One Week Later

A week ago, started out like any other Monday.  I woke up, took a shower, made coffee, and watched the first half hour of Good Morning America.  I packed my lunch and running clothes, and headed out to work hoping to be somewhat productive before 9:30.  I knew the rest of the morning I would be distracted by coverage of the Boston Marathon.  I was hoping Shalane or Kara would bring home a victory for the U.S. women.  I watched in awe as the elites from all over the world took on one of the most prestigious marathon courses I one day hope to conquer.  Once Rita Jeptoo of Kenya and Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia crossed the finish line, I went about my day as planned, tracking friends I knew on the Boston Athletic Association app.  That is until 3:45 or so in the afternoon when I checked my phone.  That is when I found out what happened at 2:50 p.m., 4 hours, 9 minutes, and 43 seconds into the Boston Marathon.  My first thought was "Are the people I know there ok?", then "Why would someone do this?"  Thanks to social media, I was able to answer one of those two questions.  The other may never be answered.

I saw this on Facebook and it pretty much sums up how I felt.

While school shootings scare me, since my mom, boyfriend, and several good friends are all teachers, this one left me feeling attacked.  I realized once I saw the time on the clock, if I were running, I probably would have been in the last 5K of the race.  My boyfriend and parents would have been waiting at the finish line or in the proximity of where the bombs were set off.  What if this happened at a race I was running?

Over the past week, I once again witnessed unity within not only the running community, but throughout the entire country.  We wore race shirts and ran together as a sign of solidarity.  Our eyes were glued to the news all day Friday anticipating the moment the Boston Police Department heroically captured one of the monsters behind these attacks.  However, one thing will always bother me.  Why does it take a tragedy to unite us?  

So here we are, one week later, still united and awaiting answers.  The Cleveland Marathon is less than a month away.  I am sure the feeling of unity will carry into that race, but how strong will it be into fall marathon season?  Life will never go back to "normal" for the victims of the Boston bombings.  There are now four empty seats at four dinner tables in Massachusetts.  On days when you feel nothing is going right, take a moment to think of all the good in your life.  Smile, and run on!

Power Smoothie

I have always been a smoothie lover, particularly berry smoothies.  Lately, I have been pinning more smoothies and trying to incorporate one each day either for breakfast or post Insanity.  Yesterday, I finally came up with the perfect peanut butter banana protein smoothie.  In the past, I always could taste the protein powder or the texture was slightly off.  Here's what I did!

2/3 cup of skim milk
1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp. peanut butter (I always use the natural or organic PB)
1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder
1 banana

It's as simple as blend and enjoy.  I used my hand blender, but any blender will work.

What is your favorite smoothie??

Getting Back on Track

 

I have a slight confession to make.  Since running the Detroit Marathon, I have gotten a little off track with running and working out in general.  After a marathon, I typically take a week off running and get in at least a yoga class, which I did this time.  However, the following week, Super Storm Sandy hit.  I know, I only should have lost two days or so because of the storm.  However I did squeeze in two or three yoga classes.  The next week, I did get some miles in and felt great!  Just my luck, it was that time of year when I get all congested, cannot stop coughing, and my sinuses have a mind of their own.  Stopping mid run and feeling like an elephant is sitting on your lungs is just not fun.  What happened to my “no excuses” mentality I have while training?

From Pinterest

 However, I am proud to say I am back at it and hoping to stay on track. I am finding a balance between running, yoga, and core workouts.  I do have the Run for Regis trail half marathon in January to start training for especially since the farthest I have run on trails is a 10K.  There are also some fun Christmas races over the next few weeks that would be fun to do too.  I just need to sign up with the mentality they are fun runs.  While a PR would be nice, it is also good to just run for fun like I did with the FANtastic 4-miler this past July.  I also should be expecting these in my mailbox sometime soon too!

Yes, I am insane!!

 How do you stay in shape during the “off season”?    

Thursday Afternoon Football...like on Thanksgiving!

I do realize there has been a 2 week bye with my Monday Night Football posts, so I decided to do a Thursday afternoon post.  Afterall, there is always football on Thanksgiving Day in the afternoon.

Bye Week #1 came as a result of surviving running the Cleveland Marathon the day before.

Face of victory or survival...you decide.

Yes it was hot and my goal quickly became just finish.  I did not want be that person dehydrated on the side of the road.  I will take a slower time from running smart over a DNF any day!  Still, I enjoyed running 26.2 miles through Cleveland and I already am working on my training plan to PR in Detroit this October.

Bye Week #2 was Memorial Day and I was at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario cheering on the #firstplacetribe (yes, we will be back on top the AL Central very very soon)

Root root root for the Indians!

However, I am getting more and more excited since the big game is only weeks away!  I am ready to return to practice tonight and see all of the progress #TeamBrunette has made over the past few weeks.  Also, set your alarms, or DVRs, since BVB will be featured tomorrow morning on Kickin' it with Kenny during the Fox 8 morning show.  I'm going to be on TV!!  

There is still time to help me achieve my fundraising goal.  Remember, $20 will get you a ticket to the game on June 16th.  Also, our final Happy Hour will be next Friday, June 8th at the Barley House on West 6th.  20% of your bill goes directly to BvBCLE.    

Until next time...follow your heart, fulfill your hunger!

**Disclaimer:  I was asked to blog about my experiences as a player for the inaugural Blondes vs. Brunettes Powderpuff football game.  I am required to attend at least 4 practices and fund raise $250 for the Cleveland Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association.  All opinions are 100% my own.  Go #TeamBrunette!**

We are all runners!

To everyone running the 5K, 10K, half marathon and marathon...

GOOD LUCK!!  

We have all trained hard to get to race day, no matter the distance.  

To all volunteers...

THANK YOU!!

Your time and talents are greatly appreciated on race day and if I could, I would high-five each of you along the course.

It's race weekend...
LET'S GET READY TO RUN CLEVELAND!!!!  



Until next time...follow your heart, fulfill your hunger!

Ready...set...EAT!

As many of you know by now, I will be running the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon on Sunday.  My excitement builds more and more with each passing day as I prepare to run all over the city I love.  It is now time to begin prepping my body for race day through carb loading and hydration, especially with the warmer predicted temps for Sunday.  As wonderful as it may sound, I will not be gorging myself on every carb in site.  Carb loading involves balance and of course an excuse to enjoy some of my favorite foods.  Remember, your body still needs protein and other nutrients for performance and recovery.  Here are some of my prerace favorites!

• Pad Thai.  You have carbs from the noodles, protein from the eggs and peanuts (and if you choose to have chicken or tofu), and veggies.  My favorites include Tea House Noodles and Umami Moto

Instagramed Umami Moto pad thai

• Sushi.  The fish provides protein and omega 3s.  I also love to have edamame as an appetizer which will give me carbs, protein, vitamins, and a little salt to build up electrolytes.  As if I ever need an excuse to visit Pacific East too.
• Pasta.  This is the classic which most people automatically think of.  I would not recommend anything with a heavy cream sauce though.  Head on down to Little Italy and stop in your favorite restaurant.



My Easter cupcakes from Main Street Cupcakes

• Cupcakes.  Just because I love them.  Pre race.  Post race.  Just not during the race.

Hydration is simple...water, Gatorade/Powerade, and coconut water.  I also am allowing myself one beer a day.  Considering my bib number is 312, it is a sign I must have one of these

Goose Island 312

Until next time...follow your heart, fulfill your hunger!

Meatless Mondays

Happy 2012!  I hope you all had a fun and enjoyable New Years filled with friends, family, food, and of course bubbly!  I mentioned in my 27 at 27 post, I am not the biggest New Year's resolution person.  Throughout the year, I am constantly setting goals and making lifestyle changes to become a better person and challenge myself.  However, my latest challenge/healthy lifestyle change just happens to coincide with a new calendar year.  I have decided to do "Meatless Mondays" in 2012.  (side note: while I hate making exceptions to things, I will be attending Dinner in the Dark on Monday January 16.  Therefore, January 17 will be Meatless Tuesday).  I am looking forward to trying new recipes and the potential challenges of dining at some of my favorite restaurants and having limited options.

image source

So I have to ask you, what are your food related New Year's resolutions?  Here's to a healthy, happy, and not so hungry 2012!

Until next time...follow your heart, fulfill your hunger!

**I am still raising money for the American Liver Foundation!  Donate here or purchase a cooking class from The Chubby Cook using the code ALF2012 and 40% of the cost of the class will be donated.  THANK YOU for your support**

Cooking for a Cause

Perhaps you are wondering what to give that cook/food lover in your life for Christmas.  There are the obvious choices of fun kitchen gadgets, restaurant gift cards, and foodie friendly gift baskets.  Have you ever considered a cooking class??

Maybe you are wondering how to incorporate raw foods or vegan dishes into your diet.  Or maybe you want to learn to cook some of your favorite steakhouse meals.  

So what am I getting at here?  Beginning in January, The Chubby Cook will be offering a variety of cooking classes ranging from raw foods to "Basics of Braising" to  "Learn to Bake with the Pie Lady".  There is something for everyone.  I just may take the pie one myself (who's joining me??).  Classes are $65 and can fit into anyone's schedule.  The complete schedule and how to sign up can be found here.  Also, The Chubby Cook has agreed to donate 40% of the cost of the cooking class to my Liver Life Challenge fundraising goal for any January class.  When you check out, enter the code: ALF2012 by "gift certificates and coupon codes".  Not only will you be giving a great gift to a loved one (or yourself) but you will be helping the over 30 million Americans and their families who are battling liver diseases.

From The Chubby Cook's facebook page

Please remember you can also donate here until January 31, 2012.

Until next time...follow your heart, fulfill your hunger!

***Disclaimer:  I responded to a posting by The Chubby Cook in regards to fundraising with cooking classes.  I was invited to a media preview back in the spring to see what The Chubby Cook was all about.  I am participating in Liver Life Challenge by choice.  All opinions are 100% my own***

Liver Life Challenge

If you follow me on Twitter or know me in real life, it is no big secret I have been fundraising for the American Liver Foundation.  You may have also come across my fundraising story on other wonderful CLE blogs.  CLEgal finds me inspirational.  Julie helped spread the word asking for support.  Amanda has a personal connection to my fundraising efforts.  Heather summed up how motivating running with a team can be.  As I often have said, I have two goals for the Disney Marathon and only one I can achieve on my own.  I have been training hard since late October to achieve my goal of beating my Towpath time of 4:24:11.  Saturday morning I will be braving whatever Mother Nature has in store and running 22 miles, my last really long training run before the full 26.2 on January 8th.    

Goal #2 can only be achieve through the help of others.  I am committed to raising $3400.  I would first like to thank everyone who already has generously donated.  I appreciate every penny that has been raised for Liver Life Challenge through your kind sponsorship.  Thank you to those who came out for karaoke night back in November and to those who came by Barnes and Noble last week to my gift wrapping table.  (side note on gift wrapping: If you are looking for a wrapper, let me know!!).  Even with all of these efforts, I am still quite a ways from reaching my goal.  So how can you help??

1. The easiest is visiting my fundraising page and clicking on "Sponsor me".  Just think, a donation of $26.20 breaks down to a dollar per mile I run.

2.  Looking for the perfect Christmas gift for that chef in your life?  Through Wednesday, 15% of all Pampered Chef items purchased here with me (Stephanie Hovan) as the host will go towards Liver Life Challenge.  Contact me for more information.

3.  This may be the most fun way.  I have set up a college bowl pick'em group.  Think March Madness only college football.  The winner will receive a $25 gift card to a LOCAL restaurant of your choice.  Entering is as simple as a $20 donation if you have not previously donated or a $5 donation if you already have.  Once I receive an email confirmation of your donation, I will send you the group info.  The deadline to do so is Friday, December 16.

Photo from wikipedia

As I mentioned before, I cannot fully express my gratitude for everyone who already had helped.  I cannot wait to run through Disney on January 8 knowing this marathon is helping the over 3 million Americans who are battling liver diseases.  Also, a huge thanks to Katrina for getting me involved with Liver Life Challenge and being an awesome fundraising coordinator!

Until next time...follow your heart, fulfill your hunger!

My Best Days Are Ahead of Me!

Loved this cake!  Wonder what will be on 27??

Once again, I am back from a blogging hiatus.  Alot has happened since I last posted, some good some bad.  One thing I have learned (yet again) is I must be more open about what is really going on inside.  I never really have been one for making New Year's resolutions but I do have an ever growing bucket list.  Sunday is my birthday which kicks off my favorite week of the year.  Seriously, my birthday, then Thanksgiving (ultimate food holiday), then Black Friday (biggest shopping day of the year).  I could not have been born during a more appropriate week.  I have read quite a few ___ at ____ "birthday resolution" lists lately which made me think, why not.   I realize some of these I already have been working on, some I have complete control over, and others I have to do my best and leave it up to God.  So here it is in no particular order, Steph's 27 at 27.  Enjoy!

1. Run 4 marathons.  Already signed up for Disney in January and Cleveland in May.
2. Take a fun, creative class. (cake decorating, creative writing, ballroom dancing...)
3. Ragnar with the #DirtyRunner team!!!!
4. Make more time for those I truly love and mean the world to me.
5. Find a new job
6. Road trip with the Tribe.  Every season I say I will go to an away game and never end up doing it.
7. Reach my $3400 Liver Life Challenge fundraising goal. (*hint*hint*cough*cough*nudge*)
8. Do the Warrior Dash
9. Do something every day to make me happy.  It can be as simple as going for a run, giving into ice cream, or buying a new pair of shoes.
10. Buy a house/condo
11. Get back into yoga
12. Finally get my passport
13. Get a puppy
14. Make Nana's chicken paprikash.  I have put off attempting this for way too long.
15. Finish the Tour de Bruell.  Yeah, this past year I only made it to one restaurant.
16. Actually finish books I started reading.
17. Be a better blogger
18. Be more responsible and everything that entails.
19. Continue to eat healthy while every now and then treating myself within moderation.
20. Watch the sunset over Lake Erie
21. Go to the Ohio Wineries.  As shameful as it is to admit, I have never been.
22. Volunteer more.
23. Find a softball team to play on this spring/summer.
24. Go to a Notre Dame football game.  It has been too long since I have been in Notre Dame Stadium.
25. Host a clambake.  Again, every fall I want to do it and never get around to it.
26. Go to the Southern Tier brewery.
27. Overall, be the best me I can be!  

Until next time...follow your heart, fulfill your hunger!

Cluing into Fulfilling My Hunger

I know I have not written on here much lately, but when Amanda from Clue into Cleveland reached out asking for guest bloggers, I happily agreed to help her.  I met Amanda at an Ohio Blogging Association meetup and we quickly connected through our mutual love of the TV show Castle.  Since then, we have become kickball teammates, attend many of the same events, and have become friends in real life.  Here's a brief recap of how I fulfilled my hunger throughout summer 2011!

Hunger Fulfilled: Summer 2011

#DirtyRunners post Buckeye Half (stolen from Jess)

Also, if you have missed other guests posts I have written, check out Why? Tremont on Why? CLE and Foodie on the Run on Poise in Parma.

Until next time...follow your heart, fulfill your hunger!

Pierogies, Parallax, and Two-A-Days

So initially I wasn't going to write this post because I was not pleased at first with the end result.  However, I am the type of person who loves turning a negative into a positive and that is what I did.

As many of you probably have read, this past Saturday was the July meetup of the Cleveland Chapter of the Ohio Blogging Association.  We were participating in the Parma Area Relay for Life "Run for the Pierogies 5K."  Lately I have been determined to run a sub-25 5K at a 8:00 pace.  Saturday seemed like the perfect day to do so.  The course was for the most part flat and it's always motivating to see so many friendly faces on race day!  And, there were pierogies at the finish line.  What more could a foodie/runner ask for?

Photo from the OBA Facebook page.
CLEgal, Morgan, Courtney, Alicia, Jess, Kali, Steph
not pictured here: Ryan, Molly, and Amanda

I woke up a little more excited for this race then most other 5Ks.  I was very happy when I got into my car at felt mild temps and little to no humidity.  If I only knew what Mother Nature was planning as the morning progressed.  After picking up my packet and finding everyone, I noticed something...hello humidity!  I was not going to let it get into my head though.  I found a place towards the front/middle of the pack, set the iPod and watch, and took off as soon as the bell rang.  I did the first mile in 7:55 which on a non-humid day would have been PR pace.  However, by the time we reached the water stop at the half way point, I knew that second loop was not going to be pretty.  I was starting to feel fatigued and starting to slightly cramp.  Just I was ready to give up and walk a bit, slightly past mile 2 or so, Kali caught up with me and we made sure we both finished the race together!  After crossing the finish line, I quickly grabbed water and found shade.  I felt so lightheaded and the thought of food was not appealing at all.  No pierogies for me.  I even did not feel up to joining the other bloggers for brunch as originally planned.  I felt defeated.         

Since I was in Parma, I figured a stop at Honey Hut would cheer me up.  Even after waiting in the parking lot for them to open, I opted to take my Blackberry Chocolate Chip home for later (sidenote:  It is delish and a limited time flavor).  All I wanted was water and a do-over of the race.  By 5:00, I was still in a mood but finally regained my appetite.  The bf and I headed down to Tremont for dinner at Parallax.  Finally checking off stop #1 on my Tour de Bruell put me in a much better mood.  I went with the Japanese Udon noodles since  we also decided to go for a late night run too.  (Blogger fail, no picture).  Everything about this dish, even the melts in your mouth pork belly, brought a smile to my face.  The noodles were not too heavy and they were the perfect way to enjoy the soup which pleased my excess of umami receptors.  For dessert, the sorbet trio (mango, blueberry, and raspberry) was the perfect palate cleanser for a hot July evening.

Two or so hours later with our dinners properly digested, we took to the streets of Lakewood for a late night run.  By this time, the sun had gone down and the humidity was greatly reduced.  Maybe it was the feeling of revenge I wanted or maybe it was the determination to prove something to myself, but that 4.75 miles was one of the best runs I have had in quite sometime.  I really wish I timed it too.  I need to figure out how I can work a two-a-day run into my schedule now.  Monday morning also brought a pleasant surprise for me.  Despite my bad time and the humidity, I managed to finish 11th in my age group out of 36.  Another 5K goal I have is to be in the top 10 for my age group. One passion driving another passion.  I really will run for food.

Until next time...follow your heart, fulfill your hunger!