Just keep swimming, just keep swimming

We'll folks, this past Sunday was my latest marathon. Yes, I did make a personal record but I did not qualify for Boston yet. I am much closer and know it's within my reach now. I am Just starting to realize that little hard work and dedication is going to pay off very shortly or I am remaking positive it will.
I did learn a few things during this marathon: I mean I had 26.2 miles to do some thinking
1. Running downhill is a lot harder than it looks or atleast takes a larger toll on your body
2. GU's salted Carmel is fabulous!!! So tasty and couldn't be more excited to eat this carb shot while running
3. Never give up on yourself. Even at your weakest moments push yourself and you will achieve success.
4. Having a support system is vital. I thank those around me who are proud of my accomplishments and help me become a better person/athlete.
5. Don't compare yourself to others. Someone is always going to be faster or slower than you. Just focus on You.  (words to live by from my husband)
Therefore be happy for what you have and just keep swimming! Just keep swimming!

On a side note, here is a recap of the El Paso marathon. The expo was small but had some nice booths  and there were not any lines to wait in for our bibs and shirts . They had the chobani truck handing out free yogurt which was a nice treat to eat at the expo. As far as the race, we had to be at the expo by 530 am to board a bus. The bus then took us to the top of transmountain. The buses stayed so we could stay warm until the race started at 7am. There were plenty of ports potties available to use to get that last bit of nervous pee out of ya before the race. With only around 300 people running the marathon, there was no need for corrals so you just walked up to the start line and started running. The first 4 miles were downhill and the the rest was flat to some rolling hills. The course took us from the mountain, through fort bliss, then to downtown El Paso. It was not the most scenic course, and not many fans around but the ones there made you feel pretty incredible. Another fun thing I saw was at each water station the volunteers had a different theme to keep you going. My favorite had to be the zombie checkpoint. They had fake body parts and volunteers dressed up like zombies to chase you. The checkpoints were fun to see there creativity, I thoroughly enjoyed these spots another fun one was seeing the men dressed as willy wonka characters. The race finished downtown and a huge beer tent was set up. They handed out burritos, bananas, oranges, beer, soda, and water out. We met some pretty awesome people at the post race celebration and had a blast with them. Overall, the course was just ok but the after party made it all worthwhile. For the price of the race , I would run this one again.
Below are a few shots from the marathon! Now back to training for the next.

Next recipe to share is one of my personal favorites. I tend to make this for lunch quite frequently so figured I would share the greatest of the spaghetti squash.
Ingredients
- spaghetti squash
- spaghetti sauce
- Parmesan cheese
- garlic salt
- spinach
1. Cut spaghetti squash in half. Be careful when doing this and then place squash in a bowl of water. Make sure squash is submerged in water. If you cannot fit both halves in at once then do one at a time. Place bowl in microwave and cook for 15-20 minutes. You want it to be where you can stick a fork through it without any trouble.
2. Remove from microwave, bowl will be hot so be careful when taking it out of microwave. You may need to wear an oven mit . Then drain the two spaghetti squash halves into a colander. Let squash cool.
3. While squash is cooling, take a bag of spinach and sauté spinach in a frying pan. Place spinach in pan and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to it. Add a dash of garlic salt to it. Cook until spinach is lightly coated with olive oil and almost looks wilted down. Turn off stovetop and remove spinach from heat.
4. Once squash is cool, take a fork and scrap out the inside of the squash into a bowl. Scrap the entire squash until only the hard shell is left. Squash will be stringy.
5. Add spaghetti sauce, garlic salt, and Parmesan cheese. This is all based on taste. I tend to use 1 cup of spaghetti sauce. Then add garlic salt/Parmesan cheese until my taste buds agree with it.
6. Mix throughly and then add spinach.
7 . Now most important part! Lightly spray a 9 x 13 pan or a 9 x9 pan with cooking spray. Use an appropriate sized pan to place your squash in. Empty your bowl of squash mixture into baking pan. Top squash with spaghetti sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
8. Remove from oven, let cool, and Eat!!! Baking this mixture gives it a wonderful more robust taste.

Just dance

Oh music, a very vital portion to a successful marathon or any race. It's funny how a great playlist can make or break a run. I like to choose music that makes me wanna dance and sing out loud. And yes, you will see me do some fist pumping while running. Sorry folks, but sometimes you just get caught up in the moment of a great song. I am guilty as charged. Music is very important and I tend to pick music that makes me wanna dance. My husband likes that dance-techno stuff and as much as I don't want to admit this, I think he has rubbed off on me. Something about a good beat that gets those legs moving. Don't worry folks, I love all music but running need those faster paced beats. Listed below are a few of my top picks.

- Love me again by John Newman
-Tonight is the night by Outasight (I could sing this all day)
- Take you higher by Goodwill & Hook N Sling
-Take me Home by Cash Cash
- Shots by LMAFO and ill Job (yea this is great to run and fist pump too, try it, you won't regret it)
-This is what it feels like by Armin Van Buuren
- We run the night by Havana Brown
- A light that never comes by Linkin Park and Steve Aoki
-Pompeii by Bastille
- Titanium by David Guetta and Sia

Ok that's enough for you to get started. Have fun when choosing your music, it's the best part about getting ready for a race. Also, towards the end my marathons, I usually turn the Ryan Seacrest top 100 countdown on to get me through the last few miles. I dunno what it is but counting down the miles while hearing the final songs seems to pass time. Maybe it's all in my head, but it works so not going to fix something that isn't broke;)

Ok so now for another protein shake recipe. This one is for anyone like me who has a sweet tooth. It's called the Wedding cake.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Almond Milk vanilla unsweetened
- 1 cup protein powder ( I have vanilla)
- 2 teaspoons almond extract ( if you don't like almond add more vanilla extract)
- 1/2 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1/2 cup Greek or regular vanilla yogurt
- 1.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1.5 cup ice
 And the thing that makes it delicious
- 3 tablespoons of vanilla dry cake mix. I know, shocked huh, but adding this is better than eating a piece of cake. If you want to make your own natural vanilla dry cake mix, that will work too. 

Put all in blender and enjoy!! It is one if my fav recipes and hits the sweet tooth spot. Have a fabulous weekend everyone and enjoy the warmer temps, they won't last long.

And the nerves set in...

Ahhhhh t-minus 7 days until my next marathon. You would think by now all the anxiety and uncertainty would go away, but with each new race approaching, it just gets worse. My husband always says that being nervous is a good thing. He says once that butterfly feeling goes away, then it's time to hang up the shoes and retire from races.  I think he is on too something. 
                

  

             (Bc I am a huge dork, and it's tradition, we take nervous      photos before ever race. These are
                My signature poses. Be jealous, sexy I know:)

Oh the week before any race is an important time. So many things you need to do to prepare for that one day. I guess the same could be said for many things in life such as an exam, baby, race, etc. it's all the same when you start thinking about. Hehe just kidding some are more important than others, but all are valued differently in our lives.
Ok, so back to the fun stuff.. First and foremost, the week before your race you need to hydrate. This is very important for you do not want to be a prune starting your race. Try to drink at least the recommended 8 glasses of water a day and as hard as it is, stay away from caffeine, alcohol, and carbonated beverages the week before. I have a soft spot for coffee so if you want your hand ripped off you better not touch my coffee. Hehe, jk but I try to stick to one cup of coffee vs my usual two the week before.

Secondly, get plenty of sleep. Try to get an extra hour of sleep each night before the race. Your nerves will keep you up the night before so don't expect to get a full 8 hours, it just won't happen. So rest, rest, rest now. Thirdly, taper your runs. You really only want to run a few miles a day. Just enough to keep your body moving and your legs fresh. Fourth, carb loading, please don't go crazy on this one. Just eat small amounts of carbs during the week and if you want to have pasta the night before, go for it. Just make sure it's not heavy and greasy, wouldn't wanna make your belly uneasy and end up in the porta potty the entire race.

Next, my most favorite thing is to make my playlist! Get some jams downloaded, get pumped, and psyched for the big day. In my next post I will give you some insight into my top jams for this race. Ya know your excited!!!!! Lastly, get your clothes together. Pick out what your going to wear. Make sure it's comfortable and weather appropriate. And don't forget your body glide, those chaffing marks will stay with you forever, trust me, they are real.

Ok I think that's all in my list, hopefully it helps you all out! Opppps almost forgot the most importantly have fun! Crossing that finish is worth all the training, hard work, blood, and sweat you put into your races. Be proud of yourself and wear that medal.  Also get ready to stuff your face, it's pretty awesome being able to consume whatever you want so take advantage of it:) Who wants ice cream, pizza, etc???

Sorry folks, will be posting my famous birthday cake protein recipe on the next blog. I have to keep you in suspense and leaving ya hanging is what I am gonna do. Happy Sunday!

Who doesn't love shoes??

Running shoes, I must confess I have a thing for running shoes. Some girls love high heels, my love is for those beautiful, usually neon colored, laced up sneakers. Investing in a good pair of running shoes is very important. It can make or break your run and eventually your body. From past experience, I have realized that it is good to listen to your body and retire your old shoes for new ones. My love is for newton running shoes. They provide a certain stability that I have never found with any other shoes and they are guaranteed. If you don't love them after 30 days, send them back, no questions asked. I will say they save your knees and use your calf muscles, so you experience soreness in your calves. I am on my second pair and feel these are right for me. Best advice is to listen to your body, 9/10 it is trying to tell you something. You need to change out running shoes every 250-300 miles to get the stability you need for running. With newtons they are good for 400-500 miles which is a big bonus. Not having the right running shoes can result in shin splints, hip flexor issues, foot pain, and much, much,  more. So go out and get yourself a nice pair of running shoes. Heck, most running stores will fit you for your ideal running shoe free of charge. Then you will have your perfect glass slippers.

Ahhhh with The Hallmark holiday of Valentines day tomorrow, I figured I would give you a sweet recipe for you to follow. These are delicious and you won't feel guilty eating them. Plus they are super easy.
Step 1- Just get a banana.
Step 2- Cut banana into slices.
Step 3- Smear a small amount of peanut butter on one side of a banana slice
Step 4- Place another banana slice on top of other slice, so it makes a banana sandwich
Step 5- Place in freezer for 30 minutes
Step 6- Melt white or dark chocolate in a bowl
Step 7- Take bananas out of the freezer and dip into chocolate
Step 8- Place dipped banana slices on parchment paper that is on a baking sheet and put back in the freezer for 20 minutes
Step 9- Remove, eat, and love life!!!! I really like them with white chocolate chips the best!
                    

These are very addicting so make sure you don't fall in the trap and eat them all! Happy Valentines day, so go run, grab your bananas slices and enjoy your holiday! You deserve it!

Body glide, a runners best friend

It's incredible what your body can do to you when engaging in sports or athletic activities. To protect yourself from getting some gnarly war wounds, I recommend in getting some body glide. I have some pretty scary scars from my body chaffing from running long distance etc. The most wonderful and yet miserable thing to do after a marathon is to take a shower. Yes, it feels great to get all that salt and sweat off of you, but once the water hits your skin, you realize everywhere you didn't use glide. You will be surprised everywhere the chaffing has occurred. My husband always hears a scream coming from the shower as the water hits every raw area I was unaware of.  Sometimes even the areas you never expected to chaff. Therefore, I have learned my lesson, apply apply apply! I swear I would not make it without my body glide, it really is an athletes best friend.

And now on to another recipe. I made these granola bars for work one day and they were a huge hit. They are crunchy, nutritious, and oh yes so delicious. Listed below is the recipe for these granola bars. You can add whatever you want to them, I tend to stick to cranberries and a few white chocolate chips to give it some added sweetness. These are easy, unprocessed, and fun for everyone to make.

Ingredients needed:

-2 tablespoons of chia seeds

-2 cups of oats (I used instant)

-1 cup crushed almonds

-2 tablespoons brown sugar

- 1 tablespoon vanilla

- 6 tablespoons agave 

-1.5 cup peanut butter or almond butter

If you want it with cranberries/ white chocolate chips add 1/2 cup of each to mixture

Step 1 - Mix oats, chia seeds, crushed almonds in a bowl

Step 2 - In a separate microwaveable bowl mix the peanut butter, agave, brown sugar, and vanilla together. I then placed it in the microwave for 45 seconds. 

Step 3 - Remove bowl from microwave and mix the mixture together, then add it to the oats.

Step 4 - Thoroughly mix it together so it is all coated. Then add in the cranberries and white chocolate chips. If the mixture seems to dry, you can add a tablespoon of almond milk to it. Mix it again.

Step 5 - Grease an 8x8 pan and place mixture in it. Make sure you press the mixture firmly into the pan so it really stuck together.

Step 6 - Bake at 300 degrees for 20-30 minutes. 

Step 7 - Let them cool, cut, and enjoy. They are very crunchy and very addicting.

I am not a photographer at all, but wanted to give your belly a glimpse into what it will be thanking you for eating later.

Time to get back to running, t-minus 2 weeks until the next marathon. Hoping this body can handle this one and make me fly. Thinking speedy thoughts for this race. Anyways, Happy Sunday, enjoy watching the Olympics and GO TEAM USA!!!!!

Thank you Mother Nature

When life gives you snow, head on over to the treadmill. Yup, that's right folks, I had to subject myself to the dreaded treadmill. I mean I dunno why, who doesn't love running in 21 degree weather (which feels like 9) and 7 inches of snow...seems lovely right?

I was going for the road construction worker look for this run. 

Therefore, this afternoon I decided to catch up on some quality tv and get some major miles in. As much as I dislike the treadmill, there are a few positive things.
1. It's climate controlled
2. You control your own pace and know exactly how fast your going
3. You can adjust your incline to make it a harder run or not
4. You can watch a movie or television show while you burn some serious calories
5. You still get a great workout from the treadmill:)

As a post snack from my 17 mile run, I decided to try a new protein shake recipe. We shall call it the Pineapple Xpress. It was delicious and only around 350 calories for 32ounces, and around 32 grams of protein. Not to shabby huh?

 I love the protein powder called About Time. It's 100% natural and doesn't contain any of those nasty artificial sweeteners. My lucky self gets migraines from Sucralose so finding a good tasting protein powder without that sweetener was a tough one. Thank goodness for About Time. I bought the birthday cake one which is delish. I found mine on amazon:)

Ok now back to the recipe, listed below are the ingredients you will need:

1 cup vanilla unsweetened almond milk

1 chopped fresh pineapple

1 scoop protein powder

3 teaspoons almond extract flavoring

1/2 tablespoon chia seeds

1/2 cup vanilla Greek or regular yogurt

1.5 cups ice

Mix all ingredients in blender and then enjoy! It's very refreshing and reminds me of the summertime. 

We'll folks, stay safe and warm out there. Just keep thinking only 43 more days till spring! I think I can, I think I can!

Ahhhh the always fun and interesting question to answer, how do I start to train for a 5k, half marathon, or even a full marathon. The answer is easy, just start running. I have a friend who is wanting to accomplish running a half marathon for her birthday. She wanted to know if 2.5 months is enough time to train for it.  Yes, it will take dedication and time but, the reward will be worth it in the end! Plus you get a medal and beer at the end so that's another incentive:)

An easy way to start training is to make a goal. You don't want to make a goal that is unattainable because in the end, you will be disappointed and frustrated with yourself. As my old marketing degree comes back to life, you want to use the SMART goals method. These are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely goals. 

Specific- run a race (include name of the race, and Register for it so you will do it!) 
Measurable - run the length of the race, example a 5k
Attainable- achieve it the date of the race, race is April 1.
Realistic - don't expect to be the fastest, just make a goal of finishing it. Set a goal like you will run the entire race.
Timely- go for a realistic time and base it off of your training runs. 

As I tell those wanting to start running, just have fun with it. You learn a ton about yourself while training and appreciate the time you have to clear your mind. Be proud of yourself for taking on the challenge of wanting to run, it's not an easy one so take credit when people congratulate you on your accomplishments.  And as always, you burn about 100 calories per mile so you can reward yourself every now and then. So have fun and happy training, can't wait to see you at the finish line.

On a side note, our wonderful friend Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. Whaoooooo, I am so thrilled for six more weeks of this wonderful weather said no one EVER!! Starting to think this groundhog always sees his shadow and we should have a hamster forecast our winter. What do you think???? 

In addition, tonight is the Super Bowl and although our team the Arizona Cardinals are not playing we will root for the Broncos. We like Peyton and well they weren't in our division therefore a no brainer who to cheer for.  Plus I watch for the commercials, need I say more.....

A fun little recipe to make to tonight is burrito bowls or you use this as a dip. I like to add shredded chicken to it for extra protein. Ii can't take any credit for this recipe but thanks to Pinterest I was able to find this gem. It's super delicious and healthy and if you don't want to make the sauce, try Bolthouse farms salsa ranch dressing. It's a yogurt based dressing and only 45 calories a serving. You can find it at Target, walmart, etc...I promise you won't be disappointed. Now go Broncos!!!!!!!
Burrito bowl recipe