To all the runners out there!
Happy Valentine's Day!
I hope everyone takes a moment this Valentine's Day to go for a run,
then eat some goodies!
Tuesday's Motivation:
"Talk is just talk,
put your money where your mouth is!"
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Monday, February 13, 2012
Plugged-in or Unplugged - Music vs. Quiet Reflection on Runs
I am definately a plugged-in runner. I run with headphones 99% of the time. For me, that is part of the joy of running. As a mom, the kids are forever taking over the radio at home and even in the car. So when I run, it's just me and my music. It is one hour where I can control what music makes the playlist and what doesn't. (Which means I don't have to endure another endless go round with Eye of the Tiger).
I also think that good music (and by good music, I mean whatever motivates you) can help you through those long runs. Running is 90% mental. When your body gets tired, it is your brain that gets you through those last few miles and I think the right music can really help get you through!
Personally, I like pop music with a good beat. Funny, because the music on my playlist is music that I wouldn't listen to outside of the gym. I'm not a fan of pop...but when I'm running, it does amazing things for my energy levels! But it isn't just the beat, sometimes it can be the lyrics too. Some of my favorite running songs talk about...what else? RUNNING! While I always have a pretty current version of my running playlist on the left side of this page, I thought I would share some of my favorites today and why I love them so much!
There is just something about this song. It can pop up on my playlist at the end of a long run, and I still feel like skipping along when I hear it. It instantly puts a smile on my face...and it doesn't hurt that within the lyrics, he is reminding me to run!
I also think that good music (and by good music, I mean whatever motivates you) can help you through those long runs. Running is 90% mental. When your body gets tired, it is your brain that gets you through those last few miles and I think the right music can really help get you through!
Personally, I like pop music with a good beat. Funny, because the music on my playlist is music that I wouldn't listen to outside of the gym. I'm not a fan of pop...but when I'm running, it does amazing things for my energy levels! But it isn't just the beat, sometimes it can be the lyrics too. Some of my favorite running songs talk about...what else? RUNNING! While I always have a pretty current version of my running playlist on the left side of this page, I thought I would share some of my favorites today and why I love them so much!
Send Me on My Way, Rusted Root
There is just something about this song. It can pop up on my playlist at the end of a long run, and I still feel like skipping along when I hear it. It instantly puts a smile on my face...and it doesn't hurt that within the lyrics, he is reminding me to run!
The Dog Days are Over, Florence & The Machine
Again, this is one that I just can't help to rock out to when I'm running. It is a little slow at parts, so I do tend to slow down when this song is on...but that isn't a bad thing! And, there is something about hearing the words run in the lyrics...it just reminds you to keep going!
And my newest favorite:
Stonger, Kelly Clarkson
Holy Cow, do I love this song! I am not a huge Kelly Clarkson fan, but this is the best running song I've come across in a long time. Again, I know running music is subjective...but for me, this song has everything. It has a fantastic beat, and the lyrics are pretty uplifting when you are sweating so much you think you may drown! My only problem is that I am afraid I'm going to belt out in song on the treadmill when the chorus comes along or break into a dance (anyone seen the car commerical where she is dancing in the front seat...yeah, imagine that but on a treadmill...that is what I'm doing in my head when I hear it) I love the chorus "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stand a little taller, it doesn't mean I'm lonely, when I'm alone." I realize that she is asserting her independence, but for me, it translates a bit differently. It's a reminder that the getting through the long run won't kill me...it will make me stronger...stand a little taller reminds me to keep my good running form...and I LOVE running alone, I don't see it as lonely, it's my time to reflect and be with myself!
So, there are a few of my favorite running songs! I'd love to hear yours in the comments below!
***Edited*** So I realized that I forgot to mention the sometimes importance of running unplugged. Sometimes, I find that a run is more enjoyable without music (although, for me that is rare). And I do have to mention, that last year at a 5K in which I PR'd, I left my garmin at home and had a battery snaffu with my headphones. So I ran completely unplugged and since the majority of the 5K ran the length of a local nature trail, it was a really great experience. I was able to concentrate on what my body was telling me rather than just running to the beat of the music, and just really enjoy the nature (although...with all the people, there was no wildlife scampering about, other than those in sweaty tank tops and running shoes). So I think that sometimes, music can really help you pound out those miles while other times it can be a distraction and we just need to make the decision for ourselves before our run. Plug in or unplug...everyday it's different!
***Edited*** So I realized that I forgot to mention the sometimes importance of running unplugged. Sometimes, I find that a run is more enjoyable without music (although, for me that is rare). And I do have to mention, that last year at a 5K in which I PR'd, I left my garmin at home and had a battery snaffu with my headphones. So I ran completely unplugged and since the majority of the 5K ran the length of a local nature trail, it was a really great experience. I was able to concentrate on what my body was telling me rather than just running to the beat of the music, and just really enjoy the nature (although...with all the people, there was no wildlife scampering about, other than those in sweaty tank tops and running shoes). So I think that sometimes, music can really help you pound out those miles while other times it can be a distraction and we just need to make the decision for ourselves before our run. Plug in or unplug...everyday it's different!
Monday Motivation:
"Make it to the finish line. You can do this!"
 |
| A little reminder before Valentine's day to always run with your heart! |
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Foodie Friday (or maybe Savory Saturday)
Alright, I know it. I'm a day late and a dollar short. So, Foodie Friday is actually a Saturday this week...so let's call it Savory Saturday!
Tried out a new recipe this week and I have a few in the works for next week too! For a long time I have been on the lookout for a really good granola bar recipe, that was easy with minimal ingredients. I have finally found a pretty good one and it is pretty basic.
HomeMade Runner's Granola Bars
Basic Bar Recipe (it's only 3 ingredients!):
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
4 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup honey or brown rice syrup
3/4 cup peanut butter
To this you can add any combination of goodies that you like! For my version, I wanted high protein and some carbs for pre-run energy. So I added in 1/2 cups unsalted peanuts for protein, 1/2 cup chocolate chips for carbs (and well, because they're yummy) and 4 Tablespoons of Chia seeds for some Omega 3's...as mid-westerners with diets extremely high in Omega-6 fatty acids, we can never have enough Omega-3's to help keep the 3-6 balance aligned!
If you are unfamiliar with the importance of balancing Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, click here for some great info!
Grease a 9" x 13" pan and press granola batter into the pan. Use the back of a spatula to press down the batter very well. The tighter it is packed, the less crumbly your granola bars will be. And trust me, you do not want these crumbling apart before they get to your mouth...you will want to eat every bite! Bake for 25 minutes. I cut them while they are warm, then let them cool in the pan, before removing them! Then enjoy.
Some other great add-ins:Raisins
Flaxseed or meal (I would have added this too, but I didn't realize I was out!)
Other nuts (almonds would be delish)
Other dried fruits (I'm thinking cranberries or dried cherries)
M&M's (these would have made great v-day treats with red M&Ms)
Rocky Road (chocolate chips and mini marshmallows...ok, so now we are talking more dessert than energy bar...but it sounds really good!)
Really, pretty much anything you can think of! Just keep your add-ins under 1 cup total, or you will have to begin to add more peanut butter or more honey to compensate for the extra dry ingredients!
These are honestly, the best granola bars I have ever had. Even the hubby fell in love with them. The flavors unite, but somehow you can taste the peanut butter and honey seperately. And I highly recommend the chia seeds, they add a "pop" to the texture of the bars that make them so unique and phenomenal! I hope you all enjoy them as much as we do! I'm pretty sure I'll be making these often during my marathon training!
Tried out a new recipe this week and I have a few in the works for next week too! For a long time I have been on the lookout for a really good granola bar recipe, that was easy with minimal ingredients. I have finally found a pretty good one and it is pretty basic.
HomeMade Runner's Granola Bars
Basic Bar Recipe (it's only 3 ingredients!):
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
4 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup honey or brown rice syrup
3/4 cup peanut butter
To this you can add any combination of goodies that you like! For my version, I wanted high protein and some carbs for pre-run energy. So I added in 1/2 cups unsalted peanuts for protein, 1/2 cup chocolate chips for carbs (and well, because they're yummy) and 4 Tablespoons of Chia seeds for some Omega 3's...as mid-westerners with diets extremely high in Omega-6 fatty acids, we can never have enough Omega-3's to help keep the 3-6 balance aligned!
If you are unfamiliar with the importance of balancing Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, click here for some great info!
Grease a 9" x 13" pan and press granola batter into the pan. Use the back of a spatula to press down the batter very well. The tighter it is packed, the less crumbly your granola bars will be. And trust me, you do not want these crumbling apart before they get to your mouth...you will want to eat every bite! Bake for 25 minutes. I cut them while they are warm, then let them cool in the pan, before removing them! Then enjoy.
Some other great add-ins:Raisins
Flaxseed or meal (I would have added this too, but I didn't realize I was out!)
Other nuts (almonds would be delish)
Other dried fruits (I'm thinking cranberries or dried cherries)
M&M's (these would have made great v-day treats with red M&Ms)
Rocky Road (chocolate chips and mini marshmallows...ok, so now we are talking more dessert than energy bar...but it sounds really good!)
Really, pretty much anything you can think of! Just keep your add-ins under 1 cup total, or you will have to begin to add more peanut butter or more honey to compensate for the extra dry ingredients!
These are honestly, the best granola bars I have ever had. Even the hubby fell in love with them. The flavors unite, but somehow you can taste the peanut butter and honey seperately. And I highly recommend the chia seeds, they add a "pop" to the texture of the bars that make them so unique and phenomenal! I hope you all enjoy them as much as we do! I'm pretty sure I'll be making these often during my marathon training!
Saturday Motivation:
"A mile is a mile,
no matter how fast you run it!"
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Finally seeing some progress!
While my weight hasn't dropped much in the past few months, I am finally seeing some progress with my runs. I am getting faster. 9:30 - 10:00 minute miles have always been pretty standard for me when running 3-6 miles, but I am finally starting to see some improvements.
I'm not currently following a plan, because it always seems that when I do, I get stuck in a rut and I might add mileage, but I don't ever get any faster because I am so concentrated on distance. So this winter, I decided to run fewer miles but work on the quality of them and that is what I have been doing. Some days I only run a mile, some days I run 3 miles...but the point is to push my speed more than I am used to. I've been trying to get my single miles as close to 8:00 minutes/mile as I can and I am working to get my 3 mile runs as close to 9:00 minutes/mile as a I can and it is working.
This morning I ran 3 miles and averaged around 9:10 per mile for a total of 27:30. I am pretty sure that this is my fastest 3 miles yet! I am looking forward to some spring 5K's to see if my hard work will pay off or not. I planning on running the Neighbor's House 5K in April, and this is where I PR'd last year with 28:35...so I definately think I am on the right track to blow that PR out of the water! This 5K will also set my training times for my marathon training.
I think I have decided on the Furman method for my marathon training. It is what I used when I trained for my half marathon last year and it worked pretty well. Only 3 runs per week, 2 short speed runs and 1 long run. I am pretty sure I can fit that into my schedule without any problems. I am going to do my best to get the cross training in, but we shall see!
I'm not currently following a plan, because it always seems that when I do, I get stuck in a rut and I might add mileage, but I don't ever get any faster because I am so concentrated on distance. So this winter, I decided to run fewer miles but work on the quality of them and that is what I have been doing. Some days I only run a mile, some days I run 3 miles...but the point is to push my speed more than I am used to. I've been trying to get my single miles as close to 8:00 minutes/mile as I can and I am working to get my 3 mile runs as close to 9:00 minutes/mile as a I can and it is working.
This morning I ran 3 miles and averaged around 9:10 per mile for a total of 27:30. I am pretty sure that this is my fastest 3 miles yet! I am looking forward to some spring 5K's to see if my hard work will pay off or not. I planning on running the Neighbor's House 5K in April, and this is where I PR'd last year with 28:35...so I definately think I am on the right track to blow that PR out of the water! This 5K will also set my training times for my marathon training.
I think I have decided on the Furman method for my marathon training. It is what I used when I trained for my half marathon last year and it worked pretty well. Only 3 runs per week, 2 short speed runs and 1 long run. I am pretty sure I can fit that into my schedule without any problems. I am going to do my best to get the cross training in, but we shall see!
Wednesday's Motiation:
"Find Motivation in Every Mile!"
Monday, February 6, 2012
Monday Motivation!
So I am finding it is too hard to keep all my motivations through out the week and post them all. I wish I could find a way to do it, but it's just too tough!
So I think I will simply randomly post my motivations a few times a week and try to get them all in there. But I will definately post on days when I pull motivations that I think are important!
We've been doing the motivations a bit differently in the last few weeks. Originally, I had made the motivation jar for myself...but as all the other mom's out there know, nothing is sacred when you are a mom. Over the few weeks I've been doing the jar, I noticed that my kids (and even my hubby) began to look forward to hearing the motivations and the kids looked forward to picking them out of the jar. So it has become a family motivation jar. Now, the kids and I try to pull a motivation every morning and we have a white board that sits next to the jar. We write the "motivation of the day" on the board for all to see and enjoy.
This was last week's motivation!
So I think I will simply randomly post my motivations a few times a week and try to get them all in there. But I will definately post on days when I pull motivations that I think are important!
We've been doing the motivations a bit differently in the last few weeks. Originally, I had made the motivation jar for myself...but as all the other mom's out there know, nothing is sacred when you are a mom. Over the few weeks I've been doing the jar, I noticed that my kids (and even my hubby) began to look forward to hearing the motivations and the kids looked forward to picking them out of the jar. So it has become a family motivation jar. Now, the kids and I try to pull a motivation every morning and we have a white board that sits next to the jar. We write the "motivation of the day" on the board for all to see and enjoy.
Monday Motivation:
"Do it for YOURSELF!"
Friday, February 3, 2012
Foodie Friday 2/2/12
Lately, it's been grab and go in our house at meal time. I've been doing my best to try out one new healthy meal each week, but it's been tough!
The hubby has decided to really "buckle" down and get fit again. And I need to lose a few lbs before I begin my official marathon training in May/June, mainly to save myself from injury. So we are trying our best to get back to a "whole foods-paleo" type diet. Although, I'm trying to move us over gradually, so we don't miss some of our favorite junk foods! Can't go off junk food (think pizza, pasta, all the good stuff) cold turkey...but we'll get there!
So, I had planned on Sunday being a "freebie day" in which we would eat some junk and enjoy ourselves during the Superbowl. But I was told in no uncertain terms, that the hubby would NOT be eating any crap and he needed some healthy options!
Which is leading me to try something new. While I was working my clinical shift at the hospital yesterday, I was chatting with some of the x-ray techs who have or are doing Weight Watchers. They were telling me about how they combine greek yogurt with dry ranch dip mix and snack on it with veggies! I thought "HOW PERFECT!" Ranch with a little extra boost of protein!
So that is what we will be trying out in the next week! Once I actually get it mixed, and figure out ratio of yogurt to dressing mix, I'll post an actual "recipe" and a review and let everyone know how it was!
I hope everyone has a great Superbowl weekend! I am heading out for a run!
The hubby has decided to really "buckle" down and get fit again. And I need to lose a few lbs before I begin my official marathon training in May/June, mainly to save myself from injury. So we are trying our best to get back to a "whole foods-paleo" type diet. Although, I'm trying to move us over gradually, so we don't miss some of our favorite junk foods! Can't go off junk food (think pizza, pasta, all the good stuff) cold turkey...but we'll get there!
So, I had planned on Sunday being a "freebie day" in which we would eat some junk and enjoy ourselves during the Superbowl. But I was told in no uncertain terms, that the hubby would NOT be eating any crap and he needed some healthy options!
Which is leading me to try something new. While I was working my clinical shift at the hospital yesterday, I was chatting with some of the x-ray techs who have or are doing Weight Watchers. They were telling me about how they combine greek yogurt with dry ranch dip mix and snack on it with veggies! I thought "HOW PERFECT!" Ranch with a little extra boost of protein!
So that is what we will be trying out in the next week! Once I actually get it mixed, and figure out ratio of yogurt to dressing mix, I'll post an actual "recipe" and a review and let everyone know how it was!
I hope everyone has a great Superbowl weekend! I am heading out for a run!
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Officially registered...
Eeeeeek! I realize it has been almost a month since I last posted, but since school started back up, finding time to post has been tough! I will promise to try to get better!
Registration officially opened for the 2012 Chicago Marathon today and I got my registration in! Now, I need to buckle down and get my training plan chosen and sorted out and get ready to do some serious running over the next few months!
I promise to try to get better about blogging the experience as I go!
Registration officially opened for the 2012 Chicago Marathon today and I got my registration in! Now, I need to buckle down and get my training plan chosen and sorted out and get ready to do some serious running over the next few months!
I promise to try to get better about blogging the experience as I go!
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