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?