Move Nourish BELIEVE Challenge

The final week of the Lorna Jane Move Nourish Believe Challenge was about believing in yourself and being happy. Staying optimistic while dealing with my cranky knee during the final weeks of half marathon training admittedly has been difficult, so this final challenge week was just what I needed.

Monday - When I spotted my favorite flowers at the grocery, I had to spoil myself. It's hard not to smile with these lovelies in the room!

Tuesday - A "snow blitz" descended on New England leaving behind about 12+ inches. While mrC was taking care of the driveway, I took 5 mindful minutes to just enjoy the peacefulness of the falling snow and forget about the snow day we'll be making up in June.

Wednesday - There are a lot of places I'd rather be at any given time: Cincinnati, Florida, Newport. But, give me a pair of healthy legs and some running shoes and I can make any place my HAPPY PLACE!

Thursday - There are some truly amazing people in my life. On Thankful Thursday I was feeling very grateful for my family, my friends, and the running community for all the kindness they show to me every single day.

Friday - I talk about mrC in my blog posts all the time and I hope it is evident that he does SO MUCH for me. Not much could top the time he helped me finish a half marathon when I was injured, but it's the unfailing daily support and encouragement he shows that makes him deserving of this SHOUT OUT!

This week reminded me to take some time to appreciate all the inspiration I have in my life. To remember that with all the encouragement I get from the amazing people around me, I can do anything I set my MIND to.

How have you been INSPIRED this week?

Training Truths: My Knee is Crunchy??

After reading through all the very helpful comments last week (thank you!), I learned that I am probably suffering from a form of runner's knee or I'm just getting old! So, it was a week of resting and icing the creaky old knee, but I didn't skip working out altogether. My workouts were focused on strength or light cardio that didn't require a lot of knee bending. By the end of the week things were looking up.

Monday - I used my Gymboss interval timer to do my favorite ab workout and then some burpee intervals  430/1000

Tuesday - Another round of the ab workout and burpee intervals 484/1000

Wednesday - More burpee intervals although my knee started to not like these either  538/1000

Thursday - Spent the snow day icing my knee off and on. I did some (awkward) burpees and a short resistance band workout designed to build glute strength. All I heard was crunch, crunch! 580/1000

Friday - Every time I straightened my knee, it would crunch - painfully. So after school I spoke to the athletic trainer to get some advice: can I work my way through this or do I need to see a doctor? She thinks I'm possibly suffering from chondromalacia or arthritis: I have had two knee surgeries. She recommended icing, wearing a knee brace/getting taped, and continuing to train if it didn't hurt. At home I found this sport's medicine video online that describes the causes of chondromalacia and some treatment exercises.

Saturday - After deciding that one more day of TLC for my knee wouldn't hurt, I switched my workout gear from running shoes to a shovel and helped mrC shovel snow leftover from the plow guy.

Sunday - My only run of the week and my first run in the hand-me-down knee brace from mrC was a pain free 30 minutes. I haven't worn a knee brace since my last knee surgery over 20 years ago, but if it helps I'll do it.

This week, I will stick to the TLC approach as I get ready to run half marathon #11 on Sunday with my oldest step daughter.

Which do you prefer, wearing a brace or getting taped?

Move NOURISH Believe Challenge

Week 2 of the Lorna Jane Blogger Challenge focused on nourishing our bodies. Making healthy food choices is one of my 2014 goals and this week reinforced that I am on the right track because it was EASY to complete (most of) the daily challenges.

Monday - It was Veggie Day and for lunch I had some Cheesy Quinoa Veggie Burger. Normally I would have made this recipe with hamburg, but I recently decided to reduce my red meat consumption to help lower my LDL number.

Tuesday - I take my lunch to work everyday for several reasons: I like my own food, I only have 30 minutes and the school cafe is on the other side of the building, and I'm a picky eater (never mind being GF!).

Wednesday - I used to keep a food journal of every calorie I ate and burned in a little notebook. Once I hit my goal weight I stopped writing everything down. WIAW's challenge was easier because I didn't have to look up the calorie information.

Thursday - For #ThirstyThursday it was Smoothie Day. Another easy challenge because I make a smoothie everyday during the week. I love the single serve option on my Ninja!

Friday - I don't eat a lot of raw foods and know very little about the diet. Most of what I do eat raw is fruit and that is mostly in the summer. I've made some post-workout snacks, but I don't know if they hold up to the raw food diet concept or not. So for Go Raw Friday I ate what was available.

At the end of NOURISH week with Lorna Jane, I realize that I should try to eat more fruit in it's raw state all year long. In a blender and in the summer is good, but not good enough.

What did you learn about your diet this week?

Fitness Friday: The Love Club

To celebrate the day of LOVE, here's a glimpse of what I've added to my list of loves lately.

Saucony Bullet Vegans - I've always wanted a pair of "cool" casual shoes. You know, the casual shoes that look good no matter what you are wearing. I spotted these Saucony Bullet Vegan's in the Athleta catalog and knew they were exactly what I was looking for. They're great with leggings, jeans, and fitness wear. I can wear them as an everyday shoe and during my indoor workouts. Score!

Nike Tech Fleece Hoodie V2 - mrC gave this to me for my birthday and even though I haven't taken it for a run yet, I love how comfy it is. It's definitely a great lightweight coverup to wear to and from SurfSet class.

Apera Yoga Tote - Apera sent me this gorgeous bag in Pearl and it is amazing! It has multiple storage for all my running gear and worked perfectly for SurfSet class. With all the room that it offers, it is not too big either.

Take a look at why I'll be taking my Apera bag as my carry-on the next time I travel!



This book: Running Like a Girl: Notes on Learning to Run - Author Alexandra Heminsley writes candidly about the process of becoming a runner. For those of us who have been running for awhile, it takes us down memory lane and brings back a renewed appreciation for the sport we love. For new runners, Heminsley tells the truth about the struggle, pain, and glory in going from "I can't run" to "I ran myself happy."

RunSaveRun - This is a new website where runners can find hundreds of coupons and discounts on all running related items. You can search for coupons by store, category, or race. Some favorites you'll probably recognize include Road Runner Sports, Active.com, and ZOOMA.

What's warming your heart today?

WIAW: Cheesy Quinoa "Sunshine" Burger

One of my 2014 goals is to make healthy food choices and the nice people over at Sunshine Burgers sent me some samples to help me with my endeavor. Sunshine Burgers are the epitome of healthy made without most allergen ingredients including gluten, soy, dairy, and peanuts. They also have an abundance of flavor choices.

This post is sponsored by Sunshine Burgers. I was sent samples of Sunshine Burgers to review. 

I've always liked veggie burgers, but the brand that I used to eat is not gluten-free so I haven't had any in awhile. That's why I was so excited to try Sunshine Burgers. Besides being gluten-free, Sunshine Burgers are vegan, non-GMO, and certified USDA organic. 

You can find recipes on the Sunshine Burgers website, but I decided to try something other than a sandwich and do my own little spin on cheeseburger macaroni. 

For my recipe I chose Garden Herb because it is advertised as having a mild flavor perfect for use beyond the bun. It has 5 ingredients: cooked brown rice, ground sunflower kernels, carrots, herbs, and sea salt.

After cooking the quinoa and letting the Garden Herb veggie patties thaw, I mixed all the ingredients together.

The result is most definitely DELICIOUS! 

Sunshine Burgers are sold generally in the organic market, but can now also be found in major grocery chains. You can check here for locations near you.

Sunshine Burgers are a healthy source of protein, perfect for a post-workout meal, and will continue to be on my shopping list. 

Today I'm also linking up with Jenn for What I Ate Wednesday!

Training Truths: Tight IT Band and a Cranky Knee

My IT band has been tight after my last couple of long runs. After spending some time in my compression gear, it was still cranky and so was my knee.

So last week while I gave my legs a little break from running, I kept myself busy with my February challenges. My #mnbchallenge work kept me extra busy during the week, but I also kept the #30DayRagnarChallenge streak going by using #SweatADay exercises to work toward the #FFBURPEE goal of 1000.

Monday - 35 burpees 210/1000

Tuesday - 35 more burpees 245/1000

Wednesday - Ran 4 progression miles on the treadmill during the snowstorm.  I started off nice and slow ending with a comfortable 9ish pace. Even with the warmup and a good 20 minute post-run stretch the ITB/knee were not happy. Fortunately I did the 35 daily burpees earlier 280/1000

Thursday - Planks and 35 burpees 315/1000

Friday - Some of my favorite squats x25 each and 35 burpees 350/1000

Saturday - Spent the morning at SurfSet class with mrC. My knee was still feeling a little cranky during certain exercises (mostly squats), so I treated myself to a post workout smoothie and an ice pack. 35 burpees 385/1000

Sunday - Since running is not supposed to hurt, I decided to listen to my body and cancelled the long run. Instead I focused on core work...anything that would not aggravate my knee.

How do you feel about taking a break?

MOVE Nourish Believe Challenge

Today marked the end of the first of three weeks that I will be participating in the Lorna Jane Move Nourish Believe Blogger Challenge. It was created to keep people motivated beyond January when new year goals tend to start to fade away.

This week was all about MOVING the body and although I wasn't lacing up my running shoes as much as I'd like, I did move my body everyday!

Monday - This was the first day of the challenge and although I didn't run, I shared a previous post-run pic to show my favorite way to sweat.

Tuesday - After taking an extra rest day from running, I tried the YogaWorks Ultimate Post Run sequence to change up my stretching routine and discovered a great IT band stretch. There's a lot of work to do on that one!

Wednesday -  Planked with Lorna Jane as a pre-run warmup and realized that it had been a long time since I last did some other than at SurfSet class.

Thursday - Decided to run through my plank routine again with my workout buddy.  He is my buddy, but also the only one home at the time!

Friday - For Fave Friday I shared my 5 favorite squat moves and completed 25 of each.

How are you sticking to your 2014 goals?

5 Ways to be FitFluential at Work

I read a great post last week by Coco over at Running With Perseverance about being FitFluential at work. It made me realize that I am very lucky to work in a school where being active is encouraged and praised.

Many of my colleagues are runners and it is not uncommon for our principal to give a shout out to someone who has completed a race or send a good luck wishes to those racing over the weekend. We've also come together to celebrate National Running Day.

This year during Professional Development Days, my principal has tried to add planned fitness activities that the faculty can opt to do during the day. One time he took a group on a (muddy) hike, and another time there was some brush chopping. One day there will be a group run...I can feel it.

Mixing in physical activity doesn't have to be a planned group effort. You can find ways to increase your activity while at work without worrying about looking silly.

Is your employer FitFluential? How do you stay active while at work?

Today is also National Wear Red Day sponsored by the American Heart Association to raise awareness of the fight against heart disease in women. Join the movement by wearing the color of our hearts today and check out all the wear red selfies!

WIAW: Quinoa Pizza Bake

Happy Hump (Snow) Day!

After taking my treadmill for a spin this morning, I will be baking up some quinoa for lunch.

This recipe started as Quinoa Pizza Bites (see original post here). Although I love the recipe, I don't always feel like filling all the mini muffin tins, so I decided to just bake the mix in one big pan. This saves time, but it is just as delicious.

It required about 10 more minutes of baking, but then it was time to cut and serve. It goes great with my favorite Cincinnati pizza sauce!

Are you snowed in today? What are you having for lunch?

Find more ideas at the WIAW link up!

Training Truths - Running Solo

In three weeks I will be running half marathon #11, which is going to feel awesome after a DNS at ZOOMA Cape Cod and my crazy finish of the BAA Half. This week I did all of my runs solo. I don't mind running alone, but I definitely prefer to have a partner. On the bright side, running on my own has helped me to focus on my running, especially paying attention to my effort.

Monday - After school I went for a sports massage. My left IT band is still tight and causing some pain along my left hip. Jeanie really knows how to get in there and work the muscles.

Tuesday - We had good 15 degree weather so I did my regular 4 mile loop. mrC and the dog played leap frog and Booney even got in a .25 mile sprint.

Wednesday - I joined the FitFluential #FFBURPEES Challenge to do 1000 burpees by February 28. After a little math, I calculated that if I do 35 burpees everyday, I will hit the goal before the deadline. I'm combining this with the #30DayRagnarChallenge. 35/1000

Thursday - It was nearly a heatwave around here with 26 degree temperatures after school, so I was able to do another 4 miler, out & back this time. Then I completed 35 driveway burpees. 70/1000

Friday - While making some blueberry protein bars I used my wait time to do 35 more burpees and some daily stretching. 105/1000

Saturday - We spent the morning at the beach watching my stepdaughter take her first Penguin Plunge as part of a fundraiser for the Special Olympics. Before heading out to my Ragnar Team dinner meeting I squeezed in another 35 burpees which also met the Under Armour February #SweatADay daily challenge. 140/1000

Sunday - I finally enjoyed a weather cooperative long run. This was my first solo 10 miler. Although I was uneasy about going out alone, it turned out ok. I struggled up our notoriously BIG hill, alternating between running and walking the 130' gain over a half mile, but it worked. After some bonding time with my compression gear, I did 35 single leg burpees. 175/1000

Here's a great warmup exercise video from Runner's World:




Do you like to work out on your own, with a partner, or in a group?

Fitness Friday: Team Too Vicious & Delicious

TGIF everyone!

This year I will be running The Ragnar Cape Cod Relay as a member of Team Too Vicious & Delicious. We were supposed to run Reach The Beach Massachusetts, but RTB merged with Ragnar and well, there you go!

Today I want to introduce you to our inspirational team captain Katherine.

Katherine and I at BAA Half Marathon Oct. 2013

I first met Katherine when I ran RTB NH in 2011 with Team One Track Minded.

Since then we've kept in touch, often running the same events both in NH and MA.

About Katherine: She is fitness certified – AFAA (Aerobics and Fitness Association of America), SPINNING®, Les Mills Body Pump - and is an instructor at a local health club.  She was first ACE (American Council on Exercise) certified at 17 years old and has been working in the fitness industry ever since… even charging faculty at her college $1/ aerobics class while attending Mt Holyoke. She's a wife to a runner husband and mom to 4 adorable kiddos.

And she has been putting her knowledge and experience to work on us! In November and December she created weekly challenges to motivate the team. She even gave out awards!

Katherine has been organizing not one, but two teams for the Ragnar Cape Cod Relay: Team Vicious & Delicious (which ran RTB MA in 2012) and the brand new Team Too Vicious & Delicious! All together, she is managing 22 runners from NH, MA, NY, CT, and MD, planning our legs, ordering our team shirts, setting up the team dinner, and trying to keep us motivated!

Who inspires you?