Run. Learn. Repeat.

Eat of the Week: Asian Noodle Salad

2012-10-19T14:44:00.001-07:00

Well, it's been 6 months since I've written on this blog. Keeping up with this blog plus my family blog got to be too busy, but I think I'll start posting on this blog again whenever I get a chance.

I found a new recipe to try the other night, and it turned out to be one of our new favorite dinners. It was really easy to make too.

Here's the pretty salad. I'm so glad I have something else to look at now besides my triathlon pictures whenever I come to this blog to read the other blogs listed on the side. I was getting really sick of seeing those pictures over and over again. That was actually one of my main motivations to do another post on here. :)

Here's the recipe:

Asian Noodle Salad

6-8 oz. linguine of choice, cooked

2 C. loosely packed spinach

1 C. slivered green cabbage

1 C. slivered purple cabbage

1 green bell pepper

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

1 T. minced fresh cilantro

1 C. toasted peanuts

Put the peanuts in a nonstick pan on medium heat until they're lightly toasted, then just toss all the ingredients together in a big bowl. I actually didn't measure the cabbage and spinach exactly. I just tossed a bunch in the bowl.

Now for the dressing, which is what makes the recipe:

1/3 C. soy sauce

1/3 C. olive oil

2 T. lime juice

1 T. sesame oil

1 T. grated fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 C. brown sugar

1 jalapeño, finely minced

I put all the ingredients for the dressing in my magic bullet and blended them up. That way I didn't even have to grate the ginger, or mince the jalapeño.

I'm already thinking about other dinners I could make so I can use this dressing again. It tastes like something you could get at a Chinese restaurant. I think I'll just cook some brown rice, throw a bunch of vegetables in, and top it with this dressing.

Oh, and it wasn't just me that decided to add this to our favorite recipe collection. Scott loved it too. I'm still working on getting Boston to like salad, but he did eat the noodles. :)

Things I Learned at My First Tri

2012-04-29T16:02:00.003-07:00

After years of saying that I wanted to try a tri, I finally got a little taste of one this past Saturday at the Windcrest Freshman Triathlon. I LOVED it! It was so fun, and it was perfect for a first time tri.

The first thing I learned that day was NOT to speed on the way to your race. We got pulled over on the way there. :) Scott was driving and didn't even realize he was speeding. We were only going about 75 on the freeway, but the cops were being sticklers that morning since it was the last weekend of Fiesta, a big party that happens every April here. My first thought when we got pulled over was, "Crap. We're going to be late for my race. I hope we make it." My second thought was, "Crap. We've lived here for TWO years and Scott still hasn't gotten his Texas license yet!" (Technically you have about 30-90 days to get your new license. Scott's going on 700+. Don't worry, I'm sure he'll be getting it soon.)

Anyway, the cop was really mean when we first rolled down the window, and I was so worried we were going to get a BIG FAT fine for not having a Texas license. He asked what we were doing out so early in the morning, and after I told him we were on our way to my first triathlon, he went from a gruff grizzly bear to a soft teddy bear. He let us off with a warning, and even wished me luck at my race. I couldn't believe it! I think once he realized we weren't partiers, he decided he better get back to catching those that were out partying, so he let us go quickly.

I hope you enjoy these embarrassing pictures of me. :) One of the main reasons I chose this race as my first tri was because the swim was short (200 meters), and it was in a pool. Swimming was pretty much the only thing keeping me from doing a triathlon sooner. I finally took a few swimming lessons last summer and learned how to swim, but the thought of swimming in open water still freaked me out a little, so this little pool swim worked out great.

One helpful thing someone suggested to me before the race was to get in the water and get wet before it was my turn to swim. I'm glad I did that so my body was already used to the temperature of the water when I started my swim.

Just in case that last picture wasn't embarrassing enough, I thought I'd post another one. The swim ended up being much easier than I thought. Turns out I had nothing to worry about. I guess I've come a long way since my first swimming lesson last summer where I didn't even know my head was supposed to be under the water, and then turned to the side to breathe. I might even kind of like swimming a little bit now. :)

Another thing I learned is to bring my iFitness belt so I can have my number attached to it, and a little snack in it. I thought I was supposed to pin my number to my shirt after I got out of the water. I guess that's fine if you want to waste a lot of time.

Luckily I realized this before the race started by talking to one of the race volunteers. I ended up pinning my number to an extra t-shirt I had in my bag before the swim, and then I threw that on when I got out of the water.

The first thing I learned about the bike part of the race was that getting on your bike in the transition area and starting to ride is a big no-no. Good thing this tri was intended for first timers, otherwise they might have kicked me out or something. Now I know that I'm supposed to walk my bike to the white line and then I can get on and ride. :)

I entered the fat tire division, meaning that I rode a mountain bike with fat tires rather than a road bike with skinny tires. It's funny how many people thought I meant I was in some kind of heavy weight division when I told them I entered the fat tire division. One of my friends even thought I said "fat and tired" division. I got a good laugh out of that. Yep, I entered the fat and tired division, and I won too! Ha ha.

The option to enter a fat tire division was another main reason I chose this race. Road bikes are expensive, and I don't plan on buying one anytime soon. Mountain bikes are slower than road bikes, so that's why they have a separate division for them. I ended up riding Scott's mountain bike since mine has a baby seat attached to it. I had never ridden Scott's bike before that morning, and it was just barely too tall after we lowered the seat all the way, but it worked fine. I had a blast during the bike portion of the race! Riding bikes is one of my favorite things to do even though I don't do it very often.

I had never actually practiced biking and then running directly after, so towards the end of my bike ride I was wondering how that would feel.

It felt a little weird, but the thing that felt the weirdest to me was not having my running watch on! I felt lost not knowing what pace I was going. I really had no idea if I was running a 10 minute mile, or a 7 minute mile (It ended up being a 7:30 pace). Since I had never run directly after swimming and biking, my pace sense was all thrown off. I think I would have pushed harder on the run if I had my watch, but it was also kind of nice not knowing what pace I was going. My Garmin has become a crutch. :)

Yet another embarrassing, but funny picture. Don't ask me what I was thinking, but I totally ran right past the finish line and everyone was yelling at me to go back. Maybe I was a little too hopped up on endorphines. That's me with my arms in the air realizing I had missed the finish line shoot. Ha ha.

I turned around and made it back to the big giant sign that says FINISH. I was laughing as well as everyone else that was watching me. I was a little spastic the entire race. I was just so excited and having so much fun that I felt like a chicken running around with it's head cut off.

(I'm blurry, so I like this picture!)

My time ended up being 1:01, although I have no idea what that really means yet (I was waiting in line to start my swim for about thirty minutes. That is why the clock in the background is 1:33). The distance of this tri was a 200 meter swim, 10 mile bike, and 2 mile run. So it was just a little one, but perfect for seeing what a tri is like. My swim was 4:55, my bike was 38:05, and my run was 15:48, including my little detour.

This is the last embarrassing picture of the post. I got a medal for finishing, and a medal for winning my division.

Now that I've had a little taste of what a tri is like, I can't wait to do more, and longer ones too! I'm glad I finally took the plunge and gave it a try!

Healthy Chocolate Chunk Muffins

2012-03-15T18:20:00.002-07:00

It's been awhile since I posted on here! I needed a little blogging break. I've been consumed by the Hunger Games books, the gorgeous Spring weather, trying to learn how to swim in hopes of doing my first triathlon this April, and a myriad of other stuff as well.

I've also been trying lots of new recipes! I was telling my mom and sister over the phone about these yummy chocolate muffins I made from a recipe I found on Pinterest.

These are healthy enough to eat for breakfast for those days you wake up craving chocolate, and yummy enough to eat after a meal to satisfy a sweet tooth. B and I actually had these for breakfast today. I told him he could pick it up with his hands, but apparently eating like a puppy dog is more fun.

Healthy Chocolate Chunk Muffins

1 3/4 C. oats

3 egg whites

3/4 C. unsweetened cocoa

1/2 C. applesauce

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 C. plain greek yogurt

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar (or 1-1/2 T. vinegar)

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

1-1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 C. hot water

1 C. sugar substitute (like Splenda granular) OR 1/4 C. stevia (I just used a couple packets of Stevia. I didn't use anywhere near 1/4 C. Pure Stevia is very sweet.)

1/2 C. chocolate chips (You could also use white chocolate or peanut butter chips!)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with 12 cupcake liners. Set aside.

2. In a blender, or food processor, mix all the ingredients together, except the chocolate chips. Blend until oats are ground and mixture is smooth.

3. Place mixture in bowl and stir in 1/2 the chocolate chips (set the rest aside). Scoop mixture into prepared muffin pans.

4. Bake muffins for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove muffins from oven to distribute the rest of the chocolate chips on top of each muffin. (I ended up cooking mine a little longer than 10 minutes. They still looked a little too gooey after 10 minutes to distribute the rest of the chocolate chips.)

5. Place muffins back in oven and cook for an additional 2-5 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

According to the site I got these from, each muffin has about 120 calories, or you can make 24 mini muffins for 60 calories each. That's a lot better than the 690 calories that are in the Costco chocolate chunk muffins!

What's the last chocolate thing you ate?

Eat of the Week: Crockpot Honey Sesame Chicken

2012-02-29T12:35:00.001-08:00

My favorite recipe this week was compliments of Pinterest. It maybe wasn't the healthiest thing in the world, but it was definitely worth making (and eating). It was delicious, easy to make, and I'll for sure want to make it again.

Here's the recipe:

(The Pinterest recipe link was from the blog Table For Two.)

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken

salt and pepper

1 C. honey

1/2 C. low sodium soy sauce (I used gluten free)

1/4 C. ketchup

2 T. vegetable oil (I used 1T. olive oil)

2 cloves garlic, minced (I just used garlic powder)

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/2 C. chopped onion (I don't like onion, so I used a few shakes of dehydrated onion)

cornstarch and water to thicken sauce

1. Place chicken in crockpot and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. In medium sized bowl combine honey, ketchup, oil, soy sauce, garlic, onions, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine and pour over chicken.

3. Cook on low for 3-4 hours, or high for 1-2 hours.

4. When done, remove chicken and cut into chunks. Stir together some cornstarch and water and add it to the sauce to thicken it up a little. Place chicken back in crockpot and cover with sauce again.

5. Serve over rice and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

What's the best thing you've had to eat this week?

You Know You're a Running Nerd When...

2012-02-21T13:50:00.000-08:00

You watch Running The Sahara on Netflix during naptime as entertainment/motivation to fold 3 loads of laundry.

Normally Biggest Loser is my laundry folding motivation, but I'm going to miss it tonight because I get to go to a rodeo/Miranda Lambert concert for a fun girls night out, so I found a different source of laundry folding entertainment.

Not sure if my husband will be happy or disappointed that I already watched this so I won't make him watch another running movie with me. I may or may not have made him watch Running America with me on Valentine's Day. I know, I'm so romantic, but we had our real Valentine celebration the day after. The restaurants were much less crowded then, and the chick flicks (Breaking Dawn) were available in Redbox. I think we might make February 15th our new Valentine's Day.

Anyway, laundry's folded, movie was good (They ran over 170 marathons in 111 days! CRAZY!)

Now you fill in the blank: You know you're a running nerd when ................

Eat of the Week: Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

2012-02-15T14:21:00.000-08:00

As promised, here's the recipe for the yummy, chewy, pumpkin chocolate chip granola bars I made last week. They were good for breakfast, snacks, and desserts. I'm going to have to make these sparingly because they're a little too good. I ate them up way too fast.

Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars:

(I got this recipe from cleaneatingchelsey.)

2 C. oats, divided

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp. salt

2/3 C. pumpkin puree

1/3 c. agave nectar (honey would probably work too.)

3 T. maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla

1/3 C. almonds, chopped

1/3 C. chocolate chips or cacao nibs

1/3 C. craisins

Place half of oats in blender or food processor to make oat flour (I used a magic bullet). In bowl combine remaining oats, oat flour, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Toss. In another bowl combine pumpkin puree, agave, syrup, and vanilla. Whisk, and then add to dry ingredients. Stir wet and dry ingredients. Fold in chocolate chips, craisins, and almonds. Grease 9x9 pan and transfer granola mix to pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes.

New Workout DVD, Resolutions, and Books

2012-02-10T14:33:00.000-08:00

1. I tried a new Jillian Michael's workout dvd yesterday and today that I really like. I checked it out from the library on Tuesday. It's her Shred It With Weights. You're supposed to use a kettlebell, but you can use a weight if you don't have a kettlebell.

2. One of my New Year's Resolutions is officially done! My 2011 family blog book came in the mail today! Here's a couple pictures of it. It made my day to actually see and hold all the hours of work I had done in my hands.

3. I'm getting my cycling certification tomorrow through AFAA (another one of my resolutions this year). I'm excited, but also a little sad that I'll have to skip my long run tomorrow. :( I'll be there all day. I could get up really early to run beforehand, but I'm not sure how hard the class is going to be, so I'm saving my legs for the class. It better not be really easy or I'll be bummed.

4. I made these really yummy pumpkin spice granola bars last night. I'm going to be mean and make you wait until Wednesday's Eat of the Week post to share the recipe though.

5. I finished another book. Running On Empty. I enjoyed it, and now I'm excited to watch the movie about it. I put it on hold at the library, so now I'm just waiting for it to become available. There's a few other running books on my reading list, but I think I'm going to take a break from running books for awhile and read something else. 3 running books in a row is enough for me for awhile. I tried reading the Hunger Games last year and gave up after 1/2 a chapter, but I think I'm going to try them again for my next book.

Have you read the Hunger Games? Did you like them?

What's your favorire home workout dvd?

My favorite is probably still 30 Day Shred, but I like all of Jillian's workout dvds that I've tried so far.

What's the last book you read, or the next book on your read list?

Fun (For a Treadmill Workout)

2012-02-09T13:51:00.000-08:00

Here's the treadmill workout that I made up yesterday! It went by really fast, and I thought it was fun as far as treadmill running goes. I'll definitely be doing it again the next time I need a good 6-ish mile treadmill workout.

*(Adjust speeds to fit your needs. Number 1 and 9 should be a comfortable pace that you could sustain for awhile. Numbers 3 and 7 (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off) should be a sprint.)

I left the treadmill running while I was doing the 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off. I would just jump to the sides and watch the treadmill clock for 10 seconds. Otherwise I would have been using the entire 10 seconds or more to slow the treadmill speed and then speed it back up. You just have to be really careful when you get back on! I used my arms to take a few steps at first every time I got back on so I wouldn't biff it.

I was so focused on watching the clock for 20 seconds, and then 10 seconds that my workout was over before I even noticed how nasty sweaty I was.

I planned to end with 2 more miles at the same speed I started (7.5), but after all those faster intervals, 7.5 felt too slow, and the 8.0 speed felt the same as the 7.5 speed had at the beginning! I love when that happens. Next time I think I'll challenge myself a little more with the 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off speed. I think I could have gone a little faster because 20 seconds goes by really fast!

The total mileage for this workout was 6 miles, including the little bit of mileage from when I was taking the 10 second rests. I may have counted the reps wrong because it was kind of hard to watch the clock, and count reps, and run, and watch the movie that was playing in the cardio cinema. : ) (I've been doing a week trial at a gym this past week to decide if I want to get a gym pass for the next few months to help me train for my first triathlon that I hope to do this year. I need a gym pass to practice swimming and cycling, so we'll see how B does in the daycare.)

Eat of the Week: Sweet Potato Protein Oatmeal

2012-02-08T12:37:00.000-08:00

This past week I've been loving oatmeal for breakfast. It probably has something to do with the cold front that's been hanging around here in Texas. A few of my friends have mentioned how they are excited for the summer and pools again, but I think the Winter weather is welcome to stay as long as it wants because Winter running here is the best.

Has anyone else ever eaten oatmeal for breakfast, felt nice and full, and then had a blood sugar crash about 1-2 hours later? That used to happen to me all the time, but I've figured out that my oatmeal just needs some volume and PROTEIN, and it will keep me full for hours without a blood sugar crash.

To get more volume in my oatmeal I've been letting it soak in almond milk in the fridge overnight. Then I add things like 1/4 C. pumpkin, 1/2 scoop chia seeds, or 1/2 of a sweet potato to it. For the protein I either mix in some egg whites or protein powder.

The sweet potato oatmeal I had this morning gave me lots of energy for my treadmill workout and then some swimming practice.

I'm planning to post the treadmill workout I did soon because I dare say I actually had fun doing it, and I hate the treadmill, so it must be a good workout worth sharing!

Here's this week's recipe for now though:

1/3 C. Oatmeal

2/3 C. Almond Milk, Unsweetened

1/2 Cooked Sweet Potato, mashed (I make these in the crockpot and have them in the fridge for when I want a snack or an oatmeal min-in.)

1 tsp. Chia Seeds

2 Egg Whites

1 tsp. Agave or Honey

1-2 tsp. Cinnamon

Pecans and Berries to top

Directions: Mix oats, liquid of choice, and chia seeds in bowl, and let sit overnight. In the morning mix in egg whites, sweet potato, and cinnamon. Cook for 2 minutes in microwave. Stir, and cook for 1-2 minutes longer depending on your desired consistency of oatmeal. Add in agave or honey, and top with pecans and berries. Yummy, and pretty dang filling for 300 calories!

What's your favorite oatmeal mix-in?

What's your favorite breakfast lately?

Last week it was protein smoothies, and this week it's oatmeal.

Runners and Non-Runners Should Read This Book!

2012-02-07T12:49:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading Kristin Armstrong's book, Mile Markers, and I loved it. It was funny, uplifting, and inspiring. I kind of want to read it again now. It's due back at the library next week, but I'll share a few snippets of her writing here before I turn it in. I'm also going to add her blog to my blogroll. (She keeps a weekly blog on Runner's World called Mile Markers.)

I Get To:

One of my favorite chapters in her book was the one on gratitude. In one of her posts titled "I Get To," she talked about her ultramarathon running friend who was recently diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease.) One day as she was trudging through a hard workout, trying to make it up a big hill, she caught herself thinking in terms of have to's. I have to make it up this hill, I have to finish this loop, I have to, I have to....Then she remembered her friend whose life was recently turned upside down by his disease and started thinking, No, I don't have to. I want to. I get to. I get to charge up this hill. I get to hit the gym after work. I get to make dinner for my children. I get to pick my kids up from school etc etc. She ended this post with, "Think about it--If you stopped yourself every singel time you were about to say I have to and changed it to I get to, it might change your entire experience."

There's a little taste of her motivational and inspiring side. It's really does change my attitude towards anything when I think of it in terms of get to instead of have to! My new goal is to think in terms of get to the next time I'm doing something I don't particularly enjoy.

Here's a little taste of her funny side:

She was giving a speech on Spring Cleaning, not the house kind, the inside kind where you let go of unnecessary things you're holding on to. She brought some metaphorical visual aids with her that she dug out of her closet. All of them made me laugh, but I'll share this one: "Skinny jeans. Small enough that my daughter Grace could probably wear them, and she's 8. This is proof that I am unable to let go of my skinny-as-a-rail era. I keep the jeans around in case I ever get that skinny again, which hasn't happened yet. I have to be truly miserable to stop eating, and I haven't been that miserable since, well, back when I wore those jeans. Meanwhile, whenever I feel fit and fabulous, I try them on just in case, and all this does is to limit the amount of time I feel fit and fabulous. They need to go, but I keep them. This is proof that no matter how much I think I have evolved and made peace with my body, I can still manage to torment myself.

I think a lot of girls can relate to this, including myself. :) That's why I found it so funny

There were so many other favorite parts in this book that were inspiring and funny. I wish I could have read it with a highlighter, but since it's a library book I couldn't. That makes it a little hard to go back through and find my favorite parts, but you'll just have to go read it for yourself now and find your own favorite parts! I know runners will love this book, but I also think non-runners would love it too because she uses running mostly as a metaphor to relate to all kinds of things in life that we all go through.

What's the last get-to thing you did today?

I got to put away my little boy's laundry. It's so funny what an effect one little word can have on my attitude. When I get to put away laundry instead of have to, suddenly I feel so lucky that I (1.) Have a little boy to put laundry away for, (2.) Have a washing machine, and (3.) Have laundry period.

Anyone holding onto anything in their closets/attics that should probably go?

Living in an apartment the past year and a half has definitely helped me get rid of things that need to go pretty fast, so nothing is coming to mind right away, but I know there is some stuff lurking and hiding in there that could go! Going through our storage closet has been on my to-do list for two weeks now.

Guest Post: Book Review and Giveaway

2012-02-02T13:34:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my sister from Books: A True Story for this book review and giveaway!

(I've also read this book and I really enjoyed it along with the recipes it contains. The recipe for these yummy gluten-free pumpkin muffins I posted about awhile ago was taken from this book.)

The WOW Diet: Words of Wisdom, Dietary Enlightenment from Leading World Religions, and Scientific Study by Michelle Snow.

The W.O.W. Diet starts off as an entertaining memoir through her journey to better health. It was funny, honest, practical and to the point. It was very relatable to me as a fellow gastrointestinal sufferer. I enjoyed following her on her journey of discovering different religions and how they helped her change her diet. I especially liked the insights that Buddhism provided about thinking where your food came from and all the plants and animals that sacrificed their lives so I can eat. I was worried that since this was non-fiction, she would go on and on about this and that research, but instead I was pleasantly surprised by a very honest and funny journey to find relief to her G.I. distress. I laughed out loud when she talks about going on a vegan diet and after a while felt like the lion on Madagascar and just wanted to chew on a zebra's butt. Half of the book is recipes. All of the recipes from this book that I have tried have been delicious and healthy. The end of the book sums up her findings into certain rules of the diet with a daily diary of her husband's experience on the diet. It made the diet super easy to understand and follow. I read this book in August of 2011 and have been living by this diet ever since. I know I've lost weight because my pants are a little looser now, but I don't know exactly how much since I didn't go on this diet to lose weight. I went on this diet to feel better. For the first time in my life I can consistently keep my IBS symptoms away. Honestly, I don't think of this book as a diet but more as a lifestyle change. If you want to make permanent changes in your life to be healthier, you've got to read this book!

Luckily, Michelle has offered to give away her book to one of my readers. Be sure to check out the giveaway at the bottom of this post! My favorite thing about this diet is that she encourages you to eat homemade stuff for breakfast, like muffins. And her muffin recipes are oh so delicious. I make a whole bunch of them and freeze them. Then, I just nuke one every morning and I get to eat hot muffins for breakfast everyday. Here's my favorite muffin recipe:

Chocolate Chip Muffins

Vegetable shortening

3/4 cup rice flour (you can replace this with whole grain wheat or spelt if you don't need it to be gluten free)

1/2 cup oat flour

1/4 cup tapioca flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

1/2 cup melted butter, cooled

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup coarsely chopped almonds

Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease muffin pan cups with vegetable shortening. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients, leaving a well in the center. Stir in water, metled butter, and vanilla until moist. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Spoon batter into muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comse out clean. cool muffins 5 minutes before removing from cups.

GIVEAWAY!

Big thanks to Michelle for doing this giveaway! Places you can find the author.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Eat of the Week: Wacky/Crazy Cake

2012-02-01T19:50:00.000-08:00

Today's recipe is not a healthy one, but it's my hubby's birthday, so I thought I'd post the recipe for his favorite cake that he asks for every year. This is also one of my dad's favorite cake recipes. We grew up calling it Wacky cake, and Scott's family grew up calling it Crazy cake, so now we call it Wacky/Crazy cake to make us both happy.

The name Wacky/Crazy Cake comes from the fact that this recipe contains an uncommon cake ingredient, vinegar. The recipe is also missing a common cake ingredient, eggs.

I'm not a very good baker, but luckily this is one of the easiest cakes in the world to make. Scott's not a fan of frosting, but this cake is so moist and delicious, it doesn't need frosting. We just eat the cake warm with some ice-cream on top.

Wacky/Crazy Cake

3 C. Flour

2 C. Sugar

6 T. Cocoa

2 C. Water

2 tsp. Salt

2 tsp. Baking Soda

2 tsp. Vanilla

2/3 C. Oil

2 T. Vinegar

Pour batter into 9x13 baking pan and spray with Pam. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

What's you favorite kind of cake to have on your birthday?

Every year as far back as I can remember having a birthday, I always wanted the funfetti cake with the rainbow dot icing. I still really like that cake and frosting, but I'm starting to wonder if it's more for tradition's sake than taste.

Race Recap: 25K Endurathon

2012-01-31T12:47:00.000-08:00

Pre-race with a local running friend.

It turned out to be a B goal race day. No PR, but I did manage to stay under an 8:00 pace average. I knew by mile 2 that it wasn't going to be an A goal race day. Right about mile 2 was when my stomach started having issues (crampy, side-achey, etc.). I ran the rest of the race feeling pretty yucky. I kept thinking the stomach pain would go away after some deep breathing and a few more miles, but it stuck around all the way until I finished the race, and then into the next day.

About Mile 9 is where I saw Scott and B. It was really nice to see them. I'm so grateful for a husband who supports my racing and running addiction! It means a lot to me. When I saw them, I stopped for a minute to take off my jacket and whined to Scott that I wasn't feeling good. He just smiled and said, "Keep going!" So I did. That little bit of encouragement from my hubby was all I needed to keep me from walking for the next little while.

At mile 11 I learned not to try and take a sip of water while running downhill because it will go straight up your nose. You would think I would have the hydration thing down by now considering how many races I've run, but I'm still working on it. It wasn't until about mile 14, my last drink, that I finally remembered to pinch my cup to make it easier to drink while running.

I had to mentally fight the urge to stop and walk almost the whole race. I kept telling myself that it would be over faster if I just kept running.

At about mile 14.5, I finally lost that little mental battle and stopped to walk. I know, so close to the finish. I was disappointed in myself, but luckily the walk only lasted for about 30 seconds because just as I stopped to walk, two guys ran up behind me and encouraged me to keep going. I thought that was so nice of them! That little bit of encouragement was all I needed to keep going.

With less than a mile to go, I looked down at my watch and saw that my time was in the high 1:50's. I thought, "Hmmm, that would be nice to finish under two hours, but it's not going to happen today." I had absolutely no kick at the end. I crossed the finish line knowing that I had given it my best and toughed it out, so I was just fine with my time of 2:01. I was actually surprised it wasn't a lot slower considering how bad I wanted to quit.

It was a small race and I ended up getting first in my age group. We didn't stay for the awards though because all I wanted to do was go home and sleep. I got sick right after the race, and I'm still feeling pretty miserable.

Also, it was my first race with my Garmin! It was much easier than watching for mile markers and recording all the laps myself. I also liked being able to look down and see what pace I was going whenever I wanted to. I also loved not having to constantly try to do math in my head! Running brain and math don't go well together. My running buddies and I have realized that after many sorry attempts at math during our track intervals.

Here's my splits from the race.

Well, I'm off to take a nap.

Tapering, Protein Shakes, and Running Books

2012-01-27T13:11:00.000-08:00

Those are the three things I'm loving this week.

1. Tapering. I know I whined and complained about it in this post, but I ended up really enjoying it! It was really nice to take a guilt-free break from getting really sweaty everyday. I even did my make-up on of the days when I took B to an art playgroup. :)

Here he is with all his masterpieces. I love how colorful our fridge is right now.

I'm feeling recovered and excited for my race tomorrow, although it looks like it's going to be COLD and WINDY. I'm hoping the wind will be to my back, but I probably won't get that lucky. 25K is kind of a weird distance to set a time goal for, so I'm not exactly sure what my goals are. I ran this race last year (<--my blog post about it), so it would be awesome to get a PR, but we'll find out tomorrow if that's realistic or not. (I just looked up my time from last year and it was 1:54 (7:20 mile average.) So, A PR from last year will be my I feel great and everything went perfect goal. My next goal will be to finish under 8:00 minute/mile average, and my I feel awful and everything went wrong goal will be to finish feeling like I got a good workout in. :) Whatever happens, It'll be a good day because I have a $10 fro yo giftcard that I'm planning to use post-race. :)

2. Protein Shakes. After I read this advice in Kara Goucher's book (It's towards the bottom of the post), I got a few protein samples and then ended up buying my first container of whey protein a few days later.

I really have noticed a difference in how I feel. Why did I wait so long to start drinking recovery shakes? After I did my whopping workout of 2 miles this morning, I came home and made myself a super hearty and delicious protein shake so I could make sure my legs will be nice and recovered tomorrow morning.

Here's the recipe for today's shake:

1 C. Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

1 Scoop Vanilla Whey Protein Powder

1/2 Frozen Banana

1 T. Peanut Butter

1 tsp. Chia Seeds

2 T. Oats

It was so good! Go try it.

3. Reading Running Books. I went from not reading at all last year to having too many books I want to read this year. I made a New Year's Resolution to read one book a month, but I think it's going to turn into a lot more than that. I finished Kara Goucher's Running For Women in about a week, and now I'm reading two books at once. My avid reader sister will be proud. :) (<--Check out her reading blog if you like to read.)

I've been taking B to Library time once a week for the past year and a half, and I always come home with a stack of books for him, but I never picked any up for me. I used the excuse that it was too hard to look for my books when he was running around the library like crazy, but now I just get online and figure out what book I want before I get there. Then I can reserve them and pick them up. Technology is great. I definitely recommend these two books! Mile Markers is a short, easy, light read, and Running on Empty has me in suspense about what's going to happen next. Who knew a running book could be suspenseful?

What's something you're loving this week?

Eat of the Week: Healthy Chocolate Banana Shake

2012-01-25T08:16:00.000-08:00

This has been my favorite nighttime snack lately because it's healthy, it tastes like dessert, it's filling, and it's less than 200 calories.

Scott and B like it too. I've made it several different ways, so I'll share a few of the variations I've made.

The most simple one is:

1 C. Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

1/2 Frozen Banana

1/2- 1 T. Cocoa

Ice cubes for desired thickness

Pinch of Stevia to sweeten (opt.)

Blend all ingredients. This one is about 110 calories. Pretty yummy and filling for only 110 calories!

Some other ingredients that you can throw in are a handful of spinach (you won't be able to taste it), chia seeds, avocado, peanut butter, protein powder, oats, and greek yogurt.

My favorite variation of this recipe I just made last night, and then again in larger portion for breakfast today.

Here's last night's version:

1/2 C. Almond Milk

2 T. Oats

1/2 Frozen Banana

1/2 Scoop Vanilla Protein Powder

1 T. Cocoa

Ice Cubes

(This one is about 175 calories)

This morning I made the same one, except I added more almond milk, chia seeds, more protein powder, and spinach.

Do you get hungry before bed? If so, what's your favorite snack to have?

I almost always get hungry a few hours after dinner. I hate the nighttime munchies, but this snack has helped keep my appetite happy without snacking on a bunch of things and consuming an entire meal's worth of calories before I know it.

Five Treadmill Workouts From Elites

2012-01-24T12:36:00.000-08:00

I liked the title of this article in my Running Times magazine, "Real Runners Train on Treadmills." It makes me feel a little better about the days that I have to choose the treadmill over going outside.

I thought I'd write down the treadmill workouts from this article so I can throw away these pages that have been sitting on my night stand for awhile now.

Workout #1-The Endless Uphill

(The advocate for this workout is Pete Pfitzinger, a two-time Olympic marathoner.)

60 minutes or longer at 4-to-8-percent incline.

This workout is great for people who live somewhere flat and are trying to prepare for a hilly race course, like Heartbreak Hill in Boston. By swapping some speed for hill work, you'll increase the type and number of muscle fibers recruited which will make the same effort on a flat surface feel much easier.

Workout #2- The Long run

(The advocate for this workout is Dennis Barker, coach of Team USA Minnesota.)

Marathon-simulation run lasting 20-30 minutes longer than finishing time goal.

You can stimulate the race course by going up hill when there will be hills during your race, and you can also practice drinking fluids and eating gels when you plan to eat them during your race. Keep the speed constant and steady, and don't change speeds even when you go uphill. Coach Barker says, "The course replication will have more than just physical benefits. I think treadmill running does stimulate marathon running quite well, just because it's so monotonous."

Yikes, I'm not sure if I'll ever be crazy enough to run on a treadmill for that long, but you never know, so I wrote this one down just in case.

Workout #3-The Hill Circuit

(The advocate for this workout is Magdalena Lewy Boulet, 2008 Olympic marathoner.)

20x30 seconds hard climbing (with 30 seconds stationary rest) at the maximal gradient equivalent to mile race pace. (Kind of confusing, but I'll explain...use this chart to determine what speed to set your treadmill at. Example: if your treadmill goes up to 10 percent incline and you're an 8 minute miler, set your treadmill between 5.0 and 5.2 speed. The hills are steep, but the pace is forgiving.

When I was training for the Boston marathon I used to do hill workouts in place of tempo workouts when my legs were too dead to do the speed. That way my lungs would still get a really good workout, but it was easier on my legs.

Workout #4-Increasing Pace Tempo

(The advocate for this workout is Kara Goucher, 2008 Olympian at 5,000m and 10,000m)

Do 3-6 miles and gradually increase the speed so you finish the last mile at 10K race pace.

I love doing these kind of runs on the treadmill, and it's something I rarely do when I'm outside running.

Workout #5-Treadmill Lactate Flushing Session

(The advocate for this workout is Marius Bakken, Norwegian record-holder in 3,000m and 5,000m, and coach at marathon-training-schedule.com.)

30 minutes to 2 hours of varying pace with quick recoveries. Use your race times to get an estimate of your pace for varying race distances, then convert your pace to speeds on the treadmill. (Here's a pace/treadmill speed chart) Here's an example: 25K race pace for 3 minutes, marathon race pace for 2 minutes, 10K race pace for 1 minute, marathon pace for 2 minutes, 25K race pace for 2 minutes, 15K pace for 2 minutes, etc.

I think it would be pretty fun to switch up the pace frequently like that, and it would make the time on the treadmill go by a lot faster too. Bakken recommended doing this type of workout once a month, and he said, "You'll be surprised at how much better you'll handle this type of work after two to three workouts."

Well, I'm excited to try some of these workouts next time I'm in need of a good treadmill workout. I prefer running outside 100 times more than running on the treadmill, but sometimes it's either the treadmill, or nothing, and on those days I'm grateful for the treadmill. I'll take a treadmill run over no run any day. Even though I get a lot more sweaty on the stuffy-aired treadmill, and the time drags by, I'll admit that I usually run harder on the treadmill and get a better workout. I also know that gutting out a treadmill workout just makes me tougher, and makes those outdoor runs seem easier. (What doesn't kill you makes you a runner, right?) Maybe that's why this article said, "Real runners train on treadmills."

When do you choose the treadmill over outdoor running?

When I have to run by myself during the dark hours, either really early in the morning, or at night. I've heard too many scary stories of girls getting abducted on their runs, so I never go running alone in the dark. How I wish that wasn't a problem though. I tell Scott all the time that I wish I could run outside whenever and wherever I wanted without having to worry about being safe. I also grew to love the treadmill during the hot and humid Texas summers. I still try to go outside most of the time in the summer, but sometimes it's just too dang hot.

Rest Builds Strength

2012-01-23T14:16:00.000-08:00

It's taper time again. I really hate taper week. I have to mentally gear myself up for taper week more than I have to mentally gear myself up for a hard workout or a long run. It didn't used to be like that at all. I remember when I first started distance running I would mentally gear myself up all week for my long run on Saturday. Now I just plain look forward to my long runs every Saturday.

My love for running has definitely grown over years of consistently getting out the door on the days I didn't feel like going and then coming home feeling a million times better. A week or so ago I came home from one of my long runs and said to Scott, "You know how they say you fall more and more in love with your spouse the longer you're married? Well, I think the same is true with running. I think you fall more and more in love with running the longer you run." Scott just paused for a second and then said, "So I have competition?" I got a good laugh out of that response. I tried to tell him they were in totally different leagues and that he doesn't even have to worry, but I'm not so sure he believed me. I think he responded with something like a sarcastic, "Sure."

Anyway, I briefly mentioned that I had signed up for a 25K (15.6 miles) this Saturday, so this week is taper week and I'm reminding myself that rest builds strength. I read that in this article on Runnersworld.com this morning. I also read that my last long run should have been 3 weeks before my race day. Oops. Too late for that. My "short" run this past Saturday turned into 13.1 miles because it was too gorgeous outside and I was enjoying myself too much to stop at 8.

I'm writing my taper plan for this week down again because last time I did that I actually stuck to it, and then I even got a half marathon PR.

Here it is:

Monday: 10-20 min. warm-up. 6X400 @ 1:30 (400m Rest). 10 min. cool down.

Tuesday: Pilates.

Wednesday: 3 mile run: 1 mile easy, 2 miles @ 7:40/mile.

Thursday: Rest.

Friday: Rest or 2 miles on treadmill plus 8-10 strides.

Saturday: Race day.

I already did today's workout and it felt great even though I had to settle for the treadmill instead of the track. I took B to music class this morning, and then we went to our apartment gym afterwards. We brought some of his new birthday toys and some snacks and he did really well entertaining himself. He also did a good job telling me when he needed to use the potty unlike last time I took him to the gym. We made two quick bathroom breaks for B during my workout. One right before I started the intervals, and one right after I finished, so he even timed his bathroom breaks well! Actually, that was just a happy coincidence.

It's weird to think I won't even get sweaty for tomorrow's workout. I even straightened my hair today in anticipation of that. Yep, I plan my hair-do's around my workout schedule. :)

Do you determine how much you get ready and how you do your hair based on your workout schedule, or is it just me?

Run Every Year On Your Birthday

2012-01-20T05:26:00.000-08:00

That was one of my favorite bits of advice from Kara Goucher's Running For Women book that I recently finished reading.

It was in the chapter on "Foolproof Strategies For Keeping You Fit, Lean, Happy, and Energized For The Long Run." She said there is no better way to start your special day than to run first thing in the morning on your birthday. "It'll stay with you the rest of the day--I'm fit, I'm a runner, another great year to look forward to!"

I loved that because my birthday has always been one of my favorite days to run since I started running in high school. People would sometimes say to me, "It's your birthday, why are you going running!?" And in my mind I would think, "It's my birthday! That's why I'm running!" In fact, the longer my run is on my birthday, the better. That just means even more cake right? :)

Speaking of birthdays...

This cute guy turns 3 today!!!

We are celebrating by taking him to the Spurs game tonight, and then he gets to have a little party with his friends tomorrow. He's requested a basketball cake, so I'm on the search for some good orange frosting today. We might even celebrate by starting our day with a short jogging stroller run too. He's no awake yet, so it'll depend on his willingness to go. Just heard his little knock, so I guess I'l go find out.

Do you like to run on your birthday, or would you rather take the day off?

My First Blog Meet-Up and Funny Running Shirts

2012-01-19T13:21:00.000-08:00

While we were in Houston for the Olympic Marathon Trials, I got to meet Laura, one of my blog buddies, at the Children's Museum. It was my very first blogger meet-up, and it was really fun. Too bad we don't live closer because I think we'd be good mom buddies, and good running buddies.

After the Children's Museum, we had a much needed long nap back at the hotel, and then we headed to the Houston Marathon expo. I love walking around big marathon expos! The free samples might have something to do with that. I loaded up on Larabar minis, and sadly I just ate my last one yesterday.

I saw several funny running shirts at the expo, so I took a few pictures of my favorites.

As a new owner of a Garmin, this one made me smile. This one was probably my favorite.

The truer they are, the more funny they are. Running is definitely my therapy, and my sanity.

Scott pointed this one out.

Ya, what could possibly go wrong?

Do you have a favorite funny running quote?

Scott bought me a shirt last Christmas that says "Run Like a Mother" on the front, and on the back it says, "26.2 Miles of Peace and Quiet." Ha ha. Very true. I love it.

Eat of the Week: Tofu Chinese Salad

2012-01-18T13:09:00.000-08:00

I've never included tofu in my diet before, but I decided I would after I had a really yummy Pad Thai dish with tofu on Christmas Eve. I was surprised by how much I liked it, so I bought some tofu the next time I went to the grocery store. I don't know a lot about tofu yet, so I still can't decide if I'm going to buy it again or not. I've read a few things online about it, and there seems to be some controversy on whether or not it's healthy for you. It definitely has health benefits, so I'll continue to eat what's in my fridge, but I also want to continue to read up on it before I decide if I want to buy more.

Anyway, whether it's the healthiest food in the world or not, this salad was dang good. And if you're not a tofu fan, just switch it out for chicken.

Here's the ingredients in whatever portion you choose:

Romaine

Spinach

Red peppers

Zucchini

Edamame

Pineapple

Cashews

Hard or Firm Tofu

Sesame Oil

Soy Sauce

Red pepper flakes

Directions: I browned the tofu in a non-stick pan with a little bit of soy sauce, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes. Then I browned the zucchini and red peppers and tossed all ingredients together.

It was a really yummy Sunday afternoon lunch!

What are your thoughts on tofu? Is it healthy or not??

Running Motivation! (Pictures From the Houston 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials)

2012-01-16T19:16:00.000-08:00

If looking at these pictures doesn't motivate you to want to get out the door and run, I don't know what will. I think I'll come back to this post and stare at these awe-inspiring pictures anytime I'm lacking motivation to go running. Isn't my husband an amazing photographer? I'm in love with all these pictures.

Enjoy!!

Here's the start of the women's race before any lead packs were formed. Can you pick out your favorite runners? I was so excited to see Kara Goucher, Shalane Flanagan, Desiree Davila, and Blake Russell, but the first time they ran by I only saw Blake Russell because the others were hiding in the back. I completely expected them to be front and center. They were just using smart racing tactics though. :)

Janet has a cool story. You can read it here.

Look at Kara's leg muscles! Wow.

Team USA!!! They finished in this order.

Look, now I can say I'm in a picture with Kara Goucher, Shalane Flanagan, Desiree Davila, Deena Kastor, and Amy Hastings! Pretty cool huh?

I was on cloud 9 the whole race. It was so freaking fun to watch. My husband even loved watching it and he's not a runner.

Those are some serious leg muscles.

Ryan Hall and Josh Cox were the only guy runners I knew, so here's one more picture of each of them.

So, tell me, did these pictures make you want to go running?

Sneak Peek: Pictures From Houston 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials

2012-01-15T18:58:00.000-08:00

We had a blast watching the crazy fast elite runners in Houston this past weekend for the Olympic Marathon Trials!! My awesome husband took some amazing pictures of the runners while we were there. I'm still in awe every time I look at them. I can't believe we were really that close to all those famous runners that I've seen hundreds of times in my running magazines. It's hard to believe these pictures were taken from our very own camera!

The best part of watching the race was that they ran a loop course so we got to see both the men and the women run by at least 8 times each. It was AMAZING.

Here's a little sneak peak of some of my favorite pictures from the race. I promise there's A LOT more, but it's been a busy weekend, and now I'm off to watch 24 with my hubby.

Ryan Hall. 2nd Place. Time: 2:09:30

Josh Cox. 14th Place. Time: 2:13:50. Remember when I met him? Here's some great running advice from him too.

The top four women: Shalane Flanagan (2:25:38), Desiree Davila (2:25:55), Kara Goucher (2:26:06), and Amy Hastings (2:27:17).

I'll be back soon with more pictures and updates from the weekend!!

Eat of the Week: Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal

2012-01-11T13:49:00.000-08:00

1/4 C. Oats

1/2 banana, mashed

1/4 C. almond milk

1/2 T. cocoa

1 T. peanut butter

1 egg white (opt. for extra protein)

Mix all ingredients except peanut butter together and microwave for 1.5 minutes. Top with peanut butter or almond butter.

This was the perfect snack after my long run last Saturday. It's like dessert for breakfast. :) Hope you enjoy it!

Now I get to go pack for this! I'm really, really excited for our trip to Houston this weekend. Be ready for lots of pictures when I get back!

Training Log Tuesday: 1/2-1/8 and New Books

2012-01-10T14:00:00.000-08:00

Training Log Tuesday is a summary of my workouts for the week so I can look back on them someday and see when and what I did for my workouts in different stages of life.

And like usual, here's the color code:

Running=Red

Swimming=Blue

Biking=Purple

At Home Workout DVD's=Orange

Elliptical=Green

Walking=Pink

Free Weights=Grey

Monday: P90X abs (15 min.)/2PM. 11 mile run outside (1:34 min/8:36 pace)/2:40PM.

Tuesday: 30 Day Shred Levels 1 and 2 (40 min.)/8:30AM.

Wednesday: 4 mile jogging stroller run (37 min/9:15 pace)/8:30AM.

Thursday: 6.5 mile track workout: 1.5 mile warm-up, 5x1000 @ pace 6:28, 6:29, 6:15, 6:11, 6:17, 1.5 mile cool-down.)/10:30AM.

Friday: 30 Day Shred Level 3 (20 min.)/ 8AM. 6 Week 6 Pack Level 1 (30 min.)/8:30AM. 3 mile stroller walk/10AM.

Saturday: 12 mile run outside (1:37 min/8:08 pace)/6:45AM.

Sunday: Rest

Total Running Miles: 33.5

I've been spoiled lately by my husband's 4 day work weeks for the holidays. It's been fun being able to get some extra running in without the heavy jogging stroller! I'm still enjoying running 4 days a week and doing strength training workout dvds 2 days a week. I would like to add some more ab work in though on my running days. I just signed up for a 25K (15.5 miles) race at the end of this month, so I think I'll stick with that schedule until the race.

Then I think I'll start training for my first sprint triathlon! (I'm still really nervous about the thought that I might actually do a triathlon this year. I've always wanted to try one someday, but it's so weird that my someday might be just a few months from now. It all depends on how the swimming thing goes, but hopefully my first tri will be in April.)

I picked these two books up at the library today because I'm almost done with my first book, Kara Goucher's Running For Women. So far my New Years resolution to read one book a month is going great. I'm really surprised that it only took me a week to read my first book. Maybe I'll be reading a lot more than one book a month! I found that the perfect time for me to read is while I'm watching B play at the playground. When it's cold we like to go to the indoor playgrounds at Chick-Fil-A and MsDonalds. I'm not sure if it's technically legal to use their playground without buying their food, but we do it all the time. He loves playing there for hours, and I'm so glad I have something to do now while he plays.

Now I get to find some motivation to fold this massive pile of fun, and hopefully find some motivation to do that ab work I mentioned wanting to do. The laundry motivation is already found. Two hours of Biggest Loser tonight will do the trick, followed by one hour of Parenthood. I actually purposefully saved up all three loads of laundry to fold during Biggest Loser tonight so I wouldn't have any guilt for watching 3+ hours of TV in a row. Tuesday night TV is the best.

What's your favorite TV show right now?

Do you feel like you have to multitask to watch TV?

Only sometimes. I never multitask during 24 though (Scott and I are watching all of the old seasons in order together). Those are way too intense and you have to watch them in the dark.

What's your next race?

Rainy Day Treadmill Workout and Nutrition Advice From Kara Goucher

2012-01-09T13:26:00.000-08:00

It was raining today and I didn't want B to be out in the cold since he's been getting a cough, so I decided to give the last-resort treadmill at our apartment gym another shot. B kept himself fairly entertained with a movie, bubbles, and walking on the treadmill next to me for a little bit, but he still wandered around a lot more than I was comfortable with.

I know I should just wait until Scott gets home and go at night, but I'd so much rather get it out of the way and be able to relax and stay home at night. It's really hard to continually look over my shoulder and make sure he's not getting into trouble while I'm trying to huff and puff my way through a workout. Good thing this treadmill thing only happens once in a great while, but I am really looking forward to the day when we have a treadmill in our house!

I did one of my favorite treadmill hill workouts today.

Here it is:

Start with a 1 mile warm-up, then...

Treadmill Incline	Time	Speed
2%	5 minutes	7.5 (Whatever a normal walking or running pace is for you.)
3%	4 minutes	7.5
4%	3 minutes	7.5
5%	2 minutes	7.5
6%	1 minutes	7.5
0-1%	5 minutes	easy jog, or walk
6%	5 minutes	7.5 (Get through this and the rest of the workout is cake.)
5%	4 minutes	7.5
4%	3 minutes	7.5 or faster
3%	2 minutes	7.5 or faster
2%	1 minutes	As fast as you can! (You'll feel like you can fly!)

End with a 1 mile cool-down.

Actually, I was a huge wimp and only did part of this today. I stopped after the 6% incline for 5 minutes, and then ran 1.5 miles at 6.5-7.5 speed with the incline back down to 1.) I had to stop to talk to B, and when I stopped, I suddenly felt sick and nauseous. The combination of feeling a little sick and having to continually talk to B and watch him made me decide to cut the original workout short. It was much easier to watch B when I wasn't trying to gut through those hill intervals. Even though it wasn't an ideal workout, I still got really sweaty, got my heart rate up, managed to get 6 miles in, and now I can stay home and relax with the family tonight!

Glad I got that sweaty workout in because it was followed by me getting to clean a nasty, gag-inducing mess out of B's underwear. The joys of potty training. Ugh. Good thing I made that goal to work on my inner calm!! I wasn't tempted to yell at B at all, but I could definitely feel my blood boiling like lava on the inside as I was cleaning up the disgusting mess, trying not to dry heave. I seriously repeated the words, "inner calm" to myself a couple times, out loud. It may sound weird, but it actually helped. A lot! And so did the sweaty treadmill workout. Running is definitely great stress relief. Thank you running for helping me keep my sanity through the joys of potty training. :)

In other news, I have a new nutrition goal after reading the nutrition section in Kara Goucher's Running For Women book last night.

She said, "If you change only one thing in your diet as a runner, drink a recovery shake after each run, then shower and get dressed. It will make a noticeable difference in how you feel the rest of the day, how well you recover, and how hard you train on successive days. The key is combining protein (whey protein is ideal) with carbohydrates within 15 to 30 minutes after you finish your run. If you can't have a shake or smoothie, go for chocolate milk. Then follow that with a meal within two hours to keep the muscle-recovery fires burning."

I'm not very good at eating within 15 to 30 minutes of a run. After a long run, I usually shower and get ready first before I eat. After reading this I decided I wanted to start drinking a recovery shake after my workouts. I've never bought protein powder before, but I'm thinking about giving whey protein a try. Here's an article I read today about whey protein health benefits.

I haven't made it to the store yet, but I did make a really yummy smoothie after my run today and added some chia seeds for the protein.

Today's smoothie had one of my new favorite smoothie ingredients, avocado! I just tried it out yesterday and loved it so much that I couldn't wait to have it again today.

Here's the recipe:

1 C. almond milk

2 large strawberries

1/2 frozen banana

handful of spinach

1-2 tsp. chia seeds

1/4 small avocado

(Yesterday I added a little cocoa powder to this smoothie so it was a chocolate banana smoothie. It was nice and creamy too because of the avocado. I highly recommend trying it!)

Do you use protein powder? If so, what kind do you like?

Have you ever tried avocado in a smoothie?