Marathon Mom

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...

I'm I've been hearing a lot about hemp hearts for a while now but have never tried them so I was thrilled when I was offered a bag of Manitoba Harvest to review. Honestly I was clueless and had no idea how to use them! Add caption 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, I decided to give them a try and here's what I thought... First try...Salad topper. Wonderful! A little nutty flavor and crunch but not overwhelming. Next...Pumpkin Mug Cake. Another good pick here! No really added flavor but extra protein is always great! Pumpkin Mug Cake (GF/Vegan) 1/4 cup pumpkin puree 1 tbsp unsweetened applesauce (or other sweetener to add sweetness) 2 tbsp uns...

Last month I was contacted to review a running stroller and while O is getting older she is still up for the occasional run with mom, although I know our days are limited. The Urbini Avi All-Terrain stroller arrived and the first thing I will say is assembly was a breeze even for me who has an issue reading the instructions! O and I had it out of the box and ready to go in 5 minutes! I will preface this by saying my run with the Urbini was my first post-marathon run on a windy day and resulted in more of a run walk. We needed to make our typical run to the store for a few groceries before dinner and grabbed the stroller to go. We are lucky to live within 2 miles of 3 different grocery stores meaning most of my small trips are done as part of a run. My first thought was “wow this thing is tough to push!” but then I looked down and realized I never inflated the tires! Oops! Love the back pocket! What did I think? For a run/walk with lockable swivel wheel was great Ea...

I have talked before about my love of compression but this past week I tried it out for more than assistance with leg fatigue and recovery. Since traveling my left calf has been strange: tight, achy and after I was tortured by Graston wow! I decided to run with one compression sleeve for a hill workout. This was 24 hours after I hobbled out after my Graston/acupuncture session wondering why I decided to mention that new issue! Immediately I knew I was happy! My calf felt much better, the achiness (okay at this point pain from Graston) was gone, it was looser and I could run without issue! Nice, another great use for my ProCompression! As usual the socks were my staple on the weekend long run! I love how much they help with leg fatigue, tightness, muscle cramps and support. I typically continue to wear my socks post run while I drink my post-run shake (Shakeology of course) and foam roll. A successful 16 Miler on Saturday after months of injury was wonderful. Legs felt great, com...

Last night I had big ideas and wanted to write then all of a sudden we head home from dance and no electricity! I forget how much we rely on this. I had polenta lasagna all ready to throw in the oven: Nope (guess we grill instead), minimal internet since my phone and iPad both had very little charge, I tried to study but that was short lived as the sun started setting; reading about headaches in minimal light would have surely resulted in my own headache! But it also meant getting rid of O's nightlight (something suggested to combat her sleep issues). Enough of my power outage complaints, instead here are 3 things I am loving for this sunny Thursday... Picky Bars A few weeks ago I was sent each flavor of Picky Bars to try, yay! New snacks, what is better? They are designed by athletes and are Dairy and Gluten free and made with natural, organic ingredients with a 4:1 (carb:protein) mix. As a gluten free runner this is huge. But what about taste? The four flavors were amazing, ...

As a runner and coach I am always asked about shoes: what kind to buy, where to buy, what to do with old shoes? So what are the answers? I always tell new runners to talk to an expert and get fitted without regards to color or style and be open to what the expert suggests. I love buying online, especially now with a 3 year old going to a store running store is work! What’s better than ordering shoes while sitting on the couch and drinking coffee at 5am?! This is where Kind Runner comes in… Kindrunner.com  will be launching on June 1st. An online running store founded and staffed by runners/ expert running shoe fitters with 40+ years of experience in the running industry. They will be able to get you in the correct running shoe from the convenience of your home! Complete with product guidance and product review videos too! And now to second and in my opinion best part about  KindRunner ; their effort to change the world for the better! This is what sets them...

I originally planned to race both this half and the full marathon 6 days later but after 2 weeks of awful allergies and less the adequate training all winter due to nasty weather and hamstring issues I rethought my plan. On Saturday night Matt asked me if it was the smartest idea to race on Sunday and reminded me how frustrated I would be if the marathon did not go well. I had a very tough time with this decision as I am very competitive and hate to not give it everything even when I know what is best. I mean I have finished a marathon with a broken foot, danced a competition thanks to cortisone and ran through multiple other pains leading to stupid results. Time to get smart! The weather was still less than ideal 30s with wind chills in upper 20s (yes on May 5 th ) also meaning I would be able to race hard with my asthma. Matt and I got to the start and I met up with my friend (college roommate who is a newer runner) and saw my cousin who was the instigator for us deciding to ...

Over the past year I have written about my afternoon energy slump and subsequent turn to carbs and caffeine without much improvement. This is also the time when I tend to mindlessly eat. I tried all the good options: regular sleep, exercise, healthy eating, etc but was having issues many afternoons starting with my drive home, not safe!  Last fall I was introduced to ENERGYbits® but was a little skeptical that algae would somehow wake me up. I will admit I don't regularly but kept the tin in my work bag and often grabbed a few throughout the afternoon and in the car. I never took the full 30 they suggest but can say the small amount was enough to keep me moving and usually gave me that kick to the gym which was often my greatest fix. As someone who eats healthy (mostly), exercises and sleeps well this was the extra boost I needed to avoid the caffeine in the afternoon. What are  ENERGYbits®? E NERGYbits® and SKINNYbits® are 100% organically grown spirulina a...

Best Race Experience: This may be odd but my best race was Boston Marathon  Yes it was hot and tough but I was happy to be running after a stress fracture had me out last spring. It was such a different experience than 2011 where I PR'd and missed a lot of the course excitement, this year I soaked it all in, had fun with the crowds and just ran what felt good. I was happy to be running pain free. And who isn't happy to be running Boston?!  Me with the pink legs! Best Run: 2012 was a year of tough running, but I had many fun experiences. I spent many of my winter runs with new running friends pushing me and encouraging me to take on new adventures and enjoyed running with friends who have decided to embark on the running journey too. One run that sticks in my mind was my 1st leg at Ragnar Northwest Passage  I felt great, the weather was perfect and I was running better than I expected passing the speedy guys and loving every minute. Worst Race Experience: This is ...

I have talked a lot about Pro Bar over the past couple months, but they are my new favorite snack. I was excited when Pro Bar contacted me to be an ambassador for their products and let me try a variety of their bars. Fruition Bar Perfect afternoon snack to get through the slump. A combination of fruit, dates, oats, chia seeds, cashews in great flavors. I think my favorite is peach (at least today), but you can't go wrong with lemon, blueberry, raspberry either. These taste great, almost pie like flavor. Perfect preworkout food and gluten free! Halo Bar- Nutty Marshmallow These are awesome; sweet but without the guilt, best yet they are vegan and low sugar (no refined sugar)! These are my go to when I need to cure a sweet tooth.Just the right combination of sweet and salty. The Halo bars also come in Smores, Rocky Road and Honey Graham And now for the best part, Pro Bar has given me a mixed box of the Original Pro Bar to share with someone. Want to try this...

I have been on the look out for a good headband that stays put while working out now that I am in the process of growing out my hair. Last month at a race I saw a table for Simple Trends and Nicole was nice enough to give me a headband to review! And she even sent me a fun purple one. Sorry for the lack of good pictures but I always seem to be wearing it post-workout and no one wants to see that! So what do I think? Love it! It stays in place and I like that it can be wide or narrow. Works great for the early morning workouts to cover up my crazy, messy hair. Not only are they great to keep hair back and sweat off my face, but they are cute. The headbands are available in many colors and fun prints and only $10 a piece. Check out Simple Trends for the prints and other (much better) pictures. Source Now I eed a little help from the runners out there...I am thinking ahead to 2013 and planning races (half and full marathons mostly). I get in the habit of runnin...

This past week I have gotten many great things in the mail... Skirt Sports Wonder Girl Dress  I entered an online contest through Skirt Sports and was very surprised to find out I won! Not only did I get the dress, but also a new Fuel Belt. Love the dress, it fits great, but not sure about running in a dress. Anyone ever run in a dress, what did you think? I have a couple skirts but somehow this just seems different. If nothing else it will be great on hot days and thanks to the nice little pocket inside it will be perfect for vacation in Costa Rica with somewhere to stash my room key without needing pockets. ProBar A few weeks back I was contacted by Pro Bar to be an ambassador for their product, of course! Who wouldn't want to be associated with a healthy snack bar that tastes great. I received my first box along with a t-shirt and cute coffee mug. I got the Fruition Bars: Blueberry, Lemon and Peach plus a few Nutty Marshmallow (vegan!). I have tried them all and lov...

A little late, so I am keeping it short. What a month! April was filled with much more cross training, a little running and strange taper. My toughest marathon in Boston after an injury, a new job, illness and now things are hopefully on the up. Biking 14 hours including a weekly spin class Running 100.6 miles, not too bad considering I was limiting runs Strength training 2x per week, I have been slacking Elliptical 12.25 hours, yikes this is way too much Continued with pilates a few times and went to a new yoga sculpt class May will be filled with races and warmth (I hope). My first half marathon of the season and hoping for an improvement from last year's time. This is a hilly, tough course so no expectations of a PR, but I would love another 1st place AG finish! A marathon PR would be great, but realistically I want to get back on track with a strong race and running 100% again. My 2nd team race is a 1 mile race in a few weeks, I am a distance girl so this is alwa...