Sometimes Good intentions lead to Margaritas....

So for day 2 of my smoothie detox...

I had my regular breakfast, minus the banana. This means 1 slice of organic whole wheat toast, 1 egg, 2 egg whites & spinach scrambled together with a little organic cheddar cheese. Green tea with Truvia on the side.

I made my lunch smoothie.
banana
apples
raspberries
1 scoop natural vanilla whey protein
chia seeds

I forgot to add the greens! I seriously was planning on adding some spinach in, but after I poured it into my glass, I realized the mistake. Too late. Taste test? YUM. problem? The consistency got thick & gooey after letting it sit until lunchtime. I think the culprit is the chia seeds, so I omitted them this morning when making today's.

My plan was to make a tomato based one for dinner, but I forgot about a coworkers going away party. Which lead to 3 of these..
Skinny Margaritas at least! Tequila, agave, lime juice.
I had only a half flatbread pizza @ Uno's with a side salad and a taste of a few appetizers. I felt less guilty of indulging a little after my healthy lunch I had.

Today we are scheduled to get a decent size snow storm, so yoga may be cancelled. I did make it to TRX this morning, and talked to my trainer about Girls on the Run, yay!

Do cocktails throw you off track?
How do you avoid temptations?


Food is not the enemy



Today I am working to get on the right track with healthy food. I'm going to put effort in making all that unhealthy food the enemy. Today I begin my green smoothie detox. A green smoothie is essentially a smoothie made with leafy greens, fruits, and water. They pack a huge nutritional punch, especially for people who have difficulty getting in their fruits & veggies. The roomie has decided to do it with me, so in yesterday in preparation we hit the store for our goods.

Took up almost the whole island!

Look at all the yummy food!

Bananas, apples, oranges, spinach, romaine lettuce, parsley, mangoes, pineapple, kiwi, cilantro, cucumbers, tomatoes, swiss chard, scallions, frozen berries. All to set the stage for my detox to better heath. It honestly all looked so good sitting there on the counter, I wanted to make one right then! 

The morning's smoothie is..

1  cup frozen raspberries
1 cup frozen strawberries
2 bananas
2 cups collard greens
chia seeds

I planned on showing a picture of a delicious smoothie here, but disaster struck this morning. My blender started smoking, and smelling like something caught fire. In my morning rush, I drove to my mom's house for her blender, then rushed home to make mine & the roomie's smoothies. I left the house disaster, but armed with my breakfast & lunch smoothies.

Disaster in the kitchen!

How did it go?
Well, lets just say I am used to eating a protein packed breakfast. Eggs, egg whites, cheese. So by 10am, I was so lightheaded and nauseous I could barely focus. Thankfully a coworker had some goldfish crackers. At lunch, I ate a sandwich, then stopped at the store on the way home for a little more "real" food. I am still ridiculously nauseous.

My revised plan?
I will replace my lunch with a green smoothie, followed by a protein bar in the afternoon. I just can't go all in. At least I tried!

Looking forward to trying more smoothies!
Don't forget my immucell giveaway HERE, it ends TONIGHT!





Green Smoothie Detox

I feel like I need a way to jump start eating cleaner & healthier. I've been struggling for awhile now, but just can't seem to get to a committed place. I think the hardest part is, its hard to stick to your healthy guns when you already feel gross & sluggish. Its like what the hell, Ill just eat this anyways.

I love fruits and vegetable. I've made a couple green smoothies in my time, but I have been thinking that this week, I will undergo a 3 day green smoothie detox. I've found a website for a 3 day Green Smoothie Detox, with recipes, and motivational support. Basically you have nothing but green smoothies for 3 days, although they have said that raw veggies or fruit for snacking is acceptable.


I'm thinking this may be the thing to get me on track, and clear my system of the junk I've been putting in it. Plus its only 3 days, and if for some reason I really feel like crap or am STARVING, I'll eat something. My back up plan is to replace a meal a day with a green smoothie.

Have you ever made green smoothies?
What's your favorite green smoothie recipe?
What do you think of a green smoothie detox?


Three Things Thursday!

1. I am feeling sluggish, chubby, and gross. I seriously need to get in shape with this whole nutrition thing. My body is revolting at the extra food I am giving it, and it isn't pretty. Where is my discipline and willpower? I'm considering something green to get me back on the right path... more on that tomorrow.

2. I had a hot stone massage tonight. I totally forgot I had booked my free upgrade until I had gotten there. Luckily my massage therapist knows how bad my legs are, so she mixed it up with some deep tissue. Super relaxing, I'm ready for bed.
Not me! Pic courtesy of google images
3. I've been thinking a lot about my blog lately. Switching to wordpress, or having my brother help me branch out on my own (he's a computer graphic wizard). I've been thinking about what I want it to look like, what I want the contents to be like. It seems so overwhelming! I am very challenged in this area, so I hope my brother can successfully help guide me in the right direction.

Ever had a hot stone massage?
What would like to see my blog look like?
What kind of things would you like to hear from my blog?
Any advice to offer on changing around my blog?

Don't forget my Immucell giveaway HERE ends 2/27

(Long Overdue) My Brother's Goofy Race & a Half Race Report


Sorry it took me so long to post this! I know several of you asked to read my brother's recap of the races, here is the short & sweet of it.

This has been a long time coming. All the blood, sweat, and yes even tears have finally paid off.
It was almost a year ago when I decided I wanted to run the Goofy’s Race and a half Challenge. What’s that? It’s when you run the Disney World half-marathon on Saturday, followed by the Disney World full-marathon on sunday. 39.3 miles in 2 days.
Am I crazy?
Let me answer your question with a question: am I a runner?
When I decided this would be my goal over the last year, I immediately enlisted the help of my coach Sara Bernard (http://runninginpink.com) to help coach me through the process. Her words to me were along the lines of “You’re nuts, but if you really want it, I’ll coach you” and “You should really do a 26.2 first so you understand what it takes.”
Unfortunately I’d injure myself trying to do barefoot running too quickly and had to delay my first marathon which was scheduled for July, to October. I was heartbroken, but worse, I was starting to burn out. In August I just didn’t think I could run anymore. With the help of my amazing girlfriend, Annette, I managed to keep myself from falling apart and make it to Hartford.
Hartford was amazing. One of the best races of my life. For a full recap, check out my post on my sister’s blog (Couch Potato to Marathoner). I had never been in more pain from running in my life, but it was totally worth it. I was a marathoner (and earned my post-race beers)!
Now my training shifted focus to Disney. Finally, what I’d been waiting for, for as long as I can remember. It was finally coming. After a week break (no running allowed said Coach Sara!!), I was burning and ready to go! I started my back-to-back long runs and off I went. Nothing would get between me and my goal. I would train like never before, I would do whatever it took. I’ve never wanted something so bad in my entire life.
Not only did I get stronger, faster, but my recovery shot through the roof. I could run back-to-back with no pain, no weakness. I felt like I was becoming invincible. Eventually during my training runs I capped out at 13 and 20 miles back-to-back. At this point I knew I was ready, and my taper started.
1/8/2012 – The Disney Half-Marathon. Oh you cruel heartless thing. I had ran the same course 2 years prior and had never been more miserable in my entire life. I’d say this picture accurately describes how things went this time…
Easy, almost effortless. Oh, and I still managed a new PR of 2:23:50, a nearly 14 minute improvement over my old PR. This was at a comfortable pace I could have run for another 20+ miles, but I needed to save my strength for day 2. I finished the race and waited for my family. My mom had been running the race too in her first half-marathon. I was so proud of her. We hugged, she cried, I cried. “I did it Jay” she said. That was enough to make me break down.
The rest of the day I relaxed and mentally prepared for the 26.2 to come the next day (oh and I ate an entire medium pizza). My sister, poor kid, had been sick. She was worried about the race. She’d been feeling sick lately and I told her I’d run with her to make sure she finished. It was the least I could do for her, after she did the same for me two years ago in the 2010 Disney World Half-Marathon. She was worried about messing up her time, I told her, my time didn’t matter, there will be other races, and making sure she finishes is more important.
The race was very difficult for her. She felt ill nearly the entire race, and we had to stop a couple times for her stomach issues. Remember runners, rule #1, nothing new on race day (except stuff like my silly Goofy hat, the power-aide did not agree with her stomach). We chugged along and I felt great the whole time, pacing her out, telling her to shut up and conserve energy. Eventually towards the end my calves started getting a little tight, but not too bad overall. For the full race recap (she did a fantastic job), check it out over on her blog.
(home stretch!!)
While at Disney and on our celebratory cruise, I also had the chance to read “Born to Run”. Whilst running my races that weekend, it struck me, I had a huge smile on my face; I love running. The problem with running for many, is that they’ve forgotten how to love running. We were, in may ways, born to run, and it just feels so natural, but many have been conditioned to think of running as punishment, and that is truly unfortunate. While on the cruise, Coach Sara told me I could do anything I wanted to do.
I ran.
Not only did I run, but I ran about 10 miles total that week, doing laps on a cruise boat. I was just as happy running those laps as I am when I hit the Charles River during the Spring.
It’s funny because we were never a super athletic, or even healthy family. Now we’re a family of healthy runners, and even better, marathoners.

Are you listening?

In my Immucell giveaway (HERE), I asked you to share how you stay injury free on my facebook page. So far, I have only one, but it really made me think.


How many of us ignore the aches, pains, and troubles we have while training? guilty! I ignored that knee pain last October while pushing through the Hartford Half, and dealt with it all marathon training. My knee has been feeling better lately, but still paining me here and there.

At bootcamp Friday, we did a million TRX leg work including killer saw lunges
TRX saw lunges
My ass cheeks literally hurt so bad saturday and sunday that sitting on a toilet seat or hard chair was torture. I ignored the aches and pains, and went ahead with my schedule 8 mile run sunday. Which, by the way, was the first outdoor run and longest run since the marathon.

With my achy legs, my pace was slow, and my knee was painful. I needed to stop and stretch and walk a little to ease the pain. My legs felt like lead after, now my quads and hamstrings were feeling it too. 

This morning I was planning on a 6 mile treadmill run, but my legs are still killing me. So I took Pattie's advice and listened to my body. I still got my butt up, but I did the elliptical and took my time stretching afterwards. Today I had a coworker do some trigger point and massage, and I have a hot date with the foam roller tonight.

What else should I listen to my body for?
The foods I eat
The intensity of my workouts
The sleep I need
The stress I need to relieve

Do you listen to your body?


Immucell Review & Giveaway!

Do you want healthy joints & skin?

A while back, Neocell gave me the opportunity to try 2 different products.




&



They sent these over to me when I was trying to nurse my knee pain away before the Disney Marathon. The Collagen Sport came in chocolate or vanilla, and the stats all looked great. I won't go into great detail, because unfortunately I couldn't handle the taste. Despite trying it several different ways (with milk, or water I couldn't drink it. Blended with peanut butter and banana was the only way I could handle it). I know there are several bloggers who have tried it and loved it, but it was a no go for me. To read other's reviews check them out @ Women's Endurance Gear, Blonde Ponytail, I'm a Sleeper Baker, See Mom Run Far. Please check out their reviews, since I feel like I can't give it a fair review.

What I was wicked excited about, was the Immucell Collagen Type 2.
Since I'd been having unrelenting right knee pain, Jean @ Neocell encouraged me to try the Immucell to help me rehydrate my joints. 

• Ideal for those individuals suffering from joint issues and degenerative joint diseases
• High bioavailability with anti-inflammatory and pain modulating effects
• Aids in replenishment of body’s most abundant structural protein
• Supports collagen type 2 found in joints
• Assists in the maintenance and rebuilding of cartilage bones, joints and surrounding tissue
• Lubricates eyes and skin improving moisture levels, and joints promoting mobility

The directions say to take 4-6 capsules daily with Orange Juice or a Vitamin C drink, preferably in the morning on an empty stomach & wait 20 minutes before eating.

yay! No Knee pain!


Every day for weeks leading up to the marathon, I took my Immucell. You all remember that race day I had no knee pain at all. 

I'm certainly not saying that the Immucell was the only thing to help my knee pain. If you remember from my race report (HERE), I spent a lot of the marathon walking due to sickness. But I will tell you the knee felt great even in the weeks following the marathon, only to now be getting worse again since not taking it for 6 weeks or so.




From their website:

ImmuCell® Collagen Type 2 is a food sourced supplement that holds a high concentration of joint-saving nutrients including hyaluronic acid (HA), glucosamine, and high levels of chondroitin, the major components of joint cartilage. These necessary elements support and maintain healthy joints and repair the damage that causes pain and swelling associated with arthritis. Chondroitin also acts as an anti-inflammatory compound and pain modulator without the negative side effects of non-steroidal medicines while enhancing the synthesis of cartilage and HA. Supplementing with ImmuCell® Collagen Type 2 focuses on the regenerating effects for skin and connective tissue health.

 Life Extension magazine had an article in their February 2012 edition... (see the full story HERE)Conventional medical wisdom has long held that rheumatoid arthritis results from an autoimmune attack on joints, while osteoarthritis was thought to result from age-related “wear-and-tear.” 
For the first time, a team of researchersat Stanford University has demonstrated that this is not true!
It turns out that osteoarthritis is accompanied by the same pathological, pro-inflammatory immune factors involved in rheumatoid arthritis. Even more compelling was their finding that, if treatment is initiated before symptoms manifest, osteoarthritis may be entirely prevented.

If you read further in the article you'll see that Collagen supplements (including those contained in Immucell), fit that category. So, even if you are experiencing no joint pain, you may be able to prevent arthritis with supplementation.

My knee pain returning has convinced me to visit Amazon to replenish my stock.
You can buy a bottle with 120 capsules for about $17 HERE.

Want to Win some of your own to try?
Neocell has generously offered a bottle of Immucell Collagen Type 2 to one lucky winner!

How to Win
please leave a separate comment for each entry
1. Be or become a follower of my blog
2. Follow NeoCell on facebook HERE & tell them Running to Health sent you!
3. Like me on facebook HERE & tell me your best tip for staying injury free.
4. Spread the word! Blog, twitter, facebook (1 for each)

contest ends 2/27 @ midnight EST.
Good luck!




Fitting In

Source: snotm.com via Julie on Pinterest


To me, fitting in is an important part of life.
When I first started running, I felt like I didn't fit in, but after more training and racing, I finally feel like I belong in the running community. With triathlon, I still feel like I'm finding my place.

You may not guess, but I have a hard time fitting in with new groups of people. I tried joining up with the local triathlon club, the Cyclonauts, but I felt way out of my league. I tried riding with the bike shop's girls riding group, which was better, but I didn't feel 100% at. When I first started working out at Bia Fitness, I felt like I didn't belong either.

When everyone in a group already knows each other, I feel like the odd man out. I feel unwanted, or like I just don't fit in. I know that its not true, but I just have such a big fear of not being liked, that I freak out a little in my head.

I've been working out at Bia Fitness for about 9 months now. When I first started, I vaguely knew a few people from my gym. I still felt uncomfortable. I didn't chat with anyone before or after class like some of the others did. I didn't have a partner ready to go when I needed one. But over these past 9 months, I'm starting to feel like I fit in. I talk with people about races, or running. People ask me how my training or racing is going. I've had people to partner with. Then the biggest turning point for me, was this morning when one of the girls asked me if I wanted to join her and a few people to run on tuesday mornings.

I know to some of you, it may not seem like a big deal.
Being asked to join the running group just made me feel like I belonged.
I warned her I was slow, and she said, "Oh no big deal, we just go out to have fun."

I guess I learned a couple things.
#1 You may need to stick around through the initial awkwardness until you feel like you fit in.
#2 If you still don't feel like you belong, then maybe its not the right place.

I honestly don't think I gave the Cyclonauts or Competitive Edge group a fair chance last year. This year, I definitely plan on trying a little harder to make some new friends and fit in. It may be a little uncomfortable at first, but my hope is that it will lead me to being a better runner & triathlete.

Do you have a tough time fitting in or do you love new groups and people?

Whats on my summer agenda!

My race schedule for the summer is starting to come together...


Shamrock Duathlon 5/20 5K run, 18 mile bike, 5K run
(I'm working on getting Kevin to sign up with me for this one!)


and then....

I officially signed up today!!

Most likely I will have a couple sprint races or 5Ks or maybe even a half marathon or 2 scheduled in there as well. I'm getting excited about the upcoming season, I even renewed my USAT license and signed up to attend the Multisport Conference in Boston (its FREE!). Interested in joining me? Check it out HERE.

How are your summer race plans coming?

Which is exactly why I need to get back on track with my workouts and nutrition.

I know, I know.
I've said this a million times in the last couple weeks, but this time I REALLY mean it!
I'm going to eat clean.
I'm going to count points.
I'm going to to get my workouts in.
(after tonight's skipped yoga class)
(And the ice cream I just ate)
I'm going to run outdoors sunday, no mater how cold it is.

Please.
Hold me accountable.








Learning to Swim

So, I decided against the nutritionist. 
I do know what I should be eating.
I know the foods that my body feels best with.
I now need to focus on eating those foods, and staying on track.

Instead, I decided to spend the money on swimming lessons.
My friends have been laughing at me,
"Don't you know how to swim?"
I do, but I want to swim better. I read the total immersion book, but since I can't watch myself swim, I had no clue what I needed to work on, so I found a total immersion coach who is located literally 5 minutes from my house.


She started by videotaping me underwater and on the surface. I discovered that my legs go a little crazy trying to keep my stability in the water. She said my stroke is a little disconnected, but I should pick it up easily. We went through a few drills to work on, and we'll follow up with another lesson soon.

check out one of my videos....



I think my money is much better spent here.

Have you ever taken swim lessons?
or running or cycling lessons?

Tough Chik Tuesday

Did you know I was on Team Tough Chik?
This team is full of a group of AMAZING women who are inspiring, encouraging, and totally kick ass!
I'm going to try hard to get in answers to our weekly Tough Chik Question!

This week's question:
Despite our best efforts, we are not the perfect runner. We sleep in. We eat too much or too little. We under train. We over train. We eschew cross training. The list goes on.  What I want to know is: what running rule(s) are you guilty of breaking?

Yikes.
Which ones aren't I guilty of.

Too many cocktails....
girls night out

Eating too much...
ice cream sandwiches at Magic Kingdom

Skipping workouts in favor of more sleep...
my cozy bed during the blackout

I have been better about consistency with training, but I would have to say that is my #1 guilt. Training for RnR Providence last summer I was on target running wise, but skimped on the swimming & biking which impacted my triathlon performance. For marathon training, I missed long runs or had to end early due to extreme pain or weather. I felt underprepared. I do NOT want to feel this way for my 70.3, so I am making a plan. I am aiming to stick to the plan, like I did for RnR Providence. I want to turn this guilt into a strength. 
NO MORE UNDERTRAINING!

What are you guilty of?




Nutritionist?

Today I had a day off.

I had a million things I wanted to get done. 

I managed to complete my entire to-do list, minus 1 this weekend.

run.

Today I planned on getting out for a beautiful 50 degree run.

Completing a training plan for the next 6-8 weeks, cleaning the bathroom, doing laundry & going grocery shopping, I decided would give me more peace of mind than a run. So I did miss it. But I did manage to get a lot done, and that beautiful new training plan has a run scheduled for tomorrow.

Yesterday, I started my morning with a trip to Bia Fitness to listen to a nutritionist speak. Tanya Hart @ Root Wellness + Nutrition, gave a great talk on diet myths and answered our many questions. I loved a lot of the things she had to say...
How important it is to eat as close to the earth as possible
Each person has different nutrition needs
That cravings are your body's way of calling out for a nutrient
That hormones & additives in foods affect how we feel, lose weight, and our energy levels.


Pretty much all of what she said is spot on with what I already believe in, but am not great at practicing. As I think about my weightloss (slow) and how I want to be for 70.3 (fit, fast, toned!), I think its a great idea. Not to mention, she did offer a great promotion to those of us who went to the session. 

50% of initial consultation & 20% off package pricing.

Even with those discounts, I still consider it pricey. I know how important it is to fuel my body. I feel like if I'm properly fueled, I'll perform better. Then will the money be worth it? As Tanya told me in an email (we've exchanged a few back/forth), "The tools and resources you receive from this work, are yours to use for the rest of your life"

So now I'm trying to decide...
no meeting
initial meeting (<$90)
12 week commitment (<$700, I think before the discount)

decisions. decisions.

What are your thoughts?
Have you ever seen a nutritionist?

and I almost forgot!

The winner of the 3rd Trop50 Spa Week $50 giftcard is...
Trish, I grabbed your email from your blogger profile & sent it along already for you!


Brancott Wines


With my love of cocktails, I thought I'd share something fun I came across...

Brancott Estate, a winery based out of New Zealand, just created and launched their free "World's Most Curious Bottle" app and are putting QR codes on all of their wine bottles. You can use the app to scan the code printed on the label with your phone's camera to get food pairing suggestions and more information on things like the aroma, which is great when you're on the go and don't have time to research what wine you want to have with dinner. There are 14 unique experience ranging from taking a tour of Brancott Estate Winery to making music on your phone. 





Imagine running late home for dinner, hit the local package store and scan a bottle to see if it pairs up with whats on the menu for the night. Or learn more about where the wine comes from, and how its made, or how to do a proper tasting.





Download the App for Android  HERE
Download the Iphone App  HERE

Happy wine drinking!



 
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