I have so many great posts coming up! Look for:
~The ultimate 300+ ab and core exercises! I might do a month long challenge for the month of August!
~My amazing vacation Bend, Or recap!
~Yummy summer recipes, smoothies and salads!
So, please, check out the NEW me: Girly Girls Don’t Jog, We Run!
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Ugh, I was so starving, because I ate my lunch/dinner too early, thinking it would act as a dinner because I’d be going to bed early. 
And I was just ravenous, so I caved and ate an apple with cheddar cheese slices and peanut butter. Not good, since I’ll be going to bed in the next 20 minutes.
Next time, this is a reminder for you Courtney: JUST GO TO BED and eat a GOOD breakfast!
Phew, I feel better getting that out there and talking about it. The next time “late” night hunger munchies hit me, I can JUST SAY NO. I was also thinking about downing a TON of water. I think my excitment for the apple came from my awesome new apple slicer!
Guilty as charged – I did a little shopping today 
I found some great deals. I picked up some water shoes from Teva for our Bend trip this weekend, a travel cup with a monogram C on it for Courtney, the apple slicer, and some mixed peppercorns, to refill my grinder. I am obseesed with the mixed – it’s the best flavor ever!
I have some random fuzz/shizz on my thumb. Gross.
Ahhh, it’s like a little bloomin’ onion – but healthy!
Errr, until I added some sharp cheddar cheese slices and a serving of peanut butter. Sigh. It’s just so good.
This was my late lunch/dinner – or linner. I thought I was going to be really early, by 9, because I have an early morning and I’m trying to increase my sleep. Trouble is, Clayton had all these errands he wanted to run when he got off, and apparently he also neeed my undivided attention – aka – serious cuddle time. Hey, I don’t mind … I felt too heartless pushing him away so I could go to bed, BAHAHA.
So now it’s 10:30 and I’m going to bed! Washing my face, brushing the teeth, drinking a crapload of water, and hitting the hay. I have a 5:45 wakeup, so I can hit the gym by 6:00 for a spin and sculpt class, a BIG something after that, which requires over an hour of travel there and an hour back, and then packing for a weekend in BEND! For boating, tubing, hiking, relaxing, running and Trader Joes!
I’ll keep you updated! I’m hoping to run a 10k on Saturday!
xox, Courtney
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: 10k run, apple graters, bend, Gym, Running, Shopping, spin, spinning, teva's, vacation | 12 Comments »
Heya lovely readers! Here I am, watching Le Tour De France! Excuse the total sleepiness. I’d been awake for about .23 seconds. The tour is serious business! Any watchers keeping up? This is the first year I have really followed it, and I find it absolutely fascinating! These are true athletes! Cycling is such a gorgeous sport, I love it! I do not have a road bike of my own (I was borrowing one for a while though!) but I am just waiting for some coin to fall into my lap – buaha – I mean save for it. Road bikes are expensive – these bikes these guys ride cost thousands! I may have to compromise on my road bike, as I also want a mountain bike. I haven’t bought one or the other yet – because I don’t know which I would like first!
I love trail running, so I can’t imagine the thrill of biking out in the mud, the dirt, embracing the climb & being a part of nature! My boyfriend mountain bikes, and whenever he talks about his last ride, or about one of his adventures, you can see a little sparkle in his eye. It’s contagious!
This commerical has been running a lot during the tour, as Nature Valley is a huge sponsor, keeping the tour almost commerical free!
It embodies how I feel about nature, and even taking time for yourself, mastering personal goals, finding inner strength, embracing challenges – and reaching the summit to take it all in, and celebrating the moment …
On to the food of the morning! Mmm, breakfast! I have no idea what I was thinking, I photographed the ingreeds, but the oatmeal was just so tasty, it disappeared before I remembered I need to be photographing these delish dishes for you!
I’m almost out of walnuts! Eeeek.
In my oatmeal: 1/2 c. instant quaker oats, 1/4 c. chopped walnuts, 1/2 c. frozen berries, 3/4 scoop vanilla ice cream whey protein powder.
I used to HATE things on my fridge. I am actually quite the neat freak. I like organization – everything needs a home. I like clean surfaces, no clutter. Recently though, maybe with life being busier, and the fact that I’m the only one that does any cleaning – I’ve learned to let the clutter happen, I guess! Rather then spend hours out of my day cleaning others messes, just let it be.
I have a calendar of all the classes at the gym, my racing bibs, photos from some of my favorite times, awards from school, party invitations … I like keeping it all together in one place – it just makes me smile.
You’ll see on the fridge the massive containers that Clayton and I have of Whey Protein. This is some of the best protein – it’s just not marketed towards the greener, natural, wholesome crowd. It’s just straight up whey protein. That’s it. Optimum has been making this stuff for a long time. They have quite the following in the fitness realm. The flavors are soooo delicious, too. Nothing funky tasting, like some other powders I’ve tried! Like the Banana SoyPro up there – It’s BAD. I have Chocolate Mint and Vanilla Ice Cream. When I bought these, I got a really good deal on them, so I ended up buying two. Protein is expensive, so I’ll take the deal anyday.
Just a note - if you’re trying to transform your body and lose weight, I do hope you’re incorporating some strength training, at least 3 days a weeks, into your routine. I also hope you’re getting enough protein in your diet – protein is the main ingredient needed to build muscle and help with recovery.
I also have a small container of L-Glutamine. The other stuff up there is Clayton’s. He used to personal train and took his muscle-fuelage pretty seriously. Did you know it’s your recovery that is more important than your actual work out? You build muscle during recovery. You become faster during recovery, runners. Don’t ever your ignore your recovery period. Meaning, your days off and any times you are not working out – this is why SLEEP is so essential! 10 hours a night or more if you’re training or preparing to run a race. Seriously. You work out so hard, so maximize your hard work by fueling properly, getting enough sleep, and hydrating.
L-Glutamine is a supplement which contains an amino acid. It is most commonly used by bodybuilders and endurance athletes, to help them build up their muscles and lose weight, but there have also been a number of research studies which show that glutamine is linked to help with intestinal functions.
Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body and is primarily stored in muscle cells from which it is depleted during exercise. One of the glutamine benefits and functions is to act as a source of fuel for the immune system. Studies have shown that it can help to restore the body’s depleted stores after exercise and keep the immune system functioning properly.
Although most people that exercise are not competitive endurance athletes, these results may have potential implications for anyone that exercises on a regular basis, whether they jog, lift weights, or compete in Ironman level triathlons. In addition to the stresses that occur with prolonged, intense exercise, most people today also have to deal with the everyday stress caused by their career and surviving in today’s wired, 24 hour workday. To stay healthy and achieve your physical goals, it may make sense to supplement with glutamine following workouts and during periods of intense stress. [Source.]
If you suffer from Irritable Bowel Sydrome or even similar symptoms, then click this link to read about the huge help L-Glutamine has been able to offer.
I just take one tablespoon of this white, flavorless powder and add it to smoothies, shakes, or even oatmeal after workouts, and sometimes in the morning as well.
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I just heard a giant PLOP and a huge “Crap!” and he came running out, his phone wrapped in a towel, drying it off, turning it off, and even setting it in a bowl of rice to help get some of the excess water out! He’s upset because the water-mark indicator is now red (duh!) and he’s afraid it’s voided the warranty (cell phone companies won’t fix or replace a phone with water damage.) He has the new iPhone, so if anything goes wrong …
He’s left it with me, I’m supposed to baby it and keep it in the sun. Poor thing, he got it less than 2 weeks ago, too!
I’m jumping in the shower, and I will be snacking on this before I leave!
Fresh grated cinnamon over 1 banana with a tbsp. of peanut butter. JOY!
I would like to leave you with some rules that just shouldn’t be broken – Courtesy of the August 2009 issue of Runner’s World Magazine.
No Cheating:
GO TO SLEEP. Athletes who get ten hours of zzz’s per night perform better than those who sleep less. “An extra hour or two of sleep a night a few weeks before a big event can make a big difference,” says Napa Valley Marathon winner Peter Gilmore.
EAT GOOD FOOD. Anthony Famglietti, an Olympian steeplechaser and former junk-foodie, took months to improve his diet. “I assumed you were supposed to feel bad after hard workouts,” he says. “Most of that came from a bad diet.”
BUILD YOUR CORE. To improve his running economy, Gilmore does core work five to six days a week. “When I do it, I feel normal.” he says. “When I don’t, my form gets sloppy, my back gets tight, and I feel a little wobbly and inefficient.”
Have a lovely Hump Day!
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: iphone, L-Glutamine, protein, recovery, Runner's World Magazine, Running, Tour De France, water damage | 4 Comments »
Hey, hey, hey, look at that scrumtious lunch! 
I decided to fuel up, give myself about an hour to digest, and then head out for an easy 4.5 mile run.
We have one whole wheat English muffin, toasted, with one sliced Roma tomato shared between the two slices, and a pinch of grated pepper jack cheese to top it off! And a few minutes under the broiler – perfection for this girl!
My run was tough, I’m pretty wiped from all the running I’ve been doing! My 8k run Saturday, 5 miles on Sunday, 7 miler yesterday, and then this 4.5 today – I was mentally drained and honestly – my body is screaming at me to just take it easy!
I was pretty excited to be heading back, covering the last mile and a half, when out of nowhere, a bee flew up my shorts and stung me on the thutt! (That’s the thigh/butt area for anyone not familiar with Skinny Runner.) I have only been stung by a bee, actually, a wasp, one other time in my life – on the bottom of my foot. I was traumatized. So, as soon as I realized what had just happened, I waited for some serious, extreme pain. But really, it was just a throbbing, sharp, aching, hot, leg-numbing feeling that I walked off, slowly, and finished walking home. I limped a little here and there, and there was some serious rubbing going on … But man, I still can’t believe I got stung on the butt.
This tantilizing and juicy peach just made me feel so much better.
Dinner was unpictured, sorry kids! Imagine wrapping 4 large lettuce leaves around a thin sliver of avocado, grilled chicken breast and a little dijon mustard. See, nothing really worth photographing in the dim light of my kithchen!
I’m taking the day OFF tomorrow. Maybe just a little core work – which I’ve been neglecting since tacking on all of this mileage recently. You know, I have lost a lot of the muscle definition I had before running so much. I used to be so proud of my tummy and my abs, and now ~ I’m really ready to throw a towel around me when I get out of the shower. As much as I love running, I’m not too sure where it fits in my fitness plan and sculpting the body I really want.
More on that later, gators. I’m EXHAUSTED.
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Goooood morning! I’m working on this giant Green Monster as we “speak.”
I’m interested in getting more vital fats into my diet, and thought some ground flax (flax seed meal) would work well this morning in my GM. I think I added more then I needed, as this edition of Green Monster was a little chewier then usual.
It may be tiny, but it’s mighty: The flax seed carries one of the biggest nutrient payloads on the planet. Rich in Omega-3’s, low in carbohydrates, it is also high in fiber and antioxidants. While ground is your best bet, I do like them whole over yogurt, cereal, oatmeal and in my baked goods, as they force me to slow down and really chew.
Note that a) flax seeds need to be ground (see above grinder, or with your teeth, really, really well, to make the nutrients available (otherwise they just “pass through”) and b) flax seed oil alone contains neither the fiber nor the phytochemicals of whole flax seed meal.
Ladies! Take note! Flax seed is also high in phytochemicals, including many antioxidants. It is perhaps our best source of lignans, which convert in our intestines to substances which tend to balance female hormones. There is evidence that lignans may promote fertility, reduce peri-menopausal symptoms, and possibly help prevent breast cancer. In addition, lignans may help prevent Type 2 diabetes.
This morning, I made enough for two! I finished the small one, and about 1/3 of the tall, skinny glass. It was so thick, almost chewy!
Well, time to get to work!
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: breakfast, flax seed meal, flax seeds, green monster | 5 Comments »
Good evening! Night posts are so much more exciting than morning posts – usually because I have my workout/run in at this time! Above is a picture of my shirt from my 1st 8k, held during the weekend of Turkey Rama, a sweet little summer festival/carnival/giant BBQ thing we have every year.
On the back, the information on the actual run! The runner’s raised thousands for the cancer society! I am still waiting for “official photos” from the photographers.
I had a lot of clothes folding to do today. I either need a larger closet or dresser or both – or it times time start donating/giving away some of my clothes! I seriously feel like piles of laundry are taking over the entire apartment! There they are, on the bed!
In the spare room, piles that have been sorted, but need to be put away! Folding is the longest part, thank goodness putting them away just takes a few minutes!
And OMG, somehow, the boyfriend even folded his mountain of clean clothes that were lying on his side of the bed. I did help him put them away, though. :] I try to help, he works 40 hours a week or more!
I tried out this Kind bar as a snack today, and holy smokes. This flavor is soooo good! It’s the sesame chocolate, and it’s rich, dark chocolate and crunchy, with perfectly roasted sesame seeds. Addicting. I snacked on it throughout the day until I left on my run. I was sad to see the last bite go. I haven’t heard very good things about their fruit bars, so I didn’t buy any to taste. But, I am so happy I tried this flavor! It’s a taste to remember!
And here I am, displaying my racing bib for you before I take off on my run this afternoon.
This bib was really important to me, because halfway through my 8k, I actually LOST it. You see, I had to stop and take off my little Adidas jacke that I had on, and silly me, had safety pinned my bib over the zipper. So, I had to unpin, unzip, take off arm-band holding my iPhone, then tie jacket around my waist, re-cinch my arm band, and then finally safety pin my bib back on. Guess what? I lost the safety pins. I know, I know, I know. So, I folded it and tucked it into my under armour pants, thinking they would be safe and sound. To no avail, on my last mile, I noticed its disappearance, and honestly, I had to hold back tears! These damn bibs mean so much to me. WTH, it’s JUST a bib. That’s what I was telling myself as I was mustering the strength to sprint across the finish line.
And, the devil that I am, never giving up, I decided to backtrack the entire track at a creeping pace of 5 MPH to see if I could find the spot where it fell out of my pants. And you can see, I did!
Here I am, all SHWEATY.
I was so thirsty and ready to cool down! I threw together this smoothie, not really measuring anything – how Courtney of me, and eyeballing everything. Of course, when the smoothie came out EFFING AMAZING, I have no 100% way of re-creating it!
Here’s what I did, roughly. I was out of spinach, so this was just a BOMB DIGGITY protein smoothie!
I hopped in the shower, threw on some clothes, ran to Roths and picked up more spinach and fresh produce. So ready for my GM tomorrow! I snacked on this delicious peach as I was putting away groceries.
I ended up making a spectacular dinner for myself, and a little snack for Clayton. I had whole wheat penne pasta (1/2 cup) with 1/4 cup red sauce, one sliced roma tomatoe, and 1/4 avodaco with some salt and pepper. SO DELISH!
And hello, a beer! I love LAGUNITAS! I even have a poster on my fridge, I am so passionate about this beer.
This was a pint of I Hop Stoopid.
For Clayon, I was feeling crafty. So, under the broiler (after a even spread of olive oil and some sea salt) went one whole wheat tortilla until nicely crisped. Then, I melted 1/4 c. sharp cheddar with a little almond milk in the microwave, for a nacho-like cheese. Which, I drizzled all over the broken pieces of tortilla. I then used the other 1/4 of avocado as topping with some green Tabasco.
Because I posted about the beauty of sweating, here’s another photo of me just drenched after my outdoor run. I run with the cars, the people, on the road, on the sidewalk, I have no shame! Seriously, look at THAT SHIRT.
Now, I have a boyfriend that needs attention.
Have a fun night!
xoxo, Courtney
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: 7 miler, 8k race, beer, clothes folding, home made nachos, pasta, protein smoothie, Running, sweating, Training, turkey trot | 6 Comments »
Ohhh, what a lovely Monday! How are you all feeling? Where are you all reading from? The office? At home? Sitting in your jams? Pink slippers, anyone?
I started my morning with some scrambled eggs. I’m trying to reign in my voracious carbohydrate appetite!
This Morning’s Breakfast at 8:30 am: Scrambled egg whites with walla-walla onions, yellow and red bell peppers, topped with green Tobasco. To wash it down, and wake me up, a cup of coffee with Vanilla Soymilk. And, a small chunk of cinnamon raisin english muffin (that “fell off” of Clayton’s plate, muahaha) with butter spray and fresh grated cinnamon! 
Coffee served in my awesome, memory-filled Corteo cup! Any Cirque De Soleil lovers? Those bodies are ROCKIN!
Mid-Morning Snack at 10:30 am: Rainer Cherries and Green Grapes
Last night I saw The Hangover with Clayton! Holy shizz, this movie was off-the-hook-hilarious. Have you seen it, did you like it? I need to go to Vegas.
My out-and-back run yesterday was pretty sweet. The racing adrenaline is still pumping in my veins from Saturday’s 8k, I think, as I increased my run from the usual 5 miler. Well, that was until I got rained out and had to run into a little Mexican Restaurant and wait for the BF to rescue me.
So, I ran about 3.5 miles, turned around, got about .75 miles, and the rain began to pour, and seriously threatened my electronics! I was scared that Newton, my iPhone, would suffer water damage. So, like drowned rats, we sought cover, and waited patiently for a ride. The rain didn’t stop for a few hours! It was about a 350 calorie burn, about 30 minutes total of running. Not bad, but I would have liked more. I might make today’s run a little longer.
After showering and warming back up, I had a great late lunch/early dinner. My favorite IPA accompanied by lettuce, turkey and avocado boats. I just lay whatever I like on the leaf, and eat it open faced. A nice thick head of romaine lettuce works well for any kind of boat. (These are great instead of bread, bagels, wraps or english muffins, and different then a salad, no dressing.)
These look a little plain, but they are very delicious!
I competed in my first 8k race Saturday morning! It was so much fun! The race benefitted the Willamette Valley Cancer Foundation! I didn’t take any photos, as I didn’t have anyone to snap pictures, and didn’t want to be running with a camera! They will post some photos on our Chamber of Commerce website in the next few days, and I hope to share a few with you guys then.
I woke up and gave myself an hour to wake-up, get breakfast and fuel up with some caffiene. I didn’t want to over-do it, so I ate about 1/2 of an english muffin with peanut butter and jelly. I gave myself about an hour before the race to find parking, get my bib, collect my shirt, warm-up, etc.
It’s a rather small race, with under 500 runners, but we did manage to raise thousands for the Cancer Foundation!
The race was not too hilly, and I completed it in a time of 43:26, my personal best mile time! I found that I did BEST on the hills, it’s like I’m made to climb! I had a few ups and downs while running … One being I had to stop and undress, because I’d safety pinned my bib over the zipper of my small jacket, which I HAD to take off, I was so, so, so hot. I lost a lot of time, and all the people that I’d managed to overcome just passed me … I had a lump in my throat at this point. Then, when I LOST my bib in the middle of the race, that was pretty sad. I honestly had to choke down some dry sobs. I mean, I am already so proud of the one race bib I keep on my fridge from my first 5k, it makes me happy every time I see it! I was looking forward to completing another race, and putting this bib on my fridge, too. This loss was tragic at this point in time. I also think I was pushing my body and a little mentally whacked out at this point. Races are kind of emotional rollercoasters, aren’t they?
They didn’t mark any of the miles, and I was running so much faster then I usually do, I had no idea the distance I’d covered, but all the sudden, there was the finish line! I had so much energy left in me, I sprinted across the finish, it was great! I remembered my bib number, too, so they were able to award me an official time, thank goodness.
And, I was so determined to find my bib, after the race, I backtracked the course in my Jeep, and FOUND IT!
I’ve really caught the racing bug, and I hope that I can run another race this coming weekend, a 10k! I’ll keep you posted on that.
After my run, I came home and showered, and then headed to Wildwood for breakfast. I had a hearty breakfast of Mueslix and Wildwood toast, of which I ate about half. Has anyone else ever experienced a lack of appetite after a race?
My stomach was so full and uncomfortable after this hearty breakfast, to aid digestion, I walked downtown through the festival going on, Turkey Rama. (Which has nothing to do with Turkey’s or Thanksgiving.)
They did a really good job putting up booths and having games and live music, and all the businesses had their doors open, sales going on, and big displays up, advertising their goods. It must be so hard owning a small business in these times! I hope this weekend helped boost their sales and made people aware of the power of buying locally!
Mac Sports had a huge sale going on – running shoes, anyone? I am not due for a pair yet.
I walked by, but didn’t stop in, my favorite Ice Cream parlour. Look at what they’re offering!
Classic carnival food was being served. I couldn’t resist taking a picture of this thing! IT WAS HUGE! That’s a regular sized paper plate.
I stopped into the post office to check my box. Guess what was in there?
I’m a volunteer on two different days for the Oregon Brewer’s Festival in downtown, Portland!
On the walk back to my Jeep, I saw this sweet chair! Love the fabric! Sorry about the glare. I was off to Spa Bliss for a therapudic Deep Tissue Massage! This was a present from Clayton.
The spa is really beautiful! I have also come here to get waxed! The massage was great! My masseuse was not very friendly, but she worked my back in so many wooooonderful ways! I had some serious, serious back problems from falling asleep on the couch. But all is well!
Over the weekend, I also made these LOVELY chewy cranberry oatmeal bars, from a recipe I got off the back of my Oatmeal box! I love me some Quaker Oats!
These are so, so easy to make, and you can throw in a plethora of various ingreeds to change up the bar! Point is, these are low in fat and super nutritious!
Ingreeds:
We just couldn’t help it. Clayton and I gobbled them up so fast. Next time, I will make sure I leave just a few bars out, and freeze the rest! I think they would be even tastier frozen though, oh my! (I have a thing for sweet things frozen.)
I have some clean-up to do that didn’t get finished over the weekend, and then I’m off to run! I also have a few groceries to pick up ~ some fresh produce.
Stay tuned ~ I’m also working on putting together photos and explanations of my favorite ab & core moves, and maybe even my whole routine! It only take about 15 minutes to do them, but it’s over 300 repetitions!
Have a great afternoon, see you all tonight.
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Hey lovely readers!
Thanks for checking in! It’s been a relaxing and fun-filled weekend!
I have much to fill you in on:
And for the rest of today? A joyous run and a movie – Bruno or The Hangover? We’ll see!
Have a great night!
An old photo of good memories - turning 21!
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I’m humming this tune that plays during a nifty commercial from Honda! Have you all seen it? Dudda-DOM-DOM-Dudda-DOM-DOM … all these people acting like “Earth” praising the Hybrid. If you haven’t seen this commercial, then you have no idea what I’m yakking on about, and you officially think I’m a nutter. And that’s okay.
But hey! As I write this, the sun is coming out! Okay, if I keep typing SUNSHINE SKY, will the sun STAY out? Sunshine sky, sunshine sky, sunshine sky … The sun as been hidden behind gray skies the last few days, severely dampening my mood and any possible outdoor activities and adventures.
I have my first swimming lesson tonight, I am pretty excited! It’s only 30 minutes long, but my instructor will be able to see where I’m at and the kind of “work” I need. Honestly, I have never taken formal swimming lessons, so this should be fun! I’m hoping to learn the various strokes, treading water techniques, and to just become a stronger swimmer overall. I swim now, in my grandma’s pool … A little doggie paddle, anyone?
This morning I was up and at ‘em, I ran to the grocery story for some coffee, and, of course, picked up a few more things. A little frustrated that I did though, I know I could have saved so much more money if I’d hit up a different store, but alas, I love Roth’s. They have great produce, great customer service – and samples! FRESH, HOT samples! I sampled a cinnamon roll (holy mama, so good), an oatmeal chocolate chip raisin cookie, and a poppy-seed muffin. These samples are about the size of your pinkie. So, just perfect to satisfy my mean sweet tooth. Not mean enough that I didn’t cave and find some cinnamon rolls of my own in the freezer section …. Muahaha, I can’t wait to sneak into those!
See my sweet re-usable grocery bag from Peir 1? I snagged some avies, pink ladies, ripe bananas (perfect for raw banana ice cream and green monsters!), roma’s, boyd’s coffee, cinnamon rolls, and some romaine lettuce! Because I’ve decided I hate this kind! Yuck, yuck, yuck. It’s so dry and really? It is like eating weeds. So, I snatched up this big leafy, green, moist head of nice romaine!
GROSS!
I contemplated for a good 5 minutes whether or not I should attempt to make a healty cinnamon roll at home, or buy those store-bought … Well, as much as I wish I could bake and make my own, this is not cohesive with my waistline. Baking is dangerous for me! I eat much, much more the necessary, and any control over portion sizes fly right out the window! This could just be the baking mom, proud of her little baked babies, someone’s gotta eat ‘em! But I’ve learned that when trying to stay trim – avoid all evils. You don’t keep chips in your cupboards, well, I don’t bake – because the only person eating the bakes goods is ME. (And Clayton sometimes, but he doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth, I guess, plus he’s watching HIS figure, so my feelings actually get hurt when my goodies just sit there.) I hope one day I have someone to bake for! So, while these may not have the freshest, most organic ingredients in them? They’re only 150 calories a piece and I can bake them in portions.
Feeling so motivated after shopping, (a.k.a. eating cinnamon roll samples ) I snacked on a juicy peach before heading out to the gym. I made sure to walk a few rounds around the grocery store to supplement that walk I was talking about last night, and it did help loosen me up. I’ve been stiff as a board, and I know the culprit is my lack of supportive bedding. Somethings gotta give, cuz I’m dying here!
I was pretty tight at the gym this morning, if not a little sore from last nights over-enthusiastic workout. After a good 10 minutes running at 5.5 MPH on the treadmill, I hit the mats for some core work. After various moves and plank, I would say I completed about 95 repetitions of both abs and core. (They’re not one and the same!) Walking lunges, bulgarian lunges, shoulder raises, shadowboxing lunges, push-ups, stairs sprints, oh my! 35 minutes later, I jumped on the elliptical and finished off the workout strong, with a 10 Resistance, really pumping the arms. I didn’t mind the sweat dripping down my back, the hair sticking to my forehead, or the dampness of my shirt – this girl was working hard! I’d like to encourage ladies who also workout at the gym to SHOW OFF YOUR SWEAT - it means you are working, burning calories and progressing! The ladies at the gym that you feel are “looking” at you, are actually wondering how you do it!
It’s okay to look all sweaty here, (SWEATY was the theme of this runway show!)
But not here?
I used to be a little intimidated, to the point I’d leave my workouts midway through if I felt like I was working too hard a.k.a. getting tooooo sweaty! That was, until I reminded myself, I work out for myself and no one else! If you’re not at the gym to workout, then what are you doing there? Why do they call it a workout? The gym is not the place to get primped up for and make sure your lips are glossed! Don’t be afraid of your hair coming undone, don’t be afraid of some sweat, wear it proudly, it’s your body reminding you, thanking you! You’re doing it some good! Don’t compare yourself to other girls, they’re just as worried as you are! So bring down the walls, sweat it out and work it up!
I came home and cooled down the right way. I opened my favorite flavour of Larabar, I was just feeeeelin’ the green! And of course, a green munsta! 1 scoop Vanilla whey protein powder, 1 banana, 1 c. plain yogurt, water, to help my sad mixer along, and only 1 cup spinach, as I ran out
I got this DVD from Netflix, I am pretty excited to try it out soon.
It’s not complete into you go deep into the mouth of the monster!
Time to go enjoy the sunshine! Have a great afternoon.
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I love fellow Bloggers adventures! Wow, this picture makes me LAUGH!
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Onto another subject
A person who is 120 pounds
and is exercising for 50 minutes,
is not pregnant,
is not breastfeeding,
does not live at a high altitude,
does not live in a dry climate,
drinks 1 alcoholic drink(s),
when the weather is not very hot or very cold,
and is not sick with fever or diarrhea should have:
75.5 ounces of water today, or 2.3 liters.
Bahaha, this little summary is re-wording all of the questions I was asked by About.com’s Hydration Calculator.
Do you know how much water you need a day? We’re all different, so your water intake is different! This calculator can be useful to pinpoint daily water needs. Because the weather does change, sometimes we work out harder or easier or not at all, and when Friday night rolls around, we are probably drinking more wine than we would on a weeknight, unless you don’t need the excuse of a weekend, in which case your name is Courtney and you have a blog called Peace, Love, Healthiness.
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I am so full right now. And, not a comfortable full, but like an “I just ate a huge protein-laden dinner and drank too many Sigg’s full of water and now have a prego-belly” full.
I was starving after my super-duper workout tonight! Yeah, I just said super-duper. But, I was in an awful mood before getting my workout on. Seriously. Cranky. Angry. Just a freaking angel, you know. When I got to the gym, I wasn’t sure my workout would consist of, but I was getting amped up to kick my ass and release all of the negative energy of my day.
I put my game face on, had my Lady GaGa station on my Pandora ROARING from my iPhone, and hit the treadmill to warm up. I ran for 10 minutes at 6 miles per hour.
Then, it was all a blur. But, I was having the time of my life! Wednesday’s at 6PM are dead at my gym (I think everyone was upstairs at class) so I just owned the place! I was changing it up every few minutes, pumping out shizz like: 60 walking lunges with a leg raise holding 8 lb. d-bells, bulgarian lunges 3×12 with 10 lbs., endless shoulder raises, tricep dips, squat jacks, shadowboxing lunges, push-ups, planks, butterfly kicks, flutter kicks, and abdominal/core work. And I know I’m not covering it all! I was so happy as I was working out, pushing myself, sweating a storm, and just feeling so good and strong. I made sure to go very, very quickly in-between exercises and sets with very little breaks! Keep that heart raging!
I didn’t want it to end! Before cooling down, I hit it with more treadmill, this time walking at 8.0 incline @ 3.9 MPH for 10 minutes. I decided to really use my arms, and was surprised my heart rate stayed so high – about 155-165! If you’ve never walked at an incline on a treadmill because you don’t think it’s “hardcore enough,” I suggest getting your arms into it! Yes, you’ll look like one of those speed-walkers you love to make fun of at the mall in the morning, but hey, they do it because it works!
In the end – Nirvana. Sweet, sweet bliss. I cooled down to stretch, happy as a clam. My hair sticking to my sweaty forehead, my breath a little haggard. Why do I love this feeling so much? Why can’t exercise always be like this? I want so, so badly to wake up tomorrow and find the energy to go work out right away, so I can carry this accomplishment with me all day. But, I have been sleeping horribly. I’m stiff as a board these days. I’m thinking maybe some coffee and a nice walk outside will help pick me up and get me going. Maybe I should download an enlightening Podcast to listen to? Ideas, anyone?
That protein laden dinner looked like this, by the way:
What have we got here? Some grilled chicken on the Traeger BBQ! The best BBQ around, with Hickory Chips, no less. I didn’t raise a finger, Clayton felt like cooking tonight, so this was ready for me when I got back from the gym. Vurrrry sweet. I loved the grilled cukes! I chopped myself a juicy-lush Roma tomato to round out the color palette.
Lunch was a creative adventure! I sauteed some frozen veggies, a snowpea blend in a little water. (They were frozen, so the melting ice helped prevent excess sticking or requiring me to add any extra oils.) I toasted an english muffin (favorite food staple, ever?!) and sliced another Roma around it’s circumference to make nice round, plate-like tomato slices. I set these on the toasted muffin, dolloped the freshly sauteed veggie’s over this, and then laid a thin slice of finely aged swiss to keep it all together, and under the broiler we go – perfection!
Maaaaaan, I love me some open-faced english muffin creations! They’re my blank canvas for the ultimate health food creations!
True food porn!
Are you guys ready for tomorrow? I’m excited to see what it holds! See ya manana!
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