Category Archives: Running

Carbs & Anxiety

Daily Life!, Running, , ,

Happy Tuesday!! I hope you’re having a great day.

The last couple of days when I’ve written, I’ve been avoiding the big topic of the week: my first marathon. It’s a big deal and lots of last minute preparation is going on. But I’m trying to not talk about it too much – simply because I’m trying to remain calm and not go crazy by writing out every last detail I have planned for the weekend. Now, with that being said, my attitude will most likely change. And if you wake up tomorrow with a new post from me that outlines everything for the Little Rock Marathon, I apologize in advance. 🙂

Breakfast

Breakfast today was a little more fun than normal thanks to chia seeds!

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I added this little packet of chia to my morning oatmeal, and it was awesome! It added a nice flavor and thickened up the oatmeal perfectly.

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I felt accomplished for the day after reading the nutrition facts on the chia seeds. Those little seeds pack some powerful nutrients!

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And while we’re on the topic of food, my dinner last night was pretty fab as well.

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I was near a Chipotle, so I decided I could get a fairly healthy and delicious meal to take home. So I opted for this massive chicken burrito bowl! And it tasted as amazing as it looks. I loaded it with brown rice, black beans, fajita veggies, grilled chicken, corn salsa, and guacamole! It was amazing and I felt like a stuffed piggy by the time I threw in the towel a few bites near the bottom of the bowl.

I was reading about race week nutrition on Active.com, and I came across one article that really stuck with me. It said that the week of your race is the time when you really need to care for your body. You’ve spent months sculpting it into a lean running machine. So this is the week to flood your system with antioxidants, anti-inflammatories and nutrients for muscle repair. And this burrito bowl was awesome in that respect! Brown rice, beans, veggies, and chicken… All superfoods to help our bodies be strong and repair muscles after exercise. I rarely splurge on eating out during the week, but this week just seems worth it! 🙂

So other than fueling my body with lots of good food and carbs, my only other main anxiety factor is the weather. Why must the weather always be against me?! My first half marathon was run in frigid temps with wind gusts of 40 mph. And now the forecast for Little Rock is around 40 degrees and rainy. Can I not get a race in 50 degree temps with partly cloudy skies? So I’ll be weather watching all week in hopes of the forecast changing to be slightly warmer with no rain. I’m going to be optimistic as long as I can!

Send me your positive thoughts as I prepare for my first marathon this weekend. This Type-A girl needs to take a chill pill and know that everything will be ok!

Have a great day, everyone!!

Shoes, Races & Jazzercise

Jazzercise, Running, , , , ,

Happy Tuesday! It’s a sunshiny day here in SGF, and I’m loving it! Our 7 day forecast is also showing highs in the upper-50’s, so that makes me extra happy. Fifty degrees + lots of sunshine = clear sidewalks for me to run on. Yay!

New Shoes

Last night when I got home, I had a special delivery waiting for me on my doorstep!

IMG_3267My shoes had arrived from Zappos!! I of course immediately ripped open the box to dig out my new running shoes. And they were so pretty – just as I had imagined.

IMG_3270I decided to go with the Mizuno Wave Rider 16 running shoes in this pretty rose color. It’s not quite red and not quite pink. I kinda like it!

IMG_3271Bonus points to the first person to spot the doggie in this picture!

IMG_3272HA! Mac is always so curious.

Since I was subbing 6:45 Jazzercise last night, I decided I would try out these shoes on the dance floor first since my next couple of runs are bound to be a little slushy and salty still from the melting snow. I’m definitely not taking my brand new shoes out until the streets have dried up completely!

I’m happy to report that they fit great and felt extra light and springy while I taught class last night. They offer lots of arch support and had a lot of extra room in the toe bed. This isn’t necessarily ideal for Jazzercise shoes, but it’s perfect for shoes that I will most likely be wearing in my upcoming races. My toes will appreciate the extra space and the mesh venting across the top during the 26.2! So far, I give them 2 thumbs up!

And speaking of upcoming races, I got a little trigger happy and registered for another race last night.

gologo
The Go! St. Louis Marathon Weekend will take place on April 6, and I’m pretty darn excited to be a part of it! They say that thousand and thousands of people come out to race this event, so it’s going to be an awesome experience. Plus, since it is 1 month after my first marathon in Little Rock, this marathon will be one of two things. Either it will be a race to redeem myself and do better if I totally bonk during the Little Rock race, OR it will be a chance for me to set a new marathon PR. Either way, I’m excited that this highly-recommended event is close to home and timed just far enough apart from Little Rock to make it doable! I’ll have a few weeks to let my body forget about the pain before I do it all over again. 🙂

Jazzercise Marathon

This week, I’ve got a different type of marathon going on though. By the time this upcoming Saturday rolls around, I will have taught 9 classes since Sunday morning. Holy cow, I’m tired just thinking about it. At least my week is front-heavy (teaching doubles Monday-Wednesday) so by the time Valentine’s Day rolls around, I will only have 1 class and it should feel like a breeze to be done and home at 7 pm! After I get my Saturday morning run in, I’m going to collapse on the couch for a much deserved nap. Whew!  On a positive note, all of these classes gives me more chances to wear my new tennies and get them broken in faster. 🙂

Well I’m off to change up my song set for this evening. I need some fresh tunes! I hope you have a wonderful evening – see ya later!

Craving Donuts

Daily Life!, Food for Thought, Running, , , ,

Hey there! Hope you’re having a wonderful & relaxing Sunday! We’ve had a great weekend despite the sun refusing to shine. I’ve spent most of my time running, teaching Jazzercise, eating, and napping – some of my favorite things!

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Yesterday started bright and early with my second (and final!) 20-miler before the Little Rock marathon. The sidewalks were non-existent and the roads were still pretty icy and slick, so it was a bit of a stressful run. The winter has made me really dislike running on the roads with cranky drivers everywhere. I cannot wait for spring and clear sidewalks and trails!

This run went a lot better than last week’s 20 mile run, and that makes me hopeful that my endurance is improving and my body is ready for the 26.2. I had to take a potty break at mile 11 and this was my only real stop. I’m hoping this pit stop was brought on by the mid-teen temps and that I won’t have to be using any porta potties along the race course!

After this run, a bagel with jelly for a snack, and a hot shower, I had to meet the Jazzercise ladies for a meeting at London Calling. A lunch meeting here after one of my long runs was probably one of the best ideas ever!

We all placed our orders before we sat down for our business meeting on the double decker bus. I ordered the traditional pasty because it was dairy-free. But I was happy to find that it was delicious and decadent!!

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It was buttery and stuffed full of beef, potatoes, and onions. Yum!!

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I ate this pasty in about 2 minutes flat and dipped my leftover ‘crimp’ in some grape jelly. My post-run belly was SO happy! And I even took one home for Nick after our meeting because I’m the sweetest girlfriend ever. He loved it too. 😉

And now for Donuts!!

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I don’t know what it is, but I have been craving donuts ever since last night. After dinner I wanted a donut so bad, but the roads were getting icy and we didn’t want to spend anymore time out before heading home. I had an apple to satisfy my sweet tooth, but it didn’t work too well. I went to bed still thinking about donuts and even woke up this morning still craving donuts!!

On a side note, donuts are awesome but really aren’t my favorite sweet treat. I would rather have a giant cupcake or a hot chocolate chip cookie. So when I was craving them still this morning, I knew it was one of those cravings I would have to satisfy ASAP!

Hurts Donuts was the only donut shop open this afternoon, so Nick and I headed downtown to try out Springfield’s newest donut shop.

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I had this fluffy streusel donut because it was hot when we got there. 🙂 I’m a sucker for hot donuts! And Nick had the plain glazed donut. I also got a special Reese’s peanut butter cup donut to bring home for later.

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Both of them were amazing and disappeared in 30 seconds flat!

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Yum yum yum!! Mac was sad that mommy brought home a chocolate donut that he couldn’t have.

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He was so cute that I’ll have to remember to being him a bite of a plain glazed donut next time!

Hurts was a really cute little shop with a great variety of donuts. They had one covered in Oreos and another covered in Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. This place might convert me into a donut-loving fool! No they aren’t healthy, but a donut a month won’t hurt anything. 🙂 If you’re in downtown Springfield soon, you should stop by for dessert. They are open 24 hours!

Tonight we are just relaxing and finishing up some things around the house. I have some of my famous chili in the Crockpot that we’ll be digging into soon. I can’t wait! Have a good night and I will see you all tomorrow!!