinner.  So Monday it is.

Until than... carbs it is!

Question?

 Is it possible to run 40 miles a week and gain muscle?

All about ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar)

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I recently started drinking ACV twice a day (morning and before dinner) the main reason I began the regimen was to aid in digestion, read: help with bloating, stomach pains, heart burn, etc... (tmi?)
I also heard it was good for your skin (Ever since I gave birth my skin has been a mess). I'm pretty sure it's hormonal because it seems to be cyclical (worse at certain times of the month than at other times) however, I still do have breakouts at all times. I got a clarsonic brush, changed my skin care regimen (from the $5 drug store stuff to the $50 dept store stuff (I may switch back)), I use bare minerals foundation and nothing.  I will say I love the clarsonic brush and my skin looks and feels smoother but I have breakouts none the less. 

Well apparently there are so many more benefits to drinking ACV:

• Its cleansing properties are known to aid digestion by stimulating the flow of enzymes and saliva in the mouth
• Relieve muscle pain
• balance PH levels
• Help lower cholesterol (the reason my husband began drinking it)
• Aid in weight loss
• Fight allergies
• Increase stamina  (source)

The recommendation is to drink anywhere from 2 tsp to 2 tbsp mixed with water.

I think it has definitely helped with digestion for me, especially the heart burn part.  I don't know about the other stuff, but it hasn't hurt!  My husband has been drinking it every morning for a year, because he has/had high cholesterol. His cholesterol levels are normal now, which he partly attributes to the ACV, but he also works out more, and has modified his diet (a bit).  I do actually "like" drinking it now. The first few days I thought it was gross.  Also, you have to drink the non-filtered organic kind with the "mother"  that's the cloudy stuff.  Supposedly it contains all sorts of beneficial enzymes.

So there you have it, a little background on a supposedly miracle working drink!
I tried it, I like it.  Will you?

Good Weekend and the Countdown Begins...

I woke up Saturday very excited, I only had 8 miles on the schedule.
Since Saturday's are long run days that 8 miles is the shortest "long" run I've run since the week before my first marathon in October.
I finished up the 8 in 64:36, which is super speedy for me.
After a shower and an egg white sandwich, off to the mall it was.
I was looking for clothes for myself (fail) and my kids (semi-score).
It's going to hit 80 next week... NO more sweaters for us! This was a very mild winter but I'm still excited for short sleeves, shorts, tank tops, and sandals. We had plans to goto dinner but that didn't pan out... with a 20 month old, it very rarely works out...
Sunday started bright and early  very late because of the time change. We went to breakfast and to the farmer's market.
I prepped some food for the week, made dinner, played outside, and felt "behind" all day.
I don't know how a 1 hour time change can make everything feel so off!

6 days until the Georgia Marathon I'm starting to get excited and nervous... all the normal stuff.
I'm second guessing if I'm prepared or not and hoping hoping hoping for good weather.

I'll probably be taking it pretty easy this week as far as workouts go and I'm sure I'll be eating more carbs than I have been in a couple months... yep that's my excuse and I'm sticking too it!

Happy Monday!

WIAW - Jumping on the band wagon

I love reading the WIAW posts of all of the different blogs... you get so many different ideas and I like to see the different way's we all fuel ourselves.  The clean eater's, the yummy treats, amazing salads, new recipes, it's awesome!  Just goto peasandcrayons and you can click on all of the WIAW's, I've found so many new blogs that way!

Breakfast: Ugly but good! egg whites and oatmeal w/ truvia and cinnamon

Lunch: Egg Whites, mixed greens, black beans, and brussels sprouts

Dinner: Asparagus (YUMMY), black beans, basmati rice, fajita seasoned chicken and steak

 

 

Obvi there was a salad involved

snacked on some clementines and strawberries too!

 Unpictured is a few too many cinnamon roast almonds... I buy raw almonds in bulk (4lb bags) and make my own, they are easy and so so good, a little too good if you ask me.
As you can see egg whites are my current protein of choice. I probably would have had a protein shake also, if I had worked out.  Anyways I am obsessed with egg whites right now and could seriously eat them for all 3 meals a day, instead of the current 2.

Yesterday ended up being an unplanned-ish rest day. I planned to take a day off from running. Monday's run was a 5 miler in 39 min, that is super duper fast for me and my legs were a bit sore, I figured since technically I'm in taper, I should, you know taper.
The plan is an easy 5 today and Core Synergistics.

What's your Wednesday workout?

I'm usually getting burnt out by Wednesday, but I'm ready to go today, thanks to yesterday's rest day.

 

Weird food combinations

My husband is a food purist. He doesn't like to mix foods together, he doesn't like sweet and savory combos, and prefers 3 squares to grazing. Me one the other hand, I think everything taste better mixed up into a "bowl" of some sort. I also think pretzels and ice cream is the best combo EVER.

Lunch today was a black bean and lettuce omelet.  That is not a weird combination but it is a winning one!

Seriously so so good.                                                      

I also ate some left over roasted brussels sprouts. Brussels sprouts and asparagus are my favorite veggies.... this week.

 I also took some pics yesterday to serve as "progress pics"  Progress of what you might ask?
I don't know. I guess hopefully a leaner more defined me.  I do have goals for everything, but I try not to define goals that have to do with appearance and food too much. I tend to become obsessive... I know, you've never heard that one before.  I want to stick to my workouts and keep my eats as clean as possible while still feeling satisfied and hopefully I'll have results to show for it. One day.

So here are my pics, taken with my iphone, in a mirror in my foyer, before running.

I have legs too, but my phone couldn't see them.
And by the way these aren't "before" pics. I'm 2 months into p90x, plus the whole running thing.

I wish I could do pull-ups. I cannot and do not think I ever will be able to do them unless they are "chair assisted." I can do 1 reverse grip chin-up and the day I first completed that I declared victory. Seriously my upper body strength sucks.

Spring training is underway. The first televised game for me is is 3/21 on ESPN, how how I wish I had the YES network.  Oh well in 15 short days at this very moment I will be watching baseball and that is all that matters!!!

What are you looking forward to in the near future?

COOKIES!!! YUMMY YUMMY COOKIES!

So I was salivating  reading Little B's Post about Chocolate Peanut butter protein bars.  But, I didn't have all of the ingrediants for the recipe.  So I did a bit of tweaking and came up with Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana cookies and they are sooooo good!

*They aren't the prettiest, but they make up for it in yummy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana cookies

Makes 24 cookies

1 1/4 cup oat flour

2 egg whites

1/4 cup xylitol

1/4 cup brown sugar (you could use all xylitol or sweetener of choice)

1/3 cup natural peanut butter

1 banana mashed

2 scoops protein powder (I used chocolate whey)

3 tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

Mix all ingredients gradually stir in oat flour. Dough will be very thick and sticky

spoon large teaspoonfuls onto lined baking sheet.  Flatten out if you can, if not you get little puff balls, still good though.  bake for 5-6 minutes.

Here are the facts:

Serving size: 2 cookies

Calories: 126 

Protein: 9 grams

Carbohydrates: 17 grams

Fat: 4 grams

*Not bad, definitely better than the Girl Scout Cookies I've been salivating over all weekend.

Lunch was the bulgur salad I made yesterday over baby greens and a little bit of chicken and I ate this before the cookie(s)

Now it's time to go run. Than I'll prep dinner (fajita spiced chicken and steak), black beans, and squash. Than P90x. I have a weird workout routine. I run while my kids nap, but I have to wait for hubby to get home from work to do P90X, so after I run, I get dinner together, than we do our P90x, than we eat dinner.

Question:

How do you make your workout schedule work for you?

Mine definitely isn't ideal, but I've made it work. Right now it's the only time I can fit it in.

I would like to be able to get everything done consecutively instead of breaking for an hour or so. 

Weekend RUNdown

*sigh* The weekend ALWAYS goes by so fast.
Friday night we had tornado warnings and the warning sirens were blaring outside, my poor 4 year old was terrified.
The storms were pretty bad, but no tornadoes!
Saturday morning I was on the treadmill bright and early for 13 miles. With MoneyBall on the dvd player and my new brooks. The shoes were amazing! I felt like I was running on clouds.

After, we went to the zoo and the dekalb farmer's market. 

We made homemade pizza's with whole wheat dough for dinner. Success!

The first one was topped with Jerk Chicken, roasted red pepper, red onion and grilled portabello... and yes, I marinated and grilled the chicken, roasted and peeled the pepper, and grilled the mushroom beforehand. I told my husband I feel like I just cooked dinner, chopped it and added it to pizza which I had to roll, sauce, and cheese-up... it was a lot of work!

The second pizza had mushroom, roasted red pepper, kalamata olives, feta, and garlic. They were both amazing. I went super light on the cheese, I think about 4 oz on each pizza and they were HUGE pizzas.

Sunday was relaxing...
I got a lot of my weekly food prep done.
I also made tofu for the first time, and I gotta say, I wasn't a fan. The texture was just off to me. I think if I had one of those tofu presses and could get the tofu really firm, I may like it.
I watched She's the Man, with Amanda Bynes. I don't care how old I am, I love that movie and I love her! I seriously think she is hilarious.

I started the day off with egg whites and an english muffin, that I ate so quickly I didn't even think to snap a pic of, it's ok, it was ugly.

I've got 5 miles, ab ripper, and chest and back on the agenda today.

AND Congrats to Janae and Billy!!!

PPS... I'm doing foodie penpals for the first time this month!!! I'm so excited head over to http://www.theleangreenbean.com/ for all the deets!

Happy Monday!

What's on your exercise agenda for the day?

Have you participated in foodie penpals previously? Did you like what you got?

Friday Fav's and some eats!

It's Friday!  Yay! It looks like rain tomorrow. I must get to a red box to rent a movie while running on the treadmill tomorrow morning... I hope they have Bridesmaids.  The only time I watch movies is long run's on the treadmill. Last week I watched The Help, I think it's one of my favorite movies, so good!

I got these bad boys in the mail yesterday!

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I haven't run in them yet but they feel super cushiony. I was going to get the Pure Connect because I like a more minimal shoe and I like being able to "feel" the ground, but after looking at them in person, they seemed a little too minimal.

 

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I've been drinking this with water twice a day.  Tosca Reno say's it helps you shed fat around your middle! Ok, I'll take it, I'm actually more in it for the digestion benefit and it's supposed to help clear your skin.  Ok, I kinda like it too, I'm odd like that.  I do 1-2 tbsp with a full glass of water.

 

And my most favorite fav:

 

My littles! They aren't so little anymore :(

Some eats:

 That would be a gigantic egg white omelette and 1/4 cup of oats made with water, xylitol, cinnamon, and  a little vanilla greek chobani. A mushroom boca, with sauteed baby bella's, and a turkey muffin.

A humungous salad, there is a ton of mixed greens under there, it's just covered by the red bell pepper, tomato's, cucumber, red onion, and kalamata olives. Dinner was grilled jerk chicken and roasted veggies. The jerk chicken is soooooooo good, the marinade is spicy, sweet, and surprisingly light.

 

What kind of running shoes do you wear?
do you love them, if so, why?

I'm in search of that one perfect shoe that I want to buy over and over again, haven't found it yet.