Santa Barbara 10miler

I recently ran my longest (and hardest) race to date. On April 18th I ran the Santa Barbara 10miler. (same day as your half marathon) I have never ran that far before, ever. It was not an easy feat! I am so proud of myself for not giving up, because there were definitely moments when I just wanted to walk. I ran the race as hard as I could, with people passing me by left & right I was pretty worried that I was not cut out for this!
But crossing the finish line was the best feeling ever & all I wanted was to sign up for another race!

Running is challenging mentally and physically, and I learned that running for an hour & a half is way more mental for me! I also experienced something new that has never before happened to me while running- my legs hurt! I felt aches in my knees & (of all things) my hips! It started around mile 7 and progressively worsened through the end. My body definitely had never ran that far before & I could feel it. However, I did FOR THE FIRST TIME experience my "runners high" at the end of my last hill at about 6.5 miles- I wasn't tired, I could breathe freely & wasn't doing my "gasping for air" like I had been the past 4miles. I was felt like, "Hey! I could TOTALLY run a half marathon at this rate!"...and then came the aches to rain on my parade. Boo! At mile 9 I was convinced I could never run 4 more miles (for a half marathon) because I literally felt like falling over. But I am not going to get discouraged, and I will work through the pain! I set a goal for 2009 to run a half marathon & I have come this far- I can't give up!

(i envy that you have completed yours already!)

Anyway, here are my stats from the race:

Time Completed:1:30:26

Pace: 9:03

Placement: 22/87 in my age-group which was 19-29

(here I am at the end, I was pretty beat!)
My Half Marathon date has been set! Memorial Day May 25th in Laguna Hills. After reading about this race, I feel like peeing my pants a little bit (not out of excitement mind you). They state in the description "..known for its challenging course full of hills.." LOVELY. My goal was to make 10min miles however with hills lets push that up to 13min miles or not dying. Chris is such a great husband, its his last day before the bar review & his summer of torture & he is going to spend it with me there! I hope to hit the beach afterwards, but Ill have to see how Im feeling!

However..
I love the satisfaction I feel when I run & I love the challenge of it. Its a great work out & is a great way for me to measure my progress. I hope I can keep it up for a while ;)

Also I'd just like to give a shout out to you miss Courtney. You rocked that half marathon in SLC! Especially with not sufficient training due to a HUGE work load (house, moving, jobs, etc.) You killed it!! I dont think I could do a race like that with having so much stress & so much else going on! Way to go lady!

Oh my Legs!

Here are a few leg workouts for you my dear!

First- Lunges!

Lunges are rough! They are one of the workouts that the next day I totally feel it! Lunges are great for your legs, especially for your butt. Using the Bosu adds to the challenge, making you use your core to balance as well as putting more weight on one leg.

Ashley showed me these a while ago, they are sure to make you feel the burn! They are also great to mix it up from your regular lunges.
*Please excuse the uber-sexy man, I don't have a bosu at home & wasn't about to take a pic of myself at the gym

I definitely recommend using weight if they are too easy. You want to do 2 sets of 25 on each leg. And as always be sure your front knee doesn't pass your toes.

SQUATS

After the lunges, go directly to these. Grab whatever weight you usually curl (between 5lbs & 15lbs in each hand) and stand like our cute gal..."Sally" below:

Be sure to not let your knees pass your toes. Do 3 sets of 15. For extra credit: after you do your 15th sit in squat position & hold while you do 15 curls with the hand held weights you have. Your legs will SHaaaaaaAAAke!

Hammy's

Lastly we have the Hamstring curls. These babies are painful (for me). Lay flat on your back, place heels on ball: butt raised so that your body is a straight line from head to toe. Slowly pull in ball towards yourself, without letting your butt lower. Make sure your hands are relaxed at your sides and all the work is in your core, butt, and legs(mainly hamstrings). Slowly push ball back out.

Do 2 sets of 25
Feel the burn baby!!

Happy to be Healthy

Mari

Carpenteria 5k

Picture this:
Cloudy, gray sky with a mist of rain falling over an equally gray & blue ocean.
Now throw in:
Sweaty bodies, loud breathers, and a muddy/rocky hill or two.

That, in a nutshell, was my 5k this morning. Can I first just say I would love to live in a small beach community? After running through them over the past couple years, I've fallen in love. Okay the race: First time ever running a race with trails, normally I've ran asphalt only races, so this was a more challenging. 5k's are interesting to me because they attract so many different people; the walking grannies, to the show off HS cross country team runner, to the average joe like myself, or the "overweight surprise" (the person you least expect to pass you that does). The beautiful scenary really distracted me from thinking about how tired I am or how much time I had left. I completed the race faster than I thought I would, I was aiming for a consistent 10min mile and I averaged about 8:25min per mile. I am happy with the result, but I realize that I am training for endurance & not for speed so I am still aiming for (like you Court) 10min miles for my half marathon. I had so many older people pass me! No joke, like 7 chicks over 40. What?? Of course I thought they were amazing, but still...it was a bit of a blow.

Next race: 10miler end of April
Santa Barbara
I have never ran that far in my life. Eeek!

here i am after my muddy race

One last thought:
What is it about ultra marathon runners that makes them want to run a 5k & make the rest of us look like we are crawling? Can't they just stick to the 100miles & leave us weaklings to our minor triumphs?

healthily, happily,
mari

Run your little heart out!

Here I am after running the Salt Lake half marathon last year.

I am one of those weird people who loves running. I don't love it every day, but I probably love it about 80% of the time I do it. When you finish you feel so accomplished and strong.

My favorite time to run is in an actual race. I love the collective energy you feel at the starting line, the people cheering you on in the streets, and the feeling you get when you cross the finish line knowing you worked through the pain and did your best. This year I am signed up for a half marathon in April, and a 24 hour relay in June, and am still deciding when and where I want to do my first triathlon. Sadly, these will be my last races until I have a baby. My doctor says I need to tone it down if I want my fertility up. Since I am all out of whack I am going to do what she tells me and hope it works! Anyway, I am so excited and can't wait for race day to be here. I have found it really difficult to find time for true distance running (which is what I really need to be doing right now) because of the house renovation, moving, packing for a trip, working, etc. but I am doing one distance run a week. My usual training for a long race goes a little something like this:

Week one: 2-3 3 mile runs
Week two: 2, 3 mile runs, one five mile run
Week 3: 2, 3 mile runs, one six mile run
Week 4: 2, 3 mile runs one seven mile run

So I basically build up and add one mile per week of training. I have found that this is the best way to get ready for a race. You shouldn't kill yourself and run distance every day. Our bodies need a break, our muscles and joints need to heal. Because I haven't been able to give my training the time I would like, my goal is just to finish my marathon in about two hours, which is what I did last year. If I run around 6 miles an hour this is totally doable. I wish you could be here to run my April race with me! It is so much more fun doing it with someone else. Keep up the good work, it will pay off.

Be Healthy, Be Happy
Courts

Living a Little Greener

As I continue to make my life a little Greener, with using less power, to recycling, to just being more conscious of our environment I thought of another Green thing that I love~Green Tea!

Green Tea is one of those drinks that some people feel isn't okay to drink. While I completely respect others' opinions, I just wanted to do a small post on why Green Tea is so great for you. The taste may take a little while to get used to, but it is super good for you. I love how it's so light & fresh. Click here to see some of the many benefits of Green Tea. I don't love it plain, but it can be made in a variety of ways. Adding mint or lemon is yum! Here is a great recipe for a Green Tea with Ginger & Mint. I prefer to serve mine cold, keep it in the fridge in a pitcher and whenever you need a little sweet instead of reaching for a higher calorie or sugar loaded beverage you can pick a healthier option! (of course water is the #1 choice but sometimes you just need a little flavor!) Just pour it over a tall glass of ice & enjoy!

being healthy makes you happy
xoxo
mari

Sorry for the delay folks...

Long time no post from me! Sorry Mares, I promise to do better starting right now. The reasons for me not posting go as follows: last week I had the death flu and did absolutely nothing for 7 days. We are busy boxing up our current house. Two days ago, my sweet husband decided to contract both pneumonia and bronchitis (who exposed us to these horrible illnesses? We are healthy, vitamin taking people!). So this might help explain the lack of effort on my part when it comes to contributing to this awesome blog. Here's to being healthy once again!

Once I was feeling well enough to start cooking again (and what a better way to get healthy than to prepare your own fresh, vitamin rich foods in a pleasant environment) I decided anything with a zesty homemade Marinara sauce topping sounded amazing. So that is exactly what I made. Did you know that together tomatoes and olive oil help your body absorb the nutrients from each ingredient much more effectively than if you had them on their own? That is why they taste oh-so-good together, our bodies need them to be companions! So here it is, my recipe for this week is an amazing homemade marinara sauce:

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 can (32 ounces) whole Italian plum tomatoes and their juices
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

To Make:

1. Heat oil in a large, nonreactive skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
2. Place tomatoes in a large bowl, reserving juices. Crush tomatoes using your hands. Add tomatoes and reserved juices to skillet. Stir in red pepper, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until slightly thickened, about 25 to 30 minutes.
3. Remove sauce from heat, stir in cheese. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Feel free to add some of your other favorite herbs and spices to this delicious mix! I love to chop up some fresh basil and serve this over whole wheat pasta, grilled chicken breast, or use it in panini's. It is so zesty, light, and fresh you won't be able to get enough of it.

Be Healthy, Be Happy and I love you!
Court

Stepping Stones: First Race Scheduled!

First race for 2009 is scheduled! I just signed up!
Date: March 21st
Event:5k
Goal: beat 10min miles
(current training pace)

Since my decision to run a half marathon in the year 2009 (race date TBA), I have begun to run 3times a week regularly. Between 2-4miles. In order to keep with my goal, I have decided to sign up for a few smaller races along the way to keep me motivated. The first is in just two weeks, a 5k in Carpenteria. I am looking forward to this race because its been almost a year since my last 5k. I haven't been training the way I used to (for speed), so it will be interesting to see how the results differ. I have been training at a consistent 10min mile pace, so my goal for this race is to simply beat that.
I will definitely let you know how this "stepping stone" process works, smaller races leading up to bigger races. I know you have a bunch of races this summer. I want to hear about them, what you are doing to train & what your goals are.

BE Healthy. BE Happy.
xoxo
Mari

Multi Grain Bread Recipe

Once a week for the past two and a half years I have been making my way to Great Harvest Bread to pick up our favorite multi grain High Five Fiber bread. It is so soft, healthy, and it tastes amazing! I decided I would try to make some healthy homemade bread last week and it turned out to be a success. I wanted a bread that provided our bodies with some fiber, some omega 3's (flax seeds), and some folic acid (wheat germ). I found all three of these things in this recipe and instantly fell in love.

I think spending time in the kitchen can be very therapeutic. Cooking and baking is very relaxing and can help alleviate stress. Just imagine you in your clean kitchen with your favorite apron and slippers on, preparing a meal that will bring goodness to your body after a long day, with some awesome jazz music playing in the background. Just try it, you will have a great time I promise. It will be as good as a bubble bath, or maybe even meditation.

When cooking for yourself and for your family, consider each ingredient you use. Knowing exactly what goes into your food makes you more aware of the things you allow in your body. I think it is easier to make healthier choices when you make and prepare your own sustenance, as opposed to trying to find something you think might be healthy on a take out menu. Try to remember when preparing your food at home that using ingredients that come directly from the earth, in their natural state is always best. A lot of nutrients are eliminated from food when it has been processed and altered.

Beware: this recipe makes 6 loaves, but can easily be cut in half. It also takes a couple hours so try it when you have some time to stay home. You won't want to stop eating after just one slice, pace yourself! Also, remember that when using flax seeds you need to grind them first, otherwise your body can't digest them and won't absorb their nutrients. I do this with a coffee bean grinder. Enjoy!

The Jam recipe isn't healthy so it will be posted on my personal blog.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 3 1/2 cups warm water
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 7 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup flax seed
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
  
• 1/4 cup cracked wheat
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 4 teaspoons salt
• 4 cups bread flour

To Make:

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in 1/2 cup warm water. Let it swell before using. In a large bowl, mix remaining 3 1/2 cups warm water, honey, molasses, oil, eggs and lemon juice. Mix well. Add yeast mixture and stir.
2. Gradually add 5 cups whole wheat flour beating well after each addition. Add the flax, cracked wheat, wheat germ, and sunflower seeds, stir well.
3. Let stand for 20 minutes, until mixture is very light. Stir in salt and the rest of the flours until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
4. Knead 10 to 15 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. Put into a greased bowl and cover, let rise in the oven with light on until doubled, about 1 hour.
5. Punch down and shape into 6 round balls. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
6. Form into loaves and let rise covered in oven until doubled. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) 25-35 minutes.

Be Happy, Be Healthy,
Courtney

CARDIO GIRL

Mari's Workout for the Week
Cardio is hard(for me). I hit a wall at about 30minutes(mentally). I have a goal to run (my first) half-marathon in 2009. I will not be able to reach that goal if I cannot overcome this (very) frustrating problem I am having!

THE LIGHT!
One thing that has really helped me push past my mental block is mixing-it-up. (light at the end of the tunnel) Instead of only running, I have tried to incorporate other forms of cardio- cycle class, do stairs, and jump rope, etc.
Not only does it help me get past that (on average 3.5mile) mark, it benefits the days that I do run.
I feel stronger & can work through my "i need to stop, i can't breathe" mentality.
I'd also like to try swimming, but I am a pretty crappy swimmer so we'll see.

THE WORKOUT - STAIRS
The workout I am posting this week is as hard as you want it to be.
The stair-mill at the gym gives a great work out, but i hate it!
(Because of the whole "mental" thing, I just stare at the time as it crawls by).
Running stairs outside is AWESOME. I know weather doesn't always cooperate, but if you get the chance--do it! Find a staircase at a park, in a neighborhood, or even a stadium. Just make sure its long! (the steeper the better too)
Here is one of my workouts for stairs, it varies depending on how many steps your staircase has..the one I go to has about 90 so this is for that, adjust accordingly.
Walk down after each time up.
Ten-up
1st: walk up (warm up)
2nd: jog up
3rd: run as fast as you can up
(if you dont make it up the entire way jog the rest of the way up)
4th: skip 1 step while running up
5th: run up
6th: skip 2 steps while running up
7th: run up
8th: hop up (both feet together)
9th: hop up one leg
(half on right, half on left)
10th: walk up (cool down)

This workout took some seriously building up to last spring, & I am not at this level yet now--but I hope to be! So if you can't do it your first try, don't worry. Its a beast.

**BONUS**
read this article about running stadiums: tips on how to do it effectively & how it can improve your race!

BE HEALTHY. BE HAPPY.
Mari

Snack? Yes please!

I have determined that I am the world's greatest snacker. I could snack all day and be a happy camper. I have sat down with a bag of crackers and an hour later realized I have eaten the half of it! Luckily I also love to eat crisp veggies and I allow myself to eat as many of them as my little heart desires.
Snacks can be great, but shouldn't replace our meals. It is important that we have 4-6 small meals a day, and only a couple snacks in smaller portions in between those smaller meals. I have decided starting today I am going to put a pre-determined amount of the less healthy snacks that I enjoy (crackers, cheese, etc), in tupperware for each day of the week. Once it's gone, it's gone and that is all I get for that day. I will still allow myself to snack on as many delicious and heart heathy vegetables as I can. Here are some of my favorite snacks of all time:

Sugar Snap Peas
These are awesome you guys and they are my absolute favorite! They are full of vitamins, have no fat, are a good source of roughage, and are so satisfying. They are a great replacement for crackers/chips because they still give you that crispy texture we look for when we crave the unhealthy alternative.

Fresh Homemade Salsa
recipe can be found here

Apples
I LOVE peanut butter so I will eat it with my apples every now and then. I adore the fresh, churn it-yourself peanut butter you can get at Whole Foods Market. Almond butter is also a good option if you need to eat your apple with a side.

Here is where I get weak when it comes to portion control:

I am now going to only allow myself 10 multigrain crackers OR 20 pistachio crisps a day. I am also going to eat no more than 1/4 cup of raw nuts at a time.

I am also going to cut back on my cheese intake. I usually eat one string cheese every day. That isn't horrible but in order to achieve my health and fitness goals this is something I feel I need to cut back on, so ONE every 2-3 days it is.

I will be putting 7 of these together at the beginning of every week. This way the healthy choice will have already been made ahead of time when it comes to snacking. Now I won't skip a meal, and then snack for two hours because I am starving.

Some other great snacking vegetables and fruit that take little to no prep work are:

• Bell peppers
• Cellery
• Baby carrots
• Bananas
• Kiwi (excelent source of fiber!)
• Oranges

You might be surprised to find how filling these tastey treats can be!
What are your favorite healthy snacks?

Remember: when you're healthy, you're happy!
Courtney

Breakfast Recipe

Mama's Homemade Granola

Mari's Recipe for the Week

Breakfast is a hard one for me! I get up so early to commute, I don't want to get up even earlier to eat! Id rather just eat an early lunch- It's a goal of mine to start eating it! Breakfast sets the tone for the rest of the day. Our bodies need to be fueled regularly & breakfast is no exception. Its be proven that people who eat breakfast are more likely to maintain a healthy weight. Not only that, but its Yum!! And we are less likely to eat garbage close to lunch because we aren't dying for a quick fix!
Here is a homemade granola recipe my mom makes, its so good! You can use this recipe for so many things! I use it for on top of yogurt & my new favorite is on top of Oatmeal! For the Amazing Banana Oatmeal I get my bowl of oatmeal & slice bananas all over it, then I add my granola & a titch of honey (or brown sugar if you prefer). YUM! Just the right amount of crunch! If you don't like bananas, other fresh fruit works too! I just love the honey/banana combo.

* This recipe is HUGE so you can cut it in half or make it all and store it in a tupperware or zip lock & have enough for a month!

Here's what you'll need:
7cups Oats
1 cup wheat germ
1 1/2 cup coconut (optional)
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
3/4 cup canola oil
1tbs water
1 1/2 tsp vanilla (i always add a little extra!)

Preheat your oven to 225 degrees. Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Once mixed add the rest of the ingredients one at a time while stirring until well mixed. Place on large cookie sheet or even a roasting pan in oven. Stir every 7-9 minutes until granola is golden brown.
This is a basic granola recipe..I like to spruce it up with dried berries & raw nuts! You can add basically whatever you want! Make it your own. ENJOY!

Be Healthy. Be Happy.
Mari

Courtney's Workout of the Week

Mare, here are two workouts I am in love with this week. These two exercises are fantastic for building and toning glute muscles. We both need this for different reasons. I am trying to get rid of some of my luggage back there and tone up, and you are trying to add some shape to your skinny bum. I thought you might be able to benefit from these since you are trying to build a butt. The first day my trainer had me do these I could barely walk. Sitting down was brutal because I was so sore. This was exactly what I was looking for because nothing gets my butt sore. These two exercises are great to pair up with lunges, box step-ups, one legged squats, or one legged dead lifts. Get ready to feel the burn, these workouts isolate your glutes and you'll be feeling it after your first few reps!

CALCIUM DOES A BODY GOOD

Calcium is one of those supplement-vitamin-mineral things, you may have heard of it.

It has been said to be the mineral most likely to be deficient in the average diet. Why aren't we giving it the attention it deserves? Calcium is AWESOME for you! It is vital for your bones & teeth. But it also helps weight loss (some articles say it helps you not store fat around your stomach too!), protects your heart, and *bonus* helps improve PMS!

Most of us were raised to think we could only get the Calcium we need through Milk. Well of course Milk, Cheese, and Yogurt are all rich in Calcium---but since we have to watch our dairy intake (especially anyone trying to lose weight) here are a few fabulous foods that contain Calcium & of course, you can always just buy supplements at your local health food store.
Salmon
Spinach
Peas
Broccoli
and even Almonds
Be a Healthier You & Include more Calcium in your diet!

Here is your first healthy dinner recipe:

Spicy Ginger Tilapia

I have just recently fallen in love with eating fish. Before a couple of years ago I couldn't even stand to be around it. Now I crave it. That is why it's important that we try new things and have an open mind when doing so. It is light, heart healthy, and when fresh it is so tasty. Tilapia is my favorite fish to eat, it doesn't have even the teensiest fishy taste or smell. I have also recently enjoyed making my own rubs for meat and fish. This Tilapia was just rubbed down and cooked on a stove top grill until it was perfectly flaky.

Ingredients:

2 Tilapia Filets
2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 t Sea Salt
1 t Rosemary
1/2 t Onion Powder
1/2 t Garlic Powder
1/2 t Ginger
1/2 t Cushed Red Pepper
1/4 t Paprika
1/4 t Cayene Pepper

To Make:

Combine all your dry ingredients in a bowl. Rinse and prepare your fish. Rub both sides of the fish with your delicious homemade seasoning blend. Preheat your stove top griddle or pan to a medium/high heat. Add 2 T of Olive Oil to pan before adding fish. Cook the Tilapia about two minutes on each side, or until perfectly flaky. You want the fish to pull apart when touched with a fork. It should be opaque in the center. Remove from heat when done and serve with a lemon wedge and your favorite fresh steamed veggies.

And so it continues...

Mari and I have started this blog to help one another stay motivated to reach our fitness and life goals. We are sisters-in-law who love each other and share many of the same interests. One of which is living fulfilling and healthy lives. We will be sharing healthy recipes, meal plans, exercises and inspiring finds in order to help each other reach our full potential.