Marathon Mom

This winter I have been struggling to hit paces that I easily hit months ago, my body hasn't been recovering great (which I related to getting older), my breathing is off (which I related to asthma) and energy isn't there. I kept thinking this was all the long winter getting to me and long work days, dark mornings, more training, etc, etc. Excuses and frustration! I was due for thyroid labs so I thought maybe this, but I decided to request additional labs to look at anemia. I got some push back since 1 year ago my hemoglobin was fine so she insisted it couldn't be anemia... Source Fast forward a few days to lab results... TSH is great it is amazing how my thyroid has regulated itself after my celiac diagnosis (still on meds but no more constant increase). Hemoglobin at the low end of normal but no red flag here again Ferritin of 5! While normal is 12-150 most endurance athletes need 100-120 at least to feel good and perform well! Iron of 30! Again normal 35...

One of my goals for 2018 is to eat healthier with focus on less processed junk plus no more mindless eating. This is one thing that I wasn't as good on last year and a final piece that I think will add to my run training. As someone with celiac I am always excited when an opportunity comes to try new (to me) GF products, especially one's that are also dairy free and healthy. the GFB offers gluten free, dairy free, non GMO products that taste good and are actually good for you. Check out their site for more info, plus you can order sample packs to try them out! The other day I needed a quick mid afternoon snack while I worked, perfect timing for the Cranberry Toasted Almond GFB. While I am typically not a big fan of cranberry this wasn't too bad. The cranberries were real dried fruit and not overpowering. The bar was filling and got me through the afternoon slump! I can't wait to try the other flavors.   The Power Breakfast was a great quick pre workout...

After a few weeks of poor meal planning resulting in last minute frozen pizzas, dinners out and less than healthy foods  we are back! The past week coach Nichole has also upped me to running 6 days per week. which I haven't done in years. I need to focus on recovery after the tough days and having the right fuel will be key along with gentle yoga on day 7. Meals Sunday Lentil Tamales with black beans and fajita veggies (Hosting Christmas Eve) and of course plenty of cookies: Almond crescents, molasses and I healthified (is that a word?) my grandma's toffee bar recipe! Monday Vegan GF Lasagna with garlic green beans Tuesday Turning Sunday leftovers into fajitas Wednesday Christmas with Matt's family Thursday Tofu curry or Jambalaya (can't decide yet!) Friday "Fried" cauliflower rice Saturday Dinner out? Workouts This past week started my 6 days of running, plus got to kick off the holiday weekend with a family Crossftit workout and last weekend...

As as sat last night with a glass of wine in hand and eating the Peanut Butter Salted Nut Rolls I took from O's Halloween candy I realized I was past my post marathon indulgence period! The past weeks have been filled with sleeping in, pizza, lack of workouts, wine and lack of great choices. We all deserve time to not focus of strenuous training and goals but I think I have reached the end of that. Especially considering that next week I double my work hours meaning less time to push off the workouts and need for better meal planning, not to mention the lovely winter weather that has already hit us. So here I am putting it out there for all to see, with 2 months left of 2017 I am setting new goals. As we all know the holidays are coming meaning busy days, parties, desserts, wine, colder weather plus with my job busier days and more work. Daily food tracking, mainly because it makes me think twice about the extra junk and mindless eating Morning workouts progressively incr...

We are in a week of minimal activities as dance intensives are auditions are over for now and due to the results O has chosen to give up team gymnastics due to scheduling conflicts so no gymnastics either this week. Perfect time to get focused on meal planning and better eating again. O also informed us a week ago that she was becoming a vegetarian for a week, this has changed to her being vegetarian forever. I am thrilled, Matt indifferent. We have been have her give input on meals as well and she seems very excited to not eat meat. Much different than when I became vegetarian (the first time) and my mom took me to the doctor who told her how unhealthy it was and I was forced to eat meat or not be in sports! What?! I’m glad things are changing. My training mileage and intensity is increasing so I find myself hungry! I had to explain hangry to O on Friday after staying at the beach through lunch Friday! The UCAN Coffee Bar I ate at 10am and the almonds I snacked on the 4 hours we ...

It has now been 3 weeks since the marathon and I am still in the let’s sleep in mode, maybe workout later mode, indulge a little (okay a lot) mode. Don’t get me wrong my workouts have happened I’m just more likely to sleep a little later and do less now without a race on the horizon. This week I need to get back to normal with a workout schedule and meal plan, especially with some travel ahead and the holidays coming. Sunday Run 7-8 miles hoping for trails if not closed from rain and upper strength/core Monday Kickboxing Tuesday CrossFit and short run Wednesday Run with some short speed intervals and Pilates or Yoga Thursday CrossFit and Walk Friday Short run Saturday CrossFit and Run I plan to start adding in a little harder runs this week instead of all easy running. I have 2 more months until training starts again but want to get back to a good base by then. This past week I went back to the doctor about the leg/knee and came away even more frustrated. The “kne...

All runners know that post marathon week(s) are filled with the fight to keep eating healthy yet indulge a little. I try to carry healthy snacks wherever I go to avoid the munchies. Needing gluten free makes finding healthy foods quick even tougher. I have my go to foods but love finding new options with such variety. I think my only complaint is the carb to protein ratio which for each bar is 3 or 4:1. I prefer a snack more along the 2:1 carb to protein ratio. To help this I add a few extra nuts to the bars when I have them for a snack, problem solved! Like all GoMacro products, Thrive are USDA-Certified Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, Kosher, Gluten-Free certified, 100% Vegan, and soy-free. Thrive is currently available to purchase online and will become available to Whole Foods this month! GoMacro is offering 30% off to all my readers with code Thrive30 for online purchases Here The Thrive Bars come in 6 flavors: Caramel Coconut, Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip, Blueberry ...

Getting back on track with eating after a few days of post race hunger and indulging. So today will be a different version of WIAW, instead how I fueled for a successful 50K in the heat... Breakfast: Protein oats which is a mix of banana, GF oats, NOW pea protein and coconut flour. Followed by 2 cups of coffee. Pre Race:  I brought a big water bottle with for the drive and sipped on the way. Then about 40 minutes prior to race start I started drinking my UCAN. My new favorite is cinnamon mixed with a little vanilla protein. My mix for 50K was 1 packet cinnamon starch and 1/4 scoop vanilla protein Race:  Soon the race was off...it was 60s to start and warmed up quick! I carried a handheld of UCAN Berry Hydrate and had a 2nd ready for the 3rd and 4th loops. During loop 3 I ate a Cinnamon UCAN Bar. This was so much better than figuring out how to carry and mix the powder on course. I drank water at the stops and sipped my UCAN Hydrate in between. By loop 4 it was ...

My spring break is coming to an end tomorrow with a to do list that is still half full! My main goal with returning to work with hours that will get me home a little later is to meal plan and prep. I have decided that Sunday will be time to prep at least one extra meal and Wednesday when I work afternoon only I will make something either in slow cooker or ready to be thrown in oven that night. I like this to do list better! We are now on day 8 of gluten free for O so this adds to the importance of planning. She is similar to me with inconclusive blood tests (not low enough to be negative but not high enough to be positive). So we are doing a 3 month trial and rechecking some of her other tests for her liver and thyroid which are off and can be due to celiac. Menu Sunday:   BeanChili and Cornbread Monday:   Veggie Pizza Tuesday:  Leftovers Wednesday:  Dinner Out Thursday:   Tofu Sweet Potato Lettuce Wraps Friday:  Wraps and Sweet Potatoes...

Sorry for the short disapearance but traveling and being quickly thrown back into the crazy reality of work and life took over last week.In typical me fashion I let the post-marathon food indulging go on pas race day and have been slowly getting back to normal eating. I swear the post-marathon hunger has hung around forever! Anyone else have this issue?  This week ahead will be back to healthier choices. The other day I listened to the webinar with Meb and UCAN and am once again so impressed with him and inspired to make some healthier changes. This week ahead will be great timing as I am off work. I have left my job with crazy hours, long days, frequent pages late, weekends, etc and will be starting a new job in a week with set hours, minimal evening and weekend commitment and more time to be with family and to focus on better marathon training. Being home is allowing me to make more meals and after the past weeks of eating out too much we can get back into the normal dinner r...

Race week is here! 1 week to go, what I eat this week is huge. My body can be difficult so I know I need to avoid any contact with gluten, dairy is out and so is peanut butter. I also avoid processed junk and make as much as I can myself. Travelling makes this a little tougher but luckily we have a kitchen in our hotel so I can make me prerace sweet potatoes. I will travel with lots of food to get through flights and our layover: hummus and veggies, fruit, UCAN bar, almond butter, homemade granola. What are your go to travel foods? Any good vegetarian/GF food options in New Orleans? I’ve been told of Crepe Cart that sells GF crepes!  Menu Sunday:   Homemade veggie pizza Monday:   Wraps Tuesday:  Tofu stir fry Wednesday:  Spaghetti squash with marinara and “meat”balls Thursday: Leftovers Friday: New Orleans Saturday: Sweet potato and some food from team dinner   What's on your menu this week?  Check out other menus and at  Laur...

It was amazing how much smoother this past week went at dinnertime with the plans in place. How did I forget this?! I was so happy to have everything planned since my week was crazy; busy working 6 days, nonstop running around, O's birthday (and parties) and just life! Despite the best planning a couple meals went unused thanks to missing ingredients and no time to check another store, but that makes this week's planning even easier. This week I even discovered a new snack that is actually keeping me full and not searching for food all afternoon! I'm starting to use UCAN more than just pre-run and it is great, especially the new cinnamon. Pumpkin UCAN Pudding 1/4 cup pumpkin puree 1 tbsp almond butter 2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk 1/2 scoop UCAN Cinnamon 1/2 scoop UCAN Vanilla Protein 1 tsp chia seeds Mix and top with pecans. Chill in refrigerator until ready to eat Is it just me or does it seem like when you sit down to plan meals you go back to your fallb...

This morning I woke up back in reality, but luckily not the reality of below 0 I missed last week or the feet of snow dumped on the east coast that many found. We in the midwest are lucky with minimal snow and temps in the 20s today! I gentle shock to the system after 8 days of 80s and sun! This also meant a week of not planning meals and having my food served as I requested. Traveling with celiac (and as a vegetarian) can be rough but I have found Royal Caribbean crusing is better than many options. Although not as great this time with the combo veg and GF. My best meal was a curry they threw together at the last minute when they failed to mention I needed to give them 24 hour notice to have the eggplant parm made GF. Otherwise breast fast was eggs or grits and lot of fruit and PB, Lunch always a big salad and then there was bread, yes bread! Anyways more about vacation later now to get back to my own meals, no more dessert nightly... Menu Sunday:  Tofu Stir Fry Monday:...

I said one of my goals for 2016 was to focus on nutrition and with this get back to meal planning and prep on Sunday. So I decided to link up with Laura for her weekly Menu Planning An unexpected day off work meant I got some much needed extra hours of sleep and was reminded how big my little girl is getting. She woke up at 7am and not only got herself breakfast but also got down coffee cups and made a pot of coffee! I'm drinking it as I type and she did pretty good. Now the important part...Figuring out what to eat this week for the right balance of leftovers, future freezer meals and not too much since we leave Friday on vacation. Menu Sunday: Bean and pepper chili Monday: Chickpea avocado wraps with roasted sweet potatoes Tuesday: Chickpea wild rice soup Wednesday: Chickpea nuggets with roasted veggies/potatoes Thursday: Black bean tacos Friday: Airport dinner, any suggestions for healthy eating at JFK during a layover? Saturday: Yummy Cruise Dinner Sunday: Yummy...

I know I try to stick with a fitness theme on Fridays but today I'm venturing of to talk about the 5 big things happening in my life right now... 1) Preschool Graduation for O... With her friend She was thrilled to get her diploma and keep her tassel! So cute for all the littles in their caps/gowns. I think it has given her a little better idea of what my graduation will be like next month. They all had to say what they want to be when they grow up, the kids gave answers like race car driver, mom, author, astronaut and then O..."I want to be a doctor, but not do surgery maybe I'll just give medicines to fix them." 2) Despite not running I'm still pushing through! Lots of cross training and strength workout and not to mention about 1 hour of PT exercises spread throughout the day! This guy means business when he said I'll be strong by the time marathon training starts he wasn't joking! Spin class today in between writing sessions and laundry....

Since the past few weeks have been so busy and the even busier work season is approaching I’ve been easing my way back into weekly meal planning and Sunday meal prep. Despite being uncertain about the marathon in 7 days I am planning to eat this week like I am running (I’ll know my final answer before I hit carb load days!) and focus on my pre marathon week of eating with the recommendations from my nutritionist. How to eat the week of a marathon Anti-Inflammatory Foods Don't you just love how red wine is included?! Whole Grain Carbohydrates Whole Foods/Minimal Processed Healthy Fats and higher fats up to the carb load days. This helps your muscles learn to burn fat during the race better utilizing glycogen stores. Higher Carbs for 24 hours before My nutritionist has me planning 3.6g carbohydrate for every lb of body weight and consuming 2800 calories the day before. The new thought is women need even higher carb loads immediately pre-race than men. Drink Water and Be...

One of my goals for 2015 is to look at all aspects of my training beyond just the physical part to attempt to improve on my running performance. I’ve made huge changes to my workouts, running mileage and cross training in the past year (greatly over the past 6 months). For the past couple years I’ve toyed with the idea of meeting with sports dietitian but haven’t found the time to pursue it. A few weeks ago I met a local elite runner who spoke to our MRTT group and she gave me information on the person she had worked with. So why not? Over the past few months I’ve been researching different sports dietitians/nutritionists but haven’t found the perfect fit. There is a lot to consider before paying someone to critique your eating and work with you to improve. Honestly I’m not sure I want someone to see that I may sit down and eat almond butter by the spoonfuls! Things to consider before working with a sports  dietitian What is there education and certification? A regis...

I first discovered hemp hearts a few months, I know late to the party! My extent of use has been throwing on salads or in my coconut yogurt for a little extra protein. I decided to get adventurous when I was given a bag to try from Manitoba Harvest and bake with them. Benefits of Hemp Hearts Plant Based Protein - 10g per tablespoon High Fiber - 1g per tablespoon Omega 3 Fatty Acids Lots of Vitamins - Magnesium, Iron, Vitamin B, Manganese, Zinc and Calcium   They sound perfect for a vegetarian runner! I'm always looking for ways to increase protein, iron and calcium. Plus Omega 3s are great for recovery, Sweet Potato Bars 1 cup mashed sweet potato (could do pumpkin) 1 banana mashed 1 cup dates soaked 1 tsp vanilla 1 cup almond flour 1/4 cup hemp hearts 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg Put first four ingredients in food processor and puree until smooth. Add remaining ingredients until mixed. Pour into prepared greased baking dish and bake in preh...

I have to ask, how the heck do you food bloggers remember to take pictures of your food?! I swear I always have good intentions but then eat before I remember that little detail! I have slightly derailed from the Whole30 plan but after a weekend of overdoing it have been better at sticking with unprocessed junk (minus the Girl Scout cookies I had to try. Dang Girl Scouts for making gluten free!). Do weekends tend to be your bad eating times? After a weekend of wine, coconut ice cream and cookies I am back on track with great workouts and healthy eating! Here have been some of my recent meals... Breakfast Banana Protein Oats Scrambled Egg with Sweet Potato Veggie Hash Lunch Salads with Roasted Sweet Potatoes Leftovers of Course Dinner Tempeh Stir Fry Coconut Lentil Lettuce Wraps Cauliflower "Alfredo" Broccoli "Cheese Soup with Sweet Potato Biscuits  - I omitted sugar and used a mix of brown rice and flour blend (super yummy with Almond B...

Did you know there is a National Pancake Day? Since I have a little girl who loves pancakes we decided to celebrate with this great product I was given to try. I'm not a big pancake fan as I like my protein and honestly the chore of making pancakes in the morning makes me want to scream! But breakfast for dinner is the best idea. Nicole's Naturals  offers gluten free, soy free, dairy free mixes. Only 150 calories per serving and only 1 gram of sugar. Plus it is independently tested to meet FDA standards for gluten free! O wanted pumpkin pancakes so we opted to sub pumpkin in for the eggs and add some pumpkin pie spice, yum! Due to this the texture was a little chewy but with eggs this wouldn't happen. O opted for her pancakes topped with blueberries while I tried a small one plain (eggs and sweet potatoes were my meal!). I liked it, a little chunky with whole grains of oats which made it seem even healthier. This will definitely be a healthy option in the future f...