I Broke 30!

From a 10k in March- but you get the idea

Yesterday Chris and I ran America's Finest City 5k.  This is our third year running it and I finally accomplished my goal of coming in under 30 minutes! Last year- I came VERY close- with a time of 30:01 (not a joke) but this year I finished the course in 29:44.  Yay! We celebrated by having a DECADENT breakfast at Hash House a Go Go. This place is no joke, when we arrived post race at the early early time of 8am, there was already a 20 minute wait.  Why? Becuase it's that good. They consider their cusine Twisted Farm Food with Indiana roots, and they do it well! Chris's breakfast was by far the winner- he had a Farm Benedict featuring sage fried chicken w/ fresh spinach, hardwood smoked bacon, market tomato, griddled mozzarella, chipotle cream and scrambled eggs. Um yum. 

Chris's Benedict

My favorite menu item was called O'Hare of the Dog and consisted of a 24 oz Budwiser (served in a brown paper bag) with a side of bacon. Classy :) I went with an egg white scramble that was big enough for about 4 people.  
Overall- it was a great weekend! AND I have an exciting week to look forward to, I'm heading up North for a long weekend at Lake Naciamento with my family and two best friends (Brooke is coming in from NY!) to celebrate my birthday! There will likely be nothing healthy about the trip... but lots of fun and great company.  Next week I plan to get back on track with good eating (food journaling) and Bar Method. Till then, be good without me! :)
XO
Chel

Vineyard Run & More TJs Recommendations

Happy Friday!  In a few hours I'm off for a weekend of fun in Temecula! Well- not entirely fun, Chris and I are running a 5k race through the vineyards tomorrow morning bright and early, but that will make the afternoon wine tasting tour so much more deserved! It's all about balance people! :) Last year this race completely kicked my butt- it's the HARDEST 5k I've ever done.  You run actually through Vineyards between the grape vines, UP and DOWN and UP and DOWN big rolling hills.  When you reach the bottom of each hill, you run though about 50 yards of SAND that they use for irrigation, before heading back UP the hill again! Luckily I made a really good playlist for my ipod that hopefully will get me through (thank you Britney!!).
I wanted to do some quick product recommendations, because I've had a few new favorites lately and wanted to make sure I didn't forget to share. All of these are Trader Joes products... one of these days I'll write about my pics from my regular grocery store, but they just don't get me as excited as that Trader Joes!
Organic Creamy Tomato Soup and Red Pepper Tomato soup.  This stuff is ridiculously good and tastes like it was made with cream- but at only 100 calories per cup, it's a miracle food! And it's only 2.79 for a 4 serving container. Deal!
Soba Asian Noodle & Veggie Bowl, this one comes from the frozen section.  It's a single serving bowl that you heat in the microwave and with only 250 calories it's the perfect lunch food! $2.99 (less expensive than Lean Cuisine and a lot less sodium!)
Roasted Gorgonzola Crackers.  I hesitate to share these with you because I don't want to lead anyone down the scary path of addiction... which I'm currently on.  These crackers are SO good with tons of flavor.  And you can eat 30 of them (most cracker servings are 9-12) for 140 calories! I literally had to pre-divide these in serving size baggies at my house to stop me from eating them 24/7. $1.99
Latte & Cream Ice Cream Bar. As I was checking out at Trader Joe's the cashier asked me if I'd tried them yet. When I told her I hadn't, she said I was in for a treat and she was right! These little bars are only 90 calories, but what they lack in size they make up for in rich deliciousness flavor! Perfect for when you want something sweet at night that's not going to ruin the effort of a day of healthy eating. $3.49 for a box of 8.
Enjoy! Have a fun & healthy weekend.
XO
Chel
PS. I want to do a blog soon about books (whether novel, or diet book, or ??) that motivate you to eat healthier or workout. I have a few favorites that I'm excited to share- but wanted to hear from other people too.  Do you have a book that motivates you?

Workout Plan

Good news and bad news.  Bad news was- the BluePrint cleanse sale on Gilt was kind of a bust, you had to buy a pack of 3 cleanses to get the deal and at $600+ it wasn't really in my price range! I'm considering just buying one directly off their website (hate not getting deals though!) I'll keep you posted...

Good news is- I ran my first 10k on Saturday! It was amazing! My only goal for myself was to run the entire time, and I did. I completed the race in 1:06:41 (yes that's OVER an hour of running) my pace was 10:49 per mile, which obviously isn't record setting, but I felt VERY accomplished when I crossed the finish line.  Did I mention completing a 10k was one of my New Years resolutions?? Check! Next up is a 5k trail run in Temecula in May.  Chris and I did this one last year and decided it's quite possibly the most challenging 5k in the world.  The race is in a vineyard up and down through the grapes, literally UP and DOWN hills in dirt and sand. The best part of that race is a day of wine tasting after- so I'm looking forward to that!
Since I'm on the topic of running today- I thought I'd share my upcoming workout schedule which I just figured out last night.  My 45 day trial of Bar Method ended yesterday and I've decided to renew it. (I went 20 times in 45 days- obviously I like it!)  I feel STRONG, but I think I need to incorporate more running in to make sure I'm getting enough cardio. With daylight savings (my favorite thing EVER) I can actually come home and run after work now.  My new plan is this:

• Monday: Bar After Work
• Tuesday: Run After Work
• Wednesday: Bar during Lunch
• Thursday: Run After Work
• Friday: Bar Optional
• Saturday: Bar/Run Optional
• Sunday: Bar in the morning.

That way I'm strength training 3-5 days a week and running a minimum of 2 days. The thing with Bar is, I actually enjoy going so it doesn't feel overwhelming to think about doing it 5 days a week. I come out tired from the workout, but mentally refreshed. It really helps me transition from workday stress into a relaxed evening. Thoughts? Input? Is anyone doing a workout they are really loving?

XO

Chel

Ps- Isn't it funny how it's called Bar?  I'll text Chris, "Rough day at work, leaving now heading straight to Bar" and then laugh at myself because I totally sound like I have a drinking problem!

PPS. There's a new addition to my family!! Kurd has become a proud mother of Mochi, the cutest little Boston Terrier EVER. 

Just Do It (Thanks Nike...)

I think I had an athlete breakthrough last night. After confessing yesterday about Monday's night in with pasta & red wine, I felt like I couldn't be an indoor sloth any longer. So yesterday evening the clouds had lifted a little and the rain had stopped so Chris & I decided to go for a run. About a mile into the planned 4 mile run, the sprinkling started.  As we got down to our usual running path by the bay we found it completely flooded in spots, so we were running in and around huge puddles of muddy grass when the downpour hit. It DUMPED rain on us.  We both looked at each other and kind of started laughing (challenging when out of breath) and decided to keep going.  Literally with water squishing in my shoes and freezing rainy winds in our faces we finished the entire 4 miles and both felt like it was one of the best runs we'd had in a while! Why do I consider that an athlete breakthrough? Because rain is a pretty good excuse to quit! And I feel like I've reached a point in my workout mentality (possibly for the first time in my life) where I'm not looking for excuses to quit or take a break. 

Michael Jordan said: "Obstacles don't have to stop you.  If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it."

Imagine applying that principle to your daily life. We as a culture, community, down to each individual make hundreds of excuses every single day with reasons of why we don't have time, commitment, energy or focus to eat right, workout and change our bad habits...  Imagine how life changing it could be to stop making excuses and start taking action.  (And did I mention how good you'd look? Just a side effect :)
XO
Chel

What Are You Doing Saturday Night?

I've got a date with my toilet. I can't believe I just wrote that. BUT- what is the point of this blog if it's not 100% honest? Although I suppose this post could probably fall into the category of oversharing... Oh well- that's your warning!
Chris ended up having to go out of town for work this weekend which cancelled our camping trip; honestly it's about 50 degrees outside and drizzling... I'm ok with it. Last night I realized I really had no commitments whatsoever for the weekend and decided it would be a perfect opportunity to do a cleanse! Not the week long one I blogged about a few days ago, but a Liver Cleanse that a co-worker had been "prescribed"by her acupuncturist. It's a day & a half long, & the only warning I was given was to stay by a toilet at all times. Bring on the cleansing!
Check it out:
2 days prior to the cleanse take (2) 800 mg tablets of malic acid in the morning and evening.
1. Mix 24oz of water (3 cups) with 4 tbs Epsom Salts until dissolved.
2. Saturday afternoon stop eating at 2pm. (they actually reccomend starting this on a Friday- but I'm having people over for dinner tonight- and I'd probably be kind of a downer drinking my salt water and running to the bathroom- so I start tomorrow)
3. At 6pm drink 3/4 cup epsom salt mixture
4. At 8pm drink 3/4 cup epsom salt mixture
5. At 10pm mix 3/4 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and combine with 1/2 cup olive oil. (ewwww). Shake until solution is watery & then drink and lay down, on your back or on your right side with your head elevated for at least 20 min. Try to sleep. (It scares me that it says "try" to sleep)
6. Sunday at 6am drink 3/4 cup epsom salt mixture
7. 8am drink last 3/4 cup epsom salt mixture
8. 10am have a little grapefruit juice
9. 10:30am eat some fruit
10. 11:30- noon- eat a light meal, toast, sandwich
11. Begin eating as soon as you feel like it.
So- I'll be done cleansing by noon on Sunday and should probably be a normal person by the time Chris gets home on Monday. I can't wait to tell you all about it on Monday! Wish me luck!
Chel
PS. For all San Diegans- I have been dying to share the best thing ever- Roadrunner sports in Mira Mesa area is AMAZING. Chris and I went about a week ago to get new running shoes. I ended up getting a really good pair- about $125. They help you select the perfect shoe for you- they even video tape you while you run on a treadmill. They also have a great return policy where if you run in the shoes, even multiple times and don't like them you can bring them back. But even better than that- next to the regular store is their OUTLET (you know I love deals). After we both found shoes at the regular store we went over to the outlet just to check it out. And I found my EXACT shoes I had just bought in the twice worn section (a customer had returned them) and they were marked down to $30!! So needless to say I returned the first pair and purchased those. You can't return them when you buy them from the outlet- but what a great deal! Chris & I also got a TON of running and workout clothes for practically nothing! I got a pair of pants I had seen for $70- marked down to $27 then $20 additional off as part of some deal (we may have just had a very kind cashier). Anyway- favorite place ever- check it out! www.roadrunnersports.com

Can you be social & maintain healthy eating? (without being annoying??)

Monday again... I had such a great weekend, I just did not want it to end! Saturday an old college friend from LA came down to visit and we had a ton of fun. One of our favorite things back in the day was to have a weekend brunch at Brian's outside on the patio, complete with greasy food & lots of mimosas. If you could hear some of the things we talked about out there... :)
But- it's not exactly eating healthy and knowing I had a weigh in on Monday (it went well- lost all the NY weight plus some!) I wanted to stay semi-good, while still enjoying myself. So- instead of my usual "Bacado Omelet" (bacon, avocado, lots of cheese- YUM) I had:
-Toasted English muffin
-1 egg scrambled- no cheese
-side of salsa
-side salad with dressing on the side
-3 mimosas (They are the BEST in San Diego & well worth it)
And was totally satisfied. That night we went to the Charger game and I skipped drinking there and packed a healthy snack of some Mary's crackers to munch on instead of nachos.
The next day I stuck to a similar plan- Chris & I went to the Del Mar horse races with a big group of people & I brought some diet sodas & some healthy snacks: lite cheese, triscuits & grapes. I avoided the brownie cookies, chips & margaritas that looked amazing- BUT the main point was I still had a great time. So many social occasions are built around food- it has been a good wake up call for me to realize that you can still have a FUN life and do FUN things without eating & drinking like crazy.
We also ran the 5k yesterday! I am sad to say I did NOT meet my goal of being under 30 minutes- but I'm not going to beat myself up about it too bad- my time was 30:01! Seriously! So I shaved about 40 seconds off my time from last year. Chris did AMAZING and managed to cut 3 whole minutes off and finish in 26:20. He is such a speedster :)
Such a great weekend, although now I feel like I need another weekend to recover from it! I also did some good grocery shopping and have some great meal ideas planned for this week which I'll be sharing soon!
Chel
Oh and PS. Some of my clothes are starting to get a little baggy. Very exciting!!

Bread Bowls, Runs & Healthy Mexican

Warning- this post is a little random (could you tell from the title?) what can I say, it has been a long week! TGIF (shoutout Kurd)
I was horrified yesterday when I got the mail. There was an insert promoting Domino's new Bread Bowl Pasta. Could there possibly be anything worse for you? Choose from chicken alfredo, mac & cheese, carbonera... all in a pizza dough bread bowl! But that wasn't even all- the offer on the insert was buy a Bread Bowl Pasta (ranging from 1400-1600 calories- more than I can eat a day) and get a free Chocolate Lava Crunch Cake!! Each crunch cake has 357 calories, but don't worry- and order includes 2 of them! So- were you to eat it all (for the low price of $5.99) you could potentially be eating 2,300 calories in one meal. WOW. And people wonder why American's are getting fatter? Seriously!
So- this weekend is America's Finest City 5k run in Balboa park. I'm excited and hopeful to beat my time from last year. I would really love to beat Chris- but not sure that's going to happen just quite yet :) I'm a little nervous because I haven't really been running lately outside of bootcamp. In class we run about 2 miles (and a 5k is 3.2) but I think I should be okay because I'm doing a ton of cardio & my legs are definitely stronger! Races are really fun- the first one I ever did was this same race last year and really got hooked. It's such a fun environment & a great way to motivate yourself to keep working out when you know you've got a race coming up. We actually have another one- 4 miles next weekend but I think that will be more of a fun run, it's on the beach from La Jolla to PB & ends in a beer garden. :)
I'll leave you with a recipe which I'm thinking about making tonight "healthy mexican tacos/tostadas" it's pretty easy & really good.
Corn tortillas
Ground Turkey
Mexican seasoning package
Black Beans
Lettuce
Chopped Tomatoes
Cilantro
Lime
Salsa
Plain non fat greek yogurt (use in place of sour cream)
Lite Cheese
So basically you prepare the turkey in a pan just like you would ground beef, and add the seasoning. Then heat the beans & toss the tortillas on the grill for a minute to soften and then add all the great toppings and enjoy!
Have a great weekend!!
Chel

About those travel goals....

Well I'm back from NY. Had an AMAZINGLY fun trip- but definitely fell off the fitness & health wagon....
No, I did not work out once. But in my defense- I did a TON of walking including the multiple hikes up 5 flights of stairs in Brooke's apartment, I'll tell you- it sure felt like a workout!
And eating- I made a few good choices (sharing entrees, buying healthy snacks) and a probably more bad ones (eating pizza at 3am, hot dog from a street vendor, and lots of drinking).
I woke up this morning EXHAUSTED and frusturated about my lack of self control, but determined to get right back to eating well and working out.
I have boot camp this evening and I'd be lying if I said I were looking forward to it, but I'm hoping it makes me feel better and back on track. Especially becuase- I'm running a 5k race this Sunday! Chris and I ran this same race last year and my time was 30:42. I'd like to come in under 30 minutes and would be VERY happy to be somewhere around 29min. SO- the time to have a healthy week is NOW. I'm on it.
And PS- I know I owe some recipes... they will come shortly.
Oh and one more thing- I met MR. BIG from Sex & the City in New York!!! He was just walking down the street and he totally let my girlfriends and I take a picture with him. Such a NY moment!