Yay for smoothies! But wait what do you put in them?

Yummy Smoothies!

Over the past couple weeks the people I am coaching along with a couple friends have been really working on nutrition.  Throughout this I realized how hard it is to find a tasty, well rounded smoothie recipe.

In today's society everything is so fast paced that it is almost impossible to get a good breakfast or get that protein in meal form post workout within 30 minutes.  For me smoothies have solved this problem for me! I have talked to a couple really great nutritionists and came up with some pretty great smoothie recipes that i thought i'd share!  I know each person has a personal preference on protein powder and fruits but here are a couple options that I think are really great.

Here are my three favourite recipes.  I usually do the first one because I LOVE pineapple but occasionally I will switch it up. All you do is put these ingredients in the blender and its ready in seconds!

Option 1: Mango Pineapple Smoothie

1 handful of Super food Greens (Kale, Arugula, Spinach) *You can get this at any grocery store

½ Banana

½ Avocado

1 tbsp of Coconut Oil

1 tbsp seed mix (flax seed, chia seed and hemp seed) *I make the mix myself and just store it in a Tupperware container

½ cup of frozen Mango

½ cup frozen pineapple

1 ½ cups of coconut water *more depending on the thickness you want

1 scoop of Vega Coconut Almond Protein Powder  (All in one)

4 drops of Vitamin D (1000mg per drop)

Option 2:  Chocolate Banana

1 handful of Super food Greens (Kale, Arugula, Spinach) *You can get this at any grocery store

1 Frozen Banana

1 tbsp of Coconut Oil

1 tbsp of Original Greek Yogurt

1 tbsp seed mix (flax seed, chia seed and hemp seed) *I make the mix myself and just store it in a Tupperware container

1 scoop of Vega Chocolate Protein Powder (All in One)

1 ½ cups of coconut water *more depending on the thickness you want

4 drops of Vitamin D (1000mg per drop)

Option 3:  Vanilla Berry Smoothie

1 handful of Super food Greens (Kale, Arugula, Spinach) *You can get this at any grocery store

½ Avocado

1 tbsp of Coconut Oil

1 tbsp of Vanilla Greek Yogurt

1 tbsp seed mix (flax seed, chia seed and hemp seed) *I make the mix myself and just store it in a Tupperware container

1 cup of frozen mixed berries

1 ½ cups of coconut water * depending on the thickness you want

1 scoop of Vega Vanilla Protein Powder  (All in one)

4 drops of Vitamin D (1000mg per drop)

If you have any good recipes send them my way! I usually have one or two smoothies a day based on my activities!

Hope you enjoy them! I sure do!

Have a great Wednesday! :) 

Now what!? Getting through the post run blues!

Beating the post run blues!

When I first started running I always heard about the "Post Run Blues" after goal races and never really put much thought into it. For those of you who haven't had your big run I hate to break it to you but it is real! But I promise you can get through it!

For those of you who are in the same boat as I am in here are some things I found helpful in combatting that blues!

1) Celebrate the small things! Give yourself a huge pat on the back you have accomplished a big goal! Considering the last 10% is always the hardest you should celebrate! If that means going for a nice dinner, buying yourself a new outfit, going to the spa or just taking a day off do it for you! You deserve it!

2) Take a couple days before you set another big goal and relax.  For those of you who are like me I could only do a couple days of not running.  I spent the weekend with my boyfriend and his family in BC which was beautiful! I highly recommend spending some time in BC it is breath taking!

3) After a big run its easy to lose motivation to run.. To combat that join a running club! I signed up to coach a 5 km running clinic with the running room! Three times a week I am running with a group of 10 amazing ladies helping them reach their running goals. Not only is this a way to keep up with my own running but I am helping people! It is an amazing feeling and such a great opportunity! I highly recommend it! Even if you don't coach,  join a clinic in your area and get out there.  The social dynamic is so uplifting and helpful to get out of your slump!

4) Make a big goal!  My next goal is a Marathon! I am going to do my very first marathon on May 29th in Calgary.  The Scotia bank Marathon is not only is a goal that is far enough away that I can train to have a good time but alsoI will have a great cheer team here to help me through that long run!

5) Make a couple short term goals! And stick to them! I made some little ones that are going to help me stay busy and not lose my drive this winter!

• Run a sub 20:00 5 km race (December 31st with my running clinic)
• Start doing yoga once a week! (Hot yoga is delightful especially when its chilly outside)
• Try something new every week! This week I am going to do a weight class so that should be interesting!

6) Update that playlist! I have been running to the same music forever! So update that list it not only makes me look forward to my next workout but also it helps me get excited for those long and short term goals!

7) Be grateful!  I am working to start every morning grateful! As soon as I wake up instead of putting off getting up or coming up with excuses why i don't want to get up to that annoying alarm I am going to think of three things I am thankful for! Its an amazing way to start your day!

So those are how I am getting through my post race blues! If anyone has any other tips I would love to hear them!

I hope you are all having a great week and if you have the blues hopefully this helps you push through!

My First Half Marathon Weekend!

My First Half Marathon

Well it happened! This past weekend I ran my first half marathon! It is one of my most favourite accomplishments! 

My weekend began a day early! I took Friday to go for a quick trip to Lethbridge for a little pampering prior to race weekend! My best friend came with me and we got all pretty then had a sushi date and I headed back to Calgary! She also logo'd my shirt for me! (She is much more crafty then me!)

My boyfriend and I packed up and headed toward BC once he was done work we headed out of the city! I was so excited that I am pretty sure I talked about it the whole way.  Thank goodness he is patient!

When we arrived in Kelowna we went and picked up my race pack and got all settled in our hotel. I got all my stuff organized and carbed up!  I don't think I have ate more carbs in my life.  My week consisted of brown rice, chicken, fish, vegetables and whole grain pasta.  I found it tough finding things to eat on menus at restaurants.  Does anyone have any suggestions in that area?

Guess which meal is mine? LOL

I set up all my race gear on the bed, called my mom, and then I made sure to get a good night's sleep.

Before I knew it it was RACE DAY!!!

I woke up to a great inspirational message from my mom and dad!  In running my mom has always been an inspiration to me and I don't think she even knows how much her and my dads support means to me!  She wrote" You got this! Love Mom and Dad with this picture.  How perfect it that!

I woke up at 5:15am and did my usual routine.  Blasted my race playlist, made coffee, drank half a litre of water, ate a banana, had a smoothie, showered, ate some oatmeal, drank a cup of coffee, drank the other half litre of water, pee, vaseline where needed and then got my gear on! (Note to self pack a spoon for oatmeal, its really hard to eat without it.) I also like to arrive to the venue at least an hour early to calm my nerves, venture around, stretch and I always pee twice.  That may be to much information but you are getting the play by play anyways!

We stopped and got my very dedicated boyfriend some coffee because well it was Sunday morning at 6:30 am and headed to the venue!

When I get nervous I get quiet so I spend the next hour walking around and taking in the day. I was so nervous I don't think I said a word. I can only imagine what a treat I was to be around.  I am pretty lucky to have a great boyfriend who just supports me and ttys to understands me.  I am pretty pumped he actually started to run. 5k in 27 minutes!  (He's actually pretty quick).  Anyways back to RACE DAY!

I placed my self in between the 1:50 and 2:00 pace bunnies.  I figured that was a safe bet since my goal was 02:00:00. I set up Charity Miles, Runtastic (so people who weren't there with me could check me out as I ran) and my half marathon playlist! 

Right before I started I even got a call from my running buddy to wish me luck!! Awesome right!

The countdown began and I focused on the goal of 02:00:00.  I remember trying to calm my nerves while going over my race plan in my head.

Yellow(13)-Red(7)-White(1.1)  Yellow-Red-White   Yellow-Red-White

Just to clarify here is what that means to me:

Yellow:  Can sing Taylor Swift without difficulty (5:45 minute kilometres)
Red:  Can hear my breath but not pushing it to hard, making sure to smile every minute and enjoy the scenery. (5 minute and under but still leaving some energy to sprint the end of my race)
White:  Push it!  (Under 5 minute km, 4:07 was my target)

I didn't exactly stick to this but I had the right idea. All I really wanted was a negative split! Thank you Taylor Swift for helping me get through those first six km.  I don't know what it is about the first 6 but I don't love them.  After that I can run forever.  I even found myself getting frustrated with people stopping mid stride and bunching together.  Any tips on how to get around that? Next run I will definitely place myself a little closer to the front and give my self a little more distance rather then playing it safe.

Check out that view!

Once I got past the six km I went into my little running zone where I focused on the scenery and breathing.  Every once in awhile I would get a live cheer from my amazing friends!  I even got person voice ones from my best friend and her family! They made me laugh and brought back the fun into the run when it was starting to get hard.  To top it off one the 13 km water station they gave out my favourite gel!  Its the Sea Salt Chocolate one and well this just made my km for sure! Its truly the little things.

After that I picked up my speed and it felt good! I gave myself a little surge to perk up and shut up the "I cant's".  Surprisingly I didn't have a lot of trouble doing so which I am so so proud of myself for.  I also had a big help in that area from my great cheerleaders! My best friend, her step daughter and husband would send me love every few km which really really helped!

I started fading at km 20.. I knew I had it in me but I could feel my legs and was running out of energy and a little ambition.  As I came around the corner my boyfriend was starring there smiling and taking photos of course! Just what I needed to push to the end!  To top it off my best friends husband who runs half marathons sent me a personalized cheer saying "DIG DEEP." And I did!

As I came to the final stretch I dug deep and picked up my stride hitting my max speed on 19.9 kph!

I finished strong with a chip time of 1:49:36! I even did a negative split! I put my hands in the air and just took it all in!

I had my running buddy and boyfriend waiting at the finish line and honestly I have never been so proud of myself!

So thats it folks! That was my run! I am so proud of myself and even though it was a tough journey I loved every minute of it!

My quote for that run definitely is sent from my momma "Work hard, do your best, live the truth, trust yourself, have some fun!"

Next stop Marathon Training! Any tips, trick or insight is greatly appreciated!  Here I come Calgary Scotiabank Marathon 2016!!!!

September Overview!

30th Birthday and three 10 k's!

It has been one heck of a month! AS you may get from the title It was not only my 30th birthday but I  did three 10 km races and ran some really long runs! (In my opinion anyways).

So lets start with my birthday! It wasn't so scary with turning 30 to be honest! My best friend and her husband came down and surprised me with a cooking class Friday!  And I am the hardest person ever to surprise because I am the most planny person ever.

Saturday we then went to my parents for brunch and went to the lake! I took the plunge into the less then warm lake with my family and friends! It was a blast

We all went for dinner and sang karaoke after that! It was a really great time! I couldn't believe how much love i felt! I am really lucky to have such great friends and family! My sister and brother even came down from Edmonton!

Now to the running portion of my month!

My first ten km race of the month was the Race for Pace! This race raises money for children with disabilities which is a great cause! Running for those who can't is something i feel very strongly about! This race was also my running buddies first 10 km race and he did so amazing! I didn't get a PR this one but really enjoyed myself!

My second ten km race of the month was the Terry Fox Run! This run raises money for Cancer research which really hits home for me.  My grandmothers breast cancer was missed and not diagnosed till it was progressed substantially.  It was also a great day out and so great to see all the supporters! Terry Fox's story was so touching! I am so happy that I could run in support of this!

My third 10 km race was the Heartbeat Run.  This was one for the books.... Have you ever got lost in a race?  Well now I can say I have! This race had the most hills I have ever seen! As we began the race on a steep hill my eyes almost bulged right out of my head when i saw what we had to do!  Thank goodness for hill training! I was 3rd in the pack when we reached the 5 km mark... I did not turn around and well I was supposed to! I proceeded to run another .5 km prior to realizing no one was behind me.  I ran back and caught back up ending up in 7th place and 1st in the women. The kicker is that I went off track so the time is not counted on my runners dashboard. So in the future when someone is cheering and waving their hands at you, you may be going the wrong way!

As you all know as well I am training for my first half Marathon in October! The Okanagon Marathon on October 11th to be exact!  I finished my longest run for 17 km and am going to start tapering down for the first weeks in October!  It felt so good and I kept just enough energy to finish with a good sprint! Check out my pace stats!

Well there you have it! My September overview! It was an eventful one and I can't wait to update everyone on my first Half Marathon!

Wish me luck!

Getting Back on the Saddle

Getting it back!

Life is busy! Life is so busy! It's easy to get out of the swing of things and lose focus when so much is going on. Over the past couple weeks I have lost some motivation and got a tad behind in my training.  I was only running 5 - 7 kilometres maximum during each run.  I decided it was time to find my running motivation again.. What better way to gain motivation then to add a little competitive edge to my life with a 10 km race.

The race I chose was called Race for Pace.  This race raises money for PaceKids and organization that helps children with disabilities.  This race was a tad smaller then what I am used to but was just what i needed to renew my love for running. One of my best friends decided to make this race his first ten km run too!!

The race began with a 1 km run for the kids.  This race was jam packed of kids and people supporting the cause. You could feel the spirit in the air.  You could feel the sense of purpose in the environment, it was very fulfilling. As we watched the children in walkers cross the line, my eyes welded up with tears because honestly it was so amazing seeing such dedication.  I was ready to run!

The race started off with the lying mile.  If you run you know how that first mile is where you get your body going.  I don't know if anyone has ever enjoyed their first mile out of 6.2. Luckily the first one i focused on getting into a good pace without rushing and figuring out where to go. This was honestly the first race I didn't rush the starting line.  By mile two I picked up my pace and spent time taking in what I was doing, I smiled at runners, took deep breaths to enjoy the crisp morning air.  It was beautiful! I found a runner that was keeping a steady pace, his shirt was from the 100 mile death race! I figured that may be a good person to run close to for awhile as that race would be a crazy accomplishment!  Then i did something I have never done in a race before! The runner told me I had a great pace and I stayed and chatted with him for a mile.  I know this race wasn't for a PR and I truly wanted to enjoy it so i did.  As we hit mile 4 I took off on my own, leaving all other runners behind.  I didn't see another runner for a full mile! When I approached the last mile of my race I saw the winner in front of me and then 7 others.  I picked up my pace but only made it past one but struggled to catch the others.

As I approached the finish line my amazing parents and boyfriend were waiting for me! My mom is so amazing, she could see i was struggling and jumped in with me running the last little bit by my side.  My boyfriend is so great at making me smile, while my dad took pictures and gave me a thumbs up!  What a great feeling to have such an amazing support system.

I crossed the finish line with my mom at 51:00 minutes.  Not my best time by far but I am so thankful for this race.  It brought me back! My friend did amazing too! Finishing his first 10k race at 61 minutes! So proud of him!

Don't get me wrong i was a little hard on myself once I heard my time but these are the things that I accomplished in this race:

1. Kept a steady pace with a slightly negative split!
2. Enjoyed the scenery!
3. Lived in the moment!
4. Finished 8th place overall!
5. Finished 4th place out of total women!
6. LOVED IT!

So there you have it folks! Having trouble getting back into things?  Do a race! Don't do just any race, do one with a cause and enjoy every minute of it!

I am not back on the training chain and my next race will be the Terry Fox Run on the 20th of September!  I encourage you all to support this cause!

Happy running and hope you all have an amazing long weekend! Don't forget a 12 minute mile is the same distance as a 6 minute mile :)

A Hot Hot Yoga Sesh

Hot Yoga Success

So after my motivational rant yesterday I figured I should probably practise what I preach and I am glad I did! There is a great hot yoga studio not far from where I live so yesterday me and one of my girlfriends decided to go for a Traditional Hot Yoga class.  Its 75 minutes long and it's the hottest studio in Calgary! I used to do it all the time but haven't for awhile. Last time I did this class I struggled to get through it! I haven't done Hot yoga since my first 10 km race.

I was prepping to do some serious mental training, especially when it's been so long since i did it last. I went super early to make sure I got a spot I was comfortable with and could see m positions clearly in the mirror.  As the class started I was feeling pretty good in my body! I had my self talk prepared and was determined to listen closely to what my body needs without pushing myself to hard.  I focused on my breathing and was surprised at how good everything felt.  I did struggle with some postures due to my very tight muscles and the fact that i am not flexible at all!

Usually when the standing series ends I have had to slow down or lay down at least twice... This time I didn't have to.  When we finished our last posture in the standing series I was feeling great, not exhausted, not dizzy and not over heated. My friend had to lay down a couple times but did so amazing! She also had already done a spin class that morning so kudos to her for a full day of working out!

For the second half of the class I got through every posture, even pushing myself further then I have in any other hot yoga class. I did however struggle with camel pose.  I have no idea why but that one makes me dizzy every time!  Any thoughts on why because I am not sure at all!

By the end I felt revived and wonderful! I didn't have to use any mental tricks to get my through this time! Moral of the story is running has been strengthening my brain without even knowing it! I was so surprised because I thought that I would be using yoga to increase my mental strength when in turn running is helping as well! I think we are all stronger then we think we are!

So all of you who question your strength mental or physical remember that!
You are stronger then you think, you just need to believe in yourself!

Hope you all have an amazing Thursday!