This weekend was still full of lots of food and some running. These are some of the mostly marvelous highlights!
Marvelous is spending Saturday morning after a long run refueling to find out Clueless is on TV, and watching the rest of the movie. It's one of the great movies of the 90s!
Marvelous is spending a drizzly post-run Saturday afternoon having a very early dinner with a cocktail, crab cake, and old bay salted caramel ice cream. Then I took a nap :)
Marvelous is an unexpected Sunday funday dinner (unpictured crab cake sandwich-I've been craving all things crab!) and craft beer sampler.
Marvelous is sleeping in on Sunday mornings ( I will make it to yoga one morning....maybe.).
Marvelous is eating many many samples of peaches at the Farmer's Market.
Not so marvelous is not getting all of my to do list done this weekend.
Marvelous is having my boyfriend bring home the best pumpkin beer ever-Southern Tier's Pumking because a bunch of autumn beers were already on the shelves.
Not so marvelous is that autumn beers are already out. I STILL HAVE A MONTH OF SUMMER :(
Marvelous is the new Chobani bites flavors I picked up this week. The mint chip flavor is crazy delicious, especially when you freeze it for a little while before eating.
from chobani.com
Marvelous is running outside in cooler summer temps and refueling with my coconutty popsicles!
What did you do this weekend? Have a favorite 90s movie
Since I was on a mini vacation to Atlantic City for over half the week, we're already at Friday which is awesome! Here's how my marathon training went last week!
The Road to 26.2 -Marathon Training Week 6 Runs:
Short runs: Week 6 was was so 3x hill repeats for 4 hills. I felt more comfortable doing hill work this week because my legs weren't really tight and I was feeling good before we started running. I got in a nice tempo run outside and did some intervals inside on a rainy afternoon too.
Long Run- Week 6 had us upping our miles again so I ended up running 15 miles at the trails near BWI which was cool because planes were flying in and taking off right above us. There was lots of cyclists so I definitely had to be paying attention about where I was running. Oh and it was my longest distance ever and I felt good. I'm getting the hang of fueling so far and making sure I drink enough water days before the long run!
What was awesome last week: It was the first time in a while I got all the workouts I wanted to in and it wasn't stressful. I did a little bit of outdoor running, treadmill intervals, and crossfit. It's nice when things just fall into place and you finally get into a groove!
What I need to work on this week: This week I need to work on getting enough sleep. I feel so much better when I get adequate sleep so I'm going to work on setting time to be in bed by so that I'm not be rushing or feeling like a character on the Walking Dead in the morning. That also means being in bed and not reading things on my phone, checking email, or scrolling through Instagram!
On to some things I've been loving this week!
Favorite dessert:Gelato from the little shop in the casino. It was right outside of the elevator and after passing it about 20 times I had to have some! I tried about 10 samples of flavors before I decided on a little cup of cheesecake and strawberry gelato. It was delicious, of course.
Favorite place to run: The beach,sigh. Why can't I have summers off and just live down the shore? This particular seagull didn't get spooked like all the other birds when I ran by either. It was so serene.
Favorite snack:Siggi's yogurt, particularly this orange ginger flavor
Siggi's is a brand of skyr yogurt that is even thicker and creamier than greek yogurt! Siggi's only has 5 or 6 ingredients and this particular flavor has 9g of sugar, which isn't too bad for flavored yogurt. I normally don't like orange things (besides the actual fruit and the occasional mimosa) but this flavor is so refreshing! It's amazingly delicious, and I've been enjoying it with some granola mixed in as a snack. I picked this up at Whole Foods but the brand is popping up at supermarkets all over the place.
Favorite song:Royals by Lorde
This 16 year old from New Zealand is crazy talented, and this song is super catchy. It's like a stripped down Ke$ha song. It should be the song of the summer for driving with your windows down when the sun shining and you'll soon be drinking a beer.
Oh and btw, it's already August. Where is summer going?
That's not cool. I think I need to make a summer bucket list. Stat. It's like a challenge now!
What's something you want to do before summer ends?
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.
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?
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
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?
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!
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:
*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?
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 ofZola'scoconut 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.
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?
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!
