3/3/Swim & Movie Night

I had a super productive day today -- love those days, don't you? I woke up, did a few chores around the house, then headed out for a quick three mile run. After I cooled down I made myself some french press coffee and a piece of sprouted grain toast with cashew butter and natural strawberry jam.

I kept my breakfast light because I knew I had a delicious lunch waiting for me! Around 1:00 pm I reheated my leftover pasta and veggies from last night. I had to keep myself from inhaling it so I could enjoy the flavors.

Around 3:30 pm I went for another 3 mile run along the trail by my gym. I'm training for a relay race and the training schedule suggests you train by doing multiple runs in one day. Today was my first attempt. The last mile of my second 3 mile run was HOT so I slowed to a walk. My car read 100 degrees. By the time I was done with my 3 miles I was sweaty, shaky and needed food ASAP. Fortunately my gym has a snack bar and I was able to pick up a protein bar which I immediately ate in about 15 seconds. I don't have a photo because I didn't have my camera. But I can tell you it contained Designer Whey and had 15 grams of protein and 180 calories.

After eating my protein bar in record time, I jumped in the pool for some swimming drills. It felt soooo good to get in the water after my hot, sweaty run. And I did remember to shower before getting in the pool!

Once home I made myself a green smoothie.

- spinach

- green apple

- banana

- flax

- oats

- greek yogurt

- splash of milk

- ice

Then I had some friends over for a movie night! I drank some wine (unphotographed) and munched on these crackers, cheese, hummus, pear and apple. Thanks Jenni for bringing the delicious snacks!

Time for bed. I'm beat!

Oddly Productive Saturday

On one hand it feels like this day was a waste. On the other hand it feels like I got a lot accomplished. I started the day with a small bowl of Optimum Slim topped with a small organic banana. I was not hungry when I woke up but I had a long run ahead of me and I knew I wasn't going to be eating anything during the run.

After digesting for about thirty minutes I hit the road. I did NOT feel like running today. I was supposed to run 13 miles but I cut it short at 10. I just wasn't feeling it today. The skies were turning black, too, so I thought 10 miles was good enough.

After showering and dressing we took Bella to Winter Park for a training session in the midst of chaos. She responds well to our commands inside the house, but we need to do more training "in the field" where she's confronted with distractions. Since it was raining we headed to Palmanos off of Park Avenue for a breakfast treat and a training session. It's a dog friendly coffee house with covered outdoor seating.

Remember that amazing apple bran muffin I ate a week or so ago? I got the last one today! However, I was SORELY disappointed. It was NOT good. According to the barista they've been having trouble with their muffin consistency. The bakery from which they purchase their baked goods often has different people baking the products, which yields different results. I didn't eat much more than what's pictured here.

We made a quick pass through the Winter Park Farmers Market and I picked up some muscadine and scuppernong grapes, brussels sprouts, grape tomatoes, carrots and bell peppers. I ate several grapes once we got home.

*Native to the southeast, both grapes (muscadines & scuppernongs) are muscadines. The term scuppernong refers to the bronze type of muscadine originally grown in North Carolina. In grapes, resveratrol is found primarily in the skin and seeds. This is particularly true for muscadine grapes, whose skin and seeds have been reported to have about one hundred times the concentration as the pulp. In mouse and rat experiments, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, blood-sugar-lowering and other beneficial cardiovascular effects of resveratrol have been reported. (*source: Wikipedia)

I knew I needed to eat lunch to refuel from my run but I just wasn't hungry. I put together this pathetic lunch -- leftover Forbidden rice topped with grape tomatoes and 0% Fage. I made the mistake of turning on Hoarders while trying to eat. I couldn't do it. The show grossed me out so much that half of my lunch went down the garbage disposal.

A few hours later I made myself a cup of tea and a tiny dessert. I reheated 1/2 of a frozen peanut butter blondie topped with some dark chocolate. I honestly didn't really want to to eat this but knew I needed the calories, especially since I'm going on a long bike ride tomorrow morning and have a noon swim lesson.

After my "snack" I decided to book our plane tickets to Paris! Yay! I'm very excited. We're celebrating our anniversary next month in Paris. It's been a long time since we've taken a real vacation together. And I got a great deal on our flights using miles.

Dinner time came and I still wasn't hungry. The ONLY thing that sounded remotely appetizing was thin crust veggie pizza. I ordered a thin crust pizza with bell peppers and onions on the entire pizza, and added black olives to one half and pineapple to the other half. I ate a slice of each half and it tasted good. When I eat pizza it's exclusively thin, crispy crust. I try to make pizza as "healthy" as I can by ordering lots of veggies on a thin crust.

After dinner I jumped in the pool to practice some swimming drills. I have a swim lesson tomorrow and I didn't have much time to practice this week. Now, it's time for another training session with the pup. I'm determined to have the best dog in class!

So although I felt like this was a lazy Saturday, I did accomplish quite a bit.

- Ran 10 miles

- Farmers market

- 2 dog training sessions

- Booked trip to Paris

- Practiced swimming drills

Good night!

Running, Swimming & Yoga

I woke up to the sound of cranes calling to each other on the pond behind our house. I knew it was going to be a great day! I decided to go for a longer than usual mid-week run today. I fueled with a tiny bowl of banana flax oats topped with a small dollop of almond butter and organic cacao coconut butter. I ate it with a mini cocktail spoon.

I geared up for my 10 mile run and brought along some Cliff Shot Blocks but didn't eat them. To entertain myself I downloaded our latest book club pick, Fool by Christopher Moore, to my iPod.

Since I had plans to swim and go to laughter yoga later in the evening, I didn't want to push myself too hard on my run. The last 5 miles I alternated walking and jogging so I wouldn't get too tired later in the day. After I was showered I headed to the bank and Starbucks.

And I tried a new Larabar flavor...Tropical Fruit Tart. Ingredients: Dates, Pineapple, Unsweetened Coconut, Almonds, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Cashews, Orange Juice Concentrate, Orange Peel. I really enjoyed it and will definitely buy more. The most prominent flavor was orange.

On my way home I noticed how pretty the sky looked so I snapped a few shots through my windshield.

Around 4:00 pm I figured I'd better have something to eat before my swim. I settled on a green smoothie.

- 1/2 of a green apple

- 1 carrot

- 1/2 of a frozen banana

- large handful spinach

- scoop 0% Fage

- tablespoon ground flax

- tablespoon hulled hemp seeds

- ice & water

It was very fresh and delicious.

After swimming I had dinner with my friends Kristin and Leslee at Memories of India.

I ordered a glass of chardonnay and they brought us starter salads.

I ordered Aloo Gobi for my entree and we shared basmati rice and naan on the side. Dinner totally hit the spot. I love Indian food and don't eat it often enough.

After dinner the three of us headed to Yoga Matrix for Laughter Yoga. It was wild! We sure did laugh. Many laughter tears were shed. If you haven't tried it, I suggest you check it out.

Become loyal to your innermost truth. Follow the way when all others abandon it. Walk the path of your own heart.

Long Run Saturday

I rolled out of bed this morning and onto the couch with a cup of tea, a blanket, my book and my dog. After about 30 minutes of snuggling, puppy kisses, and reading I threw on my running clothes, quickly ate a yogurt and hit the road for a 12 mile run.

I didn't eat anything during my run and my stomach was much happier this time. During my last 12 mile run I ate some sports jelly beans and they didn't agree with me. I did, however, fill my water belt with a mix of G2 and water. In fact, I picked up some more G2 at Costco today. It seems to keep me hydrated without upsetting my stomach.

After showering, we headed out for lunch. I had a veggie and black bean quesadilla.

We ran a few errands, including the mall and Costco, and on the way home we swung through the Starbuck's drive through for a pick-me-up. I got a plain latte.

Look, new cup!

Several hours later I decided to start dinner. I was hungry and knew dinner would take a while so I had a handful of raw almonds to tide me over.

Dinner was a success! I tried a new recipe, Alton Brown's Savory Polenta. It was fabulous. Instead of chicken stock I used veggie stock and I cut the amount of butter in half. Other than that, I followed the recipe and was very pleased with the results. I love soft, creamy polenta.

I had enough leftovers that I was able to chill a good portion in a pie pan for later use. I will cut the chilled polenta into whatever shape I desire and brown in a bit of olive oil. I also made a dish of sauteed carrots, tri color bell pepper, fresh corn, cherry tomatoes, and kidney beans. Simple and delicious.

I haven't eaten this yet, but I prepared a dessert for myself to enjoy later. I'm full right now, but intend to eat this peanut butter blondie with a crumbled square of extra dark chocolate in an hour or so. I'm sure I'll also have a cup of peppermint tea to wash it down. Gotta love long run days -- I can eat dessert and not worry about it! And, I'm going on a long bike ride followed by a swim lesson tomorrow, so I'll easily burn this off.

I have a 700 page book that I'm only half way through and I'm supposed to have it ready by MONDAY. I'd better get back to it!

Hungry Friday

I had a hungry day today! I got up and immediately ate a piece of Rudi's Organic cinnamon raisin toast with a very light spread of Lee Iacocca butter (yes, he makes heart healthy butter now!). After digesting for a bit I laced up and hit the pavement for an eight mile run.

Three miles into my run I got the shakes. My blood sugar dropped too low so I hightailed it back home for more food. I threw together a bowl of 0% Fage, a diced plum, a sprinkle of Honest Foods granola plank and a drizzle of raw honey for an extra glucose boost. As soon as I was done eating I continued my run and logged another three miles, for a total of six, with my plum dancing around my stomach. I cut my run short of the planned eight miles since my mid-run pit stop put me behind schedule. I had to get out the door to yoga class for a nice stretch.

I stopped by Starbucks on my way home from yoga and got a small latte. I love starting my day with a good workout.

Several hours later I was hungry for lunch. I decided on a loaded veggie burger with raw veggies and a few pretzel sticks on the side.

This may have been the best veggie burger I've ever made. I used my last sprouted grain bun and topped it with swiss, avocado, onion, lettuce and spicy brown mustard.

I drank a 10 calorie vitamin water with lunch for a change of pace. I usually drink water. I love this flavor, it reminds me of jello.

Around 5:00 pm I was hot and antsy. I wanted a pina colada but I was still working and I don't have any liquor in the house so I settled on what I'm calling a Cherry Lime Cooler. It hit the spot!

I blended the following ingredients...

- lots of ice

- small scoop of 0% Fage yogurt

- large squirt of key lime juice

- dollop of black cherry preserves

- large splash of 1% milk

- large splash of water

- sprinkle of raw sugar

And I topped the result with some organic whipped cream and a maraschino cherry!

It was cool, creamy, guilt free deliciousness.

I enjoyed my Cherry Lime Cooler on the couch while my dog stared at me.

Chris and I went out for a late dinner at a local Thai restaurant. Of course I forgot my camera, so Chris graciously snapped these dinner photos on his phone. I started with a glass of Chardonnay.

And for a starter I got the vegetarian tofu fresh rolls with peanut dipping sauce. I also ate two pieces of Chris's tempura broccoli.

And for my entree I ordered tofu green curry with brown rice. It was pretty good. I ate most of the rice and about 1/3 of the curry. Some of the veggies had a strange fishy flavor.

When we left the restaurant it was POURING rain and we did not park nearby since we had planned on taking an after dinner stroll. Chris was sweet and ran to the car and pulled it around for me. What a guy!

When we got home I made Chris a Cherry Lime Cooler for dessert! He loved it, but requested more cherry next time. As I heard his straw hit the bottom of the cup he asked "How bad is this for me?" I was pleased to report that besides the bit of sugar it's actually GOOD for you! That's the kind of dessert I like!

Run, Yoga, Eat, Work

My husband and I went for a leisurely 3 mile run before he had to jump in the shower to rush to work. I love running with my husband because we always seem to have great conversations about the future and what's going on in our lives.

Since I have the luxury of a flexible schedule and working west coast hours, I decided to extend my run by doing another 2 miles at race pace. I kicked it up the last 200 meters and really got my heart pumping! After a quick shower, I darted over to my local Y for a yoga class. On my way home from yoga I stopped by Starbucks and got a latte to go with my cashew cookie Larabar.

Ingredients: Cashews & Dates = YUM

Now, for some strange reason, I'm actually EXCITED to tackle my work to-do list. I love it when I'm motivated!

9 mile oats

This morning I got up and headed out for a 9 mile run. I filled my water bottles with a mix of G2 (low cal Gatorade) and water.

Man was it hot out there today! I try to keep my heart rate in the 150s when I go for long runs, but I overheated around mile 6 and my heart rate jumped into the high 170s. I had to slow it down and take walk breaks the last three miles to keep myself from having a heat stroke. I guess that's what you get when you run outdoors in Florida in August. Good thing I was packing water.

After I was showered and stretched out, I began thinking about what to eat for a late breakfast/post-run recovery meal. Since my heart rate monitor said I burned 1,015 calories, I knew I had to eat something nutritious to keep myself from falling asleep at my computer. I settled on banana oats.

I brought to a low boil 1/4 cup oats, thinly sliced half of a banana, 1/4 cup of water, 1/4 cup of milk, and a dash of sea salt, then reduced the heat to low and stirred for about five minutes while cooking. Here's my pot before the burner was turned on.

At the end of cooking I added about 1 tbs of Bob's Red Mill muesli (for a little crunch), and 1 tbs flax. Here are the oats after they've been cooked, with the muesli & flax stirred in.

I topped my bowl with a scoop of Fage greek yogurt, a small dollop of almond butter, the remaining half of my banana, and a sprinkle of sliced almonds.

Now I'm very full and satisfied. Time to get to work!