training while under the weather

should you train while you are sick? in my opinion, it all depends on how sick you really are. this past week, i was feeling very under the weather and i took a day off of training, i had two rest days and felt a lot better on my next run. i decided that instead of trying to make up for my lost run, i would run a mile more than i was supposed to on my next scheduled run and focus on getting better. 

i also ran my longest run to date this week, despite being sick. 8 miles! i feel like i am on track for a good half marathon. i have learned a lot about running so far, from reading running blogs and from personal experience. some blogs to check out are walk to the mail box and fit chick in the city.

running tips from a beginner:

-make a schedule and stick to it {lots of good sites for this, check out this post}

-listen to your body {if your body screams NO because of an injury or sickness, listen and slow down}

-every one is different when it comes to nutrition {i have learned that i need to eat something before a long run, but only if it will take over an hour, otherwise i run on an empty stomach}

-invest in good shoes {your feet are one of the most important tools in your running, treat them well}

-chafing sucks! {i have learned this the hard way... ill be buying aquaphor and good quality sports bras soon}

i have also learned that you don't have to deprive yourself of tasty foods while keeping up a healthy lifestyle. i like to treat myself and stay healthy at the same time. as you can see, i have posted lots of healthy {yet tasty} recipes and have learned to cook along the way.

this strawberry banana "milkshake" is one of my latest favorite treats. 

recipe:

blend

frozen strawberries

 one ripe banana

1 tsp of peanut butter

2-3 T of plain greek yogurt

1/2 cup of almond milk {of your milk of choice}

i added some semi-sweet chocolate chips to my milkshake for an extra sweet treat!

enjoy!

for the love of kale

husband and i have added kale as a staple on our grocery list. it is one of those foods that lately has become very popular and i was never interested in eating it until now. leafy greens never really interested me, but now that i realize how many different ways there are to eat them, i think they are delicious.

i found this nutrition breakdown from wholeliving.com 

Nutrition Breakdown

Per 1 cup cooked, chopped:Calories: 36 kcalFat: 0.52 gFiber: 2.6 g = 10 percent of DRI*+Vitamin A: 885 mcg** = 126 percent of DRIVitamin C: 53.3 mg = 71 percent of DRIVitamin K: 1,062.1 mcg = 1,180 percent of DRICalcium: 94 mg = 9 percent of DRIIron: 1.1 7 mg = 7 percent of DRI
i have made lots of different recipes using kale.

remember my green smoothie... it is even better with kale than spinach. and my spaghetti squash pizza that i made for myself on valentines day.i recently made this pizza using whole grain dough from whole foods. i topped it with chicken, onion, and garlic. i put kale on one side with olive oil and pizza sauce and cheese on the other.

i have also made kale chips. they are great to snack on by themselves. or you can enjoy them with popcorn, mixed in dishes, or here i made cheesy baked black beans with avocado and enjoyed them on top of a plate of kale chips!

kale chips:

break the kale leaves from the stemswash and drybreak into bite size pieces and spread on a baking sheetsprinkle with olive oiladd spicesi used salt and pepper and a small shake of chili powder
bake for 15-20 minutes at about 350 Fbe sure to watch your kale chips so they don't burn
enjoy with all sorts of different combos, or by themselves!

homemade lara bars

my husband is a cyclist for the competitive cyclist team. he has to eat a lot of calories to get energy for long rides and all those power/energy bars get expensive! while browsing the recipes section of the chocolate covered katie blog, i came across these! 

i just had to make them, and they turned out delicious. i was a bit skeptical that they would stay together. as you see below, i put them in plastic bags, weighed them out to about 50g or less and smashed them together while in the bag {they bind together great}. i shaped them into bars and squares, wrapped them in plastic wrap and stored them in the fridge for husband {and me} to grab on the go. 

mixing the ingredients

weighing out the ingredients in a plastic baggie 

shaping into bars while keeping my hands clean

oatmeal raisin cookie bars--recipe found here

hot fudge brownie bars--recipe found here

the recipes for these bars can be found here. i made the oatmeal raisin cookie bars and hot fudge brownie bars. while making both, i used a mix of nuts rather than walnuts {only because i didn't have walnuts at home}. i used a mix of unsalted peanuts, almonds and cashews. also, while making the hot fudge brownie bars, i used dates and raisins. i doubled both recipes, to make more bars and stored them in the fridge. 

i definitely recommend making these bars! 

half marathon training update:

i am up to 16 miles total this week running. i know that is not much compared to many runners, but i am proud that i am sticking to my training schedule {despite lots of snow on the ground at the moment}. i am gradually increasing my miles each week to get up to 26 in my longest running week. speaking of my training, i am off for a run! happy friday everyone :) 

healthy chocolate mousse?

is it possible to make a healthy chocolate mousse? i promise it is! i found this recipe on pinterest, originally pinned from here. i was skeptical... tofu as the main ingredient in a chocolate mousse recipe? i gave it a chance, and it was well worth it! 

here is the original recipe i found, my mousse wasn't as beautiful as this photo, but it tasted delicious! i don't have a magic bullet or a food processor, so i just used my blender... the tofu doesn't blend as smooth, but it doesn't effect the taste. 

photo courtesy of chocolate covered katie

i enjoyed my healthy chocolate mousse with a glass of red wine while watching the movie valentines day, on valentines day... perfection!

ill have to make this for husband when he is home. i am so glad i found CCK's blog so that i can still satisfy my sweet tooth and stay fit and healthy at the same time.

ill be posting my training schedule and updating on my half marathon training progress. i'm new to running such long distances, so it will be a learning process for me... any tips to succeed in a long distance race?

half marathon and sweet treats

i have been talking about running a half marathon for years now, and i finally signed up for one! yes, on april 21st, i will be running 13.1 miles... the training has begun and i think i deserve lots of healthy sweets for all the running i will be doing the next 9 weeks.

here are some photos of some very tasty {husband approved} sweets i found on the chocolate covered katie blog. visit her blog for the recipes, they are delicious and you won't feel guilty eating them, promise!

cookie dough fudge bites

raw peanut butter cookie bites

so good, they deserve another photo!

i have also been coming up with a few healthy recipes of my own, involving lots of kale, ill be sharing them soon!

healthy desserts anyone?

i recently found a blog called chocolate covered katie. i discovered her blog through pinterest. she makes healthy, vegan, delicious looking desserts. husband and i tend to eat lots of sweets, and although it doesn't effect his super lean athletic physique, it effects mine...

i have decided to make a some of CCK's delicious recipes, and i will share photos of these recipes when i make them, with links back to her blog if you want to try to make them yourself. first up, banana butter! {i figured i should start simple}.

i am hoping her delicious desserts will satisfy mine and tommy's sweet tooth, and help my waistline in the process.

here is a photo of my super power husband

tommy