The shape of things to come...

Feeling somewhat human again. Thank God!

2012-06-02T05:28:00.002-05:00

This last week has been so very hard on all of us. We returned back from what was a dream birthday trip and we all got sick! My baby girl had some kind of stomach bug which slowly began the last day on our trip and only got worse when we arrived home. Then my husband became sick the day before he was set to leave for a business trip to Saudi. And finally, I got sick with what felt like a mild case of the flu...body aches, fatigue etc. The good news is that my baby girl has kept down her foods today and she seems to be doing VERY well. Bread, yogurt with oats and her electrolyte drinks seems to be working well for her. My husband called and said while his stomach is still tender he is doing better. The timing of all of this could not have been worse as my husband has a huge schedule of meetings from now until the 16th of June. It is hard without him here. Things are not the same. But we are trying to focus on when we can all be together again.....

I am just so very thankful to God for helping us through this storm. It broke my heart seeing my baby girl so sick. But I KNOW that I KNOW that God was there with us and it is only because of him that we are feeling better and my baby girl is now standing up in front of me dancing to a sesame street video :) Such a beautiful sight to see!

I am back to logging my foods for today which feels good. I cannot wait to get back to a routine. I really do feel that today is the first day I feel encouraged and motivated once again. The windows are open to let some cool fresh air inside and we went to the grocery store this morning which was our first time outside in 5 days!! It was wonderful. It is a lovely day here. Cool....our wind chill is around 44....cold for June!

Here is the view from my living room this morning! SO beautiful.....

Hope everyone has a very blessed day!!

35th Birthday Surprise!

2012-05-30T08:26:00.001-05:00

This past weekend was simply amazing. My dear husband surprised me with a weekend getaway to a lovely country resort in Hampshire for my birthday. He gave me 4 cards, each marked, one of four, two of four etc...They gave me hints as to where we were going with the fourth card revealing the big plans!

The whole weekend was like an English fairytale! I would love to say that I got up early every morning and ran and that I ate so healthy but the truth is that we slept in, I relaxed by the pool, had tea with scones, indulged in spa treatments and I truly felt as if I was transported into a Jane Austin novel. It was beautiful. Normally our vacations are go go go! But this one was so relaxing. It felt strange at times, as if I was just laying there doing nothing! I have to say I loved it!! :)

We spent most of our at the resort but we did go into London for a day to show Kayla a few of our favorite places and to eat Indian food of course! It was funny. We were so excited about going to our favorite Sir Lankan restaurant but we did not realize that they were CLOSED on Mondays! What? We came all the way from Norway just to eat there.....not really but it makes for a good story :) We ended up eating at a lovely Indian restaurant called Mela. It was great but we cannot wait to go back in December and visit our Sir Lankan restaurant, it is truly the BEST!!

While at the resort, my precious girl enjoyed the resort grounds and for some reasons the chickens were a big hit!! They had horseback riding, cycling and other activities but for Kayla, it was the chickens that made her day! I think one of my favorite memories was swimming with Kayla. It was her first time to wear the floaties!! She was spinning around and having a blast! I will never forget holding her in the water and seeing the look on her face as she was discovering new things and ways to swim in the water! What a fantastic birthday gift this was for me to see my little girl having such a great time.

For me, it was the spa which is divine!! One day my husband and I went for a walk out to the lake and as we were approaching there stood two waiters from the resort along with a picnic basket with flowers laid out for us. My husband told me he has arranged a private picnic for my birthday but it was not exactly as planned. It seems that his original plan was for me to go running, then come across the picnic out on the trails along with a red ribbon stretched across as a finish line. You see, I was set to run the Edinburgh Marathon on Sunday which was my birthday but as many of you know due to my knee/calf injury, I had to pull out of the race. My husband wanted to give me a "finish line" with my baby girl and him standing there waiting for me. As much as my husband planned the perfect picnic, he left the 4 meters of red ribbon at the house and therefore had to change the plans!! So instead he had the hotel place the picnic near the lake.....which was so lovely! I cried so hard when he was telling me what he had planned. It was the thought that made my heart melt. The fact that he thought of giving me the finish line on my birthday was just so sweet. It showed me once again his beautiful heart. He said in the end, it was a blessing that in the rush of packing for the trip he forgot the ribbon he had hidden from me as the day became not about the race that I did not run but about the celebration of what I had accomplished. I cannot tell you how special it was. I will never forget my 35th birthday. From the cake the hotel had for me upon arrival to the drivers that my husband set up to take us around, every detail was so special to me. I felt like a princess and so very loved. Here are a few memories of our trip. I will post more later on....

51 days to go...A new challenge is here!

2012-05-30T04:45:00.002-05:00

A new month is approaching and I have big goals for this summer!! Before my most recent trip, I was logging my daily results on Spark and it helped me a great deal. So now, for the month of June and most of July, I am setting a new challenge! I find the simple, straight forward challenges to be the best and the ones that I can follow through.

In 51 days we leave for our cruise and I really want to work hard to reach a few goals before then. They are the following......

1. Lose 5 lbs
2. Complete 200 miles of walking, biking and running
3. Complete 2,000 military pushups
4. Log foods daily

That is about as simple as it gets. Normally, that would not be much of a challenge but for me as of late I find it easy to get side tracked so in many ways this is a huge deal for me.

Day 1 of 51 begins NOW!

Earth to Jen....

2012-05-20T05:28:00.002-05:00

Correct me if I am wrong but I am in the middle of another challenge right? Ok, just making sure as I have been the worst over the past few days. I have not gone off the deep end...do not worry. I had a couple of lattes made with light milk, I had peanut butter and I ate enough watermelon, honeydew, cherries and mango to last a lifetime. So no, I was not stuffing my face with bad food, I just failed to log and get in my greens as I wanted. BUT....it changes today. I HAVE to get back on track. This level of laziness with my diet has to stop.

For today my foods have been.....a Vega shake with spinach, some orange and strawberries, and a few bites of my husbands oatmeal. Lunch will be most likely some grilled fish and veggies and dinner will be leftovers...not wanting to mess up the kitchen :)

For my fitness, I NEED to get my PT exercises in today as the back of my knee has not been a happy camper since the hike on Friday. I think I may have pushed it too much, but I think with a bit of TLC it will be ok.

Time to reset and refocus.....

Day 2 Results and the plan for my next 10 day challenge! Eat to Live!! Who is with me?!?!

2012-05-16T03:28:00.000-05:00

Day 2 was another success. Everything is going well and I am happy to say that today is the FINAL day of my challenge. Tomorrow, I start another :)

It was a short 3 days and I learned a great deal. My husband was impressed with the raw soup I made the first day and I found it to be relatively easy. The blending was a great way to maximize my nutrition and get in all the vitamins etc.....my body needs. Now, having said all of this........I MISS MY GRAINS!!! The good thing about this challenge is that it forced me to lean on veggies instead of brown rice or oats for my source of energy and fuel. This was a very good thing. The key is now to find balance. I think the Eat to Live program is a fantastic example of a good mix of nutrient dense foods that at the same time allows me to eat the foods I love.

Before going into what my next challenge will be, here is a look at Day 2......

Breakfast - Vega one shake with kefir, strawberries, activated barley, banana, bee pollen, brewers yeast, GOL fiber blend, spinach and chia seeds. Veggies and fruit to eat - green bell pepper, apple and grapefruit.

Snack - Chia seeds soaked with flaxseeds mixed with fruit, almonds and kefir

Lunch - the second half of the morning shake

Mid day - Juice blend - Bok choy, celery, cucumber, parsley and ginger

Dinner - more of the flax blend from my snack along with another Vega one shake with veggies

Now.....today is my last day of this challenge and I will post the pics and details of my day later on but for now I wanted to lay out my plan for the next 10 days.

The challenge will begin May 17th and continue to May 27th....which just happens to be my birthday :)

10 day birthday challenge -

1. Start off each morning in prayer and studying God's word. The only answers for this life are found through drawing closer to the Lord. They are not found in a magic pill, they are not found by a reaching number on the scale, they are found through seeking God's plan for your life. I am learning this and I hope to grow closer to God through this challenge as I seek HIS will for my life.

2. Follow the Eat to Live guidelines for veggies and fruits, fish, grains, eggs, oils etc.

3. Limit bread to the Health Starts Here type.....no oils etc...and only 2 pieces a day MAX
4. Complete 100 miles of walking, running and cycling over the 10 day challenge.
5. Continue the pushup challenge I am currently on ( totals of 1,300 as of this morning)
6. NO honey or agave during the challenge. Only stevia
7. Log calories on the challenge via Spark
8. Drink at least 3 L of water a day
9. Continue TRX training and PT exercises - 3 times a week
10. VM green and earth daily

This challenge should be pretty easy for me as this is what I have been doing for some time now. HOWEVER.......I have been adding in honey and raw organic cane sugar to my foods, eating more grains than needed, I have been drinking organic skim milk, and I have not been strict with my VM green as I once was. I also have failed BIG TIME on logging my foods. I NEED to set aside some time every night before bed, or during Kayla's nap time to really make sure I am logging my calories. Just because you are eating healthy DOES NOT mean you are not eating too many calories!!! Remember, I have been in therapy for my running injury and I have not been putting in the miles I used to so I DO NOT need the fuel I once needed. Trust me, your weight can go up even with greens and the best diet IF you caloric intake is more than your burn each day.

I think when you lose weight and are maintaining weight loss you can get sloppy and lazy to a point. There is not that burning passion for weight loss that you once had as it is not really needed. BUT......if left unchecked, the weight can come back on and I am NOT going to let myself get comfortable as I have worked TOO hard for TOO long. Just because people are thin, or have reached normal weight does not mean you can eat anything and think you will stay the same. It takes a daily effort to ensure you are eating the best foods possible not only for a healthy weight that can last a lifetime but for longevity!!! What if you did not gain a single pound and yet you filled your days eating DIET food that was not feeding your cells the nutrition they crave?

Ask yourself this.....What is on your plate that will help you fight off cancer? What is on your plate that will help guard your mind from aging and what will keep your heart strong? This is what I am looking for. Not a tea that will make the scale go down or make my belly look flat. Not a fad diet that will make my clothes fit better and will give me the illusion I am losing weight when in fact I am only starving my cells instead of nourishing them through proper nutrition.

No one ever said that this journey was going to end the morning the magic goal number showed up on the scale. The journey does not end.......ever....IF we are smart and we realize that the journey IS the reward!!!! What we learn from the challenges, the hard days where we feel like giving up. This is where we go from just someone on a diet to someone who is transforming from the inside out.

Just as this day will only pass us by once...this opportunity to truly nourish and restore our bodies will pass us by if we do not take a hold and really work on making the most of our health. Itt starts with what we EAT and how much we MOVE!!! Let's work on moving in the right direction....for a lifetime!

Day One...

2012-05-14T12:22:00.001-05:00

Fantastic day!!

Summary.....

Workout was 3.2 mile walk on the tread, followed by 10 miles of spinning on the bike and a short ST session.

My foods were amazing!

Morning Meal 1 - Apple and Banana mixed with milled flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds with Organic Kefir.

Morning Meal 2 - Vega One protein powder mixed with frozen berries, cucumber, spinach, bee pollen, activated barley, brewers yeast, kefir, lettuce and flaxseeds

VM green and earth

Post workout - Apple, Carrots, Banana and Almonds

Dinner - Raw Veggie soup - Boy Choy blended with parsley, cilantro, tomatoes, spices, lemon, spinach, onion, garlic, broccoli, cucumber, carrots and then topped with raw mushrooms, avocado and onion with hot pepper!!

Evening shake - Boh Choy, cucumber, spinach, strawberries, Vega one, brewers yeast, activated barley, broccoli and kefir

Dessert - Chia pudding!! Chia seeds mixed with water then flax, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, orange, banana, apple and almonds added in along with stevia.

AMAZING DAY ONE!! I feel on top of the world.......

My 3 day challenge.....

2012-05-14T02:59:00.001-05:00

My 7 day mini challenge is over and I did very well. I did fail to blog daily as I wanted but I will try and do better for this next challenge :)

My measurements are holding steady for the most part which I guess is ok but I wish they would go down! My arms and calfs have gone up slightly but I think that is due to my ST and hill work I began when moving to Norway. My waist goes up and down....normal for me. But it has not increased above the normal 1/2 inch up and down.

This next challenge is a SUPER short one. It is only 3 days. I will pick up another one on the 17th which will be for 10 days. But for now we are just going to focus on the next 3 days.

Here is my challenge. Now, keep in mind I am recovering from all the knee/calf stuff I have been battling so my fitness is DOWN big time from my normal routine. So I can eat fewer calories than when I was running all the time. Just know that over the next 3 days I will not be heading out for a long 13 mile run while trying to maintain the challenge.....that would be crazy.

Here are my goals for this challenge.....

1. Daily VM Green and Earth....I always write this but for those wondering what this is, it is a greens product called Vitamineral Green from the company HealthForce Nutritionals and the second product is called Earth. More info can be found on their website.........

http://www.healthforce.com/

2. Eat ONLY fruits and veggies for the next 3 days. NO bread, beans, cooked grains....just good fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds. Obviously no meats of any kind. Miso and other seaweeds can be added in for a veggie soup blend with veggies but nothing else added...ie...noodles, rice etc...Frozen fruits and veggies are ok but added only with nuts and seeds.

3. Consume at least 3 green smoothies a day full of fruits and veggies along with these additives that I am allowing.......

Organic Kefir
Organic skim, almond and oat milk
Bee Pollen
Sun Warrior's Activated Barley
Brewers Yeast
Maca root power from HealthForce
Greens Plus
Flaxseeds
Chia seeds
Milled Flax, Pumpkin seeds and Sunflower seed blend
Flaxseed oil
GOL super seed blend
Vega one protein powder - a Vegan, gluten free and soy free protein powder
Vega smoothie infusion protein powder - a greens mix to add to your shakes
GOL Raw Meal - a Vegan, Gluten free protein power and meal replacement

4. Aim for at least 60 mins of walking each day. I finally got a treadmill here so I can walk when it is raining outside.......which is often :) I will have to take a pic of my new gym here. It is really helpful because when it is cold outside I can still get a run in and I do not have to take Kayla outside in the Bob and I can run while she naps. Another plus is that I can use the treadmill for flat runs and speed work which is a challenge outside due to where we live.....on top of a large hill.

5. Aim for at least 30 miles of cycling at intervals between ST sets and my walking...this is part of my knee therapy.

6. Work on my yoga and my PT exercises for my hip and hamstrings on the TRX

7. Really focus on tracking my water aiming for at least 3 liters of water

8. Consume my green and Oolong tea.........and a bit of coffee and black tea so that I do not go crazy.......see, I am human :)

9. Document shakes and snacks with photos via FB to increase accountability.

10. No honey or other natural sweeteners other than stevia.

I have NEVER and I repeat NEVER done a challenge like this!!! I have juiced and blended before but I have always consumed oats or brown rice and beans to go along with it.

I am excited and a bit nervous as well. The reason for doing a challenge is to take yourself to a place where you have never been. To step out of your comfort zone and learn new things, I am hoping to increase my knowledge of my overall nutrition and well being while on this challenge! I look forward to giving a good report and the end of this day! Wish me luck......Day one here we go!

Day 2....

2012-05-08T05:58:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I did well although I did not get my VM green in..will be sure and do that today!

Foods for today so far.....

Protein shake with Vega one, bee pollen, brewers yeast, cucumber, celery, apple, fennel, strawberries, spinach and GOL super seed blend.

1/2 apple and natural PB

Salad with beans, celery, red bell pepper, spinach, red onion, avocado, lime and seasonings.

1 large grapefruit and tea...then more tea...and more tea ;)

handful of grapes and raw fennel

raw cucumber.....about 1 cup

Have a super blessed day

May 7th Mini Challenge...

2012-05-07T05:39:00.002-05:00

A very simple, back to basics plan for this week.

For the next 7 days....

1. Log and track foods, water and fitness. Something that I have not done in forever.
2. Juice or blend daily.
3. Take my VM Green and Earth Daily
4. Strive for 5 servings of raw veggies :)
5. Drink 5 cups of Green or Oolong tea daily

5/7 - Breakfast - Oats and flaxseeds
Lunch - 1/2 avocado on carrot flax bread (no oil or sugar...similar to HSH breads from Whole Foods) with a salad...beans, bell pepper and salmon over lettuce with a homemade dressing.....tahini, lemon juice, hot sauce, hummus, Dijon mustard, ACV, raw cashew butter and spices along with Black tea
Snack - berries....strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and blueberries with Green tea and lemon

Will post the final results of today later on....

Birthday Marathon.....

2012-04-27T03:41:00.000-05:00

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." -Romans 8:28

Running up Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh, September 2011.

I have finally decided to stop being stubborn and to realize that I need to be healthy if I want to remain a runner for life! As one of my Spark friends said.......it is the difference between a runner for life and a once in a lifetime runner! I am stepping away from my birthday marathon as I truly feel that this injury has left me unprepared and I must do what my heart is telling me to do.

So for now, I will be continuing my PT weekly, we are having an MRI of my knee to determine if the Bakers can be removed through extracting the fluid or if I will need to have it removed via surgery. I am reading a few books on Marathon training to increase my knowledge, stretching FAR more than before and I am starting to incorporate Yoga and Pilates in my weekly routines.

My next scheduled race is The Oslo Marathon, September 22st and I plan on doing the Stavanger Marathon, September 1st but just as a training run (walking/running) to prepare me for Oslo. I feel very good about this schedule and I feel I can come back strong, healthy and ready to finally cross that finish line!!

I am starting a challenge today as it is one month from my birthday which is May 27th!! See, I may be injured but I can still be working towards a goal :) NEVER stop reaching! Even if you original plan as been sidelined, it is ok. Find a new goal, a new challenge to take you one step further to your ultimate dream!!

35th birthday challenge.....

Goals - Complete 3,500 military pushups - NO knees! You guys know me, I LOVE pushups! They are my favorite ST workout!! Since I cannot increase my mileage due to my knee/calf, I need to focus on ST once again. So I am back to doing what I love and I have seen work for me in the past. PUSH UPS!! I am almost at 300 reps for this week but the count starts over as of today!!

The reps can include......close grip, diamond, low incline, spiderman, dive bomber, staggered hands, wide fly, standard, walking, inchworm, walking spiderman, T-plank.....but NOTHING on my knees.

Thanks as always for the motivation, support and help you all have provided me.

The Long Food blog....

2012-04-27T02:13:00.001-05:00

As most of you know I post pics of my foods on my FB page daily. It motivates me and helps increase my accountability.

Here is a look at a few of my meals the past few days for those of you not on FB....

My challenge is going great and I am very happy to be back eating a mostly Vegan diet.

Buckwheat noodles and miso soup with Veggies!

Salad with tuna and garbanzo beans

Big salad with avocado on whole grain bread with melon

Quorn baked with eggplant and topped over black Quinoa

Chia, flax, banana, and kiwi blend

Grilled Salmon with broccoli and hot peppers

Vitamineral Green and Earth from HealthForce Nutrtionals

Raw Veggies and fruit for the day

Wakame Salad with black beans and avocado

Vega Shake with coconut milk

White bean and avocado hummus

Celery and cucumber juice blend

More juicing.......

Vega one shake with oat bran and berries along with Green Tea blend

Oats, chia and flax blend

Raw salad topped with black beans and spinach

Oat bran spelt blend with VM green and earth

Oats, chia, quinoa and flax blend with berries and apple

More VM Green and Earth

Black beans, tomato, avocado and nutritional yeast on bread

Black beans with chia seeds, flax and nutritional yeast with avocado and red bell pepper

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Update on injury, plan for this week and thoughts on the marathon....

2012-04-23T02:07:00.003-05:00

I feel truly encouraged this morning. My calf is doing MUCH better. So much so that this weekend I was able to walk slowly, start and stop for about 2 miles. This was huge for me as remember earlier in the week I could not make it .30 miles without a cramp!! My visit with the PT went very well. This was my second visit to the sports clinic and I am even more impressed with the level of care they are providing me.

The ultrasound revealed both good news and interesting news. The big news for me was that I did not have a large tear in my calf. This was such a relief!! It meant that through resting and proper treatment, I would not need a huge break from running. The interesting news came from what was causing my calf pain. Some of you may remember back last year when I was receiving the injections for my arthritis that I also had a bakers cyst behind my knee. I have had this cyst for years, so that was nothing new however due to my new running routines since moving here I have aggregated the cyst greatly and it is very inflamed. The brusa extends into my calf which is why I was having the cramping and pain. So my bakers cyst caused a calf strain from the pressure of the fluid and inflammation. Now, the PT said it was due to down hill running. The pounding only makes my arthritis in my knee worse which in turn inflames the Bakers causing the fluid build up to spread down into the calf. So I have been icing behind my knee and it has helped greatly.

As far as treatment....well, we are taking a wait and see approach. He said he DOES NOT think I should run the marathon BUT he was going to make up a program for me and we will see if I can walk the race....which would be fine with me!!!!!!!!!

I have to keep the knee wrapped with a brace/compression sleeve , ice a great deal throughout the day, stretch, do my yoga daily, take some anti-inflammatories, and bike for at least one hour 4 times a week. I can also walk as long and there is NO pain whatsoever. I am going in today for some more treatments along with a deep tissue massage and some acupuncture. If all goes well this week, I am going to aim for a long walk with maybe a few running intervals on Saturday. I have to still work on getting walks/runs in IF....and I do say IF I am going to do the marathon in 5 weeks. I HAVE TO be able to walk/run a 15:15 mm to be able to meet the time cut off. Normally, this would be nothing but I am not sure how fast I can walk as of now, so this week if I am healing well, I am going to do a test run if you will to see if I can walk/run less than a 15 mm with my injury. We will see.

So for now I cannot say whether or not I am racing, but I can say that my mind is open to the possibility of canceling IF I need to. The PT was SO extremely helpful and we talked about my marathons in September and October and I feel through his help and following his plan, I can do this! But the key is I MUST follow the program. I cannot do my normal crazy thing and get out there and do trail runs going over rocks and uneven surfaces as I was....remember those awesome trail runs?? OH! I am going to miss that!! BUT...that was putting crazy amounts of strain on my knee which lead to all of this.

Who would have thought that my KNEE would be causing my calf to cramp up?? To me it is crazy but when I started doing research on Runners world etc... it is actually quite common. The funny thing was a few weeks ago I was going to send a text to my aunt the elite runner and doctor who I always talk about as she always helps me....anyways, I was going to text her and ask if my cyst could be the cause of my calf pain. As I was feeling such pressure and pain behind my knee and I was wondering if the cyst was cutting of blood supply or something to my calf. I never sent the text because I thought it was a crazy idea.....well, I should have stuck with my gut....but you live and learn right ;)

So that is pretty much it. Now, all I have to do is wait and do what I am supposed to do. I feel blessed to have found such a wonderful sports clinic here and I am so thankful God is helping me through all of this. I have learned so much about myself once again. I have learned I am one stubborn, determined girl :) It can be a good thing but if I am going to continue racing I need to learn MODERATION in all things.

Now onto my plan for this week.....

I am using this time to really focus on my diet. Those of you on my FB page will know that I am switching back to the plan I followed last year which brought me such amazing success with my weight loss. It was a mostly Vegan diet with a focus on raw foods. I already feel so amazing eating this way and look forward to learning more about raw foods and various ways to incorporate more nutrient dense foods into our diet. I am reading once again the BEST book in my opinion.....Dr. Joel Fuhrman's Eat to Live. I read this book last year and gave it to my parents which in turn, caused them to become Vegan and it has changed their life as well. Along with this I am reading Kathy Freston's new book The Lean.....it is very good as well, a fast quick read.

My nutritional goals for this week are.....

1. Take my Vitamineral Green and Earth twice daily
2. Juice or blend daily
3. Eat at least one raw salad for either lunch or dinner daily.
4. Make sure to have 1/2 avocado, 1 oz of nuts and chia seeds daily
5. Eat at least 4 servings of fruit a day
6. No Coffee for this week....just tea
7. No Dairy, Eggs or Meat other than fish ( not fully Vegan I know, but it is a start)
8. Limit fish to no more than once a day
9. Eat one serving of beans a day
10. One tbsp of flaxseed oil daily

My fitness goals for this week are.....

1. EVERYDAY stretch and use my foam roller
2. Yoga daily for at least 30 mins - using Cathe's Yoga Max dvd along with Rodney Yee
3. 4 - 5 days this week bike for at least one hour
4. Try to walk daily for at least 30 mins as long as there is no pain
5. Complete 3 rounds of ST (M,W,F) and reach a total of 500 push ups for the week

2012-04-20T03:26:00.003-05:00

A Super Sweet and Yummy Vegan Dessert!

And for my sweet Momma, here the Banana oat bars I was telling you about! ;)

From the Eat to Live Book.....

http://www.drfuhrman.com/shop/ETLBook.aspx

2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats (not instant)

1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup raisins or chopped dates
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 large ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (optional; see note)
1 tablespoon date sugar (optional; see note)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl until well combined. Press into a 9-by-9-inch baking pan and bake for 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. When cool, cut into squares or bars.

Veggies, Beans and Grains......Happy to be back :)

2012-04-17T05:14:00.001-05:00

So very happy to be back eating the way I love! It just feels right. Here is a look at yesterdays Fuel....

Looking forward to posting my daily results once again. It has been too long.

Oats, chia seeds, flaxseeds, apple, almonds with soy milk

Spinach, carrot, celery, cucumber, ginger and lemon......YUMMY!

Vegan chili with broccoli and spinach with brown rice

Chia seeds, coconut flakes, ground flax and water chilled for an amazing snack!

Dinner I made for my husband ( I had left overs from lunch with avocado)....this was a Vegan Chana Dal...very good!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Back to basics......

2012-04-10T10:52:00.000-05:00

Going back to the plan which has worked so very well for me.....clean eating, mostly plants, nuts, fruits, fish and moving around as much as possible.....

Fuel for today....

Oats and egg whites, peach Oolong tea
Raw carrots and more egg whites....with a bit of egg yolk
Raw cabbage, beans, avocado and an orange
One Apple
More carrots and a few peanuts
Vega one protein shake
More oats and massive amounts of water......over a gallon

And finally I will probably have another Vega shake tonight with berries

Off today from running but I did some ST then I used my foam roller to help my calf and ITB

We are back!

2012-04-10T02:07:00.002-05:00

I will be posting a few photos regarding our family vacation later on but as of now I am finishing the massive loads of laundry we have from our trip and unpacking and reorganizing things around the house. So much to do!! The trip was truly a dream and we had a fantastic time seeing our baby girl experience so many new things. Her second birthday was simply perfect and we will never forget the memories made on this very, very special trip!! We toured all throughout Belgium, France, Germany and Switzerland. The weather was fantastic until the last day, so we were thankful. So many amazing memories to last a lifetime!

I am happy to be back however and to be back on a schedule. I have a great deal of running to do.......my marathon is 7 weeks away!! Yea!!

Blessings to all........if my posts are a bit off for the next few days it is only because I am so busy doing various projects I have planned for my girl and I in addition to working on a new family website for our photos,video etc...so many special things happening right now for us. Such a blessing!!

Runs for this week......

Wednesday - 5 miler....slow, just to get back running
Saturday - 14 miler......VERY slow...walking breaks to see if my calf can do a long run, it will be the first one since the 11 miler where I hurt my calf. It seems to be better but we will see after Saturday - the goal is to just get the distance in without my calf cramping up! NO matter how long it takes......

March Update...

2012-03-26T03:03:00.002-05:00

March totals as of this morning -

Miles - 96.71/100
Pushups - 1,481/2,000

All is well here!! I am doing very well with my runs and my workouts. I really hope to press hard the next couple of days before we leave for Kayla's birthday trip!! I still cannot believe she is about to be 2. I am so overwhelmed with emotion at times just thinking about how fast everything is going. It really does feel like yesterday I was blogging on here about my pregnancy workouts. I love this time with her though as she is so fun to watch as she explores the world around her in a very special way!

After Saturday's long run, I was down a bit but I feel better now. My calf is still hurting.....strange as I took yesterday off. I talked with my aunt....the elite runner and physician and I am not to do any hills for 1-2 weeks. I am hoping it will help. I am concerned though on one thing. It is a girl thing.....heels! I have all my boots ready for our trip and I was thinking how it is going to be hard on my calf when I am walking around all day on cobblestones in high boots, then taking off to run in the evenings. Not sure what I am going to do as of yet. I think for Disneyland Paris I will wear my running shoes as that will be the most walking we will do. The other cities around Europe will be via trains and we are renting a car for part of the Alscae region and Switzerland. I just do not want to mess my calf up any further...........for those wondering what on earth I am talking about, on Saturday I had to stop at 11 miles as my right calf cramped up BAD and I could not even walk for a bit after. Then I stretched it out and walked another 5.25 miles and it seemed better but it is still very tight. I have been doing a great amount of hill work........running on toes......and I think it may be a strain. My splits and info on my run can be found on my dailymile log to the right of this blog. But my AP for the run was 10:11......I was happy with this but I wanted to keep running! Cardio wise I was blazing even at mile 11. It was frustrating but I just hope my calf is ok! So it is FLAT running for me for the next few weeks. Not sure how this will workout as we are going to the Alps! :) I may need to just walk and pick up my long runs when we get back and I can run along the water where it is flat. I do think I can get some good runs in while in Paris as it is pretty flat there. It will be fun to see where I can run throughout our trip!

Back to the vacation and my goals.......

As much as I love traveling, I have learned how important it is to have a plan and to set goals prior to leaving. There are so many amazing treats that one could easily lose control and come back far off track. So, I am setting goals and trying to keep my marathon training on track while we are gone.

We are going to a region of Europe with GOOD food......and I do mean GOOD!! I am a bread NUT and I go crazy for cheese so I am going to have to really watch it when we are in France or I am just going to have to get out there and run daily :) Goat cheese is my weakness....not chocolate, not hamburgers.......goat and feta cheese! Mouth is watering now......

So, I will be posting my totals this week before we leave and I hope to meet my push up goal by the first of April......then a new challenge begins!!!! I am going for 120 miles the month of April and probably another 2,000 pushups.......maybe a few more goals as well.

Hope all is well with everyone! Thanks as always for your support!!!!

PUSH it Jen!!

2012-03-22T02:53:00.002-05:00

Ok...goals for today......PUSHUPS! I have to meet my 2,000 rep goal before leaving for our vacation next week. SO...today, I am aiming for 300 reps....yes, 300 awesome, military, close grip, diamond, T plank, walking, inchworm, dive bomber, solider plank, wide fly......every kind you can imagine BUT not a single rep on my knees.........Ok, now off to PUSH my way towards my goal today! Will update on how I am doing!

Challenge yourself today! Maybe walk a run a mile for the first time or sign up for that race you have always longed to do! Find YOUR challenge for this day and then GO FOR IT!!!!

Blessings!

Somewhere In Time....

2012-03-20T04:57:00.001-05:00

We were traveling around this weekend scouting out new places for me to run and for Micah to get some long rides in near our home. We stumbled upon this area called Time.

Those who know us well know that it was a very, very special place to us as we realized we were Somewhere in Time!!

The movie is a favorite of ours and we walked down the isle to the main theme of the movie. Seeing the beauty all around us was simply amazing!!!

We took this photo with my iPhone and then used Camera + to process it all from my phone. Loved the result. I cannot wait to run here :)

The Lord is your strength and your shield...

2012-03-20T01:34:00.001-05:00

A beautiful reminder of the strength of our Lord and what He can do in our life!

Be blessed today! Smile...every trouble, every trial is in His hands. Rest in Him....

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

My marathon dream. 70 days from now it will come true!

2012-03-18T13:12:00.000-05:00

I have always wanted to run a marathon. I have completed several half marathons and triathlons but never a full 26.2 miles. Today was supposed to be the moment I have longed for. Today, was the Rome Marathon. I was registered, flights and hotels were booked since last year all before we knew we were moving to Norway. During the move my training got far off schedule and I did not want to overtrain and hurt my knee. I was feeling a bit down that I was not going to make it to Rome, however after giving the decision a great deal of thought, I was confident that I was making the right choice. Many of you remember the problems I have had with my right knee and the pain it has caused me. I remember my Ortho telling me to be smart about my training as I did not want to have a knee replacement at 40. And so, I did my best to make the smart decision and aim for another race later on so that I would have more time to train properly.

I have not given up my marathon dream. Rome will be there next year along with a few others I am looking forward to running and I have other races before me this year that I need to focus on. In many ways my next race will be of even greater importance and significance than Rome. I am currently registered for my next marathon. We are fully booked....flights, hotels. etc... and I am well into my training. And so in 70 days, on my 35th birthday, May 27th, I will be running my first marathon in Edinburgh, Scotland!

The Edinburgh Marathon festival is taking place the weekend of the 25th - 27th and when I found out that the marathon was going to take place on my birthday, it was a MUST that this be my first marathon!!! I cannot tell you how excited we are! We leave for Scotland the 24th and will spend a few days there before and after the race. We were just there in September except it was without our little girl, now we will be able to take her to see everything and the best part is that she will be there to see her Mommy run her first marathon and be with me on my 35th birthday! This is sure to be a birthday I will NEVER forget!

Below is a photo taken of me running Arthur's Seat in Scotland back in September. Little did I know at the time that I would be running my first marathon just below on my birthday! I find it beautiful how God has worked out everything in the best possible way.

Blessings.....

2012-03-18T02:47:00.000-05:00

I took this photo from the Jesus Calling devotional that my aunt gave me from Christmas. It has been the best blessing to me this year. This passage I love so very much......

I want to share more of these beautiful devotionals with you all for they touch my heart in a very special way each day!

Dr. Weil's Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid

2012-03-16T06:19:00.004-05:00

After reading so much on nutrition, I keep going back to this guideline. I am still looking at various programs, but I have a great deal of respect for Dr. Weil and feel this might be a good change for me at this time. The only difference would be adding in tofu more and increasing my grains....oats, brown rice etc....

However, I am still reading and trying to see what would be best for my family longterm....Vegan or Something similar to the food pyramid listed below.

Here is a link to Dr. Weil's site........

Dr. Weil's Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid

Vacation Motivation! 2 weeks from today....

2012-03-15T05:41:00.006-05:00

I am so excited! Two weeks from today we will be going on vacation and I am so ready...I am already starting to pack! My little girl is turning 2 and we wanted her to have a very special birthday. We are going to Belgium, France, Germany and finally Switzerland!!! While in France, we are going to take a train to Paris and we are going to take her to Disneyland Paris for a few days to celebrate her birthday! I know she may be a bit young but there are shows like The Lion King she will enjoy and it is the 20th anniversary on the park so they are having parades and so on that I think she will enjoy. My husband and I are quite excited as well :) She is our everything and it brings me so much joy knowing that we will be able to show her this part of the world!

We traveled a great deal before we were blessed with her in our life and now the trips become so much more meaningful. So special. As she gets older I know they will become even more special as she learns about the world...the good and the bad. I truly feel it will shape her outlook in a very special way. I did not have this until I was older and I know that traveling truly changed me. We feel very blessed to be able to give her this experience. I hope she can look back when she is older and see her little 2nd birthday album and know she was loved and we tried to give her the best little birthday we could!!

I am going to need to keep my training schedule strong when on vacation so I am looking at which days I have my long runs planned so that I can head out for a run and stay on track! I am going to need to do this as I am sure there will be TONS of food....good food......well, good tasting not so good for you food all over the place in a few weeks! I will be smart but of course I will have a latte or two......or three......ok, maybe four :)

I am doing well on my March challenge so far!! Here are my totals......

Miles - 52.06/100
Pushups - 1,100/2,000

I MUST keep my nutrition solid, my running on track and my lifting strong!! 2 weeks until we leave and I want to be in the best shape yet!!!!

Day 13 of challenge! ST and Cardio....

2012-03-13T07:20:00.001-05:00

March totals -
Miles - 45.06/100
Pushups - 1,045/2,000

I have to say I KILLED my ST workout this morning! LOVED IT! Today was my heavy lifting day and so for 91 mins I worked as hard as I could, sweat dripping off of me and I loved each and every second!

I did Cathe's Cardio Superset DVD with 10 lb and one 20 lb DB then I used 3 lb DB's while doing the step work and with many of the lunge routines for added resistance.

Here is a look.....the dvd is 62 mins long and I promise you, it works you hard!!!!

I did not do the cool down but instead added more ST and pushups.....here are my results. I was pretty tired as I had already lifted in the DVD, so I did my favorite 50 rep workout. You have several stations of weights and you go from one to the next, each with 50 reps and you try not to rest too long in between. Ultimate 50 reps circuit training I guess ;)

250 pushups - not a single one on my knees! It was a combo of standard military, close grip, solider plank push, diamond. incline with one arm raise and walking pushups.

Two arm hammer curls with squats - 50 reps with 10 lb DB's
Two arm bicep curls - 50 reps with 20 lb Db's
Two arm bicep curls alternating wide and narrow - 50 reps with 10 lb DB's

Seated shoulder press - 50 reps - 28 reps with 20 lb DB's then I burned out and grabbed my 10 lb DB's to complete the 50 reps....new goal - to build up to 50 reps using my 20 lb DBs! :)

Side to side Chops - 50 reps with one 20 lb DB
Horizontal Chops - 50 reps with a 12 lb MB

One arm DB rows - 50 reps for each arm with one 30 lb DB....very proud of this one! Hope to increase weight soon but happy to see I could get out 50 reps per arm at that weight.

Shoulder press with sumo squat - 50 reps with one 20 lb DB

For my nutrition I have pre-logged my meals for the rest of today, though I will probably add in another serving of chicken and maybe an orange.......will see how i feel after lunch. Anyways, here is the link to my nutrition log......

March 13th Nutrition