Spring is Marvelous

April 8, 2013 By Laura

Something about Spring makes life better.

Until the pollen hits.

Last week I was in a bit of a funk. It was rainy and cold, I was tired… but spring arrived just in time for the weekend! I want to carry over this weekend weather high into the week, and Katie’s Marvelous in My Monday link up is my favorite way to focus on the good and start the week out right!

Almost everything involved the outdoors – something I’d forgotten how much I love!

_______________________________________________________________________________________

There’s only one right way to start the weekend – pancakes! I made Heather’s Peanut Butter Cookie pancakes and topped them with a fresh strawberry sauce. My only change to her recipe was to omit the rice flour and reduced the liquid to 1/3 C. They were perfect!

With the spring berries on top, it was like PB&J cookies for breakfast.

Those pancakes fueled the best workout I’d had in DAYS. This week in the gym I had just not been feeling it. I’d be half way through a workout coaxing myself with post-workout foods if I finished.

Not only did I have a great shoulder/glute day in the weight room, but I was feeling so good I decided to run some sprints before heading home. Those sprints are great for the glutes and I could feel it the next day!

After than calorie torch, I made myself a massive Carrot Cake Smoothie… I needed some cool-down fuel because I then met Carol and her puppy for a 6 mile walk in the park!

I don’t know how we walked so long – I was already tired. We just started talking and the time FLEW by!

We parted ways and I headed home for a (much-needed) shower before meeting a friend for dinner.

I don’t know about you, but my #1 favorite thing about spring is patios. Sitting outside with my flip-flops on, a teensy sunburn, and a margarita makes me happy. Simple pleasures.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Sunday I woke up early (read: before 9am on a weekend) to play softball. We won both games! Our team is undefeated in a men’s league. Hahaha! 🙂

I didn’t have time to make Sunday morning bacon… but my favorite meat-treat still managed to make a cameo.

Sunday is also my grocery store and meal prep day. I hauled my sweaty, dusty self (#sorryimnotsorry) to the farmer’s market and Whole Foods for the weekly stock up. No real diet changes yet, but the competition is coming up fast and next week it will be lock down time.

Despite having bags of groceries from 2 stores, I made it up to my condo in one trip. I saw this on Pinterest, which perfectly captures the moment. Please tell me I’m not the only person who is this stubborn:

I also bought myself flowers. Flowers go a long way in brightening up my week, especially when I work from home. It’s nice to look over and see their natural brightness after staring at a computer screen for hours!

Besides, if I waited for someone else to do it I’d be waiting a looong time. 😉

Another favorite of mine in the warm weather is watermelon. After a long 2 days in the sun, I was happy to have a refreshing watermelon salad… and finally, my Sunday bacon.

Sweet, salty, and a little earthiness from the beets. It’s the perfect spring salad! #strangebutgood

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Watermelon, Beet, & Bacon Salad

1 C watermelon, diced
1/4 C beets, roasted and diced
2 strips crispy bacon
Cilantro, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

***

My teensy sunburn got worse on Sunday. I forgot that with spring comes the need for sunscreen. #fail

Do you ever buy yourself flowers?

What is your favorite part about spring?

Work It Out: From Running to Lifting

March 26, 2013 By Laura

Competing is not for the faint of heart.

Or for those who dislike asparagus.

Body building requires a lot of hard work and discipline. I love the weights – that part doesn’t seem like work to me (most days).

The diet… well, those few weeks leading up to a competition get a little rough. You probably didn’t want to be near me the last week because I was ~~a total bitch~~ tired of chicken and asparagus.

This post isn’t about asparagus. Today’s Work It Out is a guest post from a friend and fellow comptitior. Jennifer trains at my gym, House of Payne.

We competed together in the NPC Jen Hendershott Big Shott Bodybuilding Classic last year (Jenn in Physique and myself in Figure). She was such a great friend – calming my beginner nerves and raising a margarita toast to out successes post-competion.

Jennifer, Christina, Steve (our trainer), Devy, and Me

Jenn is a big inspiration. Like me, she’s a former runner. The muscle she’s gained in the ~7 months I’ve known her is absolutely incredible.

Below is the story of her transformation. I hope it inspires you – even if you aren’t interested in competing, it’s a great reminder that we can do anything we want to, if we want to badly enough.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Close to 2 Decades of Fitness

The year is 1994 and I sign up for my first jogging class at Gainesville State College. Little did I know at the time what my fitness future would hold. I had an amazing coach who shared his passion of fitness with me. He gradually took us, beginners, and taught us how to build up stamina and endurance in running. Through the class, I developed a liking to running. I’ll never forget how I felt when I completed running 2 miles without stopping. My coach told me if you can run 2 miles, then you can run 6 miles. Well, I kept on running. I even thought I was “Forrest.” Forrest Gump, that is.

I ran all the way through college, 3 pregnancies, and into mid 30’s. Then all of a sudden, I realized my body had massively changed. I was fat. I was flabby in a lot of areas. I couldn’t eat the junk that I ate in my 20’s and look good. I felt as if my muscle tissue was a lot less than it was in the previous years.

I took a huge leap and decided to change my eating and my training. I always loved the way girls looked in Muscle & Fitness Magazine. I wanted that look. I wanted biceps and a 6-pack. So I started weight training at home. I started out with a beginner set of barbells and a pull-up bar.

I trained 1 year at home and starting transforming my body gradually. I mainly did strength training 4 days a week and 2 days of cardio. But I wanted to do more and continue to transform my body. So I hired a personal trainer. Also at that 1 year mark, my pursuits became a little different. At first, I just wanted to get fit and lose some weight. Gradually as I transformed my body and learned more about weight training and its results, I decided to enter a figure contest.

So I entered my first figure competition. I will be real honest, my first time out I was not even close to the top 5. However, that first competition set me on fire to compete. This was the best thing to happen. I went into that competition thinking that I was going to win. Oh Yes! However, I left that competition and decided I was going to put in the time and build some serious muscle. I was going to be a competitive figure athlete.

For the next 3 years, I studied and researched training methods. I also hired a nutritionist/coach who monitors all of my food and helps develop my training splits. He has developed a plan to help me build lean muscle mass in the off-season and he knows how to turn me into a lean competitor for the stage.

I have competed in 4 figure competitions since 2010. However, in November of 2012, I stepped on stage as a physique competitor and placed 3^rd in the competition, which qualified me for the national stage.

Physique is a new division in the body building world. This division is for women that have a little more muscle than figure. The Physique division also requires a routine that enables you to present your physique and display your muscles in a way that figure girls don’t get to do. I absolutely adore it. I love being on stage and the center of attention. I especially love showing off my hard work that I have done in the gym and through my nutrition.

As I write this, I am in prep for Team Universe in July 2013. This is my first national show. I am giving my 110% to this competition. I still have the same fire in my soul as I did with my first competition. I love the structure, workouts, and the discipline required for competing. Every time I do a show I feel as if I learn something new about myself. I have also learned in order for you to succeed, you must step out of your comfort zone and push a little bit harder.

Train Hard and You will be Amazed at Your Results!

XOXO

***

Follow Jennifer’s journey on Facebook and Instagram, and be sure to check out her blog!

Did anyone try last week’s Super Slow technique?

Would/have you ever considered competing?

A Death Race and a Birthday

March 21, 2013 By Laura

Oops, I did it again…

You can thank me later for getting that classic song stuck in your head.

Tuesday was leg day. Two days later, walking is a difficult task. 25 barbell squats, 4 sets, increasing weight. Weighted lunges. 25 hack squats, 4 reps, increasing weight (I HATE hacks!). And that was just the first 3 exercises. Oy.

The good news is that my trainer told me he sees huge gains in the last month and my legs are getting bigger!

And my BUTT!!! Woot!

But my pain today doesn’t come close to how Kat must have felt after her Ultramarathon “Death” Race. Only a crazy person celebrates a birthday like this. 😉

Read on for Kat’s fabulous story…

________________________________________________________________________________________

On March 16, 2013, I ran my second Ultramarathon. It was definitely the biggest physical challenge I have ever undertaken, and I savored almost every minute of it.

Note the caption – SO TRUE!!!!

I woke up at 2:15am and began my journey. I hadn’t slept much the few nights before it, and only about 2-4 hours the night before the race.

I was so nervous I couldn’t sleep!! (Editor’s note: I would have barfed from the nerves.)

Geared up and Ready to Go!!

I stayed at Hiker Hostel on Friday night with my friend Ann. She braved 5:00pm Atlanta traffic headed north to get me up there (you Atlanta folk know that THAT is a sign of true love).

We left the hostel at 2:45 in the morning to head to the start where I checked in, got my map, met some runners, and began my journey.

Saying Goodbye to Ann

At 3:55 the race director, Sean, gave a funny speech that began, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” and you know the rest.

It made all of the runners giggle nervously as we began our journey on the Georgia section of the Appalachian Trail. We started at Vogel State Park.

I ran with several of these people many steps of the way.

Before the 3^rd Mile, I was feeling absolutely fantastic. I was skipping along on the rails, “dancing forward” with a smile on my face. Sometime right around then, I fell HARD, heard my ankle pop, screamed a little. Then, with a little encouragement from a few friendly trail folk, I was up and on my way, hiking with the best of them. Oh yeah, HIKING.

People, this was NOT a running race for the most part. This was a hiking race. It was elevation, elevation, elevation. We climbed about 17 peaks on the Appalachian Trail. I was at Duncan Ridge for Sunrise, after already climbing over 2,300 feet.

Sunrise on Duncan Ridge

I had so much fun in the early parts of the race, making friends, laughing about slipping in mud, and hiking up, up, up. We were all frustrated with the hills, in awe of the views, and even more in awe of our strength as we climbed. (Editor’s note: I am in awe fo YOU!)

I continued to have fun, and I met a guy named Kip, a fire fighter who loves to help people. He was strong, loyal, and kind. He offered to wrap my ankle at the next rest stop. That was before I tripped on a down-hill around mile 16 or so, heading face-forward into the leaves, busting my knee. I finally got up, cursing the leaf-covered ground, then tripped hard and sprained my ankle even worse around mile 19.

The face says it all…carnage and getting wrapped.

I eventually made it to mile 21, convinced I wouldn’t be able to go on. When I got there, I saw the race director, and I became determined to finish. He made this course ridiculously hard for a reason, and I wanted to finish. Another runner wrapped my ankle, and I pressed on. Things got slower after that.

My stick friend

At mile 25, I decided it couldn’t get much worse, so I kept going. At mile 28, I got my ankle re-wrapped and pressed on for the most frustrating part of the run. I found a stick that became my friend as I hiked and hiked and hiked uphill.

I cried, I was frustrated, and I pressed on. I wailed, and I cried when I when saw the clearing that meant the climbing was over. (Editor’s note: I really don’t have anything to say… you are fierce.)

Swinging Bridge

The clearing that made me cry

Eventually I got to mile 44-ish… Winding Stair Gap aid station. I got a big hug from my friend Wilson, and I finally knew it was in my ankle’s best interest to stop. I had hiked and run over 44 miles, climbed over 13,000 feet, for 14.5 hours on a sprained ankle.

I called the friend who was picking me up, and she brought me home, in pink fuzzy slippers, as my ankle swelled. (It’s much better today – good thing I stopped when I did). I feel like it was the most noble DNF (Did Not Finish) ever, and I really gave it my all.

About 2 hours after my race

The 14.5 hours really made me think – WHY am I out here? WHY am I doing this? What is this for? And I think I know.

I think I know why I run, why I stay out in the woods for hours and hours trying to find myself.

Not only does it teach me to keep moving forward, even when things are difficult or painful, but it lets you embrace the moments that suck because they help you to know just how strong you are, and just how strong you can be. I think we all can feel down or defeated from time to time, some more than others. When you find the thing that helps you move on, that works as your therapy and that helps you to believe you’re more than you thought you could be, that just might be your thing.

I think I realized through this race, that whether it’s running, creating art, raising kids, lifting weights, or whatever your thing might be, that you need to do what makes you feel strong and what makes you feel alive. (Editor’s note: So well said – we are so much more than we first imagine.)

No better way to celebrate my 26^th Birthday. (Editor’s note: Such a tender young age. 😉 )

________________________________________________________________________________________

Laura posted about my nighttime potluck gathering yesterday, which I believe brought about 25-30 people together, an eclectic group from all walks of life. 🙂 It was the best birthday I have had in a very long time, and I LOVE my birthday.

Just a few of my amazing friends

I also got to go to a birthday lunch with one of my dearest friends in Atlanta.

We went to the One Eared Stag. I had one of the weirdest and most delicious meals ever. (Editor’s note: Whaaaat?! I want to try this place so bad!)

In the picture:

White Anchovies
Olives
Fried Dates
Mint
Pine Nuts

Such a weird and delicious combo (Editor’s note: Strange but good?). I think the marriage of the nutty white anchovies with the sweetness of the dates made this dish really work. Everything else sort of worked in for a flavor-explosion in my mouth. I also had the carrot soup with fermented garlic and ginger.

All-in-all a great lunch, and I’m really looking forward to going back to try it again!

***

Funny side note: Kat texted me yesterday to ask if I was ok with her sending bloody pics to post. I said bring it. 😉

What challenges make you feel more alive? Stronger? Better?

What strange but good combos have you had recently? Don’t forget to link up tomorrow!

Marvelous Monday Meals

March 18, 2013 By Laura

Rainy Mondays can be hard.

Ok, always. Rainy Mondays are always hard…

A few weeks ago I committed to making an effort to be more positive on this most glorious day of the week and joined the diva-licious Katie in her Marvelous in My Monday link up. This week I need to get back on that train.

What a better way to do it than recap some tasty food? I’ve been eating good this past week, and I have a LOT to share. This is a long one. ~~That’s what shai said.~~ Sorry… but not really. 😉

_______________________________________________________________________________________

To start it off, last Sunday my friend Kathleen and I went to an underground supper club hosted by Souper Jenny. she does these once or twice a year; the secret location and chef is announced the day before the event.

Our surprise chef was Omar Powell! He is the Chef de Cuisine at my favorite Indian Restaurant, Cardamom Hill (a James Beard nominee!), yet he is Jamaican with a French culinary training. I was beyond excited to see what he came up with!

We arrived at the secret location (a local pasta shop, Storico Fresco) and were immediately blown away by the stunning table setting!

Before the meal, we had the chance to walk around a bit and I ~~got in the professional photographer’s way~~ snuck behind the counter to grab a shot of Chef Powell and Chef-Owner Asha Gomez discussing a dish.

The first course was a small treat that left me ~~way too~~ excited for the rest of the evening. Soft farm eggs with ackee, cod, scallions, and bacon. The flavors could have easily over-taken the egg, but they were perfectly balanced in the delicate shell. There is nothing more fabulous than a perfectly cooked egg.

Next we were presented with a brown stewed chicken served over tun cornmeal, pickled onions, and fin herbs.

We questioned whether it was really chicken – I’ve never had a more rich, flavorful piece of chicken in my life. This could have easily passed as a tender piece of red meat. It doesn’t even look like chicken, does it?

I almost asked for seconds… and I did ask for the recipe!

The third dish was a Jerked Pork served with yellow yam augratin, mango, papaya jam, and all spice oil.

The flavor combination in this dish was perfection. The jerk was just the right amount of heat against the sweet fruit, and the creamy augratin. Augratin can often be too rich for me, but this yam was restrained and didn’t take away from the other components.

This next dish was my favorite of the night. I think… it’s hard to choose! It was a oxtail agnolotii (agnolotii is a stuffed pasta, like ravioli) in a pumpkin soup laced with all spice and black pepper tulie.

I’m a huge oxtail fan, and the agnolotii did not disappoint. However, what made this dish for me was the soup. I admired his use of all spice here because it is one I’m timid with. A little bit can go a long way. The burst of it here gave a depth of flavor to the soup, allowing it to stand out against a big flavor like oxtail.

Lastly, we enjoyed a sweet and savory dessert. This was a cornmeal pone with comte cheese, “drops,” and thyme honey.

I had not heard of drops before. Apparently they are a Jamaican street food candy. It’s a sugar-glazed, chewy piece of coconut. That sweetness with the thyme honey and the more savory pone and cheese was a storybook end to a memorable meal. I’d like to say I was too stuffed to eat it all… but I ate mine and half of Kathleen’s.

#sorryimnotsorry

Yes, I ate the flower too.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

I had another awesome meal with my mom last friday night. We went to a family favorite, Everybody’s Pizza.

This place is one that will forever have a place in my heart. They have been open since 1971 and this coming Tuesday is their last day in business. My parents used to go on dates there in college, and later my dad would take me as a treat on Friday nights.

He’d tell me stories about what it was like “back on the day” when then had communal seating and tables of strangers would share pies and pitchers of beers. We would eat an entire pizza and then polish off a giant order of bread pudding. There are staving kids in Africa, right?

In honor of my dad, my mom and I had one last meal there. We toasted my dad’s memory with beers and shared a giant pizza. Half cheeseless veggie, and half with extra feta cheese, portabello mushrooms, jalapenos, and meatballs. And then a bread pudding. We were only going to eat half… ~~but you know that didn’t happen~~. 🙂

It was a great night sharing stories and eating one last meal at a local haunt. Everybody’s, you will be sorely missed.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

What do you do the morning after carb-loading? You take a trip up Stone Mountain! Mom and I met up with my friend Kathleen the next morning for a hike up the mountain in the gorgeous spring weather.

They were great sports, cheering me on as I ran my sprints up the steep part. They even joined in for a couple of rounds!

Where’s Waldo?

The refuel was classic. Fro-yo from Yoforia for lunch! Fruit, dairy, protein… I got chocolate and Irish cream flavors with kiwi, strawberries, pretzels and a Reese’s egg. Is that not the BEST topping offering?!

This deliciousness fueled my trip to the gym for a killer shoulder and glute workout. Sprints + glutes in the gym = one tired butt.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Finally, on Sunday, I rounded out the marvelous with a day of softball. My women’s softball team beat both male teams we played!

I think it was the lucky socks.

After the game we had a social, and I brough a St. Patrick’s Day treat for the team: Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes!! These cupcakes are an annual request… they don’t have to twist my arm too hard to oblige. 😉

This is a fantastically indulgent cupcake. The base is Guinness chocolate cake. I fill them with Irish whiskey ganache and then ice them with an Irish cream frosting.

I’m too late to post a recipe for the holiday… but if you’re interested I may do a post later this week. Let me know!

***

It was a bit of a gluttonous weekend, but coupled with a LOT of activity. No regrets, but I’m really looking forward to getting back to normalcy this week!

Does your family have a nostalgia restaurant? Is it still there?

What is making YOUR Monday marvelous today?

In a Rut & Bacon Truffle Parmesan Popcorn

March 7, 2013 By Laura

All day yesterday I thought it was Tuesday.

I am especially happy it’s Thursday today. If it was only Wednesday this week would be reallllly long.

I don’t know what it is, but this week has seemed tedious. Work, workouts, even cooking. I think I need a vacation.

When I was younger, I couldn’t wait to be an adult. No authority, no homework… I do what I want! Wellll… the thing I didn’t realize is that you actually DO have to answer to people (bosses, bills, ~~cops~~…) and there really IS homework (work you were handed at the end of the day, house work, working on my fitness, other obligations).

I’m not necessarily complaining. I normally love working out and I’m happiest when my job is busy. It’s just this week. This cold. Bad dates. ~~Girl Scout Cookie cravings (I swear those little people are stalking me at the grocery store!).~~ I need a vacation. Some place warm.

Thankfully, I have friends like Kat to cheer my up. Not only will she meet me for a glass of wine and a second dinner after a bad date, but she also write a guest post (see below), that perfectly describes my feelings right now.

So now you should quit reading my whining and listen to Kat, who reads my mind and makes me feel more connected.

It’s part of human nature to sometimes feel like “no one gets you.” We have to make an effort to realize that it’s not true! You’re never alone – someone will always be able to “get you” if you just reach outside yourself. (Editor’s note: get outta my head, Kat!)

So, I have to share – I was in a RUT! Every kind of rut – a running rut, a yoga rut, a dating rut, a food rut, and opening up about my feelings rut. UGH!

How to kick yourself out of a rut? First steps first – admit it to yourself… then tell people! When people relate to you, they often offer suggestions that help you pull out of your rut and kick you into high gear with a new, better attitude.

And having an amazing Friday night girls night opening up to some of your closest friends and sharing ~~a lot of wine~~ your feelings doesn’t hurt either.

K Trifecta: Kelly, Kat, & Kim

To get out of my running rut, I decided to run some new places, with new friends, and make better, solid plans! This helped my running rut because it made me want to run even more than I already usually want to!

I made a plan with a new friend, and a woman from yoga. BOY did that help! 🙂 It made me get back to my smile-when-I-run mental amazing state, and enjoy my solo runs even more. (I know, crazy, running with people made me enjoy solo runs more???)

Have you ever noticed that smiling literally makes you happy? It’s true. Whatever muscles you use when you smile trigger something in your body, that triggers something in your brain… let the experts tell you about it. It can also make you younger, prettier, friendlier, and on and on. The point is – SMILE. (Editor’s note: this actually works. I was skeptic, but after Kat told me this I grinned my way through my 8 hour race!)

I ran 15 miles on Monday (Yo-Run-Ga! – 7 before yoga & 8 after). On my way home, I was almost GIGGLING. I was smiling so big and bright. I love love love to run. It makes me high. BUT, not everyone can relate to that. So, apply it to your favorite thing/activity! Smile while you do it!

Now, to get out of the yoga rut. I was taking the same classes over and over and over. I was hitting a plateau – not trying as hard, not getting much stronger, not learning new poses. Perfect solution – try a new teacher!

Turns out I didn’t even really like the new teacher I tried, but I learned something and it helped me to enjoy my regular classes even more.

I want to learn to do this!

I really want to start learning new poses and breaking out of my shell. Maybe I will try a new studio or ask some of my favorite instructors for tips. I know I’m strong enough and flexible enough to do more!

The dating rut? I have no idea how to get myself out of this one. Ask someone else for advice on this. (Editor’s note: Good Lord, don’t ask me. #fail)

The food rut! Okay, seriously, who else ends up buying the same groceries over and over and over?! It’s like I have been reusing the same list… forever! And you know what I make? The same meals. I know, shocking!

To get out of the food rut, I have had a few strategies:

Eat out more! If you do this, you will draw inspiration from menus, and eat different things.
Shop in the frozen section. No, don’t actually spend a ton of money buying the frozen meals, but use the ideas to go buy stuff to make similar, more fun items.
Buy something, anything, that you wouldn’t normally buy, then go online and search the ingredient for recipe ideas. The advent of the internet is glorious! (Editor’s note: So true! I just bought curry leaves = awesome.)

One other thing I like to do, is find something I like, and do it better! For example, I had Bacon Cracker Jack Popcorn (below) at Harper Station. UGH – It could be done SO much better. (Editor’s note: I had the same thing at Holeman & Finch 2 weeks ago… and thought the same thing!) So I later made Bacon Truffle Parmesan Popcorn – WIN.

Yes, it’s real!

I couldn’t help but recreate it after coming home to a 12.5 pound bag of popcorn on my door step, thanks to my friend Jimmy!

Popcorn is one of my favorite foods. In fact, I eat it almost every day! Not always as decadent, usually just some EVOO and Salt.

H. Harper Station popcorn

Mine was SO much better. First of all, the “Cracker Jack” from H. Harper Station was way too sweet. Second of all, their bacon was NOT crispy – and it was COLD. Turn-off! Third, who doesn’t love truffle-parmesan anything… and then you add bacon!? AMAZING WIN!

And I got the idea for the cute little serving cups online – bonus if you’re going for portion control. I refilled my “personal size” like 3 times. (Editor’s note: Bring me some!!! Inviting a friend helps with portion control!)

MY Bacon Popcorn = Amazing

Bacon Truffle Parmesan Popcorn

1/4 C popcorn kernels
1 T coconut oil
1 T truffle salt
4 strips of bacon, cooked crispy and chop finely
1 C shredded Parmesan

Cook the popcorn in the coconut oil; this gives it a better texture.

Then coat the popcorn with truffle salt. Add bacon (finely chopped and crispy) and Parmesan.

Use a large spoon to stir it all together. Devour.

Notes: This is not a healthy meal option. You could also sub the truffle parm and do bacon chocolate popcorn! YUM! Next time.

Editor’s note: Make it vegan with bacon bits (yes, they’re vegan) and nutritional yeast!

***

Tomorrow is Friday. Kat’s post made me smile. *deep breaths*

What kinds of ruts have you been in, and how do you get out of them? TIPS!?

What is your favorite unhealthy snack?

Work It Out on the Incline + Saucony Virratas

February 26, 2013 By Laura

I am on a bootylicious mission.

Not to be confused with a Booty Call mission.

A couple of weeks ago I announced my goal of growing my tail end. Then last week I revealed my next competition would be postponed for a couple of months until the muscles in my bottom half can catch up to my top. So I’m extra-motivated to Working It Out hard-core.

Working out your glutes doesn’t have to all be done in the weight room. This weekend the weather was finally pleasant in Atlanta, so I hauled my hiney outside to Stone Mountain.

Work It Out on the Incline

If you’re hoping to get a firmer backside, running is generally NOT thing that you want to be doing (my trainer loves to tell me I literally ran my ass off). This doesn’t mean you can’t do any cardio. Incline walking and sprinting are both really great ways to tone your tush. Uphill walking and short sprints place more stress on the muscles surrounding the glutes, therefore adding muscle definition.

I sprinted this 14x – 2 sets of 7.

Don’t have a mountain?

No problem! Incline walks make for a great treadmill workout. I like to start each day doing one while I catch up on ~~GMA~~ important news.

Begin walking at 3.5 mph at a 2% incline for 1 minute. Increase the incline in each following minute by 1% until you reach a 16% incline. don’t hold on to the treadmill when the walk becomes challenging! Then descend. Decrease the incline by 1% each minute until your back to 2% for a 30 minutes exercise.

Need a bonus round?

Do sprint intervals. Focus on extending your hips and keep your chest lifted and shoulders back to get the most out of your sprints. Roll all the way forward onto your toes with each step, in order to engage more of your glutes.

The step machine is another good alternative. This will also have you working against resistance and will add more tone and definition to your body rather than slimming everything out but leaving you looking rather shapeless.

The most import thing is to find something that you enjoy, and that will hold your interest. The outdoors are ideal for me. If soreness is any indication of success, I nailed the incline workout!

Yes, I asked a total stranger take this pic. #shameless

________________________________________________________________________________________

One thing to mention before you start running circles around everyone. The proper footwear is KEY. If you’ve never been fitted for running shoes, now is a good time to start. Make sure you don’t over- or under-pronate, have the right amount of cushioning for your body, and have the right fit. Like bras, people run around in ill-fitting shoes ALL the time.

I prefer a lot of variety:

They all serve different purposes! My most recent running shoe love are the Saucony Virratas. Saucony sent me their Virrata Zero drop shoes to try out. They kind of ROCK.

These ultra-light (6 oz!) shoes are flexible, minimalist-style shoes that don’t lack cushioning and support. I don’t find this to be the case with many other minimalist shoes on the market. (I can’t run in my Minimum Vibrams – I lift in them because they are flat.)

I do have to get one thing off my chest. Marketing departments have the impression that women = pink. I hate pink.

If a product is awesome enough, I will make an exception to my “no pink ever” rule. For instance, my Polar FT4 HRM. I love it. It’s pink, but I got over my hatred and wear it every time I workout. I made another exception for these shoes (also, I do love the neon yellow accents).

Just like your mamma told you, looks aren’t everything. At the end of the day, I need a shoe that is comfortable and will support my run.

Fit-wise, these run true to size. Comfort wise… I have to be honest and say at first I didn’t like them. The arch felt like it was hitting me in the wrong spot. However, after just 2 days (~4 miles) on the treadmill “testing” them, they sort of molded to my foot. Now they are my favorite shoe! #findyourstrong

***Disclaimer: Saucony sent me these Virratas as part of the Fitfluential Ambassador Program. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I hope you guys know I’m not a good sugar-coater by now. ;)***

***

One thing to note… inclines are good for your calves too. Holy DOMS, Batman.

Have you ever tried a minimalist/zero drop shoe? Do you like them?

Do you do incline workouts? If not, is it something you’d be willing to try?

Doing New Things and Freaking Out Co-Workers

February 21, 2013 By Laura

Blogging can change your life.

Ok, maybe that’s dramatic… but it can change your state of mind!

I was feeling pretty down about having to postpone my next competition. All of your comments lifted me up yesterday. Thank you, thank you, thank you. It’s funny how “strangers” can make you feel ~~warm and fuzzy~~ supported and put you in a more positive place.

Not that I really think of you as strangers… we Tweet, email, Instagram, Facebook… some of my best friends are people I’ve never met in person!

Speaking of strange… it’s Kat’s day to post! We haven’t gotten to hang as much lately, yet she’s still managed to write a post that hit home for me. And included a green smoothie, which you know I love. ♥

Here’s Kat…

______________________________________________________________________________________

LIFE is hitting me right now. I think I just realized that I’m going to be an attorney later this year! (Editor’s note: YAYYYYYY Kat!)

I’ll be studying for the bar this summer. I can’t imagine the focus that will take! I’m used to doing 100 things (I currently hold 3 jobs and go to school) and keeping up with yoga and running and all the other fun workouts and friend time I fit in! OH BOY!

Wanna know a secret? I’m scared. I’m afraid of whatever job I end up with, I’m afraid of failing, and I’m afraid I won’t come up on top. I’m afraid of fitting in, and I’m afraid of standing out. Let’s face it – I’m weird… if you hadn’t noticed. (Editor’s note: I think that’s why we get along so well. 🙂 )

My strategy? Continue to be myself and just keep breathing! I just need to keep being myself, embracing my life, and things will fall into place. (Read: I will conquer the world.)

I’m working on my business plan actively and figuring out how I will be a successful attorney even if I don’t land a job at a firm – I am capable of business generation. However, I’m also considering the big firm world, something I never thought I would do! Cheers to trying new things! *Raises Glass!*

However, I’m also considering the Big Firm world, something I never thought I would do!

Cheers to trying new things! *Raises Glass!* And I will pretend like I fit in. 🙂 Who knows – I might?????

It’s okay to be WEIRD (like I always say), so I’m going to share a couple of other WEIRD secrets today. Something many of you will be surprised to hear… you may not even believe me. (Editor’s note: I’m ashamed to admit that this made me think of Honey Boo Boo… “Nothing wrong with being gay. Everybody’s a little gay!”)

Whoever has been reading my blog posts knows by now that my metaphor for life is what will make you happy in the long run… and a lot of little things add up to a lot of happiness! Why not do a couple of little things that will just ease stress and help you live a happier, longer, healthier life?

Here goes nothing… the secret…. You should know: I hate the grocery store. (I know, shocking –but it’s true). It is my least favorite chore on the face of the planet, and for a while there, I refused to go! That’s right, refused. Rule number 1. Stop doing things you don’t want to do.

How did I get food in my house, you ask? Great question. I paid a grocery shopper!! That’s right, she went grocery shopping for me, paid, and brought them back to my house, and I would write her a check, which included her fee.

Now, before you judge me, this is an excellent strategy. Think about it – you are prohibited from randomly getting something NOT on your list that seems tempting while at the store (thus, saving money). It saves you time because you don’t have to mull over decisions like… “Which salsa – the Publix Organic or Newman’s? One is on sale, but I think I like the other one better…” You save precious time and gas (which makes the money worth it!).

Dove told me to share this tip with you!

I think this is the greatest tip of all time. And then you get to tell foodie friends like Laura about your secret and they give you a seriously hard time – which is just funny! (Editor’s note: True… I LOVE grocery shopping… but I will pay to have someone clean my condo!)

_______________________________________________________________________________________

The trying new things part of this is that I started doing my own grocery shopping at the beginning of the New Year!! Look at some of the fun things you remember to get when you shop!

Green Amazing Smoothie

2 Tbsp Chia
Some Banana-Based Green Juice (Some might be ¼ cup)
Some water (maybe 4 tbsp or so)
One scoop of Protein Powder
One scoop of Green Vibrance
¼ – ½ Cup pumpkin (canned OR fresh if you’re not lazy like me!)
Cinnamon, Salt, and Maple to taste

Mix it up and refrigerate for a few hours.

BOOM! ENJOY THAT SHIT!

The best part – you can’t go wrong on any measurement. The other best part – you are FULL forever. Yes, forever. (I’m lying) One more best part – people will look at you weird when you get a green mustache, or when they see the concoction.

The other new but not-so-new part of this – it’s fun to eat weird, dark, dark green pudding-ish food at the office to freak out your co-workers! 😉

Know what else freaks your co-workers out? Telling them how crazy you are. I think they all have mini heart attacks when they hear I’m about to run the Georgia Death Race – 60 miles is definitely nuts, but totally me. Check out the award we get at the end:

Old railroad bed nails!!!

One more secret. I never learned how to cook for one person. NEVER. That’s right. But I recently have been attempting this. See my beautiful salmon with brussels, onions, and mushrooms? BAM dinner for one. And it was delicious and perfectly cooked. GO ME!

This trying new things thing is going pretty well for me this year!

***

Don’t you guys see why I love this girl? I wish I could bottler her energy sand sell it.

What new things have you tried this year to get outside your safety box?

What weird things do you eat at work that turn your co-workers heads, and make them say, “uhhhhh – what IS that??” Everything. It’s allll Strange But Good.

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?

« Previous Page
1
…
4
5
6
7
8
…
27
Next Page »

Spring is Marvelous

Watermelon, Beet, & Bacon Salad

Work It Out: From Running to Lifting

Close to 2 Decades of Fitness

A Death Race and a Birthday

Marvelous Monday Meals

In a Rut & Bacon Truffle Parmesan Popcorn

Bacon Truffle Parmesan Popcorn

Work It Out on the Incline + Saucony Virratas

Work It Out on the Incline

Don’t have a mountain?

Need a bonus round?

Doing New Things and Freaking Out Co-Workers

Here’s Kat…

Green Amazing Smoothie

Nutty Quinoa Fuel Bars

Nutty Quinoa Fuel Bars

Follow Me!

Popular Posts

Affiliate Links: This site is monetized through the use of affiliate links. This means that if you were to make a purchase through one of these links, Sprint 2 the Table would receive a small percentage of the sale price. Thanks for your support!