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? 

Marathon Training Week 10 and Friday Favorites 8/30/13

The Road to 26.2 -Marathon Training Week 10

Runs:

Short runs: My training group revisited our 2 mile time trials for our speedwork session this week. One of the first speed sessions we did as a group was a two mile time trial so this was a great way to see any progress made since the beginning of training. My time was around 20 seconds or so faster which is great, since it was already pretty speedy. I had a pretty crappy day so I channeled a lot of negative energy into the run and went out just a bit too fast.  It's been a little warmer and more humid than it had the past few weeks so I got in a couple sweaty short runs this week too. 

Long Run- Saturday was an easy 12 mile long run week. I actually felt great, even with my training buddies running a faster pace than we probably should have been-it was almost as fast as that 12 mile race we ran! It was a nice, flat run along the water in downtown Baltimore.

What was awesome last week:  Staying stress-free about getting my workouts in.  If my legs kill and I'm at work late and feel like crap, that probably means I should take a rest day. If I make it to Crossfit that's great. If not, it's okay.  As long as I keep a few runs with a long run, a week I'm going to be okay.  

What I need to work on this week: I've been having lots of tummy trouble so my eating hasn't really been on point.  I don't really know how to figure out what my triggers are besides crappy food, lots of dairy, gluten, and STRESS.  I'm going to try to take it easy (besides some beers this weekend!) and keep it fairly clean to get my body balanced and get my IBS flare-up under control.  

Training wise, it was a pretty solid week, and I haven't let my stomach problems get in the way of my miles!

Favorite snack: Chocolate Avocado Pudding

If you don't have protein powder, you can just omit it!

I whipped this baby up last night after having some overripe avocados in the fridge to use up and a hankering for something sweet (okay, so I could always go for something sweet, but still).  I added protein powder to make it super filling, but you could totally leave it out. It came out delicious and was one of those snacks where I was sad I didn't eat it slower and totally licked the bowl clean.  

Favorite food find: MINI Chiquita bananas

I picked these up at Harris Teeter last week during my grocery shopping and almost squealed at how cute they are. Everything is cuter when it's mini. It's the little things, people.

Favorite accessory: J. Crew Factory mint green necklace

Last time I was in A.C. I picked up this necklace for 30% an already awesome factory outlet price. I LOVE anything mint green and have already worn it twice this week. 

Favorite labor day deal: Delta Labs Labor Day sale

I know I mentioned this earlier but again, Delta Labs is having a Labor Day sale where all orders will be 50% with the coupon code"LABORDAY" when you place an order through their site here! 

If you are looking for some great women's health and wellness supplements check out Delta Labs products including their newly improved vegan Hair, Skin & Nails Formula which has even more biotin added! I've been taking biotin for months now to help with my weak, chipping nails and it definitely helps!

It's a holiday weekend, and besides the Grand Prix wreaking it's traffic havoc in downtown Baltimore, it should be lovely!  I'll be staying put in the city and enjoying some time outdoors in the beautiful weather. My family will be visiting, and I can't wait to hang out with them.  Enjoy the last weekend of summer!

                   Do you have any plans or travelling going on for the long weekend? 

Something Old, Something New-Long Run Hydration products

Something old, something new, something borrowed (okay, so it was actually sent to me for free)...you know how the wedding saying goes.

Today I've got a quick post on some of the products I've been using for hydration for marathon training, especially during/after those long runs! I'm usually a straight water drinker for runs.  Before marathon training, if I was doing a long distance I'd drink some Gatorade zero or mix up a bottle of half regular gatorade/half water for during/after my run. I still use that sometimes but decided to experiment with some products. With marathon training, there is a lot of focus on having proper nutrition and hydration (especially with that heat we had in the beginning of the summer!). I've found a few products that are now in my rotation that seem to work well for my long runs.

1. Something old: Chocolate Zico Coconut Water

I love coconut water in general, but this chocolate zico water has my heart. I've been drinking it for a while, but especially love it as a tasty treat after my runs.

 It tastes like a more delicious Yoo-Hoo, which I used to have with lunch all the time when I was younger (even though I know now that it's a a weird chocolate beverage and not chocolate milk?!?).  Zico has potassium and electrolytes  which makes it an excellent hydration choice.  Don't worry, this chocolate flavor is gluten free and dairy free too! I particularly like this post-run and sometimes add some chocolate protein powder and shake it up in the bottle for a nice recovery drink! 

I picked this up a few bottles at Trader Joe's but most grocery stores carry Zico now. For more info look at Zico's website!

2. Something new: Nuun

I had first tried nuun at the Nike Women's DC Half in April. Nuun was a sponsor and had a taste testing at the expo and served it along the course.  I've picked up a couple tubes in the strawberry lemonade active hydration flavor since and have been loving having it in my water bottles during a long run. 

It is an effervescent tab, reminiscent of Alka-Seltzer, that you mix with 16 oz. of water .It does not look like much, but actually packs a punch with electrolytes and sodium with virtually no carbs and sugar. It's made for rapid absorption to get your body replenished quickly! The effervescence can be off-putting to some people. I find that I mix it with maybe a little more water than directed so it's less fizzy and am sure that I stir it really well before drinking.  

You can buy nuun at most sporting or running stores and online!

3. Something sent: ORAL I.V.

Disclaimer: I was sent ORAL I.V. for free to review. No compensation was given for this post. All opinions are my own. 
I was excited to receive my sample of ORAL I.V. because I've been really interested in ways to stay hydrated lately.  I received 2 packs, each with little plastic tubes four tubes inside. It's a colorless, tasteless, liquid that you can drink right out of the tube or mix into water. I mixed it in a glass of water right before my long run last week.  The night before my run I hadn't drank as much water as I should have and had a few glasses of wine, oops. 

I didn't feel at all dehydrated during my run which may be because of the ORAL I.V., who knows! The website says it's an ultra concentrated rapid hydration formula that supports faster recovery and production of energy, facilitates removal of cellular waster by-products, and helps maintain heightened alertness and concentration.  They claim the product contains no sugars, stimulants-including caffeine, additives, preservatives, or artificial ingredients. 

Also, it doesn't replace electrolytes or water, so I used nuun in my water bottle during my long run after taking this.   I'll probably finish up the packs and see if I notice any difference. It's not been evaluated by the FDA, but says it was first made available to the military and has a slew of testimonials on their website.  Check out ORAL I.V. on facebook or their website  for information about purchasing!

Let me know if you try any of these products out or what your favorite way to hydrate is!

Tuesday Ramblings

Here's to the last week of summer. How depressing. I missed my usual Marvelous in my Monday  post yesterday due to a crazy day at work, rushing around to get books and such for the class I'm taking this semester, and being really exhausted.  I had a touch of food poisoning or something on Friday which left me feeling pretty blah all weekend. Here's a few things on my mind this Tuesday. 

1. I haven't gone camping or anything this summer (sad, I know) so I haven't had a chance to have s'mores.  I decided to make some in my microwave on Saturday, even though it's kinda lame, it was still delicious!

 I used Hershey's chocolate with almonds, gluten-free marshmallows from Whole Foods, and these AMAZING homemade graham crackers! It was a pretty awesome dessert and the crackers were gluten free, paleo, and vegan.  I didn't have the yacon the recipe called for so I used half maple syrup, half molasses.

2. I finally went to a yoga class last night for the first time in a long while. I was really tight and need to work on my mobility but can still do crow pose and a back bend.  I'm definitely going to try to work it into my schedule at least once a week. It helped start of my week in a mindful state and will probably help with some of the aches and pains I'm feeling right now from marathon training!

3. Delta Labs, the makers of awesome women's health and wellness supplements, is having a Labor Day sale on Monday where all orders will be 50% with the coupon code "LABORDAY" when you place an order through their site here! 

 I've been using the Acai + vitamins and definitely notice an increase in my energy! I'll post later this week about all the swag I was sent as a Delta Labs Ambassador! Remember my coupon code "BREATHEBLOG" gets you $5 off your order any day if you miss out this deal (unfortunately both coupon codes cannot be combined!).

4. People are still talking about Miley Cyrus at the VMAs. C'mon guys, we all knew she was crazy pants. I was watching Breaking Bad and Newsroom while the VMAs were on and just watched the performances online later that night because everyone was talking about them. 

I still hate Taylor Swift but love that she got caught dropping the f-bomb about Harry Styles on TV as Selena tries to look away. 

 Miley is still laughing her way to the bank right now. But I do love all the memes and gifs that have come out of it. Like this one of my boy Drake waiting for her performance to be over.

Final thing to say about the VMAs,  Lady Gaga and Justin Timberlake are still amazing. 

5. To update on my own little happiness project, I got a bit of  frozen yogurt this weekend and have a manicure scheduled for later this week.  I'm also in the process of updating my Mint.com account. Go me. 

6. A new baby panda was born at the National Zoo and had it's first checkup! Pandas are my favorite so you bet I'll be making a trip down to the zoo once it gets a little bigger. Look at it's little smile!

From this Huffington Post article

The panda couple there had some problems getting pregnant and Mei Xiang, the panda mommy, delivered a stillborn twin right after this one. I hope all goes well with this baby. Apparently there were two tiger cubs born as well, which are both equally as cute. 

You can follow their progress here!

Do you have a favorite animal? Did watch the VMAs?

Marathon Training Week 9 and Friday Favorites

If you missed my post yesterday about being happy NOW not tomorrow, check it out here. Life has been crazy, as I mentioned yesterday so here's a quick training update and some things I've been loving lately!

The Road to 26.2 -Marathon Training Week 9

Runs:

Short runs: My training group speedwork session was a longer session of mile repeats with 2 miles back to back in the middle at marathon pace. I was running a little faster than my marathon pace so I need to work on actually keeping a slower, steadier pace so I can get used to that feeling on race day, especially at the beginning. There was some running in a couple Crossfit WODs, and I went to my box's new endurance running group which was essentially some sprint work.  My legs were burning by the end but adding more speedwork could be a good thing for me!

Long Run- This week was 18 miles with the group out at the local reservoir. 18 miles on a Saturday morning, what?! We ran two 9 mile loops which actually was nice because I usually break up mileage in my mind to make the distances seem less daunting. . My feet were a little sore, and I felt really blah around mile 13.  I worked on proactively fueling and pushing myself through it. Luckily, the weather was still cooler and most of the run was shaded by trees. I talked a bunch to people which made the miles go by faster.  I fueled post workout and immediately took a long nap. 

What was awesome last week:  I ate a lot more carbohydrates and protein and more food in general (not snacking, actual thoughtful meals and snacks!) and felt great. My body is loving more fueling food which made a big difference in how I felt throughout this week of training. 

What I need to work on this week: This week I still need to work on getting enough sleep. Repeat of last week but the hardest thing for me to do so I'll try extra hard this week.  Also I need to drink a lot of water on Saturdays, post long run, to fight fatigue and getting crazy HANGRY (hungry+angry if you are unfamiliar with this term!)

Training wise, it was pretty solid, even though my legs definitely felt all the miles. 

Favorite snack: White Chocolate Raspberry Quest Bar
I know Quest bars and I go way back, but I JUST received an order of bars yesterday and finally got to try this new flavor.

I LOVE getting packages of goodies!

 It tastes amazing. I'm a dark chocolate lover so I wasn't sure how I'd feel about the white chocolate flavor. However, it's not overpowering and there is a ton of flavor from the raspberry part, which tastes like bits of raspberry jam in the bar. 

Favorite food: fresh meats from the farmer's market

My go to meat is boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but I decided to add some pork into the mix this week. I had a recipe for a corn, avocado, and tomato salad that included bacon so I decided to go get the real deal from the farmer's market and impulsively picked up some sage sausage.  The bacon and the salad was phenomenal.  Real deal bacon just tasted much better. Maybe I've just been eating too much turkey bacon, haha. Even better than the bacon was the sage sausage I had for dinner last night-it was phenomenal. Maybe it was just how the boyfriend cooked it up with coconut oil and more fresh sage and onions and greens but it was a phenomenal dinner. 

I ate probably a little more than I should because now my tummy is very full before bed, but I couldn't stop going back for more bites. The sausage tasted so fresh and flavorful. 

Favorite accessory: Kate Spade teal bow earrings

I ordered these beauties when Kate Spade was having an awesome online sale,and they finally arrived this week. They are simple, cute, and one of my favorite colors.  I wish I could afford more Kate Spade goodies!

awkward attempt to show them off

Favorite beauty product: 100% Tea tree oil 

I've been using pure tea tree oil  that I picked up at Walmart for a few months now to help keep my nose piercing clean and get rid of a keloid that had been forming (it's working!) after reading about its antibacterial and soothing properties online. I came across the use of tea tree oil for acne and finally tried it. I've been using it directly as a spot treatment by applying some tea tree oil on a cotton swab directly to a pimple and leaving it on overnight.  It reduces the redness and swelling overnight and clears it up my blemishes much faster than over products. I love all-natural alternatives that work well, and to boot, this little bottle cost me less than $10!  I think if the straight tea tree oil too harsh for your skin, you could try mixing it into some aloe vera or your facial moisturizer!

Do you have any big weekend plans? 

I have to get ready for a class that starts on Monday after a semester off (EEK), run, bake some cookies, and hopefully do some final summery things. I haven't had a s'mores all summer so I might have to make one in my fireplace, just saying. 

Tara Stiles took the words right out of my blog post?

Well I had a blog post in the works for today about my life being chaotic right now, and my decision this week to put my foot down and take care of myself. I was sick with a lingering head cold and pushing myself, stressed out about finances and school, which was manifesting itself in acne and more tummy troubles, and using shopping and nut butter as my therapy. There is no stopping the nut butter addiction, I'm not that silly. Still, I've been eating a lot of bananas with nut butter.  I just finished reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin which also is probably contributing to my wake up call.  

I open my email inbox today and see my all of the thoughts I was feeling and trying to express in my blog post, nicely said by the lovely yoga guru Tara Stiles in the blog emails I get from her. She stole the words right out of my head and blog post! (Go to her site to sign up-she always has nice musings, contests, and recipes!) 

I'm trying to put myself and my happiness first in life. My time and money and most of all, energy is precious so I'm not wasting it or doing things I don't want to do that I don't have to.  Being healthy and happy and taking care of yourself not only helps you, but makes you a better person to be around.  In the email Tara says "We all have our stress. It's a part of life. It comes and goes and comes and goes again. The trick I've learned along the way is to deal with it when it comes so we aren't only happy and calm when it's on a gone cycle. ". 
This is true and usually it's a balancing for me, but lately it has seemed I can't get a a good grip on everything in my life. 

I'm going to repost her 5 Simple Steps to Take Care of Yourself Now, along with a few of my own steps that I am personally going to take in the next week or so. I've bolded and highlighted some major points that I like from the list!  If you want to see Tara Stile's full blog post, click here!

"5 Simple Steps to Take Care of Yourself Now by Tara Stiles

1. Get enough sleep. Wind down your night by putting your phone and computer away. Don't fall asleep checking instagram. (I'm guilty so I'm just saying) Sleep is essential to your health. Get enough. Start tonight. Here is a routine to wind down your night. 

2. Prepare more meals for yourself. If you cook, you are going to pay attention to what you are eating. Get interested in the kitchen. Start preparing your meals. Some of my favorite super simple heathy meals are here.  

3. Spend your time wisely. Your time is more valuable than your money. Think about it. It's true. Spend your time with people that make you feel good. Align yourself with work that fuels your creativity. If you have a job that stresses you out, find ways to not let it consume and squash you.

4. Don't postpone your happiness. Your life is happening right now. Watch out for thoughts like, I'll be happy when this happens, or I'll be happy when this isn't happening any more. Make changes now that help you feel better so you can take care of your self.

5. And don't forget You are Perfect! There is nothing to fix. Cultivate and work toward things that inspire you and make habits of things that nurture you. Your health and your life isn't a goal, it's an ongoing experience that is happening right now. Enjoy!"

So I've mentioned frequently lately that I need to work on getting more sleep. I'm working on it. I've also mentioned that putting the phone, computer, etc. away helps because those bright lights from electronics disrupts melatonin production and keeps you awake longer! I've been pretty good at meal planning, packing lunches, and preparing lots of my own food so that doesn't really apply to me.   You are an awesome person, but everybody has areas they can improve upon. 

This whole blog post I had planned for today was focused around NOT postponing your happiness. We get so caught up in the day-to-day activities that time just passes, and then we realize we aren't having all that much fun.  Everyday, the good and the bad, is life. Don't say you'll be happy when you get through this busy stretch, when this major work project is over, when you lose 10 pounds. BE HAPPY RIGHT NOW! You don't know what tomorrow brings so live life the fullest, carpe diem, and all that jazz. 

5 Things I am doing this week to make myself happier

1. Painting my nails/toenails. I put this off and now my fingernails are chipped and toe nail polish has been on for a while so I'm going to have a glass of red wine this weekend and take the time to paint my nails. This seems like a silly thing to schedule but remember to pamper yourself, people. 
2. Taking a bath. Okay so this has two benefits. One, it is relaxing and two, my legs have been really sore. I saw that Carlyn from Just Keep Sweating  had instagrammed earlier this week that she was taking an epsom salt bath for her sore body. I just can't manage an ice bath right now, so a warm, scented, salt bath sounds wonderful right now. 
3. Getting some frozen yogurt. It's been a while since I've gone to a frozen yogurt shop, and I'm craving a delicious frozen treat with fresh fruit and chocolate chunks on top. Yum. 
4. Setting up a financial plan.  I have a lot of expenses right now, with more on the way, so I need to actually use the Mint.com account I set up and budget my money. I'm going to set aside some money from each paycheck to put into a savings account, along with a set amount of money set aside to spend on unnecessary spending since that is kind of on the fritz.  Lastly, I'm going to start a jar of loose change and extra dollar bills as a "happiness fund".  Once it's pretty full, I'll get it counted and spend it on something that will make me happy. 
5. I could teach you how to speak my language, Rosetta Stone. Okay so not really the Drake lyric reference but actually getting back in speaking French again. I minored in French in college (would've double majored if I had planned it out better) and haven't spoken it since graduating. It's a skill I'd like to maintain and improve so I'm going to look into dusting off some language books or finding an online program on the cheap to get back at it.  I can allot 30 minutes a day that would be spent surfing the internet (using that phrase makes me feel old) to studying some French.  

If you didn't read all this and are just scrolling here's the recap:

Life's too short to be anything but happy, and the time is now. 

I'll update you on my progress of course. 

What are some things that make you happy that you could work on doing?