healthy

Yes, that is two Kombuchas you see hanging out in my fridge. It’s funny- for a drink I think tastes gross, I’ve got quite the big craving for it! Part of it might just be placebo, but I feel clean and light after drinking these. I’ll work through these two throughout the week. So far I’ve tried Mango and Strawberry… next up I have Multi-green and Raspberry Rush. Ummm… yum?

Yesterday Ryan and I started the week off right with a 90 minute power yoga class. Holy sweat! We are loyal to College Park Yoga. The teachers/owners are welcoming and really encourage us to own our practice and listen to our bodies. I try to let that message continue to the rest of my life, too :)

  After yoga Ryan and I walked over to Infusion Tea, a little vegetarian teahouse/cafe near the studio. We were overwhelmed with yummy choices but I eventually settled on their 1/2 and 1/2 lunch combo with Tempeh Chili and the Milton Special salad.

From the menu: “Milton Special-vegan-Organic field greens, roasted beets, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, tomato, cucumber, hummus and tabouleh with balsamic dressing.”

The hummus was super-creamy, the tabouleh the best I’ve ever had and the balsamic dressing was more like a sweet glaze. The tempeh chili had big chunks of tempeh, beans and peppers. It was perfect.

Ryan got a great vegan chili cheese burrito! And thanks to Miss Ryan for the photos… I left my camera at home and was forced to use her gorgeous Nikon!

   I promise to actually blog all of my meals soon! I’ve been quite busy studying, eating Zbars (yum.) and finishing the cupcakes from my birthday :-) 

To Gym or Not to Gym

As you might know I’ve been studying with NASM to get my personal trainer certification for a few months now. The exam has been scheduled for October 13th. Right now I’m taking advantages of guest passes at my local gyms to figure out which feels like the best fit for me to work at (or for me to want to work at… I’ll need to get hired!).

For the past few months, other than a weekly yoga class, I’ve been exercising only outside the gym- bike rides, runs outside, strength training at the park or my living room, and yoga next to my bed. I find my workouts have been more intense, more exciting and much more efficient than when I belonged to a gym. My workouts are less on auto-pilot when I’m outside or in my own home. I’ve also saved money from membership fees and saved the time it takes to drive to and from a gym.

But for many people the gym works best for them. Having a place dedicated to fitness makes it easier for some to get a good workout. There’s also a high level of motivation that comes from group classes and other gym benefits.

I’ve been to good gyms and bad gyms. There have been gyms that I want to spend the whole day in and some where I feel closed in and am itching to get out after five minutes. I want to work in a gym that is set up in a way that is easy for my clients to follow a program with the tools they need. Also, a gym should feel positive and welcoming.

I’ll report back on what I find visiting these new gyms!

Do you prefer working out inside or outside the gym? If you belong to a gym, what made you choose yours?

Thank you for all the birthday wishes left on my last post and over on Twitter! I did have a great 21st birthday.

The day kicked off at 5:20 a.m. so we could get ready for Miracle Miles. We ended up getting a little lost trying to find parking for the race… something I hate. We finally got to the race site 10 minutes before race start time and immediately got in line for the port-o-potties. We ran out of time waiting in the line and had to rush to race start as the race began. I had oatmeal and tons of water in my belly and I wasn’t happy about running 9.3 miles while having to go to the bathroom. That was where my negative thinking started. Running is a mind game and my mind wasn’t positive at race start so my run didn’t go as well as I had hoped. I finished in around 1 hour 42 minutes… about 12 minutes faster than I had expected.

I was bummed during the race but immediately forgot all of that when I met up with an awesome group of runners at the finish line!

Meghann, Kelly, Megan, Debbie, Caitlin, Ryan, Katy, Sarah and most of their other halves were there and ready for a race-side picnic!

Megan and Meghann made some awesome vegan chocolate PB cupcakes, Ryan brought OJ and vegan cream cheese and Caitlin delivered with bagels and cream cheese. These girls were prepared!

Thanks again girls (and guys!) for being so sweet!

I might have snuck a Starbucks venti passion tea in the morning as well :)

Post-picnic David and I promptly headed home to eat, shower and plan what was next! I oddly felt like visiting the Orlando Premium Outlets about 40 minutes from our house. I usually hate shopping, but we went with it :)

The sky was extra gorgeous for me :)

We found some interesting shoes there! I find outlets to be silly with claims of big sales but a reality of too-high prices, but we had fun anyway!

I actually found a new running hat and purse I’ve been looking for! I was a big spender at $33 :)

For dinner I asked for an Italian restaurant that had pizza and was close. Carrabba’s was on an hour wait so we went to Macaroni Grill.

I had lots of free bread while looking over the menu… while David ate his salad… during dinner… and a little but afterward :) It’s my birthday and I can eat lots of bread if I want to!

It was an awesome birthday date with David and the setting was beautiful, but I thought the food left plenty to be desired. My veggie pizza could have had more interesting veggies and flavor. I was shaking so much pepper on this for flavor! (Plus the crust was burnt!) We decided it’s Carrabba’s next time :)

After dinner we caught a late showing of the Informant. I’d tell you how it was if I was awake for more than half of it :) It was passed my bedtime! I know, I’m a party animal, even on my 21st birthday.

I should also add that there were plenty of cupcakes involved in my day! Yum :)

Today is back to real life. I’m wrapping up studying for my NASM certified personal trainer exam and planning out the next week of running. I’ve been running long, but I also want to run fast!

Next week I’ll be celebrating my birthday with my family back home, so the party hasn’t ended quite yet…!

Enjoy the last bit of your weekend :)

What’s your favorite cupcake?

1. Allagash Fluxus
2. Allagash Interlude (2009)
3. Bruery Partridge in a Pear Tree is back!!! (Limited Quantities)

Drink you crazy Viking!

dave hauslein

beer manager

415-255-0610

I love birthday cards :)

I have two hours left before work… two hours to blog, walk Dixie, do yoga, prep for tomorrow’s race (someone remind me why I volunteered to wake up at 5:30am on a Saturday, much less my birthday!?) and get ready for work. I couldn’t not blog my food, so this baby is going to be quick!

Yesterday I had a banana and way too much homemade flax-cinnamon-almond butter before running a hot 3.5 miles. Last run before the race!

I had my last vitaminwater10 before meeting a friend for lunch. My BFF from back home, Becca, moved to Orlando shortly after I did and yesterday was the first time I was able to see her since we moved. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world!

We had the perfect date: Chipotle salads for lunch, Whole Foods for browsing and essentials and Jeremiah’s for Italian Ice!

At Jeremiah’s I had the same thing as last time: 1/2 p-nutty and 1/2 pina colada. I want this in lieu of a birthday cake tomorrow. HINT.

Synergy Kombucha’s might taste like nasty vinegar, but my last one really left me feeling light and alive. I told Becca this was “yoga in a bottle.” I had half a Strawberry Serenity yesterday. The strawberry isn’t as gross as the mango!

      I also had plenty more almond butter. Confession: I added a bit of sugar to my mix. I know, I’m a horrible “healthy” blogger… but it makes the AB so much more addicting!

I also had afternoon snacks and dinner, but for the sake of keeping it interesting…

  Uh-oh! Guess who I caught chilling on the bed! Jack and Dixie.. my babies. These photos also prove that Dixie doesn’t consider me the boss whatsoever. She’s not allowed on the bed but didn’t care that I caught her. If David had walked into the room she’d be off that bed so fast!

This morning I enjoyed naner-oats with ALMOND BUTTER! ..iced green tea..

Lunch was simple and amazing. Half a block of baked tofu (with Country Bob’s sauce, hot sauce + seasonings) and broc. Yum.  I’ll have snacks and dinner today too, but again, let’s keep this interesting!

I’m all set for tomorrow’s Miracle Miles 15K! I even have oatmeal, shot blocks and a SIGG with water in the fridge ready to go!

Next time I see you I’ll be 21. It makes no difference to me since I won’t drink, but woot woot I love birthdays!

Since my accidental 16.5 mile run and significant increase in mileage, I’ve been thinking a lot about my progress with running- not so much in an ‘I’m so proud of myself’ way, but more of an ‘anyone can really run’ fashion.

When I started running, I was convinced I wasn’t a runner. I had never exercised growing up  and running a mile seemed like a mountain to me. Even when I started running, it didn’t come easy.

I started the Couch to 5K plan Feb. 2008 because I wanted to run a 5K. There was something I felt when I’d run (even if I’d only run for 1 minute) that was addicting- and I wanted more. I love this post about the first time I ran 8 minutes. I was in such disbelief!

I ran the 5K (slowly) and that October I challenged myself to a later 10K and half marathon. I remember telling people about the races I signed up for. 13.1 miles? There was a part in me that didn’t think I’d ever run that far.

I ran the 10K fine, but before the half I got sick and seriously contemplated quitting. That was the first time I really felt the love/hate pull running brings. Don’t worry- I ended up running (and feeling on top of the world from it)- so much so that I ran another half less than two months later! Sadly I got my shin splints before the second half which brought on many more love/hate experiences.

The next few months I was down and out. My shin splints hurt so bad that it made running impossible. After 5 months of basically no running, I slowly started back with running this July. Working past 2, 3, 4 and eventually 5 miles was tough and liberating. But I had to run- I had spontaneously signed myself up for the Disney Marathon (1/10/10)!

When I started running 1 mile was my challenge. A year later the half marathon was my challenge. This year it’s the marathon. I’ve learned that I have to push myself one step farther than I think I can go. Each impossible I’ve tackled has established a new possible.

Now when people hear I ran 14 miles before work or 16.5 miles last week, they say, “good for you, but I could never do that. I can’t even run a mile!” Oh how wrong they are!

Two years ago 1 mile was tough for me… now I’m training for 26.2. The journey is challenging and rewarding, but most of all it is possible.

At the start of this year I published Real Life Running Tips from the Almost Runner. I still believe in all of those; only now I would add this: find passions outside of running. It could be cycling, yoga, dancing, volunteering, mountain climbing… but do something else that you can be successful at. If you have a bad run or an injury takes you out, you can think back on your successes outside of running.

What have you accomplished that you never thought you would?

*I will be back to blogging about food soon! I have a fun lunch planned that I can’t wait to share :)

Apparently tonight’s fortune cookie knows my birthday is Saturday!?

Howdy!

Sorry for my absence yesterday. I ran 14 miles, worked 7 hours, got the fridge fixed and cleaned up, and studied a ton for my NASM CPT exam. I was a tired little blogger who never got to actually photographing any meals or posting!

Today David picked up our race packets for the Miracle Miles 15K (for me) and 5K (for David) that we’re doing this Saturday. Kicking my birthday off with a race… other than the early wake-up time, it can’t get much better!

I was super-excited to see 21 listed as my age since SATURDAY IS MY BIRTHDAY!

*side note to the Orlando ladies also running Miracle Miles- the shirts are huge!!

Well.. I was all set to talk about something specific but it seems everyone is going to bed except me. How about I head to bed and we catch up in the morning? Good night!

1. NOGNE-O TYTTEBAER-Wild ale brewed with Scandinavian Cranberries. Very limited quantities.
2. NOGNE-O IMPERIAL STOUT
3. NOGNE-O TIGER TRIPEL
4. EKU 28
5. KULMBACHER EISBOCK
6. GEANTS SAISON VOISIN 12oz.
7. JANDRAIN IV SAISON
8.KERKOM BINK BLONDE
9.KERKOM BINK TRIPEL
10. KERKOM BINK BRUIN 12oz.
11.THIRIEZ AMBER is back!
12.MIKKELLER SINGLE HOP CASCADE IPA
13. MIKKELLER SINGLE HOP NUGGET IPA
14. HANDBRYGGIERT NORWEGIAN WOOD
15. HANDBRYGGIERT NORSE PORTER
16.HANDBRYGGIERT DARK FORCE
17.DIEU DU CIEL PECHE MORTEL is back!
18. OLIVER'S HEREFORDSHIRE MEDIUM CIDER

Enjoy!

dave hauslein
beer manager
415-255-0610

Saturday I was lucky to go out with some awesome Orlando bloggers- Meghann, Lindsay, Megan, Ryan & Sarah! We went to Mellow Mushroom and shared two big veggies pizzas- sans cheese or butter. Perfect.

To add to the perfection we hit up local Jeremiah’s for some Italian Ice afterward. I ordered a medium p-nutty and pina colada. I’m officially an addict and will be back for more!

Sunday was busy with work in the morning… and our refrigerator dying when I got home. We buy everything in bulk from Costco so we rely on our fridge and freezer to carry pricey items that should last us a while. Even with the 70 pounds of bagged ice we bought last night, we still lost lots of food. We should be getting a new fridge today. I did fit in a fast 3.5 miles that night. It was my first run after the accidental 16.5 mile run and I was surprised at how strong I felt. Love that!

This morning I was thrilled to meet Ryan for some power yoga to start the week off right. After all, it is kind of my birthday week, right? :) (My 21st is Saturday!)

I started off the morning with a much-need strawberry green monster and granola bar.

Whole Foods is on my drive home and with a broken fridge I decided some WF goodness was necessary for lunch. I enjoyed this plate of goodness… along with more tofu and rosemary baked potatoes that disappeared before the photo. Funny how that happens ;) I’m currently sipping on some vitaminwater10 in go-go! Review soon!

What’s your favorite way to start off a new week on the right foot? Is it a good workout, extra sleep, or maybe a comforting meal?