Be Weird

January 24, 2013 By Laura

I’m no stranger to weird.

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!

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?

Cramming 101: Endurance Training and Recovery

January 17, 2013 By Laura

Endurance isn’t for the weak.

It also probably should not be prepared for in a cram session.

This Saturday I’m doing an adventure/orienteering race that my cousin talked me in to. 8 hours in the woods with a GPS. They give you the start, the finish, and a couple of mandatory check points along the way. It will be running, hiking, mountain biking, and canoeing. ~~I hope I live.~~

Some of you may not know it, but before I got into lifting seriously, I was a runner. I was a decently fast 5K’er, loved adventure races (hellllloooo Tough Mudder) and ran a few Halfs. I wanted to run a full but one day my knee said no. If I ever want to run distances again I need to have surgery. That won’t be happening.

All of this to say, I haven’t been running in 8 months! Saturday that changed. My cousin recommended I get 6 hours of continuous exercise/training in before the race. Cramming.

Kat agreed to keep me company for half of that by taking me on one of her trail run/hikes.

Kat and Me

13 STEEP miles in 3 hours. We hiked up steep incline filled with wet leaves, leapt over creeks, and ran power lines. It was the perfect day for it – record high 75 degree temps and partly cloudy.

~~I was sore half way through.~~

Nutrition is something I struggle with. I have a hard time eating or drinking during a run – it makes me slosh and cramp. In our 3 hour run, I just ate a mini über Lara Bar (the one with the nuts) and sipped some water. Will have to be sure to take in more fuel while biking and canoeing this weekend.

We finished (thank you, Kat, for being patient with me) and did a little yoga to loosen up. I chugged water.

Kat dropped me at my place where I ran up to pee, change shoes, and eat. In that order.

I broke out an old favorite for fuel:

Sweet Potato “Cereal”

1/2 sweet potato, bakes and cubed
1 scoop protein powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Unsweetened almond milk

Place sweet potato in a cereal bowl. Mix together remaining ingredients in a separate bowl, adding milk until the mixture thins to a milk consistency.

Pour protein milk over the ‘taters and inhale.

Then I grabbed my bike, water bottle, and a GU and took off. (Note: Espresso GU is tasty!)

Gingerly set out may be a better way to describe it. I was tired. What I considered to be “flat” ground before seems quite hilly. I rode about 15 miles (had to stop for air in my tires and forgot to re-start my RunKeeper app). After I loosened up a bit, it turned into a fun ride. I followed Atlanta’s new Beltline Path and got to see the city in a whole new way. I even took a tour to ride the Krog Street Tunnel (infamous for its graffiti):

Krog Street Tunnel

I decided to get back on the path and head back when I rode past a woman on her porch yelling at her neighbor, “Don’t mess with me or I will HURT your dog!” Scary lady.

Honestly, after I got back within a mile of my place I’d convinced myself to call it quits at 5 hours. I was tired, sore, bored, and hungry. Then I ran into Carol and her sweet puppy Bailey! She was walking home from an afternoon at the dog park, so I joined her to catch up. 30 mins walking there, then another 30 back to my house = 6 hours DONE.

When I got home I was famished. I would have eaten my right hand (I’m left-handed). Instead, I stood in the door of my fridge and ate half a rotisserie chicken with my bare hands. After washing my hands, of course.

Then I cleaned my sticky self:

And finally it was dinner time. Burger topped with avocado, black bean dip, jalapeno, and pico de gallo, with a side of house-made crinkly-crispy sweet potato fries dipped in sriracha and mustard. Then… there may have been an (unpictured) apple pie milkshake. I’ve been boycotting the burger trend (I HATE Yeah! Burger), but Grindhouse Killer Burgers changed my mind.

Yes, it’s Junk-Free January. I needed calories… and it was junk-free-ish. The meat for the burger is freshly ground by a small North Carolina producer and delivered every day, and the bun is a soft potato roll made by a Pennsylvania Dutch bakery. The sauces are homemade. The shakes are homemade. I have no regrets.

Then I crashed. And got hungry again. Banana. Cottage Cheese. Protein powder. Cinnamon. Face plant in bed.

Then, in the wee hours of Monday morning, I got the stomach flu. I think I would have gotten sick despite the cram session… but it probably didn’t help. In the future, I’ll plan better. Thank you all SO much for the well-wishes!

2 days ’til race day!!! I’m eating my carbs and doing to light workouts to prepare.

***

I was nominated for something I’m really excited about: Top Health and Fitness Blog of 2013. I’d be honored to have your vote! It’s really easy – no registration required. Click here to Vote.

How do you fuel before/during/after races?

What is the toughest race/physical activity you’ve ever done?

How to Run 50 Miles Through the Woods + Nutrition

December 13, 2012 By Laura

Strange is good.

Sometimes… I’ve had some questionable encounters…

Tomorrow’s Strange But Good link up will certainly be good! I hope you guys will all come check it out and link up a dish you’ve had lately that may seem strange, but it quite good. In case you missed it, click here for details/rules.

In the meantime, Kat is back today with her bi-weekly guest spot. This post is all about something I think is strange: running 50 miles. LOL! Clearly, a good thing. I totally admire her, and all of you endurance athletes out there!

Here’s Kat…

As I finished up my finals week and went into finishing my papers, I thought a lot about my study breaks and writing for fun. I realized that these past couple of weeks have been a lot about pacing myself and doing just what I need to keep going and do my best from start to finish. These past couple of weeks have really reminded me what it takes to run 50 miles.

Everything I say in this post will be a metaphor for life. There is ~~probably~~ definitely a way to apply every principle from a 50 mile race into life because a 50 mile race IS living. You feel every possible human emotion, even ones that you didn’t know existed or that you can’t describe, you meet a ton of people along the way who help you in some way, and you learn both your limits and how strong you can be.

I’ve only done it once, but it was awesome. September 22, this year, I ran the Georgia Jewel, the 50-mile option. When you wake up way before daylight to run through the woods, and will encounter obstacles you can’t even anticipate, there are a ton of feelings. You don’t know when the ups and downs (oh, and the hills), the obstacles yet to come will be or how long it will take you, so the only thing you can really feel is excitement, nervousness, and anticipation, both good and bad. You don’t know what kind of people you will meet, or whether you will spend a lot of time out there alone or with others, so all you can do is just… GO. (apply to life)

I mostly knew I was determined to have a great time and enjoy the ride, so I took a lot of pictures… (Editor’s note: clearly Kat was meant to be a blogger.)

It was BEAUTIFUL!

At the start of the race, you clearly need to be fueled, but not too full. It’s best to take it easy, but make sure you get a good placement so you don’t get lost in the back. I’ll talk about the nutrition and what I ate toward the end of the post… it’s vital to surviving this kind of race. Be fueled, but don’t overdo it.

So we started. It was DARK for the first few hours. You can’t see all the rocks, or even your feet, so all you can really do is be careful, and follow single-file on the single-track trail. I spent a great deal of this time listening to the voice of the person in front of me, getting to know them, and just kept going. I had to remind myself not to go too fast, even though excitement told me otherwise. I was so excited at the beginning. I was laughing, talking, and definitely had a pep in my step. Then at mile 10, we took in a little nutrition, and kept on going! This is the first time where you can really pass or fall back, make a move, hang back, get your bearings, and back onto the trails.

The next 7 miles for me were great… I met someone who I felt like I could really open up to and be real with, talk to about raw, real experiences and the depths of who I am. He was someone I could expose myself to, knowing I may or may not ever see him again. I mostly passed other people during this part of the race, while getting real with myself about how I was feeling, and what I thought my limits might be, even though I wasn’t really sure since it was early on (insert metaphor for life).

After a quick change of socks at mile 17, I kept going. I hit mile 18 – the farthest I had ever run before – and I kept going. AMAZING. Around mile 19, I hooked up with someone else who made me feel really good about myself, and we stuck together through the toughest hill of the race up to mile 25. We hiked up to the half way point together, laughing and talking, and when we got there, we felt AMAZING. This was followed by a very disappointing first couple of steps down. We made it to the highest elevation point of the race and I all of the sudden was afraid I wouldn’t be able to finish (insert life metaphor) because my knee got in my way.

I had to make a conscious and deliberate decision to push my limits, and I kept going, on my own. Along the next 5 miles, to avoid thinking about my own pain, I spent my time encouraging every other runner/hiker/human I saw. I just kept cheering with a smile on my face, hoping I wouldn’t be able to think about my own pain (this is SUCH a me thing to do). I spent the next several miles running by myself, and running into people who were really starting to struggle, but I kept it up.

At mile 32, another rest stop, I was greeted by some amazing SAG people. They helped me to sit for a minute, and asked me what I wanted. I had just been going and going, trying to feel nothing, unsure of myself, and I had no idea. I got it together, and put in my iPod for the first time, and there was nothing to do but try to finish! This is when it got REALLY hard.

By mile 41, I really thought I would not finish. I was 10 hours into this race, and my knee was killing me. Then a stranger came along. This stranger for whatever reason, believed I wasn’t done, and basically convinced me to come with him. The last ten miles are pretty hard to believe. I can only tell you, I saw one really angry man (a friend of mine), another man I barely knew cry, another man throw up, and another man so distraught because his kids might not see him finish because he wasn’t sure he could. I didn’t feel so hot myself, and we were all in it together. It was RAW. At mile 48.5, I sat down in the middle of the trail. Yep, sat. I still didn’t think I could do it. People started to pass me. (insert and remind yourself of the life metaphor again)

Although the 12 hours of trails had gotten me down, something inside me realized I was stronger than I thought I was. I reminded myself of the light inside me and began to skip. Skipping was way less painful than running, AND it put a smile on my face. After over 12.5 hours, I skipped across the finish line with a smile on my face, and received my award. ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. Now I know, and was able to prove it to myself.

I carry this race into my daily life, and have signed up for an even more intense challenge to learn even more about myself. The Georgia Death Race. 60 miles & 30,000 feet of elevation change. It will likely take me longer and beat me down more than the Jewel, but hopefully only to make me even stronger.

Now, probably the more informative, and less life-changing portion (or maybe it is) — the Nutrition.

For 12 hours, you have to think that you’re eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus some for all the calories you burn. No, I personally don’t break it down to a science because of my go-with-the-flow-ness… BUT I fuel as I go.

Throughout the day, I ate the following:

Breakfast: Shake w/ Juice, Greek Yogurt, and Protein Power + small cup of coffee
Mile 7ish: small 90 calorie Lara Bar
Mile 10: 3 M&Ms, a handful of chips, and about 4 oz of electrolyte replacement drink
Mile 17: a couple of small potatoes dipped in salt, a few M&Ms, and about 1/2 of a fuji apple (about 4 oz of electrolyte replacement)
Mile 21.5: GU gel
Mile 25: a couple of small potatoes dipped in salt, one apple slice.
Mile 32: a full Lara bar and a couple of apple slices, some electrolyte replacement
Mile 37ish: forced myself to have about a half of a GU
Mile 41: some coconut water and a couple potato chips (I was SICK of food by now)
Mile 45: some ginger chews (I was nauseated)
WATER CONSUMPTION: approximately 20oz every 7 miles… slow and steady flow of water throughout the day. I just kept one hand-held water bottle.

Like I said, it was NOT scientific, but it felt perfect for my body giving me sugars, carbs, salt, and electrolytes, as protein is not easily digestible and used for fuel. (Editor’s note: the ginger chew idea is brilliant!) I ended the day with some simple grilled chicken with nothing on it, and a soy café au lait (Editor’s note: why am I not surprised you had a coffee?). It’s all I had in me to drink/eat.

Sorry this post was so long, but running 50 miles is long! Cheers to 50-mile life races!!

Work hard, and it pays off. Enough said. (Editor’s note: True story.)

***

I’m convinced there’s nothing Kat can’t do… and I’m REALLY excited to be one of her SAGs for the Death Race!

What challenges have changed your life?

What is your favorite metaphor for life?

Balance for the Holidays

November 29, 2012 By Laura

I laughed when I opened this post.

I swear we didn’t plan this.

Kat is back with her bi-weekly spot. It focuses on balance over the holidays…. and it rounds out perfectly this week of posts focusing on holiday survival.

Are you with me the on the #KitchenWorkout?

Most of my posts have been about clean eating and balancing it out with some treats. Leave it to Kat to keep me honest on the mental front. It’s not always easy with all we have going on, holiday family visits, and end of the year thing at work!

Don’t neglect yourself – keeping a healthy mental state will benefit you and everyone around you. 😉

Here’s Kat…

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I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving holiday! Mine was unreal! As usual, I had a TON of work to do, but I was in Hawaii. This felt like a conundrum at first… but I gave myself the “in the long run” pep talk and knew what I needed this trip was balance!

My sister, Kristyn, lives in Hawaii, and because of the cost of travel, she rarely gets visitors. So, my mom moved Thanksgiving to Hawaii this year!! I had never been, so I was especially excited to visit my sister, see the island, and celebrate one of my favorite holidays! My friend Jimmy also came along for the ride!

All in all, I give the trip an A! The grade is based on the fact that I got a lot of work done, and was also able to spend a couple of care-free days enjoying myself and time with my family.

Whale Watching

Hawaii is NOT really a place for foodies. However, it IS really a place for active folk!

I don’t know how many miles I swam in the ocean. Yes, miles. (Editor’s Note: I cannot even imagine doing this… you rock, Kat.) I also got to run more than I should have (poor IT band, sometimes it hates me for how much I love to run), and got in hours of surfing! All of this helped to keep off the thanksgiving lbs we all tend to rack up!

I hadn’t surfed in almost 10 years, but after a quick lesson from my sister’s boyfriend on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, I was back up and at it! Surfing so early in the trip was perfect because not only was it a blast, but it also helped me bring balance into the rest of my trip.

I’m nerdy and metaphorical (Editor’s Note: It’s part of her charm), but after falling a couple of times, and remembering to get up and try again to keep my balance, I knew I would make it through the trip alive, and that I would be able to keep this balance thing going! (I also did some yoga on the long board.)

So after swimming a few miles in the ocean after surfing, I took my Monday to work. Almost 8 hours at Coffee Gallery in Haliewa, HI. I got all of the research for my independent study done, and then had an awesome dinner with my mom and sis, and a fun Thanksgiving trip to Whole Paycheck – yep, they’re all over the island! Besides the fact that my sister kept poking fun at me for being the only chick in Hawaii swimming in a one piece, this balance thing already felt good.

Tuesday I spent the day with my big brother (I mean, my sister’s boyfriend, John). It was AWESOME. We hiked up Koko Head. 1,200 feet of elevation gain in 1 kilometer. It was so much fun and beautiful up top, with 360 views of the southeast side of the island.

Afterwards there was more swimming and lunch. Later that day I got another opportunity to sneak in some work!

Koko Head

Wednesday was one of my favorite days, randomly enough. I spent the day with my sister at work. She works at Starbucks, so I could work on my 35-page independent study all day, and see her, meet all of her friends, and get a run in.

It went pretty well up until about oh, 7 miles into my run, when I realized I was 5 miles from where I needed to be, my IT band wouldn’t let me run another step, and I had to flag down a cop to pick me up and drive me most of the way back into town because the cab I called couldn’t find me. You follow? Yes, ride in the back of a cab car in Hawaii. If only I had a picture of that! This day still felt balanced because of the assortment of randomness and the work that got done! (Editor’s Note: Only you… 😉 )

Thanksgiving also rocked! We surfed in the morning, and I got to spend a bunch of time working while my mom and sister cooked up most of our amazing feast. I made gluten-free stuffing. However, I made another contribution that I am eternally sorry for – popcorn. Yes, I broke a tooth on a kernel and am off to the dentist today to see what can be done. Yikes!

Sisters contemplating the waves

The trip was certainly balanced, and I feel more connected to my sister than ever. Amazing! How lucky to get to swim, surf, and run for a week in Hawaii!?! Thanks mom!

Now, I am in the throws of finals, and hope you all wish me luck in the coming weeks, as I finish the two papers and conquer business tax! Balance might even be more important this week!

***

I know jealously is unattractive… but I am insanely jealous of Kat on this trip! 🙂

How do you remind yourself to stay balanced?

Last dental problem that you caused yourself? (Editor’s Note: I cracked a tooth on a hard nut in a piece of carrot cake on Thanksgiving… but the worst was breaking my jaw.)

My Vegan Friendsgiving

November 26, 2012 By Laura

Sometimes you need a holiday break to be a real break.

Not that holidays aren’t nice…

This year I was feeling run down after training so hard from my competition, working, and – yes – consistently blogging. I love all of these things, don’t get me wrong. I also love my family. However, a true vacation getaway was in order. When Heather and Kirk (her hubby) extended an invitation for me to crash their Thanksgiving vacation on the slopes in Vail, CO I jumped at the opportunity.

We ate fantastic food, drank amazing wine, skied, cooked a vegan Thanksgiving, and even ran a 5K (my first in at least 6 months). There was also a tasting dinner before we left for Vail, but that’s another post.

I am relieved to report that after a 2 year break, I can still ski. There were a couple of falls, but nothing bad and after a couple of runs I was able to keep up with Heather and Kirk on their snowboards. I can tell my legs are much stronger now than they were two years ago. ~~I guess hack squats work…~~

We took a break from the slopes for Thanksgiving. We earned our turkey with a 5K Turkey Trot! It was a lot of fun… and I realized exactly how much harder it is to run at 9000 ft.

Following the run, Heather made her famous doughnuts. These were her Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts with Cranberry Frosting. All vegan, and all delicious. Heather had to adjust the recipe due to the high altitude; I’m totally impressed by her ability – they were absolutely perfect. I ate mine at a painfully slow pace (like my 5K – haha). It was so delicious I didn’t want it to end!

I should also note the lovely orange plates provided by the condo owners. Seriously. Doesn’t they know that orange does NOT photograph well?!

We spent the rest of the day watching football, playing Scrabble, and being bums. It was awesome. We got up every once in a while to begin another dish for out dinner, so when it was time to eat everything pulled together quickly.

This was my first vegan Turkey Day. I’ve never been a big fan of traditional Thanksgiving food anyway, so this was absolutely perfect for me. With a spread like this, why would anyone miss the turkey?

Clockwise, left to right: Kirk opening the champagne, Heather’s Beer & Butternut Mac ‘n Cheeze, the spread, and our vegan hazelnut cranberry roast en croute.

Each dish was better than the last. Heather’s vegan mac ‘n cheese was every bit as good and the “real” thing. She also made the first cranberry sauce I’ve ever liked! I made a version of other Heather’s Caramelized Onion, Cranberry & Kale Saute. It was basically the same except I added jalapeno and used fresh orange juice in place of maple syrup for the vinaigrette.

My (orange) plate:

Much more to come on our adventures, but I’m sure you’ve seen enough orange plate photography for one day. 🙂

Thank you again to Heather and Kirk for letting me crash their holiday and being such incredible hosts!

***

I fell in love with Colorado. I may have considered pitching a fit when I had to go to the airport.

Have you ever had a “Friendsgiving” or another friend-holiday?

What was the best dish at your table this year?

Happy (Non) Turkey Day!

November 22, 2012 By Laura

Wishing all of you a…

My Friendsgiving crew (Heather and Kirk) already completed a 5K Turkey Trot (NOT as easy at 10,000 ft.) and we’re on to breakfast before my very first Vegan Turkey Day Feast!

***

Today I am especially thankful for friends that stick by and support through thick and thin, crazy training plans, meals of epic proportions, and everything in between.

Quick – name one thing you’re thankful for!

The Long Run + Peppermint Mocha

November 15, 2012 By Laura

Perspective is important this time of year.

Today’s guest post from Kat is all about the Long Run. I love that she chose this topic at the beginning of the holiday insanity. Sometimes it’s all too easy to get caught up in the rush and forget to enjoy the moment.

I’ll be keeping this in mind over the next few crazy busy days! I’m off on a work trip before heading out of town for Thanksgiving. If you saw the disarray my kitchen is in (food prep and office Thanksgiving party baking). And let’s just pretend the rest of my condo doesn’t look like a tornado of clothes and suitcases…

Here’s Kat!!!

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Firstly, I have to say that after the rash of comments from my last post, I was surprised, happy, and blushing! Seriously! I love that people want to read what I have to say. Thanks for the extra cheek work-out! No wonder so many of you are hooked on blogging. It’s a feel-good mechanism! (Editor’s note: agreed! All you guys ROCK!)

Because the past two weeks have been SO crazy, I have had to focus on the long run. I baby-sat a very time-consuming young puppy, Maggie. She had to be crated and couldn’t be left alone for more than about 5 hours. This is typically not conducive to my schedule, but sometimes you have to make things work!

It was time to focus on what would help me succeed in the long run (both metaphorically and actual running). Three things I have kept in the front of my mind in the past two weeks were to relax, be present, and set no expectations about results. I know I will get it all done, I just have to believe in myself.

In the long run, stressing will NOT help you succeed. Besides adjusting my schedule for the bundle of joy that is Maggie, I also had to go to Arizona for my cousin’s wedding. That same weekend, I also had to write a 15 page paper, coordinate with a partner to draft a buy-out agreement, and do business tax problems. (This is in addition to my usual and regular workload. UGH!). Initially, this all felts extremely unmanageable, but ….dun dun dun… it all got done and I did not stress. I found an hour here and 20 minutes there to fit it all in.

However, I almost had a fit when the flight attendant on my flight to Phoenix told me I was not allowed to use the blue tooth keyboard on my iPad!!!!!! That almost added some stress to the weekend, but I seriously made it work! The three things kept me sane. Relax, be present, and set no expectations about results.

In the long run, you will remember the special moments with your family if you are really able to allow yourself to just be with them. At my cousin’s wedding in Arizona, I was a bridesmaid, met my cousin’s baby, my god-daughter (luckiest girl in the world!!).

What is the point of pushing yourself if you cannot relax and be present, and enjoy the moments you get with friends and family. Stress happens, but keeping perspective on things that are truly important can really help. I hardly ever get to see my family, so with a little effort to shove my work into the back of my mind, I was able to really be there and enjoy moments with my family, and the new additions to my family through the marriage.

In the long run, not planning your run might just make you happier. I also squeezed in some GREAT runs. On Saturday, I ran the wrong way. Not that there is a wrong way to run, but I didn’t realize that if I ran the other way, I could run all the way to the mountains and unsuccessfully look for a trail to run. Sunday, I did this, and was my longest run since my ultra, and it left my IT band screaming a little (thank god for my foam roller!), but the beauty, scenery, and peace of mind it gave me were priceless! It really helped to go out, relax, and not set any expectation about pace, distance, or how I might feel afterwards.

On my run in phoenix—someone is a lucky girl (me!)

In the long run, the little things add up to a LOT of happiness. That being said, enough about craziness. Today I actually want to share something I’ve been DYING to write about since it’s inception, and I think it’s perfect timing with the holidays around the corner.

Coffee is one of my favorite things in the entire world. Honestly, I can turn anyone into an addict if they have my coffee. It’s the way I make it… OMG. Coffee is a production at my house. I recently started doing my own version of a peppermint mocha (but with fewer calories than Starbucks or your local coffee shop).

Please try this – you will not regret it – and do you like my very first edited/stitched picture? – *becoming a blogger*

It might look like I dropped some illegal (now legal in Colorado and Washington) substances in with my coffee grounds, but it’s not… it’s dried peppermint leaves from Penzy’s Spices (a favorite). I bet you can do this in a regular coffee maker, or a French press, but I use what I refer to as a “drip drip”. I have no idea what it is actually called.

I make it with two scoops of coffee grounds, a half-ish or more scoop of the peppermint leaves, then just pour on the hot water to brew. IN THE CUP: I add a pinch of sea salt, a scoop of dark chocolate cocoa powder, and splenda/stevia/sugar to taste. It’s the most peppermint-y delicious cup of coffee you will ever have, and this little thing will add up to a LOT of happiness!!! I Promise. 🙂 (Editor’s Note: Kat… do you deliver?)
In other good news, Maggie was actually a foster dog, and she got adopted today!!! Yay! See the picture of her with her new mom:

Tooooo adorable

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I’m continually blown away by Kat and her productivity. I’m working on a recipe to bottle her energy!

What helps you in the long run?

What little happiness-es help you get through stressful days?

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