12 Reasons Why November Project-Baltimore is Awesome (and you should join us!)

I haven't talked about it in much detail in a while, but November Project-Baltimore is still my favorite, almost two years after joining in. 

Thanks to Facebook photos, it's all everyone thinks I ever do-no, seriously. 

It was really great to have tribe members to organize long runs for marathon training this summer, which let me get to know many people a lot better. Although I may be a little more reserved than other tribe members, I have just as much love, pride, and enthusiasm for this tribe and appreciate all their love, support, and sweaty hugs.  I thought it was time to show my tribe some love!  

Reasons Why November Project-Baltimore is Awesome (and you should join us!)

1. The tribe is weatherproof and never cancels any of our FREE workouts-we embrace it. 

And sometimes we make snow angels.  

2. We do lots of fun things outside of workouts including happy hours, training runs, dinners out, and races like the Cupid's Undie Run in February. 

Also free workouts mean more money for beer and food!

Yeah, most of us are actually friends and not like those people you kinda stare at while you work out in the gym.

3. We love running stairs and #hillsforbreakfast. 

I know that least Sarah and I think stairs are the best. 

4. We race everything.  

It doesn't matter how fast or slow you are. 

There's always a friend you can "convince" to run a race with you. 

Post-Sole of the City 10K 2014

5. We keep it weird, real weird. 

Whether you are throwing feathers around with other tribes. 

Post feathering at NorthFace Endurance Challenge DC 2014 

Or bopping each other on the noses. Or curtsying when you say "good morning". 

Or building plank pyramids at the end of the workout. 

6. We like giving hips-in hugs. 

There's nothing like a big sweaty hug early in the morning. 

7. We are really happy to be working out with November Project at 6:30 AM (or 5:30 AM!). 

Just trick yourself into getting to the workout before your brain knows what's happening. 

8. We love Baltimore and supporting our community. 

There is so much Baltimore pride present, and the tribe is always supporting things like local 5Ks,community events,  great organizations like Back on My Feet, and even the awesome cafes like Light Street Cafe and Grace's Acre that allow us to takeover after workouts.   

Helping out with the Back on My Feet Baltimore shoe drive earlier in the summer 

9. We are great at taking photos and rocking neon-colored grassroots gear. 

We promise you'll get an awesome new Facebook profile photo if you come workout with us. AND WE HAVE A CRAB TAG which is obviously awesome. 

10. Our workouts change every week and are always fun and sometimes strange. The workouts include everyone's favorites including lunges, burpees, hoistees, and partner push-ups.  

We also really love squatting with our good friend "Sally".

11. We work out so early that we see amazing sunrises over the city of Baltimore. 

#ididitfortheinsta

12. We have AMAZING co-leaders that keep things fun and the energy high as well as do a great job of making it a welcoming environment. 

Shout-out to Pat, Sydney, and Nick for being amazing people!

November Project Baltimore is one of my favorite things about living in the city. I can't believe how many friends I've made through the tribe and love knowing I can always count on someone to be up for something, no matter how crazy it sounds. I'm so happy the tribe embraced this crazy runner lady. 

P.S. We also like dogs, beards, and butts. 

Get the latest updates and weird photos on Facebook or check out the blog. 

If you are in Baltimore come join the tribe #bemore_bmore for a free workout on Wednesdays 6:30 AM (and 5:30 AM) at Rash Field and Fridays at 6:30 AM at Patterson Park. 

 If you are still confused about what November Project is, check out the website . 

See if one of the tribes in 23 cities across North America is near you, just waiting to give you a sweaty hug. 

Have you ever worked out with November Project? Do you belong to an awesome fitness group?

2015 Chicago Marathon Goals {Failing doesn't mean failure}

This post has been brewing in my mind for a while, and since I'm 20 days away from the 2015 Chicago Marathon, I've been thinking about my goals a lot. 

I've put it out there that I want a Boston Qualifying time (BQ, in runner-talk).  I want it badly. Partially because it's a badge as a runner to qualify. Selfishly, I want to rock that really cool jacket. Partially because it's a scary big goal.

I love these sweet Boston Pro Compression socks. 

Partially to prove to myself that I can freaking do it. This girl who never ran track or cross-country in high school. Who works and goes to school and does a million other things and has to fit in her runs can do it. Who isn't a super lean and graceful-looking runner. Who doesn't run everyday. I know it can come off as a pity party  (boo hoo, I'm so close) or silly because there are people who qualify all the time. 

I thought it might have happened last year in Chicago, but then I ended up getting sick the whole week before and went into the race just wanting to feel good and finish. It may have been a twisted blessing in disguise because I ended up having a great race and finishing in 3:36:01 which is just 1:01 off the 3:35 time I need for my age/gender. It was partially my training, partially that I was relaxed, and partially that the race gods were smiling down on me. 

I planned on working my butt off this training cycle earlier this year. I planned on upping my weekly mileage, doing more long runs and back to back runs. I read books and planned on focusing on my fueling, attempting to not gain my carb-happy weight, and take training more seriously. 

Instead I spent all summer trying to figure out my graduate school plans and then started school full-time. School and other life priorities had to come first for me. I worked hard for that too, so I had to be flexible with other things. 

So I'm not sitting here right now 20 days out feeling lean (hello those extra 5-7 lbs of carb-happy training weight), fast, or with higher training mileage (sitting around 30-40 miles per week). I had to have a more relaxed training cycle, which did include many really solid long runs. 

I'm not trying to complain, this post is more for myself, so I can get all this out of my head. 

Lately I have been trying not to talk about my goals. I'll feel embarrassed if I don't qualify this year because I'm so close,which makes it feel harder to me in some sense. I'll also feel like failure, which I suppose is always the fear when you put your goals out there. 

Tonight I'm sitting here knowing that it'll be okay. My A goal may be to run a 3:30,kicking ass(phalt) and taking names, even though I'm not confident in this right now. 

My B goal would be to to PR, which may mean a BQ, it may not. I've got like 7 years left in my age bracket for this qualifying time so I've got time, for sure. I know I have a few more marathons in me. Boston isn't the end-all, be-all. 

My C goal will be to just run it, not hate it and have fun. There's always a little pain involved, but I want lots of those happy miles too. Like when my Beyonce jam comes on and I'm smiling and trying to conserve energy but maybe singing and dancing a little because I'm feeling good. 

So guess what, if I go out to Chicago and leave with a happy race I'd  be happy. If I just complete my D goal of simply finishing the marathon, I'll probably be a little upset right afterwards, but I'm going to not try to let it get to me or ruin anything.  Why? Because I just ran an effing marathon and I'm going to celebrate by eating lots of donuts and having lots of beer in Chicago afterwards, just like last year.

Caught mid-donut devouring last year in Chicago!

The beauty of the marathon is just that, it's a marathon. It's a word used to describe long, arduous processes.  Only 0.5% of the US population runs a marathon each year so finishing one is an accomplishment. No matter my training, I really can't control everything on race day. I can just finish training hopefully strong and healthy and give it everything I've got on October 11th! 

This quote is applicable to all things running and in life. Remember that if you don't achieve your goals, it isn't failing.  Set big goals and take chances! 

Have you had any roadblocks in your training? Do you go into races with multiple goals?

This post was linked up with Weekend Snapshots, MIMM, and Thinking Out Loud. 

Peanut Butter Protein Cookies & Myprotein Review

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary box of products from Myprotein in exchange for my blog review. I received compensation for writing an article for the Myprotein blog. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Posts two days in a row? Who am scheduling posts before classes started and all that. 

I was recently contacted by Myprotein to review and test out a few of their products. I also wrote a great little article for their blog about how to train for a 10K called So You've Run Your First 5K. 

Myprotein is an online nutrition brand in Europe that is just starting to break into the US market.  They have lots of products on their website including protein powders, protein cookies, and pre-workouts.  

After perusing the site I settled on trying out their smooth peanut butter (obvious choice), beef jerky (original), Impact Whey Protein (unflavored), and BCAA powder (tropical storm). 

The beef jerky is a really great snack to eat when I'm on the go in between classes or want something savory that has some protein in it. It seemed to be a pretty high quality jerky which was surprising. 

The peanut butter at first seemed pretty basic-just 100% peanuts in a huge jar (that only retails for $7.50). I was shocked by how much I liked this however. It seemed to be a lot smoother and less oily or runny than other natural peanut butters.The taste was really delicious, and it also didn't get super hard when I refrigerated it.  

The Impact Whey Protein is also really reasonably priced and was surprisingly great despite the basic ingredient of 100% whey (along with soy lechtin) in the unflavored variety I received.  The protein powder mixed really well and wasn't grainy at all. I used it in smoothies, oatmeal, and mixed with yogurt. For the unflavored  protein the macros were awesome with one scoop containing only 100 calories, 0 g of carbs, 0g of sugar, and 20g of protein.  I usually am limited by protein flavors I have for things (like always having only vanilla or chocolate when I need the opposite)  so it was refreshing to actually have some unflavored protein I could add to anything. 

I go back and forth on how I feel about BCAA. I know that they are awesome for recovery, but I'm not really a huge powdered supplement person because I usually forget to mix it up or don't like the flavor. This mix contains a 2:1:1 ratio of Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine which according to Myprotein go straight to the muscles to replenish stores and start recovery right away. Honestly I hate fruit punch flavors, but the tropical flavor wasn't too bad. I could fairly easily gulp down two little scoops of this mixed with water. 

I decided to make a sweet treat with my protein goodies-shocking. I whipped up a batch of protein cookies with the peanut butter and whey. While I'm against making everything a protein cookie or treat (because real cookies will always be better duh), I do eat a mixture of  healthier, more nutritious snacks in addition to actual treats. I liked having these around as something to munch on immediately after a run, after dinner, or as a snack while I decided what my actual snack would be. 

PEANUT BUTTER Protein COOKIES

Author: breathedeeplyandsmile.com

Total time: 18-20 mins

Makes: 10 cookies

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (I used Myprotein peanut butter)

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup sugar*

1/2 cup (~2 scoops) unflavored* <yprotein whey protein powder 

1 whole egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp baking soda

1.4 tsp of salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350F. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until combined. 

Spoon & roll out 10 balls onto a line baking sheet. Press done cookies gently with a fork. 

Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.  Allow cookies to cool and firm up. Enjoy!

*For the sugar I used stevia-use whatever sugar & sweetener you prefer. 

*I used Myprotein unflavored whey but you can substitute for a vanilla or peanut butter protein powder.  

Ready to go in the oven! 

This cookies came out a little crumblier than normal cookies so check on them around 8 minutes and be sure to let them sit and cool before eating. I few really messy, crumbly ones made the perfect topping for yogurt!  Let me know if you try these out. 

I'm no food blogger, but c'mon these look pretty good. 

Overall I was pretty impressed with the prices, high-quality products, and selection over at Myprotein. If you do a lot of online shopping, check them out. I know for US orders shipping is only $5.95 and is free for orders over $70. 

Have you ever purchased an unflavored protein powder? What is your favorite protein packed snack? 

Charles Street 12 Miler 2015 Recap

Be sure to enter my Momentum Jewelry shoe Footnotes giveaway going on until 9/21!

It's been a while since I've written a race recap, and I'm still a little behind on a few.

This past Saturday was the Charles Street 12 Miler or as it's affectionately dubbed now, Chuck 12.  I have run it the past two years since it was created (2014 and 2013 recaps) and it's always a fun race to kick off the fall race season. 

Yes, I rocked this awesome shirt from Charm City Run during the race!

Despite it being advertised as downhill (the keyword is net), it has a bunch of rolling hills through the course which mostly follows historic Charles Street from Baltimore County to downtown in Baltimore City. It's a really nice route that is unique for races in the city.  

I picked up my race packet the Thursday before and grabbed my super nice Under Armour pullover premium which is a blueish green lightweight sweatshirt.  The B3 Challenge premium for women ended up being a maroon Under Armour bag. It's not as nice as the backpack from last year but it's better than another race shirt.  

Due to being a crazy runner lady who is training for a marathon, I had to get in 3 miles before the race. I took a slow jog down Charles Street to the Inner Harbor which is actually part of the race route. When I got back I quickly ate some peanut butter and banana toast and drank some Nuun Energy.  Sarah's boyfriend drove us up to Kenilworth in Towson for the start with about 30 minutes to spare until go time which meant port-a-potty and chatting time. My goal was to use this race as a race-pace training run like I did last year and attempt to keep my pace around 8:00 minutes/mile. 

The start seemed less crazy crowded than last year but maybe I had just found a good spot near the 1:35 pacer. My legs were feeling a little tight & stiff, but I didn't really stretch out before the race which is bad. I also was taking a self-timer selfie and experienced an attempted photobomb by my fellow Gundalow ambassador lady Jami (who had an awesome race!). This photo is all that was left. 

The weather on race morning was cooler than it had been, around 70 degrees but with ~80% humidity. Ugh the humidity is my running nemesis.  As the race went on I was really grateful for all the cloud cover and intermittent breezes of course. 

The first 5 miles in Towson were a bit of a blur. My legs were feeling a little heavy and the rolling hills didn't help that.  After running it the past two years I am well aware that it is a (keyword) net downhill race. There were plenty of manned water stops in the first half of the race which is always nice. 

That elevation profile though. (source)

I also was having a really hard time with my Nathan waistpack. It was so freaking annoying especially because I know I didn't really need to carry water but wanted to simulate the marathon in this pace race. After trying a few different hydrations options other than the fuelbelt this trianing cycle, I settled on the waistpack. Today however, I could not get it into a comfortable position and had to keep fidgeting with it and pushing it down to a tight spot above my hips. It was really distracting and frustrating.  

I also was getting really antsy because lots of my friends and November Project people were running a fast race. I ran a few miles a bit faster than I wanted but was proud of myself for reigning it in and sticking to my marathon training race pace. Holding yourself back and allowing yourself to be passed is a humble quality to have as a runner! 

Once we got into the city I was a lot more comfortable, mostly because I run in the city all the time.  Once you hit Mt. Vernon around miles 9-10, my stomping grounds ,there is a few more hills and a big downhill which I saw some people struggling. After the fast downhill you head into Federal Hill for a little roundabout before coming along the Inner Harbor towards PowerPlant for the last couple of miles.   

At this point I smiled for the camera a bunch and was happy to be almost done the race. I had a lot harder of a time keeping a steady pace, unlike last year, so I was feeling discouraged about the possibility of trying to run around 8:00 minute miles for a whole marathon.  I picked up the pace a bunch that last mile and felt great finishing. I even managed to say hi to Lauren at the finish, who had a great race as well.  

At the finish line I grabbed my boxed lunch and said hi to lots of people. I got a surprisngly cold can of beer as well of course! At first I only ate the chocolate chip cookie (#sweettoothforlife) from the boxed lunch, but I ended up hanging out with friends for a while and finishing off the turkey wrap and apple as well. Not bad, but I wish they would maybe do bagels & bananas instead of sandwiches since I was really in the mood for breakfast #2 after the race. Breakfast always > lunch. 

As always Charm City Run keeps trying to make this race better and better.  I do wish they would move the race back to late August because Labor Day weekend was too late and too busy for many people in my opinion. 

The only race hiccup I had this year was my results didn't track with my bib. I couldn't find my results posted after the race and then didn't see them on the website when I got home. At first I thought maybe my bib just got really messed up from my waistpack rubbing against it and causing it to look crappy, but apparently some others had problems as well. My Garmin said I finished around 1:33, but apparently they had a backup system and gave me my official time, even though I still didn't see it online. 

My official time was 1:32:55, around a 7:45 pace which is about a minute faster than last year.

You can check out the course preview here and should definitely be on the look out to run this great Baltimore race.  

Have you ever had a timing chip malfunction? Do you like breakfast or lunch foods after a race?

This post was linked up with Wild Workout Wednesdays, The Fit Dish, and Tuesdays on the Run. 

2nd Annual Fall into Fitness Giveaway Hop-Momentum Footnotes

I love giveaways and enter a ton of them, especially blog-hosted ones. I mean, who doesn't love winning awesome prizes? That's why I was really excited to participate in Runaway Bridal Planner's health & fitness giveaway hop-the 2nd Annual Fall into Fitness Giveaway Hop! 

A blog hop is pretty much just a set of blog posts by different bloggers which are all linked up together.  For the giveaway hop, each blogger is hosting a different health & fitness giveaway , which is all linked up with all the other bloggers' health & fitness giveaways. You'll be able to see the links for all the other giveaways on the bottom of my blog post and hop over to other blogs to enter them all! 

It's also a really great way to find some new blogs, including Runaway Bridal Planner and this hop's co-host, Hoho Runs.  

The very first two weeks of my training cycle I hosted a Momentum wrap bracelet giveaway so now that the Fall races are quickly approaching, I'll be giving away two Momentum Footnotes. You can keep both and use them on different pairs of shoes, use one on each shoe, or give one to a friend! 



These lightweight aluminum pendants will not tarnish and are offered in over 30 inspirational mantras to choose from. I love adding these motivational charms to my shoelaces so that at the starting line or during tough miles in the race or training run, I can glance down and get an extra boost of motivation.  

Check Momentum Jewelry out on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

As always you can use my ambassador affiliate link to save 10% off any order! 

Please enter using the Rafflecopter below.  There will be one winner, US only (sorry!), and the giveaway is void where prohibited. Entries to the giveaway end 12:01 AM EST on Monday 9/21/2015.  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to hop over and check out all of these other great giveaways! 

WIAW #269 {Recent Eats in Photos}

Obviously full-time graduate school has made my blogging more sporadic, but there isn't much I can do about when I've got lots of reading and writing papers to do plus little sleep oh and that marathon training thing. Don't worry, I'm still eating lots and having plenty of treats #snacklife. There's been a lot of eggs, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, and ice cream in my life. I have a bunch of random food photos on my phone so here's a little photo dump of some of my recent more interesting & delicious eats for What I Ate Wednesdays.  

I've really been digging egg sandwiches again. Definitely need to whip some up next week for on-the-go breakfasts. This extra delicious bacon & egg sandwich is from my favorite neighborhood spot-Doobys. 

I finally found a few places to trek to that carry Elli Quark. I was skeptical since it's technically a creamy German-style cheese which sounds weird. However it tastes like a less-sour greek yogurt with just a slightly different texture. It's loaded with protein, and this vanilla flavor was absolutely delicious with the last of my homemade Jersey peach jam on top. 

All of my classes are in one building on campus which happens to be dangerously close to the campus Jamba Juice. I've never had it before (which is shocking), but don't worry, now I've had it three times so far. This kale smoothie was a good option for a veggie-packed snack. Since it's pricey I foresee these being a rare treat!

I made this Cashew Chicken Stir Fry a few weeks back with a few of my own tweaks and have since made it again. It's an easy, delicious  dinner and makes great leftovers (if there are any!).

Labor Day weekend was full of good eats and treats, as it should be. My boyfriend went to one of the best Italian food spots in Baltimore to grab some homemade ricotta cheese and lunch.  DiPasquale's is an Italian market that has a deli counter and serves awesome food-it was even featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. I usually go for their lasagna, meatballs, or a sandwich. My boyfriend and I ended up splitting a pizza and Italian coldcut sandwich. I thought the pizza was just okay so I ended up eating half of the sandwich and only one slice of pizza. This was post-long run so I could definitely pack away some food! 

After some heavier meals on Sunday I felt like something lighter for dinner. I ended up grabbing this Mediterranean salad with shrimp from Poets. It was exactly what I wanted with shrimp, feta, kalamata olives, tomatoes, and cucumbers. I totally plan on recreating this soon.  

On Labor Day a bunch of us crazy November Project-Baltimore tribe members left Baltimore at 5 AM to trek down to November Project-DC's Monday workout at Meridian Hill Park. After #hillsforbreakfast we got some serious breakfast at Commissary which was delicious. I had to go for the short stack of blueberry pancakes with a side of eggs. You bet I cleaned my plate.  Breakfast food is my favorite!

Yesterday was the monthly Shack Track & Field run, which is always one of my favorite days of the month. I ended up going with the weekly special milkshake-Peanut Butter & Jelly. It mostly tasted like peanut butter but was still super delicious. I'm a PB&J addict-I actually had one right after I got home from school before the run! 

This post was linked up with Tasty Tuesdays, Wild Workout Wednesdays, and The Fit Dish. 

What was something delicious you've eaten recently? Did you have a yummy meal over the holiday weekend? 

Empowered by Gundalow Event {featuring Baltimore-area fitness classes and post-sweat fun}

Summer may be coming to an end but there is plenty of fun just around the corner. Come out  September 20th from 11am - 3pm for a special fun and fitness event put on by Gundalow Juice, Baltimore’s first cold-pressed juice company that I love (and love being one of their ambassadors!)

Empowered by Gundalow is an event that you won't want to miss.

What? 

Purchase tickets online separately for the workout and the post-sweat celebration.

The workout ticket is $35 and includes one fitness class (specified when purchasing) as well as an Under Armour top.

The post-sweat celebration ticket is $15 for a mini-party at Ryleigh’s Oyster in Federal Hill and Timonium includes 2 drink vouchers, snacks, fun with Pixilated Photobooth and more.

When? 

Sunday September 20^th starting at 11 AM in Baltimore City and Baltimore County

Who? 

A variety of fitness studios are holding classes you can sign up for as part of the event including:

Beachfit (Baltimore)-Soul Body Barre with Emily Lobaugh

REV Cycle Studio (Baltimore)-Spin with Nick Rodricks (starts at 11:30 AM)

Pop Physique (Baltimore)- Barre with Jackie and Keely Knopp

Bare Hills (Baltimore)-Spin with Allison Woodward

Wellbridge Harbor East (formerly MAC, Baltimore)-Pilates with Jason Williams

Under Armour CTC (Baltimore)-Yoga with LA Finfinger

Charm City Run (McHenry Row, Baltimore)-Fun Run with Lauren Seserko (aka me!)

Baltimore Yoga Village (Hampden, Baltimore)- Hatha Yoga with Mina

Meadowbrook (Baltimore)-Yoga with Hilary Phelps

Why? 

A portion of the proceeds from the event will go to benefit the Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Yoga-Based Psychotherapy Initiative.  It’s a really awesome cause that you can read more about it and some other great things KKI does here.

I’d love to see tons of people for the fun run at Charm CityRun, I’m thinking it’ll be a beautiful run out and back along the Inner Harbor (maybe around 3-4 miles).

If you have any questions or trouble ordering, feel free to reach out to Gundalow on social media or via email. Also give me a shout-out on social media to let me know you’re going. 

Make it date with friends as a Sunday Funday and get your sweat and drink on with Gundalow Juice, all before the Ravens game!