Archive | October, 2010

All hours.

By on October 31, 2010 in green monster, Halloween, hungover, running

For some reason my sleeping schedule is a hot mess lately.

(Green monster [spinach, almond milk, 1/2 banana, mango] with an english muffin [1 tbsp butter and cinnamon])

I find myself sleeping well through the morning hours because I am not able to fall asleep until way late at night. Well, at least that was the case Thursday and Friday night. Last night was all my own doing. It was my last Halloween in college, so clearly a full night’s rest was not the top priority.

(Dark chocolate oatmeal with 1 tbsp peanut flour mixed in)

My half-marathon buddy came up to hang out for the night and since we had no plans, we made our own. I think a photo montage is appropriate right about now.

I was a rescued Chilean miner if you were wondering.

(My sweet hat)

This morning afternoon when I woke up, it was not pretty.

It was freaking cold today, so it was a good thing I had my new running top to keep me warm. It worked really well, but I am sure the coffee had a little something to do with it.

A banana was all I could stomach before setting out. I would like to acknowledge my late night eats for fueling my run today. :)

I completed 4 miles in 42 minutes. Real food came a while later.

(Post-run: 1/2 cup egg whites, 1 tbsp feta cheese, english muffin, 1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp jelly).

It was a good thing I went when I did because about an hour later it looked like this outside.

…And then the hail/snow began.

It is sunny again (go figure) and it is time to buckle down and look for more jobs to apply for.

Until next time,

~Jenn

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Suck it up Saturday: The will to keep going

By on October 30, 2010 in rest day, Suck it up Saturday, weight

Sometimes you don’t feel like eating healthy and working out. I’ve been there. As a matter of fact, I have been there recently.

(Part of Thursday night’s dinner: A big bad of popcorn.)

Change is so slow to happen when we do it the right way. 1 or 2 pounds a week seems so insignificant in the big scheme of things.

An hour long sweat session at the gym may only burn a couple hundred calories. Did you know that you must burn 3,500 calories to lose 1 single pound?

(The other half of Thursday’s dinner. Apple crumb Vitatop with peanut flour and 1/2 tbsp Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter)

In the face of such tough statistics and a slow visible metamorphosis, it often seems easier to curl up on the couch with a bag of chips. I mean, at least then we are momentarily comforted.

But we do not. We wake up every morning and try to think…today is going to be a good day…and then we start the process over again. We dress for the gym, we pack our own meals as to avoid temptation, and we listen to our bodies.

(Redemption Lunch: bowl of veggies x2, 1/2 cup mixed beans, nutritional yeast, and butter.)

It is okay to falter. It is what unites us all on this journey…the struggle.

Failure is only a fact when you give up. Everyone gets knocked down, the question is: Will you get back up? (source)

I woke up very late today. I kept telling myself that there was no reason to get up. No training plan, no friend to hold me accountable to my intended workout of a ‘long run.’ The only reason I was going to drag myself out of bed was for me. But I did not get up and I missed the peaceful run I usually associate with Saturday mornings.

I could sit here and beat myself up about it, but I choose to look at signs and think of them as something more significant.

(Breakfast: 2 slices cinnamon raisin bread, 1 tbsp PB, 1 small banana, cinnamon, chia seeds, honey.)

As I was walking downstairs a minute ago to mail my ballot (by the way don’t forget to VOTE), the man who cleans my floor everyday stopped me. It was a simple exchange. He said, “Your not sweating today, huh?” and I replied, “No, I overslept a bit.” He nodded, and I walked away smiling.

A complete stranger noticed my habits. He clearly knows I love to sweat. And although I may have missed the mark this morning it does not mean I can’t adjust. I hope he knows that he made my day. I smiled the whole way down to the mailbox.

It does not have to be all or nothing.

Until next time,

~Jenn

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Love a Sister.

By on October 29, 2010 in oatmeal, product review

My reaction to what I received in the mail last week is the equivalent of a normal college student finding out there is free beer at the bar all night: excited, perhaps even a little giddy? And when they find out the deal is good all weekend, well then you know everyone is just ecstatic! Yes, those were my definitely my reactions, but we are not talking about cheap beer here…we are talking about a generous sampling of my favorite food in the world: Oatmeal! (I believe this would be the appropriate time to use the ‘you know you’re a food blogger when…’ reference but I am choosing to not go there…for now.)

So as I was saying, I received a lovely package from Julie at Three Sisters Cereal a little while ago and as soon as I opened the box a huge smile lit up on my face. I hit the oatmeal motherload.

Not one, not two, but three different sampling of oatmeal. This is too much already…but then it got better.

Mmm…Honey Oaties. These were sure to not last long. I’ve been sneaking handfuls (from who exactly has yet to be determined as I live alone) since they arrived.

After scouring the nutritional stats on all of the oatmeal packages, I realized they were all so similar that I didn’t know what to eat first!!

…So I did what any other self-respecting woman would do…I went straight for the dark chocolate. :)

Just as I suspected, subtly sweet and very filling.

The next morning I woke up extra early to make myself a proper breakfast with the Maple Brown Sugar Variety.

I beefed up the oats with apple nuked in the microwave and a serving of protein powder. I liked the bits of dried cranberry, but the maple flavor was not very strong. I wish it had come across a little more in each bite.

As for the cereal, well that has made its way into just about all of yogurt messes. Most of my dorm room snacks have begun to look eerily similar…

…truth be told, the grocery supply was running low and this just hit the spot.

Although Three Sisters Cereal is sold exclusively at Whole Foods and therefore is nowhere near my neck of the woods (who am I, Al Roker?) you can bet I will be buying these goodies once I find a store! It is going to be a sad day when I am out of this stuff! Thanks for the goods Three Sisters Cereal!

In the meantime, I am off to scrounge for some vegetables. I need some color in my life asap!

Until next time,

~Jenn

*Three Sisters Cereal provided me with samples of their product. All thoughts, opinions, and ridiculous amounts of enthusiasm are mine and mine alone.*

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Looking forward

By on October 28, 2010 in weight

In lieu of complaining anymore, I am going to list some of the positive things in my life. Why? Mostly for my self-worth, so that at the end of the day I may be reminded that I’m a pretty decent person and that one little thing does not determine my happiness. But really, just so that I can move on.

(Dinner x2: red potato, broccoli, carrot, tomato, green beans, 1 tbsp butter, nutritional yeast, organic ketchup.)

Let’s begin with my weight loss, which is back on track after my half-marathon hungrys. I really am shocked I’ve been able to get back on track. In the past I have used every excuse in the book to derail my efforts to drop the extra pounds, but not this time.

As a matter of fact, when I stepped on the scale this morning (which only happens once a week for my sanity), I realized that I have officially lost 10% of my body weight since I arrived home from Strasbourg! Un-freaking-believable.  :) I was grinning from ear to ear while walking around campus today. Furthermore, this success propels me forward and gives me confidence that I will not give up.

(The other half of dinner: 1/2 cup egg whites, broccoli, mushrooms, and salt and pepper.)

This is the first weekend I have had to myself in 3 weeks. As much as I love the crazy times with friends, I am looking forward to a calm few days filled with long runs and a lot of sleep. :) (Job applications too, but they are not included in my relaxing description.) I am not much of a Halloween enthusiast, so while the entirety of my campus is running around getting schwasted, I intend to chill out and keep it low key.

(Breakfast: 1/2 cup oats, 2 tbsp peanut flour, 1 scoop protein powder, 1 tbsp flaxseed meal.)

I’m also thinking a nice long run of around 9 miles may be in the cards for Saturday morning. I’m one crazy a$$ college student, huh? Seriously, someone better slow me down.

In completely unrelated news, I am starting to really look forward to Thanksgiving Break. I know that it is still a ways off, but I am going to visit my sister who I have not seen in almost 6 months, and I am really looking forward to spending some quality time together. That sounded mushy.

(Classroom snacks: An organic pear, blueberry fruit leather, and Clif Kid’s Bar.)

I did not mean it to come off like that, but it seems that as we grow older we get along better. There is a hell of a lot less fighting now that we don’t have to share a car, that is for sure. :) I’m hoping she lets me tear apart her kitchen because I have one heck of a cooking itch to scratch. I foresee a plethora of vegetarian meals in her future.

With that, I need a power nap. I was going to do speedwork on the treadmill this afternoon, but I cannot fathom that kind of exertion without some rest first. Good thing the gym is open late.

Until next time,

~Jenn

Question: What are you most looking forward to this weekend?

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Someone else’s turn

By on October 27, 2010 in Garmin, half-marathon, running, running partner

Nothing has really changed since yesterday in terms of my nutrition grade (the teacher has not even warranted me an email response at this time) or the amount of french homework I have to do. The difference is that today I am trying to not let it get the best of me. As my dear running buddy Bridget would say, “keep calm and carry on.”

(Part 2 of last night’s dinner: 1 cup lentil vegetable soup, 1 slice sesame bread, 1/2 tbsp butter, and an organic tomato.)

So that is what I am going to do. Starting right now by sharing happier news. Remember the other day (before my latest meltdown) when I told y’all that my friend Sarah Beth did something radical? I meant to share the great news yesterday but my bad attitude got the best of me and I was in no mood to write a happy post.

(Dessert: Three Sisters Dark Chocolate Oatmeal [review to come]).

Anyways, the big news is that Sarah Beth signed up for her 1st half-marathon the night before she left!!

(Crazy girl!)

I was really taken aback by her eagerness to start running. She is one of the few people I called through the highs and lows of my training period, so I think I may have had something to do with her catching the running bug. Like me, she has never really run a legitimate race (until this happened). But we are both extremely stubborn people (it makes for interesting fights, let me tell you) so I know that she will take this whole thing very seriously.

(Breakfast: 1/2 cup oats, 1 scoop chia seeds, 1/2 scoop protein powder, 1/2 tbsp almond butter, cinnamon, and water.)

We spent much of our weekend (when we were not drinking :P ) talking about running and what is involved in preparing for a half-marathon. I’m sure my various speeches about how running changed my life were enough to drive her crazy, but apparently it just solidified that this was a goal she wanted to work toward.

I could not be more excited for her, seriously. The minute we returned from our Monday morning run, I printed her the same training schedule I used and wrote all of my favorite motivating quotes all over the page! You may call it obnoxious, but I call it inspired. :)

(“Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.”~T.S. Elliot)

(Overkill? Nah…)

Furthermore, we have had several discussions regarding My Beast and how I could have never trained without it. I am very much a numbers person when it comes to exercise, and the ability to track my progress from the beginning to the end of my training plan has done wonders for my confidence and motivation. So as obnoxious and bulky as he may be, my beast is hands down the best training tool I own.

Sarah Beth is now in the market for something similar, except she would prefer to have a smaller version. I do not know of any that are in the same price range (around $150) so I am calling on you guys for help! What kind of running watch do you use? She wants one that will track distance, pace, calories ext.

(Lunch: 2 slices sesame bread, vegetable burger, 1/2 avocado + salsa, tomato, salt, pepper, and a carrot.)

Sarah Beth will be running the Little Rock half-marathon mere weeks before I run my 2nd half, The Suntrust National in D.C. Therefore, I anticipate us going through a lot of the highs and lows of training together. Even though we will not be able to train side by side, having someone who can relate to what you are going through is invaluable and I am flattered to be that person for her (and her for me).

Alright, time to inhale some lunch and head out for the second half of a very busy Wednesday!

Until next time,

~Jenn

Question: What is your favorite piece of “gear”? It doesn’t have to relate to running at all, I just want to know about the great fitness finds I may not know about.

*Also, let me know if you are aware of any other running watches that are to die for :) *

Comments { 8 }

“There is no such thing as veganism”, say what?

By on October 26, 2010 in food politics, veganism

I just stumbled upon this photograph while browsing my new guilty pleasure FitPerez. Now I know that is not the most reputable source, so take this as you will. Regardless, I thought it was interesting enough to share.

(source)

Who is to say if it is true or not. If it is, I cannot believe how many products are produced with cow parts. I could not find an original source to validate the bold claims made in the photograph, but I hope the author knows that there is a lot more involved with being a vegan.

I will keep you guys updated if I see any other information referencing this post. In the meantime…

…What do you think?

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