MIMM #7 7/29/13

I had a pretty busy weekend again with lots of fun and got to catch up on errands and apartment cleaning yesterday along with packing for a mid-week getaway! Here are some of the marvelous highlights!

Marvelous is barbecues with friends on a summer afternoon including lots of watermelon.

Marvelous is Soy Delicious mint chip almond milk ice cream. Having tummy troubles this weekend but still craving real ice cream? No problem with this ice cream I picked up on sale at Whole Foods this weekend. It tastes like real mint chocolate chip ice cream with only the slight disappointment that it's white not green colored. It's a very dangerous purchase because it's already halfway gone!

Marvelous is having relaxing Sunday mornings involving the Farmer's Market, Zeke's iced coffee, and pancakes. 

Marvelous is getting huge balloons from the boyfriend that are seriously awesome and tie-dye and polka dotted. It was a good "I'm sorry" because I love balloons :)

Marvelous is running my longest distance ever (15 miles!) on Saturday with the marathon training group and feeling great. 

Marvelous is using leftover quinoa to make some protein filled clean chocolate chip cookies that were amazing (even the boyfriend approved)! I used this recipe except I doubled it , subbed the quinoa for the oatmeal, and added 1/4 cup of brown sugar.  SO GOOD. 

Marvelous is catching the end of the U.S. men's soccer team beat Panama in the Gold Cup on Sunday. Also soccer players are pretty attractive including the ever popular Landon Donovan. 

from nydailynews.com

I mean, look at those quads on Donovan!

Marvelous is having colorful running. I ran the Color Run Baltimore and wasn't sure if I'd do another race like it again, but I love running with friends so there will be more running involving color in my future.  I've jumped on the chance to team up with the Color me Rad 5K which involves running a getting coated in a cornstarch rainbow while running a 5K.   They are offering a special 48 discount code from Monday July 29 through Wednesday July 31. Use "radfun" when registering to get 20% off registration, no matter the price or location you choose.I definitely think races are getting pricey so take advantage of this offer if you've been wanting to try a fun run! 


The Baltimore race is 9/8/13 but check here for locations near you and take advantage of this discount if you want to register!

Marvelous is going to Atlantic City this week to celebrate my sister's belated birthday with sushi, drinks, and dancing (and hopefully some beach time!!!). Hello, mini vacation :)

What did you do this weekend? Did you attend a barbecue or have a really good run?

Friday Favorites 7/26/2013

Today was super busy all around, minus the morning where I woke up early to make some Friday AM pancakes.  I'm super glad because they were the best part of my day so far!

1. Favorite breakfast food: Pancakes, duh.

I made these peanut butter pancakes topped with peanut butter and fresh strawberries this morning from this @megameows instagram post except using greek yogurt instead of applesauce and peanut butter protein powder. Sorry for the crappy pic-I was so hungry I just snapped and devoured.YUM.


2. Favorite song: Safe and Sound by Capital Cities

I've been loving this song by Capital Cities for a while now but love it even more after checking out a late night set by Capital Cities at Bonnaroo. It's catchy and sweet and will get stuck in your head if you haven't heard it yet. Oh, and the official video is super fun too!

3. Favorite blog read of the week: Checking Yourself Before Wrecking Yourself by Kasey at Powercakes

From her post-love it!

I love Kasey  because she always posts fun fitness tips and recipes along with her real struggles and thoughts!  I'm also partial to her because she has those same full cheeks that I have :) I feel lots of healthy living peeps and fitness junkies need to read this post of hers about learning what YOU need to not fuel your body. News flash- no matter what My Fitness Pal says you do need more than 1200 calories a week to lose weight if you are working out like a madman (or woman!). You need to eat more food if you workout, especially if you workout 6 days a week or two a days or for hours, more crazypants things, etc.  Guess what, I'm training for a marathon-I need more food, carbs, water, and more food. Fuel yourself properly to avoid injury, fatigue, and general crappy feelings.

4. Favorite recipe to try this weekend: Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread from Taylor Made it Paleo

from recipe link!

Last weekend I made some delicious chocolate zucchini muffins from Slim Sanity and since zucchini are enormous and cheap at the farmer's market, I'll probably buy some more! I've been following Taylor on instagram and seeing all her yummy recipes so I can't wait to try this one out!


Have a great weekend! I know the weather is going to continue on here being sub-90 degrees which has turned out to be really pleasant summer weather for me.

Do you have any great plans this weekend? Is there a favorite zucchini-filled recipe you'd like to share with me?

Bmore Blends Meetup and Marathon Training Update Week 4&5

Time for a marathon training week 4&5 update, but first I wanted to give a little shout-out to my (newly named!) Bmore Blends ladies that I met up with on Monday night for a little happy hour hangout at the The Rowhouse Grille organized by Caitlyn . Thanks to both!  Only half of the list of Baltimore blogger ladies below could make it there, but it was nice to talk to some awesome people with similar interests and put some faces to people's blogs I read! I was a little nervous that it would be awkward meeting up and because I'm shy around new people but it ended up being a great time.  I definitely have some new people to run and hang out with in the future!

Back: Kerry, Jess, Megan, Dani, Kait
Front: Brittany, Kate,Caitlyn, me

I'm really excited to have another group of Charm City ladies to be friends with and do fun things with. It's hard to make friends outside of work when you're a busy twenty-something! These are some blogs you should be reading:

• Brittany- Barr and Table
• Caitlyn – City and the Cubicle
• Coco – Hot Coco
• Colleen – Jimmy Choos on the Treadmill
• Danielle – Da Hart Attack
• Jami – Fit Jams
• Jenny – Love, Eat, Run
• Jess – Just Call Me Janks
• Kait - Kait Makes A Run For It
• Kaitlyn – Simply Complicated
• Katie – Skinny Minnie Moves
• Kat – The Road I’m Running
• Kate – Sunshine and the Bear
• Kerry – Adventures of Z and K
• Laura – Hell On Heels
• Mary – Aznstarlette
• Megan – Outlaw on the Run

*Thanks to Kate for sending out the group photo to everyone!

The Road to 26.2 -Marathon Training Weeks 4& 5


Runs:

Hills &Speedwork: Week 4 we did some speedwork again with mile repeats which felt great. Week 5 was so 3x hill repeats for 3 hills. I definitely prefer speedwork to hills but will need all the hill preparation I can get for the hilly Baltimore marathon!

Tempo Run- I don't really remember much of Week 4's tempo run but know it was a a hot and sweaty run in the afternoon.  For my Week 5 tempo run, it decided to thunderstorm in the afternoon again so I was stuck doing some tempo intervals on the treadmill. It went by pretty fast and I pushed myself at the end of the marathon pace middle portion of the run which felt good. 

Long Run- Week 4 was a great 13 miles at a trail near a local reservoir. It was different running outside with few cars and lots of of serene nature scenery.  It was one of those mornings where I woke up later, realized the car had no gas, and made it to the run late since I had to drive a bit out of the city.  I managed to catch up to the group and actually had a pretty nice run. Week 5 I missed the group long run due to the crossfit competition to I made it out to do a little over 10 Monday morning before work. It wasn't the 13 on the schedule, but I'll take it! The morning was overcast so it was actually a pretty nice run around the city on no particular route.  

What was awesome last week:  I was really consistent about writing out my training plan and sticking to it last week. I got in all the workouts I wanted to, along with some foam rolling!

What I need to work on this week: This week I need to work on properly fueling my body. I've gained a few pounds since starting training, which sucks when I need to be in a bathing suit this weekend and next week, but my body needs more food to make it through a marathon! I'm trying to work on eating proper and larger meals/snacks not only before and after workouts, but also throughout the day.  I also am trying to keep how much I eat consistent because I'd feel great during the week and then want to eat everything in sight after my long runs on the weekend. I'm going to do a fuel discussion post next week after I try this out a little longer. 

Here's a helpful chart for pre/post workout fuel I saw on stupideasypaleo.com! 

Have you ever met up with other bloggers or internet friends in real life? How do you reel in exercise hunger?

Zola and a Coconutty Recipe

I have a great summertime treat for you to try out today! Through a Sweat Pink ambassador opportunity I got the chance to review some of Zola's coconut water and acai juice. This review is coming a little late because a couple vacations and summertime fun has thrown me behind, and I wanted a chance to try all the products before reviewing. 

I LOVE coconut flavored anything, including coconut water, and drink it regularly.  

My favorite is the Chocolate Zico water, which I would drink everyday if it wasn't so expensive, so I was really excited to try out the Zola products for the first time. The package came  all wrapped up nicely with a pair of awesome neon green shades.

I popped the coconut waters (one with pulp and one without) and the Acai Berry Juice in the fridge because coconut water warm is no good.  My boyfriend has used acai juice in smoothies before since it has a nice flavor and lots of antioxidants and omegas.  This acai berry juice was really good though.  I drank some plain and then mixed the rest with a little club soda for a morning mocktail with my breakfast because I'm fancy like that.

The natural coconut water I drank yesterday after my long run. I cracked open the can and thought the taste was great! I prefer it out of a plastic bottle but the Zola coconut water tasted great! Of course I'm a fan because the coconut water is all natural and it, along with the acai juice, is gluten and GMO free. Coconut water is great after exercise because it is loaded with electrolytes, vitamins, and potassium.  The stats on it are great, especially when it's all natural like Zola!

You can find Zola products at Whole Foods and other grocery stores or online on their website. 

Well besides loving cupcakes and anything chocolate, I love freezy treats-ice cream, froyo, and popsicles! Summertime is definitely popsicles season so I used the Zola coconut water with pulp to whip up a batch on the fly-and they turned out great! I added fresh berries to the coconut water to make a yummy treat or even a great post-workout snack.  I got those popsicle molds from Target I think, but I also have a cheap set from Ikea that I got early in the spring.  If you don't have popsicles molds I've used small paper cups and popsicle sticks before. 

Check out the recipe below and let me know if you try it out!

Have you tried coconut water before? What's your favorite freezy treat?

Disclosure: Zola provided me with a sample pack of their products through a partnership as a Sweat Pink Ambassador. I received no monetary or other compensation for this post. All opinions are my own.

MIMM #6 7/22/2013

I've been so busy and tired lately that I'm a little behind on marathon training updates so you'll get that later this week! My weekend flew by, yet again, but here are some of the marvelous highlights!

Marvelous is starting off the week tonight with a  Charm City Healthy Living Bloggers meetup tonight. I'm excited to make some new friends!

Marvelous is getting out of bed to run on a Monday morning to make up for some long run miles I skipped this weekend. It was humid of course, but overcast and surprisingly pleasant to run in. I haven't done a workout on Monday morning in weeks!

Marvelous is going to the Under Armour sample sale on Sunday (thanks Maria and Kacie!)  and spending WAY too much money but getting some amazing bargains on some shorts and winter fitness gear! I love the teal pullover I got for $30 marked down from $70! It is going to be super cute and warm when the temperatures drop! Now I feel like a real Baltimorean all decked out in my UA gear :)

Marvelous is getting the chance to leisurely cook dinner with the bf and whip up some snacks and food prep for the week including these cocoa zucchini muffins from Slim Sanity with some leftover farmer's market zucchini. They are super moist, veggie packed, and delicious. I suspect they'll probably be gone before the end of the week!

Marvelous is competing in my first in-box Crossfit competition this past weekend! What?! Even though it was crazy hard (majorly dropped the ball on the squat clean ladder WOD), I didn't get last place and definitely challenged myself!

Marvelous is getting to go to Artscape, America's largest free arts festival, because it's right in my neighborhood. I saw some great short films, concerts, and lots of local art.  It was a hot and stormy weekend, but a great festival this year nonetheless!

Checking out the band Jukebox the Ghost in the hot Saturday sun!

Marvelous is  big Sunday breakfasts. I enjoy pancakes a couple times a week because I love them, but I always need some pancakes on Sunday with cup of coffee (iced with almond milk lately!). The boyfriend made me some peach ones this weekend because he knows those are my favorite. I had him use the Kodiak pancake mix I picked up on sale at Target, and he added some vanilla extract and fresh sliced peaches from the farmer's market. They were delicious topped with some maple syrup and I went back for seconds, of course!

What was your favorite part of the weekend? Do you have a different breakfast on the weekends than during the week?

Friday Favorites 7/19/13

Hope you all enjoyed my last post about the cost of race registrations-I got lots of great comments! It's Friday again, and it's been a long, busy week. I'm so ready to be a lazy summer bum all weekend, except this weekend looks jam packed! Here's some things that have gotten me through the week:

1. Favorite Song: Supersoaker by Kings of Leon

Kings of Leon is one of my favorite bands. They are awesome live and put out some solid rock and roll music.  The single of their upcoming record was released this week, and I LOVE it. It's a great summertime rock song.

2. Favorite Snack: Biscoff spread on anything

I few years ago I found the Trader Joe's Cookie Butter, which is a copycat of this Biscoff spread, and fell in love. As I picked up a few groceries from Aldi last weekend I found this in the sale bin for $2 and impulsively put it in my cart. I've been eating this everyday on cinnamon raisin toast for breakfast or with bananas or apples as a snack. It's very dangerous because it's so delicious and sweet!

How Much is TOO Much for a Race?

When you first start running competitively it seems like it will be an inexpensive sport. You just need you and a pair of sneakers right? Once you become completely immersed in being a runner you realize you need to replace your shoes more often than you thought, and of course you want the latest pair of flashy neon Mizunos or Brooks. Besides the fact that all that pretty Under Armour and Nike running and workout clothes will cost you.

Aside from looking super fresh out on the streets or on the track, when you become a runner like I did, you want to sign up for ALL the races because it's fun. Quickly the cost of race registrations can add up-like really fast. I realized this as I looked at my credit card statement this week and wondered how I'd charged so much money.  

Well I did register for my marathon and two half marathons in the fall/spring because it was such a good earlybird deal. Then there was that 12 mile race next month and 2 more 5Ks for the fall. Yikes. I read this article in the Baltimore Sun newspaper talking about race costs and thought it would be a great discussion. 

How much is too much for a race?

I thought about this topic back in April when I was running the Nike Women's DC half marathon. I got into registration as a college student, which had a discounted price of $125 instead of the usual $160. I justified it as being my early birthday present-since I was essentially paying for that Tiffany's necklace, that I just had to run 13.1 miles to get.

MIMM #5 7/15/13

Well, it's another MIMM   post today to start the week off. I've got a lot going on in my personal life lately so this weekend was pretty low-key and as always, went by too quickly. Here are some things that made my weekend marvelous (or less than marvelous)!

1. Marvelous is sushi dates. The bf and I split an eel roll, a sashimi platter, salad, and this amazing lollipop dish which was pretty much raw fish wrapped in cucumber slices on a stick. SO good.  Then we got some pie around the corner for dessert :)

2. Marvelous is baking cupcakes for my sister's birthday. These were chocolate bacon cupcakes with chocolate frosting. Baking or cooking is really relaxing for me if I'm not in a rush.  These were delicious by the way-I kept eating the frosting because it tasted just like fudge!

3. Speaking of fudge, marvelous is the chocolate GU gels. I've been a fan of chews more recently but found one of these from a race, and it was great during my run this weekend.  I only like certain flavors of GU, and my favorites are the vanilla and chocolate. 

Friday Favorites 7/12/13

Happy Friday, everyone! This week has been crazy busy for me so I can't wait for 5 o'clock today. I've got a work happy hour today, a long run with my marathon training group tomorrow, and then who knows! The weather here is supposed to be really nice before it gets back into a heat wave next week so I'll definitely be taking advantage of being outside.

Before my Friday favorites, the winner of my FrogFuel giveway is Danielle Cloutier-Simons! Congratulations-I'll be contacting you so you can receive your FrogFuel!

1. Favorite Dessert Recipe- Chocolate Chip Cherry Garcia Frozen Yogurt from Chocolate Covered Katie

Image from recipe site here!

I wish I could just eat some Ben& Jerrys "Cherry Garcia" flavor ice cream every night but that isn't the most healthy idea so I was so excited when I pinned this similar frozen yogurt recipe from the Chocolate Covered Katie site , which is full of awesome healthy dessert and vegan recipes! I whipped this up in my ice cream maker last night with some plain greek yogurt, fresh cherries I had picked up at the farmer's market, and some dark chocolate.  It is so delicious and guilt-free, because clearly some dark chocolate is good for the soul.

Marathon Training Week 3 Update

Time for a marathon training week 3 update!  I think I finally have a quick little format down for my updates along with a sweet graphic I made.  Also don't forget about my FrogFuel giveaway, it ends tonight at midnight! Thank goodness it is Thursday because this week I was swamped at work and need some R&R this weekend!

The Road to 26.2 -Marathon Training Week 3
Runs:

Speedwork- I ran about 5.5 miles total including running down to the meeting spot for the group training run and then after to the bus stop.  We did 3x 1 mile repeats with 30 second rests in between. The first mile slower than marathon pace, the second at pace, and the third faster. I still really enjoy the speedwork training!

Tempo Run- I did a nice 6 mile run outside on 4th of July morning (the virtual race I mentioned here ). The weather is still disgustingly humid and hot, so I was drenched afterwards but my legs felt pretty good. 

Frog Fuel {Review and Giveaway}

Since I've started marathon training, trying out different types of fuels and energy snacks has been really important. You always have to try different things on your runs so that whatever you use on race day, you know your body agrees with it.  I've been loving Honey Stinger chews and fruit snacks lately! 

Of course when I was approached by Frog Fuel, I jumped at the chance to try their protein-packed energy gel supplement. I was also excited because it is a natural product with no added sugar and no banned or artificial substances which goes along with their slogan "Everything you need, nothing you don't"!  I only do reviews of products that I really like or think others would like to try so keep reading!

You know that Frog Fuel is serious about energy when you find out that it was created by two Navy SEALs, because SEALS are clearly hardcore (Zero Dark Thirty, anyone?) and go through rigorous training. Alex and Jeff, who created the product, created Frog Fuel after not finding any supplements out there that could properly fuel their workouts.  They advertise that the product is 15 g of super concentrated, medical grade protein and is broken down during production which allows it to be rapidly absorbed entirely by the user.

I love that it is made up of simply natural flavors, amino acids, water, collagen protein, and taurine. It also contains caffeine which makes it just as effective as a pre-workout fuel as it is for post-workout recovery. I sometimes try out pre-workout supplements but don't feel comfortable taking products with lots of additives, ingredients I can't pronounce, or high levels of stimulants. I've also started to use BCAAs after workouts to help with recovery so finding a product with both protein and amino acids is awesome. 

I tried a pack of Frog Fuel before my training group speedwork session last week because I was feeling tired and blah after a long day of work. The samples were berry flavored, but weren't very sweet and were more tangy than I was expecting. It wasn't too bad for a liquid protein product that wasn't loaded with sugar though. I would have to get used to the flavor more, but I did like the little energy boost I got and appreciate all the protein because I've been working on trying to up my protein intake lately. If you are interested in trying the product you can buy it online at  Frog Fuel Frog Performance or on Amazon.com. 

If you are like me and like free samples, Frog Performance wants to give away some a protein tasting pack to one lucky reader. To enter for a chance to win, the following are three separate ways that you can enter:

1. Leave a comment on this post! What's your favorite pre or post-workout supplement or snack?

2. Follow me, @BreatheBlog, on twitter here:  Leave a separate comment letting me know that you did so.

3. Follow me on Bloglovin here! Leave a separate comment letting me know that you did so.

This giveaway is open to residents of the US only (sorry!). You have until Midnight on Thursday July, 11th to enter (remember you have 3 chances!) I will randomly select a winner using random.org on Friday July 12th. If the winner fails to respond within 48 hours, I will choose a new winner. Of course I'll be sure to announce the winner on my blog post Friday! Good luck!

GIVEAWAY CLOSED 7/12/2013!

See the widget below for more information on Frogfuel and some cool workouts!

Disclosure: Frog Fuel Frog Performance provided me with 3 Frog Fuel Liquid Protein packets. I received no monetary or other compensation for this post. All opinions are my own.

MIMM #4

Well, having a long weekend was certainly marvelous! I was off for the 4th of July and took off the following Friday. I didn't do a whole lot, but some R&R was just what I needed-especially after a stressful Wednesday!

Marvelous is 4 day weekends. I think the work week should be at most 4 days. It is so much better that way.

Not so marvelous is having to catch up on cleaning and chores on the weekend.

Marvelous is summertime berries. I have been addicted to all the fresh blueberries and strawberries. I could eat them at every meal, and have been having lots of them. They are chock full of antioxidants and vitamins and natural sugars so who cares :) I made this cute 4th of July berry pie for a cookout I stopped at from this recipe,  and it was delicious!

Marvelous is finishing a hot and sweaty 10K for the Running Mad MRTT summer virtual race to earn my awesome Alice in Wonderland-themed medal!

Marvelous is seeing 4th of July fireworks!

Not so marvelous is 95 degree temperatures when you are doing marathon training.

Marvelous is going to the farmer's market and getting all the fresh produce I need for the week!

Marvelous is trying Quest cravings-the taste of a Reeses with 20g of protein! It is definitely my new favorite snack.

Also since I love parties I thought I'd join the fun of Ashley and Amanda's linkup and tell you a few reasons why running is AWESOME.

Running has given me this amazing outlet and taken on an important role in my life.  2 years ago I hadn't just run to run, like ever. Now here I am training for my first full marathon! I played soccer and basketball since I was little and that involves running, but I was never a runner. I started running to lose some of that college weight and get in shape, probably like most people. Now I run because it is cheaper than therapy, as the saying goes. It's my time to just hit the pavement and think about everything. 

I use running as my meditation time.  Even if a run sucks or is really hard, I always feel better after I finish.  It is something that has made me feel strong, confident, and accomplished.  Running has helped so much with my tummy troubles and anxiety. I still feel really stressed out and anxious, don't get me wrong, but running has helped me work on that and release all the negativity inside of me. It also helps me focus on my breathing and being mindful.  I think it is really important to spend sometime alone, just with yourself and all your thoughts.  Some people pray, meditate, do yoga, craft, take long baths. My time alone is usually when I'm running along with some time I take before bed to be mindful and wind down. I have found it especially freeing lately with my focus mostly on training to at least once a week just run without anything. That means no Garmin, heart rate monitor, Nike fuelband, phone app, or whatever gadgets you use to track the various numbers.  It makes it even more awesome to just go out without worrying about distance, pace, or calories burned and is a way for me to run just for me.  Try it sometime :)

I love this Nike ad I stumbled across on Pinterest!

Why do you run? (If you'd like to link-up go here!)

Did you see some 4th of July fireworks?

Fitness Survey Linkup and Marathon Training Week 2

Hello all, Happy Wednesday! It feels especially great today, even though it's raining here, because tomorrow is a holiday! Anyways here's a little update on my marathon training. 

The Road to 26.2 -Marathon Training Week 2

Tuesday was a speedwork session where we ran a 2 mile time trial to help us find our marathon goal pace using the McMillan Calculator where I found out I was in the second fastest group of people-go me! I did crossfit twice during the week and then got in another strength and HIIT session on Friday.  

Saturday is long run day and a group of us roughly around the same pace ran a nice route from McHenry Row up Charles Street to around JHU and back down St. Paul.  The weather wasn't too hot, just really humid.  It has been really nice getting miles in with a group of people to keep up with and talk to so I definitely think I'm committing to the training group. I bought a hot pink hydration belt from Marshalls and have been filling that up with Nuun for my long runs. I definitely need to drink more water on Fridays though in preparation, especially as we start to build miles.  

Sunday I got in a slow 5K for a recovery run after a day of eating all that boardwalk food.   I definitely need to work on stretching and foam rolling more, especially with cross-training. 


A fellow Sweat Pink Ambassador, Sara from She cooks, She crafts, She Runs is having a Fitness Survey Linkup  here today so I thought I'd join in the fun! 

Fitness Survey!

1.  What did you eat for breakfast?
Breakfast is the best! Today I was in a rush so I had an egg over easy, an orange, and a slice of Ezekiel raisin bread with PB&J and half a banana. I also snacked on a handful of Barbara's cinnamon puffins while I was cooking my egg.