Everyone deals with an injury at sometime or another…we’re human!  But I think for runners and other endurance athletes, injuries sideline us more than just physically – the injury can toy with our psyche and emotions.

Last week I was catching up on my Runner’s World issues – and as usual I read Marc Parent’s column.  I love his witty banter about being a newbie runner.  And in the May 2013 issue, titled “Running Pains Hurts So Good”, he  cleverly wrote an article in which he documents a runner’s interest and desire to expose themself to pain on a regular basis:

“Of the many things I pointed to as proof that runners were lunatics, top on the list was their willingness to find pain on a regular basis, invite it into their bodies, and have meaningful interactions with it.”

I laughed so hard reading this article, because he tells the crazy truth about our loveable sport.  It’s TRUE!!!  We’re addicted to pain – or at least a non-runner’s perception of what is painful.  And if you think about it, each of us revels in the lost toenails, the chaffed limbs, and stiff muscles.  It’s the reward of our sport…well that and the fact that now you can eat your fro yo without hesitation, but that may just be me

But when this pain crosses into injury, that’s when we step back and reassess where the line that delineates between good pain and bad pain lies:

“How hurt am I really?”

“Do I need to see a doctor?”

“Will a short run really make it worse?”

“When can I run again?”

In late March my lower leg started to hurt.  At first it was at the end of the run, then it started earlier and earlier, and then it got to the point that the pain lasted well into the next day.  After a month of hoping that a day or two of rest would cure it, I made a doctor’s appointment.  I’ve known friends who have dealt with stress fractures and other injuries and I knew that more running had the chance of causing more damage.  But for me, that was one of the hardest parts mentally about the injury:  that something I love and that is so good for me could now be so wrong.

It wasn’t a stress fracture; the doctor told me it is Tibialis Tendonitis.  Pretty much the tendon that supports the arch of my foot was weak and now my arch has collapsed.  Rest, ice, and orthotics should do the trick  he said.  A month later I’m still experiencing pain, although not to the degree I had been.

But still, I had pain and I continued to push myself to get out the door and run.  It’s what I do.  I’ve created a blog centered around the running community and my love of running.  I have medals and race bibs hanging on my wall and my calendar is filled with races and training plans.  Without running, how do I define myself?

I was on Facebook last week and a fellow blogger had such similar emotions to injury as me that I cried when I read it:

She was so dead on.  Runners are defined by running.  Without it we’re a little lost.

For me, I’m still trying to do my thing, although I know that cutting back and giving my body ample rest will only help.  I’m on an every other day running schedule to give the tendon a chance to relax and recover.  But still, my “thing” is limited.

Even my mom said to me “maybe you should look for a different way to workout”.  That wasn’t even an option!  Oh silly moms.  But as I reflected on her comment, I realized again that Marc Parent’s column rang true – runners have an all out affair with pain, we invite it into our lives regularly and try to hide it from those who just don’t understand.

I hope that you have gotten some sort of point or understanding out of this ramble of a post.  I just needed to talk about how I felt about my injury.  It’s in the back of my mind constantly, wondering when I’ll feel 100% again to push myself towards my 2nd marathon (see this post).

When I was in State College this past weekend, I ran with a few friends, whom I warned that I had an injury and wouldn’t be quite up to par.  Towards the end of the run one of my friends looked back and said “So how’s the ankle”.  I simply replied “Not too bad” with an enthusiastic two thumbs up.  She snickered and said “So it really hurts by a normal person’s standards huh?”

I guess you learn to live with and even embrace the pain.

“People think I’m crazy to put myself through such torture, though I would argue otherwise. Somewhere along the line we seem to have confused comfort with happiness. Dostoyevsky had it right: ‘Suffering is the sole origin of consciousness.’ Never are my senses more engaged than when the pain sets in. There is a magic in misery. Just ask any runner.”

― Dean Karnazes

Eat on the Run - Fueling up for a healthy life!

This post and my participation in the What’s Beautiful campaign are sponsored by Under Armour.  All opinions, motivation, and excitement are my own.

I really am excited to be announcing this!  Over the weekend I received an email informing me that I was chosen to participate in the new What’s Beautiful campaign by Under Armour.  After moving to Baltimore last Fall, I’ve realized the impact that Under Armour has in the community and what an awesome product and company it truly is.  This is part of the reason I am so excited about participating in this campaign.

The major reason for my excitement is the purpose of the What’s Beautiful campaign.  This is a movement, not just a way to sell product.  This is a movement to show the beauty of fitness and the female athlete.  From reading Eat on the Run you already know my passion for living a healthy lifestyle, and this campaign helps me to continue to promote and motivate on a much larger scale!

what does this mean for you!?

I’d like to invite you to show What’s Beautiful to you!  The video below gives a great overview of the campaign, how to create a profile, challenges, and all about the community.

Information from the What’s Beautiful website:

DECLARE A GOAL

Together we’re redefining the female athlete by setting epic goals and pushing past where we’ve ever been and where we thought we could go. Join us. Set your own personal goal. Then document your journey by posting videos and photos that tell your story from start to victory.

We’ll continuously post challenges for you. But that’s just the beginning. Show us your journey. Show us what makes your story the one that stands out from the rest. If you meet your goal, set a new one. Make it even bigger. Prove to everyone, and yourself, that you have more than what it takes.

What I’m here for?  Motivation, support, and even an account of my journey.  That’s right, I’ve created a goal and I’ll be working at it over the next 90 days.

THE COMPETITION

Every week we’ll give away Under Armour Swag Bags full of gear to women who are seriously getting it. We’ll also feature profiles on our home page and in the "Top Performers" section of women who are really setting an example for all of us.

After 8 weeks, we’ll announce the 10 finalists who’ve documented the most impressive, motivated, monumental stories.

Winners will be announced mid-July.

THE PRIZE

Three winners will be flown to Costa Rica to attend a four-day yoga and surf retreat. In addition to the lessons led by world-class instructors, winners will be treated to transformative massages, spa treatments and healthy, locally-sourced meals prepared by personal chefs. All while staying in plush accommodations looking out at the ocean. A retreat worthy of the women who earn it.

what’s my goal?

Well, this is actually coming at a perfect time to announce it, but I’ve registered for the Baltimore Marathon this fall, and I’m hoping to kill it!  My first marathon was a little bit of a disaster…I crossed the finish line and that’s about all I have to say.  This time I want to come in around the 4 hour mark.  So there it is —- my What’s Beautiful Goal!

Feel free to follow my profile on the What’s Beautiful webpage, and if you leave a comment, I’ll follow you back!  This is meant to serve as a community of motivation and support to help everyone achieve their goals and show that What’s Beautiful is spirit and drive of the female athlete.

So go ahead – set a goal, make a plan, and join in on the What’s Beautiful fun!

What will be your goal?

Need some extra motivation?

Follow me on Pinterest for more awesome What’s Beautiful motivation!

Eat on the Run - Fueling up for a healthy life!

So Monday sure came quick!

This weekend my Dad came to visit.  Next week is my birthday (which I share with Mothers Day!) so we celebrated a little bit by heading into DC and just exploring.

Because the weather was supposed to be gorgeous, I couldn’t stand the thought of walking into a museum and being indoors.  Dad and I ended up at the Sculpture Garden outside the Art Museum.

I’m not sure how impressed I really was with it.  Some of the sculptures didn’t require much thought…like a giant piece of flat steel?!  What’s up with that!?  Maybe I just don’t have an eye for art.

But Dad sure found this steel tree to be interesting.  I think it was the coolest sculpture of the exhibit.

From there we headed over to the US Botanical Garden, which was a perfect place to be on a sunny Spring day.  Many of the flowers were in bloom and it was adjacent to the capital building which we ended up walking around before heading for lunch.

We walked around the National Mall for almost 2 hours, so at that point we figured we earned out lunch   We drove into Georgetown for a bite to eat and for also another location to explore.

We ended up at Martin’s Tavern on Wisconsin which was a complete fluke.  Both of us just wanted to grab a sandwich and enjoy a beer, and a tavern seemed like the perfect location to do so!  The Tavern has been a popular meeting place in history for famous politicians.  JFK actually proposed to Jackie here!  I ordered the Bison burger which was HUGE but delicious.  Bison is actually a very lean red meat which is why I’m always inclined to order it when I see it on a menu.

After lunch we walked around Georgetown and the Washington Harbor and even enjoyed a margarita in the sun for an early Cinco de Mayo celebration

How was your weekend?

______________________________________________________________

As you know, I’m a Zooma Annapolis Race Ambassador, which I am super stoked about.  I love running and especially turning other people onto racing.  Right now, two of my friends are signed up and training for their first half marathon at the Zooma Annapolis Race.

One of the things that held me back from running my first race was just the thought that I’d never finish.  This is why I interviewed my two friends (Kelly and Wendy) to get their perspective on the upcoming race (25 days to go!).

“Kelly P”

First Time Half Marathoner!

M: Why did you sign up for Zooma and why did you want to do a half marathon?

K: I have always wanted to run a half marathon and I decided 2013 was the year to do it. As cheesy as it sounds, it was my New Year’s Resolution to do it. I had heard about the Zooma Annapolis half at the end of 2012. I read some great reviews and it seemed like a very supportive community that was encouraging of my participation. This definitely made it less intimidating to run my first half!

M: How did you choose a training plan?

K: I did some research about half marathon trainings and created a hybrid of a few different plans. I used blogs and training websites to map a 4 month schedule to train. I used 4 months as my timeline because my schedule is incredibly unpredictable and I wanted to have time to catch up if I missed a run (or three).

M: What has been your favorite and least favorite part of training so far?

K: My favorite part of training is experiencing an increase in my endurance. Before, there were days when a 3 mile run seemed like a daunting task. But as my runs got longer, the first three miles became easier. Additionally, having the goal of the half has ‘forced’ me to run. Sometimes I think I can “do it tomorrow’ but I always remind myself that although running 6 miles may be hard today, its going to be a LOT harder to run 13 in the future. Having my goal in mind pushes me to get it done. I have found myself much more committed to running and working out.

M: What are your goals for race day?

K: Since this is my first half, my goal is to finish. I do not have a specific time in mind, but somewhere between 2-2:30hrs would be wonderful. My biggest goal is to do the whole thing without walking. Even if I run really slow, I would be really proud to say I ran the entire half.

M: Any suggestions for those who are thinking about running and training for their first half?

K: It’s not as hard as you think! The training process has always deterred me from running a half. I always thought it was such a commitment to run all the time. The biggest piece of advice is to plan out your training ahead of time. Doing this allowed me to see major events (vacations, weddings) that I would need to plan around. Plus, if you take it slow, adding a mile a week is nothing and actually becomes exciting. On top of that, without having a goal of a time to beat, I know that if I stay in good shape, even if that means I am not running all the time, I will be able to finish!

Thanks Kelly for all your insights and tips!  I’m so excited to see many first time half marathoners at Zooma on June 1!

Let me know if you have any questions, either for me or Kelly!

Eat on the Run - Fueling up for a healthy life!

Let me put a disclaimer on this post:  you will want to run the NWM DC next year

Now on with the post!  I had signed up for NWM in December hoping to get my named pulled in the lottery.  Yep, there’s a lottery, and trust me, waiting to see if you got in is almost as nerve-wrecking as waiting for your college acceptance letter to come.  But, as I’m sure you expected, I was chosen in the lottery, along with a friend who is in the UMD internship with me.  Time to get our butts into gear and prepare for a fun time!

Flash forward to race week —– 5 months later!

The race expo was held in Georgetown, behind the Nike store, and as you turned the corner from the store on M street, a HUGE green sign stretching the length of a city block said “We Run DC” with every participants name in it.  I almost didn’t even care to find my name, it made me dizzy to look at!

Unfortunately, I didn’t get any pictures of the Expotique.  I was a bit rushed on Expo day as I had to work an event for the internship.  But, the expo was unlike any I had seen before.  It wasn’t a bunch of vendors shoving their product into your face (although I’m always down for a race expo!), but rather it was an experience – Paul Mitchell was doing hair, Bare Essentials was giving make overs, Nike products were in showcases.   It was like the ultimate girls weekend!

I stayed at Nikki’s for the race since I’m still a good half hour outside of DC.  It was nice to have a relaxed pre-race dinner with her and her friends who came in from Boston for the race.  Pasta anyone!?!?  I took a look at the course map, as I like to have a general idea of where I’ll  be on race day.  It looked like an awesome course, set up through some of DC’s most popular areas.

Race morning came fast!  We tried to go to bed early, but a 5 am wake up call is early no matter what time you got to bed.  So behind droopy eyes, we got ourselves ready and headed for the start line.  Nikki’s fiancé was kind enough to drop us girls off 2 blocks from the start.  Definitely nice not to have to worry about race day parking!

The start line look directly at the capital.  And as we waited, there was a moment of silence for Boston.  It was perfect being in our nation’s capital and looking at a symbol of freedom.

At 7am we were off!  I tried to stick with Nikki and her friend as long as possible, but by mile 3, I knew that I’d have to back off and listen to my body.  I’ve been dealing with an injury for about a month – tibialis tendonitis (more to come later) and my leg just didn’t feel all that great, especially in the beginning.

But the course was awesome!  I know some said it was similar to the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler and they were already bored of it, so I guess I’m glad I didn’t run it, because it was a beautiful course in my eyes

Around mile 10 I found a pace group.  It was at this time my motivation was starting to wane and being with another runner was good.  The last 3 miles were my worst of any race. I felt strangely dizzy and nauseous.  And in the last mile my fingers and arms started to tingle.  All I could think was “run with your heart, ignore your body”.  I probably said that to myself a million times willing myself to the finish.  I haven’t been so happy to finish a race.

Nikki and her friend Rachel came in before me, but we found each other easily with the way the runner shoot was set up.  After the finish line came an extremely spacious runner shoot with bananas, water, fruit, bagels, and of course TIFFANY’S!!!

We also had an awesome support crew!  Wendy and Amy made some fun signs to keep us motivated.  Too bad I was in my dehydrated daze and never saw them on the course   Oh well, at least it shows that even having someone meet you at the finish is enough support!

Seriously, best sign EVER.

Oh and can you see who else ran the race???  Why yes, that is Shalane Flanagan and Joan Benoit Samuelson – they just jogged the race probably at a 6 min/mile pace, no big.  I may not gush at actors, actresses, or musicians, but famous marathoners, most definitely!  Did you know that Joan Benoit Samuelson has run sub 2:50 marathons in 5 decades??  That woman is a rock star!

After the race, we got much needed showers and then I headed back home to relax and eat some food.  My stomach was still in and out of discomfort – I had waves of pain mixed with waves of hunger.  But after some rest and plenty of fluids, I was able to sit back, relax, and enjoy the rewards of a fun race.

Oh and a little blue box never hurts

What is your favorite race?

 

Have you ever had stomach issues during/after a race?  What helped?

Eat on the Run - Fueling up for a healthy life!

Oh how so much can change in just 1 week.

I sat down at my computer most evenings last week, ready to write something profound, something moving, something that would dull the ache.  Nothing came.  All I found was anger.

I didn’t even recognize it as such…at least not until Friday when I was surrounded by friends and I just let loose.  At first, I was just talking, but my point turned into a rant, and that rant ended with a few very blatant words of declaration “I’m ANGRY!”  I’m not sure whether my statement was thought of as a moment of psychosis or if everyone at the table was just thinking “me too”.

And I had been angry all week.  I was angry that it happened.  Angry that some were living and laughing as though nothing had happened.  I resented those people.  I resented that life went on.  It seemed like a cruel joke.

It’s amazing how something so far can feel so close and how you can almost palpate the pain you witness on television.  I’m not going to rehash what I saw scrolling over every news station…I think it’s time to let our memories heal, especially for those directly affected.  But every time I turned on the tv, I cried.  I went for a run and I came home and cried.

And, understanding why I’m so affected by this, when so many seem to be disconnected, is still baffling me, but I’m coming one step closer to figuring it out.

On Saturday, I ran a 10K.  This 10K was planned for quite a few months, so I can’t even say I signed up for a race in honor of Boston.  But the ritual of getting up early, tying my shoes, walking to the start line, and standing amongst a group of strangers was when it dawned on me.  For runners, we’re not getting up early to run with strangers….those standing at that start line with me were far from strangers.  We were tied by a bond – a love of running.  It’s an instant understanding, a mutual respect for the other individual.  We recognize the time, effort, work ethic, and heart of the person standing next to you.  And because of that, we will never be strangers.

The same goes for those who are loyal spectators.  The ones who support our crazy selves race day after race day.  Those who stand there, covered in gear bags, holding signs reading “You’re lapping everyone on the couch”, cheering on the sides of the road….you are our strength.  You may feel insignificant, like we only see you momentarily and we may only gaze up at you briefly behind sweat shrouded eyes, but your support carries us for miles.

I believe, if only partially, this is why the Boston bombings have deeply affected me.  I wasn’t there.  I wasn’t running.  None of my loved ones were hurt.  But I hurt, my heart ached for those who were and those who had loved ones affected.  Which is why I’ll continue running, continue praying, and continue living.  After a week of giving myself a million reasons why I shouldn’t, I can’t think of one good reason why I should stop. 

Eat on the Run - Fueling up for a healthy life!

So this past week I started a brand new rotation for my dietetic internship.  I started pediatric nutrition at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington DC.  We had the opportunity to pick from a variety of specialties to experience and shadow a dietitian from.  This week I worked in hematology and oncology.  While it was difficult to see so many sick kids this week, it was also wonderful to see dietitians making a difference in their treatment plans.

One of the fun parts of working at CNMC is that I got to experience the other forms of therapy these kids are offered, such as art therapy, play therapy, and there are even clowns that roam the hospital!  I think even if I’m 50 and in the hospital I’d like to have some of these therapies!

The teams really try to make sure that the kids and families are as comfortable and happy as they can be during their time there. 

While it is great to have this experience, it’s quite the hike into DC everyday – about a1.5 hour commute one way!  I’m trying to make the most of it by taking the Marc train and treating myself to a coffee every morning at Union Station.  I won’t lie, it’s working

I’m definitely a fan of public transit.  For some reason, I really dislike driving, and having someone else worry about how I’m getting from point A to point B takes some hassle out of my day.  Do you use public transit?

LEADERSHIP

This weekend, interns from the area were invited to a Leadership Conference held by the DCMADA (DC Metro Area Dietetic Association).  So Saturday, a few of us headed into the district to meet and greet and learn about directing our career for roles of leadership.  I have to say, I learned a lot about what it takes to make your career something that will inspire you to get up every morning. 

Here are a few points that resonated with me:

• Think of your career as a business.  Draft yourself a mission and vision statement and jot down your values.  While your career may not be a well defined path, these will serve as your compass.
• Focus on your strengths.  So many of us think we need to work on our weaknesses, but that can be a waste of your time.  Figure out what your strengths are and allow them to guide you.
• Know your boundaries.  What is important to you?  What isn’t important?  And don’t be afraid to say no to certain things.  Sometimes this can be difficult because we fear we are missing out on opportunities, but it comes back to treating your career like a business.  Let those values be your compass in your decisions.
• Have a good attitude.  If you don’t have a good attitude, figure out what needs to change.  What is it that is bothering you and what do you need to do to make it better?  You are the catalyst for making your career your dream.
• Find mentors based on the skills that you want to develop. 

There were so many inspiring and motivated men and women there this weekend that we all left feeling ready to job hunt and start our careers.  The things that I felt most inspired by were the jobs represented – it was wide variety.  Anywhere from hospitals, to government, to communications, it’s great to see the range of positions dietitians can hold

Oh and the food at the conference wasn’t too bad either

What are things you have learned that made a difference in your career?

Eat on the Run - Fueling up for a healthy life!

Oh I am so thankful that the weather has finally cooperated and we’re having beautiful 60 degree days now!  That means a return of iced coffee, colored jeans, and flowers.

I don’t care what anyone says, Dunkin is by far my favorite iced coffee. 

Between iced coffee and retiring the Uggs for the season in favor of boat shoes, I was one happy girl this weekend

I could go on and on about the weather.  I’m sure you want to read an entire post about it too…so I’ll digress here.  But my entire closet got spring cleaned and my motivation increased exponentially this weekend.  My to-do list was all done by Saturday evening!

Even my run was improved by the sunshine.  Plus, I started running in Newtons recently.  Yep, I got to try them out at Road Runner Sports and decided to take the 90 day “test drive”.  So far I’m really enjoying shorter runs with them. 

Curious to see if I can build up in them for longer runs and even wear them for races.  Have you tried Newtons or any “natural” shoe?

Oh and I’ve been trying a supplement before some of my runs and workouts lately.  I used it yesterday, and felt strong my entire run.  I’m still on the fence whether it’s a placebo effect or not, but honestly, right now, I’m swaying toward the side that this stuff might just work.

I got Amino Energy at GNC awhile back, but just recently started using it.  The reason I decided to put it into action is because I’ve been doing more evening workouts and I find it harder to get my mind and muscles moving later on in the day (I’m definitely more of a morning person when it comes to working out).  The one thing I’m worried about with continued use is my body adapting to the product. Have you ever taken a pre-workout supplement?  Does your body adapt?   I’ll give more updates as I continue to use the product.

How are you enjoying the spring like weather?

Eat on the Run - Fueling up for a healthy life!

So I’m not much of a frozen diet meal kind of girl.  Yeah, I went through my Lean Cuisine phase, but I never really felt like the foods filled me up nor did they really taste like food. 

But, the idea of having a healthy fresh meal already prepared and ready to eat is awfully appealing.  Especially on days when I’m too busy and tired to cook for myself.  That’s why I’ve loved having my Diet-to-Go meals on hand lately.

Diet-to-Go is a company that delivers fresh diet meals to your doorstep weekly.  While there are other plans offering diet meals, Diet-to-Go is the only company where the meals are actually fresh – not the space food you may find with other companies.  And it’s the #1 rated diet delivery plan by Epicurious.

I couldn’t believe the amount of food I got for just one week!  Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks are all included for five days.

My freezer was full.  Thank goodness I recently cleaned it out, otherwise, I’m not sure where I would have put it all.  One thing is for sure, you will not go hungry with these meals.

I think I’m so use to having to make more food when I eat a “diet meal” that when I reheated my first Diet-to-Go meal, I made some stir fry veggies to accompany it.  Big mistake, way too much food!!!

The vegetable stir fry was delicious and perfectly seasoned.  And, without the fake flavor of an actual diet meal.  I did not feel deprived, in fact it was almost too much even without my extra veggies!

I’ll be honest, I did not use the food as a complete meal plan.  I ate some of the breakfasts, a few lunches, and all the dinners.  Mostly this is because I get lunch at work, and I’m not a huge muffin person, and most of the breakfasts included had a muffin as a part of the meal.  Also, I’m not on a weight loss path.  But after getting to try this service, I’d definitely use it in the future as a way to have healthy, ready to eat, fresh meals for days when I’m way to busy to cook.

However, if you’re trying to lose weight, this would be a satisfying and tasty option if you’re not into cooking or I you’re just looking to simplify the weight loss process.

If you are interested in trying Diet-to-Go, head on over to the website and use the coupon code “fitfluential” to get 20% off any meal plan!  They offer low-fat, low-carb, and vegetarian menus.  I opted to try the low-fat, and definitely enjoyed the variety of foods that came. 

Once you’re a customer, you’re able to go in and customize your plan and also pause and restart as you want.  That’s definitely a plus when you know you won’t be home for awhile or even if you’re using the service as a way to have healthy meals on hand, as I would use it.  Just an FYI: they have 1200 and 1600 calorie meal plans, and as you may know this may or may not be enough calories for you.  Keep that in mind as you’re choosing to use this plan as a weight loss tool.

Let me know what you think about diet delivery companies.  Do you think they can work?  Would you ever try a diet delivery service?

Disclaimer: FitFluential LLC compensated me for this Campaign. All opinions are my own.

Eat on the Run - Fueling up for a healthy life!

So for the past 8 weeks I’ve been at Good Samaritan Hospital in my clinical rotation.  I can’t believe that I only have 2 weeks of staff relief left and then a major portion of my internship is complete!

In the past two weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to help out with some wellness initiatives at the hospital.  There was a formal cooking demo featuring healthy Mediterranean entrees and side dishes last week.  And then this Tuesday, we had a live cooking demo in the hospital cafeteria during the lunch hour that featured Pecan Crusted Chicken and roasted vegetables.

I’ll have to check and see if I can share the recipes with you, but it was a lot of fun watching the chef prepare fresh meals and answering questions about the health benefits of the meal.  We even had a lady say she never liked vegetables, so we offered her a sample.  Guess what!?  She actually liked them and took some with her entrée.  Small victories for this RD to be

____________________________

Switching gears a little bit, I wanted to share an epiphany that I had this week…well actually about 3 hours ago on a run.

It was a terrible, terrible run.  In the last few days I’ve just felt run down, exhausted, and really almost on the brink of getting sick.  So the last 2 evenings, I’ve skipped my workout in favor of sweats, a warm meal, and an early bed time.  Today I felt a little bit better and guilted myself into running….the sun was shining and it had been 2 days since I last worked out.  Well my body fought back, and fought back hard.

I end up walking.

It ended up being a short run – 1 mile.  Within the first 5 minutes I knew that pushing my body wasn’t right.  I felt stiff and unusually uncomfortable.  Almost like the tin man without oil.

I realized in that moment, you have to be kind to yourself.  Give yourself a little slack.  Your 100% is always going to be a moving target, and learning to accept and be grateful for where your 100% is that day can be difficult.

This goes for anything.  Whether you’re starting something new or it’s a routine, be kind to yourself.  The world isn’t going to do it for you.  One of my favorite quotes is from “Eat, Pray, Love” when Elizabeth is learning Italian, her Italian instructor tells her “You must be polite with yourself when you are learning something new”

While running isn’t new to me, I need to be polite with myself when my body is telling me no.  I also need to be polite with myself when I’m starting a new endeavour.  We want so much to master something and never make mistakes, but the pathway to mastery is paved with mistakes.  It is how we learn.  Instead of getting frustrated, we need to learn to enjoy it.

Be kind to yourself and enjoy the journey.  We live in the journey, not in an end point

How can you learn to be more kind to yourself today?

PS:  If you’re interested!  I just purchased my 2nd pair of compression socks (more details to come).  I got 40% on ProCompression with the discount code “MARCH”.  Needed a nice and clean white pair for spring/summer   Do you wear compression socks?

Eat on the Run - Fueling up for a healthy life!

FACT: One of my favorite foods is hot sauce. 

Ok…maybe hot sauce isn’t a “food” per se…but it sure makes most foods tasty  

I already season every pizza with either red pepper flakes or hot sauce, really whatever spicy condiment is available.   So of course, a pizza that has hot sauce incorporated?  I’m game!  Which is why buffalo chicken pizza is a hands down winner.  But at 350 calories at slice and 14g of fat, I would like to find a way to enjoy it for a little less, especially since I’m not the girl who is going to eat just 1 piece.  I mean, can you eat just 1 slice of pizza? 

So here it is!  The healthier version of a much loved classic:

Healthy Buffalo Chicken Pizza

 

• 1 pre-made whole wheat pizza crust
• 1 cup chopped cooked chicken
• 3 TBSP Buffalo sauce
• 4 wedges of Laughing Cow Blue Cheese
• 1 cup low-fat mozzarella cheese

 

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.  Spread crust with Laughing Cow cheese wedges (1 wedge per 1/4 crust). 

Next, evenly distribute chicken over the crust, drizzle with Buffalo sauce, and then sprinkle with cheese.  Bake for 10 – 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust has crisped.  Enjoy!

Note:  You can add more or less buffalo sauce. 

So what is the final calorie count?

(per 1/6 of the pizza)

Not too bad right?

Just like my Pop-eye the Sailor Man pizza, this one will be re-made and enjoyed for many more pizza nights to come!

What is your favorite pizza?

Eat on the Run - Fueling up for a healthy life!