Adventures in Nutrition: ENERGYbits (review)

At the beginning of the month, I tried out EnergyBits. It was a fun experience. I had enough Bits for about a week, so I gave them a try. I took my Bits in the morning after a normal breakfast and before any physical activity. I enjoyed my Bits by swallowing them whole.  

Here's what I learned...

They do. They actually rock. Outside of the slightly stomach-turning taste of their beloved algae (hey I'm not knocking it--I've tried it and it just isn't for me), the Bits themselves are pretty cool. In a little tin, they're portable. In their own tiny size, they're swallowable (for those like me who don't wanna chew the intensely green-flavored tabs). They're not much bigger than any regular ol' pill, but they're packed with more protein. 

I felt a real difference in my attention and stamina (a.k.a. I-wanna-get-up-and-do-something-ness). I felt good. After a run, I returned home to a few more bits and felt fueled faster. I'm on board with Bits. (Maybe that's another catchphrase for them to use in marketing? :)

I have no real complaints other than the taste, which they warned of and they're not designed to taste good but to beat the heck out of your typical "performance" snacks. Since I'm still unemployed, I'm not sure when I'll get to buy my first bagful, but I'd like to get Bits into my life.

Adventures in Nutrition: Arbonne Fit Kit Detox (review)

June 1st through 30th I removed all gluten and dairy from my diet and followed the Arbonne Detox Fit Kit.

Now let's get this straight--this was not easy, especially when much of your diet is wheat- or dairy-based. I think I chose a good time of year to do this experiment. Fruits and vegetables abound, making my food prep fairly easy and straightforward.

Now the specific Arbonne products...

The whole Fit Kit: chocolate protein powder, vanilla protein
powder, two boxes of herbal detox tea, citrus fizz sticks,
pomegranate fizz sticks, lemon fit chews, caramel fit chews,
and daily fiber boost. 

Protein mix - I used coconut milk and a banana in every shake I made. Initially I struggled with grittiness, but once I began using bananas I found the thickened consistency to be pleasant. (I wasn't doing the detox to lose weight, so the banana fit my plan. Others who were trying to lose weight most likely didn't use bananas since they're considered extra sugar, etc.) I noticed that mixing frozen fruit changed the flavor more effectively than fresh fruit (with the exception of the banana). I was most pleased by the way my GI tract handled the protein. I've gone through several brands trying to find something that didn't bother the "I" part of GI, if you know what I mean. My only real complaint was that the zipper closures on the bags weren't that great, so I ended up using a clip on the bag to make sure everything stayed fresh. Both chocolate and vanilla flavors were satisfying, but I enjoyed mixing things up with the vanilla mix most. Coconut milk, pineapple, banana, and orange juice were amazing mixed with the vanilla shake.

Energy fizz sticks - Delicious. I was originally nervous about using these since they were supposed to be replacements for coffee and other caffeinated beverages because I don't do well with caffeine anymore. (Before my tumor I was fine... Now that I've only got one adrenal gland and no tumor making extra adrenaline, if I have a cup of coffee I usually end up feeling really loopy.) But I didn't feel jacked by the energy aspect of these drink mixes. The flavors were nice--citrus and pomegranate--and I was pleased that I could have even two of these in a day and not feel crazy. My only complaint is the little perforated area to tear open the packets was usually insufficient for opening it. I often had to use scissors to open it, which makes it slightly less convenient for on-the-go drink portability.

Herbal detox tea - This is amazing as sun tea. Herbal iced tea is one of my favorite things to drink in the summertime, but making sun tea with this particular tea was really enjoyable. I used five tea bags per quart and no added sweetener.

Fit chews - I had to keep these in the refrigerator after a bad experience with the wax paper not peeling off of the chew. The consistency is like salt water taffy. The lemon is my favorite flavor. Caramel was okay, but not as satisfying as the lemon was, as a replacement "candy" treat.

Fiber boost - I think this did its job--it helped me stay full between my breakfast shake and lunchtime. No flavor here, so it's an invisible extra in the blender.

All in all, I recommend the Fit Kit if you're looking to do some detective work around your diet. I was majorly uncomfortable after eating any gluten once I finished the 30 days, so I've learned that I'm sensitive to gluten. This has been really helpful information for me when shopping and planning. I still enjoy bread, beer, pasta, and pastries... just not all at once or all the time. I'm selective about what gluten to include in my diet now. It has to be quality if I'm going to eat it. (I'm not sitting around eating plain white bread!)

I learned a lot about what I *can* eat too. I've not gone the route of finding all my gluten-ridden favorites in a gluten-free form. I admit I'm concerned that I could end up swapping one unhealthy thing for another if I'm taking sugary or fattening versions of GF food. I really stuck to a meat, fruit, vegetables, and brown rice diet pretty well. (Again, doing this in the summer made the difference for my palate and patience since veggies and fruits were plentiful.) I can't say that I tried any new recipes or food preparations. It felt too complicated to try to overhaul my diet and my way of cooking in just one month. One thing at a time... :)

So before and after is a big deal with this Fit Kit, but mostly for folks who were trying to lose weight. Since I didn't get to workout for about two weeks in June, I know I didn't do anything truly spectacular for my physical shape. (I kept my same weight, within a few tenths of a pound, and my measurements didn't change either.) Lots of people kick up their fitness routine to get the maximum benefits from this kit, but I actually toned my routine down (by force, not choice) and ended up noticing how the nutritional changes affected my appetite. I wasn't hungry. I felt fuller longer and my GI--both G and I!--felt better and I'm okay attributing that to not eating handfuls of gluten every day. Dairy (fortunately) is not a problem for me, so I've integrated that back into my diet slowly (so as not to shock the system).

Good tidings of great gluten free Fit Kit

I'm interested in finding more information about digestive enzymes to help me process gluten better. I'm also interested in just keeping a low profile on the gluten-filled foods I like. I know I can live without them and I know how they will affect my insides. I pray I never get to the point that I have Celiac's disease or some other affliction that forces me to act on my diet again. I also have a new respect for my friends and acquaintances who eat gluten free regularly, either by choice or force, because I now know the pervasive grip that gluten has in our society's generalized diet. It's tough to be 100% gluten free because that little protein gluten is in so many things that we don't even realize it sometimes.

Would I recommend the Fit Kit? Sure. For people who are looking for a way to jumpstart their foray into dairy- or gluten-free life, this is a good way to get used to new things in your diet. It's simple too because there is no restrictive calorie counting or other numeric calculations (outside of your weight and measurements, if you choose to track them). Having the Facebook group to go to with questions and successes was a nice addition. (The Facebook group helped me solve the gritty smoothie problem in a matter of minutes, when I could have spent hours trying different combinations.) If you're looking to investigate your GI health in a safe way (no crash dieting), I think this is a good program with lots of information and support. The Arbonne consultants stick with you and have answers to questions, which makes the system really work. (Kudos to Becki from Fighting for Wellness!)

I'm on Team Ignite! (plus coupon code)

I'm delighted to report that I'm now part of Team Ignite, with Ignite Naturals!

As an ambassador for Ignite, I'd love to share my initial review of the electrolyte beverage mix. I love the dragon fruit!

Want to try it? Use my coupon code for 10% off! (IN0720)

I'm looking forward to being part of the team and learning more about the all-natural approach Ignite takes with its products. Real ingredients for real health!

First cucumber of the season!

So crisp, so sweet... My cucumbers vines are bursting with fruit now, meaning if any of you (in the local area) want an organically-grown cucumber, let me know. I'll soon have more than I know what to do with! (There is also potential for this same problem with tomatoes...)

Here's my beauty! I ate it solo because I can eat cucumber slices like chip. Good crunch. :)

First cucumber of the 2013 garden!

Adventures in Hydration: Ignite Naturals IN Refresh Electrolyte Drink (review)

This month I was delighted to have the opportunity to try out Ignite Naturals IN Refresh Electrolyte Drink mix. I sampled the Dragonfruit lemon lime mix.

I learned about Ignite Naturals on Twitter. Their approach to active hydration is different than most other sport drinks. Some sport drinks are sugary or salty to the taste and contain food coloring and other unnatural ingredients (e.g., Gatorade*, which includes long explanations for use of food coloring, sodium, and isomaltulose in the FAQ for the product). Other sport drinks created with tablets are more balanced when it comes to sugar and sodium and contain natural flavors and colors, but the ingredient list reads like a chemistry textbook (e.g., Nuun*).

IN Refresh ingredients are simple, non-GMO, whole foods.

from IgniteNaturals.com

So I started my trial with a small glass of Dragonfruit lemon lime.

Whoa! Flavor!

The directions indicate one level scoop (about a teaspoon) for 6-8 oz. of water. That, my friends, produces a rich, bright, tasty beverage. 

Scoop & mix from Ignite Naturals and my resulting beverage.

The flavor is sweet, but it doesn't taste like a sweetener or sugar. It's more fruity than anything, which I really enjoyed. My tastebuds were dancing freestyle.

I tried the drink mix in water several more times, experimenting with more water (up to 16 oz.) to experience the diluted flavor (which I associate more with drinks like Nuun). My personal preference is to mix one scoop into a 12 oz. glass of water. That hit the perfect level of saturation for me. Not too sweet, not too dilute.

In other experiments, I mixed the drink powder with other liquids. (Bold, I know!) Since the ingredients include freeze dried organic coconut water, it seemed like an obvious choice was coconut water.

Let the chemistry begin!

I mixed one scoop of the mix with 8 oz. of coconut water. The result? Spectacular. Coconut water is not my favorite on its own, but I usually don't regret mixing it with other things. It tasted like the IN Refresh Electrolyte mix was made for coconut water, really. The thicker feel of coconut water combined with the fruity taste of Dragonfruit lemon lime made me smile on even the hottest afternoon.

I also tried mixing the powder with coconut milk (nah), in a banana coconut-milkshake (okay), and orange juice (meh--the OJ overpowered it).

But what about the actual hydration component of this drink?

I don't let myself get dehydrated on purpose, so I just incorporated this mix into my daily routine of water, water, protein shake, water, and more water. :) I almost ALWAYS need to drink water while I am running. I am one of those people who sweats just thinking about sweating, so I need to replenish my fluids pretty quickly. (I'm also a "salty sweater," meaning after a really sweaty workout I get little salt crystals on my forehead and temples. Sexy, I know.) So my IN Refresh mix came along for a few runs too. It felt a little too high-maintenance for a run because of having to make sure the mix was, well, mixed. (Some powder does separate in the solution.) I would say that it helped me recover from my workouts best of all. I didn't feel like I needed to chug it in order to rehydrate and I felt better sooner, even in humid, hot weather.

So let's break it down...

Benefits

• Made from 100% plant-based, natural, non-GMO food
• Ingredients list is readable (not chem class all over again)
• Sweet, not sugary/sweetener, taste
• Fruity, tastebud dance-provoking taste
• Serious electrolyte recharge for post-workout
• Makes coconut water a worthwhile beverage
• 1% of Ignite Naturals sales go to onepercentfortheplanet.org

Drawbacks

• Some of the powder separates and sits at the bottom of the glass after mixing. (I just kept my spoon in my glass, but it was a little weird to see a little bit of mix at the bottom of my glass. Also makes this drink higher maintenance for running or other activities for which you might bring along a beverage.)
• "Pepper" in the glass. I let several friends try the mix and they all brought up the little black specks floating in the mix and sticking to the sides of the glass. I'm sure they're from the food ingredients, but it's worth mentioning since several friends told me about it.
• The canister for the powder is too large. It arrived with 30 servings, less than half full. Proper packaging is important for shipping, marketing, etc., but the canister seemed like it could've contained 90 servings, not 30, so psychologically it was a "glass-half-empty" feeling. (Also, smaller canisters would mean less packaging, which could result in savings for the company.)

Overall reaction: I'd encourage you to try Ignite Naturals if you're looking for an all-natural solution to your hydration needs. IN Refresh comes in four flavors: Dragonfruit lemon lime, Tangerine passion fruit, Blueberry, and Prickly pear.

*Don't get me wrong--I drink Gatorade at races and I love Nuun. I am just pointing out the differences between these popular drinks and the Ignite Naturals drink mix I'm reviewing. 

Adventures in Nutrition: eMeals to the Rescue (review)

Once upon a time, there was a GroupOn deal for a year's worth of dinner recipes curated by a website called eMeals. Grammarissa's struggle with what to make for dinner after running through the same tired recipes led her to buy the GroupOn deal for $29. Thus begins our story.

Grammarissa began her eMeals repertoire with the Classic recipes program (very American meat-and-potatoes stuff), but before long she tried the Clean Eating recipes and noticed how the lower fat and more natural approach to cooking was changing her outlook on making dinner. Even boyfriend noticed, and that's saying something because he doesn't usually notice much about food except when there isn't any sauce at a meal.

eMeals continued to deliver Clean Eating recipes to Grammarissa's inbox every Wednesday through stormy weather--both literal and metaphorical--and even when she didn't feel like cooking, there was usually some simple recipe she could extract from the eMeals plan for the week and put together. Best of all, when she lost her job and feared she couldn't afford to keep up the natural, good, clean approach to her nutrition, Grammarissa studied her finances over the last few months (during which she had been shopping with eMeals lists for recipes) and found that eating well was NOT out of the budget.

Now, as Grammarissa tries to wade her way through dairy- and gluten-free weeks of the Arbonne Fit Kit, the Clean Eating recipes are good, but grains pose some problem. She looked to eMeals.com to see if there was a gluten free offering and--alas!--there is a recipe set dedicated to this special diet request. Billed as "variety without the guesswork," the Gluten Free plan is Grammarissa's newest subscription. To be honest, she's not sure why she didn't think of this before... of course eMeals has a gluten free choice... eMeals is awesome.

If you, dear readers, should decide to give eMeals a try, please use this link (or the one in my sidebar):


And I'll get a referral credit for bringing my friends along! :)

eMeals also offers breakfast and lunch meal plans, so it's plausible that your entire diet could be planned through eMeals, if you like!

And if, after this happy story, you needed another reason to try eMeals, I'll give you the story of a friend I turned on to eMeals. She and her husband follow the Paleo Plan. Within weeks of starting, she emailed me to thank me for sharing eMeals with her and wrote a laundry list of things she learned thanks to the recipe instructions and feeling brave enough to try new things (like making marinade and curry paste from scratch). The last line of her email? "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Serious reduction in stress and increase in happiness. Thank you!"

Day 1: Arbonne Feeling Fit Kit

I decided to start my Arbonne Feeling Fit Kit today, June 1st. It's well after my half marathon so I'm
physically recovered, I'm moving through some new things in life as far as jobs and trying to find one that's really for me, and I think the availability of produce (and my general excitement about that so early in the summer) will help me sustain me as I start this program.

My decision to try this kit came through several conversations, some of them via Skype, with Becki at FightingForWellness.com. Yes, Becki sells Arbonne (and I bought my Fit Kit from her), but she had completed her own Fit Kit and shared her results. This lady works hard for what she has (as she notes in her "Weight Loss" section on her blog) and I admire that about her. But my reasons for trying this aren't about weight loss. Many of you who know me in real life would probably slap me if I said that was why I was doing this. So trust me when I say that it is not.

I've had some... let's put it politely shall we?... discomfort after eating in the last few months and I don't know why. I'm trying to figure out what's making me miserable. A sensitivity? A potential allergy? This is a good way to do it and it's also a good way to really jumpstart a healthier way of eating--cut sugar, gluten and dairy, but eat lean protein, eat more veggies, and eat healthy fats. That's what this is about.

I admit that giving up dairy will be the most difficult. I love milk and I love yogurt. In fact, yogurt is a regular part of my diet... I'm fairly certain that dairy is not the culprit in my gastrointestinal grudge. But I am going to try my best to cut it out to see my body's reaction.

But I am weighing myself and measuring key points on my body to monitor changes. I'm going to be working out like usual (hopefully on a regular schedule after this sinus cold thing hits the road), so I want to make sure nothing unexpected happens.

I'll let you know what I learn and, when June is over and I've completed the Fit Kit, I'll report back on my thoughts about the Arbonne products I used during the month.

In the meantime, cheers to summer!

Refusing to Stay Blue

I was warned. I prepared. I acknowledged my feelings, and still they persist.

My post-race blues are hitting me a little harder than I anticipated. It's difficult to tell what's post-race related and what's the-rest-of-my-life related though because I'm still not working full-time, I'm still not doing fulfilling work, and I'm still kinda lonely most days of the week. Nevertheless, I'm trying to see these blues for what they are: temporary.

Monday when I was still sore and I felt a little like I had the flu, I rested in a fog and let myself be sad that my big race was over. Tuesday, though, I had to go to my part-time job, so there was no way to abide in relentless sadness throughout the day.

Just what was so sad anyway? I met my goal! I finished a half marathon! I had trained so hard for several months. I had overcome personal and physical hurdles to be there and do well. Yes--yes, I was proud. I was glad I finished, that I ran well, and that I knew I could meet my goal. Nothing was particularly sad about the event. It's the LACK of the goal, created by the goal's completion, that creates an emptiness... and feels sad.

Several sources about post-race blues recommend a psychological reset button of sorts--getting back in touch with friends, allowing yourself a few indulgences, and setting a new goal. I'm beginning to do just that.

• I've been stretching all week to soothe my soreness. I'll go running today. I'm doing a 5k on Sunday--our local Race for the Cure, which is sure to be a positive event. 
• I got to catch up with a good friend (a non-runner) yesterday and that was delightful.
• I drank a Pepsi on Tuesday. (It was mega sweet, but it tasted good.)
• I'm planning to start my Arbonne detox in the next week or two to get my nutrition back on track.
• I repotted several plants on Wednesday and I'm planning to get my garden in the ground next week.
• I'm revamping my training plan for the half marathon I'm running in October (Staten Island). My dearest friend from college is running with me so we're training together but from afar.

Just typing out that list makes me feel a little more hopeful. I think if I can get back to my typical to-do list ways that my day-to-day accomplishments will be more fulfilling.

Anyone else ever deal with post-race blues? How did you deal with them? 

Preparation via Pinterest: Race Day Ready

A whole bunch of Oiselle ladies got together for the Eugene Marathon this weekend (jealous!), but Oiselle's #FastFriday contest shared the love on Twitter and extended into Pinterest and through the weekend into today.

For the contest, entrants are to create a Pinterest board called "Race Day Ready" and pin their essentials. The board should, obviously, include some Oiselle items (which the winner will receive!), but entrants are free to post whatever other items are crucial to race day preparation and success.

This ended up being a really good exercise for me to think about race day preparation. I've gotten way better at preparing for races--eating better, hydrating, resting, listening to my body's demands--but thinking about all the stuff I need for this race is different because I'll be away from home (staying with a friend closer to downtown) and it's the longest, biggest race I've ever participated in.

My Pinterest board went from being just a few pieces of Oiselle clothing (which are, in my opinion, essential!) to my shoes, socks, water bottle, hydration needs, sunscreen, nutrition, and inspiration.

When I was making the board, it felt like I was pre-packing. I wasn't even making a list, but visually putting together the things that I would need in order to be successful.

Here's my Pinterest Race Day Ready board.

Countdown to My First Half Marathon

T-minus six days till my first half marathon...

• I'm studying the course map, aid stations, and restroom locations. 
• I'm preparing food for the week to ensure I eat right and don't do myself in by not eating well.
• I'm making plans for how to spend the time leading up to and after the marathon. 
• I'm tapering my running routine by running fewer miles and running with a gentler intensity.

• I've made tentative plans to meet up with Cherie from CherieRunsThis.com, who is a Pittsburgh native. (You may have seen her in Fitness Magazine, Women's Running Magazine, or on CNN.)
• I've surpassed my fundraising goal for my charity, Animal Rescue League!
• I've memorized the logistics for my car, my dog, and the morning of the race. 
• I've studied the weather forecast--it should be quite friendly for a wonderful morning run.

• I know where and when to get my packet.
• I know exactly what I'm wearing, even if the weather varies a little.

I am SO excited!

Earth, Wind, and Furnace: Roaring Run Earth Day 15k

Note the people running uphill. They are far
above where I am standing... Far, far above.

Saturday's 15k at Roaring Run in Apollo, PA started off great. The initial section of trail--where the 5k runners would be racing after us--was relatively flat and friendly.

The bad part about the race was the wind. Oh, the wind. It was fierce, cold, and, by all accounts, made you feel like you were running with an open parachute behind you. (Important note: no one actually had any parachutes on the course.) The cool morning wouldn't have been so bad if the wind had let up. But, no, it didn't. Pennsylvania has endured a long winter and a strange springtime. On Thursday, April 18th it was 83º. Saturday April 20th? It was 38º. Mother Nature decided to invite herself to this Earth Day celebration, I suppose.

The course remained flat until about 4 miles in. Then we ran down into what's called The Furnace. I haven't got a clue why it's called that, but the hills--involving switchbacks!--that greet you are enough to make your legs burst into flames, so perhaps that's the cause for the name.

I stopped to take a few photos because I was incredulous at how steep the hills truly were. See the photo with my notations at the right. You can see the switchbacks as well as the vertical distance.

More hills, of the less ridiculous variety, but
still a steady grade... up, up, up!

These were the steepest hills I've seen in a race. (Even steeper than this one.)

Nevertheless, when I reached the top of the hill, I smiled and accepted a cup of very strong Gatorade from a boy scout and ran on.

I had trouble catching my breath because it seemed that the wind was worse on the return. I felt like air was being plumbed down my throat. I stopped to take my asthma inhaler, which I hadn't needed in weeks during a run. I didn't bring my facemask with me, unfortunately, so I had to improvise. I took one of my gloves and held it over my mouth and nose so that I could breathe in warmed air at my own pace--not the pace of the brutal wind.

After getting along to the seven mile mark, I noticed that the course was incorrectly measured. I know my iPod nano isn't completely accurate either, but I calibrate it regularly so I get the most accurate record of my runs... And when I reached the seven mile mark, my iPod told me I had just a little more than a mile to go in order to reach my 15k.

Finished! (Dad caught me with my eyes shut.)

I kept a faster pace than for any other long run near or over double digits. I was delighted to know that, as part of my 15k, I beat my 10k time (old time 1:08:57; new time 57:15).

And, since the course was longer than 15k or 9.3 miles, I beat my 10 mile time too (old time 2:08:29; new time 1:55:27).

So as I neared the finish line, a few things about my race preparation became evident:

• I probably didn't eat well enough the day before
• I drank too much during the race (to get rid of phlegm, but I have to stop doing that)
• My lower abdomen and hip flexor muscles need to be strengthened to sustain the faster pace I kept for this race

I know my legs are still recovering from wearing shoes that were just not for me... That's been tough too. My left achilles is beginning to worry me a bit because it hurt all day Sunday and hurts this morning too... I've never had a problem with that, so I am just hoping that I can be well enough to get through my first half marathon in two weeks. Then I'll figure out what the heck is happening. :-/ Till then, it's RICE for me.

Adventures with "Love With Food" (review)

I received my first box from Love With Food today. I bought this box subscription through Fab, an awesome, excellent source for very cool things which I highly recommend based on my superb experiences with their products AND customer service.

I was delighted to receive it after only getting the tracking number four days ago. Considering that it arrived in my mailbox (i.e., via USPS), that's speedy delivery.

For every box Love With Food sells, they donate a meal to a charity. The start-up story is heartening too, so it's nice to know that a business has good intentions and kind roots.


My Love With Food box came chock full of items curated by Andrew Zimmern of the Travel Channel... not that I have cable. Because I don't. And I haven't for almost four years now, so I didn't know who he was before this box came about. (Apparently May's theme is for Mother's Day--"breakfast in bed." I love breakfast, so this should be good.)

The group of items that arrived are interesting. I can't say I would've gone out and bought any of them myself. I would say that if this was the "weird food" concept they were going for, then they nailed it. For my pantry anyway.

• Cocomels coconut milk caramels, by JJ's Sweets
• Lemony lover olives, by Oloves
• Salty pepper sunflower seed snacks, by Somersault Snacks
• Gluten-free itty bitty butter popped sorghum, by Mini Pops
• Organic fennel pollen, by Pollen Ranch
• Smoky chili and lime roasted chickpea snacks, by The Good Bean
• Creamy buffalo ranch dip, by Buff Lo Dip

The stocked items are available on Love With Food's website for purchase at a discount. (But again, the prices there are such that I'm not seeing the real "deal" value of this subscription.) Some I won't be able to share with my boyfriend because of his food allergies, but I guarantee he'll want to try the olives and the buffalo ranch dip. :)

I was pleased that my box arrived as JUST the box--not packed inside a larger box. It had a plastic wrap on the outside with my address label affixed to it, but it wasn't like some other box subscriptions I've gotten where the smaller box with the goods in it is packed inside a larger box with smushed up paper padding--that's wasteful, if nothing in there is breakable or particularly fragile. So kudos on the eco-friendly front, Love With Food.

I admit I was a little disappointed with some of the sample sizes. I realize they can't send out giant containers of stuff, but I'm not convinced it was a "deal."

Anyway, I'll give my new food stuffs a try and see what I like. As it stands, I recommend Love With Food for its service and variety. I'm just not sure the value is there. Extra points for more eco-friendliness than some other boxes, though! :)

"Just a Short Run" That I Almost Cut... Shorter

Saturday morning greeted me with 25º and frostbitten grass. I took out my dog, warmed up my car, and drove off with my boyfriend to North Park in Pittsburgh. It was one of those mornings that you don't know how to dress for because you know it's supposed to warm up, and you're bound to warm up once you start running, but when you're waiting for the race to start you become certain that you've never been so cold in your entire life. Ever.

I wasn't feeling 100% when we got to the park. On the ride there I had gone through my mental checklist and discovered that I forgot my iPod nano. I wailed in disappointment. I was about to run my second longest race and I had to do it without music?! I have been training with music to help me keep my pace (not too fast, not too slow). NOW what was I supposed to do?! I lamented this fact for about five minutes until I realized that I was really getting on my boyfriend's nerves. So I changed the topic to how glad I was that he was there.

Look how happy I am that the race
is over! I'm sporting sweet Oiselle
gear top to bottom.

When we arrived, I waited in a ladies' room line that coiled around the inside. Fortunately my boyfriend was kind enough to grab my number and chip for me. I honestly don't remember feeling so digestively odd before a race. I don't have to say that I'll spare you the details because, frankly, there aren't any. I can't nail down what was going on.

The race is called Just a Short Run. There's a 5k, an 8.1 miler, a half, and a 30k. The race started uneventfully. The first loop was a 5k with a decent hill, which the race director bragged about before sending us off, and I made it up the hill. It was the downhill that triggered my mental and physical demise. My calves had been hurting since my running group's hill repeats on Tuesday (3/26). I had iced them and stretched them, and worn compression socks, but they weren't cooperating. They cramped up. I tried to glide down the hill so I wouldn't do any damage. 

At the close of the 5k loop, the 5k racers finished and the rest of us crazies kept running. It was at this point I considered quitting. The Chatty Cathies around me had gotten on my nerves. My self-talk had become pretty negative. My calves were yelling at me in their own language, and my guts were already screaming "NONSENSE! THIS IS NONSENSE!" Yes, guts, I know it's nonsense. You're right. But I plodded on.

I really wanted to stop. Then I saw my 5k time. Oh, hell no. I was not letting that be the tone for the day. It would've been my worst 5k time ever. No thank you.

I did a quick diagnostic check: I was warmed up (nearing 40º now?). I could breathe well (for a change). I shed my gloves, my facemask, and my windbreaker, and I pushed onward. 

I tried to get away from the chatterboxes. Most of them had been running the 5k anyway. Fixing my internal problems? Not so simple. I took some Gatorade and a gel thingy at the aid station. I'd have to wait for those to kick in. I tried to stretch out my calves, but no dice. It felt like angry piranhas sunk their teeth into the back of my legs and were holding on tighter with every step I took. 

The next loop in the course was the five mile loop around the lake. I had run this before--twice, actually--in the ten miler I ran in February. But for that race we ran in the opposite direction. I think the course was much kinder in that direction... Sigh. I walked some. I had to. Those piranhas were chowing down. I didn't feel like I was going to pass out anymore, which was an improvement, but my legs were really unhappy with my decision to keep going.

It was incredibly difficult to ignore the physical pain. I can very easily claim that it would've been easier if I'd had my iPod, but I don't know that for sure... 

What I do know is that once I started focusing on my breath--because I could breathe! Oh, joy! I could breathe and not have an asthma attack!--I found a pace I could keep and I rode it to the end of the race.

I finished the 8.1 miles in 1:40:59. I'm not super psyched about the time, but I finished. It is on par with my pace for my ten miler (2:08:29), so I feel good about that. 

I know I need to learn more about how to better fuel myself before races. I also know that I'd prefer to run my races with my iPod... but that I would probably benefit from a few runs without music. 

Spring sprouts!

SPROUTS!

I started some seeds for my spring garden crops last weekend and--lo! and behold!--midweek I had some sprouts!

Plastic greenhouse with grow light
and water spray bottle near my
heating vent. This is gardening, folks.

My setup isn't ideal, but I'm doing my best. I used the little plastic greenhouse tray I kept from last year's "Secret Garden" mishap and decided to leave the lid on only until I got my first sprouts. Last year I ended up with mold and sick seedlings to boot... No one really mentions that on the greenhouse packaging. They just say to keep the seedlings warm and moist... but that *duh* equals mold. No more mold for my seedlings! I have the tray on top of a towel on the ground near a heating vent in my house. (My house is old and doesn't warm up really well... so I wanted to keep the plants warm.) I bought a fluorescent "grow light" to give my plants some faux sun since Pittsburgh is anything but sunny right now... not that I have decently sunny windows anyway. Three-quarters of my house is surrounded with porches, which keeps the house cool all year (whether I want it to be cool or not).

I learned a LOT from my garden last year, and I'm taking a new approach to gardening thanks to the stellar class I took through Grow Pittsburgh. (Best $60 I ever spent!) I grew several flowers and vegetables from seeds last year, but I'm going to try to grow all my crops from seeds this year--vegetables, herbs, and flowers.

So far I've started the following seeds:

• lettuce (sprouted)
• broccoli (sprouted)
• lavender (some sprouted)
• Shasta daisies
• lemon balm

I need to get my spinach seeds SOON so I have those seedlings ready to plant when the rest of these seedlings are ready at the end of April/beginning of May. The rest of my spring crops I plan to plant by direct seeding (seeds in the ground, not started indoors for transplanting). But, naturally, I will need to wait for the weather to cooperate for most of those to even have a chance at survival.

This year's garden is off to a great start!

Look at those happy little sprouts. :)

Where I've been, what I'm doing

Oh my goodness, dear readers, I have not forsaken thee. I apologize, blog, that you have gone a full week without an update. For shame!

Working several part-time and freelance gigs is exhausting. Ensuring I have some income, the bills are paid, the dog is cared for, and all the other nuances of life seem more complicated when I'm not going to ONE workplace for a set period of time... and getting a paycheck directly deposited into my account. Invoicing is another element that freelancers don't get paid for that, alas, must be done!

What has happened in the meantime?

I'm excited about the possibilities in store, even if none of them include a full-time job... yet. I'm working hard at accepting what I have, enjoying each day, figuring out what I really want, and pursuing only what I truly desire. That in itself takes more energy than I have on most days, but the allocation of my talent is my own responsibility and if I waste my time and energy doing things I don't like or wishing for things I don't work for, then I deserve what I get. I want to deserve what I get and earn it in the sense that I brush hands with others trying to earn it.

So here's the past week...

I've started kicking my own butt to get to my running group. Tuesday evenings at the track or designated hill (for the beloved hill repeats) are now a must. I have directed my boyfriend to demand that I go when I waver (because goodness knows that I always feel better after I go).

My eyes are closed, but I think I look pretty darn good for
having run seven miles then climbed 45 floors!

Last Saturday I also made it to the group run downtown. It's kind of an expensive long run for me if I don't have other plans in the city before/after it (it's 20 miles there, 20 back), but I went. I ran about seven miles.

After the run, I did the Fight for Air stair climb downtown. Holy moly, stair climbing is a horse of a different color when it comes to exercise... I definitely don't consider myself a stair athlete!

Last week I completed my first set of fifteen freelance articles for a new client. It was a little tough to complete them so quickly without being repetitive, but I did my very best and they were pleased. :)

In the past few days, I've made a few strategic purchases, both of which I will be reviewing in the next few months. Because I have been tutoring a Korean woman for almost a year now and she recently asked me to begin working with her very young daughter, I decided to get Rosetta Stone in Korean. I have some reservations about the program, considering that my background is in language teaching and I have some strong opinions on how people learn language (otherwise how could I teach?!); however, I decided that with the program's guarantee and my current available time that I had nothing to lose.

I also purchased a full month of the Arbonne Fit Kit detox from Becki at Fighting for Wellness. The kit includes protein shake mixes, chews, drink mixes, and a few other items, which accompany an altered diet in order to help the user determine what foods or food entities might be causing distress. I've had issues with food for quite a while now and I'm at a loss for what else to try. I feel uncomfortable no matter what I eat and I don't seem to have enough energy. I decided that I would try the Arbonne detox to try to narrow down some of my issues. Nonetheless, since my half marathon is coming up in just five weeks, I will wait until after the race to begin the detox. I don't want to change anything right now; it's too close to the race. Even if it's for the better, it could affect my running and I might not recuperate properly.

Finally, I started some seeds for my garden! I don't have all the seeds I want yet, so I don't have a full set. I do, however, have lettuce, lavender, lemon balm, shasta daisies, and broccoli planted in my spare room under a grow lamp. Hooray!

Adventures in nutrition: Spinach smoothies 101

I told a few friends on Facebook that I was blending spinach into my smoothies, and they wanted details... So here we are! Details!

My stomach is yelling at me for a bad lunch choice, so I'm not running tonight... Instead, I'll blog one of my favorite spinach drinks for you. :)

My very best friend bought me the little blender you see pictured below for Christmas. The cup disconnects from the blender base and is a handy travel mug of sorts, even though it has yet to venture much farther than my living room... It's small, easy to clean, and blends up a storm when I command it. I've been able to crush ice, frozen fruits and veggies, and every other softer entity (yogurt, fruits, etc.), so it's really a great little addition to my kitchen. It's certainly prompted me to be more creative... because until a few months ago I definitely wouldn't have considered drinking spinach.

Begin with a clean blender and all of your supplies!

I start with about 1/4 cup of water in the blender with any drink. Otherwise things tend to get stuck down by the blades and don't move.

I bought a gigantic bag of spinach and I've only eaten it in liquid form... :) What's nice about that is if the spinach gets a little limp, it doesn't matter at all. If it's clean and edible, it blends.

It's quite reasonable to ask "How much?" when puréeing spinach the first time.


I had no clue. I just grabbed some and pushed it into the cup.

I've found that roughly 3/4 cup (or one hearty fistful) works really well in this size blender. If your blender is larger and you want to blend more, I say go for it! My blender cup measures up to 14 oz. on the side... but clearly there is room to go well over that. I could probably jam more spinach in there... But I'll leave that for another day.

Today's smoothie was made with the fistful of spinach in the photo on the left. (Also, enjoy my snazzy nail polish. Haha!)

Again, to help with visuals, here (to the left) is that spinach, along with the water, in my blender.

And here (to the right) is what that looks like all blended up!

Not really appetizing, I know. But it will be!

For today's smoothie, I'm putting a too-ripe banana to use. I am one of those folks who prefers her bananas to have some green on the peel... If it gets too ripe, I can't eat it straight. It's a compulsion. I have to find something else to do with it. Banana split, on cereal, in yogurt, or in a smoothie.

When I add fruit to my smoothie, I do it in chunks. For the banana, I added half first, blended, then added the other half. In between, I added a little splash of orange juice. Why? I like orange juice.

Personally, I like to add my *taste* fruit/veg (the things I want to *taste* over the spinach and other base ingredients) before I add yogurt, ice, or anything else to thicken the mix. That way, I can see the consistency and freestyle a little more or less, depending on the circumstances.

Okay, so this probably sounds too complex for a smoothie, but bear with me. It's for your good! (No, seriously... it is. These smoothies are good for you!)

Next up is yogurt! Today I have low-fat vanilla yogurt. (I bought this at Aldi's. For those of you who shop there and aren't sure about their yogurt: both plain and vanilla are delicious and worth the bargain price.)

I always freestyle this part, sooo if I had to estimate how much I use, I would say about 1/4 cup of yogurt. This changes if you're using ice, though; I would most likely swap out the ice for the yogurt, to be honest. I don't like to pack the darn thing too tight... I'm not adding ice today.

But I AM adding chia seeds! These are so small you barely notice them (like blending flaxseed, which I also use from time to time), but they add so much nutrition and you don't really need to use a lot! (If you're still stuck on Chia Pets, read this.)

Seriously, I paid like $8 for this bag of seeds (photo to the right; Bob's Red Mill) and for the amount of nutrition I get from each 1-2 tablespoons I add to my smoothies, it's like I bought a bag of gold!

Okay, so everything is all blended together! Voilà: spinach smoothie.

1/4 cup water
3/4 cup spinach
1 banana (blended in two halves)
1 splash (ha!) orange juice
1/4 cup yogurt
2 tablespoons chia seeds

Does it taste like spinach? No. It tastes like banana. :)

Last week, I made one with frozen strawberries. It was green and tasted like strawberries. It screws with your head a little--it's like ordering a Sprite and when you take a sip it's just the seltzer water. It catches you off guard at first... But it is delicious. I promise you won't regret blending your spinach!

I have a difficult time with food sometimes, like not having an appetite, which I am working on (especially since I need to fuel properly in order to run; I did see a dietician a few weeks ago). But getting things into a drinkable form makes food seem more do-able sometimes. Actually, usually once I blend up some veggies and drink it down, I want something else... so it helps me in a couple of ways, I think. :)

Have you tried blending anything that's a little unorthodox? Spinach? Other veggies? Tell me!

Adventures in nutrition: Premier Protein shakes (review)

In January, I won a "Protein Pop" box prize from Premier Protein via Twitter (@PremierProtein). In the box I found two chocolate shakes, two vanilla shakes, and two of three different flavors of bars: chocolate deluxe, chocolate peanut butter, and yogurt peanut crunch. (See my review of the bars here.)

I decided to take about a month to try all my samples and see what I thought before writing my reviews. That way I could see how my body liked them in addition to how much my taste buds liked them.

The shakes: Until this point, my experience with protein drinks has been mostly negative. I would mix powder with water or milk and meet with dietary suffering like chalky texture, insolubility (read: chunks of gloppy powder), overbearing taste, and unpredictable body responses--bloat and nausea being the most common.

The Premier Protein shakes were none of those.They come as liquids, not powders, which I think helps solve the problem with taste quite a bit--it's controlled by the company when the beverage is packaged. I'm not measuring and mixing and hoping I get it right so I taste what someone else deemed to be acceptable...

The vanilla is like a liquid version of vanilla yogurt. It goes down easily and mixes well with berries in the blender. (Definitely a delicious way to incorporate the shake into my diet!) It's not overly sweet and has no yucky aftertaste like other vanilla protein drinks (powders) I've tried.

The chocolate is even more delicious, however. One of my favorite post-workout treats is chocolate milk. While milk is a great source of nutrition in general, I know that adding sugary chocolate syrup makes the treat just that--a treat. But Premier Protein's chocolate shake is delicious in its own right, and is more nutritious than my chocolate milk in numerous ways.

The shakes come in paper cartons like a juice box (think of when you were a kid!) with a top that opens by unscrewing the lid. (I had a defective lid that popped off the carton, but I poked open the foil cover and used a straw instead. I had another lid, though, that didn't seem attached properly because it dribbled on me...)

So outside of the minor issue of the lids, I give the Premier Protein shakes my highest recommendation.

Adventures in nutrition: Premier Protein bars (review)

In January, I won a "Protein Pop" box prize from Premier Protein via Twitter (@PremierProtein). In the box I found two chocolate shakes, two vanilla shakes (read my review of the shakes here), and two of three different flavors of bars: chocolate deluxe, chocolate peanut butter, and yogurt peanut crunch.

I decided to take about a month to try all my samples and see what I thought before writing my reviews. That way I could see how my body liked them in addition to how much my taste buds liked them.



Here is my review of the bars... 

Double chocolate crunch bar: (top left) This tasty treat comes packed with 30g of protein. I was pleased with the texture of the bar. It wasn't gritty. It wasn't so chewy that I wore out my jaw trying to eat it. But it was easy to swallow because of its flavor. Chocolate-on-chocolate foods can't really go wrong. Premier Protein takes chocolate to the next level, though, by making your daily dose of chocolate a better source of protein for energy and everyday nutrition.

Chocolate peanut butter bar: (not pictured) Again, nothing wrong with 30g of protein in a small package! The chocolate peanut butter bar was a little too sweet (even by my standards, and I like cake flavored ice cream). I ate this bar slowly and tempered the sweetness with a nice glass of milk to wash it down. I still enjoyed the bar, but I didn't taste so much peanut butter as I did very sweet chocolate.

Yogurt peanut crunch: (bottom left) I'll admit it--this is my favorite. Perhaps because it's completely different, perhaps because I haven't tasted anything like it before, or perhaps because I loved the crunch of the peanuts... But no matter the reason, this was the best thing I received from Premier Protein! I loved the mellow sweetness of the yogurt coating paired with the oh-so-slight saltiness of the peanuts inside. I ate this one faster than the other two... and now I wish I had more!

All in all, I think the Premier Protein bars are a great value (check out their website for pricing) for as much protein as you get in every bar.

Chobani special delivery!

It's a snowy day here in Pittsburgh, so I worked from home. Good thing I did! I was here to receive one more prize from the Healthy Holidays Challenge... An entire case of Chobani Greek Yogurt!

I had completely forgotten that this was part of the winner's package, but what a delightful surprise on a Friday morning! Coincidentally, I had just written "yogurt" on my grocery list dry-erase board this morning... Now I've got a dozen cups of Chobani with my name on them!

I love the creamy, delicious goodness of Chobani. It's my yogurt of choice these days since it provides me with a source of protein in addition to calcium, and the flavors can't be beat! (My absolute favorite is pineapple!) I haven't tried the passion fruit or cinnamon apple flavored yogurt before, so this prize is, again, exposing me to new and wonderful things!

If you haven't tried Greek yogurt, I urge you to try Chobani. It's the best out there in terms of texture and flavor. The plain yogurt is great as a substitute in a number of different recipes. Personally, I love the fruity flavored varieties and, when I can get it, I eat it every day!

Needless to say, I'm stoked to have such an awesome prize delivered to my door. Thanks, Chobani! I'll enjoy every bite!

Adventures with RunnerBox (review)

Oh my goodness, Monday morning couldn't have started out any better. I was getting ready for work when I saw a tweet from Rebecca at Running With Music telling me that I won her RunnerBox giveaway!

I was ecstatic! RunnerBox is filled with full-sized product samples of hand-picked goodies like protein shakes, energy gels, and other on-the-run (literally or figuratively) snacks.

Late last week I entered the giveaway. Evidently I didn't read the entire prize listing very well because I'm not just getting ONE RunnerBox... I'm getting THREE: one every other month! So I'll have a surprise again in March and May. Woo! I can only imagine the cool things I'll get to try out in just three boxes!

So the excitement of winning on Monday was shortly followed by the arrival of my first box on Wednesday! (Talk about lightning fast!)

Staci at RunnerBox was so kind--she put a little note on top, congratulating me on winning the contest, along with the tiniest holiday bow I've ever seen. I loved that personal touch. I think it's clear that there are people behind these boxes (not machines).

I also loved the little quote inside the top of the box. As I lifted the lid, I first noticed the bright green tissue paper (my favorite color!), but the quote made me slow down a little:

Ability is what you are capable of doing.
Motivation determines what you do.
Attitude determines how well you do it. - Lou Holtz

That couldn't be more appropriate for me right now! I'm slogging through winter running like the rest of you, and I'm trying to reach new heights (also like most of the rest of you!). I think I might pin this quote up on my wall somewhere so I can see it each morning.

Then I pulled back the green paper and found the delightful, colorful surprises inside! Rebecca said she felt like she was digging into her Halloween pumpkin. This is EXACTLY what it feels like. :)

I was thrilled to find that some products I had recently been considering trying were in the box. Now I can try without a big commitment...



RunnerBox feels like an adventure to me. I don't know what I'm getting, but I can be sure that other people put a lot of thought into making sure it's worthwhile. I might have heard of these products, or maybe not. Either way, it's easier to try them in a small quantity before deciding on a 24 pack or a canister of protein powder, and, at the same time, plunking down a considerable chunk of change.

Rebecca did a great job wrapping up the joys of the RunnerBox with her review here. The contents of my box are exactly the same as hers, it seems (I'm thinking we should compare notes :).

I'm really looking forward to my relationship with RunnerBox. So far I am really impressed. The brand is clean-cut and professional, but the people and website are friendly and accessible. When I think about what I want as a runner, I realize that I am enjoying getting to know the landscape of people, races, gear, magazines, and nutritional items almost as much as I enjoy going for a run. This is a community. I think that RunnerBox fits into that community by making the myriad of products available to us as runners accessible in a user-friendly manner, with little hassle or heartache. I actually like that they pick things for me so I don't have to choose... Have you SEEN the food/nutrition stuffs shelves in REI or a similar store lately?! It's impossible to pick unless you KNOW what you want. And how will you know what you want? By trying it out.

Bottom line: RunnerBox helps you root through goods to find what you want by sampling a variety of things. (Or, you can help someone you love do that by sending RunnerBox as a gift.)

And I'm doing just that right now! Thanks, RunnerBox! (And thanks again, Rebecca, for the giveaway!)