Broccoli for breakfast?

For some reason, marathons really throw me off track.  I get home and don't workout for a few days, and then I have a hard time controlling my appetite, and then I get feeling lazy and unmotivated, and as soon as I know it the scale says 128.  Not to mention, my sweet-tooth is ginormous!   Now, I don't mind this weight too bad, but I much prefer the lower 120's where my clothes fit great and I can see my abs.  So, in an attempt to get going again, I decided to try a juice reboot. I don't typically believe in cleanses or detoxes, but I needed something to reset my palate.  Nothing but fruit and vegetable smoothies for 5 days.  It was so hard!!  I turned down Dick's doughnuts, delicious Greek food, and a plethora of scrumptious samples at Costco for a concoction of blended kale, celery, carrot and green apple.  It was hard to not chew food.  It was hard to make dinner and grocery shop. And for the first 3 days, I was HUNGRY!  I kept going and honestly felt really great.  I could really see a difference in my skin, it was pretty radiant if I do say so myself.  I was waking up before my alarm with energy and I just felt pretty energetic all day.  It reminded me of the slop that the people on The Matrix movie would eat; perfectly balanced and nutritious but not exactly the yummiest thing you could ingest.   All in all, I loved it and will probably continue to juice 2-3 days a month.  It was nice to lose a pound a day also:)  I feel re-motivated,  and better yet, I have no desire to put any junk into my body.  Below are some of my favorite recipes: (Note-this reboot would be extremely hard without the proper equipment.  ie: high powered blender or juicer-I used my VitaMix)

**(Click here if you are interested in downloading a plan for yourself)

Juicy V9

Blush Juice

Oh Sweet Broccoli

Sports Juice

Weight: 123.2

Workout:

Monday-  10 mile run outside (8:50 pace)

Tuesday-  2 circuits Lean Belly Workout; 15 minutes elliptical

Wednesday-  Kenpo Karate

Thursday-  2 rounds Spartacus 2012; 15 minutes elliptical

Friday-  Cleaned house-that's all!

Saturday-  2 circuits Spartacus; 1 circuit Spartacus II; 3 mile run

*My workouts were a little less intense and I realize that I probably lost some muscle eating only fruits and vegetables, so I'm excited to hit it again.  And in case you are wondering, my first meal after 5 days was an oh-so-delicious pumpkin protein pancake with peanut butter and honey.........can't tell you how yummy it was!!

One Year Ago........

Two Years Ago......

Home Sweet Home

I've been waiting to post for two reasons.  I've been talking to so many people like I am some kind of celebrity......accepting food and flowers....so sweet of everyone.  And, I wanted to post some pictures to show how amazing the whole trip was.  Such a tragic event near the end, but still, one of the most amazing experiences in my life!  I feel like I was a little under-trained for this marathon.  It was physically and mentally so hard.  At mile 23, I wanted to give up.  The course seemed incredibly hilly and I was just beat.  The spectators truly keep you going.  I still get chills thinking about how awesome the spirit of the people in that city is.  I dressed up with a seashell bra and a hula skirt and people cheered me on and yelled things like "go seashells!" and "keep it going little mermaid!"  I got a lot of whistles and just tons of encouragement.  The whole 26 miles was nothing but happy people high-fiving, clapping and offering food and drink...... the whole time!  When I saw my husband Brady at mile 25 (he'd been there for 5 hours!! thanks for your support love & for keeping me going), I cried and hugged him.  It was so hard to finish that last dang mile; and my pace was an awful 12 minutes!  The race was SOOOO hard but incredibly fun. My finishing time was 4hrs, 5 minutes (an average of 9:17 min/mile) and I was sitting about 200 feet from the finish line when I heard the 2 explosions.  I didn't see anything and no one really knew what the heck those canon sounds were.  We didn't even know what had happened until about 20 minutes later when we asked a stranger for directions.  He offered his home for a shower and food if we needed it.  We finally got to our car, which was so stinkin' hard cuz I was hobbling so bad.  Then we had to fight all the chaos to get to the airport to catch our flight.  So many people were congratulating the runners and expressing how proud they were.  Of course, everyone at the airport was glued to the TV with tears in their eyes.  I will never forget this whole crazy thing. I keep praying for and thinking of all the victims and their families.  I feel so lucky to be a part of the ultimate marathon experience and so blessed and happy to be home safely with so many loved ones that worried about us.  I'll post pictures soon.  Thanks for reading:)

BOSTON BOUND!!!

Last September, I earned the title of "Boston Qualifier."  I finished the Big Cottonwood Marathon at 3 hours, 34 minutes and 51 seconds.  I qualified for the Boston Marathon by 9 seconds!!  My training was textbook......I didn't miss a run-at all!!!  I did a lot of speed work and hills and I felt great for my entire training.  With only 2 weeks until Boston, my title now is Boston Bound and it feels awesome!  I have missed a few runs and today I am sick so I missed 7 miles:(  I'm gearing up though and tapering my mileage.  This may be the only time in my life that I am Boston Bound so I'm gonna relish in this great feeling.  I'm totally stoked!! (In case you are interested in training for a race, I love using Hal Higdon's Training Modules.)

WEIGHT: 122.6
WORKOUT:
Monday:  7 mile run (8.20 pace)
Tuesday:  Murph Workout (53 minutes)
Wednesday:  20 mile run (8.55 pace)
Thursday:  Yoga
Friday:  5 mile run (8.32 pace)
Saturday:  Firehouse Gym (45 minutes of strength/core/cardio circuit-so freakin' hard!)

One year ago.....
Two years ago.....

"I get by with a little help from my friends!"

On my quest for achieving a lean, healthy body, I also want balance.  I don't want to punch my husband or kids in the face when the scale goes up or my pants are too tight.  I've been a lot better at NOT beating myself up for eating too much, not losing more weight or working so hard to find that my thighs want to explode out of my jeans!  I am not just a body that needs to fit into my skinniest of clothes at all times in my life.  I love to check in on this blog. Just thought you may want to read more about my dear friend, who inspires me, runs with me, talks with me and has many insightful posts on her blog. There's also recipes, great workouts and can I just say, I love this quote!.......... Thanks Shantell:)

 "Do not confuse physical vibrance with spiritual vitality. You are not your body. Your body is simply a tool. A magnificent tool, for sure, but nothing more than that. As with all tools, your body will from time to time need repair. And one day it will wear down completely. Your soul will do neither. Not now, not ever. Listen, therefore, to the whispers of the soul, not the cries of the body."
 -Neil Donald Walsh

Weight: 124.8 (boo!)
Workouts:
MONDAY: 8 mile run outside (8.16 pace)
TUESDAY: Core Synergistics
WEDNESDAY: 16 mile run outside (8.48 pace)
THURSDAY: Yoga
FRIDAY: 5 mile run outside (8.24 pace)
SATURDAY: 1 round each of Spartacus 2012, Spartacus, series of burpees, box jumps, pull-ups, push-ups, etc....,3 mile run at 8.5-9.0


PS:  Nat & Jas, you also inspire & help me tremendously!!  You just don't have a fitness blog to direct my peeps to:)


One Year Ago.....
Two Years Ago....

Here's To PR's.....

Doesn't it feel good to train and train and work so hard for something and then you set a new personal record?  Way to go Austin-you're one tough cookie;)  I bet you feel like a million bucks! Check him out at the National Finals here. 

WEIGHT:123.6 ( A pleasant surprise after a week in the Bahamas and tons of good food)
WORKOUT:
Monday- 3 mile run, 3 mile walk home (pulled my hamstring)
Tuesday- 2 rounds of Spartacus; 40 minutes elliptical
Wednesday- Kenpo Karate
Thursday- 1 round each of Spartacus, Spartacus II, Summer Fit; 30 minutes elliptical
Friday- Yoga
Saturday- 11 mile run in the sunshine!!!! (8.30 pace)

One Year Ago.....
Two Years Ago.....

I love eggs!

I really do!  We go through nearly 5 dozen eggs every week!  We need chickens. They are full of protein, low on calories, cheap and easy. Here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy eggs:

2 Ingredient Pancakes
2 eggs
1 very ripe banana

*Blend until smooth and cook on a hot, sprayed skillet 1-2 minutes per side. (I like to add about 1/2 tsp baking powder to puff a little.)

(image from this super cool & decedent blog)

Protein Pancakes (4 ways)
3 egg whites
1/4 cup oats
dash of salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
cinnamon & nutmeg to taste
1/4 cup pumpkin or smashed banana or applesauce

*Blend until smooth and cook like regular pancakes.
(For chocolate ones, I omit the pumpkin/banana and add 1 TBS cocoa and a couple drops of stevia then serve with strawberries and vanilla greek yogurt)

Baked Oatmeal
3 egg whites
dash of salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup oat bran
1/4 cup almond milk or water
1/3 cup pumpkin, applesauce or smashed banana
5-7 drops liquid stevia

*Combine all together then pour into a greased ramekin or oven safe dish. Bake at 350 for 22 minutes then turn the oven off and let it sit inside with the door closed for another 10 minutes. (Trust me on this-it will be perfect!) You could microwave this for 1-2 minutes instead but I don't recommend it.

Green Eggs
1 whole egg
3 egg whites
2 cups packed spinach
1/2 cup packed cilantro
garlic, salt and pepper to taste
optional shredded mozzarella, swiss, parmesan or goat cheese

*Blend all ingredients except for cheese until frothy and cook on a hot, greased skillet omelet style.

Cauliflower Crust Pizza
1/2 head cauliflower,chopped
garlic and italian seasoning to taste
2 egg whites
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
marinara sauce
sauteed onion, peppers and any other pizza toppings you may like

*Place the cauliflower in a food processor and process until it has the consistency of rice.  Put into a microwave safe dish and cook for 5-7 minutes (do not add anything else).  Once cooled, add in your seasoning, egg whites and cheese.  Pat into a thin circle on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 425 for 8-10 minutes.  Take it out of the oven and top with marinara, veggies and other pizza toppings.  Return to oven for an additional 8-10 minutes or until the crust looks browned and toppings are set. 

Egg Toppers
Basil Cream:
1/2 cup cottage cheese
5-6 large fresh basil leaves (or a big bunch)

*Process in food processor or blender until smooth.  Use it to top eggs, mixed in with scrambled eggs and rolled in a tortilla or as a spread on an egg & english muffin breakfast sandwich.

Roasted Red Pepper Dip:
2 roasted red bell peppers (broil in the oven 3-4 minutes each side)
1 clove garlic
1 cup cottage cheese
very large bunch of fresh basil
optional sriracha sauce

*Process until smooth.  I love this as a dip for veggies, crackers, a spread on sandwiches and now on eggs per Shantell's recommendation:)

WEIGHT: 125.8
WORKOUT:
Monday- 16 mile run (8.49 pace)
Tuesday-  Core Synergistics (P90X)
Wednesday- 8 mile run (8.15 pace:))
Thursday-  40 minutes elliptical (16rpm) (resting my knee); 25 minutes heavy, full-body weights
Friday- Yoga
Saturday- 1 round of each of Spartacus II, Spartacus and Lean Belly plus 1 mile run at 8.0 between each for a total of 4 miles

Natural Fat Burner in a Bottle?.....

Raspberry Ketones.  Have you heard of em?

My sister-in-law asked me what I thought about them, but I had no idea what they were.  They've gained much popularity since Dr. Oz has deemed them to be a sort of miracle weight loss supplement on his show.  Lately I haven't given much interest in what he says, (I think he's been a little quaky), but this sparked my interest.  They supposedly trick your body into being thin by regulating a hormone called adiponectin.  This hormone actually tells your cells to release fat, lowers cholesterol, increases insulin sensitivity, and aids in weight loss.  Sounds great right?  It's supposed to be for all body types to lose weight naturally and you may see results in as little as 5 days.  I've read a lot of good things about this supplement and would probably give it a try.  Why not?  Spring is coming and summer's right around the corner.  This supplement is not very expensive and it's all natural.  I will do a little more research and keep you updated.  

WEIGHT: 125.8 

WORKOUT:

Monday-  14 mile run outside (8.54 pace)

Tuesday-  3 rounds of Spartacus

Wednesday-  7 mile run outside (8.45 pace)

Thursday-  5 mile run outside (8.49 pace)

Friday-  Yoga

Saturday-  2 rounds of Spartacus 2012; 1 round of my own full-body circuit (burpees, pull-ups, tuck-jumps.....); 1 mile run in between each round (total of 3 miles)