One week until the big day

My 4th marathon is a mere week away. I feel so strong and feel like i will own this one. My goal is to beat my PB (personal best) of 1:56:38. I can do this! My friends Mel Kinnie and Connie Corbett are running the full next weekend they are also going to kick ass...i have been doing my long runs with them the last few months and breaking away when my distance was done while theirs continued. It will be Mel's first marathon and Connie's 3 or 4th i think (sorry Connie, i can't remember). I am so excited for Mel to complete her first! One day i will be there too but for now i will stick with my beloved half's. I am thinking i will do the Legs for literacy half or maybe the St. John half in September as it will be nicer. I will have to majorly amp up my hill training. Saint John is insanely hilly. I won't strive for a PB there i would just run to run and push myself. I love a challenge! I also plan on trying to increase my 10k speed this summer and will choose a race in either July or August i think.

I had a great 6k taper run today with my boxer, Laila. She is loving running with me and i have been trying to increase her mileage. Thursday we ran 8k! The most she's ever done, it was quite warm too, about 23 and we both struggled with the heat as we weren't used to it! I don't think I'll ever get her above 10k i think 10k would be her max as her face is smucked in and i think it would be harder to breath for her running any longer. She is so strong and muscular it's crazy! My fiance, Shannon and i say that if she was human she'd be on sports illustrated as she is gorgeous too:) We are a little bias though.

Well that's all for now i will report again next week and recap the half and how my race went and probably how Mel and Connie made out too!

Gluten free Peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies

I made some peanut butter honey carob chip energy balls earlier in the week because I LOVE chocolate and peanut butter together....after putting the carob chips in i realized they have "malt" in the ingredient list. Malt is something to look out for as someone who is allergic to gluten. So i decided to try anyways. I haven't been diagnosed yet so i don't know if i am celiac or just gluten intolerant. Well bad decision to try them...i had a stomach ache for a few days, gas and a little stomach pain. So my good friend Mel and Matt got half the batch and my mom is getting the other half. So sad since i used 3 chips of my expensive gluten free oats in them:( Sighhh...it's a learning process.

So today i decided i needed to make or make something i can enjoy as a snack for the week. I make a different kind of snack every week. Sometimes i'll make raw nut butter bars of some sort, home made lara bats or this week it's a healthy cookie! Who doesn't want to enjoy a healthy cookie? Now there is still sugar in these...but it's organic sugar and spread across 16 cookies it isn't much.

2 cups GF oats (GF means gluten free, it's an acronym i will start using)
1 cup natural PB
1/3 cup organic sugar
1 egg
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 a dark chocolate bar broken into chunks
and i added a little water to make them more moist and more like a cookie batter...not sure how much though maybe 1/4 cup

1. Beat the peanut butter and sugar together. Then beat in the egg and vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl mix your GF oats, baking powder, baking soda and dark chocolate chunks
2. Mix in the PB mixture
3. Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet and spoon out dough.
4. Bake at 350 for about 12-15 min.
5. Let cool and enjoy

Update on Gluten free me

Hi all...today is day 4 of being gluten free and wow do i feel AMAZING! I have more energy, and my stomach hasn't hurt at all, i haven't been bloated AND i am not gassy. I had stomach issues for so long that i forgot what it felt like to feel normal and this good! I am going to the doctor next week to get tested for celiac's and then see if they can test for gluten sensitivity as well. My friend Ashley is also gluten free and she says that with a diagnosis from a doctor you can write off your gluten free bread, pasta etc as a medical expense! Which will save a lot of money if i can get diagnosed. I really don't think i am celiac i feel that it's just a sensitivity but we will see!

I am really enjoying brown rice bread and my brown rice tortillas. Can't wait to test out recipes and other products out there for us gluten free peeps! My friend Naomi has been a tremedous help through all of this in helping me discover what i am allergic too. I think i mentioned her in my last post. But i feel that she deserves credit again.

Here is a a recipe she just sent me so i can try making my own bread. I think i will wait until after we get back from St. John's, NL to try this unless i get ambitious this weekend. I will re post the recipe again when i make it with pictures. But for now here it is:

Honey whole grain bread

Makes 1 Loaf

1 ½ cups warm water (100-110 degrees F)

1 teaspoon whole can sugar

1 package active dry yeast (2 ¼ tsp)

¼ cup honey

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

½ cup arrowroot powder

½ cup tapioca flour

½ cup brown rice flour

½ cup sorghum flour

½ cup teff flour

¼ cup buckwheat flour

¼ cup amaranth flour

1 ½ tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp sea salt

½ tsp baking soda

1.       Preheat oven to 200 degrees F and oil a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Place the warm water and teaspoon of sugar into a small bowl. Make sure the water is the right temperature. If the water is too cold the yeast will not become active and if the water is too hot it will kill the yeast. Add the yeast and stir. Proof the yeast by allowing it to stand for 5-10 minutes. It should become bubbly, if not start over again with fresh yeast and water. Then add the honey, oil, and apple cider vinegar. Stir well with a fork or wire whisk.

2.       In a large bowl, add the arrowroot powder, tapioca flour, brown rice flour, sorghum, flour, teff flour, buckwheat flour, amaranth flour, xanthan gum, sea salt, and baking soda. Combine the flours with a wire whisk. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk them together as you are pouring to avoid lumps. Continue to whisk for another 30-60 seconds or so, or until the batter thickens and becomes smooth.

3.       Transfer batter to pan and gently spread out with the back of a spoon. Place pan, uncovered, into the 200 degree oven. Let rise for 30-35 minutes with the oven door cracked open. After it has risen, close the oven door and turn the temperature up to 375 F. Bake for 30 minutes. Loosen sides with a knife and place onto a wire rack to cool

Going gluten free

Hi all! I am slowly getting better at keeping this blog updated weekly. That's my goal! The last month i went dairy free as sort of a mini elimination diet. I am sick of constantly having an upset stomach, being bloated and embarrassingly gassy. I am done with feeling like crap. So with the help of my awesome friend Naomi i am doing a series of mini elimination diets to figure out the culprit. She is taking (and almost finished) the Registered Holistic Nutritionist course here in Moncton. I am her first case study and a GREAT one to learn from i think with all my stomach problems:)


So what i did for the dairy elimination was cut dairy out for 21 days and then slowly reintroduce it. Day 21 i had a serving of plain yoghurt, which i seem to be ok with THANK GOODNESS because i love it. I then had to wait 3 days (did you know it can take up to 3 days for a reaction to occur?!?!?!) i then tried parmesan and my stomach hurt pretty soon after BUT in looking at my food journals Naomi thinks gluten earlier in the day was the culprit. I tried old cheddar last night and so far so good! Yah. I'm not bothering with milk because it has bothered me since i was little and i haven't had much of it over the years. Prior to dairy elimination i had it in my cereals. But i have since switched to unsweetened vanilla and chocolate almond milk YUM!


I wasn't going to do the gluten elimination until i got back from our mini vacation in St. John's, NL. But decided with my stomach hurting a fair amount lately i don't want to wait. I have 2 weeks to do gluten free and then i can slowly re-introduce while in St. John's which will make things easier! The biggest thing i will miss is beer:( I know they have gluten free beer. Which i am sure i will try! I just had brown rice bread this am for breakfast and it was pretty good. Not the same wheat i am used to but it'll do:) Today's mission is get some non-gluten contaminated oats. I have Robin Hood oats now and they are definitely contaminated as i know they cause me issues already and since they are cheap and Robin Hood makes LOT'S of flour i don't they have a separate oat making facility. This means more expensive oats:( Gluten free will be pricey. But for my health it's worth it! Here's to feeling better and being stomach ache and gas free..ha ha. 


Here is a great dairy and wheat free recipe i made for the first time last night! And Shannon loved it too! Yah! He doesn't always love my healthy cooking. He grew up with a dad who was a awesome cook so he's used to sauces and lot's of butter!

Holy guacomole cream pasta

INGREDIENTS

* 1 16oz pack of brown rice spaghetti – I used Rizopia
* 1 avocado
* 2 garlic clove
* 4-6 tbsp almond milk [I used 5 tbsp but could have been good with 6 as well. It depends on how thick you want the sauce]
* 2 tbsp cashews, soaked overnight (I didn't have any on hand or have a chance to soak them overnight. Didn't miss them)
* 4 tsp lime juice
* 2 tbsp fresh cilantro
* 1 tbsp jalapenos
* 1 tbsp hemp oil – I used Manitoba Harvest (I had olive oil so i sub'd that)
* 1/2 tsp herbamare
* 1 plum tomato, chopped
* 4 green onions + more for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine avocado, garlic, milk, cashews, lime juice, cilantro, hemp oil, and herbamare. Pulse until smooth.
3. Add tomato and 2 green onions and pulse for 2-5 seconds until just combined.
4. Mix guacamole sauce in with pasta and serve with green onions sprinkled over top and herb and garlic socca crackers to the side.

Spring into Bikini Season

I just LOVE the Tone it up girls. They officially launched their Spring into Bikini series on the first day of Spring, Monday March 21st. The series will last 8 weeks and will have workouts, giveaways, health tips and motivation!!! Their first challenge is to post everyday what your workout is on Facebook, or post recipes etc anything to inspire. You can sign up here if you are interested. I did!! It's fun exciting and keeps you accountable and motivated!

I started with their first challenge to get up 30 min earl everyday to get in a little workout before you eat to start that metabolism and get that body moving. You can do yoga, an ab workout, go for a walk a run anything! I only started to get my ass in gear yesterday and started with some yoga from Tara Stiles You tube channel. She is great! I heard about her through Tone It Up as well. This morning i did a short yoga workout and then a Tone it up ab circuit. I have been doing a lot of their workouts lately to change up my routine and they are a ball!!! The girls are sweethearts and so random and funny! Love random-ness!

I really hope you will check these awesome ladies out and join the SPRING INTO BIKINI Challenge. Come on what do you have to lose?

Spring running

Wow what a gorgeous first day of spring sooo sunny out. A little chilly with the breeze but still so nice out. My girls Kendra, Jaclyn and i headed out for a 16k run late this morning. It was a great run and a little wet and muddy in places. But it's just so motivating getting out there in this weather. I am sure pooped now though wow. Kicked my ass!!! We maintained a decent pace between 5:30 and 6:00 min/km not our fastest but not our slowest either. And it's only going to get better from here weather wise. My favorite time of year to run is summer and fall...spring is great too but a little wet and muddy. Winter well it's just freezing and sooooo snowy! Especially this winter. I stuck mostly to treadmill running for as long as i could and i still will for a bit longer for my speed workouts. What is your favorite season to run in?

The snow has melted sooooo much lately! YAH! The mounds of snow are almost gone! Well getting there anyways. At least Laila can no longer walk over the fence. I will leave you today with yet another recipe:) I am always on the lookout. These little energy balls or you can shape them into bars are GREAT! YUMMMMMY. They are basically homemade lara bars which is a raw energy bar.

Chocolate lara balls


3/4 cup of dates roughly chopped
1.5 tbsp cocoa
1/2 cup almonds roughly chopped
1/8 tsp of pure vanilla

Put the dates and almonds in a food processor and buzz until almost mixed up then add the cocoa and vanilla and buzz until all mixed. Then shape into balls or bars! Whatever you like.

Enjoy:)

The love of running

Well i haven't been so good at keeping up with my blog lately. I am sorry for that. Life gets in the way and i am also trying to spend less time on the computer and more time reading and walking Laila...wow what a difference it makes. I feel less stressed and have more energy and a calmer mind. I think all of us need to take a reality check once in awhile and re evaluate the time we spend on the computer and the internet. There is a wealth of information online that sucks you in for hours. My favorite thing to look up and read about is anything fitness related; articles workouts you name it. Which i still love doing but i still felt like a break from so much technology use was needed and i will continue.

I am sitting here on a Sunday morning...the sun is shining in on me and it's warm out...so much snow has melted already yah! Spring is on it's way. Much needed after the crazy winter we had 1-2 storms a week for all of January and February! So much snow it was up to our fence and i had to shovel trenches numerous times so our boxer Laila couldn't escape.

I am so excited for our run this morning, 14 km here we come. I love sitting and relaxing before a run and digesting my meal. I am a little tired this morning though, time sprung ahead last night! Plus i had some vino so the combo i am sure is what is making me sleepy. But i know the run will energize me and i am glad i got up early this morning so tomorrow am 6 am won't hurt quite as much.

I have recently joined the Tone it Up team. You all need to check this girls out. They are trainers and hollistic nutrionists! And they believe in eating whole clean foods in the right combinations. They also have amazing workouts on their blog as well as their You Tube Channel. They are the cutest girls ever! One day i hope to get to Hermosa Beach to meet them and do one of their classes on the beach!