Moroccan Beet Salad

This is one of my favorite recipes for beets. I used golden yellow beets for a change, but you can use regular red beets. I have been making this recipe for several years and it is always a winner.

Moroccan Beet Salad 

One Bunch Beets, roasted and diced
2 tsp. Olive Oil
1 tsp. Cumin
Juice of one Lemon
2 springs of fresh Mint
Maldon Sea Salt

Combine all ingredients and serve.

*recipe was adapted from Gourmet Magazine

The Importance of Plan B, Plan C and Plan D

Post half marathon, I decided to dial back the running a bit and add a new weight training program  called Les Mills PUMP into my routine.  I started last week and love it!  PUMP only requires you do 3 weight workouts/week and then you can do cardio of your choice.  Since I have a 5k in a couple of weeks and a 10k on June 23, I decided that I would run on the cardio days.   

Last week I mapped out my workouts, which look like this:

WEEK 2	MAY 20 - MAY 26
Monday	PUMP & BURN
Tuesday	3 - 5 mile run PUMP Challenge, Hard Core Abs
Wednesday	6 - 7 miles, tempo with  2 x 10 minutes in the middle at 10K pace, 4 minutes rest in between
Thursday	PUMP & BURN
Friday	3 - 5 mile run
Saturday	Rest or 2 - 4 mile run
Sunday	6 - 8 miles, with 2 miles in the middle at 20 seconds/mile slower than 10K pace

 

Yesterday on a trip to the playground with my kids, I rolled my ankle and fell to the ground.  There is no swelling but there is a little bit of pain. Accordingly, my fantastic workout schedule is being amended. The running is going to be put off for a couple of days at least and I am going to modify the PUMP so that I do only the upper body moves.  

I like to plan my workouts, but if something isn't right that doesn't mean I abandon course entirely.  I think in life and in exercise, you have to be able to adapt when you face adversity.  Professional athletes don't abandon their entire training when they are injured, they modify it.  I am by no means a professional athlete, but I like to employ that way of thinking.  

When faced with a minor injury, do you modify your workouts or you do you catch-up on reality TV until you're healed? 

Breaking The Breakfast Rut

For a significant portion of my adult life my breakfast of choice was either cereal or a bagel.  Within an hour, or two if I was lucky, I would be ravenous and often end up eating my lunch earlier then planned.    The new thinking on breakfast is to include carbs, protein and small amount of fat so that you get immediate energy and feel satiated longer.  

Breakfast is usually a tricky meal to prepare, we are often still foggy with sleep and don't have time to make elaborate meals.  Below are a couple quick ideas for breakfast. I make the steel cut oats ahead of time and store in the refrigerator. 

Here are a few of my favorite breakfasts:

Pita Bread, Labne, Carrots and Cucumbers

Steel Cut Oats, Blueberries, Nuts and Local Honey

Chocolate Shakeology, Strawberries and Almond Milk

Mango-Mint Smoothie: Mango, Mint, Blueberries, Greek Yogurt and Almond Milk

French Lentil Salad

Growing up the ladies in my family used to drive up to Chestnut Hill outside of Boston for shopping trips.  There was a lovely French Bistro that used to be there and we would have often order the French Lentil Salad.  This recipe is inspired by those lunches. Enjoy!

French Lentil Salad

2 Cups Green Lentil, Cooked

2 Green Onions, green ends only chopped

1 Tomato, diced

2 Carrots, diced

2 Cucumbers, diced

Dressing

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

1 T. Champagne Vinegar

1 t. Dijon Mustard

1/2 t. Salt 

1 Shallot, chopped 

1) Rinse uncooked lentils. Place 1 cup lentils in pot and cover with 2 cups of water.  Cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender.  Set aside to cool.

2) Cut green onions, tomato, carrots and cucumbers, set aside. 

3) Whisk dressing ingredients together. 

4) Combine lentils, vegetables and dressing.  

5) Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour to let the flavors develop.  

If desired, add feta or goat cheese crumbles.  

Serving Suggestions:

Good as a main dish, especially with a crusty piece of baguette.  Also, really complimentary side dish to roast chicken.

Gym, Studio or Home Workouts, Which is Right For You?

I have always been something of a gym rat. I've had gym memberships on and off since high school. The main advantage of a gym is access to a lot of equipment. Even a small gym will have several types of cardio equipment and a variety of weight machines and free weights.  Gyms also usually offer classes, everything from circuit training to yoga.  In addition, some have child care centers and offer special activities for the kids while you workout.

I specifically chose my gym, 24 Hour Fitness Super Sport, based on the child care activities.  In addition to my gym membership fee, I pay $20/month per child for up to 2 hours of child care. The Super Sport is really nice because it has an indoor playground and ours has a sports court where the kids play can play soccer or basketball.  They also watch movies, color and play with toys.  My children actually look forward to going and refer to it as the "gym playground." 

I do a majority of my running at the gym simply because I need the child care.  I know if I had a treadmill in my home, my kids would play on it and never allow me to get a complete workout if they were awake. I also like that I have the option to take classes such as Cycle.

The major drawback to joining a gym is cost.  I pay $49/month plus the extra fees for child care.  In addition there is the cost of gas for driving to/from the gym.  My gym is on the way to my daughter's school so I don't have to make any additional trips except on the weekend.   For some the cost can be an incentive, most people don't like to waste money so it makes them go to justify the expense.

The at home workout option is easy and cost efficient.  You can get a really great workout from using a variety of DVDs and minimal equipment.  My at home gym consists of weights, resistance bands, a yoga mat and Swiss ball. Beachbody fitness DVDs are amazing and good value.  At first I was skeptical, I had worked out using a lot of home DVDs and found I always had to supplement them with other activities to get both cardio and resistance training. With Beachbody most of the programs incorporate both cardio and resistance training so you get everything you need in one program.  

After doing 10 Minute Trainer and Les Mills COMBAT, I decided to become a Team Beachbody Coach mostly so I could get a discount on these phenomenal products.  Since I still have a gym membership, I watch a lot of the trainers with their clients and was pleasantly surprised to see most of the exercises they do are incorporated into the Beachbody workouts. Trainers cost around $60/session at the gym, so buying a Beachbody program is a really cost effective way to get personal training without the price tag. 

The pros of working out at home are that it is cheaper than joining a gym and you can do it anytime you want.  The major drawback for some people is that they lack motivation to work out once they are home, there are too many distractions and the couch looks really inviting after being out of the house all day.  In my case, the major drawback is that I cannot do an at home workout if my kids are awake. They tend to jump on my back when I do pushups or think I am a human jungle gym when I do yoga.

For me a combination of gym and home workouts work best.  I go to the gym 3-4/week to run and do my strength training at home.  While my kids enjoy the gym, I really don't want them to have to go there everyday.  I sneak in my Beachbody workouts at 5 am before anyone is asking for breakfast. 

Another option for working out is a fitness studio.  Fitness studios are small and focus on one or two types of workouts.  I really enjoy Pure Barre and they have studios throughout the country. They offer a specific barre workout that target the abs, thighs and rear. Pure Barre classes are $25 a session for a 55 minute class. You can usually buy packages that bring the class price down to about $15/session.  Pure Barre also has DVDs which allow you to do a similar workout in your home with a small playground ball and a chair or counter. Since they focus on one type of class you can usually find a class time that suits your schedule. 

Classes at gyms offer more variety, but they may only offer yoga twice a week and at times that don't work for you.  If you are soley into yoga, barre-type workouts or Pilates, a studio might be your best fit.  Single classes can be very expensive, but if that is your main workout you can buy packages or monthly memberships that make it more affordable. 

Bottom line: there are a lot of options to get you in shape. It doesn't matter which you chose, you just need to commit fully to doing it.  

If you are interested in checking out any of the options from Beachbody, please check out my website: www.beachbodycoach.com/AND1678

Full Disclosure: Any purchases made through my Beachbody website result in a commission for me. 

Where is your favorite place to workout?

Small Changes, Big Impact - How I Lost The Baby Weight

I made it through my pregnancy and delivery with minimal problems.  My little peanut weighed 6lbs. 13 ounces so she definitely wasn't the cause of my massive gains.  I knew I had a lot of work to do in terms of weight loss but I also gave myself a realistic time frame for losing the weight. I planned on nursing so I knew anything I ate would be going to the baby and that meant no crazy supplements or weight loss shakes.  My goal was to be at a healthy weight by my daughter's first birthday.

My plan to get fit was to follow a sensible diet where I stayed within my calorie limit for the day.  I also planned to walk a couple miles a day.  I researched a ton of strollers and settled on the Mountain Buggy because it had inflatable tires, steered really well and handled all terrains great.  Within a couple of weeks I started taking long walks in the early morning with my baby in the stroller.  I would walk for about an hour and covered about 3-4 miles.  I did this every day unless it was raining.  Slowly the weight started to peel off.

I know some people join a gym with daycare, but at that point I couldn't fathom leaving a stranger in charge of my babe.  I turned to DVDs to help round out my workout routine, my favorites were Buff Moms and Post Natal Taebo. I really liked that the DVDs broke the workout into 10-15 minute increments so I could do it all at once during nap time or break it up throughout the day.

My food at this point was mainly lean meats, grains and vegetables.  I have always like to cook so it made perfect sense to me to make all my child's baby food.  Also, I could ensure the quality of the fruits and vegetables and save a ton of money in the process.  I followed Ruth Yaron's Super Baby Food Book, which I still reference to this day because it is packed with lots of nutritional information.  This helped reintroduce me to the fruit and vegetable heavy diet of my own childhood.  

That is when a lightbulb went off for me.  I should follow the diet I was feeding my child, lots of fresh organic fruits and vegetables, hard boiled eggs, plain yogurt, lentils and lean meats and minimal grains.  People often stuff their kids with cereals and crackers, but these are extremely processed to add the nutrients that can be found by simply eating whole foods.  I have followed this diet for myself and my children ever since.

I've had lapses and dug into a few bags of Cheetos, but my daily emphasis has been on eating a varied diet that is based on whole foods. I also don't believe in bad food days or bad foods.  I don't even really like the "cheat meal" idea that is thrown around. My eating philosophy is to try and make the best possible choice for me at each meal.  Eating a cupcake or candy or both isn't going to send me into a mental tailspin because the next time I eat I am going to make a better choice. Life is really all about balance and so should your philosophy about food. 

By the time my daughter turned one, I had lost 70 pounds and fit into my honeymoon clothes. My OBGYN congratulated me and said "you know, very few people actually lose that weight...we didn't think you would either."  I was proud, but kind of wanted to slap her at the same time. She went on to state that women often fail to lose weight from the first baby and then add more weight with subsequent pregnancies and set themselves up for high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. Talk about some scary stuff.

Home Gym Equipment: weights, yoga mat, band and swiss ball

How did you lose the baby weight? 

Am I Really That Big?

Am I really that big?  The answer five years ago was yes. I was pregnant, but carrying a lot of weight. When I got pregnant with my first child I was about 10 pounds overweight.  Nothing that put me in the obese category, but my suits were fitting a little more snugly and required the wearing of Spanx.

Once I was pregnant, I thought this is great I will be able to eat whatever I want during these nine months and deal with the weight loss after.  I ran into a significant problem during my pregnancy because prior to I was a full fledged Weight Watcher devotee.  Back in those days the emphasis was on keeping your points low regardless of nutritional content.  I realize that while my weight was low on Weight Watchers, my diet was poor and filled with artificial foods. As an adult I never learned proper nutrition, which is the key to lasting weight loss and probably a good idea to have a working knowledge of when pregnant.   Since I was concerned with the life I was growing, I made a decision to eschew all things that had artificial sweetener and replaced them with the regular versions which resulted in a lot of sugar and calories.

During this time, I was working as an attorney for the Department of Corrections and commuting into work via bus and train.  I was stressed and nauseous most of the time so I ate a lot of bagels. Thank you Finagle a Bagel for being located in my office building, I think you contributed to a significant amount of my weight gain.  I didn't think I was eating unhealthy per se, a bagel with reduced fat cream cheese and a side of fruit.   Perhaps I wasn't, but I was eating way too much and not moving enough.  I kept my gym membership and occasionally hit up the elliptical and took lunchtime walks around Boston with my work colleagues but I really wasn't doing enough to offset the amounts I was eating.

I rationalized that I was pregnant and that most of it must be the baby and water weight.  I wasn't really that big, people told me I looked good. Plus there were others around me that clearly weighed more,  so what was the problem? I had this really irritating nurse practitioner who pointed out I gained too much weight on every visit.  After one visit, she filled out a referral for a nutritionist.  It was horrifying, I remember standing in front of Lens Crafters on Boylston Street sobbing on the phone to my husband.  What was I supposed to do now, go on a diet at 6 months pregnant?

I was more than a little annoyed that this lady was taking the buzz out of the all you can eat buffet that is supposed to be pregnancy.  I sought the comfort and solace of my work crew, they assured me I looked fine and not overly ginormous. I tried to make better decisions, but I knew I was struggling with how to adapt my previous sugar-free,fat-free artificial diet to a healthier diet.

Things got way worse,  I went to my 7 month check up on the Friday before Patriots Day.  I was excited to cut out of work a little early on a long weekend and had plans to catch up with friends on Monday and watch the Boston Marathon. On this visit, the nursing assistant checked and rechecked my blood pressure.  Her face became rather serious and she got my nurse practitioner.  I was told effective immediately I was on bed rest.  My blood pressure was too high and they didn't want it to develop into preeclampsia.  I immediately panicked, but thought after a weekend of rest it would be fine when they rechecked it on Tuesday.  Tuesday came and my blood pressure was still high.  I was told that I could not return to work and warned the risks of developing full blown preeclampsia and what that meant for me and the baby.

I was really angry at myself at that point for not paying more attention to what I ate during the first and second trimesters.  I often felt guilty that I could have avoided putting myself and my child in danger because I wasn't more careful about what and more importantly how much I ate.  I made a promise to myself and to my unborn child that I would eat a healthy diet and exercise.  This wasn't about vanity, it was about health.  My failure to adhere to a healthy diet and exercise plan was negligent but if I continued on that path it would truly be reckless.

I will write a few more posts on how I made small but significant changes in my diet and exercise and lost 70 pounds in one year.   I can tell you that by my daughter's first birthday I weighed less than the weight I was when I became pregnant.  If you want to make a change you can do it, but it takes effort and it is not easy.

Have you had a health wakeup call yet? If so, what did you do change your path?

How To Fit Fitness In

I am a mother of two young children, one school aged and the other is home with me. So I understand the complexities of trying to get fit while tending to the often demanding needs of others. In a former life, before children,I had very demanding litigation jobs which also left little time for extracurriculars like hitting the gym. I can totally empathize with the dilemma of trying to justify working out when the demands of work and family are insurmountable.

It is with that understanding, that I urge you to make time for fitness. If you try to "find" time it will not happen. There are 24 hours in a day, a chunk of that you are sleeping and the other chunk of that you are working. What are you doing with the rest of your day?

Do this experiment, break your day into 10 minute increments beginning from when you wake up until  you go to sleep at night.  Keep a log and jot down what you did in each of those 10 minutes segments. You will be amazed at how much time you wasted checking email and Facebook and hanging out at Starbucks. I love being connected but it can really derail your day and suck up major amounts of time.

Once you identify some pockets of time that you could workout, schedule your workouts. I write mine down in my Lily Pulitzer Planner and also enter them in my iPhone. Just the acting of scheduling the workouts affirms your commitment to getting fit. I don't work out every day, there are some days that are just too packed with activities and trying to get in a workout would just be too stressful. On these days, I don't feel like a slacker because I have planned to take the day off. Conversely, I don't struggle with getting back on track because I have my next workout scheduled.

If you haven't worked out in a while or are trying to find the right workout for you, start by picking up some fitness and health magazines. They are a low cost way to get the inside track on new fitness trends. Another great way to sample a variety of fitness options is through sites like Groupon and Living Social. They often offer month long gym memberships and packages to fitness classes that are a far below market value.

Sometimes working out at home is a great option, you can fit it in early in the morning before anyone is stirring or late at night after everything is quiet. I am working on a more detailed post about working out at home and will have that up for you is weekend.

How do you make time to workout? 

My kids "making" the time for fitness at Dick's Sporting Goods

Armenian White Bean Salad

This is a classic Armenian recipe for bean salad that is cooked and served either at room temperature or cold.  The tastes develop much better if it is made a day before and refrigerated before serving.  I like to make this for lunch or as a side dish to chicken or fish.

Since I am not really exercising this week, I am trying to eat as clean as possible.  This is what I am having for dinner. 

Armenian White Bean Salad

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

1 Can of Cannellini Beans

1 Onion, Sliced

1 Tomato, Diced

1 Cup Carrots, Diced

1 Green Bell Pepper, Diced

Juice of 1 Lemon 

Salt to Taste

1) Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet, add onion and saute until the onion is translucent.

Sauteed Onions

2) Add carrots and pepper, about ten minutes.

Onions with Carrots and Peppers

3) Add tomatoes, cook ten minutes longer.

4) Add the beans, lemon juice and salt.

Completed Salad

5) Transfer to serving bowl, cover and chill. 

How I Achieved My Shiny New PR

Despite the fact that my legs scream in pain every time I try to sit down or walk down the stairs or bend over to pick something up, I am walking on air. As I mentioned in an earlier blog post I had a goal to beat my previous half marathon time of 2:24:14.  It wasn't entirely a pie in the sky idea, since February I have been working on increasing my speed and leg strength by doing speed intervals, hill training and plyometric training.

Since I am not a professional athlete and have two small children, my training wasn't always to the letter.  I think this is why I had some anxiety about beating my previous time.  I also lack experience so I wasn't sure just how much I could reasonably expect to bring my time down in matter of 4 months. 

After my last half marathon I did a 60 day program called Les Mills Combat.  It is mostly a kickboxing type workout but it has two workouts called Power HIIT and Plyo HIIT.  These two workouts were amazing and I incorporated them into my training for the OC Half after reading about the benefits of plyometric training to long distance running.  The gist of the article is that jumping improves balance, power, strength and flexibility. Here is the link to read more about the benefits of plyometrics:

http://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/why-should-distance-runner-do-plyometrics

Sometimes I ran short on time and combined my long run with a hill workout.  I studied the course map and knew that a relatively significant hill would be around 10 miles into my race.  When I did my long training runs I purposefully saved a couple of hills to do at the very end of my runs when I was tired so it would simulate race conditions.  I made a conscious decision to make my training harder than my actual race so that on race day it would feel easier.  

It worked, my first three miles were significantly faster than any of my other long runs.  There were a lot of downhills that I took full advantage of and let gravity do its work.  I was worried that with the downhills being at the beginning of the race that I would go out way too fast and lose steam as the hill approached.  I had set my Garmin to keep my splits every 1/4 mile, so it was easier for me to check my pace and readjust if I was going too fast.  

When I got to the 11 mile marker and looked at my Garmin I knew that I would be able get a PR. At that point I almost decided to ease up a bit and then I thought of all the encouragement I had received from my friends while I was training and I pushed as hard as I could.  Looking at my Garmin and knowing that I had taken almost seven minutes off my time was incredible.  I got a shiny new medal and a shiny new PR of 2:17:44.

I'm taking this week off to recover, just some gentle stretching and yoga.  I've already made plans to try some new workouts now that I am off a training cycle, looking forward to incorporating Les Mills PUMP and Spin into my routine.  

What do you do once you achieve a goal?  Do you take some time off or do you set new goals for yourself?

OC Half Race Review

I ran my second half marathon yesterday at the OC Half Marathon, in Orange County, California. The race starts in Newport Beach and winds its way through Corona Del Mar and ends up in Costa Mesa at the Orange County Fair Grounds. An estimated 20,000 runners participated in the various running events.

Since it is a point to point course, I was instructed to park at the finish and take a shuttle to the starting line. I was told to take the 5:30 am shuttle. I only live 10 minutes from the finish but I ended up sitting in traffic for about 45 minutes. Parking was plentiful but the shuttle scene was a little crazy. There were lots of lines and little in the way of volunteers to help you find your way. I hopped in a line and waited about 10 minutes for a bus. There was still more traffic heading to the start because of some people elected to be dropped off there. I hustled to the start right just as my wave was going.

It was kind of nice to be rushed to start because I didn't have time to think, I just went with the crowd. The course has a lot of gentle rolling hills so you could see the thousands of people running ahead of you. It was nice to experience being part of a surge and you could feel the momentum of all those individuals collectively running. A lot of runners had messages for Boston on themselves which was emotional and uplifting at the same time. Even some of the sports photographers were wearing Red Sox hats. There were also a lot of people running as part of charity teams and that was inspiring too, it really does restore your faith in humanity to watch a marathon.

The course itself is really breathtaking, lots of ocean views and million dollar properties. People were outside cheering and that added to the excitement.  Gretchen, from Real Houswives of Orange County, was out cheering at mile 3. She was very casual and out by herself without a single camera guy in sight. Maybe Slade was running?

The only major bummer of the race was at the Mile 4 water stop, no water.  It was chaotic and I didn't want to waste time waiting for water to show up so I moved on.  The rest of the water stops seemed reasonably stocked, but I do recall one only having Gatorade left.  I made the executive decision to drink whatever was available and avoid hitting another stop without any beverages.

I had a lot of fun running this race, it was nice to have a lot of downhills to coast on and I managed to PR by almost 7 minutes.  The finish line was a little blah, they were really rushing you through and the food and water weren't easily available.  Once you got past the finish line and into the after party area things were better, for starters free beer, tacos and massages.

There was a live band and lots of people were enjoying the music and free Dos Equis. Wahoo's Tacos are a sponsor so they provided the tacos. Massage Envy was also there providing massages to the runners and they were really efficient at getting you through the line and onto the massage table.  Thankfully, the party was really fun because trying to get in your car and leave was not.

I did not intend to stay at the party, but my car was blocked in and lines of traffic were snaked around the parking lot.  I changed into my sweats and headed back into the party but would've preferred to go home and have breakfast with my family. Even after an hour and half I still had to wait to get my car out and sit in another 20 minutes of traffic before I could leave the parking lot.

I plan on doing this race again because the course was gorgeous and fun.  The after party was also pretty choice. The organizers said that they are looking into ways to fix the problems that occurred yesterday and overall for a race that large the problems weren't too major.

What are your determining factors in whether to run a race again? 

Happy Cinco De Mayo

Clothes, Clothes, Clothes

This week was busy, lots of driving, play dates and running errands.  Yesterday, I picked up the kids after school and took them to the race expo to pick up my chip and bib.  The expo is held at the OC Fairgrounds.  It was around 90 degrees and the wait time was approximately 20 minutes until you entered the building, lucky for my kids they were selling shaved ice. I know the syrup in the shaved iced is filled with dyes, but sometimes you have to weigh other health concerns like dehydration. 

My little runners were thoroughly disappointed that it wasn't an actual race for them and that they would not be racing this weekend.  I already have two little races scheduled for them in the coming weeks so it will be all about them soon enough.  My daughter also instructed me to win the race so I can give her my medal on Sunday. I think they have caught the racing bug. 

When I got home I picked out my race clothes and pinned on my number.  I find myself increasingly nervous as the clock ticks down to race day, so I do as much as possible in the days before.  

I selected a gray Athleta sleeveless tank,  I get really hot when I run so the less fabric the better. I like the cut of the tank and it  does a great job of wicking sweat and keeping you dry. I bought this one in the winter, but they have a similar one here:

http://athleta.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=46712&vid=1&pid=581613032

My kids then picked out my running skirt,  this is from Lululemon and I LOVE it.  It looks cute and functions surprisingly well.  It has shorts underneath with little grippy things that keep them from riding up. It also has two pockets for gels and a zippered pocket in the back.  It can also function as a tennis skirt and has a ball pocket.  Here is a link to the skirt:

http://shop.lululemon.com/products/clothes-accessories/women-skirts-and-dresses/Run-Pace-Setter-Skirt-Tall?cc=9861&skuId=3476645&catId=women-skirts-and-dresses

The sports bra is Moving Comfort.  They have tons of great styles and colors.  Ladies, do yourself a favor and buy yourself a quality sports bra. It is probably equally as important as buying good quality sneakers.  Sierra Trading Post often has closeouts and you can score some amazing deals.  Here is a link:

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/moving-comfort-vixen-sports-bra-high-impact-racerback-for-women~p~4114p/?utm_source=GooglePLAs&utm_medium=PaidShopping&utm_term=Moving_Comfort_Vixen_Sports_Bra_-_High_Impact_Racerback_For_Women&utm_campaign=PCGOOGLEP3&codes-processed=true

The socks are ProCompression.  Initially I ran in low trainers, but after reading about some of the supposed gains made by recreational runners wearing compressions socks on their runs I decided to give it a try.  It may be placebo effect, but I feel like my legs have more energy when I wear them and the support is unbelievable. I actually sometimes rock them around the house since I rarely sit down. ProCompression is a local company and when I purchased the blue color they gave a donation to Autism Speaks. Here is the link:

http://www.procompression.com/marathon-baby-blue/

The sneakers are Mizuno Wave Inspire 9s.  When I embarked on 1/2 marathon training last October, I went to RoadRunner Sports and had them do a gait analysis.  I learned that I overpronate, have a high arch and a narrow foot.  After trying on several brands and styles, these were the best fit.  The best advice I was given as a new runner was to go to a running store and have my shoes fitted. They really have the experience to put you in the best shoe and often have really good return policies if you find the shoe doesn't work for you.  Here is a link to the Mizunos:

http://www.roadrunnersports.com/rrs/products/MIZ759/?cc=ORSL

Lastly, I was in desperate need of a visor because it has gotten very sunny and bright in the OC over the past month.  I found this one by Brooks and I like the message and the color.  Here is a link:

http://www.brooksrunning.com/Run-Happy-Visor/280218,default,pd.html?mr:trackingCode=FA889756-1061-E211-ACC7-001B2163195C&mr:referralID=NA&mr:adType=pla&mr:ad=15511948466&mr:keyword=&mr:match=&mr:filter=42520929746&src=pgooaw_pla&gclid=CP3Tt5Lb_LYCFQFp4Aodfl8AQw

Truthfully, I am not the fastest runner on the course and likely never will be.  I do, however, think we can all take something away from the speedsters in terms of fashion and function.  Sometimes just looking the part gives you confidence to push beyond your comfort zone and set a new PR.  

Where do you shop for your exercise clothes? Are you brand loyal, head to toe, or do you mix it up?

2 Parts Excitement, 1 Part Anxiety - Countdown to Race Day

My second half marathon is days away and I have been delaying writing about my race goals due to my increasing anxiety. It's easy to distract yourself with the fun stuff, putting your outfit together and planning what to eat.  The really daunting part is identifying your goals for the race.  Once your goals are out there for the world to see, it is scary if you don't actually achieve them.

I would love to say that I am the easy breezy non-competive type.  I am not, I am type A to the core.  On a positive note, which makes me somewhat likable to others, is that I am only competitive with myself.  Lucky for me I have my own personal time to beat of 2:24:19.  I have my speedier sister in law to thank for that time, since she pushed me more than I would have if I plodded along by myself.  

This time however, I am running by myself.  This is freeing and scary at the same time.  I can set my own pace, but there is no one there to talk to or help me push past my comfort zone.  I am going to have to rely on myself to get through those 13.1 miles.  So it is out there, I want to beat my time.

I read a lot, one of my favorite running blogs is Another Mother Runner written by Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea.  In one of their blog posts they talk about identifying multiple goals for your races.  I like this idea because even if you don't meet your first one, you can revise your game plan and try to achieve the other goals.

So my other goals for this race are to finish and to have fun.  A wise friend of my mine once said "if it isn't fun, don't do it." I think once you realize that a time goal has slipped through your fingers the only thing left to do is suck it up, have fun and cross the finish line with a smile instead of a scowl.  This is important for your mental well being as well as vanity, who wants a sullen looking race photo.

Now, that I've got the goals out there, I can focus on the fun stuff again.

DO YOU GET ANXIOUS BEFORE A RACE? HOW DO YOU MANAGE IT?

Red Wine Risotto

Due to crazy and unpredictable work schedules, I need to make dinners that sit and reheat well.  I made this last night so that we could all enjoy a nice meal even if we all ate it at different times. 

Red Wine Risotto

1 Cup Arborio Rice

2 T. Butter

1 Shallot, finely chopped

4 oz. Red Wine, ***ask the salesperson for a recommendation, don't use really cheap wine

4 Cups Chicken Stock, heated

1 Bunch Asparagus, woody ends removed

Shaved Grano Padano Parmesan,  you may substitute another cheese if you like.

The Ingredients

Butter and shallots.

Rice and shallot mixture.

1) Melt butter in a heavy saucepan or enameled dutch oven, I used my Le Crueset dutch oven.

2) Add shallots, and sauté until soft (this only takes about one minute).

3) Add asparagus.

4) Add 1 cup rice to shallot mixture and stir rice until well coated, rice will become translucent.

5) Add the wine and cook until evaporated.

6) Stir in 1 cup of hot chicken stock and simmer gently.

Risotto with asparagus and cheese. 

7) When stock has been absorbed, add another cup, and continue in this way through the 18-20 minutes of cooking.

8) Stir in cheese, this is usually done to taste.  I serve the cheese along side it and everyone can add to their own liking.

OC Half Marathon Playlist

You can take the girl out of the club, but not the club out of the girl.  I made my playlist last week and then listened to it on my run this weekend.  Some edits were made and this is the final cut. I am optimistic it will carry me through to the end with some pep in my step.

Dirty Water - The Standells

Get Low - Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz

#1 - Nelly

The Boys of Summer - Don Henley

Love Sex Magic - Ciara 

In The Air - Morgan Page, Sultan & Ned Shepard & BP

Bounce - Calvin Harris

Shake It Out - Florence + The Machine

Dog Days Are Over - Florence + The Machine

Champion - Kanye West

Sunshine - Matisyahu

Waka Waka - Shakira

Fall Into The Skay - Zedd & Lucky Date

Spectrum (Say My Name) - Florence +The Machine

You've Got the Love - Florence + The Machine

Can't Hold Us - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Clarity (feat. Foxes) - Zedd

The Night Out (A-Trak Remix) - Martin Solveig

Follow You Down - Zedd

Stronger - Kanye West

Just One Last Time - David Guetta

As Your Friend - Afrojack

Pompeii (Monsieur Adi Remix) - Bastille

4 Minutes - Madonna 

I Need Your Love - Calvin Harris

Sweet Nothing - Calvin Harris

Thinking About You - Calvin Harris

Miami 2 Ibiza - Swedish House Mafia

Get Buck In Here - DJ Felli Fel

'Till I Collapse - Eminem & Nate Dogg

Calabria 2008 - Enur

Where Them Girls At - David Guetta, Flo Rida

Turn Me On - David Guetta, Nicki Minaj

U Make Me Wanna - Edde Amador &

Boomerang - DJ Felli Fel 

I'm a Machine - David Guetta, Crystal

Lose My Breath - Destiny's Child

I'm Still Standing - Elton John

Dirty Water - The Standells

Walk This Way - Aerosmith

Easy Kale Salad

 Easy Kale Salad

1 Bunch Kale, stemmed and washed
1 T. Olive Oil
2 T. Balsamic Vinegar
1 Cup Pitted and Sliced Cherries (you can substitute dried cherries or cranberries)
1 T. Sunflower Seeds
Maldon Sea Salt, to taste

Ingredients 

1) Remove center rib from kale, cut kale into bite size pieces and wash. I use a salad spinner and the kids help with that spinning the leaves dry.

2) Mix dried kale leaves with 1 T. olive oil.  Use your hands and massage the kale for at least three (3) minutes.  It will soften the kale and release the bitterness.

3) Drizzle with 2 T. balsamic vinegar

4) Top with cherries and sunflower seeds

5) Sprinkle with salt**Maldon Sea Salt is flaky and strong, a pinch will go a long way.

Finished Salad with Fresh Cherries

Finished Salad with Dried Cherries

Hey Mr. DJ

I love music. Happy songs, sad songs, fast, slow, it doesn't really matter. Music has always been able to transport me to a time and place, often I find myself with silly grin plastered on my face when I hear a song that reminds of a good time.

I grew up in the era of mixed tapes. It took hours, days even, to craft the perfect mixed tape and they often symbolized friendship or love. It seems so archaic that we requested songs on the radio and waited for them to be played so we could record them.

Times have changed and I now make my playlists on ITunes and play my music on my IPhone, but I still spend a lot of time figuring out what songs makes the cut. I usually do my long runs on the weekend so on Fridays I download 2-3 new songs to mix up my current playlist.

In preparation for my half marathon next week, I looked through my current long run playlist and started making edits. I know you can synch your running to the beats and plan out your miles to specific tunes but I just don't have that attention to detail. Instead I focus on creating a playlist that evokes a party atmosphere.

The playlist usually starts off with some classic tunes, songs from high school and college, that remind me of my friends and times gone by. Then I add some newer, faster songs usually club music or hip hop. The songs at the end are mishmash of songs that fire me up and songs that make me happy. I always include Dirty Water by the Standells which is played at Fenway Park.

What's on your playlist? Do you like to spend time perfecting the order or are you more of a shuffle person?

Snack Attack

In a perfect world, I would always feed my family healthy unpackaged meals that I lovingly prepare at home.  The reality is that I am busy, often in a rush and when a preschooler is hungry you have seconds to procure a snack or you will have an epic meltdown on your hands.

In order to stave off the nasties, I stock my house, car and purse with a plethora of good for you snacks that are made with ingredients you can pronounce.  To find healthy and chemical free snacks you need to be a food detective.

When a person sees that a food is low in calories or fat they are tricked into thinking a food is good for them. The truth is, in order to make those sugar free and low calorie snacks, the manufacturers replace food with chemicals. To make the best, most healthy choice, start by reading the ingredients first and then look at the nutritional information.

Here are a few of my favorite snacks that are kid and mom approved:

1) Kind Bars and Mojo Bars, they use real whole foods like nuts, spices and chocolate to make satisfying and filling snacks.  I keep these in my purse for myself but don't hesitate if my children want to eat one as a snack since I know they don't contain artificial ingredients.

Kind Bar and Mojo Bars

2) I love these GoGo Squeez Applesauce pouches.  Trader Joe's also carries applesauce pouches that are similar.  The ingredients are listed as Apple, Banana, Apple Juice Concentrate, Lemon Juice Concentrate.  They have a variety of flavors. 

GoGoSqeez Applesauce, can be found at Whole Foods, Costco and Target.

3)Freeze dried fruit is great to have on hand, this is from Trader Joe's and is unsweetened and unsulfured. No added sugar, just dehydrated strawberries.  My kids like to munch on them straight out of the bag, but you can throw them on top of cereal or yogurt too.

4) These packets of Justin's Nut Butters are great to throw in your bag.  They aren't filled with sugar and can be eaten right out of the package or on whole grain crackers.

Justin's Honey Peanut Butter, can be found at Whole Foods and Target. 

5) I also like to have small bottles of water or these Horizon Organic shelf stable milks on hand.  The chocolate flavor is really good and I sometimes steal those from the kids as recovery drink post gym. 

Horizon Organic Milk

What is your favorite snack?

Roasted Cauliflower

Cauliflower has never been my favorite vegetable. I've tried several recipes using various cooking techniques and this is a winner. It was originally mentioned on the Dr. Oz show a while back.   It is a favorite of my entire family and it has turned me into a lover of cauliflower.

Roasted Cauliflower 

1 tsp. Black Pepper

1 tsp. Tumeric

1 tsp. Garlic Salt 

1 T. Olive Oil 

1 Head Cauliflower, cut into small florets

1) Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees, and line large baking tray with tinfoil.

2) Combine first three spices together and set aside.

3) Toss cut cauliflower with olive oil and place on baking tray.

4) Sprinkle cauliflower with spice mixture.

5) Place baking tray in oven and roast for one hour.

6) Cauliflower will be soft, have a yellowish hue and will taste slightly sweet.

Cauliflower Uncooked

Cooked Cauliflower 

Serving Suggestions:

May be served as a side dish, especially good with rice and chicken.

I sometimes make this into a light lunch by cooking a package of couscous, topping it with roasted cauliflower, kalamata olives, parsley and toasted pine nuts.  

Stuffed Vegetables

Here is an easy one pot recipe that I cook regularly for my family.  This is a traditional Armenian dish which I have eaten since childhood.  Each family has their own spin on this recipe and often calls it Dolma. 

Stuffed Vegetables

1 Pound Ground Beef

1/2 Cup Uncle Ben's Rice 

4 Green Bell Peppers

4 Tomatoes 

4 Green Zucchini

Salt and Pepper

1) Wash and core vegetables.  Set aside. 

2) Rinse rice and mix with ground beef, season with salt and pepper. 

3) Stuff vegetables with meat and rice mixture and place snugly in a pot.  Vegetables can be stacked on top of each other and extra meat can be made into meatballs and cooked along side vegetables. 

4) Add 2 cups of water to the pot. 

5) Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn to low and cover pot.  

6) Vegetables are done when rice is cooked, about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours.  

They may be served plain or topped with plain yogurt that has been mixed with garlic.

Uncooked Stuffed Vegetables 

Why I Am Raising Runners

The bombing of the Boston Marathon has left me shattered.  As a runner, as a mother and as a former citizen of the City of Boston, it has devastated me.  Today I woke up and thought it was time to stop dwelling and crying, it was time to refocus my energy on being a better person and making the world a better place.

This morning, I looked at my children, who were still sleeping, and assembled their Red Sox caps and running shoes.  Today we would run together.  We will run for those who lost their lives, those who lost their limbs and those who lost friends and family.  That is what runners do, we run for ourselves and we run for those who cannot.

Children love to run, it is innate.  Running is a celebration of life and a joyous expression for children.  It is something that should be encouraged and nurtured.  My two children having been runners since they learned how to walk, I needed to become a runner just to keep up with them.

Within the past year they have run three fun runs.  They received medals, t-shirts and tons of swag.  What they really received was confidence, community and self-reliance.  I don't know if they will ever win a race or compete on an elite level, but I do know that running makes them happy and hopefully will remain a life-long habit.  That is why I am raising them to be runners.

The next time your kid is running around the house and driving you crazy.  Put the sneakers on and head outside, let them run and run and run.  I guarantee they will come back to you calm and happy because that is what running does.

Who is going to lace up today?  You can run, walk or skip...just get out there.