Twin Cities Marathon Recap: starts with a trip & fall and ends with a PR & BQ

Sunday I completed my 4th marathon, the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon from Minneapolis to St. Paul, Minnesota.

Course Map

I trained hard for 18 weeks and during that entire time I was also practicing clean eating. My training went exceptionally well and I was feeling better than ever. I hadn't really set a goal time, but I knew I could beat my PR (personal record) of 3:41:40 which was set at this race last year. I also wanted to get a BQ (Boston Qualifying time) which I came pretty close to doing last year. However in order to actually get into the Boston Marathon you need to come in under your qualifying time, which I was not certain I could do just yet. Since I was feeling really good, the day before the marathon I decided to go for it and set my goal time at 3:38:00.

I have friends that live just a few block from the start that were generous enough to let me and 2 of my friends that were also running stay at their place Saturday night. It was the perfect walking distance to the start and we got to stay warm and have access to real bathrooms until nearly the last minute. This was a huge luxury especially when it's cold at the start. By the time we walked there and dropped our bags at the sweats check it was go time!

It was a cool start so most runners had extra layers to drop as soon as they got going. Trash bags are a pretty common item warn before the start to stay warm. I opted for an old fleece zip-up that I didn't care about and I highly recommend this over the trash bag option (more about that later!) The nice thing is, volunteers pick up all the dropped clothes and they are donated after the race. 

Please don't be like her and wear a trash bag pre-race!

I crossed the start at 8:02 and was running at a nice comfortable pace. My plan was to just run how I felt and not watch my pace, a method that worked well for me last year. I was off to a great start and feeling pretty confident. Then, about a half mile in, I saw one of those trash bags, likely dropped by a fellow runner, blowing across the street in front of me. I tried to avoid it by jumping over it, but it blew right into my feet and got tangled up. For a a few seconds I was in the air kicking my feet trying to free them and stop myself from going down but I knew it was coming. I skidded across the asphalt with my hands out in front of me like Superman and tore holes in the palms of my gloves! I'm sure it was a hilarious sight, but at the moment I was not amused. The only choice I had was to get up as fast as I could and keep running, so I did.

the gloves that saved my hands!

It took me a minute to get over what had just happened, then I stopped dwelling on it and instead used that energy in my favor and pressed on. After just a few miles I found myself running near the 3:35 pace group so I thought I would try to just stick with them for a while. That didn't last very long and I actually passed ahead of them still feeling very comfortable. I hit the 10k mark and glanced at my time, under 50 minutes, better than expected. Things just continued going well and I was feeling great and just enjoying my run and the awesome spectators. I hit the half way point under 1:43, my half marathon PR was 1:44:26, I kept thinking I better slow down and pace myself, but I still felt great. I started getting tears in my eyes because I just knew I was going to hit my goal. At this point, I was about to slow myself down and then I had a great surprise, 2 of my friends were there cheering for me, bringing even more tears of joy. It's not that I don't get support from family & friends, but by #4 most of them are over the fact that I run marathons so I wasn't expecting anyone there cheering for me, so this was so amazing!

Every time I crossed a check point with a clock I couldn't believe the time. I kept getting emotional because I was having such a great race. I'm not a very religious person but every time I started to get teary eyed, I looked up and thanked God for all the strength I had and the perfect conditions he provided that day. Any time I started to get tired, the crowd picked up and kept me going or the perfect song came on my iPod. Nothing, not even that darn trash bag was going to stop me today!

It wasn't until about mile 21 that I started slowing down, but at that point I knew I had banked up enough time that even if I slowed to a 10 minute mile I would still hit my goal time. With 3 miles to go I was starting to struggle a bit. Then I hit mile 25 and magically my friends appeared again. They cheered so load and got me pumped back up for that final 1.2 mile and before I knew it the finish was in sight.

the flag just before the finish in sight!

At this point I knew I had beat my goal, but I didn't know my actual time yet so I pushed that final 1/4 mile. The crowds were so loud and amazing and I was trying to take it all in but it was so overwhelming. The flag with the state capital in the background seemed like the most beautiful sight in the world (probably because I knew that meant I was almost done!)

approaching the final 1/4 mile

I crossed the finish and was thinking my time was about 3:29 which blew my mind! I almost cried when they placed that medal around my neck. It wasn't until nearly an hour later that I learned my official time was 3:26:33 and 2 days later I'm still in shock! Over 11 minutes under my goal time,15 minutes faster than my previous PR and 13 minutes under my Boston Qualifying time which means I'm almost certain I'll be running the Boston Marathon in 2016!

Here are just a few things that I strongly credit in aiding me at this race:

1. Believing in myself & having a dream
2. Eating clean ~ I can't even begin to explain the difference this made in so many areas of my life including my ability to train hard and recover quickly. I have never felt better!
3. Training hard & working my butt off
4. The crowd support at this race is absolutely incredible ~ if I don't run it again next year I will be there cheering and supporting other runners
5. The surprise of my friends showing up at just the right times
6. Perfect weather conditions ~ even if it was a bit cloudy & cold, much better than too warm 
7. The perfect music playlist and the perfect timing of my Eminem songs coming on!

If you have a goal you need to work hard & go for it! Sometimes you might need to get outside your comfort zone to reach it, but don't ever let that scare or stop you!

Pumpkin Pie Energy Balls

It's that time of year ~ the season for pumpkin everything! Here is a healthy and tasty recipe perfect for fall.

Pumpkin Pie Energy Balls ~  by Fueled to be Fit

Pumpkin Pie Energy Balls

Ingredients:

1/2 C Rolled Oats
1/4 C Pepitas (aka Pumpkin Seeds)
2 Scoops Vanilla Protein Powder
1/4 C 100% Pure Pumpkin
1/4 C Pure Maple Syrup
1/2 C All Natural Peanut Butter (no sugar added)
2 T Organic Ground Flax Seed
2 T Organic Chia Seeds
2 t Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/2 t Pure Vanilla Extract
Optional 1/4 C Mini Dark Chocolate Chips

Directions:

1. Blend Oats & Pepitas in a blender food or processor into a medium-fine powder
2. Combine Pumpkin, Peanut Butter & Maple Syrup in a medium bowl, stir well
3. Add Oat/Pepitas mixture, Protein Powder, Flax Seed, Chia Seeds, Pumpkin Pie Spice & Vanilla & optional chocolate chips, stir until well combined.
4. Roll dough into 3/4" balls 
5. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to set before enjoying. They will keep well in the refrigerator for up to a week (if they last that long!)

I made half with and half without chocolate chips and I must admit they were a little bit better with!

Motivational Monday: change or remain the same ~ it's all up to you!

As Albert Einstein put it, insanity is doing the same thing over & over again and expecting different results. If you want to see a change you need to be that change.

I truly enjoy working out so it's not really something I struggle to stick with. Eating clean on the other hand had always been my downfall and put a limit on my results. I would devote my time and give it my all when it came exercising but I just wasn't willing to focus on nutritional changes. For many years that was OK with me, but I always knew I could be better. I can't tell you exactly what made me want to really clean up my eating recently, I just knew I was ready for that change.

I am far from perfect, I strive to be consistent, but I still enjoy "unclean" foods and a beer or glass (or 2) of wine now and then. I wouldn't want to be perfect because 1) you still need to live & enjoy the treats in life AND 2) if I were perfect there would be no room for progress.

If you truly want a change you need to be ready and willing to make that change and work hard for it. Maybe you're not ready right now, and if that's honestly true it's okay, but you need to be the one to decide that for yourself. It took me many years to finally make the change that I knew I should have long ago. In hindsight I wish I would have done it sooner, but in reality, until I was ready I probably wouldn't have been successful.

I'm not trying to be better than anyone else and I'm not here to tell you that you need to change. It's all up to you, be willing to make the change or willing to remain the same. Either way I support you.

I'm excited to see how my nutritional changes impact my marathon this weekend. I have really been focusing on clean eating throughout this training cycle and it has had a big impact on my performance and recovery. Once my marathon is over, after a recovery week, I'm making some big changes to my fitness training as well. I can't wait to see where all these changes take me!

Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken

I absolutely love slow cooker recipes, especially ones as simple as this. It literally takes just minutes to put together, then cooks itself, so it's basically ready to serve when you get home. When I get home from a long day at work I usually have dozens of other things I want to accomplish. Using up my limited time to cook dinner is the last thing I want to do!

Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken

It only takes a few minutes to throw this together before heading out the door in the morning

Cover chicken with onions & seasoning

Add tomatoes & balsamic vinegar

chicken will shred a bit as you stir it

Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken Recipe

Ingredients: 
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders
Salt & Pepper
1/2 T Organic Olive Oil
Medium Onion, sliced (to save time, I used frozen chopped onion)
1/2 T Organic Italian Seasoning
1 t Organic Garlic Powder
14.5 oz. Can Organic Diced Tomatoes
1/4 C Organic Balsamic Vinegar

Directions:

1. Coat bottom of your crock with olive oil
2. Place chicken over olive oil, in a single layer and add salt & pepper
3. Top chicken with onions, then add seasoning, tomatoes and balsamic vinegar
4. Cook at low until chicken is fully cooked (6-8 hours)
5. Stir before serving

We ate this last night over cooked quinoa but it would also be good over brown rice or a pasta. Bonus, we had leftovers and it tasted even better for lunch today.

Taco Tuesday ~ Slow Cooker Carnitas

Clean eating doesn't mean you can't eat anything delicious. This is one of our favorite recipes and it's really simple to make. You can serve it as tacos on clean corn tortillas or over lettuce as a taco salad. My personal favorite is a copycat of Chipotle's Carnitas Burrito Bowl over cilantro lime brown rice & black beans.

Ingredients:

1 t salt
1 t garlic powder                                                                    
1 t ground cumin
1/2 t dried oregano
1/2 t ground coriander
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1 (4 pound) boneless extra lean pork roast
2 bay leaves
2 C low sodium chicken broth

Directions:

1. Mix spices together in a small dish
2. Coat all sides of pork roast with spice mix
3. Place bay leaves inside the bottom of  your slow cooker & place the pork roast on top
4. Pour chicken broth around sides of the pork, be careful not to rinse off the spices
5. Cover & cook on low for about 10 hours, turning once during cooking
6. Once pork is cooked tender, remove from slow cooker and shred with 2 forks
7. Return shredded pork to remaining liquid in slow cooker and set to "keep warm" until ready to serve

Sometimes The Truth is Hard!

I debated about posting this or not, but I have nothing to hide. Sometimes the truth is hard, here's mine...

I'm petite, measuring just slightly over 5'1". Many people assume I'm just naturally small and I don't have to work hard to stay in shape. This couldn't be further from the truth! I've struggled with my weight on and off since 2nd grade. I remember my grandma, rest her soul, poking at me and calling me chubby when I was a preteen. No wonder I've had issues!

When I was 20 I flew down to Dallas, TX for a flight attendant interview. The airline covered my flight but I had to pay to stay overnight in a hotel the night before the interview. I was so excited because for as long as I could remember I had dreamed of becoming a flight attendant. I put on my best navy blue suit and walked into the session full of confidence. The airline had a height/weight restriction for flight attendants which I was slightly nervous about. I wasn't "fat" by any means but I was a little bulky for my height. Also at that time I was really into weight lifting so I had a fair amount of muscle mass, under a slight layer of fat. I knew I would be close, but I wasn't certain they would weigh us. I starved myself for a couple days before just in case.

The very first thing they made us do was weigh-in.  I stepped on the scale, weighed a few pounds over their limit for my height and was immediately sent away. I was crushed and had tears in my eyes the entire flight home. After this devastating and embarrassing experience I was on a mission to lose weight. I worked out like crazy and basically ate "low fat" or "fat free" everything. I lost weight, but I was filling my body with processed crap so I wasn't exactly healthy.

I did end up getting hired as a flight attendant about a year later with an airline that did not have weight restrictions. It was an amazing experience for a couple years but didn't turn out to be my dream job. While flying I studied to follow another passion, and later became a certified personal trainer.

Fast forward about 10 years, I'm in a completely different career, I still enjoy working out, my weight has fluctuated slightly over the years but I always tried to stay in shape. I watched what I ate for the most part, but I was far from eating "clean". Then I really got into running. As I started running more miles I dropped some weight. In the first couple years I used running as a free pass to eat whatever I wanted and still maintained my weight. It wasn't until training for my 2nd marathon when I finally focused on nutrients rather then just replacing all the calories I was burning. Instead of eating pizza and ice cream after burning 1800 calories on a 20 mile run, I ate more healthy food. It was amazing, I felt better, I recovered much faster and my running improved overall. As my clean eating has evolved, things have continued to improve. By the way I don't eat clean just to maintain my weight, I also don't want to fill my body with artificial junk and potentially harmful chemicals.

I get comments from acquaintances all the time (not to be mean, but many who could stand to lose a few pounds) complaining about how it's not fair that I'm so small. This drives me insane because what they don't realize is I have struggled and this doesn't exactly come easy to me. So please don't judge or hate me (or anyone else) for being "skinny". I work my ass off to be fit. It's a choice I make Every.Single. Day! A choice that others could make for themselves too, if that is what they really wanted.

I'm training for my 4th marathon, which equates to running 25-40+ miles per week over the past 2 years. I'm burning an extra 2000-3200 calories a week so of course my weight is down a little right now. I don't count calories, I eat when I'm hungry, which is every couple hours lately! I eat real food and lots of it. Being "skinny" is not my goal. Once I'm not running so many miles I expect to gain back a few pounds but I will still be fit & healthy because of the choices I make.

I'm sharing my story because I want you to know that losing and maintaining weight takes hard work and dedication. There are no shortcuts, you'll have good days and bad days, it won't be easy, but if you decide it's worth it, it will be. Don't ever give up on yourself!

Having the proper information, tools and support can make it easier and hopefully more enjoyable, it's my goal to help provide that. I'm not here to judge you, I want to help give you the encouragement you need to help you reach your goals. I'm human just like you. I don't always eat perfect and sometimes I miss workouts. This is a journey of progress, not perfection. I may not have a mind blowing weight-loss success story, but I've had my battles and I will keep fighting the fight.

Motivational Monday

I confess, I ate a bunch of junk on Saturday evening and had a few glasses of wine. I ran 20 miles that morning, but that's no excuse, I should have been properly refueling my body not filling it with crap! I did however make sure to drink lots of water while I was indulging to stay hydrated and help flush out the toxins. Instead of dwelling on it and giving in, Sunday I got right back on track.

Maybe you over indulged over the weekend too. I know, sometimes it's hard to have a social life and stay clean on the weekends. But that doesn't mean you can't start clean today.

If you're committed to getting healthy but are overwhelmed and don't know where to begin, why not start one small change every Monday? Maybe you give up soda and drink more water, pack your own healthy lunch instead of eating out, take the stairs instead of the elevator or park at the back of the parking lot and walk a little  more. You'll have a much better chance at success if you take baby steps to change instead of trying to do it all at once.

Monday's always seem to get a bad rap, let's change that and make them awesome!

"Clean" Cleaning

Not only am I into eating clean, I am also a fan of "clean" cleaning. Why would I want to use products that are full of harmful chemicals and toxins that pose a risk not only to my family & pets, but also the environment? Since washing your hands is something you do many times a day, I'll share my ideas on hand soap.

I have never been a fan of anti-bacterial soap products. The overuse of antibiotics can lead to antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria and antibacterial soaps basically act like an antibiotic, killing bacteria. Antibacterial products will kill most bacteria, but they do not kill viruses which cause colds & the flu. There is also no evidence that proves washing your hands with plain soap and water is any less effective at killing germs than using antibacterial products. Antibacterial soaps also contain triclosan, a chemical that the FDA has been reviewing and the state of MN recently passed a bill to ban from products.

If you would like a safer alternative for hand soap, it's very simple to make your own with just a few ingredients.

DIY FOAMING HAND SOAP

In a empty foaming hand soap dispenser combine 2 T. Pure Castile Soap (I use Dr. Bonner's Magic Soap) and water. Optional: add 4 drops of your favorite Essential Oil for scent and a few drops of Vitamin E Oil for added moisturizing. Make sure not to fill the bottle too full so it doesn't overflow when you put the top on. Once the top is on, shake to combine and your soap is ready to use. 

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100 Happy Days

Yesterday I completed the 100 Happy Days Challenge on Instagram. Today a friend of mine sent me a message that I had inspired her and she was thinking about starting the challenge ~ I thought that was really cool and I hope she does it and succeeds too! 

As the website says, 71% of people who start the challenge never complete it. The main excuse is lack of time. As I've mentioned before, I hate excuses, plus when I say I'm going to do something I do it. Quitting is not an option I allow for myself, so once I started this challenge I was committed.  I admit, some days it was hard to find something to post, but I was always able to find at least one thing each day that made me happy if I just slowed down for a minute to think about it. Between working full time, training for a marathon, exercising my 3 dogs, planning & cooking clean meals and my volunteer work, I often feel like there is not enough time and tend to get overwhelmed, but at the end of the day I would rather be completely exhausted than bored! I dare you to take the challenge and make the time for some happy each day. I'm glad that I did and although my 100 days are complete I plan to continue to seek the good in each day.

You may not ever know it, but maybe you will inspire someone too. As it turns out, it was that message from my friend that inspired me to share this post.

Baked Caprese Quinoa

I am slightly obsessed with tomatoes, basil & fresh mozzarella, it's my favorite summer food combination. I still have an ample supply of tomatoes in my garden but with summer coming to an end, soon they will be gone, so I put together another Caprese recipe while I still had the chance. This one is perfect for the cooler weather, yet still has the taste of summer. I hope you enjoy!

this recipe uses some of my favorite ingredients

 I like to cook my quinoa in chicken broth and this time I added a little Italian Seasoning to the mix. While the quinoa is cooking, roast your halved cherry tomatoes in the oven.

While the quinoa and cherry tomatoes are cooking, slice up some fresh mozzarella and roma tomatoes. This recipe was only tested with fresh mozzarella which I highly recommend.

sliced tomatoes & fresh mozzarella

Once the quinoa and cherry tomatoes are done combine them in a shallow baking dish and stir in the Parmesan and spices.

mix in a little Parmesan, garlic powder & basil 

Smooth down the top and layer the tomatoes & mozzarella, overlapping each other.

layer the cheese & tomatoes

While the dish was baking I made some balsamic reduction by simply slowly boiling down some balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan until it turned thick & was reduced in half.

topped with fresh basil leaves & drizzled with a little balsamic reduction

Once finished baking, top with some fresh basil leaves and optional balsamic reduction.

Baked Caprese Quinoa Recipe

Ingredients:

1 C uncooked quinoa
2 C water or chicken broth
1 t Italian Seasoning
15 - 20 Cherry Tomatoes, halved
1/2 T Olive Oil
Fresh Salt & Pepper
2 - 3 Roma tomatoes, sliced
Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, sliced
1/2 C shredded Parmesan Cheese
1 t Garlic Powder
1 t Dried Basil
Fresh Basil Leaves for topping
Optional Balsamic Reduction

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Combine quinoa and broth or water and cook according to package directions.
• Drizzle halved cherry tomatoes with 1/2 T olive oil and salt/pepper, roast at 400 for 10-15 minutes.
• Transfer cooked quinoa to and roasted cherry tomatoes to baking dish and stir in Parmesan, garlic powder & basil. Pat down to smooth out the top.
• Layer sliced roma tomatoes and mozzarella, slightly overlapping each other on top of the quinoa mixture.
• Cover with foil and bake 10 minutes.
• Remove foil and bake another 15-20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and slightly browned.
• Top with fresh basil leaves and optional balsamic reduction drizzle before serving.

Marathon Training

My current marathon training schedule

This is what has been consuming much of my time over the past 13 weeks 2 years! I am training for my 4th marathon in 2 years so I haven't really had a break from training since November of 2012. It's about this point in my training, more specifically during my 22 mile training run, that I tell myself I'm not going to do this again...but I know that's a lie! The truth is, sometimes it sucks and it's a lot of work, but I really do love it.

I know running is not for everyone, believe it or not I actually hated running when I was younger, but I can't imagine not having this passion now. It certainly isn't my purpose in life, I'm still trying to figure that out, but it has changed me.

My whole point of this post is that I wish for everyone to have something they are really passionate about. It doesn't have to be running or even fitness related, just something that you enjoy doing enough to put some real effort and hard work into.

Most people would think that running is the only thing I'm passionate about, but it's not. I  have many other interests and passions, running just happens to be one that I put a lot of effort into and like to talk about, a lot!

Taco Tuesday: Clean & Simple Chicken Tacos

Clean eating doesn't need to be complicated. Here is a super easy clean recipe that only takes a few minutes of prep work in the morning and is ready as soon as you get home from work.

Clean chicken tacos. I serve mine with shredded lettuce, homemade bean & corn salsa and avocado.

Ingredients:

1/2 C chopped onion
1 can organic diced tomatoes
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Clean Homemade Taco Seasoning:
1 T chili powder
1 t ground cumin
1 t paprika
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t oregano
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t salt
1/4 black pepper
dash of crushed red pepper

Directions:

• Spread chopped onion on the bottom of crockpot/slow cooker
• Place chicken breast over onions
• Sprinkle Taco Seasoning on top of chicken
• Pour can of tomatoes over the top
• Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours (or longer)
• Before serving stir to shred up chicken
• Serve on clean corn tortillas like these ones from Trader Joe's 

These are a good choice because they only contain 3 ingredients: corn, water and lime

Hard work, dedication & the desire to succeed!

It's true, if you want something bad enough you will find a way, if not you'll find excuses! I'm not going to lie, I work very hard to stay fit but for me it's one of my priorities. I work a very demanding and stressful full time job, I volunteer, I help manage a household and I still find time to workout myself and exercise my 3 dogs!

I realize that not everyone wants fitness and exercise to be as high a priority as I do and that is fine. You don't need to dedicate hours a day but you do need to put in some time if you want to see results. Start by making small changes to incorporate exercise into your daily life. Maybe get up a half hour early and go for a walk or jog, or give up an hour of television or the internet and replace it with exercise. If you're not willing to give up TV then do push-ups and planks during commercials. If it's important to you, you'll make time for it. Seriously, if you can't make 30 minutes a day for something then you don't want it!

This post isn't just about fitness either, these rules apply to any goal you may have. There are no tricks or shortcuts for achieving your goals and dreams. It takes hard work, dedication and the desire to succeed!

Running makes me crave pizza!

I couldn't stop thinking about pizza on my long run this morning so there was no way I was getting through today without eating some! My zucchini pizza crust last week turned out really good so I thought I would try a cauliflower version today. There are dozens of recipes out there, this is the one that I mostly followed with just a few slight alterations.

Ingredients:

1 large head of cauliflower
1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 C grated mozzarella cheese
1 egg + 1 egg white
2 T ground flax seed
1 t Italian Seasoning
1/2 t garlic powder

Directions:

• Place baking stone in the oven & pre-heat to 450 degrees
• Wash & dry cauliflower, then break off into florets
• Pulse cauliflower in a food processor for 30-60 seconds until rice like texture
• Transfer cauliflower to a microwave safe bowl, cover and cook 4 minutes
• Pour cauliflower onto clean white dishtowel and allow to cool
• Once cool enough to touch, ring out to remove as much water as possible, then transfer to a mixing bowl 
• Add remaining ingredients to the cauliflower then mix together using hands
• Place the "dough" on a sheet of aluminum foil sprayed with olive oil and press into a round crust
• Place the crust still on the aluminum foil on the preheated baking stone
• Bake for 8-10 minutes
• Flip crust over and bake an additional 3-4 minutes, or until browned on both sides
• Remove from oven & add your toppings 
• Return to oven & bake another 8-10 minutes or to your liking

This is what the cauliflower will look like after microwaving

 

Rung out cauliflower

Pressed out into crust

Baked crust

Tomato, Basil & Mozzarella ~ my favorite!

Obviously I'm a fan of margarita pizza, especially in the summer when I have fresh tomatoes & basil, but you can top yours any way you like. If you top with meat just be sure it is pre-cooked. I liked this enough to eat over half of it myself (I did run almost 20 miles earlier today!) However I think I preferred the zucchini version I made last week.