Marathon Training Week 12 and Five Friday Faves 9/13/13

The Road to 26.2 -Marathon Training Week 12

Runs:

Short runs: My training group was still hillwork again-gotta be prepared for those Baltimore hills! We did 4-5x each of the 4 hills. The last two hills are the steepest so I was definitely feeling it in my legs by the 4th or 5th repeat of those guys. 

Long Run- Saturday was a scaled back week, mileage-wise. We did 14 miles, which is still no small run.  I was in a rush in the morning which led me to only pack one gel and just fill my fuel belt with water and powerade. I was regretting not having another gel but ended up feeling okay. The first 7 miles were uphill and then we turned around and ran the last 7 mostly downhill so I wasn't hurting too bad.  The weather was a bit cooler and the route pretty shaded so it was a nice run overall.  My hamstrings still feel really tight so I need to take extra care of them and stretch out really good.

What was awesome last week:   I've been really great at fueling properly and paying attention to eating more protein and carbohydrates. I've got my pre-workout meal down pretty well (nut butter, banana and bread or bagel) and am starting to choose better recovery meals/snacks.  I think I'm going to try to make more smoothies because they seem to be very satisfying. Eat to grow! With a month left until the marathon as of today (AHHHHHHH!) I need to forget about worrying about my weight and just fuel my body with good food to prepare for the miles ahead!

What I need to work on this week: I still on tinkering with my sleep schedule. If I can get to sleep and workout in the morning, then I have lots of time to take care of errands, cook dinner, and relax after work, which will allow me to get to bed earlier instead of sitting down at 9:30 PM after returning form the gym and just trying to all that.

I'm changing things up a little bit on you guys. There are tons of regular Friday posts bloggers have so I'm merging  my Friday Favorites post and Five for Friday. I like the added alliteration of (nerd alert), and it's easy to stick to a number of things to ramble on about!

My FIVE Friday Faves this week are:

1. Favorite Contest: Delta Labs is having a FALL INTO HEALTHY EATING Recipe Contest (I made up the name!). Entries should be original recipes with photos if possible and can be submitted via email to contests@deltalabsusa.com until next Friday 9/20/13. It can be any kind of healthy recipe that would be great for fall.  The top 5 recipes will be announced on Monday 9/23, and the winner will receive a $50 VISA gift card and gets to have their recipe featured on the Delta Labs website and made into a Delta Dishes video! 

2. Favorite Snack: Think Thin Creamy Peanut Butter Bar 
This bar is crazy delicious! I picked one up to have as an afternoon snack at work and wished I hadn't eaten it so fast! I bought it because it was gluten-free and had 20g of protein. It tasted like a peanut butter cup with it's soft peanut butter center coated in chocolate. It also didn't have that weird aftertaste some protein bars have. 



3. Favorite Afternoon Pick-Me-Up: Coco Cafe

Yesterday after work I was just feeling beat. All I wanted to do was veg out in front of the TV, but I needed to rally and do some homework and cook dinner. I was at the grocery store to pick up a few things for dinner and threw this into the basket with the hopes it would give me a little caffeine buzz.  I was surprised at how delicious it was! It tasted like one of those Starbucks frappuccinos  in the glass bottles but with less calories and sugar. These have a shot of organic fair trade espresso, a bit of reduced fat milk, and natural coconut water, all for 140 calories. The 120 mg of caffeine definitely helped me power through the afternoon. 


4. Favorite Beauty Product: Suki Face® Concentrated Nourishing Toner

I've reviewed products from Vitacost before because they have such an amazing blogger review program. My most recent shipment of goodies was some Suki beauty products! I used to have really bad acne and still have oily, acne-prone skin so I'm pretty cautious about what I use  on my face.All of the Suki products are non- comedogenic, cruelty-free, sensitivity-tested, and synthetic free so I gave them a shot.
 

I used to use a Lancome toner that I swiped from my mom back in high school but have simplified my face routine and haven't tried one in a while until I fell in love with the Suki toner!  Apparently it contains some shittake and olive leaf extracts to provide lots of antioxidants to the skin. I've been just misting it onto a cotton ball at night before I apply my night moisturizer. I forgot how refreshing and cooling toner feels. I haven't noticed a huge difference, appearance wise, but I do think my skin has been looking pretty clear and nice lately. Check out the Suki products on Vitacost!


Remember to click here to shop Vitacost and save $10 on your order of $30 or more! 

Disclosure: Vitacost provided me with an assortment of their products at no cost. I received no monetary or other compensation for this post. All opinions are my own.

5. Favorite TV Show: Orange is the New Black

I FINALLY finished the whole season of Orange is the New Black on Netflix. The end is kind of emotional and cliff-hanger, but I can't wait for the next season! I plan on reading the actual book less which I'm sure will be filled with less sex and dramatized violence. I thought the show was really unique, well-acted, and funny. Check it out if you aren't already loving it!

How were your workouts this week? Any new favorite snacks or TV shows?

Pin it Party 3

I have a quick post today because I am linking up with The Lean Green Bean's Pin it Party  to recap a few things I'd love to have shared on Pinterest!

It's a great way for bloggers to share other bloggers' posts through Pinterest. 

The rules are: 

• Round up 5  blog posts you’ve written that you would like to see on Pinterest.
• Make sure there is a nice, pinable image or photo included in each post.
• Write a short post featuring the posts you chose- ie, put 5 nice images & links to the posts all in one place, along with a short description of each post.
• On Thursday, publish your post, then visit The Bean and add your post to the linkup! (If you’re just reading this today and still want to participate, just publish in the next few days…I’ll leave the linkup open for about a week!)

Then go visit 3 other posts and pin their images!

Don't forget to enter my Protein Bakery giveaway here to win a gift set of assorted protein-packed cookies, brownies, and blondies which ends tomorrows at midnight!

Here's 5 recent recipes that I'd love to spread around on Pinterest!

Homemade Pumpkin Coffee

Hydration Helpers for Long Runs

Mango Salsa Recipe

Zola Review and Coconutty Popsicles

Chocolate Avocado Pudding Recipe

Please check out the Pin it Party if you are Pinterest-obsessed like me! 

Protein Bakery Review- Sweets that Pack a Punch!

Disclosure: Protein Bakery provided me with an assortment pack of their products. I received no monetary or other compensation for this post. All opinions are my own.

Today is one of those days to celebrate the good in people and thank first responders while also remember the tragedy of 9/11 and all those who were lost 12 years ago. I'm sure like me, you will never forget where you were when you heard the news. It's hard not to get upset, especially when I live fairly close to NYC, PA, and DC but try to reflect and be grateful for all that you have. 

On a lighter note, be sure to check me out on This Crazy Life of Mine because I'm highlighted today as part of Nanci's "Runners Who Rock" feature! Woohoo!

I'm sure you all know that I have a massive sweet tooth. I always save room for dessert and always have some sort of sweet treat at night whether it be some dark chocolate, frozen yogurt,healthy cookies or a mug cake! I was beyond excited to be able to review some products from the Protein Bakery. I was even more excited when I opened the box and saw that they had sent me an entire assortment box to try! 

These products are awesome because they are baked treats that are made from natural ingredients, wheat free and low in gluten (yay!), have added whey protein isolate, and taste great. Seriously, I wouldn't be promoting a brand of sweet treats that tastes like cardboard. I don't mess around with my desserts, people. The brand also makes all their products in small batches from scratch and was started by a group fitness instructor!

A peek inside the box I received-wrapped in cute polka dot tissue paper!

Their ingredient lists for all their products are here if you want to take a look, but they are fairly simple which is what I always look for.   They are still definitely treats to be enjoyed in moderation, which has been hard with this big box of them staring at me, but my favorite the chocolate chip brownie only has 8g of sugar and 11g of protein! It is great to know that your dessert can satisfy your sweet tooth and pack a protein punch as well!

Some of the products I've already tried are the mini black and white blondie, mini chocolate chip blondie, the chocolate chip brownie, peanut butter chocolate chip cookie, and peanut butter white chocolate chip cookie. All were pretty delicious, though I really like how much more moist the brownie was compared to the blondies and cookies.  Also I just really love chocolate, duh.

The Protein Bakery is currently running a "Show us your muscle!" promotion right now where anyone who orders some products (website is here!) can submit a photo to info@proteinbakery.com holding their Protein Bakery goodies for a chance to win a free baker's pick gift set and t-shirt along with getting their photo on Protein Bakery's website!

Show us your muscle!

If you still aren't convinced to try some Protein Bakery goodies, I'm giving you a chance to win a taste of Protein Bakery assortment of their brownies, blondies, and cookies worth $45.00! 
All you have to do to win is fill out the Rafflecopter by Friday, 9/13/13 at midnight! 

Then you can enter the "Show us your muscle!" promotion for free :) Sorry but the company can only ship within the mainland of the US and not to PO Boxes or APO addresses.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

All this can be yours!

Ravens Back to Football 5K Race Recap

Today I'm recapping the NFL’s Back to Football 5K that I ran last week at Ravens Stadium!  My boyfriend was running too (even though he didn't end up training or running at all in preparation, tsk tsk!) so since I was with him, we were running kind of late. 

 It's the first time I've done a race in the evening (it started at 7 PM) , which felt strange to get ready to race at night but was much appreciated when I felt how nice and cool it was as the sun was starting to set.  

I broke out my purple and black tutu that had been collecting dust since last year's Baltimore half marathon and wanted to be festive and rep my second favorite football team (Nice win last night, Eagles!). We lined up with runners in front of M&T Bank Stadium and since it was a smaller crowd, managed to squeeze to the front of the pack. They had a DJ, former Ravens players, the Ravens cheerleaders,and Poe the mascot. Former Raven kicker Matt Stover even started the race with a punt!

Scott and I already discussed that it was okay for me to race ahead because he would probably have to walk a bunch of it.  Everyone, including myself, started off the 5K really fast, oops. The race route was nice, with some hills thrown in. I had done some sprints at Crossfit in the morning and had tried to eat dinner before race so I wasn't feeling too hot during the middle of the race, especially since I was running such a fast pace. Eventually I was running with only a few people around me and was enjoying the run and all the shout-outs to me about my tutu.  

The end of the race looped back around the stadium, then led you inside the stadium and finished at the 50-yard line, which was the most fun part of the race. In the race photos you can see me with a huge smile on my face! It was awesome to run onto the field, see yourself on the jumbo-tron  and look into the stands at the people watching! I was the first girl in a tutu to finish :) Post-race there was water, Propel,snacks, beer(if you're of age of course), and a medal.  I waited for Scott, who managed to finish  even with some asthma problems and walk breaks. I was really proud of him for trying and finishing instead of backing out. 

My watch ended up saying it was around 3.05 but maybe that was because I was hugging close to the turns and such. My chip time ended up being 20:52 which is a PR because I've never broken 21 minutes before! Go me! I was 6th female overall and 38/2367 out of everyone! Afterwards I snapped some photos and headed home. Overall, the Back to Football 5K was a great event and nice way to bring people out to celebrate the Ravens and being fit! I loved finishing on the field and would definitely run it again!

FYI, The actual Raven's Super Bowl trophy from last season is in a glass case, but this display one is still from Tiffany's!

Have you ever raced in the evening or at night? 

MIMM #10 9/9/13

My Monday has been off to a great start with a morning workout (what?! on a Monday?!) and a huge bowl of overnight oats with fresh mango and blueberries and crunchy berry flax cereal on top!  My weekend included plenty of time relaxing which is a nice change of pace. Here are some of the marvelous (or less than marvelous) highlights!

Marvelous is marathon training group brunches with no running involved but lots of talk about running and pitchers of mimosas. Sunday funday at it's finest. 

Marvelous is post run naps. Sunday I passed out after brunch on the couch for a couple hours with compression socks on.  

Marvelous is getting to the final episodes of Breaking Bad. GAH, it's almost over!!!

Marvelous is winning Meg's Tiesta Tea giveaway and receiving two yummy loose leaf teas and a nice big mug. The flapjack oolong flavor smells just like maple syrup.  I'll be drinking these all week! 

Marvelous is fresh green juices. My vitamix fund is on hold at the moment due to being financially distressed right now (a.k.a poor and overloaded with bills) so I've been treating myself to fresh juices, like this one from a local farmer's market that I get almost every week. It has lots of pineapple and kale in it, which gives it a super tangy, refreshing taste!

playing with a fancy filter on my phone!

Not so marvelous is realizing I need to buy new running shoes for the marathon like right now. Whoops. I forgot that even though my shoes still look pretty, they have a lot of miles on them and will need to be recycled! I'm going to get a fresh pair of the same shoes next week and get a couple runs in them and then put them on reserve for the big race. 

Marvelous is squeezing in a little meal prep for this week and discovering how awesome plantains are! I bought a couple due to the numerous recipes with plantains that the Purely Twins  post on their blog and made their two-ingredient plantain bread (recipe here)! It was really yummy and eaten before I took a photo, whoops. 

Marvelous is getting some cool things off of my new Poshmark addiction (thanks to Kate) including a funny "what could go wrong during 26.2" shirt from this lady (check out her closet!) who included a little good luck note and GU with my purchase, from one marathoner to another (almost!). 

Did you have a relaxing or a busy weekend?

Friday Favorites 9/6/2013

Well we made it to Friday, and I think every week should be a short week. Who's with me? Work was still crazy, ugh, but at least I have a couple days to regroup (after I do my homework!). It's that time again to share some of my favorite things from this past week!

Favorite Snack- Skinny Cow Snickerdoodle Sandwiches

Don't berate me for buying these Skinny Cows even though they have some sugar and processed ingredients or whatever. Who cares, they are a yummy snack. I am usually a pint of ice cream or frozen yogurt kinda gal, but I impulsively picked a box of these up as I made my way through the frozen aisle at the grocery store this week.  They are SO delicious that my boyfriend and I have almost worked our way through the entire box. It's a limited edition flavor of cinnamon ice cream between two soft oatmeal cookie layers and tastes amazing. It actually takes a couple bites to eat and has been an awesome snack this week. 

Favorite Activity- Watching football again

Ravens @ M&T Bank 

Football is an awesome sport. It's pretty ridiculous that people just hit each other and try to move a ball up and down a field, but there's something nice about the ritual of people getting together and watching sports.  I loved getting together with friends last night to watch the Ravens (don't ask for a recap, eek) and enjoy some pumpkin beers, along with some homemade pumpkin bread I brought over. Let's see what those E-A-G-L-E-S! EAGLES! (my first football love) bring to the table this week. 

Favorite healthy recipe to try ASAP- Chicken, Kale, and Quinoa Soup from Cooking Light here

Slightly cooler temperatures and all this talk about autumn have me craving warm soups again. Soups are easy to make and super satisfying so I've pinned a bunch of soup recipes lately. This recipe looks easy to follow and is a great way for me to use up some of that kale that is sitting in my fridge.  I'll let you know how it turns out!

Favorite recent purchase-  Sorel winter boots

Let it be known that I dislike winter and the cold weather (I'm very cold sensitive). I think snow is pretty and fun to play in but dislike when it : 1. It gets dirty and doesn't melt 2. It makes driving to work or anywhere awful 3. It does not get me a snow day off from work.  

Supposedly after a few mild winters, this upcoming winter is supposed to be full of precipitation. Since I only have a pair of beat up fUggs (fake ugg-style boots) and a pair of rainboots that serve as my winter boots, I splurged on some Sorel winter boots that were marked down to half price. 

I've been lusting after cute Sorel winter boots for a while because they are pretty while also functional. I ordered this pair online (free shipping!) and can't wait until they arrive! 

Favorite thing that makes me smile- "Mini Dachshund bath time" video found here

I saw this video online this morning and am in love. I love dachshunds because they are so cute, excited about life, and have short legs. These two are MINI dachshunds too which makes it even more awesome because mini animal=AWWWW. These two in the video trying to jump into the tub and then swimming around is too cute. Enjoy. 

Do you have any big weekend plans? What is your favorite type of dog?

Marathon Training Week 11 Update and a Pumpkin Coffee Recipe

The Road to 26.2 -Marathon Training Week 11

Runs:

Short runs: My training group was back to hillwork this week. It was a pretty warm and humid afternoon so it was not very easy. We did 4 hills, 3x each, with a medium effort the first two times up the hill and a hard effort the third time.  I definitely was out of breathe after that session, but I'm going to need all the hill preparation I can get for the Baltimore marathon! I also got a couple short, easy runs which were quite nice due to the pleasant weather we've been having here. 

Long Run- Saturday was my longest run ever. 20 freaking miles. Besides some glutes and hamstring soreness, I felt good.  I've never felt that burn in my bum before, but I guess a bunch of hillwork and running will do that to you ;)  There was a trail race on Sunday so our training group was kind of split up and doing the race or the miles on their own. A couple of awesome people from the training group were running around the city so I joined them. It was pretty much a running tour of all of Baltimore by the time we were done and included some hills too! 

The sun was shining so I was a big sweaty mess, but I kept fueled and hydrated properly and definitely felt a runner's high by the end. I was smiling from ear to ear and feeling quite accomplished, hence my more than usual social media fitness sharing! On my cooldown walk, I treated myself to my first pumpkin iced coffee of the season from Caribou Coffee (it was closer than the Starbucks!). 

What was awesome last week:  I ran 20 miles for the first time. Duh :)

What I need to work on this week: Stomach issues starting to normalize a little bit but still not quite great yet because I drank some boozy beverages and ate lots of greasy eggs over the weekend, so that doesn't help.   Drink a least a tall glass of water when I wake up, before a workout or before I eat breakfast. I've been neglecting water in the morning and going straight for the coffee, oops. 

All you crazy kids who want to rush summer being over and do everything that comes with autumn and eat pumpkin flavored EVERYTHING, I've got a recipe for you. 

I'll admit, I love some pumpkin coffee and pumpkin beer, but there's no need to have a pumpkin overload already. Unless I suppose, if you live where it never gets cold and autumn is just another season where some holidays happen.  I'm just not ready for all the craziness and the cold weather. 

However, this morning as I stirred some pumpkin into my peanut butter oats, I decided I'd make myself a fancy pumpkin coffee. This recipe is super simple, but if you can't throw down money on flavored coffee from a shop everyday, when you really just want some of that pumpkin syrup flavor, this is for you!

Are you ready for fall? Are you a pumpkin coffee fanatic?

Oh wait, it's Tuesday?

My family was in town this weekend and my sister stayed through Labor Day. I was a cool sister and took her out to the bars and ate lots of greasy food and eggs. Sorry I missed my marvelous monday post!

Yesterday was spent resting, doing homework, food shopping, Neftlix, and looking like this:

Today I needed one of these in the morning to get some veggies in, along with a big bowl of peanut butter overnight oats :

picked this up at Whole Foods

Work has been extra crazy today with lots of things going on and as I try to get myself situated with the week and what I have to do I need to keep reminding myself that it's September. 

It's also already Wednesday tomorrow, which makes me feel like this: 

I'm coming up with some September goals this week and running a fun NFL Ravens football 5K tomorrow that begins and ends at M&T Bank Stadium where the Ravens play so that should be exciting and of course you'll hear all about it. Or at least see a photo or too :)

Did you do anything fun Labor Day weekend? Are you having trouble adjusting after a long weekend?