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Running with the Foxes

September 14, 2009 by

Well ladies, I don’t know about you, but I am really dragging this morning. I didn’t get to bed until after midnight (racing thoughts about the work week) and then managed to wake up at 5 AM and couldn’t go back to sleep! Don’t you hate when that happens? Especially at the start of the work week.

Oh well, the world keeps spinning, and somehow I keep running. I finally got out of bed around 5:45 after spending 45 minutes of wishing myself back to sleep to no avail. Many experts will say that it is better to sacrifice a workout for more sleep and I am all for that! But, what happens when you can’t sleep? Well, those who can’t sleep go for a run! 

I was out the door a little after 6 AM. It was barely light outside and it was very quiet. It’s that time of year when it’s getting darker earlier at night and staying dark later in the morning. This makes running in the wee hours a little challenging. I don’t like running in the dark by myself. Aside from crazy human predators that plague our society, I also have to worry about coyotes, large fox, and skunks. I don’t live in the sticks by any means, but my area is a very wooded area. I’m also adjacent to a golf course so we get all sorts of critters scurrying around. Even this morning, I caught a glimpse of something low to the ground, moving in the shadows. Could have been a fox or a squirrel, but I did not stick around the find out.

After my fast 4-miler, I headed inside to get ready for work. I decided to throw caution to the wind (and my digestive track) and load up on fiber today. I’ve been reading bits and pieces of the Full Plate Diet, a book scheduled to come out in early 2010 that focuses on filling up with fiber as a way to maintain or lose weight. One of the cereals the book recommends is Kashi high fiber cereal. 

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I always thought high fiber cereal would taste like sticks, but this Kashi cereal is excellent! So for today, I had a full cup of Kashi’s high fiber high protein cereal (10 g. of fiber!!) and a nectarine (2 g of fiber) for a whopping total of 12 g of fiber for breakfast. The National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine recommends that women under 50 get at least 25 g of daily fiber and I’ve already consumer 1/2 of that!

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Along with cereal and fruit, I had a shot of Zola’s Daily Wellness juice – I’m on Day 14 now of my RWC Daily Wellness Challenge!

Now it’s time to actually get some work done. Hope y’all have a great day!

Jen

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Time For A New Pair of Running Shoes…

September 13, 2009 by

Morning everyone! I had intended to run 8 miles this morning, but only ended up running 6 miles in a little over 50 minutes. I woke up later than I had planned and sometimes, the only way to get back on schedule is to shorten your workout a little. 

Prior to my run, I thought I’d break out my first ever CLIF bar. I’ve heard they are more for “guys” but because they were on sale for $1, I thought I’d give them a try.

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The chocolate chip peanut crunch bar has 260 calories. To me, that is quite a few calories for a power bar. I decided to only eat 1/3 of the bar, so about 85 calories, before my run. The CLIF bar was pretty tasty, although I’ve tasted better. I’m sure, because it’s more gear toward highly active men, that taste wasn’t their #1 priority. Overall, I’d say the bar is a little too much for me in calories, plus it’s huge compared to other bars. I would probably get sick mid-run if I ate the whole thing. 

My run went very smoothly for the most part. At the beginning, I felt a little sluggish, but once I got over that Sunday morning slump, I really felt great. Although, my calves and hips are a little sore. I’m thinking it’s time for a new pair of shoes! I can always tell when it’s about that time because parts of me that normally don’t ache, like my back and glutes, start to get sore. 

For breakfast, I thought I’d try the new Kashi cereal I bought yesterday. At just $2 a box on sale, I thought I’d try the Go Lean High Protein & High Fiber Cereal with 10 g of fiber and 13 g of protein. I think that’s the most fiber I’ve ever seen in a cereal!

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Instead of eating a full cup/serving of this cereal (I didn’t want to shock my digestive track), I decided to go half and half with the high fiber version and the the Go Lean Crunch…

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The cereal mixture was lightly sweetened and packed a great crunch. I also added handful of fresh raspberries – ‘cuz berries are so good for you! Along with the cereal, I also chugged my Daily Wellness shot from Zola.

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We’re headed out to do a little shopping, then work around the house. I also think there is a homemade apple pie in store for tonight, so stay tuned for the yummy photos!

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Cereal Better Than Sports Drink After Exercise

September 11, 2009 by

Need Post-Run Refueling? Try Cereal

The next time you do a hard run or other intense exercise, you may want to opt for a bowl of cereal instead of your normal sports drink. New research from the University of Texas Austin compared the post-exercise effects of both cereal and exercise drinks in 12 trained athletes. They found that a bowl of whole-grain cereal with skim milk replenished the athletes’ immediate muscle fuel, called glycogen, as well as the sports drink, and in some aspects, even better. Cereal and milk is typically less expensive than sports drinks, making it an even better option for nonprofessional athletes like me!

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On many mornings, you will likely find me enjoying a big bowl of whole-grain cereal after my run – just like today! I was up and out the door around 6:20 AM today to run a moderately paced 4-miler. I’m still sick so my energy level has not been the greatest.

After my run, I measured 1 cup of Kashi Go Lean Crunch-Honey Almond Flax, which has 8 g of fiber and 9 g of protein in every serving! I poured in about 1/2 cup of skim milk and then the crunching began!

I also had my Daily Wellness Shot from Zola and a few chunks of bright, juicy watermelon…

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I love watermelon! I’m sure I will be longing for this lovely fruit all winter long.

Today, our office is, once again, being overtaken by strangers and food! I’m trying to avoid the staff lounge/kitchen as much as possible for this reason. For lunch, I had a bowl of leftover veggie pasta salad…

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It still has great flavor even when it’s nearly a week old! I think the photo of the salad turned out pretty well, considering it was taken in my cube.

Alright. Must get back to work so that I can leave early to get a jump start on my weekend. Have a great afternoon!

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Hump Day Stress

September 9, 2009 by

Hello all and Happy Hump Day! I am having a very stressful day (and a BAD hair day which just adds to the fun). So please excuse me if I’m not my typical cheerful self. Despite being my off day for running, I woke up early to try to get a jump start on the day and that I did. 

Before I left, I ate a quick and healthy breakfast ….

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A super juicy nectarine! They’ve been so good this season – I don’t think I’ve had a bad one yet. I also had a piece of Brownberry Double Fiber bread with a tbsp of MaraNatha all-natural creamy peanut butter.

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For quite a while, this was my go-to breakfast for the work week and on the weekends. It’s simple but healthy because it has tons of fiber, protein, and MUFA! Throw a little fruit and a Daily Wellness shot and you’re all set.

I arrived at work just before 8:30 without making any detours (although Starbuck’s was calling my name). I am in charge of so many projects right now that all seem to have the same deadline – how the hell did that happen?? But, I have to keep reminding myself that many people out there have lost their jobs, so I should just be thankful that I still have one in this economy. 

In keeping with my simple but healthy theme, I ate a 1/2 ham and salami sandwich for lunch, with a side of sweet and crunchy carrots…

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Not very fun, I know, but that’s the way it goes sometimes. Now, I’m thinking about going to Starbuck’s. And, it’s not that I need the caffeine, it’s more that I need a pick-me-up. I hate that I rely on Starbuck’s to put me in a better mood. But I guess it’s less expensive than going on a shopping spree!

Have to get back to work. Have a great afternoon everyone.

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Sweet Smell of Apple Cake Success

September 8, 2009 by

Evening everyone! Well, I am very happy to report that my first-ever homemade apple cake turned out great! Other than slightly over baking it, it was very moist on the inside and has a super yummy apple cinnamon and sugar flavor!

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After an hour of baking, I let it cool for about 10 minutes and cut into it just to see what the inside look like. I was skeptical at first because the crust looked so thick and bland. But after cutting into it, I could see the very cake-like texture and was quite pleased with myself. 

Then, we were off to see Harry Potter in IMAX. I love this movie! It was incredible how much they were able to include from the book (although they did leave quite a bit of the unnecessary story lines out). I even became teary-eyed in a few parts. That was the first time I’d every gotten choked up at a Harry Potter movie – ha!

After the movie, I went shopping for a few hours as part of my last hurrah for vacation. I went to Lucy to see if the store had any good sales. The sales girl convinced me to try on one of their petite size new Hatha yoga pants. They looked fantastic! But, then I looked at the price tag – $88! I love yoga and Lucy, but $88 on yoga pants? I think I’ll pass.

Scott was teaching again tonight so I made a few leftovers for dinner…

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I had homemade fried chicken, veggies that I picked from the pasta salad, and some freshly-made Trader Joe’s white cheddar shells and cheese. I really love mac and cheese, and Trader Joe’s has one of the best all-natural, organic boxed mac and cheese that I’ve tried.

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Then, for the BIG finnish… Apple Cake!

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Ahhh, so yummy! Not exactly like my mom’s famous recipe (in our family it’s famous!), but it was truly very good. I took one small piece, dusted it with powdered sugar and added one small scoop of Breyer’s natural vanilla ice cream. A practically perfect September dessert!

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As for this recipe, I can’t take all of the credit. The Betters Homes and Gardens cookbook did help me quite a bit. I took the BH&G recipe and modified it slightly to make my own version of the cake, ie. used walnuts instead of pecans, used nutmeg instead of allspice, etc. Not bad for my first time!

Now, I’m off to bed. It’s going to be hard going to work tomorrow after being gone for 5 days!

Have a great night all!

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Odwalla Choco-walla Disappoints a Hungry Runner

September 7, 2009 by

Happy Labor Day!

A few days ago, I made a quick run to Dominick’s, a grocery store that I had not been to in at least 6 months. Dominick’s is a typical grocery store, although it generally has higher prices than Jewell, the store that I frequent most often. Well, when I walked into Dominick’s I was pleasantly surprised to see that they had completely remodeled the store – it was now a cross between an upper-scale grocery store and Whole Foods. Perfect timing too, considering the backlash that Whole Foods is receiving. They had a ton of great deals too on specialty and health food items. In fact, I was able to buy 5 power bars, each for $1. I don’t normally buy powerbars but have recently been eating them to see if they help with my running performance.

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Of the 5 bars, I bought a CLIF bar, a LUNA bar, and 3 different Odwalla bars – one of which I had today. About 30 minutes before my run I tore open my new original flavor Odwalla bar…

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The original version, called the Choco-walla, is made with fruit, whole grains, and chocolate – all the things I love. Plus, it had a good amount of both protein and fiber. Well, it’s too bad I didn’t love this bar. Ok, I didn’t even like this bar. One taste and I knew this bar was not for me – the chocolate tasted chalky and it had another strange taste/flavor that didn’t sit well with me. I made myself eat 1/2 of it then I thew the rest in the trash. Well, that was only $.50 and 110 calories down the drain. But, I still have 2 more Odwalla bars to try, so we’ll see how that goes.

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After a few sips of water, to hydrate and to wash the weird taste out of my mouth, I headed out the door. On Mondays, I usually only do 4 mile runs because I’m pressed for time to get to work. Today, I ran a little over 40 minutes or 5 miles and felt GREAT! I think I might try doing a 7 or 8 miler next weekend.

I was really hungry again today after my run I did a shot of Zola’s Daily Wellness drink and then chowed on a big yogurt bowl…

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I started with a carton of Trader Joe’s vanilla nonfat Greek yogurt and topped that with chopped watermelon, finely chopped Gala apples (fresh picked on Saturday!) and a few walnuts. So filling and yummy!

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I absolutely love watermelon in yogurt and on vanilla ice cream. It’s a great mix of flavors and it gives you added vitamin C and antioxidants in every bite!

We’re headed out to the store now and then onto to the in-laws for a Labor Day dinner. Hope you all have a beautiful, fun, and relaxing Labor Day wherever you are!

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Oh, What a Beautiful Day

September 6, 2009 by

I had such an awesome and very tiring day! I began with a morning run, but this was not like my typical Sunday morning run. I ran for over 50 minutes and logged just over 6 miles. It’s such a great feeling knowing that I’m running faster and increasing my pace.

I usually don’t eat anything before I run (there are pros and cons to this) but I decided to eat something today. I knew I wanted to elevate my performance and would probably need some extra calories to help.

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I ate 1/2 of a LUNA bar for women – the caramel nut brownie flavor. It has 9g of protein and 4g of fiber – perfect for a prerun snack. The bar itself was mighty tasty with a nice chocolate flavor.

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I then laced up my shoes and headed out the door. I made a deal with my legs that if they were too tired to run a full 45 minutes then we could stop at 35 or 40. But, at 40 minutes, my legs and whole body felt great so I went past 50 minutes – hooray! The only reason why I didn’t run longer was because we had a TON of things to do today and I really couldn’t spend anymore time running. 

Immediately after my run, I did some stretching and a 15-minute ab workout (what I do after each run). By this time, I was so completely ravenous that I ate the second 1/2 of the LUNA bar followed by a big bowl of mixed cereal.

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Cheerios Multigrain and Kashi Go Lean Crunch with flaxseed and blueberries, to be exact. On the side, I had a little shot of wellness from Zola..

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Before heading out this evening, we had a huge list of things to accomplish:

  • Clean the house, including the basement
  • Grocery store run
  • Eat lunch
  • Laundry
  • Make food for event: fried chicken, pasta salad, brownies
  • Write blog post
  • Pack car for event

Whew, I’m tired just thinking about all of the things we did today! Lunch was nothing too fancy because there just wasn’t enough time for fancy…

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I had my leftover Mediterranean salad from yesterday and also a Vienna Beef all-natural, nitrate-free hot dog with a few Mezzetta peppers on top. And of course, low-fat Cape Cod chips were on the menu!

By 4:30 PM, the food was ready and the car was packed to go to our final outdoor music event of the summer. We went to listen to a local orchestra play the music of Rogers and Hammerstein. If they don’t sound familiar to you, R&H did the scores for such musicals as The King and I, Carousel, The Sound of Music, Oklahoma, and South Pacific. The vocalists, accompanied by the orchestra, sang several songs from each musical, but I only recognized a handful:

  • Title song – Sound of Music
  • Getting to Know You – The King and I
  • Some Enchanted Evening – South Pacific
  • Overture – South Pacific
  • Oh, What a Beautiful Morning – Oklahoma

In fact, there were so many songs that my husband and I didn’t know (and we both like musicals so that’s saying a lot) that he dubbed this the night of obscure Rogers and Hammerstein songs.

For our picnic-style dinner, we started with white cheddar cheese and crackers – I had more than my share of these…

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We then feasted on homemade fried chicken, courtesy of my husband using his mother’s recipe. We also had homemade pasta salad made with a ton of fresh veggies and Trader Joe’s organic tricolored pasta.

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I did eat a few other things, but by this time in the evening it was so dark that my pictures were not turning out very well, even with the flash. I had a few chunks of juicy watermelon, a couple small but delicious chocolate chip cookies that my father-in-law brought from Panera, and a big cup of lemony frozen yogurt. I was so cold after I was finished eating the yogurt that I was shivering!

I am home now and am sooo ready to go to bed. We have a busy day again tomorrow. The guys are NOT going golfing as planned but we are headed to an early Labor Day dinner at my in-laws

See you in the AM All!

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Learn to Stop Eating Before You're Full

September 5, 2009 by

Hey all! Apple picking was so much fun! I have loads of pictures to share but I’m going to wait until tomorrow AM to post those. Otherwise, I would have WAY too many photos to put in one entry.

After apple picking, we all headed out to lunch. We went to a very popular Chicago chain restaurant called Portillo’s (if you’re from the Chicago area, you know exactly what I’m talking about!). Well, I normally LOVE Portillo’s but today, I just wasn’t in the mood for their food. Luckily, there was a Corner Bakery, another Chicago-area favorite, just  a few doors down. While everyone else was ordering their food at Portillo’s I ran over to Corner B and got me a bistro-style lunch to bring back and eat with the others…

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I had a cup of baked potato soup with bacon and a Mediterranean salad. As I’ve mentioned before, this soup is one of my absolute favorites to eat and it’s super filling. It was so filling that I couldn’t even eat the salad that came with it! It didn’t help that I chowed on the equivalent of two Gala apples just an hour before. But apples are healthy and full of fiber, so I didn’t care.

I took the salad home and had intended to eat it for dinner, but my husband had other plans. With summer winding down, chicken tacos seemed to be a great grill-friendly dinner to have on a cool and comfortable evening. We started out dinner with a little Frontera all-natural salsa and tortilla chips…

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If you’re not familiar with Frontera salsa, it is made by the famous Chef and restauranteur Rick Bayless who is the Chef at Chicago’s Frontera Grill. Scott and I have eaten at Frontera and loved it. Now, Scott wants to eat at Bayless’ Topolobampo, Frontera’s sister restaurant, but it’s really expensive (for gourmet Mexican food) so I’ve been holding off for a really special occasion. One thing is for sure, Chicago has some of the most amazing restaurants in the US and I’m looking forward to trying all of them some day – ha!

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The salsa in a jar was very good as well. It has a roasted tomato flavor which I love, just a hint of garlic, and not too spicy. Love it!

Then came the main event – grilled chicken tacos!

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They tasted as amazing as they look – no joke! The chicken marinade my husband uses is similar to his fajita recipe, but not as tangy. I stuffed my whole wheat soft tortilla so much that it nearly fell apart (but that’s what forks are for, right?)

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See, it’s bursting at the seams – hah hah! I only had ONE taco and then ate a little more Trader Joe’s guacamole and salsa – I’m all about the appetizers!

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And, if it’s one thing I know, it’s to stop eating just before I get full (or when I feel satisfied). I very rarely let myself get stuffed because I hate that “just ate a bag of rocks” feeling in my stomach. I also try to eat slow so that I actually recognize that I’m full (or not) before I eat too much. That’s a key factor for me in keeping my weight down and being able to fit into my Gap jeans year after year. Try this strategy, you may be surprised at how it can work for you.

Now, I’m sitting at Barnes and Noble contemplating a Starbuck’s night cap – should I get a skim hot chocolate or a new pumpkin spice latte – hmm…decisions, decisions.

Stay tuned tomorrow morning for an apple extravaganza!

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September is Apple-picking Season

September 5, 2009 by

Morning everyone! This is just a quick post before I jet off to go apple picking. I had to miss yoga class today because of our big morning event. I’m going to try to fit in a mid-week yoga session on my Tuesday vacation day.

For breakfast, I made a little yogurt parfait…

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I took one carton of Trader Joe’s nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt and added blueberries and walnuts to it. I absolutely love TJ’s vanilla Greek yogurt. Even the girl at the checkout commented on how much she liked that type of yogurt. Too bad I can’t get my husband or sister to try it, I think they’d both like it.

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In addition to my yogurt parfait, I had my daily wellness shot and a slice of Hormel all-natural, nitrate-free, uncured bacon. There have been numerous studies that show nitrates may be linked to cancer so my husband and I try to buy most things without nitrates, like hot dogs, lunch meat, and bacon. You’d be surprised at how many brands actually sell nitrate -free products now. 9.5 breakfast2

Now, I’m off to go apple picking! I’m so excited because apple picking means apple pies, applesauce, apple crisp, and, of course, fresh apples!

Talk to you this afternoon!

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The Last Days of Summer…

September 4, 2009 by

Morning everyone! Can you believe it’s Labor Day weekend already! I’m a little sad that the summer is over, but I have a great weekend ahead. Here’s what’s on my agenda for the last days of summer…

  • Friday – haircut (which is an event for me)
  • Saturday – Apple picking with the fam
  • Sunday – Outdoor music concert (my “Labor Day weekend show”)
  • Monday – Golf (not me, but the guys) and a BBQ
  • Tuesday – A vacation day for me and hopefully the day I finally see the latest Harry Potter

I want to fit in some magazine reading and a new recipe or two. So much to do, so little time! 

But, before I get into the weekend, let’s talk about today! The weather is just amazing this morning – slightly cool and sunny. It was just perfect for a run.

For breakfast, I was inspired by Tina’s oatmeal this morning and decided to make my own oatmeal creation…

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I started with about 1/4 whole oats and added 1/2 cup skim milk. After I microwaved it for 2 minutes, I added a spoonful of MaraNatha all-natural creamy peanut butter, a few walnuts (I’m on a walnut kick if you can’t tell!) and a handful of blueberries. Oh my, this is such a filling combination and full of protein, fiber, and antioxidants. 

I also had a little chopped fruit that I brought home from our staff luncheon yesterday…

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Doesn’t that fruit look yummy! Finally, to top off my breakfast, I had a shot of wellness from 
Zola.

 I have a ton of grocery shopping to do today so I need to hurry up and get ready then head out the door. I also have a haircut appointment at 1:45 – yeah!! I’m dying to try a new style, but I’m such a nervous nellie about my hair. Whatever I decide, I’ll post some pics later – if it turns out well. Otherwise, I’ll be in hiding for a few weeks -ha!

By the way, what’s everyone doing for the long Labor Day weekend? Even though I have a full weekend planned, I really wish I could pull a Jimmy B. and say I was heading up to San Francisco for the Labor Day weekend show… I can never get enough Jimmy!

Ok, now I really have to get going. Have a great morning everyone!

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