Improvement and pumpkin muffins

Last night I FINALLY completed a run worth talking about/worth counting as an improvement.  The Hubs and I took Knox back out to the park we saw the Bobcat (I know dumb right?) and it was dark already...my LEAST favorite part of fall!  We did 4 miles, non-stop, no walk breaks!  I know this is so minor to some of you, but this was a big accomplishment for me.  I havn't been able to increase past 2-3 miles since I started running again, so this gave me a little encouragement to bust my rear to be ready for a Half by December 4th! 

So we have found a restaurant that has a gluten/grain free pizza crust!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Super exciting in our life because we LOVE pizza, and this whole "no grain' thing makes pizza eating a distant dream!  BJs Brewhouse has AWESOME grain/gluten free pizza!  Last night we made grain free pumpkin muffins..

.We had them for dinner and AGAIN for breakfast today!  SO good!! Here's the Recipe if you want to try them!!  We got the recipe from the Primal Cookbook Here  We really like this cookbook!  It has a lot of really awesome recipes in it!

1/2 cup cocunut flour
2tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cooked pureed pumpkin
6 eggs, beaten, (one at a time as you add it to the pumpkin)
4 tbsp coconut oil OR butter, melted
1/3 cup pure maple syrup OR honey (I used maple syrup, its cheaper!)
1tsp vanilla

Beat the eggs one at a time into the pumpkin add coconut oil or butter, syrup, and vanilla, mix well. Sift dry ingredients together into a seperate bowl.  Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and whisk together until most of the floury clumps are gone, but stir JUST enough to blend.
Grease a muffin pan well (I used Pam for baking...worked perfectly) and fill the muffin tins 2/3 full.
Bake @ 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes (18 was perfect for me) until tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean!

We ate them warm with a little butter on top and a side of blackberries!  You can add nuts or chocolate chips as well!!

My birthday is 3 WEEKS from today!!  My wish list includes this LOVELY watch, (picture from Nordstrom's website)  If anyone wants to buy me this for my birthday email me and I will gladly send you my address!!  (SO just kidding....kind of)

 and a DSLR camera...so then my blog pictures will be better than what I take on my Iphone!  & there's also the fact that I LOVE taking pictures...I'm not very good at it, but i want to learn!!  Any suggestions on a DSLR that isn't crazy expensive?

Here is another picture of my view on my new favorite running trail....well cement path that I consider a trail....

I am finally feeling like my body is adjusting to this new way of eating.  I am feeling properly fueled while working out and running.  Yesterday before my 4 miles I had a bowl of fat free yogurt with a banana and some raw almonds.  My body is learning to use the sugar from all the fruit and protein from all the nuts and meat to fuel me instead of the simple carbs I was eating before.  I really do feel SO much better! 

Well off to RUN to the gym (if I can convince The Hubs its a good idea....) then to do some full body lifting!

A Bobcat and Some Advice

Yesterday The Hubs and I took Knox (our pitbull mix) for a run around the park.  It was one of those, run, walk, jog, sprint, walk and run some more kind of runs. We really just played for an hour!  It was kind of awesome!!  It's finally starting to look a little like fall in Texas, and was GORGEOUS outside!!  This is our version of fall.....

                                                      Yup, that's ONE yellow-ish colored tree....
                                         At least they're not all brown like they were all summer!

Anyways on our way back to the car we saw a BOBCAT!!  At first I thought it was a dog and couldn't fingure out why I didn't see it's owner, then it registered that it was a giant freaking CAT!  Luckily The Hubs had ahold of Knox's leash because I'm pretty sure it could have eaten him!  I was a little too much in shock to think to take a picture!  It was gorgeous, but I won't be running in that park alone again that's for sure!!

 Knox doesn't pose for pictures very well....he chased a few too many squirrels and was a little on the tired side!
So I know I talk about needing motivation on here all the time.....but I've got to find some for real, and SOON.  I'm supposed to be running the Dallas White Rock 1/2 Marathon on Dec. 4th.  Problem is...and it's a BIG problem...I havn't ran more than 3 miles in a long time.  So I need some advice....should I push myself over the next few weeks and see if  I can get my mileage up?  Or just say forget it, and run the next one?  2 of my friends are already registered to run this one..... And the highest mileage run I completed before my first half was a little over 8 miles.  What do you think?

Also...anyone have a link to a pushup challenge? I still suck at those!

Spandex, Compression sleeves, and a Push Up Challenge

First of all....I LOVE my Spandex....I don't know why, and it's probably not a good thing! My spandex shorts and my capris. I'm currently shopping around for a pair of COLD gear long tights. They make me feel skinny for some reason....and the shorts make me feel like my legs look good..... This picture is how I feel in my Spandex shorts.....

I saw this picture on Pinterest, and then on Tall Mom's blog! 



So a few weeks ago I bought a pair of CEP compression sleeves, and proceeded to run 3 miles in them.  My legs were sore the last half of my run, and I'm pretty sure it was because of the sleeves.  I know a ton of people run in them, so is it just something that your legs have to get used to?  I was not a fan of running in them, however I am a fan of lounging around the house in my SPANDEX with the on!  Made my calves feel amazing!

So a few posts ago I made fun of myself for how aweful I am at pushups....and Jess @ The Blonde Ponytail suggested I do a pushup challenge.  Anyone have a link to one or want to send me the info?  This is RIDICULOUS!  After lifting chest on Wednesday night I tried to do some pushups and failed MISERABLY!  Someone HELP ME not be such a weenie!!

Primal Diet Update

So far so good with this primal diet thing!  The Hubs has lost 10 pounds already!!!!  I've lost 5!!!! I am continueing to workout hard, but I feel like this change in eating habits has made a HUGE difference!  I can't tell you the last time the scale has gone down more than a pound, let alone stayed that way!!

The part I thought would be the hardest is finding stuff to eat....and keeping myself interested in it.  We bought "The Primal Blue Print Cookbook" and are actually really enjoying some of the things out of the book!  We have made chilli (which was AWESOME!) and we even found a recipe for crackers that have no grain in them....it uses almond meal instead, and they are actually really good, and satisy that salty snacking craving!! 

My running is going less than great.  I'm running consistantly, but my mileage isn't increasing.  I am running 3 miles over and over and over, and just don't feel like it's getting any easier, and for some reason I'm having trouble pushing myself to go any farther.  I want to run the Dallas White Rock 1/2 on December 4th, but I just don't think it's looking good.....Any advice?

Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!!!  We had a party with our friends and had a BLAST!!  And since it's officially Novemeber.....that means.....COUNTDOWN TO MY BIRTHDAY IS ON!!!!!!  I love birthdays!!

Ok off to eat some breakfast (yes I know its 1pm, that = morning time for me since I have to work tonight!) then go to Vitamin Shoppe and the gym!

Proving how BLONDE I am

Sunday night I completed my first round of SPEED work...aka 2 x 0.25 mile pretend sprints because I'm slow in general and RLRF considers a 0.25mile @ a 09:00 pace speed work for me....

Anyways that made Tuesday day 2 of RLRF, which was completed in the park by the dog park...someone was anxiously waiting in the car while I got all my "running crap" together....PS- sprints are his FAVORITE!

For some reason my blonde brain thought this "tempo run" was 1 mile warm up, 1 mile tempo @ 7:36 pace then a 1 mile cool down...(WTF? Like I can run a mile at 7:36....yah NOT SO MUCH, I can run 0.25mile at that pace, then fight down the vomit, breath like a fat kid for 5 minutes while walking, then do another 0.25 miles.... at that pace.)

Here's where the blonde part comes in.....

I got home, after thinking I was going to die for a good 45 minutes, and decided to check my training plan.  I meant to take it with me to the dog park (where The Hubs and Knox played before/while I ran...) but realized almost half way there I had forgot it....no biggie, I looked at my plan earlier, I GOT THIS....I sooooo didn't "get" anything!  I am the reason people tell blonde jokes....my second mile of my "tempo" run from HELL was supposed to be at a 9:56 pace, not a 7:36 pace!   WHERE THE HELL DID I GET 7:36?!? Oh on the page BEFORE the one I was supposed to be looking at....the page where someone who runs a 20 or so minute 5k is supposed to look....NOT someone who can barely run a 5k in 30 minutes (that's giving myself more credit than I deserve ps...)

 I.AM.BLONDE....  

I LOVE the foam Roller and the Texas Rangers!

Ahh sweet sweet TEXAS RANGERS!!...Oh Nelson Cruz how I love you!  If any of you are watching the MLB playoffs you know EXACTLY what I mean....tied in the bottom of some extra inning (I lost count) with a Walk-Off GRAND SLAM to win it?!!!  The ONLY one in MLB playoffs history?  Yup that was Nelson Cruz!!

                                                  Me & The Hubs sporting our Rangers gear!

After the game Monday night I made encouraged The Hubs go to the gym with me....WHAT?! I had only had 1.5 beers, and he had only had ooooh maybe 4?...Haha oops, wife of the year?  Probably not! 

I had cheese fries for dinner and was feeling like a rest day was not appropriate....sooo we went to the gym, lifted some biceps, stretched (a lot) and did pushups.  Most random workout ever....but I SUCK at pushups....that's my goal for next month!

But I do NOT suck at Foam Rolling....

                                       Sorry for the pic of half of my face...The Hubs was slightly intoxicated...
                                           GEEZ I have big thighs....but damn I love my spandex shorts....

Here's a photo-op of JUST how happy the hubs was to be at the gym.....

Strange....but I love him!!

Woooo Hoooo go me....3 whole pictures in a SINGLE post!  I'm getting better at this...

Going PRIMAL

SO me and The Hubs have been playing around with the idea of "going Primal."  I feel like this might have a few of my readers (Haha yah right!) a smidge confused and maybe their minds in the gutter?  Oh wait, that was just me?

Got the pic from his website....HERE

"Primal" refers to a "diet" called the Primal Diet (I'm so smart I know...) You can check out the website HERE and learn everything you ever wanted to know about the Primal "Diet."  I use the "" around diet because I don't really feel like this is a diet persay (I think I just made up the spelling of this word, if it's even a word), but more of a "Life Style Change"  You know that one I keep talking about? Me and The Hubs are working on this whole "be healthier, workout more, eat better" binge right now. I feel SO much better when I'm being healthy!  I'm much less grouchy, probably because I'm much less fat?!

ANYWAYS....the Primal "diet" is based on caveman science...kind of.  It suggests eating all you want of lean protein, veggies, and fruit, some healthy fats (avocado, EVOO etc) but very minimal grains.  I don't want to say minimal CARBS, because what kind of runner would I be if I ate minimal carbs?  According to his plan you should consume 50-100gm of carbs/day for optimal weight loss, or 100-150gm carbs to maintain your weight easily.  Based on the research grains (bread, pasta, etc) cause insulin surges in your blood, which = bad (I'm a nurse and should be able to explain this better...but I'm tired, and its all in the link above!) Now my thing with the whole being a "runner" is consuming my 50-100gm of carbs per day at the APPROPRIATE times!  A-la before runs when I burn through all the carbs I ate right before. He actually mentions this on his website.  He only suggests "carb loading" right before you lace up your shoes. 

Now the above mentioned information is my "take" on this eating plan....I like that, let's call it an "eating plan" instead of a diet!  Diet has such a negative connotation in my world...that means I CANT eat something, not that I should limit my intake of it.....

Man I'm getting distracted by my wordage tonight....

So here's a picture of a hearty lunch I had, with this "eating plan" in mind. Janae would be proud!!


That is mixed greens, carrots, onions, half an avocado, half a can of tuna (Hubs got the other halves) and some LIGHT italian vinagarette!  And it was YUMM-O!  And kept me full....for a little while.  I'm kicking back into that "running/working out all the time...NEED MORE FOOD" mode!

Anyways we bought the cookbook that Mark Sisson (the author of this "eating plan") published today....and made Coconut flour pancakes.  Interesting...not bad, but weird.  It will definitely take some getting used to, and some serious $$ to get this whole thing started.  The good news? He says I can eat Maple Syrup in moderation....I wonder what his definition of "moderation" is?

Any thoughts on this "eating plan"....anyone ever heard of it?  Anyone read my blog?!? Nope, just me? Oh well, I'll just consider this my workout/food journal with questions to OUTERSPACE at the end!

Stay tuned for a post with pics at the gym....super awesome pics my drunk husband took!  Yup I drug him to the gym AFTER we watched the RANGERs win game 2 of the ALCS....in a bar....I'm such a good wife!