Goodbye October, Hello November!

November 3, 2014

Halloween has come and went.

And, you probably feel like this right now…

But thats okay, because day light savings time gave us an extra hour of sleep… So now we are well rested and ready to take on November!

November is here, and I am excited. It is probably my favorite months.

These are my top 3 reasons why I heart November and my November goals…

1. I love November because it is so damn colorful!

On the first day of November, my husband and I left the city to spend some time in the country. The fun thing about living in the DC area is that you only have to drive 90 minutes out and you hit beautiful country roads. Virginia is also very historical! Lots of history are among these country roads.

2. Another reason, I love November is because it is so damn tasty.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. And this November I will be doing lots of cooking. I want to come up with some fabulous new additions to our traditional Thanksgiving. So be prepared for lots of food posts.

3. And the final reason, I love November is because it is the perfect month to run.

I wake up every morning with a strong desire to hit the trail. There is only a short time that the leaves are this colorful and I don’t want to miss it. Plus, soon it will be really cold and I’ll have to pull out my winter running gear. So these are the last weeks where the weather will be perfect for running. Also, I must run, to counter act all of the cooking, food testing, eating, tasting I will be doing in order to find the prefect Thanksgiving addition. So I will be participating in Pile on the Miles. (More on that later.)

Also CONGRATS to everyone who ran the NYC Marathon! You guys rocked it out!

What is your favorite thing about November? What dishes are you eating this Thanksgiving? Are you going to pile on the miles?

Butternut Bisque with Coconut Swirl

October 29, 2014

Besides running and cheering on the marathoners. I have been cooking and eating. It is my all time favorite season. The leaves are changing. The air is comfortably breezy and crisp. Lucky us! We have been having some absolutely beautiful FALL days here in Washington, DC. And although it hasn’t been too cold yet, I am still craving everything fall.

One thing that defines fall is butternut squash. When I was growing up it was a special treat that my mom made only at Thanksgiving, but now it is a staple in my house. I love everything about it. I eat it all different ways, but my favorite way is in soup form. That is why when I came across the Butternut Bisque recipe in the cookbook Isa Does It, I knew I had to make it asap, plus its Vegan!

INGREDIENTS

1 large butternut squash
oil (olive oil or coconut oil)
1 medium onion
1/2 sea salt
3 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (more if you desire)
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups vegetable broth
1 cup coconut milk (extra for garnish)
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

DIRECTIONS

ROAST SQUASH

TIP: (you can do cook the squash in advanced, and the soup will come together in 20 minutes.)

Preheat oven to 425 F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut the squash in half.
Remove seeds.
Brush the parchment paper with olive oil or coconut oil and place the squash pieces cut side down.
Roast for 45 mins. until squash is tender.
After squash is cooked let cool and continue with the soup recipe. If you are making squash in advanced, refrigerate the squash until ready to use.

LETS MAKE THE SOUP

Preheat a 4 quart pot over medium heat, add coconut oil.
Cut up onion, and add to the pot, saute until caramelized.
Add ginger.
Add garlic.
Mix in red pepper flakes
Add white wine and deglaze bottom of the pan, by scraping with a wooden spoon.
Peel and scoop squash.
Add squash to the pot.
Add vegetable broth (if you don’t have vegetable broth on hand you can use water.)
Add coconut milk.
Add maple syrup.
Add lime juice.
After everything is heated all the way through, add soup to you Vitamix. I actually use the soup setting, which continues to heat everything. Blend until smooth. If you are using a Vitamix it shouldn’t take long.
Pour bisque into a bowl, sprinkle with red pepper flakes and swirl coconut milk on top.
Enjoy!

What is you favorite way to eat butternut squash. I would love to hear from you. Let me know what you think about this recipe.

Hello Fall…

October 6, 2014

Fall has arrived. It is my absolute favorite season.

The air is crisp and it’s time to get cozy.

The things I am most excited about are…

I love the touch of soft warm colorful hand-dyed yarns that are later handmade into chunky knits. (I’m a knitter.)

I love the feeling of a hot and steamy Bikram yoga classes.

I love running, running, and more running. I love seeing the trees which are colorful along the running trail, then hearing the leaves crunching under my running shoes at each stride.

I love tasting… Spicy soups, smoky chili, butternut squash, pumpkin everything.

First pumpkin beer… 2 years ago at October Fest!

I love the smell of… Gingerbread, cinnamon, pumpkin spice…

I love hot tea, chai tea, hot cocoa with coconut milk.

Those are a few of my favorite things… What are yours?

Alert: Fall Hair Trend

September 17, 2014

When you are not running on the trail or lifting in the weight room, even fit girls need their hair to look good.

And because I am both a fit girl and hair stylist today I am going to reveal to you the latest fall hair trend.

When a new season approaches every client who sits in my chair asks, “What’s trendy? What’s new?”

This season everyone is getting their hair chopped. The long locks that were once “ombré” or beautifully sun-kissed are now dry and parched – they’ve gotta go.

Celebrities such as Emma Stone …

and… Kaley Cuoco have taken the plunge.

(Kaley, however has gone shorter since… But her textured bob Is my favorite on her.)

It seems like every client is asking for this look.

So I got a fresh new look too…

For a while now I have been growing my hair. I also have been some sort of red.

Summer is over and Fall is beginning. So I decided it was time for a change.

Goodbye long hair.

Goodbye red ginger.

Hello short blonde hair…

Hair color: Wella
Hair product: Sebastian Texture Maker

What do you think of my new hair? Do you like this new trend?

September Goals

September 2, 2014

It’s a new month…It’s a new season…

I love new beginnings. It’s time to make some exciting plans for the fall. It’s time to set some new goals.

My ideas…

Fitness: I worked out like a crazy person before my wedding. I alternated every other month with heavy lifting /active rest periods, and circuit training/HIIT. I ran 5 times a week and participated in two 10 mile races in April.

After my wedding, work got busy, and I felt exhausted and burned out. The last place I wanted to be was the gym. So I spent the summer resting. I got some pool time in, and started doing some other things I love, such as, cooking, knitting, reading, organizing the house.

Now, I am ready to get back at it!

I feel energized.

So tomorrow will be my first time back in the gym since early july. I’m going to ease back into it. I’ve lost some muscle because of all the running and resting I have been doing. So for tomorrows work out I am going to slowly work on upper body, isolating my back muscles.

I also want to participate in a couple hot yoga sessions, once the weather gets cooler.

Running : This summer, I have been running shorter distances. I have been really enjoying my runs, but running during the fall is my favorite, feeling the leaves crunch under my feet.

Marine Corps Marathon: I ended up not deferring my bib for MCM. I am definitely not running the full marathon. I have been to busy and have not had the time to train at the intensity level I usually do. I am an all or nothing kind of girl. So with that being said, I need to come up with a game plan and decide what I am going to do about the marathon.
MCM 10K: Because I am no longer doing the full. I may want to do the 10K.
Army 10 miler: I randomly got a transfer bib for this race, and I couldn’t be more excited. I will be running this! I want to start stepping up my training. Just waiting for my new shoes to arrive. I need them desperately. I got blood blisters on both feet yesterday only after a 5 miler. ugh!
Turkey Trot: Figure out which turkey trot I want to run and sign up.

Running training plan: Because I am not doing an intense marathon training plan, I have decided that I will do the running form training plan from the book, The Cool Impossible, by Eric Orton.

I read the book earlier this year, and loved it. I have the equipment to complete the running form training plan. I also want to try the nutrition plan as well. I may skim over the book one more time, but I have always wanted to complete this trainer, and I am very excited to start it now. I think it will really improve my form and take my running to a different level.

Other than that…

I want to sign up for my art class.

Finish reading Gone Girl.

Start reading Wild.

Go to a concert.

Paint my bedroom lavender.

Finish knitting my sweater.

Start knitting socks.

Cook delicious meals.

Organize my recipes.

Sweat more.

Blog more…

Hello September, glad you are here.

What are you fitness goals for fall? Are you doing a fall race?

Marathon Training in a new neighborhood!

August 20, 2013

“I find the best way to get your mojo back is to loose the technology, forget results, and run free… Run a trail you have never run before…” – Scott Jurek

Today, fall decided to make a guest appearance.

So… out of boredom, I randomly decided to run in a different neighborhood.

There is a sweet spot in Alexandria, where the hills are steep and the trees create canopies over the paved road.

It is paradise for a runner.

My marathon training plan advised me to run four miles.

So four miles is what I ran.

I ran fast.

It felt easy.

I thought the clouds were going to pour rain, but they didn’t.

Instead a breeze kept me cool.

I like the taste of fall.

Daily Work Out

October 27, 2012

Today, Friday, October 25th, 2012, I ran a 5 mile loop on the Mount Vernon Trail. Because it is my day off, I didn’t feel obligated to wake up early and rush out the door to get a run in. So I headed out around 11:45.

The trail was gorgeous. Fall is finally here, and it seems like all the leaves have changed overnight. We are also expecting a hurricane to come through so the skies have been overcast and the air has been breezy- perfect running weather, in my opinion.

My run felt really good, averaging an easy 8.30 to 9 minute mile in my Newtons. I also am just beginning to get use to my new iPhone 5. But I brought it along with me, and was able to take some really cool photos.

October Goals

October 2, 2012

This morning I woke up to rain. Normally, I love running in the rain, but this morning the sky was gray and the rain was slow but heavy. So I decided to skip my morning run, and get a little extra shut eye. And as long as skipping a workout only occurs at irregular intervals and doesn’t become an everyday excuse, then go right ahead, take a rest day. Sometimes, your body just needs it.

Anyway, yesterday, I said goodbye to September and welcomed October. It is a new month, a new beginning. It is a perfect time to set some new goals. As you may know, I had started my journey of exploring a more forefoot/midfoot stride in April, by switching my running shoe to the Newton Distance U.

I have never had any running injuries, so when I told people, I was experimenting with the Newton shoe, and working on changing my stride, they asked, “Why? Why fix something that is not broken?” Honestly, I was just bored and wanted to try something new. I had read Born to Run, and was ready to try to work on running form.

In the beginning of September I purchased my second pair of Newton shoes, and I am now running more regularly in the Gravity. On my vacation, at Martha’s Vineyard, I finally had the opportunity to finish reading the book, Natural Running. This book made me even more sold on the idea that a more minimalist shoe is the way to go.

And then in mid September, it just clicked. I had a break through and I started to run with a natural running stride, landing on my forefoot/midfoot.

OCTOBER GOALS

I want to continue practicing my natural running stride by continuing to land on my forefoot/midfoot.

However, I really need to work on running posture. I tend to lean back when I run. So I need to work on slightly leaning forward. Leaning back when you run is a stopping/halting position. You will most likely heel strike when leaning back. It is important to slightly lean forward, because the momentum will automatically help you land on your forefoot/midfooot, and make you a faster runner.
Cadence. Cadence is how many times your foot hits the ground per minute. It is very important to get your running Cadence around 180 or more. A Cadence of 180 helps prevent injury and increases speed. Mine is all over the place. My garmin measured mine around 100, once at 120, and then 160. But this month, I really want to work on trying to get my running Cadence around 180. It will really help improve my running.
I am also thinking about playing around with shoe rotation. Instead of just throwing on one pair of shoes. I want to wear the right one depending on the type of running I am doing.
This month, I also really want to work on strength training, whether I am boxing, lifting weights, or just doing running form exercises. Now that I am running differently I need to strengthen everything.
In order to fit all this in, I also want to change my sleeping habits so I can wake up earlier. I’m hoping to wake up at 6:00 am instead of 8:00 am. I love my mornings.
As for Attitude, I am really going to focus on me, and my running PR.

As for October plans, I really don’t have any except some upcoming races. In October, I am running the Army 10 miler, and then in December I am running the Annapolis Half Marathon. Do you have any up coming races?

Have you ever completed a 30 day challenge in something? It has been a goal I have been contemplating on trying to set. I have been thinking about a …

30 day running challenge
30 day blogging challenge
30 day sleeping challenge

I’ll let you know if I decide on one for the month of October.

Well those are my October Goals… What are yours?

Hello October

October 1, 2012

October… ~~please be~~ awesome! I am really excited for October! It is funny how much my mood has changed now that the weather has become cooler. I am a strong believer in the idea that, You CAN totally teach an old dog, new tricks… and people are totally capable of growth and change. Boy have things changed.

I use to love the summer, but honestly ever since I have became an adult, summer is just no longer that much fun. If you can’t skip work everyday and go to the beach or pool, then summer really has no point. Or maybe it is not that at all, maybe it is the fact that I am a runner who hates training through a summer heat wave. Well whatever the reason is, I am excited for October and for Fall time.

For those of you that are sad summer is gone. Let me tell you all the amazing things Fall has. Fall time is my favorite time to run. It is always sunny, for some reason a different type of sunny then summer sunny, the sun is brighter. The temperatures are cool, refreshing, crisp, sometimes breezy, the ideal for running. The leaves change making the running trails more colorful … or hiking trails.

I also start to crave Bikram yoga. Who wants to be cooped up in a Bikram studio in the summer when the room is as hot as outside? Doing Bikram in the summer, suffocates me. But during the cooler months I crave the desire to sweat and detox in the 105 degree room. During the cooler months Bikram relaxes and energizes me all at once.

Fall leaves, beautiful, peaceful.

Another thing that is better in the fall, are Lattes. Chai or pumpkin spice is always available, and warms you up on a cold morning. The fruits and vegetables are more substantial. They fill you up. They are your typical comfort food, feeding the soul.

Fashion is way more fun too. Time to bring out your favorite sweater or hand knitted accessories. Time to bring out your favorite boots or lounge around in your UGGS.

Reading books wrapped up in the a cozy blanket. Watching a new fall drama. Going to the movies. These are all some of my favorite things to do in the fall.

So start getting excited! Fall is finally here!

Happy October!

Goodbye September

October 1, 2012

September flew right on by…
It is hard to believe it will be October 1st tomorrow. Looking back on September, I started the month with my new Newton running shoe, switching from my Distance U to the Gravity. Meanwhile, I traveled up to Martha’s Vineyard and ran through out the Island, running comfortably along the coast.

The minute I came home, I went running with Lina, and had a BREAK TROUGH! I finally found my natural barefoot running stride. One day it just clicked, and I stopped heel striking and over pronating, and just stayed balanced. I started landing on my midfoot/forefoot and began to have a neutral stride.

Lina and I also had an amazing 10.5 mile run, giving us the opportunity to practice more midfoot/forefoot form while exploring the south side of the Mount Vernon Trail. We also created a new 5 mile loop through my neighborhood that includes running on a trail and then running through a country club, that according to Lina has some “bitch” hills.

As for non running stuff, I do have a life besides running. I went to New York City. I saw two comedy shows. My aunt came to visit twice. After 3 months of waiting, I finally received my custom made sectional couch from Ethan Allen. (No more sitting on the floor for me.)

So that is a recap of September. I can’t wait for October! Fall is my favorite – it has been absolutely gorgeous out.

1 2 next