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Run or Dye Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:00:00 +0000

I arrived home from Colorado at about 2:00am on Friday morning. 12 hours later, I was on the road again! This time I was headed to Philadelphia with Melody, Stacey, and Michelle for the "Run or Dye" color run.

Friday night we grabbed our packets (bibs, white shirts, drawstring bags, a rubber bracelet, and a dye packet) and then headed to the Continental for dinner with Kristi - who is a long time friend of Melody and graciously hosted all of us at her house in Jersey for the night! (Dinner, btw, was AWESOME - seared tuna with mushroom risotto - yummy!!)

The race took place at the Philly sports complex, where the stadiums for the Phillies and the Eagles are. Saturday morning was beautiful - low 80's and "abundant sunshine" (according to The Weather Channel). This is great, unless you're standing in the middle of a parking lot in a start corral with a few hundred people. In that case, this weather is really hot. Since we'd read that Run or Dye sends waves of a few hundred runners every 5 minutes following the 9:00 start time, we got into the corral around 8:40 so we could be towards the front.

By "9:00 start time" they really meant 9:10. And by "every 5 minutes", they really meant almost every 10. We were in the 3rd group to be released, so we left at 9:30. The start was chaotic and hot, and we really just wanted to get going!

The color used at these types of runs (The Color Run, Color Me Rad, Run or Dye, etc) is a colored, nontoxic, cornstarch based, powder. The first "dye station" was immediately after the start and it was pinkish purple, and we completely missed it. If you ran in the center, you could easily run the whole race without getting any color on you at all.

The course wound through the parking lots of the stadiums - yes, the PARKING LOTS. Seriously?! The course never even went on any "real" roads. It just wound its way around the parking lots and the stadiums.

There were 2 dye stations on the course - yellow and orange. They were poorly manned by volunteers (including a lot of kids) who simply grabbed colored powder from buckets and threw it at you. If you wanted any color, you actually had to stop running and wait in line for them to throw it on you. Or, you could be like a surprising number of people and simply ROLL AROUND ON THE GROUND. Yes, that happened - a lot.

The last dye station was green, and it was right at the finish. Speaking of the finish - it was really crowded and there was no official "line", just a lot of flags. (And my RunKeeper said 3.01 at the end of the flags, so the course was short!!)

This was supposed to be a super fun, laid back race. I wasn't running for a PR, but this ended up being an annoying race. There were a LOT of walkers on the course. This is totally fine, and I love that people are out and moving. But I'm not referring to just any walkers - the annoying walkers were those who were walking 5 and 6 across, completely blocking the course, and strolling along like they were at the mall. The absolute worst, though, was someone SMOKING on the course. I'm not even kidding. Who smokes in the middle of a 5K course?!

Overall, I have to say - the time spent with my girlfriends was awesome and so much fun! I was super proud of my BFF, Michelle, who ran her first race - check out her thoughts about her first race! I'm glad I did it, but I wouldn't do a color run again. I would, however, gladly spend another 24 hours talking, laughing, eating, shopping, and running with these girls!

Gain

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 14:22:00 +0000

This week I had a significant number gain.

It wasn't on the scale though, I haven't stepped on that in 2 weeks. This gain was in elevation!

Living in Pennsylvania, I spend my days at a few hundred feet above sea level. But Friday, I flew into Denver (5,000+ feet) and met my parents, who are currently parked in Estes Park, Colorado (8,000+ feet).

Making an 8,000 foot change in altitude can be really hard on your body. It can cause headaches, lightheadedness, shortness of breath, and more.

My parents decided it would be a good idea to give me Friday and Saturday to adjust. Saturday we did mostly driving around Rocky Mountain National Park, stopping here and there for a few short walks to test my lungs.

This was a half mile path up and back, above 12,000 feet. It was freezing up there, and I definitely felt more tired and my heart rate as up more than usual. But overall, it wasn't bad.

The real test came yesterday when we hiked starting at 8,600 feet and went up to 9,600 feet. The views we were rewarded with were spectacular. Pictures don't do them justice.

How'd I do with the altitude? I hardly even noticed it. Once again, that's a change that tells more than the number on the scale ever will!

For more about our hike, check out my parents' blog at http://ohtheplacestheygo.wordpress.com!

An Annual Picture

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 20:23:00 +0000

For the third year in a row, I snapped a picture of myself on the first day of summer break.

It was 2011 when I left school determined to start making small changes toward health.

(Ignore the mess)

By 2012, I was down 40 pounds and feeling stronger and healthier! Not long after this picture, I ran my first ever nonstop outdoor mile.

Today, in 2013, I'm now 80 pounds lighter. I've run a half marathon, 2 10k races, and several 5k races.

I don't care what the scale says when I look at these pictures. The pictures tell me more than any number on a scale will. Not even just the size and shape of my body, but the size of my smile...the look of pride and peace in my eyes. I am happier, stronger, and more confident.

The last 2 years haven't been easy. I am not hurrying the process or taking any short cuts. I'm thanking God for the slow and steady journey I am on because I'm learning so much each day, about Him, myself, and my health.

I can't wait to see the 2014 shot!

Zooma Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Friday afternoon, some girlfriends and I traveled to Annapolis, MD to participate in the ZOOMA Women's Running Series 10k.

Packet pick-up for the race was at the Loew's Hotel. Something I thought was great with this race was that there were no pre-assigned bib numbers. When you gave them your name, they grabbed a bib from the pile and typed in the number then. Smart and time saving! They had some great female targeted vendors. I bought a super comfy shirt from Fellow Flowers! I love it! The one complaint other runners had was that you had to pay $5 to park at the hotel. Luckily for us, my friend Kate's husband Dave dropped us off!

Saturday, June 1st dawned hot and humid in Annapolis, MD for ZOOMA!

Here we are before heading to the start!

Waiting for the start! There were no corrals, so we chose a spot semi-close to the front to avoid weaving around too many people.

The course started at Navy-Marine Stadium. It eventually made its way down Main St. Annapolis - where I resisted the urge to stop racing and hightail it into one of the ice cream shops!!

The real problem on this course was the lack of water. There was a water stop around mile 2, and then the next one wasn't until after mile 4. This wouldn't be a problem normally. I can run 10K with no water stops on a regular day, but this day was so hot and humid that I could feel the effects of lack of water.

The race then hit its most challenging part - the Naval Academy Bridge. At the top of the bridge, the 10k runners turned around and headed back down. The half marathoners kept going over the bridge, circled around the other side for a few miles and then had to come back and tackle the bridge a second time. I was REALLY REALLY glad that I dropped to the 10k at that point!!

Up the bridge...

...and back down the bridge

The view going over the bridge!

Finished - in my fuchsia sparkly sequin skirt! (I sewed it - using this tutorial)

Here we are - finished!

Overall, it was a great race. This was my first running event that was designed for women, and I have to say - it was a lot of fun! The racers were so colorful, lots of running skirts and sparkles! We got yoga mats, water bottles, 2 shirts, and a finisher necklace instead of a medal - great swag!

The big problems were the lack of water and the fact that after the race we found out someone misdirected us and the course was 1/4 mile short! I wasn't running for a PR since it was so hot, so I didn't mind, but I know a lot of people were writing on Facebook and Twitter about how upset they were. ZOOMA is a national running series, so I'm sure they'll be doing everything they can to ensure that it doesn't happen again!!

Real Food - A Change in Focus

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 22:05:00 +0000

This was my Sunday morning brunch. Chocolate chip pancakes with maple syrup, berries, and coffee.

Mentally, I've been getting really hung up on numbers lately - weight, calories, distance, speed, time, etc. Despite continued quality exercise and calorie counting, the scale has gone the wrong direction for 2 weeks in a row. I know from the details I keep track of that weight gain is mathematically impossible.

So I took of my BodyMedia armband on Friday morning, and I stopped counting my calories. I didn't quit this journey though, make no mistake - this is not over. The thing is, I've said all along that I never plan to live my life counting every speck of food I eat. This is a LIFE change - not some diet.

I decided to spend the month of June focusing on something other than calories and my weight on the scale. I'm still going to track my exercise and try to run longer and faster - because that's fun for me. I'll still eat proper portions and quality, clean foods. But I'm not entering a single calorie into MyFitnessPal. I'm not stepping on a scale until July 1. My friend Laura and I even made a pact about it!

The reason I'm showing you a picture of my brunch does have to do with this shift. I woke up thinking "I'm making pancakes for breakfast. And dang it, I'm not going to make them with egg whites and coconut flour and worry about low calories - I'm making them with REAL food."

This struck me as funny because when I said "real food", I was thinking I was cheating. These pancakes - made with "real food" are still a far cry from the ones I used to make with Bisquick, or when I homemade them, with white flour, cow's milk, and white sugar. My "real food" pancakes used whole wheat flour, an egg, unsweetened coconut milk, vanilla, and baking soda. Guess what? That is real food. It's healthy, whole, good for you, clean, REAL food.

That's my focus this month - not the calories. The focus is to eat when I'm hungry, and to choose whole, healthy, good, REAL food - still keeping my portions in check, but not worrying to death over it.

I've been eating clean for months. I've been focusing on choosing quality ingredients. I do my best to avoid processed foods. These pancakes were just a reminder that what defines good food for me now is real food, so maybe I don't have to be hung up on how many calories every little thing contains. Maybe, just maybe, I'm conquering this beast of a food struggle.

My Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 20:57:00 +0000

Saturday was my 32nd birthday! It's hard to believe I'm 32. I still feel 25...and I act 14. Haha!! I spent my 32nd birthday doing many of my favorite things - here's a little recap!

The day started out with the ZOOMA Annapolis 10k. (a full recap of the race is coming this week)

After some post race showers, we headed to downtown Annapolis to shop at two delightful stores.

Seasons is an oil and vinegar store. I use balsamic vinegar to add lots of flavor without lots of calories to so many things I cook. This place had vinegar in every flavor imaginable - coconut, lemongrass, maple, cinnamon, dark chocolate - oh my! I ended up with a grapefruit white balsamic and blood orange olive oil.

The Spice & Tea Exchange has tons of spice mixtures and rubs as well as loose leaf teas. I chose small packets of Moroccan, fish grilling, and ginger teriyaki spices, as well as blueberry black tea, coconut oolong tea, and mango green tea. Yum!

We then enjoyed lunch on the deck of the Middleton near the docks in Annapolis. We "rehydrated" with some crushes (grapefruit and orange) and good food! I had a goat cheese appetizer and some scallop sliders. Delish!

Of course, I couldn't head home without stopping at the Whole Foods in Annapolis! This is a HUGE store - it's a good thing I went there on a full stomach!

I stopped in search of this delicious Unsweetened Vanilla SoDelicious - and was extra excited to find that it was on sale! I stocked up! :)

After a trip to the Greek Food Festival for dinner, I ended my night watching Scandal on Hulu! I can't believe I haven't been watching this show all along. Don't worry - I'm all caught up and anxiously awaiting Season 3!!

Weekly Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Tue, 28 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Can you believe it's already the last week in May? I though April went by quickly, but May flew!! I spent the last weekend of the month doing the same thing I did the first weekend - running a race!

Saturday I raced in the River Run 5k. This race starts in Wrightsville, PA on the western side of the Susquehanna River. It runs out and back 1.5 miles across the Veterans Memorial Bridge to the town of Columbia, PA on the east side of the river.

The course starts with a 1/10 mile steep downhill and is then completely flat until you run the same 1/10 mile UPhill to the finish.

It was a bit chilly for a late May race, and quite windy, but the sunshine was plentiful! (the top pic was taken the night before when I picked up my race bib)

This nice, flat course was a record breaker for me! An average pace of 8:48?!? My first mile was 8:25!! This is me - the girl who did a 17+ mile in high school!

I finished the race in 28:14. That's an official race record for me. I did run a 28:11 5k on my own once, but if you notice - the GPS clocked me at 3.2 miles. So at 3.1 I actually would've been under 28:11 anyway.

It was a great race! I was all by myself, so this is my official picture - haha! Also, that shirt? I got it for free! The website Today's Miles sells these fun shirts with different mileage markers on them. If you use the code "RUNFREE" - you get a FREE short sleeved shirt. You just pay shipping, which is around $6. Not bad!

Workouts:

Monday - ran 2 miles (was semi-resting, ran a timed mile for 8:35)

Tuesday - strength training, then met Laura for some bleacher climbing and track laps

Wednesday - ran 3.18

Thursday - strength + 30 minutes cardio

Friday - Rest

Saturday - 5K Race + Boot Camp class at the gym

Sunday - 90 minutes walking (5.8 miles) while streaming Scandal on Netflix!

Adventures in Homeowning

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Fri, 24 May 2013 20:00:00 +0000

Last night, after returning from the gym and eating a yummy dinner (salad with grilled chicken, strawberries, goat cheese, and balsamic), I started doing the dishes. I noticed the water wasn't getting hot. It usually does take quite a while for my hot water to come out because the hot water heater is in the front corner of the basement and all of the sinks are on the opposite side of the house - go figure. But, this was just plain not heating up.

Last summer, my basement had leaked in a severe rain storm and I'd ripped out a bunch of carpet and made sure everything on the floor was in plastic. In the carpet ripping process, I had bumped the temperature adjustment on the water heater and it was pretty cool - so I thought perhaps this had happened again somehow.

But no - when I went downstairs I discovered this:

Ugh!!

Water on the floor + no hot water = something wrong with the water heater.

I proceeded to drag all of my plastic bins away from the area, cut and tear out more carpet and padding that was wet, dragged that up the stairs and out to the trash. (side note: if you have an UNFINISHED basement, why would you ever put down decent carpet with padding?!? Thanks, previous homeowner) But anyway, I used the trusty shop vac to suck up the water (yes, Isaac, you were right - we DID need that shop vac) and proceeded to call someone to come fix my water heater. 2 calls later, my "regular guy" is coming on TUESDAY.

In this process, I learned how to empty my hot water heater tank. (Thanks for helping me with that, Pringle!) So, I resign myself to a few days of cold showers because at least I'm blessed to have a house at all, right? I head upstairs, preparing myself for a fast and freezing shower before bed - I'm exhausted.

Well, I turn on the shower and guess what? Since I don't have separate nozzles for hot and cold - there's no water at all. I end up washing my hair (with cold water) in the sink - and myself too.

Finally, around 11:00, I get to sleep.

I wake up this morning, head downstairs, wet vac a little more water that finished leaking out last night and come upstairs to start breakfast. And I see this:

That's a bat. Seriously?! For 32 years of my life, I never, ever remember a bat in any house I've lived in. So, I hide in the doorway to my basement while furiously Googling "how to get rid of a bat" on my phone.

Do you know what is suggested? CATCH THE BAT IN A TOWEL. Um - that? Not happening.

I grabbed a towel to cover my head - because I had this vision of the bat attacking me and getting caught in my hair - headed outside to grab my broom (yes, with the towel on my head), and proceeded to cower in fear in my dining room (when I snapped the picture).

I took the broom and smacked the bat. It did NOT fly out the back door, but rather, landed on the kitchen floor looking a little stunned. I worked up some more courage and used my broom to whack the bat towards the door again. This time it seemed to wake up and flew straight out the back door.

Thank goodness it is Friday!!!!

(and don't worry, I'll be showering at the gym this weekend)

Lessons in Craving - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Fri, 24 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

In yesterday's post, I shared with you about my Sunday meltdown. I actually wrote that post on Monday, and I thought today I'd give you a little follow-up now that it's been a few days.

First, I started reading the Made to Crave 60-Day Devotional on Sunday night. If you've been around this blog for any length of time, you'll know that Made to Crave is my #1 book when it comes to getting your mindset right for getting healthy.

This devotional....oh man. I love how this has been on my "someday I'll read it" list for so long, but really it was on the "you'll need this at exactly this time" list for God. He always knows, doesn't He?

I'm 5 days into the devotional and just really soaking in the TRUTH in this little book. I'm feeling so much more at peace. You know that phrase "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels"? I don't think that's true - because chocolate cake with peanut butter icing tastes REALLY good. But, I do believe this:

Nothing tastes as good as peace feels. One of my highlights from the devotional this week was this: "Remember, our ultimate goal is peace - physically, emotionally, and spiritually."

It's true. My ultimate goal isn't a number on the scale or a size to wear or a speed for a mile. My ultimate goal is to feel peace in my obedience to God in how I am treating my body.

And nothing - not even chocolate cake with peanut butter icing - tastes as good as feeling that peace.

Lessons in Craving

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

It was Sunday evening.

I had run a little over 4 miles earlier in that day. I'd prepped my salads for the week, sides of sliced fruit, grilled chicken breast, and stuffed peppers. I had attended a graduation party where I had a slice of cake that I'd planned for in my calories. I ate a healthy dinner (grilled chicken, roasted veggies, and goat cheese tossed together).

In short - I had been in control all day.

But somewhere between 6:30 and 7:30 I lost it. I had been struggling a little for the previous few weeks to maintain my focus. Most days I was fine, but I was always reaching for "treats" too frequently and feeling frustrated. Well, it all unraveled Sunday night with a half a bag of chocolate chips, 4 Unreal peanut butter cups, 1/2 of a bar of sea salt dark chocolate.

I stood in front of my pantry searching - What can I eat?? The reality was, I wasn't craving anything in particular. If I was, I would've just eaten that thing and gotten over it.

I just felt like my stomach was a pit and no matter how much junk I was eating, it wasn't satisfying me.

I made myself a cup of tea hoping that would help. It didn't. I chewed gum. Still - all I wanted to do was eat.

Finally, I just started crying. Why - why after all of this time, after 80+ pounds lost, after I feel like I've changed so much - WHY AM I STILL STRUGGLING WITH FOOD? Will I never, ever win this battle completely?

Then it hit me - the front of the book Made to Crave - the book I always tell people about when they ask how I did it - the front of the book says:

No wonder I couldn't satisfy my hunger. I wasn't physically hungry - but I was spiritually starving.

It had been weeks, maybe even months, since I'd last sat and had real, quality quiet devotional time with God. It had been a long time since I'd earnestly sought Him in prayer, since I'd listened for His voice, since I'd walked with Him in this.

So, standing in front of my pantry - a belly full of chocolate, wondering what I could eat to satisfy me...I could've stared all day. Nothing in that pantry was going to fill the emptiness I felt.

I cried out to God. I confessed that I'd taken Him out of the picture...that I thought I could do it on my own. I searched Scripture to remind me of His Truth. I got myself a big mug of Stomach Ease tea, and finally felt satisfied. It wasn't food I needed. It was God. He is so faithful - and the moment I reached out to Him, He was there for me. He'd been there all along.

"This is not who I am - nor who I was created to be. Goodbye to my shallow efforts, self-focus, and suspicious fears that I'll never find victory in this area of my life. I am made for more than this constant battle."

(Made to Crave 60-Day Devotional)

Inside the Fridge

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:00:00 +0000

Want to take a peek inside my fridge?

Head over to Robin's Bite to see what's inside my fridge!

Weekly Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Sun, 19 May 2013 23:25:00 +0000

This weekend...

...made a trip to Wegman's (45 minutes away) - so good!

...tamed the front of my house!

...bought some plants at Lowe's and mulched my back yard!

...got sweaty in aerobics class at the gym - sweated in the shape of an upside down heart! I <3 exercise="" p="">

...whipped up this graduation gift (thanks, Pinterest) and went to a graduation party for a former youth group student!

...ran - I was supposed to run 8 miles, but then I was crazy sore from my gym workout so I decided to back down to 6, then my IT band/knee area was feeling achy so I ended at 4.23

...made single-serving berry rhubarb baked oatmeal from Edible Perspective. YUM!!!

Workouts last week:

Monday - 20 minutes elliptical + 60 minutes yoga

Tuesday - 30 minutes Arc trainer + 45 minutes weights

Wednesday - 2.23 miles run + 1 mile hill repeats

Thursday - 30 minutes Arc trainer + 45 minutes weights

Friday - rest

Saturday - Athletic Challenge class (like a boot camp class)

Sunday - 4.23 miles run

What I've Been Eating Lately

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Tue, 14 May 2013 19:39:00 +0000

Last week's jar salad - Lemon Strawberry

Taco Salad with grilled romaine lettuce

Coconut flour pancakes - topped with PB2 syrup (2 tbsp. powdered PB + 1 tbsp maple syrup + water to thin) and banana

Sweet Potato Nachos - recipe from Peas & Crayons

Caffe Misto and a Spinach Egg White Wrap from Starbucks

Sliced mango and strawberry, pear balsamic "pizza" (whole wheat tortilla drizzled with balsamic, topped with thinly sliced pears and Swiss cheese)

This yummy salad - Spring Mix, strawberries, grilled chicken, walnuts, lemon juice, balsamic

Super Green Pasta - whole wheat pasta, asparagus and spinach tossed with homemade pesto

Egg White Frittata - egg whites, asparagus, greens, tomatoes - cook on the stove until it starts to set up, then transfer to a 350 oven until it's cooked through. Top with melty cheese!

Bottom of the Jar Oatmeal - from Peak 313

Mexican tortilla pizza - whole wheat tortilla topped with salsa, black beans, corn, peppers, cheese, and fajita seasoning!

The Misto

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Thu, 09 May 2013 22:00:00 +0000

When I hear of a beverage called a "Misto", I typically think of this:

That delicious combination of Rita's Italian Ice and custard...

But have you ever seen the "Caffe Misto" on the menu at Starbucks?

Last night I got a coupon in my email for $1 off of a breakfast sandwich at Starbucks. I also had earned my free drink with my gold card, so I treated myself to Starbucks this morning. The thing was, I didn't want to spend a ton of calories on my drink, and I wasn't feeling the heaviness of my usual soy latte.

I did, however, want something other than just plain coffee. What I really wanted was plain coffee with steamed soy milk in it. I did a little Googling and found that's exactly what the "Misto" is!! It's also known as "Cafe Au Lait" at most coffee shops. It's equal parts brewed coffee and steamed milk - exactly what I was looking for!

Here's the real bonus - it's a calorie saver!!!

Tall Soy Latte: 130 calories
Grande Soy Misto: 100 calories (If you're a skim milk drinker, it's 70 calories)

Yep, that's more drink for less calories!! It's also cheaper than a latte - around $2.50 for a grande!

Less money, less calories - more drink, same flavor?!? This is the best discovery I've made in a long time.

(P.S. - I got the Spinach Egg White Wrap - which is my favorite sandwich there - and only 280 calories!)

Lemon Strawberry Mason Jar Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Tue, 07 May 2013 10:30:00 +0000

This week, I'm eating what might just be my very favorite "salad in a jar"! It's so delicious that the first time I ate it, I actually had the same reaction I do when I eat ice cream - when it was finished, I immediately wanted more. This has never happened with salad, but frequently happens with food like ice cream and chocolate. So, this salad is a winner!!

Ingredients:
2 tbsp Marzetti Simply Dressed Lemon Vinaigrette (or any lemon dressing you like)
3-4 stalks chopped fresh asparagus (raw - not cooked...it's awesome this time of year since it's in season!)
4 oz. grilled chicken (I marinated mine in a Pomegranate Vinaigrette first - but do it however you like!)
0.5-1 oz crumbled goat cheese
4-5 sliced strawberries
shredded carrots (enough to make a layer)
lettuce of choice (this salad ROCKS with "Spring Mix" or arugula - they have such great flavor!)
1 tbsp sugared almonds (here's a link to an easy recipe for those - I used coconut sugar, and only 1/6 cup, and added cinnamon)

Directions:
Layer the ingredients in a jar in the order listed (except the almonds) and store in the fridge for several days! When you're ready to eat, simply dump it in a bowl and sprinkle with the almonds!

Check out my other "Mason Jar Salad" posts here and here!

Shared this at Unprocessed Fridays! Check it out!

http://girlmeetsnourishment.com/gmnwordpress1/unprocessed-fridays-1/

Grilled Lettuce

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Mon, 06 May 2013 17:50:00 +0000

Grilled lettuce - sounds weird, I know! If you've never tried grilling lettuce before, I am about to revolutionize your salad making world!

There's a great local restaurant that serves a "Grilled Caesar Salad" here in town. Since I love it so much, and it looked super easy, I decided to recreate it at home. For this blog, I made a "Grilled Taco Salad".

You could probably grill any full head of lettuce, but the romaine hearts work really well. They sell them in bags of 3 at the grocery store.

Cut the lettuce in half. Spray with cooking spray or olive oil. You can also drizzle it with lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, or any kind of salad dressing. I find though, that just some olive oil and lemon or balsamic is enough flavor and I don't even need dressing!

Sprinkle on any spices you might like. For the Caesar, I typically do pepper and garlic salt. For the taco salad, I have pepper, garlic salt, cumin, and chili powder.

Grill the lettuce for just a few minutes on each side.

Towards the end of the cooking, I like to sprinkle it with a little cheese. I use Parmesan and/or mozzarella for the Caesar, and I used a Mexican blend for the taco salad.

When it's warmed and slightly wilted, take it off the grill.

Roughly chop or tear with your hands and you can use this lettuce like you normally would in any salad.

(topped with corn, black beans, turkey taco meat, tortilla chips, and guacamole!)

The restaurant I like serves the two halves just drizzled with some dressing and topped with croutons! It's delicious!

Race Recap - Turkey Hill Country Classic 10K

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Sat, 04 May 2013 21:07:00 +0000

This morning I ran my first 10K race - the Turkey Hill Country Classic in Lancaster County, PA. I'll start by saying that this race was AWESOME!!! It's run through some beautiful Lancaster countryside, and features a 5K, 10K, bike race, and tons of stuff for kids. Also, they gave Turkey Hill iced tea and ice cream at the finish. If you're from PA, you know that is reason enough to run this race!!

The weather could not have been more perfect - right around 60 with clear blue skies and no wind! My friend, Dawn, was running the 5K (and she PRed under 30 minutes!!), which went off about 10 minutes before the 10K. I didn't do a lot of research on the course, but the website described it as "challenging, but beautiful" - and it was both! I'd say about 5 out of the 6.2 miles was up and down hills. Running through Lancaster farm land and along the Susquehanna River provided a lot of great scenery to look at though!

One of the fun things about this race was that I got to meet and run with my friend, Melody. We have been "online friends" for awhile now through a mutual friendship with Michelle, but this was the first "in real life" meeting we've had. We ran the whole race together, and it was great! I also got to meet Stacey, who is running "Run or Dye" with Melody, Michelle, myself, and a few others in June!

My goal was to run it in 1:05 - and my watch time was 1:00:58!! I was so pumped! That's one May goal already checked off my list! I have a long term goal to run an under 60 10K, so I'm close!

The race also featured some running events for kids, and my pal Michelle's little guy, Levi, ran his first race! How cute is that?!?

This race was great - I'd highly recommend it to anyone in the area looking for a race next. Also, it was only $15! I'll be doing it again for sure!

Good Resources

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Fri, 03 May 2013 20:30:00 +0000

Looking for some inspiration for getting healthy or walking the healthy living journey? Want some places for new workouts or recipes? Check out this list for some of my faves! This list will also be accessible on the top toolbar of my blog page. I'll update it as I find new resources!

Books For Getting Healthy:
I wrote a blog listing a few of my favorite titles last year - check it out here!
Slim for Life (Jillian Michaels - Go buy this book!!! It has every tip and trick I use and then some!)
Skinny Rules (Bob Harper)

Blogs I Love:

Mostly Food:
Edible Perspective
Peas and Crayons
Dashing Dish
Nourish
Queen of Quinoa
The Garden Grazer
Oh She Glows

Mostly Fitness:

FitFluential
Peak 313
RunChat
She Rocks Fitness

A Little of Both:
Peanut Butter Runner
Through Heather's Looking Glass
Delighted Momma
No Meat Athlete
A Foodie Stays Fit
(never)homemaker

Favorite Magazines:
Shape
Fitness
Oxygen
Self
Women's Health
Health
Clean Eating
Women's Running
Runner's World

Documentaries to Watch: (most are available for streaming on NetFlix!)

Hungry for Change
Forks Over Knives
Food Matters
Food, Inc.
Vegucated
The Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue
Jamie Oliver's TED Talk (you can watch this one online here)
Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead

Honey Lime Shrimp with Coconut Mango Rice

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Thu, 02 May 2013 10:30:00 +0000

That's an awful long recipe title, but it's the best I can come up with! Also, you can do each of these recipes separately and serve them with something else. They're super easy and full of flavor!

Honey Lime Shrimp
2 tbsp honey
juice of one lime
handful of fresh mint, chopped finely
sea salt

Mix the ingredients together and toss with defrosted shrimp. Cook the shrimp according to the package directions. Easy!

My plan was to put my shrimp on skewers and grill them while basting with the extra sauce. Then, it rained and I ended up dumping the shrimp onto a baking sheet and broiling them. They still tasted awesome!

Coconut Mango Rice
(check out Aimee's version here too!)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup rice (I used black forbidden rice, but any would work)
1/2 cup chopped mango

Bring milk, water, shredded coconut, and rice to a boil. Cook according to rice directions. Stir in mango once the rice is finished.

May Goals

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Wed, 01 May 2013 20:00:00 +0000

A check-in with my April goals :

PR (Personal Record) in a 5K - done! Not "officially" (as in, at a race) but I ran 3.1 in 28:11 this month - my fastest yet!
Run a mile in under 9 minutes - done! I ran an 8:58 mile at a 5K race I did this month. My average pace is now consistently between 9:30-10:30!
Weekly speed work runs - done! I alternated between speed intervals and tempo runs.
Consistent 1400-1600 calorie days - pretty good! I averaged closer to 1700 calories a lot of days, but I really started to work at trimming out some extras.
No TV during the week - done! Except last night, but we took our 5th graders on a field trip to Gettysburg and I was exhausted when I got home!
Try more new recipes - done! I even created a few like Roasted Veggie Quinoa Salad, bowls, and a shrimp recipe I'll have for you later this week. I reviewed some recipes I tried from Pinterest, too!
Reach 169 pounds - done!
Fit in size 8 pants - done!

It felt awesome to have so many check marks on my goal board this month! Also, I had a ton of stars on my workout calendar too!

My May goals are a little more extensive. I'm actually setting them for May 1st (which, btw, it is CRAZY that it's already MAY!!) through June 7th, which is the day after school ends and I fly out to Colorado to spend some time with my parents. Then I'll set some summer goals after that.

May Goals:

5K PR - I'm pretty sure when you're a runner, this is just a goal you always have.
10K in under 1:05 - I have my first 10K race on Saturday!
1400-1600 calorie days - I'm keeping this goal from last month. As I inch closer to my goal weight, this becomes even more important!
Weekly hill work - I'm going to replace my weekly speed workouts with hill workouts. Hill workouts end up being speed workouts in disguise, plus they really strengthen your leg muscles. They'll also be good preparation for the ZOOMA Annapolis 10K in June, which has some hills!
No weekday TV - another maintenance goal.
Bed by 10:00pm - as the school year winds to a close, I'm increasingly tempted to stay up late - figuring I'll catch up on sleep when summer gets here. But, I need to get my rest so I can keep up with training!
No eating after 8:00pm - because seriously, nothing good gets eaten after 8:00pm. I'm never craving a salad at this time.
Calorie count every day. On Saturday, I gave myself a count free day - which I definitely enjoyed and needed! But, like with my sleep, as the school year winds down, I am tempted to indulge more. I really want to reach my goal sooner, rather than later, so I need to stay on top of things. Plus, June 7th I leave for vacation so I'll be taking it easier with my counting then!
159 pounds. This is a big one, and this goal is the reason for pretty much every other goal on the list. They will all help me to reach this one!

Sounds tough - but I have an extra week to knock these bad boys out! Bring it on, May!

Whole Foods

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Wed, 01 May 2013 00:58:00 +0000

I mentioned my trip to Whole Foods Market in Wexford, PA in my "weekly recap" blog on Sunday. Since I spent nearly 2 hours in Whole Foods, I felt it warranted a blog all it's own!

Whole Foods Market (WFM) is a national grocery chain that provides mostly organic and natural foods. My local Giant has 2 aisles of this (and a pretty great selection for such a small area), but WFM is an ENTIRE STORE of this stuff!

The closest WFM to me is near Baltimore, about an hour drive away, and it is a tiny market. I trekked down there a few weeks ago and left the store with barely one bag. It was also a Saturday, so it was crazy crowded. The crowd plus such a small store made for a less than stellar trip.

The WFM in Wexford (north of Pittsburgh), however, was similar to some WFM I've been at in the Atlanta area. It was the size of a regular grocery store. Since I was in the Pittsburgh area for a conference, I packed myself a cooler and some baggies to fill with ice at the hotel in preparation for my trip!

Whole Foods Wexford

There are a few things I love about WFM - the wide selection of organic produce, organic brands of all kinds of food, and eco-friendly/natural/organic body care items are some of my favorites. But the 2 things I love most are the bulk bins and the salad bar area.

Buying in bulk is very budget friendly, and WFM as everything from beans to rice to spices to granola to dried fruit to nuts in bulk. I spent a good 20 minutes just reading all of the info they have about the bulk ingredients and deciding what to buy! I was really pleased when I checked out to see that I got a good 2 cups of black rice for about $3! It's a cheap way to try out new things, too! (see more about my purchases below)

The salad bar at Whole Foods...oh my!!! There were actually 4 bars at this particular market. A traditional "salad" bar, a cold bar, a hot bar, and a soup bar.

My bar selections -- Clockwise from top left: kale salad with garlicky sesame dressing, some of cold noodle salad with peanut sauce, a grain (can't remember the name) primavera, curried broccoli, sweet and sour eggplant, mac and cheese (this was unbelievable!!), and sriracha sweet potatoes (must recreate at home!). I also had some salmon and white bean bisque that was awesome!

And then there's this guy. Whole Foods also has a pretty awesome bakery. I chose this "Carmelita Bar". It was a cookie crumble bar thing with chocolate, caramel, oats, and nuts. It was so good - and probably not at all low calorie - but it was worth it!

So here's what ended up in my cart at the end of my trip!

Dry goods I came home with

- dark chocolate (Theo mint, Theo cherry, and Chocolove Ginger)

- black rice and sweet brown rice (bulk items in the brown bags)

- Cinnamon Puffins (my favorite cereal. 90 calories a serving - a great snack!)

- bath salts (they sell these in bulk too!)

- aduki beans (I'd never seen these before, I'm enjoying them in salads this week!)

- ginger chunks

- Quest bars (I keep seeing these on blogs and have wanted to try - they're good!)

- a small baggie of blue and red popcorn kernels (also sold in bulk)

- kettle corn popcorn seasoning

- truffle salt (at $50 a pound, I only got about a tablespoon to try!)

- lime salt

- freshly ground honey roasted peanut butter (to DIE for - they have a thing of nuts and you grind it yourself!)

Cold stuff I came home with:

- rainbow chard

- dinosaur kale

- power greens (a mix of baby spinach, baby kale, and baby chard

- Roasted Red Pepper dressing

- champagne mangoes

- cucumbers

- wild caught shrimp (hard to find in regular stores)

- SoDelicious Unsweetened Vanilla Coconut Milk (you know I love my coconut milk, and I've never seen this kind before - but this purchase alone was worth the trip - it is SO GOOD!!!)

Weekly Recap + Progress Update

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 22:54:00 +0000

On Monday, my favorite local running store (Flying Feet) hosted a Run For Boston event along with running stores across the country. There were around 200 people there to run/walk 2 miles for Boston!

Wednesday morning I hit another scale milestone! 80 pounds lost! I've never seen the 160's on the scale before - so exciting!!

Friday night and Saturday I was in Pittsburgh with Girlfriend Getaway, the women's ministry team I work with. We had a great weekend of worship, teaching, eating, and laughing!

Saturday night I spent an hour and 40 minutes at this magnificent Whole Foods north of Pittsburgh. It was blissful!! I spent a good 30 minutes in the produce and bulk section alone. Then I piled a plate with goodies from their salad and hot bar for dinner! I have a whole blog coming on this trip alone - it was so fun for me!!

Workout Recap:

Mon - 2 runs: 3.06 hilly route with a friend, then 2 for Boston

Tue - strength

Wed - 3.1 in 29:33 (tempo run!)

Thur - strength + 30 min elliptical

Fri - 3 miles

Sat - rest

Sun - 6.2 miles

Weekly Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 22:08:00 +0000

Happy Sunday! It's a beautiful, though a little chilly, day here in PA! I enjoyed the sunshine with a hike this afternoon. My knee has been acting up this week so I wanted to give it a break from pounding the pavement! This is the view from one of the areas on my hike.

This week marked the fastest 5k I've ever done! It wasn't an official race. This was done on the day of the Boston marathon, when many runners (including myself) did our runs for the day for Boston.

Saturday morning I ran a 5k with some friends. My "official time" was just over 30 minutes. However, my RunKeeper app had me at 3.35 miles - so it was .2 more than a 5k! This was a cross country course, which provided some challenges, but was also a good change from the road.

Today I prepped my salads for the week!! Last week, I took a salad break. I ate turkey wraps, PopChips, and cut up veggies for lunch every day. Today I prepped these bad boys. Pomegranate Vinaigrette, butter beans, feta cheese, balsamic chicken, cukes, carrots, and spinach!

This week's workouts:

Monday - 3.1 run

Tuesday - 2.62 (1/10 of a marathon for Boston!) and strength

Wednesday - 3.1 run (intervals)

Thursday - strength + 30 minutes on the elliptical

Friday - rest

Saturday - 5k race + 1 hour boot camp class

Sunday - 3.3 hike

Roasted Veggie Quinoa Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 10:00:00 +0000

I made this recipe up over the weekend to take to a friend's house, who had a baby in October. She is eating mostly dairy free due to her son's reflux and her husband is eating mostly gluten free. This recipe is both, and it's delish!

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa (rinsed with cold water - don't skip this, it removes the bitter tasting outer coating)

2 cups water

2 small zucchini, sliced

1 pint sliced baby bella mushrooms

1 pint grape tomatoes

1 tbsp Trader Joe's 22 Seasoning Salute (or any mixed seasoning blend)

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (more if you'd like!)

1-2 tbsp olive oil

1 lb chicken breast

1/4-1/2 cup Annie's Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

Directions:

1. Marinate your chicken breasts overnight or for a few hours. I marinated mine in a mix of balsamic vinegar (about 1/4 cup), olive oil (a few tablespoons), agave (a drizzle), liquid aminos (gluten free soy sauce, a tbsp or so), garlic salt, and pepper.

2. Grill the chicken or bake it in the oven. Allow to cool.

3. Toss the veggies with the olive oil, balsamic, and 22 Seasoning Salute. Roast at 425 until the tomatoes begin to burst and the zucchini is soft and browning. Allow the veggies to cool.

4. Rinse the quinoa. Bring the quinoa and water to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid is absorbed. (you cook quinoa just like you cook rice)

5. Mix all of the cooled ingredients together and toss with 1/4 cup of dressing. Taste the mixture and add more dressing if you'd like.

6. Salt and pepper as needed.

7. Serve topped with crumbled goat cheese.

This is just a basic recipe, but you can really use any veggies you choose! You could also eliminate the chicken to make this a vegan recipe, or serve as a side dish. This would work with any dressing, too. I bet it would be awesome with roasted tomatoes, eggplant, mushrooms, a few olives, and a Greek dressing with feta cheese!

Basically, try making your favorite pasta salad recipe, but substituting quinoa for the pasta! You'll get a nutritional boost!

We Are Runners

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:07:00 +0000

The entire running community has been tweeting and posting about Boston for weeks. Not because of tragedy, but because of triumph - because just qualifying to run Boston is a feat few of us will ever accomplish. So yesterday, runners everywhere were watching TV coverage and tracking finish times like NCAA fans do during March Madness.

But, of course, that all changed in an instant. Suddenly, instead of tracking finish times, people were using those sites to locate loved ones. Instead of running towards the finish, people were fleeing in fear.

So today, runners around the world are uniting - we are wearing race shirts and/or blue and yellow to support our fellow runners in Boston. We will run our runs today for Boston.

Running isn't known as a "team sport", but it is. If you're a runner, we're on the same team. We root for each other, encourage each other, help each other, and when we don't know what else to do - we run for each other.