Fifteen Mile Run Today

Well, I am really loving all this rain. Normally, I love getting out in the rain when it is warm, but I have allergies and am lacking all my normal motivation!!!  Yesterday, my girlfriends and I decided not to do our long run and save it for Sunday. It rained the entire day here in ATX.  Somehow, I was having a hard time getting motivated for our Sunday run. Unconsciously, I  unset my alarm and was woke up by Charlotte texting me that she just left her house. I was so  deep in sleep that it took me about 5 minutes to call her back. She was late, too. So, we met at my house and ran to Exposition and met Maryanne and continued down to the trail. I didn't even think I would run 10 with them, but we got on the trail and got to I35, then decided to run further. I am so glad I did. I feel much better that I ran and ran long.

So, I get home ready to stretch and my little energizer "10 year old" bunny wants me to put on the YogaToday.com. and do yoga with her. Today's yoga was so core-intensive, that I had to quit early. It was still good and I got some good stretching, too.

I hope you got in a good workout this weekend!

Yoga!!!

I have never blogged about how important I think Yoga is to a runner. I have been doing yoga for 4 years now, sometimes I am more consistent than others. When I was most consistent I had the strogest core ever. Having a strong core helps with fatigue and speed! It helps you to tire less quickly and to pump your legs faster for quicker turnover. There are other benefits, too, like stress reduction,toning of your entire body and increasing flexibility. I try to do some at home and some at a studio....and I wanted to pass on a great website I just found and recommend. It's called Yoga Today.

Another help for me has been these nifty laminated cards. You have to know a little about yoga to use this, but it helps aid your memory in your Yoga practice. Yes, practice is the word Yogis use...gotta love that...perfection is not mandatory!!

I have practiced yoga twice this week and feel so much stronger and relaxed. I am going to try and keep it up 2 times every week. Wish me luck!!!

Running Lately

I hope you noticed that I have cleaned up my blog! I have tried to get back into the blog mood for a few weeks, talking about healthy food. It hasn't been the greatest writing (sorry), but it is getting me back in the saddle.

I got injured in June this summer (June 1st to be exact)! It was such a stupid injury and I think I had "runner's depression" after my injury for a couple months. I fell less than 1/2 a mile into my run! Downhill..on rough asphalt. So, I know you are wondering how...well, I just bought new running shoes and stuck my right foot through my left lace...while running! I slammed myself down onto my knees and skid. I could barely walk for a week and had road rash on my hands, knees, and left hip.

After, all the injuries healed, my right knee still hurt. It was the knee that took the brunt of the fall. It swelled up like a balloon on my kneecap. So, all summer, I have rehabilitated it. I have swam at Barton Springs and ridden my bike all summer. Even biking and swimming hurt for the month of June and a little in July. I am finally running...I started by running a couple miles every other day, but have now worked up to 14 miles. I am estatic about it. I am also back to running with my girlfriends. That was another thing I wasn't doing, it took so much thought to put my foot and my leg down, that I couldn't run with anyone.

So, I am getting through my injured runner depression and "running with joy" (thanks for that saying Gilbert!) again!!

I am looking forward to fall running and fall races!!

Justins Nut Butter

I am continuing some of my favorite healthy food secrets, it seems like I am on a roll. I think of food as fuel for running and training, and for feeling good in life! So, I just want to share some of the healthy things I have found.

I have been eating and following Justins Nut Butter for about 3 years. I discovered it through reading my favorite triathlete's Blog (Desiree Ficker). I could only find it at Whole Foods,
but now you can find it at REI or HEB (local, here in Texas), which is awesome. I love to carry the little packets in my car or purse for a quick, healthy snack. I also pack them in my daughter's lunch with crackers or apples for neat and easy squeeze snacks. My daughter especially loves the Honey Peanut Butter. I love the Almond butter and I just saw that they have a new Hazelnut Butter, that sounds delicious!

So, you ask "why have a nut butter or this kind for a snack?" Well, it is all natural, high protein snack without any fillers or preservatives. It tastes wonderful, too!

Beef???????

So much to say about this and don't know where to start!! I had a friend I adore refer me to the Texas Beef Council Team. I checked it out and found out that they sponsor you in races. I thought great and didn't know much else about it until I did the webinar today.

I did learn a lot...I am a nutrition/fitness/health junkie....beef has a lot of health benefits. It is a powerhouse for protein. b vitamins and monounsaturated fat. Monounsaturated fat is the good stuff!..think olive oil, avocados...and you should not be scared of fats....remember moderation. Being sponsored and powered by beef will be on my shirts that I wear in the races that they will sponsor for me and the team.

Well, I posted my knowledge on Twitter and Face book, unknowing that it is a such HOT topic. I am not going to pretend that I have had my doubts about beef and watch how much I eat (but I do that with everything). But, in the last 10 years I have certainly ate more beef (and felt good about it) than I did in my 20's. I was advised my my doctor to eat more lean beef and meats in my 20's for protein (because I was lacking). I also craved beef when I was pregnant...could not stomach my favorite fish-salmon! It was so hard and so confusing for my health-nut personality.

Fast forward to the 2000's and I have read about how beef has heart healthy fat and grass fed beef has even more heart healthy fat the conventional beef.

My motto is always "moderation"..here is a quote from Mens Fitness that says that and more..

* A three-ounce serving of lean beef contributes less than 10 percent of calories to a 2000-calorie diet, yet it supplies more than 10 percent of the Daily Value for nine essential nutrients.

I hope you will do your own research and see that beef is not the "bad guy" that is is portrayed to be!!

Miso Mayo

As I write this I am enjoying my Miso Mayo with carrots!

This stuff is so yummy and thanks to my daughter being hungry at Whole Foods, we tried it at a sampling! It is so good and better for you than real Mayo. You can use it as a dipping sauce (as I do with carrots), a sandwich spread, with tuna or in potato salad.

So, what is it you ask???? Well, it is made of fermented soybean paste from Hawaii. Funny thing, I fell in love with Miso soup on my honeymoon in Hawaii!!! So, Miso Mayo is high in protein, vitamin B-12, and 8 essential amino acids. It is also a living, cultured food and low in sodium..Did I mention it is yummy!! or in my daughter's words yummerful??

The Miso Mayo website also says that it has UMAMI (a japanese word for the 5th taste sensation. You need to check out the Miso Mayo site to read about it...it also has recipes.

One last important thing, it is vegan. I am not vegan, wish I could be!!

You can purchase it at Whole Foods or order it online.

Happy Healthy eating!!

Love Greek Gods Yogurt!

My favorite foodie find of late has been the Honey flavored Greek Gods yogurt. I can find it at my local HEB or Whole Foods. I buy it by the large container (16 oz). It is great with fresh blueberries, raspberries and cacao nibs or plain. I have to explain that I am not a yogurt lover, but I love this yogurt! I know that I should eat yogurt for health reasons (they say that yogurt helps build stronger bones, enhances immunity, lowers blood pressure, and may even have anticancer and weight-loss effects), but normally couldn't stomach it. Not anymore!!..Greek Gods is thick, creamy and decadent for yogurt!

Just looking at the nutrition side, the sugars are much less in Greek Gods yogurt than traditional yogurt (even light yogurt). I compared it to Yoplait. It looks like the Fig and Honey flavored have the highest of the Greek Gods, but most of their yogurts are lower in sugars.

If you check out their site, they have a lot of recipes, too. Check it out and tell me if you agree or don't. I would love to hear about your favorite yogurt, too!