Five Friday Faves-Marathon Training Edition! 10/4/2013

Hello and happy Friday! I'm hopefully going to have a relaxing weekend and get to enjoy this unusually warm weather we are having.

Here's a quick reminder that Delta Labs and Bex Life are in the middle of an Instagram #ihonormyself October challenge. All the details are here so starting instagraming photos for the chance to win awesome prizes and practice some self-love!  I've gotten a late start, but I'm going to jump right into the challenge this weekend!

Also since October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, order from Delta Labs this month and support healthy tatas. As always, use the code "BREATHEBLOG" for $5 off your Delta Labs order!

This week, in honor of my first full marathon being in 8 days, for my Five Friday Favorites I'm going to show you my five favorite marathon training items. 

Five Friday Favorites: Marathon Training Edition

1. My Garmin GPS watch has been super helpful in not only tracking how many miles I have left to run on long runs but also in helping me stay on my marathon race pace during speedwork and tempo runs. It is fabulous and far less bulky than my smartphone. I am super jealous of the newer models that come in bright colors though (Christmas gift, anyone?).

2. Compression Sleeves

The day after a long run you can find me rocking my PRO compression sleeves. I usually wear them after a long run or the next day for recovery. I think they work well in aiding recovery and help with my tight,sore calves. I usually do long runs in the sleeves and recover with the socks. I find my feet swelling makes running in the compression socks uncomfortable. 

3.  Fuel Belt (nutrition too!)

At first I thought wearing a fuel belt would be awful with it bobbing on my waist and me adjusting it every few seconds. Now I've mastered wearing it higher on my waist and securing it tightly-even though it's not fashionable at all, it's the only way it stays comfortable. This one also has a handy pocket that I can stash some gels or chews in along with 2 small water bottles.  I've experimented with fuel, but my go-to choices are chocolate/vanilla GU (but adding salted caramel in the mix!), honey stinger chews, and Nuun!

4..  My Brooks Ravennas are a more supportive shoe than I'm used to running in because I was previously running in the more minimal Brooks PureConnects and PureFlows. They feel good (the most important factor) and have nice support and cushion for my feet. I have a fresh pair on deck for the race with only a couple runs on them. The bright purple color is also nice and flashy!

5. Almond Butter. As a nut butter addict, I eat all kinds of nut butter everyday. The TJ's almond butter with a banana on cinnamon raisin Ezekiel bread or a P28 bagel has been my go-to snack before a long run. It never lets me down!

What are your favorite race training items? Any fun weekend plans?

Marathon Training Week 15- Hello, taper time!

I can't believe another week is almost over. The time is flying, for real. I'm working on getting better organized, and I have gotten some things I needed too out of the way (checked off taking my test and paying some bills!).  Last week, week 15 of my training, started the official taper for my marathon. I can't believe it's taper time already and that race day is so soon.  I pretty much freak out a few times a day about it now. 

The Road to 26.2 -Marathon Training Week 15

Runs:

Short runs: My training group went back to some light speedwork with mile repeats at MRP (marathon race pace) this week. It's crazy how after running lots of slower, longer miles my supposed race pace feels fast. I definitely need to up the stretching and foamrolling now.  I haven't been running as often because I'm really anxious about getting hurt. I did some crossfit and strength training (light on the legs) and am trying not to worry. My training group coach says that running less during taper isn't going to make you slower or lose fitness-all the work is pretty much done by now.  

Long Run- Saturday was a fairly flat 15 miles.  I was taking it easy, pace-wise, because there is no need to push it now. I was especially wary because of a few minor injuries in my training group. The fifteen miles felt long, maybe because I couldn't get into the running zone. The weather was cooler and overall it was a nice run.  I didn't feel super sore or tight the next day either. 

What was awesome last week:   I have been doing pretty good about eating more protein to stay full and to make sure that my snacks and running nutrition is purposeful as fuel.  I need to fuel my body to run miles and also need to make sure I'm eating big meals and snacks with whole foods as the taper continues.  

What I need to work on this week: Staying calm! I'm freaking out that as of today I'm be running a marathon in 9 days. NINE DAYS! I need to stay as stress-free as possible and block out all the thoughts rushing through my brain saying "you can't do it", "you're not ready", and "you're not going to finish". My coach says this anxiety is expected and to take a deep breathe and think about how excited race day will be and find things to occupy my time and mind.  

As I try to get out of the funk I mentioned I was in and get more centered, I attended an event called "Om Out and Play" through the local Lululemon store and a local yoga studio.  It was a beautiful outdoor yoga class run by the yoga studio I used to go regularly a couple years of ago which focuses on power yoga and vinyasa flow styled yoga. It was wonderful to focus on being mindful and channelling the positive energy of all the yogis. Being outside along the water at the Baltimore Museum of Industry and feeling the cool breeze on my face as I moved through the poses was an amazing feeling.   They also had a live band playing  music during the practice, which was a nice touch. 

I thought the flow was a little fast if you were a yoga newbie, but overall it was a great yoga class. Afterwards they had gelato (I had a dairy-free dark chocolate flavor!), smoothies, coconut water, and even some beer from local vendors around the city. The event was definitely a reminder that I need more yoga in my life.  

Have any advice on tapering for a big race? Ever practiced yoga outside?

MIMM #12 9/29/2013

So today is a new week, as I take a deep breathe. I've posted recently about how I've been in a funk. Well, I can't seem to shake it, but I'm ready to work hard this week and get things done/moving/happening in my life. As long as I can fight off this sinus thing?/allergies?/cold? that I feel coming on.  I'm downing some tea with ACV and taking echinacea like it's my job so hopefully that helps. Here are some of the mostly marvelous  things that happened this past weekend!

Marvelous is checking out the Baltimore Book Festival this weekend. I love used books and street festivals-the weather was fantastic this year! 

Marvelous is getting some miles on my new sneakers which are now sitting in the box until the marathon (in 11 days!!!).

Marvelous is getting some fancy drinks out on a Saturday night. 

Marvelous is finally trying out the Afghan restaurant The Helmand in my neighborhood and having an amazing meal. I got a chicken dish with lots of veggies in a spicy tomato sauce and split their famous afghan ice cream for dessert. It was a cardamom ice cream with fig, date and mango pieces. It was amazing, and I'll definitely be back!

Not so marvelous is slacking on some much-needed studying for my medical terminology test which I need to take this week. 

Marvelous is Breaking Bad series finale last night. I thought the commercial breaks after every scene really took me out of it, but they definitely tied up the series nicely. 

Marvelous is spending Sunday afternoon with a pumpkin beer, burger, and football (even though both the Eagles and Ravens played horribly, ugh). 

The most marvelous of all is going to my first expo-Natural Products Expo East, which was right downtown, and pretending I'm a real big-time blogger who networks and passes out business cards to companies that I'd like to work with. Let's be honest, the most marvelous thing about it was the three big bags of swag I picked up. My thoughts and reviews on the expo and the awesome products I tried will get it's own post :)

Only half of the swag I picked up!

How was your weekend?

Marathon Training Week 14 and Five Friday Songs

Still been trying to catch up on LIFE this week and will hopefully have a very productive weekend. I've got a recap of marathon training last week. Oh and by the way, the big race is 15 days away. Commence freaking out but trying to stay calm and healthy and keep pretending that I'm ready. I think I totally miscounted my training week numbering on these posts, sorry!

The Road to 26.2 -Marathon Training Week 14

Runs:

Short runs: My training group did the hardest hill workout on the schedule with 5x each of the 4 hills. my quads and hamstrings were feeling SUPER sore from crossfit the day before so I didn't try to run too fast, just got the hill repeats done.  

Long Run- Saturday was the last longer run and another first-22 miles. OMG. One of the other local running stores was holding a Baltimore marathon course run which loosely covers part of the second half of the marathon course so my training group decided to join that run.  I ran to meet up with my group and run over to the start of the run. We had numbers and there were port-a-potties and water/gatorade stops on the course which was nice. It was a good practice run to start off running with a large crowd instead of my little training group posse. The run had some tougher hills and my group was running close to my MRP, so I just took it easy and stayed around 45 sec-1 min behind my MRP because there is NO reason to push myself and get hurt with so little time left in training.  The weather was really nice for running, and I felt good, besides getting tight and sore at the end.  I made sure to actually stop at water stops and drink some water or fill up my water bottles to stay hydrated.  I hit exactly 22.0 miles on my Garmin right when I stepped foot in front of my door. I have been recovering with Cellucor BCAAs and a tsp of l-glutamine powder which seems to be my magic potion because for the first time in a month, my legs weren't feeling awful and tight the rest of the day/next day :)

What was awesome last week:   I am focused on staying healthy and worked on stretching and recovering. Last week some weighted lunges on Monday had my legs SO sore all week. I took rest days on Thursday and Friday to ensure I'd feel good on Saturday's long run, and it worked!

What I need to work on this week: I need to work on drinking more water throughout the day and staying hydrated all week, not just the day before a big run!

I usually am always talking about my favorite foods and snacks, which will probably happen next week after I check out some of the Natural Products Expo East trade show in Baltimore this weekend.  I finally decided to start updating my iPod for the marathon since I've been running without music (!) for all of training. Here are 5 songs I'm LOVING that I've added!

My Five Friday Faves (music edition!) this week are:

1. Unbelievers- Vampire Weekend

I saw them play this live at Freefest last weekend, and it sounded awesome. 

2. Applause- Lady Gaga

This song is catchy and awesome to run to. I <3 Gaga. 

3. Reflektor- Arcade Fire

Arcade Fire's new albums is probably going to be epic. I love the 80s, synthy vibe in this song. 

4. Hold On We're Going Home- Drake

This song is a slower R&B jam but I love singing along to it. 

5. Give It 2 U - Robin Thicke feat. Kendrick Lamar

Do you have any new favorite workout songs? Any big plans this weekend? 

Work, but don't forget to live

Things have still been moving at a whirlwind pace, and I've been taking a step back to remember to do what I gotta do, but just live.

My cup of Yogi tea gave me some serendipitous wisdom last night, as it always seems to.

Besides some personal life drama, I feel like fall is here and I need to be doing more. I've discussed before how I get caught up in life and neglect myself sometimes. Especially lately, I've been meditating on that notion more. I'm also trying to stay healthy and strong for that marathon I'm running in 17 days and all (WHAT?!).

Here's some things I've been doing instead of blogging, studying, stressing out, and working (too hard):

1. Going out for ice cream with my siblings and getting a two scoop sundae with vanilla vegan (due to my tummy troubles) ice cream, gooey caramel sauce, Reeses Pieces, whipped cream, and a cherry on top. I ate all but a few spoonfuls because then my stomach hurt. Probably due to the massive amount of sugar I devoured in 5 minutes. It was worth it though because I haven't had a legit ice cream sundae in so long, and it was DELISH. No photo because I ate it too fast, haha.

2. Waffles. Yes, if I happen to have some extra time in the morning, I'll treat myself to some waffles for breakfast, since they take a bit longer to make than pancakes and all. Even on a weekday. I'm worth it, and waffles are delicious, especially when you pan cook some banana slices in coconut oil to top your waffles with. 

3. You deserve the best. Thank you, Chobani, I need to think that more often. I already received my coupons for free yogurtto replace a few bad cups I had purchased when they were having issues with fizzing,moldy yogurts. I still love you, Chobani, especially with your great customer service.

4. Going to Virgin Mobile FreeFest Music Festival even though it poured rain all afternoon and evening to see Vampire Weekend, Robin Thicke, City and Colour,The Avett Brothers, Kaskade, and Pretty Lights. Yeah the rain made it pretty miserable, especially since I had woken up at 5:30 AM and ran lots and lots  of miles (22!), but I love music and couldn't pass up a free concert. I had never seen Vampire Weekend live and LOVED it.  

Oh hey, Robin Thicke!

5. Sleeping in. I haven't been really working out in the mornings because I've been choosing sleep over exhasution later in the day. I need to buckle down with the marathon race day quickly approaching but figure being well-rested is better for my body! Stay healthy people, I hear lots of coughing and sniffling on the bus and at work with the changing of the seasons. 

Have you been taking care of yourself this week? What do you do to de-stress?

Just keep breathing {marathon training update week 13}

This week has been trying for me. Before I get to that, here's my Week 13 (AH!) marathon training update. 

The Road to 26.2 -Marathon Training Week 13

Runs:

Short runs: My training group was another short hillwork run. The weather was supposed to be unusually hot and humid again so we only did 3 of each of the 4 hills. It was a shorter workout and ended up not being as hot as the forecast predicted, but it's better to be safe than sorry! 

Long Run- There was 18 miles scheduled for Saturday. I was feeling okay and the run had us starting out with a flat stretch along the harbor and then climbing some hills over near Patterson Park. I hadn't gotten up as early as I should have so for the first time in my training runs I had to deal with bathroom issues in the middle of a long run. Of course they started in the park area where there are no bathrooms or businesses in sight. I suppose it was good practice to learn how to run when you're feeling uncomfortable and just push through it. Eventually about 4 miles later I pulled off from the group and stopped to use a Starbucks bathroom. This was a good reminder to get up early, get things moving, and go to the bathroom before a long run.  Otherwise, the weather was lovely, and my fueling was on-point.  I was conscious of my nutrition intake but not over or under using the GU and Honey Stinger chews I had brought along. 

What was awesome last week:   I've been good at listening to my body. Fueling it, resting it, and stretching it out are so important, especially towards the end of training. I will take a rest day or skip a run if I need to. 

What I need to work on this week: I need to de-stress and try to keep calm. Stress only wreaks havoc on my body and mind. I've noticed I've been remembering bits of dreams, all involving less than pleasant situations which I think is a manifest of some of my stress. I certainly don't need to get myself sick or run down.

Remember, tomorrow (Friday 9/20/13) is the last day to enter the Delta Labs fall recipe contest! Entries should be original recipes with photos if possible and can be submitted via email to contests@deltalabsusa.com.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! 

This week has been quite the doozy in my personal life so I've been kind of absent from blogging, social media, and life in general. I'm trying to get my priorities straight and just remember to breathe. Deep, yoga breathing. 

Everything happens for a reason and it's nice to have those moments where you know somebody, somewhere was looking out for your family.  Remember to tell people that are important to you that you love them. 

here are some reminders I pinned on Pinterest!

If you're training for a race, how is it going? What do you focus on when times get tough?

MIMM #11 9/16/2013

Happy Monday! Congrats to Monica who won my Protein Bakery giveaway! I hope you enjoy all the protein-packed goodies you'll be receiving soon!

I've been in a funk lately of having lots of things to do but end up not getting any of it done. This weekend was no different. I caught up with sleep, baked pumpkin donuts and bread, and ate a lot of food and did not drink enough water. I had a really nice run on Saturday morning minus a bathroom break that made the middle of my run uncomfortable .

Otherwise, I didn't really do much, which is nice, especially with the weekends starting to get booked as we move further into autumn. I still have loads to do so here is my game plan for getting back on track this week. 

1. Plan dinner each day. I've been kind of trying to wing it which leads to me feeling too lazy to actually cook something (i.e. frozen pizza for dinner last night) or just eating a tons of snacks which would be okay, but mine have lately involved lots of popcorn, peanut butter, and dark chocolate.

2. Create a manageable to-do list. I LOVE lists. I've been slacking on writing a weekly to-do list to actually stick to. I need to create goals of things to complete by the end of each day to break it up and make it easier to tackle.

3. Go to bed earlier and get up earlier. Starting the day well-rested and not rushing around to get to work makes everything better. 

4. Get less than fun errands taken care of quickly instead of putting them off. Checking something off the list that needs to get done once and for all, such as getting my routine bloodwork done for my GI doctor, will be very satisfying. Procrastinating makes me far more anxious in the long run. 

Since I pretty much bummed around and took it easy this weekend, I wasn't really on social media or even taking pics with my phone. Nonetheless, here is a recap of my marvelous  not-too-exciting weekend! 

Marvelous is pumpkin bread and how it fills your kitchen with a delicious pumpkin aroma that lingers for hours. I made this pumpkin bread and added mini chocolate chips. It is so moist and delicious that I predict it will not make it through the week!

Not so marvelous is not working on any homework therefore forcing myself to finish it all tonight. Boo, that's not going to be fun. 

Marvelous is lining the rim of a pint glass with cinnamon sugar (as you would salt for a margarita) and drinking pumpkin beer out of it. Try it, you won't be disappointed. 

Marvelous is getting fresh fruit smoothies at the farmer's market every Sunday. The past two weeks I've gone for the fruit smoothie as my snack, and it is really refreshing. This week I got a mango pineapple smoothie which was really tangy and not too sweet. I think I need to start making more fruit smoothies as snacks instead of my usual chocolate or vanilla post-workout ones. 

Marvelous is homemade beef burgers. I usually buy ground turkey as red meat replacement in recipes and eat beef when I'm out if I'm in the mood for it. I picked up some grassfed beef on sale a few weeks ago and finally pulled it out when I had a hankering for burgers this weekend. Grassfed beef tastes SO much better. I could have eaten literally three of those burgers. I was having tummy issues so I didn't eat it with a bun and instead had it with some carrot and sweet potato fries. I even made a copycat In-and-out burger special sauce I found  that was boyfriend approved. 

Marvelous is pumpkin spice M&Ms that I picked up at Target yesterday. They aren't super pumpkin-y flavored but are still so freaking yummy. No pic because the bag is ripped open and halfway gone. Oops. 

Not so marvelous/marvelous is Breaking Bad's new episode last night-sadness, anger, wtf?! Episode was bananas. I can't wait to see what is in store for the last two episodes. 

How was your weekend? Was it super busy or not that eventful?

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?