Utah Valley

I did it. I'm in. Time to really start training. Right now I'm running about 5 days a week. About 40 miles a week. I think I max out at about 50-55 miles a week. I've never done that much so we will see if I've got it in me. Two hurdles I'm REALLY trying to over come (and so far less than successful) is a good sleeping pattern/habit and cutting out the sweets. Oh my goodness the sweets--I successfully turned down my friend's sugar cookies this morning but came home looking for something to eat and found the cookies I hid in the fridge on Sunday. Yea, they are gone now. My goal has been/is to eliminate the sweets from my house--just not in the way I eliminated them today. Maybe a ribbon tied to my wrist to remind me of my goals? I don't know. Need advice here. What do you do to beat temptations/remember your goals?

Word of Wisdom Living

Can I just say I love this blog?!? Love it! OK, amen.

Running Updates

No posts last week. I spent the warm days sitting outside with neighbors and it was glorious. Today is rainy and cold. I hate how the weather dictates my mood and my energy level. I put in a solid 40 miles last week and it seemed like a piece of cake. Today, I couldn't get out of bed. Ever have those days? Man, I am excited for some warmer weather. I actually ran in shorts last week! Anyway, I put in 40 miles because I decided to start training for the Marathon and see how I feel. Before I made a decision to sign up. Turned out to be a bad decision. I felt great and got very excited for the marathon... then found out it was sold out. Dang it! I emailed the race director to see if there are any exceptions and he did give me one suggestion so I may still be in.

Anyway, I wanted to give some quick tips on getting started and then some good recovery info. I started reading Run Your Butt Off. It's a pretty basic weight loss plan but I have learned a few good things. For someone just starting or getting back into running from a long break your run/jog can be as slow as your walk and that is ok! Actually probably even more than ok! Don't push your self to hard because you will hate it and give up quickly. Running is an endurance sport so give yourself to build up that endurance. Just run at a speed that feels good and you will get that runner's high.

Next, recovery after a long run. Eat and drink right after finishing a good long run. You need to replace some electrolytes and you need some protein. Good options are coconut water (definitely an aquired taste) with whole wheat toast and peanut butter. Or chocolate milk. Or protein shake and toast. I think the recommended time is 30 minutes. Eat within 30 minutes. Next, change out of your cold/wet/sweaty clothes. This seems like an obvious one but in case it isn't you have to get out of those cold clothes. Your core temp drops after running like that and the cold clothes will make you freeze! Side note on stretching--did you know that stretching before a run is actually a debated topic? Static stretching before a run can actually tear your muscles and instead you should opt for dynamic (movement) stretching. Anyway, stretching after a run is a good idea to cool down your muscles and I stretch in the shower for the heat. Try it. After this little routine I feel like a new women. Ready to run another long run. Other advice, I have heard that ice baths are amazing! You really just need good cold water and a cold pool will work just as well. I tried this after the marathon and honestly, was good to go after an afternoon in the water.

Running Stuff

I have been thinking the last week how much of my "running" blog has been food and nutrition info. Two reasons I think: 1) Nutrition is so much more a part of the equation that most people estimate. Especially if you are running solely for weight loss. 2) It is the part of the equation that I STILL struggle with the most. Honestly, I experiment a lot. And most of the time I think I figure out exactly what not to do. I'm still looking for the right here's what to do. I generally end up eating too much so I have that heavy slow feeling or I don't eat enough and then every step I'm thinking I'm going to pass out from hunger. The perfect balance of how much and what to eat is really hard to find. First step--cut out the crap food from my diet is there. We don't eat out much. And when we do I try to pick good choices. Mostly I struggle with the how much... anyone have good thoughts I would love to hear.

With that said, I've been contemplating signing up for the Utah Valley Marathon this last week. It is 12 weeks away and I'm trained enough that I could jump right into a training routine and be ready to go by then. But, I'm struggling making the decision. This is something mentally I want so bad. My sis-in-law is doing it and it would be fun to do together, I've always wanted to check out this course, Provo canyon on a Saturday morning with thousands of others--yes please! But, is it the right thing for my body? One of my running books recommends only doing a marathon about every 9-12 months because of the stress on the body. That you really can only compete well when you have had that much break in between. And St George was still only about 6 months ago. And, I'm positive I gained a sugar addiction while training for St George. Too much push to get better that I needed sugar to keep me going through the day (bread, cookies, Gu's, etc). I don't want to do that again. Oh what to do?!?

Granola Bars and Stomache aches (I guess... probably no one wants to know about this)

So, my latest food experiments have been trying to go gluten free and completely eliminating eggs from my diet. I have had an egg intolerance since high school but I have mostly just seen problems when I eat eggs straight. Like, I can eat cookies and cakes and such that have eggs in them but I can't eat dishes that are egg based. It gives me the feeling like someone has kicked me in the gut. Not fun. Anyway, for the last year or so I have dealt with stomache aches that come and go and I honestly have not been able to nail down what is the connecting factor. And like I said in the title, no one probably wants to hear about this... anyone has funky food allergies or intolerances?? So starting last Tuesday (after my last episode) I decided I am done! Before, I wasn't willing to give up the cookies and cakes so I wasn't willing to take gluten and eggs out. I am happy to say that I have felt a TON better since last Tuesday... It will be a gradual change. There are just too many good things to eat.

With all that said, I have to share one of my favorite treats--so beyond healthy--plus almost gluten free and no eggs. Homemade granola bars. I will give you the recipe as I got it from my friend Des and then give it to you with the way I make them. Both are so yummy!

Berry Powerful Bars (From Des at Unconventionalkitchen.com)
1 Cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup slivered almonds
14 cup sunflower seeds
1 Tbsp each of flaxseed, chia seed, sesame seed
1 cup unsweetened whole grain puffed cereal or brown crisp rice cereal
1 cup assorted dried fruit
1/4 cup creamy almond butter
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt.

KTrejo Granola Bars
1 Cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup walnuts
1.5 Tbsp each of ground flax seed and chia seed
3/4 Cup brown crip rice cereal (did you know you can buy brown rice krispies at walmart??)
1/2 Cup each of puffed millet and puffed kamut (Ok, you can use any type of puffed cereal--these are just the two I have tried and really like)
1/2 Cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/3 cup creamy almond butter
1/3 cup honey
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions are the same-ish for both recipes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 inch square pan. Spread oats, and nuts on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake until oats are lightly toasted and nuts are fragrant. About 10 minutes (shake pan about halfway through). Transfer to a larger bowl. Add cereal and dried fruit. Toss to combine. In a sauce pan, combine almond butter, honey, coconut oil, vanilla and salt. Cook over med-low heat stiring frequently until everything is melted and combined. Pour over oats, nuts, cereal, fruit mixture and stir to incorporate. Pour back into 8 inch glass pan and spread evenly. Pack down to get a smooth, solid, piece of granola. If you are using the chocolate chips sprinkle over top now. Allow chips to melt into granola. When the pan is cool enough stick it into the freezer to set the bars. When bars are set they will cut nice and evenly into squares. I cut mine into 12 (works out to be about the same calorie count as a quaker granola bar) and then wrap them in plastic and leave in the fridge for grab and go.

I will be honest--I could eat the entire pan in one sitting. It's tough to get these to make it through a week. I almost always double the recipe. PS... have you hear the buzz about how good chia seeds are for you? This recipe is really jam packed with super foods. Here's the proof:

Chia Seeds http://chiaseedssuperfood.com/
Brown Rice is awesome for exercies! http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=128
Kamut (ps... this is not gluten free) http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-kamut-grain.htm
Millet http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=53
Coconut Oil is great for weight loss http://www.coconutoil.com/
Plus, dark chocolate http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20030827/dark-chocolate-is-healthy-chocolate

Pre-Long Run Dinner

I feel like I have been out of habit since October. Generally I eat according to what runs I have planned but I haven't done that for the last few months. I'm ready to get back in the habit. I planned for a long run today--16 miles. So, I needed some good carbs for dinner last night. What I came up with which may become a Friday night/pre long run routine was this: Homemade Pizza. For the crust I used Greek Pita bread. Just nice because everyone in my fam likes different stuff on their pizza. So pita, then a thin layer of spaghetti sauce, then sliced roma tomatoes, sprinkled with my favorite pizza and pasta spice mix, shredded mozarella, a few slices canadian bacon, then toped with diced red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, zucchini, and yellow squash. Even my non-veggie loving hubby thought it was delish! Total calories are probably under 350 (200 of them just from the pita--so easy to cut that back if you wanted but again I was looking for easy to digest carbs). And it worked. I had a bagel with peanut butter for my breakfast and I was not hungry on my run. Happy day! I should take pictures. This blog would be so much better with pictures.

Oatmeal recipes

Ok, last post for tonight. Have I mentioned how much I love oatmeal for breakfast? One of my faves. Anyway just found a few recipe ideas and needed somewhere to save the link for myself. Here it is: http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=204&sid=19260040.

www.unconventionalkitchen.com

I mentioned my friend Des several times already... I love her whole food cooking classes. Anyway, she was featured on Studio 5 today demo-ing healthy snacks that your kids will love so I thought you should all check it out. I will tell you that I currently have the almond joys in my freezer (and I generally have the lara bars in my freezer too). The almond joys are so unbelievably good. I've taken a few sessions of her whole food cooking classes but I want to take them again. Anyone want to join me? So much more fun to go with a friend!!

RIPPED

SO one of my new years resolutions is to add weight training to my routine. I have really not done anything but run for about 3 years. Mainly because I have zero (possibly negative) coordination. I have tried ZUMBA but I suck. In college, my roomates (and best friends) dragged me to a power pump class once and they spent the entire hour rolling on the floor laughing at me. It took me oh aproximately 8 years to enter a class after that day. ;) And then, I don't know how to lift weights... how much, how little, what movements, how often etc.

Anyway, I'm working on it! So part of working on it is going to RIPPED at the gym. It's weights, it's intervals, it's lunges, squats, push-ups, it's plyometrics and kickboxking. I generally leave dripping sweat. It is awesome to feel like every single muscle has been opened up.

What I did not know--until tonight--is that the "D" stands for Diet and the Ripped USA website has a LOT of information on diet (don't think diet as in food restriction; think of diet as in lifestyle changes) for weight loss. That info is all here: http://www.rippedusa.com/diet-stabilize-start.html. Really good beginning food nutrion info!

P.S.

I'm headed to "RIPPED" class at the gym.... Loving that class!

Super Foods-Sweet Potatoes

In the middle of making dinner for tonight I mentally wrote this post. I hope I can translate what is in my head on to paper without making it sound like run on sentences... we will see. Anyway, I'm making sweet potato enchiladas with carmalized onions for dinner tonight. It's vegan--if that is what you are shooting for, it is to die for. If you are not, it is still to die for. I need to check with my talented friend Des to see if she wouldn't mind me sharing the recipe online. She includes it in a cook book that she sells here .

So, while I was cutting up my sweet potatoes I ended up with one too many sweet potatoes peeled; so, I made sweet potato fries as well for our afternoon snack. Sweet potatoes are so good! And, so good for you! Shaun T, the creator of Insanity, says that we should eat TWO servings of sweet potatoes a day for weight loss.

Sweet potato fries are basically fool proof. Cut them up, add some olive oil or coconut oil then add whatever spices or flavors you are craving. Today's fries where this: olive oil, salt and pepper, cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon.

Which can I add this--cinnamon--cinnamon is an underutilized spice in cooking. (My own opinion, my hubby doesn't love). Cinnamon is a great antioxidant. Also, when you are having a sugar craving it can trick the brain into thinking you are giving it sugar (since it is usually included in dessert/sugary baked goods). Add it to something naturally sweet like sweet potatoes and you really can fill that sugar need. My favorite thing to add cinnamon to is fall/winter soups. Especially chicken noodle soup. So yummy and tastes gourmet.

Anyway, the health benefits of cinnamon found http://www.organicauthority.com/health/11-health-benefits-of-cinnamon.html here and the health benefits of sweet potatoes found here http://www.care2.com/greenliving/9-reasons-to-love-sweet-potatoes.html.

What super foods do you eat? I have a few go to's that I will share in the next couple of weeks. AND... do you have recipes with sweet potatoes to share with the group?? I would love to hear!!

Music Tracks

Sorry... this post is about 3 weeks late. Music can definitely affect your run. The tone, the speed, the beat, etc... So, I have some good old standards for racing which I will list below but depending on my reason for running for the day I will sometimes switch it up. Like for example, If I'm feeling sad or emotional I will listen to religious/inspirational music. I will run slow and focus on the words. It usually helps me to put life in better perspective. But, when I run to really run I listen to:

1. Jukebox Hero-Foreigner
2. Krazy-Pitbull Feat. Lil Jon
3. The Pretender-Foo Fighters
4. Blow-Kesha
5. The Chronicles of Life and Death-Good Charlotte
6. Disturbia-Rihanna
7. Long Road to Ruin-Foo Fighters
8. Gotta Be Somebody-Nickleback
9. Motorcycle Drive By-Third Eye Blind
10. How Far We've Come-Matchbox Twenty
11. If Your'e Going Through Hell-Rodney Atkins
12. I Gotta Feeling-The Black Eyed Peas
13. Left Coast Envy-The Startling Line
14. Live Your Life Feat. Rihanna-T.I.
15. Meet Me Halfway-The Black Eyed Peas
16. Because We Can-Fatboy Slim
17. Super Rad-Aquabats (thanks to Tami!!!)
18. Don't Let Me Get Me-Pink
19. Man In the Mirror-Michael Jackson
20. All for You-Sister Hazel
21. Lose Yourself-Eminem
22. Finding Me-Vertical Horizon

I start almost every race with Jukebox Hero. It gets me pumped. One caution with that song: it can make you start out too fast.

I Gotta Feeling is a good one to put near the end of your race, especially a long distance race... it helps me to visualize the end and how good it will be to be done! Plus it can pick up my pace when I start to drag a little.

I put "If You're Going Through Hell" around the middle of my St George Marathon and it was perfect because I was going through hell at that moment. I felt like the devil was chasing me through the desert.

I want to add "Stronger--Kelly Clarkson," "Party Rock Anthem-LMFAO," and "Brighter Than the Sun--Colbie Callet." Maybe "Firework--Katy Perry."

What songs get you going???

Beginning 10K Training Plan

Last weekend we did the first race of the year. St George is a glorious place in the winter. It was chilly but warm enough for shorts. Plus, this race was my first experience with an all girls race. I beyond love the idea and truly loved this race. It was a 5K, out and back course. 1/2 mile flat, 1 mile up hill, 1 mile down hill, and 1/2 mile flat. Bonus: I did this race with my sis and 2 great friends! Pictures to come.

Now that the 5K is done, my sis is training for a 10K. The Provo River 10K in 2010 was the first time I ever trained for a distance race ever. Before I thought, no way, I will never do a half marathon. But training for the 1oK got me thinking, ya, I think I can do this!

Anyway, for my sis... here is the beginning runner 10K training schedule I used from Runner's World Guide to Road Racing. I will make this plug several times I am sure but I love this book! Definitely worth owning.

Dinner

I made the most amazing Chicken Tortilla Soup for dinner last night. It was FULL of veggies! Plus, the recipe calls for the veggies to be pureed so my family "who doesn't like red peppers, and squash, and onions and... " had no idea they were included in the soup. We served this soup without the sour cream too and the taste was still fantastic. Major bonus is that the soup was huge! I have 3 jar's of soup in my freezer for later plus a container in the fridge for later this week. Recipe found here.

Morning Cereal

Found this info on steel cut oats... thought you might enjoy!

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-300--12820-0,00.html?cm_mmc=NL-Nutrition80168802022012-_-5%20Ways%20to%20Fill%20Your%20Cereal%20Bowl

Daily Kick in the Butt

I get email quotes and inspirations from Runner's World to my email. RW calls the message a "Daily Kick in the Butt." Today's was a good one and oh so true!!!

With the marathon, you don't swing for the fences on your first try. It's a race you've got to learn. It takes time to master the feeling of a marathon. --Keith Hanson, co-founder of the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project

Recipe Planning

So what are your weekly menu's looking like this week and/or next?? I'm looking for ideas.

New Favorite QUICK Breakfast

Steel cut oats. Ok, so steel cut oats are not quick as a general rule. But, I will make a pot of steel cut oats while I'm cleaning the kitchen or making other food and have an open pot. It just makes sense. Then I save the cooked oats for the morning. So here is the real recipe:

1/2 cup already cooked steel cut oats
1/2 granny smith apple cut into small chunks
1/4 cup rice milk or almond milk or water or regular milk--whatever you prefer
dash of cinnamon

Put all of it in a microwavable bowl and microwave for 1-2 minutes. When it comes out add 1 T peanut butter and 1 tsp pure maple syrup.

Make this for your hubby before he leaves for work in the morning and he will swoon! Eat this about an hour before a long run and you will stay full the whole time! So delish!

Recipe for Lara Bars

We have been super focused on food and diet here at the Trejo house the last few weeks. Bjorn is helping his mom out with her latest business adventure. She has been a personal fitness trainer/consultant for years but she is now trying to train people online to broaden her market. Bjorn is her ginnea pig. So, I just spent a good deal of the night watching video's on The Dr. Oz show. Dr. Oz interviewed the "Fit 2 Fat 2 Fit" guy and the video's are posted. So interesting!! Then I checked out his list of 99 items to put in your grocery cart... Good stuff!! Anyway, one of the biggest challenges personally is to not get too caught up in the "food noise." I really do spend too much time worrying about it. I just have to remember healthy, whole foods and the body will take care of the rest. So here you go! Homemade Lara Bars! From Des at www.unconventionalkitchen.com.

Very Cherry Bar
1/4 Cup chopped dates
1/4 Cup dried cherries or dried cranberries
1/3 Cup whole pecans, almonds or walnuts
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Set out parchment paper or seran wrap for wrapping bars after you are complete. Place the dates and cherries in a food processor. Pulse until processed to a paste. Transfer paste to medium bowl (don't clean out processor).

Add nuts to the processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add nuts and cinnamon to the bowl with fruit paste. Use fingers to knead nuts and paste into a ball. You may need to add a little bit of water to get the bars to hold together well enough. Divide ball in half or in threes and form bars. Can also roll them into little bite size balls. Store in fridge or freezer.

A few variations

Apricot-Almond: use 6 T coarsley chopped dried apricots and 2 T dates; use almonds for the nuts
Tropical: use tropical fruit bits; use raw cashews for nuts. Add 1/8 t ground giner, 1/2 t finely grated lime zest and 1 t fresh lime juice to the mix.
PB&J: use 1/4 cup dried cherries or cranberries and 1/4 cup raisins or dates; use raw or roasted peanuts
Blueberry Bliss: Use 1/4 cup dried blueberries and 1/4 cup dates; use almonds for the nuts. Add 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest, and a drop of almond extract to the mix
Cashew Cookie Dough: use 1/3 cup dates for fruit and 1/2 cup raw cashews for nuts
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough: same as cashew cookie but add 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, pinch of cinnamon and 1/2 ounce very finely chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate to the mix

I should add... my absolute favorite is the chocolate chip cookie dough. Except that I add a little too much water then add oat flour and some rolled oats. Totally tastes like a cookie. Frozen is best! If I had some protein powder on hand I might add some vanilla or chocolate as well...

My favorite treats

I have a bunch of "treats" I want to post... I just need to get off of pinterest long enough to post them. One of my new FAVE's!!!... carrots and jalapeno cilantro hummus from Sunflower market. It's spicy yummy and the carrots make it just a little sweet. Next, almonds. Next, Keifer. Have you tried Keifer? I have tried for so long to get in to Greek yogurt and still just don't love it. I tolerate it mostly but don't love it. Keifer though I love. Next, Lara bars. Especially the coconut cream pie. Oh my goodness, I'm a major fan. And did you know Lara bars are incredibly easy to make? These are actually one of the recipes I want to share with you. Last, hot chocolate with good dark chocolate. Especially after an early morning run. It warms my whole body. What are your go to snacks? Easy and convenient are the best.

How is the running going???

Hey everyone--maybe just two--how is everyone doing thus far in 2012? For me, I am back to running because I love it. And that is a great feeling. I think (until know) I underestimated the stress that goes with training for a race. That stress is a killer! So, I'm currently trying to average 30 miles a week with two days of "weights in the gym." My week generally breaks down like this Monday 6 miles, Tuesday 3-4 miles, Wednesday 6 miles, Thursday 3-4 miles, Friday rest and Saturday long run of 12 miles plus. Last Saturday I got in 15 miles. Home to BYU campus. I loved it!! I was even singing (and dancing I am embarrassed to say) as I started on mile 12 up the hill to 9th east. I love it! I love to run! It just feels so dang good! Tami is good to remind me, "If you are not enjoying it, you are working too hard." If I was a tattoo girl, I might get this one on my body somewhere. Are you running yet? If so, what does your routine look like?

PS... I would like to get this blog out to more people. Especially beginning runners. If you are following this blog let me know who you are and please pass along the address if you know someone who might be interested.

Menu Planning

I have spent almost the last 2 hours planning menu's for the week. A lot of prompts this week--made me sit down and write it out this week, grocery list included.

Inspiration: 1) I read an article by Dr. Oz this week from "O Magazine" and he said that some of the reasons we make bad food decisions is because we get stressed out/tired from making too many decisions. So, generally we start the day out eating well but by the time we have picked our clothes, our shoes, where to go, what to do, answers to kids all day we get tired of making choices and so we just eat whatever is the quickest, easiest thing in front of us 2) Again, deciding to go more whole foods necessitates more meal planning and 3) I get so discouraged calling Bjorn around 4 pm every day asking him what he wants for dinner (always trying to please! I'm done... for a little bit).

Anyway, I've been searching everywhere for good whole food recipes that I can plan for the week. Anyone have any suggestions? I'm trying to plan breakfast and lunch too! Steel cut oats is probably my go to breakfast. This recipe from Bethenny Frankel is one of my fave's (except I use dried cranberries instead of the blueberries).

Anyway, in my quest for recipes I had a friend message me and ask if I am following Word of Wisdom Living. I was not... but I am now! Very cool. Even cooler, the guy (not gal) that writes the blog is a retired father of 6 grandfather of 15! Bonus: he offers a weekly health challenge. We don't have to change our lifestyle all at once. This week's challenge? Create a menu and grocery list. Check.

Food and Nutrition

I had a bunch of blog posts ideas for this weekend and here it is--5:30 on Sunday night and not one of them is up. That is because I spent most of yesterday laying around reading this, by Jillian Michaels. I picked it up on sale at Costco a few weeks ago and actually didn't know what to expect. But, low and behold, she is simply advocating a whole foods diet which I have been trying to convince myself to adopt for this last year. It really really is so worth the work. Here is the brief: the environment we live in is so increasingly toxic. The animal protein sources we eat are full of antibotics (and a whole host of other crap) and the processed food we buy at the store are full of chemicals that the body cannot even read. So what we eat is killing the good biotics (probiotics) we have so we are generally sicker. Then the chemicals aka high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils enter our body and our metabolism says, "what is this? is this food? I don't know what to do with this." So it converts the food directly to stored fat AND even worse, your body still thinks it is hungry because it still thinks it has not been fed!

Anyway, I took a few whole foods cooking classes last year from my friend Des at Unconventional Kitchen. But, my family is not a fan so I went back to cooking easy, unhealthy food that made my family happy. But, I have been chronically feeling crappy. So, I cleaned out my fridge and cupboard yesterday just getting rid of the HFCS and the hydrogenated oils. Here is the proof! Such a bummer because a lot of the food was not even opened yet! Such a waste of money. But, I want to feel good and healthy again.

Another interesting thing I learned from JM, did you know that your hormones are your metabolism??? So when we are feeling hormonal crazy our metabolism will slow down and we will have a harder time losing weight! Anyway, more info to come on this as I finish the book.

What do you think?? Yea or nay?? My always cynically hubby says he doesn't buy it. But again, he loves to be the cynic. And I believe almost anything. Anyone else willing to clean out their cabinents? What I was most surprised by: the All-Bran cereal! The first three ingredients are as follows: Bran, sugar, high fructose corn syrup. Can you believe that!?! WHY do they have to follow sugar with HFCS as ingredients 2 and 3??

@Tami

First--I'm definitely no expert but I will give my thoughts anyway. With feeling winded, I really think that is mostly just to do with the crappy air quality we have here during the winter and the fact that we are running at 4500 feet. Especially since you are just getting back in to running after a 6 month hiatus, I think it is just one of those things. Stick with it and it will get better and/or go away. Especially during a speed work out. Remember that one of the main purposes of doing a speed work out is to increase your max oxygen capacity. There is a term for this... I can't think of it right now. In a few weeks after a few more hills and a few more speed workouts you will be better. I honestly think this "winded" feeling is what stops a lot of people from sticking with running. It's a pretty crappy feeling for a while. Stick with it and it will get better. Did I say that enough times? Stick with it! :)

Then, feeling like you are going to throw up. My guess is this has to do a little bit with eating habits while you train. I run early morning for a lot of reasons but one being that I know after a long night sleep all my dinner has digested. I will eat a small meal and then run. It is one of those things that is a very fine balance. You do have to have something in your stomach to have energy to burn but you don't want to have so much in your stomach that you still have food actively being digested. I actually learned something really cool this month about running and digestion. So the body is a pretty amazing little machine right? Well, when you run hard or run long your body signals distress and your body will stop sending blood through your gut and will instead pump it to your vital organs. You can probably run a nice easy run without this change but my guess is if you are only feeling sick during a speed work out then your body is trying to protect itself and (assuming you have food in your stomach) your stomach is saying, "hey, how am I supposed to function here?!?" Anyway, what to do: 1) Try to eat small (100-200 calorie) meal about an hour or two before you want to start running. Then nothing. 2) Try a high glycemic food for a quick energy source that is easily digestable. 3) Run on a schedule. The body will adapt and move food through the system like clock work if we will get it on a schedule. So eat at the same time every day. Run at the same time. Go to sleep and wake up at the same time.

Does this help? Or, do you do all this and still have problems? Let me know!!!

Plus, have you seen this??

This is by far my most favorite YouTube video ever. I've shared this with a lot of people so maybe you have already seen it... Ben Davis. Also at http://bendoeslife.com. Talk about therapy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SbXgQqbOoU

Ben was interviewed in the December issue of Runner's world and I found out that when he was growing up his dad was addicted to drugs. Ben turned to food to avoid the hurt from having his dad basically absent from his life and in turn became addicted. In the video you see Ben plus his brother and his dad, who has now over come his own addiction, cross the finish line of the Iron Man together. Talk about healing!

Theraputic Run

I told you this one deserved its own post. I honestly started running at a time when I was having a really hard time personally. I needed time alone to think! Somewhere I could take out all my anger but not let it affect my family. And the more running circles I joined the more I found most people get hooked for the same reason. It's kind of like that saying going around pinterest, "be kind for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." It's so true! Everyone has there thing to deal with so we all need therapy at some time!! So here is what you do... put on your shoes and start out the door. Before the sun comes up is best because then you get to watch the sky change colors as the sun makes its way up over the mountains and if you start in the pitch black you will sometimes get some shooting stars. Run. Run faster or slower than you normally do. Run longer or shorter than you normally do. Run harder. Pound the ground. Give it a nice good punch in the face, because you know you want to punch someone in the face. :) Then run a new route--see something you haven't seen before. CLIMB that mountain you thought you couldn't do. Make the run about accomplishing what you thought you couldn't possibly do. It will make the problem you have seem accomplishable. Don't make the workout work. Breath in deep, exhale all the way. Several times. SING to your iPod. Play the drums with your fingers (I honestly do this... don't laugh... a few songs on my play list always get the air drums). You can do this! I know you can!

Where do I start?

I'm not sure who is reading these posts and where you are at personally. So forgive me if this seems really basic. If you have not run on a regular basis in a very long time then this one is probably for you! Start training for a 5K. Training for something is so great to help you to stick with a training program. It is the end goal. It will give you a focus, a time frame etc. So, find one that looks fun and get going! Beginner 5K plans generally pair walking and running to build up endurance so that by the time you get to race day you are ready to comfortably jog the 3.1 miles the entire way. Here is a look at what a beginner 5K plan looks like: http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

Here are some other good beginner tips:
1. To start, run every other day for a few days (up to 2 weeks), to see how you feel. This will let you asses if you have some old injuries that still need to heal. If you feel good after a couple work outs you can add additional days. Do keep at least 1 day of solid rest (Sunday for most of us) to let your body heal. I generally rest on Sunday and will do a very light work out on Thursday or Friday to gear up for a big Saturday.
2. Be consistent! Pick the days you will run and pick the times you know you will go.
3. Listen to your body and your aches and pains. Don't run through the pain unless you know why you have the pain.
4. To increase distance a few rules of thumb: add up to 20% distance to your long run for 2-3 weeks in a row then step back and recover for one week. So for example, when I am training for a marathon I will have long runs that look like this--10 miles, 12 miles, 12 miles, 14 miles, 5 miles, 16 miles, 18 miles, 20 miles, 10 miles. Build, build, build, recover.
5. Another rule of thumb (probably only applies to a 10K and beyond): your mid week miles should be half your total miles for the week. So maybe my 30 mile week will look like this: Day 1- 6 miles, Day 2- 3 miles, Day 3-6 miles, Day 4-Rest, Day 5-Rest or light cardio, Day 6- 15 miles.
6. Fueling for the workout deserves its own post but here are some basics: eat 100-200 calories an hour or two before you go (general rule is 100 calories per hour before the run). Eat simple carbs. Toast with peanut butter. Half a banana. That is my go to meal. Don't drink a lot right before starting out. Instead, make an effort to be well hydrated throughout the day and hold of drinking an hour before the run. Remember to replenish right after you are done. Hydrate! Protein and carb. Hot chocolate or chocolate milk is the BEST post run recovery drink. Drink it up!
5. Last, run because you love it. Run because you need it. Run because it is cheaper than therapy. This is such a cliche saying but oh my so true. This deserves its own post too!

Advice adapted from here: http://www.active.com/running/Articles/10_Steps_to_Start_Running.htm

Post Answers @Lynne

Yes, I have used the flax as an egg replacement. To be honest I need to do it so much more than I do because I am egg intolerant. I actually made the Bran Muffins this weekend and made the following replacements and they turned out awesome! I also sat down and figured out the nutritional content for the Bran Muffins and submitted it to My Fitness Pal. You can check them out there. The "Brand" would be "KTrejo." I used Oat flour exclusively. I used flax instead of eggs and replaced half the sugar with sugar in the raw. Eggs do contribute to how much things rise so using flax can make the baked item a little flat but taste will not be affected.

Bran Muffin Recipe

This recipe is for my sis! And believe it or not, these Bran Muffins are to die for good. I will post the recipe as it was given to me from my mother-in-law and then give a few suggestions on how to make them healthier (it will however change the taste a little). This recipe comes from The Lion House.

2 C Boiling Water
4 C All-Bran Cereal
1 C Canola Oil
2 C Sugar
4 Eggs, beaten
5 C Flour (she uses 3 C White Flour and 2 C Wheat)
1 t. Salt
5 t. Baking Soda
1 Quart Buttermilk
2 C Wheaties Cereal

Directions: Pour boiling water over 4 C of Bran. Sift together dry ingredietns. Cream together oil and sugar. Add eggs, hot bran mixture, dry ingredients and buttermilk. Last of all add the 2 C of Wheaties. Mix just enough to combine. Bake in greased muffin tins for 15-20 minutes. Recipe makes 6 dozen muffins, but the best part is the batter may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks! That means you can have hot muffins daily!

My mother in law is a personal trainer and knows nutrition well. She loves these for her clients. But just for kicks, a few ideas on how to make them more nutritious (ps... these ideas translate to almost any baked good).

1. WonderFlour... What is that??? Chef Brad has a Whole Grain cooking show on the BYU channel. It's awesome. TiVo it! Anyway, he uses a whole grain flour that is 1 part brown rice flour, 1 part spelt flour and 1 part barley flour in replace of white flour in his baking. Check it out here... http://www.chefbrad.com/grain/articles.php?article=Wonder%20Flour&qid=5. I have tried this replacement in this recipe and totally loved it. It did change the texture a little but the taste was still awesome. Added bonus, brown rice and spelt are two of the BEST grains for fueling for exercise. Want some more details on this? Let me know.
2. Replace sugar with Sugar in the raw. I have not tried this one and in this recipe and I might try it with only half the recipe first since it would be a big replacement. As far as sweeteners go, I think this is the order of most nutrious to least... Succanat over Brown Sugar. Sugar in the Raw over white Sugar. Brown Sugar over White Sugar. If you follow health food trends lately you have probably tossed out your white sugar in the garbage all together already. I can't go that far yet. But, replacing it with a healthier choice on some recipes is a good idea.
3. Limit eggs. Or use two egg whites in replace of one egg (yolk+white). Other ideas for replacing eggs: Ground flax or chia seeds. 1 Tablespoon flax or chia plus 3 Tablespoons water will replace one egg. Did I go over board???

Do you have some good healthy recipes???? Please share!!!
3.

Links

On the side bar I have a few links to check out. One, Daily Mile. Daily Mile is a social networking site for runners. You can login with any facebook or twitter account that you already have. I love it!!! I started last February logging all my running miles and so far I've burned 688 donuts in just one year! Join today and add me as a friend!

Next, My Fitness Pal. I talked about these guys down below. Awesome.

Refuse 2 Quit: You want to see amazing??? This guy is a friend of ours and he is an Elite Ultra Marathoner. What is that you ask? Oh this guy goes out and runs 50 milers for kicks and giggles. Last year he took 3rd place in the Pony Express 100.

Last, a link to Runner's World Blog for beginning runners. So much good information. No one will need me any more!

A Few of My Running Favorites

1. Runner's World Magazine... I'm a magazine girl anyway and I really love this one.
2. Garmin 305 Watch... I got this for Christmas when I was pregnant with Maddy, before I really stared running. It has seen some serious miles. I know the newer ones (I think 405) are quite a bit updated and sleeker. I know a lot of smart phones have Apps to track miles but I like to run sans phone.
3. Shoes I have worn and loved: Asics Gel Nimbus 130 (lots of cushion, meant for a slightly heavier runner, it is a heavier shoe so I don't recommend it for marathoning); Brooks Ghost. I ran in this one for a long time. Wore it out and got a new shoe. And now, I'm back in my worn out shoe because I loved this shoe so much. It is light weight, no frills but it just breaks in amazingly well. Puma FAAS 500. This shoe is awesome. Very similar to the Brooks Ghost but is made for a more narrow foot. Next on my list... I want to try one from the Nike Lunar series. We will see.
4. Clothes... from Athleta http://www.athleta.net/chi/. I know they can be expensive so it's what I ask for on my birthday and at Christmas. Other favorites would be my Under Armour t-shirts. I got these on the clearance rack at Sports Authority probably for $10 each. They are made of that dri fit material (these feel more like cotton but they are definitely not). I can't run in a cotton t-shirt. I just can't any more.

Answers to posts

First--to answer Kristal's question--what to do while being pregnant? Other than maintaining your Pilate's class obviously, you don't want to start running now. If you are up for it start walking a few days a week and do so slowly. But really, your biggest focus now would be on nutrition and eating healthy. One question, are you getting enough protein in your diet? Protein is a tough one for a lot of women and so if you don't I would recommend protein shakes/powder. I remember my doctor telling me to make my hubby take me to Outback for a steak dinner once a week. I didn't; but, I do think it will aid in your delivery and recovery. If you want a recommendation on brand/type of protein let me know.

Second--Sara, no worries if you have no desire to get into running for the races. I will say that I have never "dropped the baby weight" like I did when I started running after Maddy was born. So there is some definite reasons to "run just to lose the weight." There is a book put out by "Runner's World" called Run Your Butt Off. I have not read it but I would like to. You can check out a short synopsis here http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-576--13864-0,00.html. It is basic. Eat less. Run more.

A few things I have learned while Running. Running will not make you lose weight. In fact, I put on about 5-8 lbs training for the last marathon (dang it!! I hate that) because for the most part my running was done so in the "cardio zone" which is heart rate above 160 ish. The problem, working out that hard made me starving! Seriously, I was hungry all day every day. So, to compensate I would eat. Also, before a work out or a run I would take an energy gel that breaks down to about 100 calories of sugary delicious goodness. I love those things! They make me feel like I can run forever! But I was taking them early in the morning before an 8+ mile run 3 days a week and so by the late afternoon I would get the sugar crash and go looking for cookies in the pantry. Anyway, now that I am not training for anything I am running slower which means I'm not as hungry during the day.

Also, I have been meticulous in tracking what I eat so I know what my calorie in take and out take is daily. I use http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ to track my daily eating habits. The iPhone App for these guys is AWESOME because it has a bar code scanner you can use to add the foods you eat each day. So easy to make sure you are tracking the right products. Plus, there is the added benefit that sometimes I will actually NOT eat something that I don't want to record it. Does anyone else track what they eat? If so, how do you do it? Any other ideas to lose those last 10 lbs of baby weight??? Why is it so hard to get rid of those last 5-10 lbs!?!

Where to start?

Ok, first thing is to set your goal. Setting goals is HUGE in what you can accomplish in running. When we get to discussing "race day strategy" I will talk about setting 3 goals. First, your ultimate goal. Second, one that you think you can reasonably accomplish based on how you hard you have trained. Third, one that you will be happy to meet--bummed if you don't. Setting goals for the year (and for life) are pretty much the same. Set your top goal based on something that would be a serious stretch personally but something you would LOVE to accomplish in this lifetime. You will be absolutely amazed at what you will accomplish when you push yourself to that goal. Pick your medium goal based on what you want to accomplish by the end of the running season. Set your short term goals based on what it will take to get you started.

My first year (2010) of real running I set my top goal, "to finish a half marathon." That was THE top for me. No way I was ever going to go past that. I set my middle goal on a 10K. Running that 10K may have been harder for me to accomplish than any other race I have ever done. It was the first time that I had ever "trained" to run anything. First time I had to follow a running schedule. When I finished that I was ready to push my limits towards that top goal. Ever since then I keep pushing that top goal farther out. So what goals are you working on? What is your peak?

So here we go!

I will throw this out there at the beginning... I'm not a great writer or an interesting writer. I have a few friends that are stalk-worthy bloggers. In any case, I want this blog to be a collection of everyone's ideas and a place to share success and accomplishments. So, I will post training ideas that have worked for me; but, please please share with the group if you have other ideas (especially better ideas). And, don't forget to share your race/running accomplishments. When I trained for my first full marathon--I couldn't even THINK about crossing the finish line without getting emotional... and I'm not an emotional person normally. My personal accomplishment meant that much to me. When I trained for my second marathon I was shooting for some pretty high goals so the feelings I had when I envisioned crossing the finish line for the second time... the only way to describe them is fierce. Competitive. This year, I am dying with excitiment thinking that some of you will run your first half this summer. So here we go!