Organic Power Bites!

Being lunch time runner, sometimes we need a little something before we start into our run. A heavy stomach does not make for a good run. These are also a healthier alternative to the 3 pm chocolate craving! 

POWER BITES*
1 cup oats
1/4 cup honey 
1/2 cup peanut butter 
1 tsp coconut oil
1/4 cup ground flax seeds 
1 tablespoon chia seeds 
1/4 cup chopped nuts 
1/4 cup chocolate covered cranberries (or chocolate morsels)  
*use organic ingredients

Combine all ingredients until the ingredients are evenly distributed and roll into small bite size balls. Place onto wax paper and refrigerate overnight. 

They are plenty sweet and definitely should get the job done to help power you through a run!

Osteoblasts!

Em: After having my son I have had a hard time keeping weight on. Being a nursing mom, I thought that may be the cause, but my doctor at the Mayo Clinic said it is most likely stress related, and because I am underweight, I am at risk for osteoporosis. Not something I want to hear at 29 years old. I have had my thyroid tested and physicals done. She said I need to start putting on weight and do an exercise of some sort, to help with bone strength and stress reduction. If I didn’t do something about it, the impact on my life and body could be detrimental.

Well, after doing a little research and reading my Experience Life magazine, I have discovered that running is an excellent weight-bearing exercise that helps to reduce my risk of osteoporosis (and yours too!). Activities that fight against gravity strengthen bones by stimulating bone-building cells called osteoblasts – which in itself sounds pretty awesome…. Osteoblasts! KABOOM! Every time you flex your muscles, your tendons pull on the bone which stimulates the bone to grow. The body is pretty freakin’ rad, don’t you think!?

On day three, every time my thigh was feeling the burn, I knew I was not only strengthening my bird legs, but also strengthening the bone that holds me upright. That made my best run to-date that much more satisfying. What keeps you going?

Couch To 5K

I can run five minutes straight! This may not seem like a big deal. Shoot, running a 5K (which is 3.1 miles) may not seem like a big deal. But for someone who is "not a runner," five minutes is a big deal. I owe my motivation to my wonderful coworker and friend, Emily, who began the C25K challenge with me four weeks ago. She is now doing a more amazing feat, growing a baby. But without her inspiration, I probably would have called it quits.

I'm glad I didn't give up because today I reached a major running milestone. I've heard so many people say that it gets easier, and eventually you can run forever, but i never believed them. I was the A-student who got a C in gym class for walking the track. I was perfectly okay with not being one of those crazy runners, too. You know, the ones with a different color head-to-toe matching spandex running outfit for every day of the week, sweat-bands, tennis-shoes, and all. The people you see on your drive to Starbucks in the wee hours of the morning running in the rain or wind. But when Emily told me about the Couch to 5k challenge, I thought, "even I can do that." The first week starts out with alternating 90 second walks and runs. Anyone can run 90 seconds, even if you're going slower than a fat goose. I'm talking 15 minute miles...

The Goose Won

Side-note: We are so lucky to be 'runners' in Arizona. Today was sunny and 75, like the country song. Kudos to those posting on Instagram running with snow on the ground. Brrr.

The weeks get progressively harder, but even for someone who never runs, the challenge is completely doable. I mean, there have been some curse words, but it's doable none-the-less. Week four is almost over and the longest consecutive run is 5 minutes. The hardest part of running for me has been breathing regularly. I got to a point where I stopped running short of the goal because I felt like I couldn't catch my breath. I've improved a little since then by being conscious of taking regular breaths every third stride, but it's not perfect yet. At the end of today's run though, I felt really good. Stronger, a little sore, and full of energy. And you know what? Those five minutes flew by.

XO,
-H

Let's Begin Again

Today I am five weeks pregnant. I am a week away from my ultrasound that will tell me if there is a heartbeat. I am nervous as all get out – but excited. I have no idea how we will handle a new addition to our family. It all seems insane – but there are a lot of people out there who do it. People who have more than 2 kids even! The truth is you just figure it out.

This pregnancy – well we were trying for it, but I decided to take up running with my friend/coworker, Heather four weeks before finding out. I was a little devastated to decide to quit running. My doctor said I could continue running, but because I am so new at it, I am very nervous to put too much strain on my body. The risk isn't worth it.

Heather and I had it in our plans to do the Couch to 5k program. Well, she is still doing it. We were recording our journey on Instagram (@no.resolutions). It kept me very motivated. I posted nearly every day. So, when I decided to take it easy and not run, I felt like I was letting a lot of people down. We have like 15 followers for crying out loud! I even watched Heather’s motivation begin to taper down. This was unacceptable to me. So, I told her we shall continue our journey – I will continue to walk with her during her weekday runs.

Today was a run day, a little off schedule I might add, but it was really nice to get out. It also remains very important to me that I continue to be active during this pregnancy. Heather has her motivation back, which is good because she has to run alone the next two days to catch up! 

Our weekday route is really nice. There are geese, ducks, herons and other birds I don’t recognize. As she is running laps around me, I notice the bushes rustling and hope a scorpion or snake doesn’t jump out at me… she’d be able to reach me in time to suck the poison out of my leg, I am sure.

Let this be the beginning of the journey of my fitness during pregnancy while cheering on my friend who started what we thought would be a dual victory! Once I am ready to share my news with everyone, I will start posting my journey along side Heather’s on IG! Stay tuned!

XO,

-E