Marathon Mom

 Check out what others are planning and link up with Laura and Jill who are hosting a weekly menu planning link up every Sunday. I love having this to look back on as the week goes and I forget. It is always fun to see what others have planned and get new ideas.   DINNER SUNDAY Roasted acorn squash risotto , beets MONDAY Black bean enchiladas TUESDAY Almond Butter on Spelt bread (quick dinner before running) Fruit WEDNESDAY Spaghetti Squash with roasted tomato sauce, chickpea "meat"balls THURSDAY        Veggie sandwiches,  soup (quick meal before gym Halloween party) FRIDAY ???? Maybe dinner out or grill SATURDAY 4 Bean Chili with corn bread What are your quick dinners?   I was nominated as a top mom health/wellness blog, I'm barely in the ...

You know you are in trouble when your trainer informs you "Today will be tough, I'm pushing you now". What?? I thought we'd had plenty of tough workouts already, guess not. Yesterday's strength workout took that that rank. He (and I) decided that now that marathon training is done (for now) and I am in the off season it is time to  push beyond my comfort zone even further. Source I have always done leg focused sports: dance, running, cycling and despite my short time as a gymnast have always lacked the upper body strength. Well not anymore, we've been putting an end to that. I was so happy to have worn a tank yesterday and was able to see my arms working! And felt strong! Have you even done pull up let downs? A pull up followed by a 5-10 second slow release down. And then follow by push ups, yikes. My arms were (and still are) burning. Add to this bench press, shoulder press, a lot of core work and multiple variations of lunges and squats and you have ...

I will apologize ahead of time for the complete randomness and snippy nature of this but my frustrations and annoyances are building so I need an outlet! Please allow me a minute to rant and feel free to join in if you wish... Why do we reward and bride young kids with junk food? Yes my child gets junk but not regularly and we work to provide healthy options first. We go to a class, parade with friends, talk to parents and this seems to be the norm. If the child: listens, behaves, helps, does well, etc they will get a cookie, candy etc. Or why not just keep feeding your child the bag of candy and they sit better. Seriously we go to a 1 hour class, eat a snack prior to and plan on having lunch afterwards so I see no need to bring a snack for a 2 hour trip. Well my kid is the one who doesn't want to sit because they remaining 6 kids are being supplied with candy, chips, cookies soda the entire time. Sure feed my kid and she sits great too! And then the parents complain about the w...

This past weekend I spent 2 days sitting through a RRCA coaching certification course and thought back to all those I've had the opportunity to coach in the past. All those who have inspired me and achieved goals they often thought far beyond their reach. For me it is these "real" people who inspire me through the tough runs, days when I think of quitting and struggle with my own running. Yes, I am inspired by those with the high level of running ability who are able to achieve things beyond my grasp too as I push to reach higher goals for myself but this is on a different level. I've had the privilege of training Sonya (and many others with similar stories) to reach their goals. Take a minute and listen to her story, see her strength and let her inspire you to reach for more and push through the tough days. Listen to her story, that is not often shared and see her dedication and strength. It makes me think about my tough days. Think about it, who inspires...

 Check out what others are planning and link up with Laura and Jill who are hosting a weekly menu planning link up every Sunday.   DINNER SUNDAY Black Bean Sweet Potato Quesadila MONDAY Roasted veggies, potatoes TUESDAY Almond Butter on Spelt bread (quick dinner before running) Fruit WEDNESDAY Spaghetti Squash with roasted veggie sauce THURSDAY       Work Dinner/Meeting FRIDAY Quinoa stuffed acorn squash (Thanks Laura for the challenge) SATURDAY 4 Bean Chili with corn bread What's on your menu for the week? Any good squash recipes?   Here it is (even though it is not on the menu this week) the yummy gluten free pizza crust I keep talking about! Gluten Free Pizza Crust (makes 4 large crusts) 2 Tbsp baking powder 2 ¾ c Rice Milk (room temperature) 4 ...

Just like taper madness is a real thing so is post-marathon letdown. You work so hard for so long, it takes priority many days and consumes your thoughts until race day is done, it feels as if you have lost a huge part of who you are: now what? Enjoy the time, relax, refocus and set new goals. What do you do with your extra time when not training? Post-Marathon Goals: Heal and stay injury free, do my daily PT exercises Run gadget free and without goals, do what feels good Tuesday/Friday spin class Thursday morning swim 3x week strength (2 on my own and 1 with trainer) Look ahead to 2013 races Who's joining me for 13 halfs in 2013? Focus on my family, plan activities with O and Matt Get back to cleaning/organizing the house Get back to studying for NASM CPT and take test Get out of my food rut and start making new recipes again...here is one already and a way to use up some of the winter squash taking over out house! Squash/Chipotle Mac n Cheese with black beans ...

This past weekend I finished my 20th marathon and for some reason I am having a difficult time writing an adequate race report. I know many out there are waiting patiently for this so here it is short, sweet and in photos. Proud little girl with her medal after the 50 yard toddler run. It was a chilly morning and I spent much of Saturday debating what to wear. After a cold day out for the toddler race I was set on pants, but by Sunday morning had changed my mind and ended up in shorts, compression socks, s/s shirt arm warmers, jacket, mittens (with hand warmers) and headband. Yes it was chilly 27F at the start. I love how runners can stay warm in the dome prior to the start, we took full advantage of this until the last minute and headed out trash bag covered to brave the cold. All the elites at the start After my attitude and burnout along with poor racing this past year I grabbed a new playlist and decided this race was only to be fun, no expectations except to stay un...