But yesterday I received my new sneakers in the mail and was surprised to see they were the updated version of my usual Brooks Summon, Summon 2.    Whoops – Guess I ordered the wrong pair!  I’ve been such a space cadet lately – I also ordered the wrong knee sleeves!

I was left with quite the conundrum.  Do I run the 5K in a new style of sneakers?  Do I test them out beforehand and risk sore legs?  Do I suck up the blisters and run in my old shoes?!

I decided the best option would be to go a on short and slow 2.0 miler this morning.  My old shoes are totally shot so running in the Summon pair wasn’t really an option.  But… I am happy to report that I really like the updated Summon 2!  The toe box seems a little wider, which is nice because my feet tend to swell as I run.  Here’s to hoping they stand up to longer distances, too!

Pre-run snack was 1/2 a banana and PB:

And after, I had an oatmeal mess:

In the mix:

• 1/2 cup raw oatmeal
• Honey Greek yogurt
• A peach
• Raspberries
• Chia seeds

While running, I was thinking a lot about the upcoming race.  I really believe in the power of visualization.  The course is one I run on regularly, so I could definitely imagine myself tearing down the corner and crossing the finish line in time for a new PR.

I’m excited for this race, but my least favorite distance is a 5K! 

So far, I’ve run 28 races, including running races of all distances (except an ultramarathon – ahh!).  I’m not a huge fan of 5Ks because I feel so much pressure to go fast and the entire 3.1 miles is one, long painful sprint.

My first race was actually a 10K!  I remember thinking that I was going to “go big or go home.”    I like 10Ks because there is less pressure for me to sprint, sprint, sprint, but I still feel like I end up maintaining a very uncomfortable pace for 6.2 miles.

My FAVORITE distance is 15K.  I think it’s long enough so I can go slower (I love moderately paced runs), but the 9.3 distance is obviously very challenging.  I feel like I’m getting my “money’s worth” when I enter a 15K.  I really love 15Ks and wish they were more popular!

Half marathons are fun, too – but it’s starting to get a little TOO long for me to LOVE it.    Halves are really hard!  And of course, I’ve done one marathon and it wasn’t the BEST experience.  Hopefully, marathon #2 will be more enjoyable.

If you’ve run a variety of distances, what is your favorite distance to run?  What was the first race distance you completed?

Finally bit the bullet and went to hot yoga today (not crazy-cardio hot yoga but relaxing hot yoga).  With marathon training in full swing, I NEED yoga in my life!  My legs have been aching more, and my back is begging for release.  Yoga calms my body, and it quiets my mind.

Thus… I’ve committed myself to a little personal yoga challenge (to practice regularly).  I’m not going to make it this grand blog challenge because honestly… it’s too much pressure that way.  Plus, I don’t want to be a bad group leader if I fall off the wagon. 

Life is complicated.  Yoga is simple.

Yoga was at an odd hour (12:30) so I ate lunch a little early.

The star of the show was a whole wheat hoagie with Moroccan hummus and sprouts.

Plus melon + olives.  I’ve been craving olives like nobody’s business lately.  Salt replacements, maybe?

Post-yoga snack was a classic Green Monster (1 cup almond milk, 2 cups raw spinach, 1/2 a banana).  Yes, these really taste good.  I promise.

And for dinner, I had to Google “how to boil eggs.”  I Twittered for some advice about the process and was immediately inundated with all these tips and tricks.  I just threw caution to the wind and it all worked out:  boil water, add eggs, remove after 15 minutes or so.  Drop in ice water and then peel.  Tada!

Finished product:

I had a spinach salad with polenta crotons, kidney beans, roasted zucchini, tomatoes, and two hard boiled eggs.

Polenta crotons are easy, too.  Buy the pre-made tubes (in the refrigerated section usually), slice, and roast at 375 for twenty minutes or so.  Can’t screw it up!

With toast on the side:

And for dessert, the Hus and I went to a Charlotte blogger meet-up at TCBY for some Fro-Yo in Emily and Casey’s honor.  They are moving to DC, and everyone is very sad to see them go!

My cup of chocolate, vanilla, and candy toppings.

Yoforia is still much, much better – just my opinion! 

Are you challenging yourself to reach a new healthy goal right now?  Do you prefer to announce all your goals to your friends and family or keep it quiet?

(Circa 2005?)

Honestly, I think I’m still evolving and learning how to approach life (especially stressors) in a healthy manner.  But I’m learning – and that’s the important thing.

I never really had one big “Oh my gosh, let’s clean up my act” moment, but more of a series of instances that motivated me to make healthier choices.  Walking up the stairs and getting out of breath; eating a sleeve of Girl Scout cookies mindlessly and eating up with a sugar headache; reading Skinny Bitch and going vegetarian; waking up with a horrible hangover for the third day in a row and realizing I probably shouldn’t drink as much as often.  You know how it goes. 

Much better.

But sometimes, people have a BIG moment that inspires them to change their life for the healthier.  Here’s one such story.  I hope you enjoy it!

Tina’s Healthy Tipping Point

My name is Tina and you can find me pouring out my passions and sharing my zest for life at the blog Faith, Fitness, Fun. I love Caitlin for all she does in helping promote women to realize their beauty is in who they are. I applaud such a message because I know how it can change a life. You see, as peppy and full of joy as I may seem to you now, I used to struggle. A lot.

I experienced a very rough time emotionally my sophomore through senior years of college. I was in a deep stage of depression. I battled suicidal thoughts, with a few attempts thrown in for good measure, on a daily basis thanks to a troubling relationship with my father. The only way I managed to have the appearance of being happy was to find something to control. My weight seemed a good idea. I threw myself into tracking every morsel that slid down my throat and eating only “good” foods. My life revolved around workout after workout after workout. I had no balance and that lack of balance eventually led me to swing from one end of the pendulum to the other. I became a binger my junior year of college.

Even after getting out of my father’s house, meeting and marrying the man of my dreams, and reaching a point of forgiveness for all my father had done to me, the binging remained. My life revolved around stopping in the store to buy packages of cookies and candy, giving an excuse to the cashier that I was throwing a party, shoving it all down my throat on the 30 minute ride home from work, and then finding a way to hide it in the trash so my husband would not find out. Or calling the weekend a “cheat time” so I could gorge myself to the point of discomfort without having to hide it. I cycled from having a “good” day to a “bad” day because I was so deprived. I lacked control and I lacked balance. I thank God every day for what came my way in February of 2008.

Those two pink lines changed my life for the better. Suddenly, my whole view of eating shifted. I may not have loved myself enough to treat myself with respect, but I sure as heck loved that baby enough to give her my best. I knew I had to eat for the baby…and I also knew chicken and green beans would make me puke. I was left with no choice but to open up all the restrictions I placed on myself. Without those rules, the binging stopped. There wasn’t a desire. I fed my body what it needed and wasn’t afraid of food. I saw that, even pregnant, I didn’t blow up with weight gain. I learned that my body is smart. It knows how to reach a balance. It strives for balance. If I had a heavy meal one night, I craved plates of fruit and veggies the next day. I did not need to fear food. 

That shift of mindset stayed with me. After birth, I knew I still needed to care for myself so I could care for my daughter while nursing. I also began to realize the need to care for myself because I was created to do wonderful things in this world and my body deserved to be loved. So I kept eating and living with balance.

That balance brought me to the best shape I have ever been in my life. Without restriction, deprivation, or frustration with myself I became fit, strong, and most importantly, healthy. I even went on to compete in a fitness competition.

My life was changed with those two pink lines, in many ways. I will forever be thankful for my daughter that she taught me to love myself. Now I beg of you…don’t wait. Love yourself. Today. Right now. This moment. You’re worth it.

In this spirit, I am launching The 30 Days of Self – Reflection Challenge for the month of September to help us each come closer to self love and truly believing in our worth as beautiful human beings. This movement will serve to help us all learn to love ourselves more and to uplift one another in the process. To begin to realize our true beauty and value. To battle the inner dialogue that strives to bring us down. In short, it will help us to love ourselves like we should have never stopped doing.  To learn, check out this page.

Is your Healthy Tipping Point evolving?  How so?  Was your wake up call a series of small moments or one big slap-in-the-face?  What areas do you continue to struggle with?  How are you succeeding?

FIVE: Pumpkin Dip <—Not an original recipe but epic enough that it deserves a shout out.

FOUR:  Pumpkin Spice Toasted Quinoa

THREE: Sweet Breakfast Burrito

TWO:  Pumpkin Spice Latte Baked Oatmeal

ONE:  Pumpkin Yogurt  So amazing and simple that it was even featured on Women’s Day as a favorite healthy snack!

Delicious, huh?  Now do you see why I love pumpkin so much?  It can be savory; it can be sweet; it can be a snack; it can be a meal!  Long time pumpkin!

And although it’s not available in Charlotte yet, I thought I’d celebrate my love for pumpkin this morning with another great Code Orange breakfast featuring….

Sweet potato!

To make a simple mashed sweet potato for use in a breakfast bowl, wash the sweet potato, stab it with a fork, wrap in a wet paper towel, and microwave for 5 minutes or so.    Carefully peel off the skin and cut into cubes, and then pop in the freezer for five minutes or so to cool it off quickly.

Served with Honey Green Yogurt, Go Lean cereal, and chia seeds:

Have a wonderful day!

Organic pumpkin is not the same as the Libby’s brand, unfortunately.

Is pumpkin available where you live yet?  Last December, I bought a case of pumpkin and made it part way through spring on my stash!

Non-pumpkiny afternoon snack:

Melon and cashews!  A summer snack. 

Post-work, the Husband took me to his clinic for an acupuncture treatment.  It was very relaxing.  I also had cupping done on my back because my lower back has been aching with all my fast running. 

He’s officially treating patients now, which is so exciting!

The completed waiting room (I can’t take credit for this; my mother-in-law designed it… she has a good eye!):

After all that Chinese medicine, I was craving some Asian-inspired stir fry for dinner.

Perfect Baked tofu, brown rice, and steamed broccoli with soy sauce.

More House Hunters is on the agenda! 

We celebrated by eating lunch on the patio.  It was HOT.

Lunch was a yummy summer salad featuring one of my favorite things:  breaded eggplant!

Eggplant is one of those things can be made into a healthy dish or a not-so-healthy dish (but oh-so-delicious – I’m looking at you, eggplant parmesan).  I love roasting it in the oven with a little egg wash and bread crumbs.

To get started, you need a firm, dark purple eggplant and two eggs:

Slice the eggplant into one-inch thick circles.

In a shallow dish, beat the eggs.  In another dish, spread out some bread crumbs.  I used this organic kind from Trader Joe’s:

Salt the eggplant slices, dip into the egg mix, and then dip into the bread crumbs on both sides.  Place on a greased cookie sheet.   Once I’ve finished dipping the slices, I like to pour the remaining egg mix over the slices and then top with some extra breading.

Mmm.

Bake at 375 for twenty minutes, and then broil for another minute or two to brown them up quickly.

Meanwhile, prepare your salad base (we’re making healthy eggplant, remember?).  I mixed some greens, tomatoes, broccoli sprouts, and rinsed kidney beans together.

Put it all together and top with some sort of salsa or relish.  I used corn and chili salsa.  It was perfect!

It was one of those lovely, voluminous lunches that left me feeling full and satisfied but not stuffed. 

Back to work I go!  How’s your day going?

For the last 2+ months, I’ve been doing one long run, speedwork run, tempo run, and easy run per week and averaging 18 – 25 miles per week.  I haven’t necessarily met every training goal (speedwork has been the hardest to achieve), but I feel very prepared.  If I can’t run a 23:00 5K on Saturday, I don’t think I ever will!

Having a speed goal while training for the marathon has been very helpful because it’s forced me to focus on more than just distance.  Working on speed has been fun and challenging.  Plus, it helps to mix up my weekly runs… preventing mental burnout is so important in a five-month long training program!

All in all… things are looking up today.  In the very least, I’m determined to have a more positive outlook today than I did yesterday.

Woke out, got some writing done, and snacked on some toast with buttah.

Then I decided to set out on a 5.0 mile run.  Since my race is on Saturday, tomorrow will probably be my last run before the race.  I really want fresh legs!

I set out with one goal:  do a warm-up mile, three fast miles, and one cool-down mile.  Whenever it felt really hard, I thought, “Push through the uncomfortableness.  Push through!”  It helps me so much to frame the discomfort of sprinting in terms of "this is uncomfortable” vs. “this is painful.”  Pain is BAD!  Discomfort is good! (Here’s how I tell the difference between the two).

Along the way, I left four Ripples business cards on the sidewalk, mailboxes, and park benches. 

My splits:

• Distance: 5.0 miles
• Duration: 46:57
• Mile 1: 9:45
• Mile 2: 9:09
• Mile 3: 8:44
• Mile 4: 8:26 <—so hard!
• Mile 5: 11:10 <—walk/run style

It was a GREAT run!

A very late breakfast:

Raspberries, Greek yogurt, Dorset cereal (a berry and cherry museli), raw oatmeal, sesame cashew, banana, and chia seed mix.

As summer draws to a close, are you gearing up for races or winding down?  Every area seems to have a different “race season.”  I’m excited to get going with ours!

I try to keep the bitchin’ and moanin’ about my personal life to a minimum on the blog (because that’s what my mom is for and, heck, life is pretty awesome overall) but I simply must appeal for words of advice!  How do we get over this emotional hump?!  Tell me your small business story – maybe I can glean some lessons from your successes and trials.

Pre-printer meltdown, I had a lovely bowl of raw oatmeal, banana, and yogurt:

(I ate it in the car on the way to the clinic.)

And when we got back at 8:45, I threw together a quick dinner:

Thank goodness for wraps, right?  I had an egg, greens, and corn wrap with a side of roasted small potatoes.  Better than French fries!

Time for House Hunters (our ultimate de-stresser) and bed.  Oh, and I’m munching on two mini ice cream sandwiches for dessert.   

Tell me, tell me.  Do you run a small business?  Would you ever want to?  As hard as it is, small business ownership definitely has tons of benefits, too!

Wanna know my favorite way to recover from a very long run? WALK!  Sitting on the couch is oh-so-tempting, but getting out there and moving my legs has proven to be the best remedy for post-run aches.  I took a break this morning to walk James and then walk to the store.  It felt good to move!

Post-walk, I came home and surveyed the mess that is my house…

Let it be known that I am extremely Type A and organizational.  The clutter in my house is currently KILLING ME.  Today is jammed with Husband’s-clinic-support-activities and writing, but once I hit publish on this post, I’m going to do a 15 minute speed clean.  I literally set the oven timer and GO.  I feel productive, it forces me to focus on the big stuff, and at the end, the house is pretty neat.

Side note: my dogs are cute.  James always lets Maggie win.

Annnnnd lunch:

Leftover grilled tofu, brie cheese, sprouts, and tabbouli on bread:

The lovely brie was a little lost on the sandwich though.  I hate it when that happens!

Dessert:

Ready, set, CLEAN.

• New recipe!  No-cheese Salsa Verde Enchiladas
• New recipe! Braised Cabbage Pasta
• And I ran a 15-mile long run 

Good morning!  How goes it on this lovely Monday?

I thought I’d start things off right with a lovely breakfast.  What makes this dish really sing?  The play of savory and sweet from the combination of balsamic reduction and strawberries.

Strawberry Fields Breakfast Quinoa

Ingredients (for one serving):

• 1 serving quinoa, dry
• 1 cup strawberries
• 1 serving sweetened nuts (I used honey sesame cashews)
• 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar for reducing

Directions:

• Boil quinoa according to package directions.
• Meanwhile, wash and slice strawberries. Set aside.
• In another small pot, bring balsamic vinegar to boil and reduce it (takes about 5 minutes, it will become thick and oily).
• Once quinoa is finished, drain any excess liquid and mix in nuts, maple syrup, and strawberries.  Plate.
• Pour balsamic reduction over the top.
• Enjoy!

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." (Howard Washington Thurman)

PS – I finally created a “Blogging Tips” page!