ashleyd /

Main Line Nostalgia

I can’t believe it’s finally here! Back in April I outlined my crazy travel plans which stretched from April to the last week of June. Now, three months later I’ve successfully conquered the travel while also staying pretty sane and not packing on stress pounds.  I attributed this feat to a few simple things that I’ve focused on the past few months:

  • Improved mindset
  • Larger lunch salads
  • Protein powder
  • Enough sleep
  • Workout flexibility

With that being said, yesterday we headed down to Philadelphia to begin the wedding celebration of Mike & Liz’s wedding.

006

These two have been close friends of ours for four years so we’re both thrilled to be part of their weekend. So thrilled in fact, that I didn’t share with the blog or Facebook world this week that Bo was in bed with a 103 fever Wednesday and Thursday! Oh no, I know what it’s like to be a bride and the last thing I wanted them worrying about was being short a groomsmen. I was the best nurse possible forcing fluids, medicine, sleep, and ice packs so that Bo would be back to normal by Friday.

008Success! His fever broke early yesterday morning and so far he’s feeling 85%!

It’s always wonderful to come back to Philadelphia for a weekend after living in the area for three years. It’s even better when the wedding party hotel is one you always ran past and the rehearsal dinner is held at your favorite restaurant!

We didn’t rent a car for the weekend which means we were dependent on Amtrak and SEPTA to get us from NYC to Wayne, PA out overall it worked out quite well. It only took 2.5 hours doorstep to doorstep and cost less then $50 per person!

005 Our hotel for the weekend is the Wayne Hotel, a Victorian style hotel which has recently undergone extensive renovations. The new lobby and front verandah are absolutely stunning. I also loved that our hotel room happened to have makeup remover face wipes!

009 010 

The rehearsal dinner was held at Nectar, an Asian fusion restaurant on the Main Line which is perfect for almost any occasion. It’s managed to maintain it’s food, service, and reputation over the years. Their draft beers are hand picked from Pennsylvania’s finest craft breweries while their cocktails are creative and potent. The groom’s family organized the menu which featured three appetizer and three entree options ranging from tuna tartare to Thai Chili Fillet Mignon. The lobster and scallop risotto stole the show and was definitely the best entree choice of the evening! Just look at the size of that lobster claw!

012 013 014 

The dinner was so wonderful filled with lots of smiles and fun stories! While the food was just as delicious as I remembered, it was the company that truly made the evening.

This morning I woke up at 7 ready to hit the road for a 6 mile run. Unfortunately, the run wasn’t exactly as I planned. Even my Reach the Beach shirt couldn’t motivate me to push through the heat.  But, it was wonderful to run through my old neighborhood seeing all that has changed in such a short period. There are some wonderful new restaurants I wish we had time to try on this trip including a gorgeous Mexican restaurant, Xilantro, with a full patio right on Lancaster Avenue! 005 The heat and humidity were already brutal at 7 and the path I chose had little to no shade. I listened to my body and cut my run at 4.1 miles opting for 15 minutes of hotel boot camp versus another 2 miles out in the heat. I have a long day of wedding festivities in front of me and therefore thought it best to listen to my legs. I’ll be the first to admit that the run was humbling after weeks of strong runs but maybe it’s the wakeup call I need to begin marathon training on Monday!

Now it’s time to freshen up and prepare for the wedding. It’s hard to believe that it’s been a year since we celebrated Leslie and Charles’ wedding at Villanova!

H

Share Button
Follow:
ashleyd /

Protein Four Ways

Once upon a time, a New York City blogger received a package so large that she couldn’t even fit it in her New York sized pantry. Come one, come all she begged her friends and family to help her sample and enjoy the protein powder. This box contained containers of protein larger than she even knew existed.

Based on this opening, I think you all get my drift. The amazing folks at GNC sent me a package of assorted protein powders to review and experience in hopes of finding one that fit my needs and taste buds perfectly, like a glass slipper.

For the past two weeks I’ve used protein in at least one meal or snack per day, ranging from oats to smoothies of multiple flavors.

005 010 019

  • Apple Oats: 1/2 cup oats, diced apple, dash of cinnamon, scoop of Vanilla Whey protein powder, and boiling water.
  • Chocolate Covered Strawberry Oats: 1/2 cup oats, sliced strawberries, scoop of chocolate egg protein powder, and boiling water.
  • Simple Chocolate Shake: 1 cup Almond Breeze or water mixed vigorously with chocolate egg protein powder.

Some people ask, why the protein? Or, why can’t I just get it from whole foods. My answer to that is pretty simple. I do get a great deal of protein from whole foods like chicken breast, shrimp in salads, and cheese but as someone who tends to have a ravenous appetite, protein helps keep me full longer. By adding a scoop of protein to my oatmeal, I’ve eliminated the need for a morning snack. A simple chocolate shake in the afternoon is a great way for me to stop the afternoon hunger/sugar monster and help repair muscles. In addition, as I start marathon training next week I really need to keep my eating in check. I’ve worked too hard to get back into all my size 6 and 8 clothes and within a few pounds of my goal weight to lose it all to afternoon snack binges brought on my “marathon mindset” and an insatiable hunger.

If I can reach in my desk drawer and pull out a hunger buster like this, then I’m a happy camper!

012 Really, the only thing that I worry about in regard to protein powder is the sodium, sugar, or cholesterol levels. Luckily, these proteins were all low in sugar and cholesterol, but a few of them had more sodium then I’d like.

Protein Recap

As I mentioned above, GNC sent me four different types of protein to sample (egg, whey, soy, and casein). Before this, I really didn’t know casein or egg existed. I didn’t realize that GNC carried such a wide variety of powders both in flavors and types!

Here’s what I learned about each type and my thoughts:

012GNC Pro Performance 100% Whey Protein: Whey is a fast absorbing protein and therefore perfect for right before or after workouts. It is perfect for my morning oats since I enjoy them right after my workout each day. This powder also mixed very easily and the vanilla wasn’t too sweet. A full scoop is 120 calories, 2 grams of fat, 20 grams of protein, 2 g of sugar, and 4% sodium but 13% cholesterol. I found that I didn’t need a full scoop to help keep me full and energized so after a week I reduced it to a half scoop.

GNC Pro Performance® 100% Casein Protein - Chocolate - GNC PRO PERFORMANCE - GNC

GNC Pro Performance 100% Casein Protein: This protein is very slowly absorbed and therefore many people take it at night to gain lean muscle. Who knew you could develop muscle while you slept. As you can tell, I’m not sold on this one. It mixed horribly, didn’t taste as delicious as the egg and was overall sub-par. Now, one interesting fact is that while it delivers 25 grams of protein, it also includes 5 grams of fiber.

017

GNC Pro Performance 100% Egg Protein: This protein is lactose free which is pefect for people who have lactose sensitivities. One serving equals the protein of four eggs but without the cholesterol. This one has less cholesterol than the whey while delivering more protein (25 grams) but I found that it didn’t mix quite as well. However, I did enjoy this a few evenings as “dessert” when mixed with water or Almond Breeze. I still which it had less sodium (20%)!!

GNC Pro Performance® Soy Protein 95™ - Unflavored - GNC PRO PERFORMANCE - GNC

GNC Pro Performance 100% Soy Protein: This protein is completely plant based while also containing all the essential amino acids. I love that this one is cholesterol free while still delivering 25 grams of protein. Unfortunately, I could only stomach the flavor when mixed in my chocolate covered strawberry oats and in a smoothie. Mixed with water, milk, or Almond Breeze this was too chalky and didn’t mix as well as the egg.

While I enjoyed all of these powders more than expected, I foresee myself returning to GNC in the future to restock on either vanilla whey or egg protein as I use this flavor the most in my oats and smoothies. I also really liked the nutritional profile of these two the best and felt they mixed well and had great flavors. While these both have cholesterol and sodium levels that surprised me, I don’t think a half serving per day will hurt me and if it helps keep the weight gain away during marathon training then bring it on!

Each of these products is available in your GNC or in their online store!

Do you use protein powder? If so, what is your favorite type of protein powder?

Disclosure: I was provided this selection of protein powders for review purposes as part of a campaign with GNC and FitFluential. As always, all opinions and thoughts are my own.

Share Button
Follow:
ashleyd /

Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

Hey Healthy Happier Bear readers! I’m Heidi from Life in Pink. I have a long convoluted history with running. I started running in high school on the track and field team and later the cross country team but was never the fastest runner. Needless to say I didn’t pursue running in college and hardly ran at all except on rare occasion. When I moved to DC after college, eventually I got stuck in an office with no windows and 3 other government relations coordinators at a thankless firm. It was my unhappiness there that inspired me to sign up for my first marathon.

Tough Lesson #1: Train Hard I researched training plans briefly, and just hit the register button when the Marine Corps Marathon opened up. Loving to run sometimes isn’t enough to get you to put one foot in front of the next for 26.2 miles. I didn’t train well for that first marathon. I didn’t train hard. I trained half heartedly. And if there’s one thing you don’t want to do half heartedly friends? It’s train for a marathon. That wall? Instead of mile 20, it comes at mile 15. That bus that picks up stragglers? It’ll be nipping at your heels around mile 18. But I accomplished my goal of simply finishing. Tough Lesson #2:Training Takes Time For my second marathon, I decided to take the time to train properly. Seven am runs to beat the grueling DC summer heat became a well versed habit. I did hill repeats on Capitol Hill and I cross trained with lunch time spin classes. Regardless, committing to my training and giving up those Friday nights out paid off when I shaved over an hour off of my previous marathon time.

Tough Lesson #3: Have A Cheer Squad Not every race goes perfectly. Whether it’s a 5k, a half marathon or a marathon, having family there with band aids when a blister is forming at mile 19, or even just someone to hug you at the end, family and friends make a world of difference. I ran my hometown race in Burlington, VT in 2009 and again in 2010 and set my marathon PR in 2009 with my dad and grandfather cheering me on at the finish. At mile 20, just before running by my grandparent’s house, my aunt texted me and asked where I was. My response? Mile 19, need Band-Aids. Seriously, it was like a race car team changing my tires before I went back out on the course. It was amazing. But seriously? I’ve run races where there’s no one there thanks to my husband’s US Army training, and I’ve run races where I have a whole team of cheerleaders – and having the cheerleaders is always more rewarding.

Tough Lesson #4 It’s All About the Attitude After my amazing PR and the elation that came from that at Vermont City Marathon 2009, I registered for it again. It was a beautiful race, if you’ve never been to Vermont? Go. Visit. Fall in love. Run the Marathon up there – the finish line next to Lake Champlain is one of the most beautiful. I registered for the race after Adam and I moved to CT in Fall 2009. Race day came, and I did not feel confident. I ran the race anyhow. How could I not? No one really wants to DNS an expensive race that you traveled to and took time off of work for. But I used myself as a mental punching bag for a good 15 miles. Everything I could have done wrong, I did. Marathons are not just physically challenging, they’re mental. You can train all you want but if you’re head isn’t in the race? You’re not going to have fun and above everything else, running and racing should be fun.

It’s not about the distance, it’s not about your time. It’s about being mentally strong. It’s about being confident. It’s about the reward – finishing. No matter what distance you run don’t feel like because you’re not running marathons or ultras or triathlons, that you’re not as accomplished as others. Stop comparing yourself and just be proud of yourself. I’ve taken these lessons not just in my running, but in every day life. Because ultimately attitude is everything and having a positive one will not just get you through 26.2 miles, but also through any other situation in life. After my 4th marathon, I took a break. Do I want to run another? Sure. Five is better than four right? But right now, I’m not at a place in my life where I can commit to the training, the long runs, the miles, and the pain in my knees. Knowing that leaves me in a better place to tackle the distance in the future.

Thanks again for the opportunity to share my lessons with your readers! -Heidi

Share Button
Follow: