Healthy Fueling

Something that has come up in conversation A LOT lately is how I fuel my body. There are so many different schools of thought on what's best diet wise. I am part of the school of thought that each individual needs to fuel their body differently.
Here's an easy comparison: A 200 lb man who is a body builder will surely need a higher caloric and protein intake than a 130lb woman who is a dancer. Pretty easy distinction there.
I am a 178 lb woman who runs long distances and works out 5 days per week on average. I need to take in a certain amount of calories to keep going. I really need to take in some good healthy carbs in order to keep going on my high cardio based workouts. So you see, each person needs to customize the way they eat to the way they live.
Here are some things that I've been enjoying in creating a healthier eating style.

1. My Garden- Oh I so love my garden. Husband put a lot of hard work in to build it. We are currently growing 2 types of lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, squash, and various herbs.

2. Nature Box (In no way is this blog endorsed by Nature Box, I just love them). Each month I get a box with 5 full size bags of healthy and delicious snacks. This deters me from even entering the chip/cookie aisles in the grocery store. They're easy to grab for something quick and portable for road trips/play dates. Note: If you are at all interested in trying Nature Box please let me know, I can get you $10 off your first box!! :)

3. Smoothies- I love smoothies so much, they are easy to throw together and take along. You can put any number of things in them based on what type of nutritional value you are looking for. Here is a recipe of mine that's easy and tasty:

Strawberry Mango Coconut Water Smoothie

1 cup of frozen strawberries

1 cup of frozen mangos

2 cups of coconut water

1/4 cup of plain greek yogurt with honey

Put the ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. So refreshing and hydrating for a yummy summer treat.

What are your favorite healthy snack hacks? What are your favorite smoothie recipes?

-Lindsey

7 Mile Run Recap

I set out for a run last Friday, a 6 mile run. As I ran down the hill towards the park on the harbor my legs screamed out in pain. Shin splints, I had them. I had only made it 1.65 miles into my run and I sat down at a picnic table wanting to cry. I started my self pity party and walked back to my house. I had finally overdone it, my legs gave in. John immediately got the ice packs and the pain reliever and I put my legs up. It's ok to take a break. Sometimes pushing through the pain just isn't an option.
I still did my cross training with my wonderful trainer and buddies at the gym. My arms and legs are becoming toned and strong. So, it's not all bad.
Today, after a weekend of running rest and relaxation I strapped on my running shoes and readied myself for my first 7 mile run. I was not confident about it at all. I will be honest, it was probably one of my slowest long runs because again my legs were screaming. I ignored it, I pushed on. I got to mile 3.5 and took a quick break for GU gel (ew ew ew, it tasted like warm vanilla pudding. I think I'll stick to Clif shot bloks). I started to run again after much gagging and retching due to the GU treat that I had just had. My leg pain had gone away! I felt a renewed sense of fight and battled on through the second 3.5  leg.
When I got finished I felt amazing. I felt like I had climbed the Everest of running. 9 miles is going to be my big accomplishment, that will be the farthest I've ever run.

I've had some weird  running "symptoms":

Bloody shoe- Sometimes in the middle of a long run I feel like my shoe is filling up with blood. I don't know why it would be, but I can't shake the feeling. It never really is though.

Phantom Blister- Usually under my right big toe I'm certain that there's bound to be a monster of a blister forming when I end my run. Not so, it's never there.

GU Gel almost barfing-I downed a vanilla GU gel today at mile 3.5 and I immediately spent the next 2 minutes retching and gagging on the side of the road. It was probably a very attractive sight.

The "This is my Jam" running push- Sometimes my iPhone plays a really ridiculous song, and it almost always comes during the last 1-2 miles of my run. Some favorites "Magic Dance"-The Labyrinth Soundtrack "Work Bitch"-Britney Spears and really any 80s classic rock anthems.

What are some odd running symptoms you've dealt with?

-Lindsey

26 Years of Crazy

Hey Guyssss! So since we last spoke/wrote/read? I am another year older. I had a fabulous birthday filled with well wishes and relaxing fun. John and Evie woke me up with awesome gifts.

This is the print he bought me, I fell in love with it in a Gallery in Mystic. 

I was also given the gift of a tattoo which I have yet to get. I'm going to be using a trusted tattoo artist that's tattooed family and friends up in NY.

Chat Noir is going to grace my shoulder. He's always turned up since I met my husband, we're always noticing him showing up in silly places and he makes me smile.

My friend Liz also came up for the weekend so we could have some much needed girl time. I also got to run the Color In Motion 5K up in Hartford this weekend. That was really awesome! Although, I was a little bothered that it wasn't timed. It was really cool to run with my friends from the gym that I go to here.

I had to run home and really scrub because that color really stuck. I still have blue armpits. It looks like I put a smurf in a head lock. I had my final interview at Sephora that afternoon as well, thankfully I wore long sleeves so they couldn't see my blue. 

This week I'm up to 6 miles of running fun. My first 6 miler was a bit painful due to the really hot weather and poor route judgement. Another happy thing is that I started doing Drill Fit classes with the new trainer Shawna. She is really awesome about pushing us outside of our comfort zones while making sure that we stay safe. Last night's class was all about squats so my booty is totally sore. Tonight is my interval training. I'm essentially doing 6 days a week of workouts, and it feels pretty awesome.

What are your summer plans?

-Lindsey

Half Training Update :)

Helloooo! I've been away for a bit due to the craziness that has been my life lately. I've been getting the house cleaned up and we've been doing yardwork. I had job interviews this week at Sephora (only my favorite store in the world). Also just normal day to day busy stuff.
I am now on week 4 of training, aka my 5 mile week. I cannot lie, I was a bit intimidated this Saturday leading up to the first run. I almost psyched myself out, just the distance seemed far, but I powered through. Today I did my second 5 miler and it felt great! I got to mile 4 and found myself thinking "That's it?". Of course, this was after I hit a crazy hill at mile 3, by crazy I mean feeling like you're walking up a 90 degree angle.
I have found my peace with running, and it feels great. It's like an hour long meditation with me, my music, and the road. Speaking of music, do you have any good recommendations for running songs? I cannot run without my music, I tried and I overthink everything.
Here are the things I currently love about running:
-Being outdoors
-Getting my Vitamin D
-Jamming out to my favorite songs
-The runner's high I get after I'm done
-icing my shins post run
-My super awesome workout wardrobe

What do you love most about running/your current workout routine?