Ten years ago this week, my boyfriend of four months bought me a shiny blue iPod mini and that marked the (near) beginning of my running journey. That little iPod has run with me through rain, snow, sleet, two pregnancies, and lots of sweat. I've often thought about sharing my running story here but shied away from it because I've felt a) you're probably not interested and b) it's a little personal for this private girl (who has a blog…..the irony is not lost on me).  However, on the off chance that I might inspire some of you to not put limitations on yourself, I thought I would share this piece of me.

The beginning of my running story is not a glamorous one… at all. It began with a lot of frustration, some tears, and asthma. I hated running but wanted to love it. I loved the idea of being able to get a workout in with no equipment other than my running shoes. I wanted to love it, but hated it. Connor was in ROTC at the time and we would often run together and he would get me on a breathing pattern "In In, Out, Out" he would say whenever my breathing got difficult, and it helped. (I still follow that breathing pattern when I feel my breathing getting difficult.) Slowly my three mile max became four and a half miles. I remember the first time I ran that four and a half miles and I said "Do you think I could ever run seven?", and Connor said "of course." with no hesitation whatsoever. My mileage stayed consistently there until we moved to Seattle. There was little to no humidity in Washington and I was having less and less breathing issues as a result.

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That Fall in Washington I ran my first 10k, and I was so overcome with excitement (almost to that dream of seven miles!!). Little did I know that by the end of that year I would complete both a half and a full marathon. After that 10k I started running with another army wife….who ran marathons like it was a monthly ritual. She inspired me and asked if I would want to run a half marathon with her that summer. I remember coming home a little skeptical and asking Connor if he thought I could do it. "Of course" he said. So- I signed up. Halfway into my training, I started to dream really big, bigger than I had ever dared to dream. Connor was going to be deployed to Iraq for a year, and I felt like I needed something that made me feel like I was accomplishing more that year than just spending it waiting. So I asked "Do you think I could do a full?", and again with no hesitation Connor said "Of course". So that year I ended up doing my first 10k, my first half, and my first full marathon.

I found that I could always run one more step, and concentrated on that rather than "today is the 20 mile run".  During training, I had issues with my IT band…which for me meant if I stopped to cross the road my knee would buckle and I couldn't bend it for half a mile sometimes, but I kept trucking on hearing that "of course you can" in my ear and praying under my breath. My marathon came about a month after Connor deployed which needless to say was difficult. I remember running my 18 miler a couple days after he left while I was trying to pack up my house, say goodbye to friends and my life in WA, and move across the country (not to mention I was the matron of honor in two weddings that month). I was stressed, food made me nauseous, and I was not sleeping. So that last month of training was purely about mileage for me (the nutrition aspect was seriously lacking). So it should come as no surprise (though it did), that race day was difficult. I flew through those first 18 miles before I hit what I assumed to be the dreaded runner's wall. In actuality it ended up being hyponatremia, or over hydration. I was seeing black spots, I was nauseous, lost all strength in my back so that I was hunched over, and had a lot of mental confusion (had difficulty saying something as simple as my name). Despite those slower remaining miles, I was able to run the race within the time range I had hoped for(though on the very low end of that range). I was rushed to a medic tent right after the race and spent over three hours there on IVs getting pumped with sodium while I drank chicken broth with an ambulance waiting nearby. Thankfully after three and a half hours, my sodium levels climbed to a place that the medics were happy with and I was allowed to get my medal. That night in bed was the greatest feeling (aside from the fact that I had lost 9 toenails and had to sleep with my feet out of the sheets). Would I do it again? I think about it every year….the time commitment keeps me away right now. But I would like to do another full at some point. These days I enjoy half marathons- they are still fun (for me, full marathons don't fall under the fun category), they keep me in running shape, and I don't have to be as rigid with the training.

I often think about that frustrated girl who had asthma issues at mile 2, and I wish I could tell her that someday she would run 26.2 miles. And if you were to ask me now if you could do a marathon, even if you have never run a mile in your life, my response would be "of course you can!".

Ps. It's back to design come Friday, thanks for taking this detour with me :)

Ingredients

- 2 egg whites

- 1/2 cup oats

- 1/2 cup almonds

- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

- 3 Tblsp chia seeds

- 1/2 cup + 1 Tblsp. heaping servings of peanut butter (natural or regular)

- 1/2 cup dried cranberries

- 3 Tblsp. brown sugar   

- 3 Tblsp. coconut oil

- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

- 1/4 tsp. salt

* I used an 11x7 pan, you can probably also use an 8x8 pan.  Cover the pan with wax paper and grease it.

* First chop the almonds and pumpkin seeds in your food processor. Then mix the oats, chopped almonds and pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, and cranberries in a bowl.  On the stove heat up the coconut oil, cinnamon, salt, brown sugar, and peanut butter (whisking until smooth).  Once smooth, add in the egg whites.  

* Then, quickly add to the dry mixture and pour onto the wax paper in the pan. Spread evenly in pan.

* Chill in fridge for a few hours to help it solidify(I plan on making them in the evening and chilling them overnight), then cook at 300 F for 30 minutes.  Once cool, place back in the fridge for a couple hours before eating.  This keeps them from being crumbly and more bar-like.  Store in fridge….enjoy!  

 *You could also get away with less brown sugar or try substituting it for banana (shh…don't tell Connor, but that's my next mission).  

* This recipe is a variation and combination of a few recipes, but mainly this one.

Ingredients:

-mixed berries

-mascarpone cheese

-chopped walnuts

-flavored honey ( I used a blackberry honey from our local creamery)

Hey there!  R and I got in last night from NY and as is normal for me the day after a trip, today has been a catch-up day.  We could not have had a more wonderful time.  As I spent a good amount of time at my friend's home prior to our move, it felt like coming back to a second home.  I got to meet her sweet baby girl (R was crazy about her little friend), we stayed up way too late for our own good most nights, and hit up some of my favorite old spots (and friends!).  There is something so great about visiting a good friend where the only expectation is to visit with one other.  As is normal for us when we get together, we tried a new recipe that I need to share with you all.   These zucchini fries were delicious and I was excited that I have a new way of eating zucchini (besides these turkey burgers).  I also love that there isn't a lot of prep time involved.  

Note: We sliced ours small to make them more crispy and used olive oil instead of butter.   

1 cup sliced Zuchini 

1 Tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese

10 squirts of butter spray (we used olive oil)

Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, then coat with some cooking spray. Place the zucchini slices out on the pan, then spritz with them with the butter spray/olive oil. Sprinkle on the parmesan cheese and then pop it in the oven. Broil for about 10 minutes - until the cheese and zucchini start to brown and looks crispy. 

Hello there.  Life has been exceptionally busy over here lately, in case you were wondering.  Since we returned from our Christmas trip on New Years Eve, we have been prepping for our move, entertaining friends (that I'm not ready to say goodbye to yet), made a trip to the outskirts of NYC, and most recently my sister came for a long weekend.  

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 Normally when we have company, I worry about cooking too healthy (I want my guests to enjoy themselves), but since my sister is very health conscious I didn't have to think twice about cooking my normal recipes.  I recently discovered these turkey zucchini burgers on pinterest.   Since I like to have mini meals of protein throughout the day, these are perfect.  I think that one of the keys to eating healthy is planning ahead, so I usually make five patties at the start of the week and have them in the fridge as an easy "grab and go" protein.  I don't eat them with buns (as pictured), but as I have not been eating buns for a long time now, I don't even miss it.  

Ingredients:  

Today's "healthy living" recipe comes from a dear friend of mine.  She and her two daughters visited Reese and me a couple weeks ago while Red was in the field (a.k.a. - away at training) and we made a point to exchange our favorite healthy recipes.  Although I was a little unsure of the combination of paprika & cinnamon, she convinced me to try these and I'm so glad I did.  They are easy, delicious, and healthy (win, win, WIN).

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We enjoyed having my mom and brother visit this past week.  Reese got lots of quality time with her grandma and uncle, I got some naps, and I even got to try a couple new recipes.  One of them was a "healthy brownie"- it basically substituted sweet potato for flour.  It wasn't horrible, but when I asked if I should make it again, both Red and my brother said "naaaa".  Ha!  Thank goodness we have a couple favorite "healthy desserts" that I can always come back to after a flop.  This is one of those recipes for us.  Happy Fourth!

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Ingredients

- 1 1/2 c. rolled oats

- 1 c. coconut flakes

- 1/2 tsp. salt

- 1 tsp. cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp. allspice

- 1/4c. almond meal

- 1/2c. mixed nuts, finely chopped

- 1c. dried fruit 

- 3 ripe bananas, mashed

- 1/4c. veg. oil

- 1tsp. vanilla

* Preheat oven 175.  Line baking sheet w/ parchment paper.

* In a large bowl combine oats, almond meal, mixed nuts & coconut flakes.  Stir in allspice & cinnamon.  Add dried fruit & stir until evenly mixed.

* In another bowl combine oil, mashed banana, & vanilla.  Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients & stir until combined. 

* Bake 20 min. or until edges golden brown    

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(Images and recipe from one of my favorite blogs that I've found via pinterest, Delighted Momma .  Be sure to check her out! )

Last week I celebrated my last day of work with getting a much needed haircut.  I'm lucky enough to have a friend who is an amazing stylist, so she came over to my place and we made a day of it with a couple other girlfriends getting their hair done as well.  It was an overall fun girl day, and I decided to try these Coconut-Lemon Meltaways as a healthy treat.  They did not disappoint!

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