Wordless Wednesday: SNOWRUNNING

Weekend Snow Runs in Maine

Saturday:

A light snow and it was quite nice...

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Sunday's LONG run was a different story

More snow

Fortunes Rocks Beach covered in ice and snow

...and did I mention, 40mph winds??

ice-crusted eyebrows! eeek

Be safe! Thanks Donna 

snow day fuel

 The wind was so brutal, I was running wearing

a neoprene face mask-a definite first for me. 

Between the Atlantic Ocean and "The Pool" you could literally lean into the winds here
it was  pretty strong and blew us around quite a bit. 

Training buddy, Marc

I swear, this is the first time this boy has worn pants!
He's usually in shorts

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What are some extreme conditions you have subjected yourself to during training?

Do you prefer hot or cold training weather? 

VLOG with CinderLola: How to Meet Prince Charming

This week was Fairy Tale week at school for Lola and today she dressed up as Cinderella.
I am now calling her CinderLola...

Here is an interview on how to meet Prince Charming

What I Eat-Breakfast Edition

Lately I've been getting lots of questions about what I eat.
Now, let's be honest here...I did not get FAT because I did not like to eat. I love food and I enjoy cooking. Over the years, it has been a learning process for me and it still is as I continue to discover more and more NOW as I dig a little deeper into nutrition.

When I lost weight, I did it by eating clean foods. It was a gradual shift and I learned a lot while I was pregnant. I started questioning why certain foods were "not safe" while pregnant but ok to eat when not. I wanted to give my growing baby the best shot at health that I could. I tried my best to eat as healthfully as possible. That's not saying that I did not indulge in Blizzards from Dairy Queen (my weakness!) but I started eating better overall and getting more nutrient dense and clean foods into my diet. It was a matter of the more I knew, the more I wanted to do right and learn more. I was opting for whole, real foods vs. processed foods. 

One HUGE difference was I started eating breakfast. I used to skip breakfast and have several cups of coffee loaded with cream and sugar (pre-pregnancy, of course!!) and maybe mid-morning grab a snack from the break-room at work. I worked in a medical facility and we could usually count on donuts or other pastry products almost daily from the drug reps.

These days, I still have coffee (not as much and certainly not loaded with cream and sugar) and I do not eliminate this from my diet like some athletes. I enjoy coffee waaaay too much. I, do, however try to drink a large glass of water before anything else when I get up and then I am eating something that 30-45 minute window of time.

Some mornings, I am teaching boot camp followed by a spin class and other days I get right to my training for the day so it is really important to get good quality calories in to fuel those workouts.

I am not an RD or a nutritionist. I am only sharing what I eat, how I lost weight and how I try to keep it healthy. Also, the brands mentioned in the blog post are just the brands I like and use. This is not a sponsored post and all opinions are simply my own. That being said, here is a sampling of things I eat for breakfast. I keep things simple and usually eat the same things over and over with the occasional diversion from the norm just to mix things up.

My standby is OATMEAL. I love oatmeal. An easy swap here is ditch the pre-packaged, sugar-laden oatmeal for the real stuff. Old Fashioned oats in that big round tub or opt for steel cut oats. 
I prefer Steel Cut Oats and they are actually pretty easy to make. 

There are crock pot versions. Like this one and this one
I make a huge crock pot full on Sunday and it feeds us for many days.

photo source

I always have Coach's Oats on hand too-they are toasted, cracked steel cut oats that cook up just as quickly as the processed oatmeal. Easy to make on the stop top or in the micro and they are delish!! Just as good as the traditional SCO's but the bonus to these little gems are you can also cook with them as well. Check out their website for all kinds of recipe ideas!

Then there is regular style oatmeal "old fashioned oats" that is baked oatmeal with berries

photo source

Another staple of mine is a breakfast wrap. I love the Josephs Flax and Oat wrap with PB, raisins, apple slices, honey and cinnamon.

Another option is a smashed banana and PB.

Easy and portable for on the go mornings.

Next up: flour free pancakes!

just mash up a ripe banana
add one whole egg
one egg white
a dash of cinnamon
and a scoop of chia seeds

let sit for a few mins and cook in a skillet (I used a tad of coconut oil in the pan).

VOILA! Gluten free pancakes that are super easy to make

No cooking required: Powerbar protein bars. I always have a stash with me. NO EXCUSES I can eat one on the drive to teach 5am boot camp or for an early morning swim and I don't have to worry about having a too full belly. 

I actually prefer savory to sweet and most of the time, I'll be eating eggs of some sort.
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Here is a simple one-one whole egg, two egg whites scrambled with some jalapenos
top with baby spinach and sriarcha
on a flax seed flat

Some days it is as simple as a couple hard boiled eggs and I toss the yolks.
 I'll have this with a piece of fruit like an apple or orange-lately I'm addicted to blood oranges.

So, as you can see, breakfast does not have to be complicated or time consuming. 

Do YOU eat breakfast?
What are some of your favorites?

Want to have YOUR favorite recipe featured on a future blog post? I'm looking for YOUR favorite easy and yummy dishes that are relatively "clean" and healthy! Email me or leave a comment! 

VLOG: Let's Pick a Winner!

#snOMG has hit Maine so I thought this would be a perfect time to dust off the video recorder and pick a winner of the Injinji socks giveaway with Lola!

we wrote out each name for each valid comment on pink paper

and then cut each name into a tiny strip

then we folded each piece of paper 

and put them in a big red Tupperware bowl

Were YOU the lucky winner???

Shoot me an email at jsmall14(at)maine.rr.com and I'll get you hooked up with your socks!! 

Guest Post: Running Workouts for Moms

I started writing my blog as a way to let other people-especially new mothers-know that you can find health balancing both family and fitness! Some of my favorite memories of those "early days" of my journey to health and happiness were the miles on the road I logged with Lola in the the BOB Revolution jogging stroller. 

I was a little heavier back in the Spring of 2009...

Recently, I was contacted by Mathew Kyle from Altra asking to guest post on the blog and I was more than happy to host. Altra is one of the sponsors of my friend, James, aka The Iron Cowboy, who completed 30 Ironman distance races this past season, setting a world record. 
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Running Workouts For Moms

Finding time to work out when you are a mother can be difficult. However, with a little ingenuity even the busiest mom can integrate a running routine into her day. By allocating time to run, moms get a chance to clear their minds and calm themselves while toning their bodies. 

If you haven't run for a long time, you may want to ease yourself into a routine. Ideally, you should try to work out every other day or at least three times per week. You need to workout at least twice a week to get yourself into a routine. If you want to work out more often, you should rotate running with a low impact exercise like yoga or Pilates. 

When starting your new regimen, you should begin slowly with a 10 to 20 minute walk. Then, you should add 60 seconds of running to your routine. You can rotate the running with walking, and as you get more comfortable, you can increase the amount of time spent running until you are running for the entire workout. By the time you have been working out eight weeks, you should be able to easily complete 30 minute workouts two to three times per week. During those 30 minutes, you should be able to jog at least 3 miles, and by this time, you will notice that your bum will probably look tighter and more toned than when you started your routine. 

The above workout is perfect for anyone who is new to running, and it is ideal for moms who want to get back into shape after having a baby. However, finding time to do these workouts can be hard when you have children who need you to cook them dinner, drive them to soccer, read to them, and take care of their every need. It can be difficult, but with a little creativity, you can find ways to jog with kids. 

If you have a baby, you can jog with him/her easily using a jogging stroller. If you schedule your workouts during their naps, they can sleep in the stroller as you run. As they get older, they can bring a bike, trike, or skateboard along, and you can run with them. In a pinch, you can allow your children to play at the local park or playground, and you can run around the perimeter of that area. That allows you to workout while still being able to see them. Similarly, you can also do your workouts while they are at soccer practice or other activities. If you cannot manage to run with your kids in tow, you may want to consider a treadmill or other exercise equipment that will allow you to workout indoors while they play. 

It may be difficult to find time to run, but it is worth it. Your body will look better. You will be happier, calmer, and a better mom. 

Golden Harper is a previous all American runner who founded Altra Zero Drop Footwear, a company run by passionate individuals committed to helping running enthusiasts achieve their dreams through biomechanically proper footwear. You can check the company's updates and their latest in their blog

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Tomorrow I will be picking a winner for the Injinji socks--if you have not entered yet, you have until Midnight!!

Run Like Hell

The Mid-Winter Classic 10 Mile Road Race

Cape Elizabeth, Maine 

February 3, 2013

I signed up for this race quite a while ago and had some pretty solid goals for this race. I broke the 1:45 barrier on the half marathon distance in December so my goal to go sub 1:20 at a 10 miler was completely reasonable...until January happened.

I did a lot of traveling in January-Florida and Colorado-and come home from FL with a nasty chest cold that lingered through the Colorado trip and beyond. Lola was sick too and my training plan for the month was really screwed up! It's freaky to me to look into Training Peaks and see almost an entire week of RED BLOCKS from incomplete or missed workouts!

I chatted with Coach and we both agreed that it was smart to put any lofty goals on hold for the day and just run, call it a training day and take it mile by mile. I wasn't even sure if I was going to show up come 9:45 on Sunday morning. The weather has been COLD and they were predicting snow for the day. There was no way I wanted to prolong this chest cold in freezing temps to just run and not race. Then I found out that my girl, Mandy, would be there--you know, Caratunk Girl.

That's all I needed to know. I have not seen Mandy in a while and as long as the roads were safe to drive up to Cape E for the race, I'd be there.

It was cold, temps in the 20's and the winds brought the "feels like" temps down to about 10*. Layer, layer, layer and be smart! I walked into the High School for packet pick up and right away got to see my awesome Rev3 Team mate, Ryan. Then picked up my race bib.

REALLY?? C'mon....

Then I got to see Mandy.

And Jake.

DOUBLE BONUS!!

We made lots of jokes about my bib number and it was decided that I would RUN LIKE HELL!
The run's theme song would be "Running with the Devil" by Van Halen.


I also got to see running buddies Danielle and Sarah, whom I have not seen in forever!! Danielle is looking marvy with a little baby bump (25 weeks along and looking amazing).

chatting up Danielle and her cute bump

Got out to warm up a bit (ha ha) it was freezing and found Michelle in the parking lot. Lucky Michelle got to witness me christen the CEHS parking lot before the race (and dare I say this is not the first time I have done this...Beach to Beacon 2012!)

obviously, NOT peeing in the parking lot in this pic! 

Then I ran into Jen (yay!!) I've been wanting to meet this gal in real life for a while! She was pacing to what my goal time was today and I was hoping we could run together but...we lost each other before the start.

I lined up and started with Mandy, Michelle and a couple of her friends and just trotted along a bit. I was pretty happy at about 8:45 pace so just kept it there and went with it.

Michelle in Yellow, Mandy in Green and me in Pink (behind red guy)

The first five miles of the course are all rollers and I was feeling good and strong on the hills. Cadence was where it was supposed to be, I was running easy and keeping the HR in check. Pace was solid and consistent at 8:30's and I was feeling good. I hit the half way mark around 42:00 mins and was pretty sure I was on pace for a 1:25-ish finish time. The plan for the rest of the miles was to stay steady at 8:30 and pick it up the last 3 miles and finish strong-no mind to HR at that point.

The last two miles were quite comical--this is actually the flattest part of the course with a slight incline, but into a very cold and strong wind on this day. It was soooo cold and I felt like it was just pushing against me. Ok, it was pushing against me. I'd glance at the Garmin to see high 8:00's and low 9:00's flash at me and I was getting annoyed. To add insult to injury, I had peed a little and my entire inner thighs were wet and FREEZING.



NUMB cold freezing painful NUMB.

So I just chugged along and I spotted a local tri club gal, Kim up ahead about a half mile or so. I tried like the dickens to catch her but that would not happen today. I had no idea where the finish line was but we started in the HS parking lot so I figured it finished around there too. Sure enough, I saw the runners ahead turning into the school and I just kept running...and running...and running. It was a slight downhill to the finish line and boom! Done

1:26:04 for an 8:36 pace and 6th in my division.

Not bad for a training day and I will definitely return to run this route again. I loved it! Lots of little rollers and part of the course is along the Beach to Beacon course.
Next year that sub 1:20 finish is all mine.

awesome! Michelle and Mandy having fun

how cute is she?? GO JEN B
Happy to report that Jen finished in 1:19!! GO JEN GO!
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Team Rev 3, Day One in Colorado

The Team Rev 3 Summit was this past weekend in beautiful Boulder, Colorado and I was lucky enough to be able to go! What a whirlwind weekend for sure. It was great to meet up with my team mates from last season and welcome the NEWBIES to the team as well!!

I consider myself very lucky to be a part of such a wonderful organization like Rev 3 and blessed to be a part of a team that is truly a group of fantastic individuals. I've said it a million times, the sponsorship is an awesome perk but I'd be a part of this time even with none of these perks just because of the people-they are quality!

I had a early morning flight and got into Denver around 9:30am-just in time to meet up with my team mate, Elizabeth. We had decided to share a rental car for the trip so we could get around on our own schedule while there and this worked out great.

Elizabeth is a returning member to the team in 2013 but we did not really get chance to hang out in 2012. I knew within a short time that we would get along just fine--she is on-the-ball, hilarious and just as inappropriate as I am (if that is even possible). Plus, she was not shocked when I started stripping off my clothes in the parking lot of the rental car agency. Hey! When I left Maine at 4am, it was -5* (yes, that's below zero) and Denver was a very warm 65* - Denver mountain sun is a lot warmer than Maine sun. The fleece pants were coming off!

 I just wanted to drive right out to those snow covered mountains and play for days and days...

The two of us decided to drive to Boulder and check things out there. It was a mix of hippies, hipsters and bikes all over Pearl Street.

I spotted this bicycle get up immediately! Check this out-vintage QR frame with some HED's on it! so cool

 Then we decided to get personal with Spiderman

so mature!!

I had planned to meet up with my friend and athlete Scott (you must check out his blog, Train Fat Boy, Train) for lunch and a day of checking out the area and then a visit to my not-so-local bike shop, Kompetitive Edge.

After hanging in Boulder for a bit, we met up with Scott in Golden! What a lovely little town. I just LOVED Golden. We had all you can eat wood fired pizza and salad at this great little joint called Woody's. The napkins were bandanna's so again, Elizabeth and I were (again) very mature about it. I may or may not have walked out with said black bandanna.

After we had a lovely lunch with Scott and his wife, Scott and I went off to Kompetitive Edge and Elizabeth went for a walk around town with Kristine and her friend, Amity.

I was soooo stoked to finally get to KE and meet by "baby's" Godfather, Ryan.
(He built my QR and made her all pretty with her accessories)

 After haning out with the folks at KE, we made our way back to Golden. Scott had a team meeting with his Kompetitive Edge team, even though I consider myself a de facto member of the team, I was NOT formally invited (except by Brandon, thank you very much) so the girls went out for an evening walk and dinner in Golden.

We (Elizabeth, Kristine and Laila, Scott's adorable daughter) dined at a little place called Indulge.



Indulge we did. 

I indulged in the Kobe Beef burger, Le French.

Kobe beef with a fried egg, thick bacon and smothered in Bearnaise sauce and served with some of THE BEST sweet tater fries I've ever had!!
If you are in the Boulder area, definitely make the trip to Indulge.

Then it was time to walk off a bit of dinner...

Golden CO

Riding the bull in front of The Buffalo Rose

...and ride the bull in front of the local saloon! And yes, I am wear JEANS. A very, very rare sight indeed!

Elizabeth rode the local bike decorations-she is VERY aero in this pic!!

Laila on the "bike" 

Then it was time for B-E-D.
Laila so kindly gave up her trundle bed for Elizabeth and I to sleep in. Did I mention that Elizabeth is six feet tall???

The next morning would be time to play with the Team!
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Did you enter to win some Injinji socks?
I'm picking a winner on Monday!!

Enter HERE