Clear the Trails 10k

Two posts in one day, look at me go! I was just looking on the running room website at upcoming races to see if the Hypothermic Half was posted yet as an event and it was! Awesome swag too...i love great swag! A nice winter running hat and duffel bag! Yah! I haven't signed up yet. I like to wait as long as i can. You don't want to get injured and then waste all that money! If i sign up before Dec 1st it's $60 and goes up from there. I am thinking i will sign up then. I will have a good idea where i am at then. From Dec 1st until the 31st it's $65 and then goes up to $70. Sucks that it's so expensive but hey the race swag makes it worth it!

I decided to sign up for the 10k Clear the Trails race as it falls on a weekend where i was scheduled to do 9k anyways...and 10k race pace will make me even stronger! It's a cheap $20 race to boot! Although running swag for the cheaper events normally sucks! Oh well it's cheap and it's a race!

Jamie Eason's Chocolate Protein Bars

I made this recipe today for my afernoon snack for the week. This was the first time making these and they are very delicious with treats like these who would want to eat the unclean crap out there like chocolate bars? This is way more satisfying too with all that protein! Again i have tweaked the recipe. I seriously cannot find oat flour anywhere in Moncton? If somebody has seen it please let me know where! I used Kamut flour instead, which is an ancient grain full of nutrients.

On to the exercise side of things i started training for my 4th Half Marathon this weekend. I did an easy 7k run in Centennial park with Bre. It was a little tough as i still have my cough from my cold a week ago. I still managed to finish it in 42 min and some seconds, i can't remember now. I have created my schedule for the next 15 or 16 weeks taking me up to the run. I plan on running Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, doing body pump on Tuesday and Thursdays, or my own full body weight workout and then Fridays yoga to stretch me all out and for my mental health too! I was thinking of yoga as my active rest day off but getting sick a little over a week ago proves that i was overtraining the last month. So now Sundays will be my day off with the odd Saturday moving my runs to Sundays at times if need be. Sunday is a great day to take off i can get lot's of stuff down around the house, get groceries at 10 am at an empty grocery store! Most people don't venture out that early on a Sunday or they are doing other stuff i guess! 

Ok now for the recipe!

Chocolate Protein Bars.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Oat Flour (I used Kamut flour)
• 4 Egg Whites
• 2 scoops Vanilla Whey Protein Powder (i used hemp seed powder)
• ½ cup Splenda, Truvia, or Ideal (i used organic sugar cane)
• ½ tsp Baking Soda
• ¼ tsp Salt
• 8oz Berry flavored Baby Food (i used berry and apple)
• 3 tbsp Baking Cocoa
• 4oz Water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix dry ingredients (oat flower, vanilla whey protein, baking soda, salt, baking cocoa) together in a large bowl.
3. Mix wet ingredients (egg whites, Splenda, Berry flavored Baby Food,Water) together in a medium sized bowl.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix together.
5. Spray cooking dish with a non stick butter spray and add batter to dish.
6. Bake 20-30 minutes in oven.

Makes 16 squares, serving size=2 bars.

Working out with a cold

Well i seem to have caught a nasty cold that is going around. I started to feel sick Monday night after my allergy needle. I thought that's all it was and then Tuesday night it hit with full force and by Wednesday morning i was out. I haven't made it to work all week and haven't worked out since Tuesday. I have been listening to my body. I am getting better and better at that as the years go on. Before i would have been working and working out despite the cold. I have been doing lot's of reading up over my last few days of vegging and have found some natural ways to deal with the cold. This is the first time i have never taken cold meds or cough exporatants or suppressants. I have been drinking lot's of water and made a homemade neo citron. Consisting of hot water, 1/2 tsp of honey and a squeeze of lemon from a lemon slice. I did add ginger one time but i should have taken the pieces out as i kept almost swallowing them which i supposed wouldn't be bad but i don't like stuff floating in my tea or cold remedy drink.

I am planning on hitting the gym tomorrow to give it a try as see if i am up to snuff. I am going to do weights which actually is something you can continue doing even while sick. Through my reading i have also discovered that if it's above the neck ie. a head cold, stuffy nose it's ok to do cardio or run but if it's below the neck than refrain until a day after your symptoms have subsided. I always thought you could just sweat a cold out and have followed this principle numerous times with it helping about 50% of the time. My cold is in my nose and chest...but has decreased a lot in the sinuses and pretty much is just chilling in my lungs and my asthma is bad to boot. I have been using my puffer so much and coughing a lot. It's a good loose cough though so at least it's a painful productive one. I am feeling better but still pretty tired. Fingers crossed i will wake up feeling a lot better tomorrow!

Running for Literacy

So even though i am not quite there running wise yet i decided i wanted to do an event this Sunday even though it's only 5k. I want to participate in an event and plan on being there to cheer on my friends Kendra and Jaclyn McCully. I want to stalk them around the course (after my 5k is done) to root them on and help motivated. They are doing the full marathon, which is the one i was supposed to do prior to my ankle issues. I am excited to be there for them and support them:) Love those ladies and i plan on convincing them to run the Hypothermic Half Marathon in February. Jessica Kennedy already plans on running so if we could get 2 more ladies on board that would be wonderful:) Although i did hate life last year during some of my slushy runs. So this year if it's slushy wet and cold i am going on the treadmill. I have what is known as Rayenoids disease in my little feetsies. Basically my circulation sucks and my feet don't get enough blood flow. They are always cold and will either be a nice color of purple and then flush to red as the blood finally gets through. Basically it's like i have frost bite! So you may be asking why i would even be running outside in the winter...well my body feels like it needs to run a half asap. It's antsy for it. And i do have some awesome wool socks that keep them warm and discovered that taping the inside of my shoes with duck tape keeps the warmth in. And i will just not run in slush ever and they'll be fine! I hope, lol.

On another front i have been lifting weights again and i am loving it. My love affair with iron is back. I took a hiatus from it this summer and was doing yoga and running for my workouts. I still love yoga and do it fridays but i needed to get back to lifting weights. And wow what a difference in my body already. I am loving the definition in my arms:) And feel really good and fit. I am also eating really clean lately and have been making at least one or two new recipes a week from Tosca Reno's cook book's, Eat clean magazine or the Eat clean diet website. Love it!

Alright this is all for now!!! I will keep you posted on how i made out Sunday. I am sick right now so i may be laying low until then. I was hoping to get in one more run before race day. So maybe it'll happen! My friend Breanna Flannagan is also doing the 5k so i imagine we'll be running a lot of the race together:)

No bake nut butter energy bars

I have gotten into the habit of making muffins, protein granola bars etc on Sundays for the week's worth of afternoon snacks! I have been making granola too but i haven't gotten around to making it yet and may wait until tomorrow night. I also made homemade tomato sauce (2 cans of cooked tomatoes, 3 cans of tomato paste, cooked up mushrooms, garlic and onions to add as well as extra lean ground beef. I then used an array of spices and when i say array i mean array. My sauce is never the exact same that way. A trick taught to me with both my mom's and dad's cooking). Now on to the granola bars.

1/2 cup agave nectar (i didn't have any and used honey)

2 tbsp coconut butter (found in the baking section i think or organic!

1 1/2 cup nut butter (i used 1 cup natural peanut butter and 1/2 cup almond butter

3 cups of oatmeal

2 scoops vanilla protein powder (i use hemp seed protein powder and only used one scoop because it's green and made the oatmeal a little green color, lol)

1/2 cup raisins, dried cranberries or coarsely chopped dried apple (i used a dark chocolate fair trade chocolate bar)

1/2 cups slivered almonds

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1. Warm the agave nectar, coconut butter and nut butter in a sauce pan until ingredients are soft enough to combine easily when mixed. Remove from heat

2. Add oatmeal, protein powder and mix well. Then add dried fruits, almonds and seeds. Mix well.

3. Press into 9 inch square pan. Let cool in the fridge and cut into squares.

They are currently in the fridge. I will update later with a picture and say how they are!

Update:

OMG These are sooooo yummy! The chocolate really adds to it too!!!

Friday night late supper: Chicken Picadillo

I am sitting here in my kitchen while i cook my dinner. Late i know...but i was studying and then wrote my second biology test. For those of you who don't know i am currently taking grade 12 biology as i need as a pre-req for the RN program at UNB Moncton. So needless to say i was late getting started on supper tonight, that and i had a bowl of delicious Kashi Honey sunshine right cereal right after work so i am just getting hungry now. I do have a soft spot for wine and beer despite my efforts at a clean diet i can't seem to give up these delicious drinks. But with my intense workout schedule and my clean eating there is a little wiggle room i suppose. I am enjoying a big glass of red wine while i cook. What is about cooking and drinking wine that go so well together?

Chicken picadillo
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 lrg yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 lrg green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
2 cups of fresh tomatoes (or low sodium canned)
5 cloves of garlic pressed
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp sea salt
2 chicken breasts (cooked and diced)
1/2 cup raisins (i didn't add these)
Pinch of fresh ground pepper
1 bunch of green onions for garnish

1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat
2. Add onion and pepper and cook until onion is soft (Approx 5 min)
3. Add chili powder, tomatoes, garlic, cumin, oregano and sea salt. Cook for several minutes until the mixture becomes fragrant.
4. Add chicken and raisins. Heat through for another 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
5. Serve over basmati rice. Garnish with green onion and cilantro.

Tosca Reno's Meal in bowl mexican soup

6 cups low sodium veggie stock or water
1 lg purple onion sliced
2 red bell peppers sliced into ribbons
2 chili peppers coarsley chopped
5 tomatoes coarsley chopped
2 cloves of garlic through a garlic press
3 bouillon cubes (i didn't add this)
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp taco spice (i used cumin as it smells like taco spice and i don't know where to get "clean" non processed taco spice)
1 tsp paprika
1 can of red kidney beans
Dash of tabasco

1. Place stock and all veggies in a stockpot (except beans) Bring to a boil and then simmer on low for 10 min.
2. Add kidney beans and heat through.
3. Add tabasco to your liking.

Optional:add a dallop of yoghurt cheese
(Yoghurt cheese is plain yoghurt that you let sit over night and drain through cheese cloth. It can be used for icing, dips, sour cream anything really!!!)

I cut up whole grain tortillas and brushed them with olive oil. I am baking them to crisp up like chips and serving it with it!


I sent this recipe to my friend Tracey Scott and she suggested the following to make your own taco spice. I whipped up a batch and put it in one of my empty spice containers and labelled accordingly.


"I just use organic chili power, cumin, tumeric, and you can add organinc onion powder and garlic powder" says Tracey.

Slow running

I am slowly getting into the swing of things with running, and i mean SLOWLY. I am only up to 6k so far and so slow.  I am also nervous about hurting my ankle again or my ankle not being ready for the constant pounding. I have been feeling something in there that i can't quite quantify. My ankle doesn't hurt but it doesn't not hurt either. I talked to Brett about it and he says to keep running and keep seeing him. So that's the plan. And it doesn't actually hurt so i won't stop until it does.

That being said i had a kick ass 6k run this morning. Didn't feel a thing in my ankle. Brett said to stick to gravel for the most part and i am thinking that i must do gravel only. It was after two runs where i ran only a little on the pavement/concrete that i started to feel something. I thought it was in my head because i am paying so much attention to what i feel in my ankle. Only time will tell. But i will tell you one thing while i am running i won't be racing for awhile. The 10k Legs for Literary is not going to happen i don't want to risk the pounding on the pavement hurting it. I'm still striving for running the hypothermic half in February still depending on how things go in the next month or two. I would start training sometime in November for that. I am really hoping i can as i am antsy to run those higher mileages. 

I go back to see Brett next week as i couldn't get in this week (he is a popular man). So i am hoping for some good, non sensation feeling runs this week! I will keep you all posted. Thanks for listening:)