Happy Friday to you, and happy long weekend for my US readers! What have you guys got planned for the next couple of days? I’m itching to get outside for a nice long run tomorrow, and am also hoping to make it to the gym at some point for a hot yoga class. This body neeeeeeds yoga. Speaking of workouts, I’ve got one for you right now!

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Work It Out

This month has been my not-so-serious running month before I amp up to start training again in June. Therefore, a lot of my cardio has been done on the bike and on the step mill, both of which are totally kicking my butt! There have been several Fit Bit Fridays that require a bike, and this time I’ve got a sweet but VERY sweaty one to share.

The Ride It Like You Stole It Workout

This routine starts off with an easy warm-up, followed by 5 rounds of intervals. You’ll sprint for 30s, climb a steep hill for 30s, then recover on a flat for 1 minute. After doing that 5 times, we’ll increase the work load so that you’re sprinting for 60s, climbing for 60s, and recovering for 60s. Surprise – you’ve got 5 rounds of those too! Lastly, you’ll cool it down and bring your heart rate back to normal. The resistance provided in the chart below shows what I use, but feel free to adjust as you like – the bikes in your gym may be calibrated very differently to mine. Use the Rate of Perceived Exertion column to gauge how hard you should be working.

Click here to print the PDF.

Turn It Up

I thought I’d be all out of songs to tell you about after posting my half marathon playlist last week, but when I was updating my iPod for my trip to Montreal, I found a bunch more that I’ve been working out to all week. Here’s just one of them, Alive by Krewella. It’s got some great builds in it and the synthesizer portions are perfect for doing all-out cardio intervals. Enjoy!

Have A Read

• A 10-minute core blasting pilates workout - via Greatist
• How to time your workouts for best performance - via Runner’s World

So tell me…

• US readers: What are your plans for this lovely long weekend you’ve got coming up?
• Regarding the Runner’s World article, do you find that your body is better at doing certain types of workouts at certain times of day? (For example, long runs in the mornings, sprints in the afternoons, etc)? I can’t say I’ve really tried experimenting much because the morning seems to be working well for everything! However, the article has me curious. I generally despise running hills but maybe I’m actually awesome at them in the evenings and don’t know it yet. (Or maybe that’s just wishful thinking!?)

How are you today? I feel like I need a weekend to recover from my weekend of traveling, but here’s to hoping the next couple of days at work will fly past. Today’s featured recipe and new thing both come from my Montreal trip. I know Try Something New Tuesday is supposed to show you new things that I’ve tried on Tuesdays, but hey, it’s my blog so I can bend the rules, right? Right. Here goes!

1. Recipe of the Week. When summer rolls around, I’m ALL about salsa. Spicy salsa, mild salsa, blow-your-head-off-outrageous salsa, and fruit salsa – I love all kinds. On the weekend, Leanne and I were brainstorming recipes and she suggested making some sort of corn-free tortilla chips. I can’t eat tortilla chips on their own, so I took full responsibility for creating the salsa recipe. We began with these ingredients:

After chopping them all up into tiny pieces…

…adding a squeeze of lime juice, and stirring everything together in a bowl, this is what we had:

That’s Kiwi Cilantro Salsa, and it’s so great that I’m giving it the spotlight this week. It was beautiful, and after sitting in the fridge for an hour or so, the flavours were amazing. But what about those corn-free tortilla chips?

Leanne is an allergen-free goddess, so when she suggested using amaranth, I was pretty confident that it would work.

We boiled up a pot of it on the stove, and after letting it cool (because it was SUPER sticky), began shaping small rounds with our fingers and laying them on her Silpats. The rounds needed to be as thin as possible in order to crisp up, so this took us a little while to do. But after baking the crackers in the oven for about 25 minutes, both of us were surprised and impressed by the result.

Luckily, Leanne hid the salsa on me so when the crackers were finally ready, we still had some salsa to take photos of.

….but it sure didn’t last long – that salsa is totally addictive! I’ve got a feeling that I’ll be remaking it several times this summer.

Click here for the recipe!

2. Crudessence. This was the restaurant that Leanne and I went to lunch for on Saturday. She told me that it was one of her favourites since she moved to Montreal, so it was high on our list of places to visit. There are two locations, and since our travels that day had us hiking up Mount Royal, we went to the Mackay one.

Crudessence serves raw, gluten-free, vegan dishes and is an extremely environmentally-conscious company. Serving healthy, delicious food is just a part of what they do. The folks there are just as passionate about what comes out of the kitchen as they are about educating visitors on how eating living foods can help to make us happier and more energetic. They source ingredients locally, use compostable containers, deliver food by bicycle, and host workshops for families and health centers. Pretty great, don’t you think?

So what did we eat? Well, to start, I was really intrigued by the sushi on the list of appetizers. When it came out, the dish looked even more impressive than it sounded on the menu.

Maki rolls with vegetables, sprouts, and curry pate, serves with gluten-free tamari sauce.

Aren’t the rolls gorgeous? I loved every single bite (maybe even more than my main course!) and am going to be doing a re-make sometime over the coming weeks at home.

Next up was our main courses, and Leanne and I both ordered the same thing:

The dressing I asked for was Crudessence’s fat-free Tibet, which was so amazing that I’m pretty sure I could drink shot glasses of it. I’m not sure what the ingredients are, but I think it’s probably a mixture of ginger, tamari or Bragg’s liquid aminos, and agave. Like the sushi, I’ll be trying this at home!

I totally forgot to ask for my salad without the sauerkraut (no matter how hard I try, I can’t bring myself to like it!) but the rest was fantastic.

See those bits of avocado and the pumpkin seeds? Yep – they were my favourite part!

The service was fantastic and if I lived in Montreal, I’m sure Crudessence would see a fair bit of my paycheques going their way. The menu is full of other dishes I’d love to try, and if you happen to be traveling to the area, I highly recommend checking them out!

So tell me…

• What’s the best restaurant you’ve ever visited while traveling? What did you have?
• Fruit salsas: Are you a fan?

How are you today? This afternoon I’ll heading home from Montreal after a big weekend packed with great food, photography, and sight seeing. You’ll see the photos from my travels soon, but in the meantime, I want to tell you about an awesome initiative that I’m currently participating in.

Recently I was one of several female FitFluential Ambassadors selected to participate in Under Armour’s What’s Beautiful 3.0 campaign. I immediately jumped at the chance, and once you hear what it’s all about, I’m sure you’ll want to be a part of the action too.

Back in my teenage years, I was a very different girl to the one I am today. While I wouldn’t consider myself shy, I certainly wasn’t without my insecurities. When I moved abroad with my family at the age of 13, being the new girl in class always had me wondering what others were thinking about me. I’ve always been tall for my age, and for some reason, the first friends I made were no taller than about 5’2″. At the age of 13 and already 5’8″, there was no doubt about it – I stood out. The problem? All I wanted at the time was to fit in.

By the time I was 16, I’d gained a significant amount of weight. I chalk it up to being less physically active, making poor food choices, and the inevitable emotional rollercoaster that goes along with being a teenager. I was significantly heavier, and my self-talk was becoming more and more negative by the day.

Back then, all I wanted was to blend in. Beautiful to me meant having perfect blemish-free skin like models in magazines, wearing cute outfits and being thin like my friends. Looking back, the things I associated with beauty were so superficial. They were all to do with looks and nothing to do with the things that really matter. Eight years later at the age of 24, my perspective has changed. My definition of what’s beautiful has changed. Here’s what it means to me now:

What’s Beautiful 3.0 is about setting goals, pushing limits, and re-defining the female athlete. It’s about confronting your fears head-on and being brave enough to tackle them, not because of what others will think, but because YOU want to. Although I’ve come a long way, I still have fears and challenges to face. I’ve got goals, aspirations and dreams, and I’m determined to move closer to making them a reality. The fact that I’m one of hundreds of women participating in the What’s Beautiful 3.0 challenge means I’ve also got an army of like-minded ladies to encourage me along the way. Of course, I’ll be doing the same for them.

So how does What’s Beautiful 3.0 work?

Participants in the campaign (that could be you!) start by declaring a goal. It could be anything from eating cleaner to running a marathon to inspiring others in your community to be active. After the goal has been set, it’s time to start documenting your progress. Each week, Under Armour sets new challenges and you can upload videos and photos that show how you’re moving closer to your goal each day.

How do you start?

It’s super easy – All you need to do is create an account using your email address, then set your goal. What have I declared?

The next step is to start uploading your challenge photos and videos. For example, here’s a look at mine:

Next, make some friends by following other athletes and joining or creating teams. There are individual challenges, but you can also contribute to team challenges by signing up for teams that are aligned with your personal goals. I chose to create a team for anyone with a running-related goal, and it’s called Team Run Faster, Stronger, Longer. Whether it’s a mile or a marathon you’ve got your sights set on, I’d love for you to join! If not, you can create your own team based on your personal goals.

Why should I bother?

Well, in addition to being part of an awesome, enormously motivating and inspiring community of female athletes, there are prizes! Each week, Under Armour is giving away a bag full of swag to women who are owning it, both as individuals and in their team.  At the end of the 8 weeks, 10 finalists will be chosen. Three winners, announced in July, will be flown to Costa Rica for a 4-day yoga and surf retreat. They’ll receive luxurious massages, spa treatments and delicious healthy meals prepared by personal chefs. Did I mention that accommodation overlooks the ocean? Sounds pretty great, right?

Have I convinced you yet? If so, hop on over and get started. But before you do (and regardless of whether or not you plan to), I’d love to know:

How has your definition of beautiful changed over the course of your life so far?

What goal are you dying to achieve? What’s holding you back and how can you tackle those obstacles?

Disclosure: My participation in this campaign has been made possible by FitFluential and Under Armour. I have received product for my participation, but all opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Happy Friday! As you read this, it’s very likely that I’m en route to Montreal to visit one of my best blog buddies for the long weekend. I’ll tell you all about the trip when I get back, but last week I promised you guys I’d post my half marathon playlist and I am staying true to that promise!

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Work It Out

This week’s workout is a pretty simple one because I don’t want this post to get too long, but that doesn’t mean it won’t challenge you! I really like workouts that involve doing reps for time, or seeing how many reps I can do with good form in a given time period. This week’s routine is one of those. The moves don’t require much equipment, but one thing I would recommend having nearby is an timer or clock. This will help you to keep track of how long each set has taken, and when you do this workout again next week (which you will, right!?) you can compare to see if you’ve improved.

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The May Meltdown Workout

You’ll be doing 3 sets of the circuit below, doing each move in the set immediately after each other. When you’ve finished the 6 exercises, rest for up to 3 minutes in order to allow your heart rate to come back down. Be sure to time yourself for each of the 3 rounds, and when you’ve finished, compare the times. Did you slow down as you got more tired? Try this workout again once each week for the next couple of weeks to see if you can decrease your time while still maintaining good form.

Click here to print the PDF.

Turn It Up

Alright, it’s playlist time! This list of songs lasts for about 1 hour and 45 minutes, and I’ve included the videos for some of my favourites. I don’t know what it is about U2, but their music always tends to fire me up so I’ve thrown 3 of their songs in between the 1:20 and 1:30 mark which is when I planned to sprint towards the finish line. In reality I was a few minutes late, but I still had some fast, upbeat tunes lined up to keep me moving!

• Testify to Love – Avalon
• Jump (Malinchak Remix) – Flo Rida
• This is What it Feels Like – Armin van Buuren ft Trevor Guthrie
• Make the World Move – Christina Aguilera ft Cee Lo Green

• Cruise (Remix) – Florida Georgia Lane ft Nelly
• Party All Night – Sean Kingston
• Haven’t Met You Yet (Jason Nevins Remix) – Michael Buble

• Stutter – Marianas Trench
• Hey Porsche (Yarin & Richwood Remix) – Nelly

• Can You Hear Me (Moto Blanco Remix) – Enrique Iglesias
• Clarity – Zedd ft. Foxes
• Feel This Moment – Pitbull & Christina Aguilera
• Turn Around – Conor Maynard ft Ne-Yo
• Troublemaker (Cutmore Remix) – Olly Murs

• One More Night (Club Remix) – Maroon 5
• Payphone (Cutmore Remix) – Maroon 5)
• Back to Love – DJ Pauly D ft Jay Sean
• Take Me to the Clouds Above – LMC vs U2
• Shining Down – United in Dance ft Jenna
• People Like Us – Kelly Clarkson
• Beautiful Day (Dance Remix) – U2
• Elevation – U2

• Vertigo – U2
• Years – Alesso
• Miracle – JV Project ft Eric Solomon
• Takes All Night – Skye Stevens
• C’Mon – Ke$ha
• I Love It – Icona Pop
• I Cry – Flo Rida
• Gimme All Your Lovin’ – Madonna ft Nicki Minaj and LMFAO
• Scream and Shout – will.i.am ft Britney Spears

Have a Read

• True Grit - via Running Times – A longer read, but super interesting! This article talks about what distances are toughest for runners to handle (hint – it depends on what you’ve trained for!), what exactly is meant by ‘grit’, and tips you can use to handle discomfort while racing and training.
• 14 must-try tools to speed recovery – via Greatist.

Alrighty friends, I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and I’ll see you back here on Monday! Before you go, I’m curious…

• What are some of your favourite workout songs right now?
• (Related to the True Grit article) – If you’re a runner, what distance do you find most difficult to run? This is going to sound silly, but since half marathons are the distance I prefer, 5Ks and anything shorter than that are hard for me. I am NOT the sprinting type!

How’s your week going? Mine got off to a bit of a nasty start with a trip to the dentist for a filling, but on the bright side, I’ve logged some great workouts over the past couple of days. As I type this, there is some serious ab burnage happening! Even though muscle soreness is never really pleasant, it helps to reassure me that I’m making progress.

The gym isn’t the only place where great things have been happening. I can’t wait to show you what’s been coming out of my kitchen lately!

1. Recipe of the Week. Cinco de Mayo was last Sunday, but don’t take off those sombreros just yet. This week’s healthy recipe is super simple to throw together and combines a whole bunch of fresh, vibrant ingredients.

Shrimp cocktails have always been one of my favourite appetizers, and a family gathering just isn’t complete without a great big tray of fresh shrimp with cocktail sauce (the red kind, not the creamy kind). While the shrimpies on their own are delicious, I decided to invite a few more friends to this little cocktail party…

Yes, avocados again. I can’t stop, I’m sorry.

Meet my new favourite appetizer (well, tied with the Green Curry Shrimp Rolls), Pico de Gallo Shrimp Cocktails. The key here is letting all of the ingredients sit together in a big bowl for at least 15 minutes so they can soak up the lime juice and soften a wee bit. You can even make this recipe ahead of time if you like – leaving in the fridge for a couple of hours will make the flavours that much stronger. Being patient isn’t easy when you’ve got this sitting in front of you…

…but I promise that it’s worth the wait.

I’ll make these if you bring the margaritas, deal?

Click here for the recipe!

2. Fresh fava beans. Just like my globe grapes last week, these beans are HUGE!

I found them at the grocery store on the weekend, and although canned fava beans certainly aren’t hard to come by, I wanted to try my hand at making something with the fresh kind. Apparently they’re very easy to grow at home, and like other beans, are full of fiber and protein. 1 cup cooked contains about 185 calories, 9g fiber and 13g protein, and is packed with phytonutrients, folate, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12.

I schooled myself on how to shell the fresh fava beans here. This is the gist of how it’s done:

1. Boil some water in a pot on the stove.
2. As it boils, start shelling the beans by snapping off the stem and leaving the stringy bit in tact with the rest of the pod.
3. Pull the stringy bit down the middle of the bean to open the pod.
4. Scoop all the beans out.
5. Add some sea salt to the boiling water in the pot, along with the beans.
6. Turn the heat down and simmer for 1 minute while you fill a large bowl with ice water
7. Drain the beans and put them straight into the ice water.
8. Once the beans are cool enough to handle, use your fingers to slip the skins off of each one.

In pictures…

So what did I do with them? Well, after blanching them in water as the instructions indicated, I made a salad (are you surprised?) with some spiralized purple beets, snap peas, radishes, parsley, dill, and lemon juice. I also added 1/2 can of flaked light tuna for extra protein.

It wasn’t until after taking these photos that I realized I’d completely forgotten to do step 8, which meant that all of the little skins were still on my fava beans. #fail. However, it only took a few minutes to pick around in my salad to pinch them off, and even though I may have missed one or two, this was SUCH a good lunch! The beans were nice and meaty, and tasted so good coated in my lemony dill dressing. They were sort of buttery and smooth, especially the ones that I remembered to take the skin off of! In fact, I’m pretty sure I’m going to buy more and make a lemon and dill fava bean dip, or maybe a hummus….. oh the possibilities!

 So tell me…

• Did you try anything new yesterday?
• Have you tried fava beans before? Any great recipes to share?

How was your weekend? As I mentioned on Friday, mine was spent relaxing, spending some quality time with my mum for Mother’s Day, exploring the farmer’s market, and sleeping. I also ran a new-to-me route on Saturday morning, with plenty of scenery that I’ve never noticed before. One thing about doing a ton of long-distance training on a treadmill with only a TV and other gym-goers to keep you entertained is that it makes real outdoor runs seem so quick! Does anyone else find the same thing?

A little while ago I talked about my 3 secrets for making every early morning workout awesome, and this week I want to share my favourite post-run recovery smoothie with you. It’s full of powerful ingredients that help fight inflammation and promote quick repair and healing in our bodies, both of which are essential if you’re very physically active. Not only will this smoothie do fabulous things for your insides, but it tastes great too!

Before I get to the recipe, let’s talk about each of the superstars inside it. Many are also useful when eaten pre-workout because they help to start the recovery process before you even begin sweating, but rolling everything into one post-workout smoothie is a really easy way to reap the benefits of all of them.

***Disclaimer: Always check with your doc first before taking new dietary supplements to ensure that they’re right for you.***

Dark leafy greens

This is probably the most ‘well, duh’ ingredient on the list, but it’s a must-have. The darker the better. These gems are full of vitamin A (for immune function and organ support), vitamin C (which acts as an antioxidant to help protect cells from damage, and produce collagen to help heal wounds), and K (for healthy bones). They’re excellent anti-inflammatories, and some varieties contain high levels of folate and calcium, as well as potassium for proper nerve and muscular function. For a guide to all sorts of greens, check out this infographic.

Bananas

Simple but oh so good for you, bananas contain potassium, an electrolyte that needs replenishing after exercise. They’re also a clean carb with natural sugars, and post-workout, the sports nutrition experts of the world recommend replenishing our bodies with energy in a 4:1 carbs to protein ratio. The banana takes care of the carb bit, without causing the spike in blood sugar (and inevitable crash) that refined sugars do.

Protein Powder

As I’m sure you’ve heard, muscle is made from protein. As we work out, (particularly if you’re strength training), small tears form in our muscles that need to be repaired. This is where protein comes in. It’s also used for increasing the size and strength of your muscles, and the sooner you can consume a high-protein food after a workout, the better. There are lots of sources of high-quality protein, (think lean chicken, fish, beef, Greek yogurt, eggs, milk, chickpeas, beans, legumes, and seeds), and even if you’re vegan or vegetarian, there are protein powders that fit your dietary needs.

As many of you know, I’m a big advocate of the ‘whole foods first, supplements second’ mentality, but when time is limited and you don’t have whole food protein sources on hand, protein powder is a great alternative. My preferences are Promasil (whey, sweetened with stevia, no artificial sweeteners, gluten and soy free), and Vega Sport (plant-based, vegan friendly, gluten free, allergen free, no artificial sweeteners).

Coconut Water

You’ve probably heard a lot of buzz about coconut water lately, and it’s for good reason! As you’re well aware, exercise makes us sweat. When we sweat, we lose electrolytes (specifically sodium and potassium) which our bodies need to reduce muscle cramping and function optimally. Drinking water helps to re-hydrate our bodies, but straight-up water is missing these electrolytes. Coconut water not only provides them, but also delivers plenty of naturally-occuring vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that help to replenish energy levels post-workout.

Ground Flaxseed

The main reason I’ve included ground flaxseed in this smoothie is because of its high omega-3 essential fatty acid content. Omega-3s are found in oily fish like salmon and sardines, as well as enriched dairy, but these sources aren’t suitable for vegans and vegetarians. Flaxseed provides omega-3s in plant-based form, and like many of the other ingredients on this list, has anti-inflammatory properties. The addition of a healthy fat source also helps us to absorb more of the vitamins and minerals from the dark leafy greens. You can either purchase ground flaxseed, or the whole seeds (as shown above) and grind them yourself in a coffee grinder. Either way, be sure to store them in the fridge to preserve the quality of the oils.

Ginger

I was never into ginger as a kid, but these days I can’t get enough of it! Here’s the deal: Even exercise (which makes us look and feel fantastic) creates inflammation. Each time our muscles contract, they become slightly inflamed. More contraction = more inflammation, stiffness, and soreness, but there are foods that we can eat to help tame this. Fresh ginger has super powerful anti-inflammatory properties thanks its phytonutrients, which have been shown to relieve joint and muscle pain, and aid in recovery.  These benefits aside, ginger is also a fantastic natural cure for digestive issues and nausea, and can help strengthen your immune system.

Maca Root Powder

Maca root has been used for years as a healing whole food, but as far as athletes are concerned, it’s used for improving adrenal function and enhancing stamina, endurance, and overall performance. Maca is an adaptogen, which means that it helps our bodies to respond more efficiently to stress, whether it’s workout-related or otherwise. It also helps to boost overall mood and reduce post-workout muscle soreness.

Cinnamon

I like to add cinnamon to practically everything, but it has a lot more going for it than just taste! Cinnamon prevents blood clotting and helps to promote healthy blood flow. It also has anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fungal properties.

Turmeric

Yep, that same bright yellow spice that you find in your favourite curry is a fabulous inflammation fighter! Turmeric helps to boost circulation, which during exercise, means that more oxygen can travel to your working muscles. Like ginger, it can be taken before workouts to boost the recovery process before you even start sweating, or afterwards to help speed the recovery process. This is all thanks to its active ingredient, circumin, which is a super anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory.

Spirulina

This is a blue-green algae that is typically available a a powder, liquid, tablet or capsule. It’s one of the world’s most highly concentrated plant-based sources of complete protein, meaning that it provides all of the essential amino acids that our bodies can’t make on their own. Like the other superfoods in this list, it provides a whackload of vitamins and minerals, has been known to increase endurance, and speed post-exercise recovery. A little goes a very long way!

And now, for the recipe:

Click here to print this recipe.

I love chugging a big one of these smoothies after my hard runs and heavy lifting sessions, but it’s also great if you’re feeling a little low on energy. I don’t know about you, but most green smoothies tend to significantly kick my energy levels up a notch. Greens for the win!

Now I want to know…

• Do you have a favourite post-workout recovery meal or drink that makes you feel revitalized and re-energized?
• What did you get up to this weekend?

Oh my goodness, the weekend is here and it has been a crazy insane week. I am so excited to relax tonight, spend some quality time with my madre (Sunday is Mother’s Day, just in case you needed a reminder!) and catch up on sleep. I’ll also be having a FaceTime date with this handsome fella….

…otherwise known as my dad! Today is his birthday and since traveling 16 hours to celebrate isn’t really in the budget, we’ll be celebrating with our iPhones. What do you have planned this weekend?

A little while ago I was asked by a few of you for my half marathon playlist from Sunday’s race, and I’m going to post it for you next Friday. This week’s tune was included on that list, but before we talk music, let’s discuss workouts!

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Work It Out

As soon as I woke up on Monday morning, I couldn’t help but notice that I had some nasty (yet very much anticipated) shin splints. This always tends to happen to me after I’ve been running hills, so it was only a matter of time. Therefore, the cardio portion of my gym sessions this week have mostly been on the bike. Today’s workout is one that totally kicked my butt on Wednesday, and if you could use a little butt kicking too, I recommend giving it a try!

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The Pyramid Intervals Workout

All you’ll need for this is a stationary bike. I prefer to use either a spin bike or an upright ones over the recumbent bikes (also known as the ones that have a back on the seat). Take your pick and ensure it’s set up to accommodate for your height. You’ll be doing 3 sets of 7 intervals, each set forming a pyramid-like structure, like this:

You’ll do the 3 pyramids with a warm up and cool down on either side. Use whatever resistance helps you to meet the RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) level listed in the far right column of the chart below.

Click here to print the PDF.

Turn It Up

If you’re a child of the 80s and grew up listening to Nelly as a teenager in the 90s and early 2000s, you’ll probably recall his earlier songs, like Country Grammar and Dilemma. So catchy at the time, but unfortunately also so overplayed, I can’t say I’ve ever owned a Nelly CD (because we actually bought CDs when I was a teenager, which honestly wasn’t that long ago). Having said all of that, my ears instantly perked up the other day when I was listening to the radio and heard his new (I think?) song, Cruise. I did what I always do when I hear a great song: Shazaam-ed it, headed over to YouTube, and searched for some workout-suitable remixes. I found this one, the Cruise Remix by Florida Georgia Line ft Nelly, and I LOVE it. It’s kinda country, but like a Nelly-fied country. What do ya think?

Have A Read

• 25 ways to run faster now – via Greatist
• 10 people over 70 who are fitter than you – via Fitbie. The words “wow” and “impressive” come to mind!

Ok, it’s go time! Before you take off, tell me:

• What bands or artists did you listen to as a teenager? Are there any you still listen to today?
• What are ya up to this weekend?

Is your day off to a great start? Mine certainly is! Since I’m taking May off of race training, I’ve been thoroughly enjoying my ‘fun’, no-pressure workouts this week which have included TurboFire, cycling, and spending a lot more time with weights than I have done over the past 8 weeks! I’ve also been taking advantage of our sunny evenings by going for walks after work and love how much they help me to wind down and take my mind off of the day behind me. Anyone else feel the same way?

Let’s get over to our usual Wednesday topics of conversation: Recipes and new things!

1. Recipe of the Week. Last week you guys made it very clear to me that you have no problem with recipes involving avocado. That’s a great thing, because I’ve got plenty more in that department and I plan to keep ‘em coming fast and furious.

For those that aren’t quite feeling the ‘cado craze, don’t worry – you could leave them out of today’s recipe if you want to. It’ll still be delicious.

This Spring Chicken Salad combines every single piece of leftover greenery that I had in my fridge on the weekend, minus my green curry paste and a green pepper that had certainly seen better days.

Toss all of the above in a big bowl with some shredded cooked chicken, nice fluffy quinoa, pistachios and a big drizzle of white balsamic vinegar…

…and you’ve got a freaking huge salad full of green goodness!

I’ve kept things really simple with the dressing in this recipe because the herbs do so much on their own. A plain white balsamic pairs really nicely with the mint and parsley, but you can also get creative with fruit-infused vinegars. Fig and pear are two that I just can’t get enough of, and if you leave this salad in the fridge for a couple of hours, the quinoa takes on their fruity flavours and tastes absolutely fabulous!

Click here for the recipe!

2. Globe grapes. It’s a little hard to tell from these photos, but these grapes are HUGE!

I saw them at Sobeys over the weekend and since I didn’t have much time to think about creative fancy applications for new-to-me finds, I bought a bag of these enormous grapes figuring they’d make a good snack.

Wikipedia tells me that red globe grapes are “a variety of very large, seeded red grapes with firm flesh used mainly as a table grape. It can be grown outdoors in very warm areas with long growing seasons such as California or Australia, but in most of the world it is strictly a greenhouse grape.” I am clearly not a grape connoisseur, because the next question I had was “what the heck is a table grape!?” I soon learned that this is just the name for grapes produced for consumption, rather than for wine making, juice making, or turning into raisins. Hmm. Call them what you want, but these are freaking enormous grapes.

Simplicity took priority when I was rushed to make breakfast yesterday, so I sliced some globe grapes in half and threw them into a fruit salad with melon, strawberries and a kiwi. Combined with a Simply Whey Bar after my workout, this combo totally hit the spot!

Apart from the seeds being a minor inconvenience, these were quite tasty! I typically prefer the tartness of green grapes but enjoyed these for a change. Now that I think about it, their juiciness would make them very suitable for grape juice squirting games. Christine (my sister), if you’re reading this, brace yourself because I’ve got some new ammunition!

 So tell me…

• Did you try anything new yesterday?
• What’s one of your go-to breakfasts when you’re in a rush?

On Saturday afternoon, a big group of us met up at the race expo in Toronto. On my way I made a little mandatory stop, one that is becoming my favourite pre-race tradition…

(Highly successful stop, in case you wondered. Almost too successful.) At the expo we picked up our bibs, race shirts, walked around the booths, and posed for a great big group pic. Most of the group were from the Toronto area, but myself and Danielle came from Waterloo and Brian won the award for the furthest traveled, all the way from California!!

Then it was off to the Old Spaghetti Factory for a pre-race dinner. We had a pretty huge group and Krysten (whom you may have already met in this post) was kind enough to bring us goodie bags full of bars, gels, and chews from Clif Bar! Here’s a few snaps from our evening:

Danielle, Jess and Robyn

Myself, Sarah, Allison and Janice

Brian and his lovely wife, who was the talented photographer of our group pic!

Morgan and Krysten

Brian showing us how he fuels up for big races! (I guess they do it differently in Cali?!)

Jess and Robyn, REALLY excited to have their steak!

Danielle, Krysten and Robyn

Christina and I

I stayed with my blog buddy Morgan, whom although running the 5K at noon the next day was willing to get up with me at 5:45am and chit chat while I got ready for the half marathon. Now that is a true friend! I set all my race gear out the night before because I wanted to make sure I didn’t forget anything.

My standard race morning breakfast!

The half marathon started at 8:30, so I left Morgan’s with plenty of time to get to the starting area, park my car (always a heroic effort in Toronto, but this time it actually wasn’t too bad!) and walk to the bag check. I was a bit nervous because I went to bed with a lingering headache and still had it when I woke up, despite having taken some Advil Cold & Sinus before packing it in on Saturday night. My sinuses have not been happy these days! Rather than dwell on it, I just tried to forget about the pain and stay focused. Words can not describe how thankful I was that the weather was gorgeous and that there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky!

At that point my phone went away and the next thing I knew….

Ok, there was a little more to it than that.

I won’t give you the mile-by-mile breakdown, but here are the highlights:

• There were 1694 marathoners, 4476 half marathoners, and 1404 5K participants.
• The half marathon course was net downhill, starting from Mel Lastman Square and going down to Toronto’s waterfront.
• Even though it was net downhill, the route starts with a BIG, GINORMOUS slope around the 3 mile mark. This was very, VERY clearly reflected in my 3rd mile split!
  

  Mile splits, with #14 being the final 0.1 mile.

  

  My paces and the course elevation map

• That hill made me want to die a little inside. I chugged up it along with everyone else, and tried to just keep focusing a couple of feet ahead of me and repeating “you’re stronger than you think” in my head. For about 75% of that time I’m not sure I believed it, but my legs were very happy to finally get to the top!
• There were some sweet, sweet downhills that I thoroughly enjoyed sailing down along Yonge Street
• It was sunny. Like, really sunny. I think I need to start training with my Oakley sport sunglasses on because I nearly twisted my ankle in a big pothole around the 8 mile mark which scared the living daylights out of me. (I’ve had quite enough of ankle injuries.)
• There were some bits in the first half, and once or twice near the end when I felt like I was really losing steam. (See my splits for mile 11 above – they’re even slower than that horrible hill, and if I remember correctly, the road was pretty flat!)
• I saw the 1:30 pace bunny a couple of times in the race, but stopped paying attention after a while. I thought I’d notice if he passed me and ran far ahead, but I obviously didn’t. (He must have been a very sneaky rabbit!) I was coming around the last corner of the race with about 200m left to go, and I saw the 1:35 pace bunny sprint past me. I saw the 1:35 on his ears, and gunned it with absolutely every ounce of energy I had left to the finish line. I finished just after him, with a time of 1:35:26.

My Garmin was a little optimistic – final time was 1:35:26

When I saw that I’d finished in just over 1:35, I was a tiny bit disappointed. Of course I was thrilled that it was over, but deep down I expected a little more. I grabbed some water then walked around until my heart rate came back down. As I was walking over to pick up my checked bag, I gave myself a little “get real” pep talk, which mainly involved reminding myself that this was my SECOND outdoor run (not race, I mean my second run that did not take place on a treadmill) this YEAR. Within a few minutes, I was in a pretty happy space again. (That may have also had to do with the fact that I’d eaten a Simply Whey Bar, an apple and was lying on a yoga mat ready to do some stretching!)

It wasn’t until I got home about 3 hours later and checked out SportStats.ca that I got really, really happy.

Final time: 1:35.26.3
24 and under women’s category: 2/412
Women: 24/2427
Overall: 186/4476

I’ll take 2nd in my category, considering it’s the last time I get to run this race as a 24-or-under female! But I wasn’t the only one that had something to talk about afterwards. Brian PR’d his marathon by a whopping 6 minutes, Danielle finished her first ever marathon (in Vibrams, I might add – she’s the barefoot running queen!), Krysten ran her first half marathon of the season only 12 weeks post-surgery, Morgan set a new 5 PR, and from what I’ve heard, it was an injury-free race for all!

With one down and SeaWheeze ahead in August, I know exactly what I have to do to break my 1:30 goal: Run outside and attack some HILLS! With that, I’m off for a date with my foam roller.

Tomorrow will be a rest day, but that doesn’t mean I’m letting you off the hook! If you’re looking for a workout to take to the gym this weekend, I’ve got just the thing.

(Source)

Work It Out

In honour of the 13.1 miles I’ll be running on Sunday, this week’s routine is a countdown-style workout that incorporates moves to challenge both cardiovascular and muscular strength. You’ll get your heart rate up, work up a good sweat, and stoke your metabolism to keep humming away all day long. Now that’s a multitasking workout!

(Source)

The 13 to 1 Countdown Workout (with a little surprise at the end!)

All you’ll need for this is a few pairs of dumbells. Have a look at the exercises and determine how heavy you want to go, but keep in mind that you’ll need 3 pairs that you can perform biceps curls with – that’s the surprise at the end! (Probably not the best workout for the 200lb ones, unless of course you can curl 200lbs with each hand, in which case I’ll hire you to train me!) Perform the moves in yellow, first doing 13 reps of each. After taking a quick rest (between 1 and 2 minutes, depending on your fitness level), re-start from the squats again and do 12 reps of each exercise. Continue to work  your way all the way down to 1 rep, then rest for 3 minutes. Finish off with a drop set of biceps curls, then stretch those babies out. Did someone say gunshow?

Click here to print the PDF.

Turn It Up

I heard this week’s featured tune on the radio when I was in the car on the weekend, and within 10 minutes of arriving home had downloaded it and tacked it on to the half marathon playlist that I’m building for this weekend. It’s called This is What it Feels Like by Armin Van Buuren, and once the synthesizers get going, it’s got a ton of energy!

Meet my Race Buddies!

Rather than the usual ‘Have A Read’ section of Fit Bit Fridays, I’m switching it up this week. I thouht you might like to meet some of my crazy fabulous FitFluential Ambassador race buddies that I’ll be spending this weekend with. First up, our guest of honour, all the way from California…

Brian at mile 38 of his 50-miler earlier in April. Lookin’ strong!

Name: Brian
Blog: PavementRunner.com
Distance you’re running: 26.2 miles of glory… wait, how many km’s is that?
Goal for the race: To look amazing in a tutu!!! OK, amazing might be a stretch. Let’s go with: “to make other people smile and show some love for Boston.” I’ll be rocking a blue shirt and a yellow tutu crafted by the one and only Darwinian Fail. My current PR is 3:44 on hilly course. I hear the Toronto course is reasonably flat and I think a tutu is good for shaving off at least a couple minutes… let’s place the time goal at 3:35
Your #1 must-have piece of race gear: A hair clip from the first lady. (In case you’re wondering, the First Lady is Brian’s super cute daughter.) I typically attach it to the shoulder strap of my hydration pack (see photo). Whenever I feel a little tired, I take a look at it and think “Keep running strong, it will make a great bedtime story.”
Your pre-race ritual: This is definitely one of those do what I say, not what I do moments. My pre-race meal is a Payday candy bar. If you are unfamiliar, it’s peanuts and caramel and has plenty of salt. I’ve been doing it for years and wifey always packs it in my to-go bag for destination races. As far as morning routine, I wake up 2 hours before it’s time to leave the house and sort of just “wake-up.” I’ll stretch a little bit, check Twitter, get dressed, check Instagram, pin on my bib, throw something on Facebook, grab my gear, check Twitter again. As you can see, VERY IMPORTANT pre-race focus.

Name: Krysten
Blog: The Misadventures of a Darwinian Fail
Distance you’re running: The half marathon
Goal for the race: To rock a kick-ass tutu all 13.1 miles
Your #1 must-have piece of race gear: Well I guess the tutu is kind of pivotal this time around. But my Mizuno Exilirs are a must too
Your pre-race ritual: To high-five all my FitFluential homies and to harness the power of the tutu! Both bring race day magic, sparkles, and rainbows!

Goal for the race: Running the 5K – trying for a PB of 25 mins and to star in my very own game of frogger based on how jam packed the race is

See you Monday morning with a race recap!