My Favorite Health-Related Apps

January 31, 2013 By Laura

I like to apply myself.

My grade school teachers would laugh… they always wrote on my report cards “if Laura would only apply herself…”

With age came discipline. And the iPhone, which I use to keep me on track with my fitness. Every day I use my top apps. It may be a little OCD, but it works for me.

1. Sleep Cycle

I will never be a morning person, but this gem makes waking up a little easier. Sleep Cycle uses the accelerometer in your iPhone to monitor your movement throughout the night an determine which sleep phase you are in. It wakes you up in a 30 minute alarm window that ends at your set alarm time, depending on when you are in your lightest sleep phase.

I need more hours of sleep…

2. Social Apps

I’m lumping these together since I’m sure most of you are already familiar. I love social media. ~~Maybe too much~~. HootSuite is a big time saver because it allows me to manage Facebook and Twitter in one place. I also use the Facebook app to interact with friends and post random quotes and resources on my page (click to “like” Sprint 2 the Table!).

And my beloved Instagram. What did we do before this? When I can’t decide what to eat, it’s my first stop for inspiration! That first pic was for a recipe I was going to post today… but the pics were SO bad in the night lighting.

3. FitBit

The app is great for tracking my water throughout the day. I drink 120 ounces… it’s hard to keep up with that in my head! There are a lot of apps that will do this for you; I use FitBit because I already use the pedometer.

I use my actual FitBit One device daily to track steps, distance, and stairs. It also give you a calories burned number… but I don’t think it’s accurate. It’s value – to me – is that it motivates me to keep moving. When you have a desk job, it can easily lead to a sedentary state. Yes, I work out regularly… but in reality it’s only about 1.5 hours a day. The rest of the time I am at a desk.

I drink 120 oz a day… yes, I pee a LOT.

4. Full Fitness

I just started using this app to track my progress in the gym. I can record workouts, reps, and the weights I use easily and in real-time at the gym. A pen and paper will do the trick… but I hate carrying that stuff around, and I can never remember exactly what I did by the time I get home.

This app also track progress graphically, making it easy to see improvements over time. Heather just wrote a great post about the importance of measuring your progress. I love her point about setting benchmarks – it is SO important to keep challenging yourself so as not to stagnate. We don’t work this hard to stay the same, right?

I haven’t used the following features but… if you don’t already have a routine, the app offers 25 pre-defined workouts (with pictures and instructions), cardio exercises, and stretches. It also offers a calorie counter.

5. Lose It

This is both an app and an online service. While the name is Lose It, I use it to gain. This service allows me to track the foods I eat, complete with macros! Their catalog of foods is pretty extensive, but if you can’t find something you can scan the bar code or enter it manually.

One of my favorite features is the ability to enter recipes. You can choose the number of servings and enter all of the ingredients into dishes you make, then save it for future use. I use this to calculate the recipes I post on this site. Like that recipe on Instagram last night… this is coming soon!

Another cool feature is that you can enter exercise… and the calories burn is pretty accurate. Lose It! asks your age, weight, and height when you sign up, which I supposed really can give a good idea of the calories you burn. I was skeptical.

To confirm its accuracy, I used my heart rate monitor. Most of the time the calories burned match, give or take 20-40 cals. I will never understand how this is possible.

The Lose It! review is part of a sponsored campaign with Lose It! and FitFluential, LLC. All opinions are my own (and I was already using the app). Learn more about Lose It! on Twitter.

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That chili recipe is coming as soon as I get some good picture-taking daylight… it was GOOD!

What are your favorite apps?

How much water do you drink in a day?

Plump My Ride + WIAW

January 30, 2013 By Laura

Cars are getting bigger.

MTV, can you Plump My Ride?

Seriously though… people are getting too FAT for their cars. It’s not just the car seats. Buttons – like the one to roll down your window – have to be made bigger to accommodate “bigger” fingers. This article reports that video back-up screens were added because “necks are too thick for drivers to turn around and look.”

It’s a safety issue too – most car safety features like airbag and seatbelts are designed to protect a person of average size (163 lbs). AND a recent study says that 800,000 car accidents a year in the US are caused by drivers with obesity-related sleep apnea.

I never, ever considered this issue before. Mind = blown. Time to put down the keys and walk a little more?

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This WIAW I managed to stay away from Waffle House. My trainer changed up my diet and I’m enjoying more healthy fats while keeping a good amount of carbs. I’m still ramping up, but so far I feel fantastic. 2 months until competition time – ahhh!

Check out my 7 meals below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see how others dined this week!

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Meal 1:

As usual, I enjoyed my morning cocktail (mix of Apple Cider Vinegar, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos). 30 mins later I ate a pancake topped with a mix of peanut flour, sugar-free syrup, and cinnamon along with fresh blackberries.

No recipe for the pancake… I testing and it wasn’t my fav. The topping rocked though!

Meal 2:

As I took this pic, my co-worker was literally standing over my shoulder quizzing me about my food. You mean it’s NOT normal to bring salmon sashimi for snack at work?

This was fantastic. I love the rich salmon with the sweet mangoes and the crunchy roasted seaweed. I made a wasabi dip by mixing wasabi paste into a paleo hummus gifted to me by a friend.

Meal 3:

Lunch was a mix of leftovers and new. Last week I made extras of the dal I had for dinner, so the last serving made an appearance. I ate it with swordfish (it’s been wayyyy too long since I’ve had this!) and fresh broccoli.

Random fact: I only like broccoli raw.

Meal 4:

A little before Meal 4 I had a Good Belly – I’ve never used these consistently before, so I’m experimenting with these to see what effect probiotics have one me (if any). I also have been rocking the water today – 120 ounces down!

Observations so far: I like that they offer a no-sugar added “Straight Shot” that tastes good, love that it smiles at me… and I went #2 twice today. That never happens. TMI, I know…

Back to the food. I had a new discovery – no salt deli meat! Whole Foods has no salt added turkey. It made my day. And my turkey salad.

Greek Turkey Salad

No-salt added deli turkey, torn into small bits
Celery
Greek yogurt
Nutritional yeast
Lemon juice
Rosemary
Red pepper flakes

I didn’t measure… just poured and mixed until the consistency was like chicken salad..

Meal 5:

I need to ban myself from making pizza on WIAW nights… but yeah, I made my (cheese-less) cauliflower pizza crust again. It’s just so easy and good!

My toppings:

Balsamic chicken
Korean watercress
Onion
Basil
Cloth-aged cheddar
Balsamic nutritional yeast sauce (Nooch + balsamic + red pepper flakes)

Meal 6:

Post-gym good carbs and whey: a mix of mashed butternut squash, whey protein powder, and cinnamon. I realize this looks like poo… it tastes better than it appears.

Meal 7:

Remember last week’s Blueberry Cheesecake Fluff? I am obsessed. So I made another version, this one with bananas and peanut flour. I’m still smiling. I could live on this peanut butter-y goodness. Topped with cocoa syrup, FTW.

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Banana Peanut Butter Cheesecake Fluff

1/2 C cottage cheese
1/4 C mashed banana
2 T peanut flour
1/4 tsp butter extract
1/4 tsp butterscotch extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
Pinch of cardamom
6-7 drops liquid stevia
Water or milk
1/2 C brown rice crispies

Place everything except the cereal in a blender with enough liquid to blend. Blend until mostly smooth.

Pour over a cereal. Top as desired – I made a chocolate sauce with cocoa powder, almond milk, and stevia.

Devour.

Note: if you don’t have butter and butterscotch extracts, simply sub vanilla and/or almond extract.

***

The protein count for the day: 179.3g.

What do you think about this obese driver issue? Had you heard about it before?

Do people at your office stare at your food? Yes? You should join the Strange But Good link up this Friday! 😉

Work It Out: Supersets

January 29, 2013 By Laura

Sometimes you really need to get in and out of the gym.

In a perfect world, I’d have 4 hours to lift.

The reality of the situation is that we all have responsibilities outside of the gym. One way to move a little faster through your workout while doing the same amount of work is to superset. These are also a fabulous way to push through plateaus.

Work It Out, on the double.

Supersets

Many of you may have heard of this technique before. Supersetting means doing two exercises with little to no rest in between.

Do your prescribed number of reps (I do 6-10) for one exercise, immediately followed by reps of a second exercise. Start off performing 2 to 3 sets for each exercise. As you advance, increase sets to 3 to 4 total.

How do you incorporate them?

1. Exercises working the same body part.

The benefit is that you hit the muscle from different angles but without giving the body part time to recover from the first exercise. It forces you to work that much harder to complete the second exercise, and can have a big impact if your focus is muscle development.

An example is super-setting Incline Flyes with Flat Dumbbell Bench Press:

Incline Flyes

Grasp dumbbells using an overhand grip, bringing the dumbbells to the sides of your torso at chest level. Hold the dumbbells at arm’s length and do not lock your elbows. With palms facing forward, position the dumbbells directly over your upper chest area so that they are touching each other. Slowly bend your arms and lower the dumbbells until they are at either side of your chest. Repeat the movement for reps.

Note: The top of the dumbbell should never pass below your lower chest area to avoid strain on your anterior shoulder muscles.

Dumbbell Flat Bench Press

The only difference between this exercise and the flat barbell bench press is that in order to stabilize the dumbbells your body will need to recruit more muscle fibers.

On a flat bench, grip dumbbells in each hand, palms facing each other. Press up the dumbbells one arm at a time so that you can hold them in front of you at shoulder width and rotate your wrists forward so that the palms of your hands are facing away from you. (You can use your thighs to help you get the dumbbells up.) Bring down the weights slowly to your side as you breathe in. As you breathe out, push the dumbbells up using your pectoral muscles. Repeat for reps.

2. Exercises working opposing muscle groups.

This is a great way to burn out a whole muscle group!

An example is super-setting standing (or lying) leg curls with leg extensions:

Standing Leg Curls

The standing leg curl strengthens the hamstrings (this is great for runners!).

Start with a lighter weight, as this machine can put some strain on the knees. Adjust the pads so that they are in a comfortable position around the ankle – you don’t want the pads too high up the calf. Grasp the support handles, then lift the pad upward as far as it will go toward the butt. Lift and lower the leg in a controlled manner to complete one full rep.

Leg Extensions

The leg extension specifically targets the quadriceps. Sit on the machine with your legs under the pad, hands holding the side bars. Using your quadriceps, extend your legs as you exhale. The rest of the body should remain still on the seat. Pause a second in the contracted position before lower the weight back to the original position in a controlled motion.

Note: Be sure to adjust the pad so that it falls on top of your lower leg (just above your feet), and make sure that your legs form a 90-degree angle between the lower and upper leg. If the legs form less than a 90-degree angle, your knee is over your toes and this will creates stress at the knee-joint (which you don’t want).

3. My favorite way to super set and save time is to work different body parts.

Before my figure competition last fall, I was doing 15-20 reps of each exercise. Workouts were taking forever, so I started super-setting body parts. If I had a back and tricep day, I’d do one chest exercise followed by a bicep exercise.

Studies have shown that the nervous system activation can actually INCREASE strength in the second muscle group when you work an opposing muscle group directly after the original muscle.

An example is super-setting Bent Over Rows with Close Grip Bench Presses:

Bent Over Rows

Standing with your feet hip-width apart and knees bent, hold a pair of dumbbells so your palms are facing each other and bend forward from the hips. Pull your shoulder blades together and row the weights toward your chest. Return to start. Repeat for reps.

Note: These can also be done with a barbell.

Close Grip Bench Press

Tank top season will be here before you know it – this move will ROCK your triceps.

Lie on a bench press station and grab a barbell with a fist-width overhand grip. Bend your elbows to lower the weight to your chest. Straighten them to return the weight to the start and lock your elbows to squeeze your triceps. Repeat for reps.

Note: Don’t grip too close or you’ll put too much tension on your wrists and not enough on your triceps.

Why Super Set?

Other than the fact that you will get your workout done in a super speedy time…

Superset workouts burn more calories per minute than the traditional weight training session. Because you are moving faster, your heart rate stays up and your body is working harder to recover. Some studies say that you burn as much as 1/3 more calories each minute (both during and AFTER) compared to a typical strength training workout.
They can increase fat loss while building muscle. This can be attributed to the fact that Supersets increase Lactic Acid production, which helps boost Growth Hormone (GH) levels in the body. GH is a fat loss and muscle-building hormone.
Different Superset combinations can help increase muscle fiber activation. Essentially, this means you can use specific exercise combinations to increase the intensity of work on a specific muscle, helping to develop it faster.
For those on the road or who don’t have access to a variety of weights, these are great because you don’t need really heavy weights; you can push your muscles to their limits with a few lighter weights. Great workout with minimal equipment!

Caution: Supersets aren’t to be incorporated into every workout. Use this method as a tool to change-up your routine and bust through plateaus. Please don’t try to set weight records. A moderate weight is just fine here, as you are fully exhausting the muscle.

***Disclaimer: I’m not certified to do anything. Use common sense. Don’t sue me if you get sloppy and hurt yourself or if you don’t look like Fitness Model Barbie after a workout.***

***

I superset on chest and bicep day with my trainer last week… and was begging someone to come wash my hair because lifting my arms seemed too ambitious. Hurts so good, my friends.

Have you used supersets before?

How long do you typically spend in the gym? How long would you like to spend in the gym?

Nutty Quinoa Fuel Bars

January 28, 2013 By Laura

Sometimes I get a wild hair and do nutty things.

Like signing up for 8 hour races, totally untrained.

The good thing is that I’m just a stubborn as I am nutty. If I sign up for a race, I’m going to do it! Next to proper training, the most important thing you can do is fuel properly.

Photo credit: Pangea Adventure Racing

For last weekend’s adventure race, I made absolutely sure I had what my body needed. A big part of that was these bars. If they won’t keep you going, nothing will.

I’ve seen recipes for homemade granola bars, yet for some reason I was too lazy to make them. But… I figured that if I could do a race like this, then I could muster the energy to make my own fuel. After seeing Lindsay’s Quinoa Breakfast Bars I knew mine HAD to include quinoa – good, filling carbs.

When I’m running, I don’t like to take in massive amounts of protein because it can cause cramping. The moderate amount in these bars helps keep you sated and energized.

They also include brown rice syrup for energy – endurance is not the place to try to sub with Stevia. The chia seeds are great for hydration, and contribute healthy fats along with the nuts. Lastly, I added ginger. Ginger is known to help calm the tummy, something I was worried about having just recovered from the stomach flu.

Finally, the most important part: TASTE. These are phenomenal. Not so sweet as to exhaust your palate, but just enough to complement the peanut butter. The way the oats and quinoa softened during baking bring to mind a fudge-y peanut butter. I also loved having the bite from the larger pieces of nuts.

Bonus: They held together in a baggie during the race, and the extras have worked well frozen and reheated as a quick snack/yogurt topper.

Nutty Quinoa Fuel Bars

1/4 C brown rice syrup
1/4 C nut butter (I used 2T almond and 2 T peanut, freshly ground)
2 T coconut oil (melted)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 C quinoa, cooked
3/4 C rolled oats
1/4 C vanilla protein powder (I used Growing Naturals Rice-based)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 T chia seeds
1 egg (or flax egg)
1/2 C nuts (I used crushed pistachios and walnuts)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a square muffin pan or an 8×8-inch pan.

Combine the syrup, butters, and vanilla in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, mix together the quinoa, oats, protein powder, cinnamon, ginger, and chia seeds. Stir in egg, mixing well to avoid clumps.

Add the wet mixture to the bowl, again stirring well to distribute the ingredients and form a dough. Fold in nuts.

Spoon the dough onto prepared pan, spreading into a flat layer. Bake for 18-20 mins, until golden brown on top. Remove from oven and let cool before removing from tins or cutting into squares.

Makes 11 squares. ~~(I must have eaten too much dough…)~~

Approximate nutrition: 183 calories, 9.5g fat, 21.6g sodium, 18.5g carbs, 3.2g fiber, 5.2g sugar, 7.g protein

***

I am all registered for the Blend Retreat! Hope to meet /reunite with many of you there! 🙂

What is your favorite race fuel?

When was the last time you got a wild hair? What did you do?

Strange But Good Blends + Cocoa-Cayenne Sweet Potato Oatmeal

January 25, 2013 By Laura

I’m slow sometimes.

Ok, a lot of times… especially in the morning.

Last year was the first time I’d ever heard the term “Blend.” Now I have some amazing blends. These people continually inspire me, push my thinking, and are some of the best friends I’ve ever had.

My Blend, Kat, writes a bi-weekly a guest post on this blog. Yesterday she included a recipe for Cocoa-Cinnamon-Cayenne Roasted Sweet Potatoes. I wanted them for breakfast… so I blended her recipe with a breakfast many of you have daily – oatmeal – to start my day with a strange but good treat!

If you are volume eater (and I am), you’ll especially love this. The sweet potato and the egg whites fluff this up so it’s like a giant bowl of sweet potato custard! The cocoa is more a secondary flavor – I didn’t want to be straight up eating dessert – but you could add more if you want.

Don’t be afraid of the cayenne. Start with a little and go from there. The hint of heat on the end of eat bite is a fun surprise to the palate!

Cocoa-Cayenne Sweet Potato Oatmeal

1/4 C oatmeal
1/4 C mashed sweet potato
2 tsp cocoa
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne (adjust to your liking)
1/2 tsp maple extract
1/2 C egg whites (optional)
Optional toppings: ground flax, cacao nibs, and blueberries

Cook oatmeal as usual.

Meanwhile, mix together sweet potato, cocoa, cinnamon, and maple extract (you could also use vanilla) in a small bowl. You may need to add water to keep it moist.

When oats are just down, stir in sweet potato mixture until well-combined. If using, add egg whites. Stir constantly to ensure that eggs are well-incorporated and don’t become scrambled.

Transfer to bowl, add toppings, and enjoy!

One of my best blends, Heather, made a Strange But Good recipe that was linked up here a couple of weeks ago! Our other best blend, Heather 2, created this scrumptious Lip Smackin’ Vegan Mac, which Heather 1 used to top her burrito stuffings. Strange but awesome!

I cannot WAIT to try this recipe!

Speaking of Blends… registration opens for the Blend Retreat opens SUNDAY! ~~Doesn’t someone want to sponsor me?~~

Check out the site. Register. Trust me. This was the BEST retreat I’ve ever been on . Lindsay, Janetha, and Katie did a fantastic job getting sponsors, organizing activities, and leaving enough down time for us to all get to know each other.

It’s also where I fell in love with Heather!

Alright, my strange but good blends… show me your weird food!

The link up rules can be found here or by clicking on “Strange But Good” in the menu bar above.

In short, I want to see what concoctions have earned you weird looks from co-workers, family and friends! Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.

Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂

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Thank you all sooooo much for all of the kind words about the adventure race. This weekend… I’m resting. 🙂

What is your favorite way to prepare sweet potatoes?

Are you going to Blend???

Be Weird

January 24, 2013 By Laura

I’m no stranger to weird.

Or strange… but good!

When I saw the title of Kat’s guest post today I grinned. This girl rocks my weird world. You know it’s a sign of a good friend with a 3 hour trail run/hike flies by.

What doesn’t fly by is the soreness after a long day of exercise. After that run and then this past weekend’s race I am no stranger to delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). But I do have a solution! Or… a relief strategy. Some of you will think it’s weird but…

Seriously. If you can keep moving, that soreness will move on out. The day after my 8 hour race I walked 3 miles and jogged 1. By Monday I was back in the gym with my trainer. It’s not a miracle cure, but it DOES help.

Note: Be smart – if it’s beyond normal soreness, you have a strain or an injury, or you are sick REST is what you need. If you are just tight, walk it out!

Enough about me… read on for my weird friend Kat and her killer Strange But Good recipe.

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BE WEIRD, TAKE CHANCES, BE YOURSELF!

Let your spirit move you!!!! Do things that inspire you! That is my theme this week, this year, this lifetime.

I’m going to San Francisco today. It’s my first time as an actual tourist there. I used to go to California for wrestling tournaments in college. Read: All I saw were the insides of hotels and gyms. This time I will be going wine tasting, cheese tasting, and running a trail race on Sunday!! The Steep Ravine trail run (only the 25K distance I think) will be my favorite part! *sounds steep* (Editor’s note: Only 25k?! Kat is a trail running beast.)

I have learned to travel the world and make time for friends you haven’t seen in ages and some great, beautiful races. I will see my friend Jaime, from college (see her blog – Event Crashing at its finest ), who is amazing, and a few other friends. Jaime is the kind of friend you can take your hairless cats to a laser show with. No, that’s not a joke. We did that.

Jaime and I a couple years ago at Dave & Busters

Jaime and I a couple of years ago at Dave & Busters

When I was little, the last thing I wanted to be was weird. Now I embrace it! I think it is one of the reasons I take to Laura. She embraces her unique weirdness just like I do. (Editor’s note: Awwww! I heart you.)

A huge part of enjoying life, for me, is taking chances, doing things I’ve never done before, and being totally okay doing everything and anything that moves me. It creates more smiles, and more smiles means less stress! So let’s get out of the box today and share things that make us weird, happy, and stress-free, and brings a smile to your face. All photos were taken within the last two years.

Ride your bike 100 miles wearing a lei

Do Yoga Poses Anywhere and everywhere – let people stare!

Volunteer to model for a friend.. then become the cover of their look book

Run as far as you can through the woods… surprise yourself

The point of all this is… is that you must have random, fun, sporadic and unique moments in order to make the most out of life. Life is not meant to be suffered through, it’s meant to be enjoyed. That is why I spent a lot of time doing things that are outside of my comfort zone (or used to be).

Other things that make me smile include uncommongoods.com. I could browse that site ALL day! Amazing stuff like this:

Yes, that’s right

And just as good as weird, fun, and sporadic moments are – weird, fun and sporadic foods help you smile! I know, I know, another recipe.. but I have been cooking a LOT. (Editor’s note: That is encouraged here 🙂 )

After my amazing training day with Laura, I made dinner for my friend Martha. A cocoa rubbed pork tenderloin with … dun dun dun… Cocoa Cinnamon Cayenne (CCC) Sweet Potatoes (feel free to ask for the pork tenderloin recipe.. but honestly, they’re all the same).

Cocoa Cinnamon Cayenne (CCC) Sweet Potatoes

Cocoa Powder – 1/4 cup
Cinnamon – 1.5 tbsp or so
Cayenne – 3 tsp-ish
White pepper – a sprinkle
Salt – a couple sprinkles
Sweet potatoes

I used two types of sweet potatoes – regular and Japanese. I coated them in melted coconut oil (~2 tbsp), and tossed them in the CCC mixture. Disclaimer: I never actually measure

Place in a 375* oven for ~20 mins, stir, leave again (~20 mins).

They are absolutely delish! Ask Martha.

Serve with a homemade apple chutney (this was amazing… you can also ask for that recipe if you want… lots of mustard seeds… more savory than sweet).

Sweet potatoes finished in dish

The way I cook is….

…whatever I feel & the way my spirit moves me.

The best part of all of this… the recipe, cooking for friends, and randomness… is that a random and happy life is just that… a happy life!

When you live inspired, you will inspire others.

***

I love this post by Kat… I’m inspired daily by her determination and “can do” attitude. Time to get inspired in the kitchen for tomorrow’s Strange But Good link up! I hope you will all join! 🙂

What recently inspired you? Have you done something inspired/out-side the box?

Tell me something really positive!

Blueberry Cheesecake Fluff + WIAW

January 23, 2013 By Laura

I must confess something.

Don’t worry, this isn’t another TMI post.

I haven’t had a perfect Junk-Free January. Being sick and doing some crazy endurance work has derailed me. However, I did lay off the booze and I really don’t regret the times I ate deliciousness like this:

I listened to my body and my body wanted calories. Trashy calories. Post-stomach flu and post-crazy racing I’d lost a couple of LBs. They have been found. 🙂

This could also have something to do with a killer Chest and Bicep workout with my trainer on Monday. We did supersets, alternating between chest and bis, to get done in an hour. I benched pressed about 8 lbs more than my body weight and then preacher curled a little more than half my body weight. And now I can’t lift a glass of water.

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I’m back on track for this WIAW. Still hungry ALL the time, but I’m keeping it clean and fueling my body with good stuff. It’s crazy how your body still demands replenishment days after a big event!

Check out my 7 meals below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see how others dined this week!

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Meal 1:

After my morning cocktail (mix of Apple Cider Vinegar, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos), I broiled a grapefruit according to this method with coconut butter, cinnamon, and cardamom. That was “dessert” after I demolished an herbs de provence egg white omelette.

Meal 2:

A rare thing happened – I went to the gym in the morning. Never fear – hell didn’t freeze over. I’m still not a morning person – this trip wasn’t exactly early. It was a killer leg day though!

I packed a protein-rich treat to refuel in the car before an appointment:

This was delicious chocolate pudding made with 1/2 C Greek yogurt, 1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder, almond milk, and cinnamon.

The topping was a crumbled Sweet Potato Baked Oatmeal, straight from my freezer. I’m so obsessed with these.

Meal 3:

Lunch was an old favorite: Salmon Pizza with Sweet Potato “Sauce.” I used tortilla crust and topped it with spinach, artichokes, and onions.

Meal 4:

I developed an addiction to Whole Foods’ Naked (read: no salt) roasted chicken. Not a cheap habit, but worth my sanity as I hate touching raw chicken. Every Sunday I buy one and pull off all the white meat to eat throughout the week. Today I ate it chicken salad-style, but with a hummus mix rather than mayo.

Hummus Chicken Salad

Shredded chicken
Broccoli slaw
Red peppers, chopped
Hummus
Apple Cider Vinegar
Cumin and red pepper flakes, to taste

I didn’t measure, but the hummus and ACV is about a 1:1 ratio.

Meal 5:

I could hardly wait for dinner. I’ve been eyeing Kristina’s Cholar Dal recipe for a couple of weeks and this frigid day seemed the be the perfect time to try it out.

It was AMAZING! I licked my plate clean. I ate it alongside some pan-seared tempeh and roasted brussels, broccoli, and mushrooms.

There is something in my head that will not allow me to simply follow a recipe. Here are my modifications:

Added 1/2 red pepper
Used 1/4 C tomato paste rather than fresh tomatoes
Added 1/4 tsp fenugreek and 1/2 tsp coriander
Increased cayenne to 3/4 tsp
Didn’t use the salt, butter, and dried chilis

Meal 6:

Please don’t get bored with me. I love carrots. And peanut butter. And eggs. PB & Ceggs. Again.

Meal 7:

Casein is good to have at night for muscle recovery. unfortunately, I can’t stand the texture. No matter – I really like having dairy before bed. Maybe a carry over from a youth filled with nighttime ice cream bowls?

This creation is going to be in heavy rotation. I’m scraping the bottom of the bowl and trying to convince myself that I don’t need another as I type this. It’s like blueberry cheesecake with hot brownie on top.

Need I say more?

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Blueberry Cheesecake Fluff

1/2 C cottage cheese
1/4 C blueberries
1/4 tsp butter extract
1/4 tsp coconut extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
Pinch of cardamom
6-7 drops liquid stevia
Water or milk
1 rice cake

Place everything except the rice cake in a blender with enough liquid to blend. Blend until mostly smooth.

Pour over a rice cake. Tops as desired – I warmed a Cookies ‘n Cream Think Thin bar in the microwave and crumbled it on top with more fresh berries and cinnamon.

Devour.

Note: if you don’t have butter and coconut extracts, simply sub vanilla and/or almond extract.

***

The protein count for the day: 183.2g. Nailed that one!

Don’t forget to join the Strange But Good link up this Friday!!! 🙂

What trashy calories does your body crave? When do you give in?

What is your most recent fitness accomplishment/milestone?

Resolution Adventure Race

January 22, 2013 By Laura

Being pushed to the edge of your ability and beyond is empowering.

It’s a scary ledge.

This weekend I re-learned a lesson in mind over matter. I completed the Resolution Adventure Race, an 8 hour adventure/orienteering race with my cousin, Steven. It was my first time, his 6th. Luckily he was patient with me!

Freezing cold, but excited to go!

The Race

We start the day at 6am (remember I’m a not a morning person). Each team receives an orienteering map that utilize the contours and elevation changes of the course. On the map is a series of 37 mandatory Check Points (CPs). These are the locations we must find over the course of 8 hours with the help of our map and a vague clue (ex: large palmetto in the middle of a field). Each CP has a patterned stamp you use to mark your card to prove you were there. You don’t have to get them all, but each one is worth 1 point. At the end of the race, the team with the most points wins.

The points are separated into 3 categories: trekking, biking, and canoeing. They give you a punch card per leg so you can’t cheat and grab a biking CP when you’re on a trekking portion, for instance.

The first two portions were trekking and biking. We jogged through the first leg pretty easily and grabbed every point in about 30 mins. The biking was a little more challenging. Most of the paths were on sugar sand! I am NOT a strong cyclist (read: I don’t ride at all), so I slowed us down. We took about an hour to gain those points.

Then came the canoeing. The check points were along a lake, and our clues were distances and degrees. For example, on clue might say: 977 meters @ 160 degrees. You must then use a compass to find that point. I was the “engine” paddling the boat while my cousin orienteered. This portion took about 2 hours. Weight lifting pays off – my arms were still feeling strong at the end!

Transition area

From there we had a choice to trek or bike. We were almost half way through our 8 hours, and opted to trek first since ~~I suck at biking~~ that was our strong point. We spent about 2 hours and 15 mins trekking and only left 2 CPs behind. What shocked me is that I was able to jog a lot of it! The goal is not to run the whole thing – there is hiking and climbing involved. You have to slow down when you get near a CP to follow your “clue” to the point.

This was my favorite. We jogged through orange groves, swamp land, forests, and sugar sand. We did some bushwhacking, got some scratches, and emerged covered in cockleburs. It was a BLAST.

Cocklebur aftermath… and I’d picked a lot off already! Had to trash these pants.

The last section was biking. It was hour 6 and I was questioning my ability to continue after we hit a grassy, sandy, uphill trail. I did what I could, walked when I had to, and got a little edgy when my cousin got too far ahead of me. Being exhausted and limited by your lack of ability is frustrating!

We didn’t make it to half of the biking CPs before our 8 hours ended. You must be back at the check-in in exactly 8 hours or they start deducting points, so you don’t want to try to over-achieve if it’s going to make you late. We made it in 7:44.

Survivor!

The Fuel

Last week I posted my concerns about staying fueled throughout the race. Having just recovered from the stomach flu, I was especially nervous!

I started the day with my Morning Cocktail, Starbucks oatmeal, a banana, and coffee. And lots of water. Throughout the race we tried to eat and take an electrolyte pill every hour. I aimed for 100 calories per snack.

Race Fuel

What I Consumed: homemade fuel bars (recipe coming soon – these were a win), 1 Espresso GU, 1 Hammer Gel, 1 peanut butter cracker, 1/2 a Stinger Waffle (I didn’t like this – too sweet), and 3 pieces of gum.

I also drank about 40 oz of water… this is not a lot over 8 hours, but I had a lot the day before and morning of knowing that I can’t take in a lot during races due to sloshing and cramping.

Once we turned in our punch cards, we were award with subs. I don’t like mayo-soaked chicken salad… but I ate this sub like a cave person. Food. Any food. Nom. With Cheet-os. Bonus.

We drive 6 hours back to Atlanta that night. No shower, just a baby wipe cleaning and a quick change of clothing. I’m sure the people at Waffle House appreciated our ~~good looks~~ patronage.

That’s right. After burning 3000+ calories, Waffle House was my race day treat food of choice. I love gourmet food, but there is something about a chocolate chip waffle… with a Strange But Good spin, of course:

I asked that mine be topped with a runny egg. The server thought this was so weird she took a picture with her phone to post on Instagram. The movement is growing!!! Bwhahaha!

Any guesses about what the red stuff is in the last pic? I finished my last couple of bites with some hot sauce.

The Results

Team Halling Ass

We weren’t sure how we placed in the race. There were several very competitive teams that compete for national rankings, so competition was fierce. It turns out we finished 9th overall!

We received credit for 27 our of 37 points. Not a single team “cleared the course” (earned all 37 CPs).

***

Thank you to the Pangea crew that organized the race. It was a well-organized, fair race… a fantastic first experience!

Have you ever done a race like this? Would you want to?

Have you ever been pushed beyond the edge of (what you thought was) your ability?

1. Sleep Cycle

2. Social Apps

3. FitBit

4. Full Fitness

5. Lose It

Meal 1:

Meal 2:

Meal 3:

Meal 4:

Greek Turkey Salad

Meal 5:

Meal 6:

Meal 7:

Banana Peanut Butter Cheesecake Fluff

Supersets

How do you incorporate them?

Why Super Set?

Nutty Quinoa Fuel Bars

Cocoa-Cayenne Sweet Potato Oatmeal

Meal 1:

Meal 2:

Meal 3:

Meal 4:

Hummus Chicken Salad

Meal 5:

Meal 6:

Meal 7:

Blueberry Cheesecake Fluff

The Race

The Fuel

The Results

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