Congratulations Ashley of Getting Stronger, Burning Fat! Please email me your mailing address and I’ll put this in the mail on Monday!
Reinventing the Basics
Today was all about reinventing the basics! This morning I switched up my normal oatmeal routine for a new breakfast sandwich bursting with protein and fiber. Now it was time to do the same at lunch!
My daily salad lunches are always filling, nutritious, and filled with volume but they can sometimes get boring and repetitive. Today, I decided to switch my Pax salad up a bit with some delicious additions and swaps!
Yes, I unfortunately eat lunch at my desk everyday either pounding through work or pushing through a meeting. Also, notice that awesome black and red North Face bottle in the background. This may be my favorite piece of swag we received during the North Face Endurance Challenge this weekend. It’s UGA colors and reminds me of all the fun we had!
This delicious mix included the following:
mixed greens, carrots, red onions, chicken, spinach, celery, 1/2 serving of olives, tomatoes, 1/2 serving of feta, and fat free lemon herb dressing
It was filled with bold flavors spread throughout and left my mouth satiated and smiling!
After a long day at work, I enjoyed a massage that went back to the basics. The beautiful Katherine dug deep at my knots and the tightness that many runners deal with day in day out. Before tonight I had only frequented spa settings for massages. But, when Katherine offered a practice session which would benefit both of us I was more than game. Well, an hour later, I felt better than I’ve ever felt after leaving a massage. She used deep pressure when needed on my quads and IT band area but then balanced it with smooth massage techniques in between. Thank you Katherine for my basic but divine massage. I have realized that I don’t need the scented lotions and oils of a spa in order to feel relief!
I didn’t get home until 9:30 and therefore was absolutely Hangry Pants when I walked through the door. Bo was just finishing his run so he felt the same. This meant it was time for a quick and resourceful meal since our fridge is pretty barren. We’ve been trying to eat down our produce and perishable products since we’ll be in Maine this weekend with my parents.
Freezer to the rescue! Bo discovered some delicious chicken cacciatore in the depths of the freezer. While defrosted it I made a makeshift salad from the leftovers in our produce bin. It consisted of celery, tomatoes, carrots, and a balsamic drizzle. This, when combined with the tomato flavors from the chicken, was absolute heaven! It took us less than 10 minutes and used ingredients we already had on hand!
Simple yet delicious! We need to remember to do this more often. Now I’m off to finish watching the Glee season finale! I wish Glee could be on year round!
Check back tomorrow for an awesome beauty giveaway that will keep your skin fresh all summer long!
The North Face Endurance Challenge : 11 Girls and 3 Relay Teams!
Welcome to all my new readers who may have found me through some of my marathon relay teammates! Yesterday was my highest number of readers ever and I hope you’ll continue to follow my journey as I strive for a healthy, happier life!
Today epitomized why I love blogging! The North Face Endurance Challenge brought together 11 bloggers and readers alike for a day of hot, humid fun and running! We made up three different teams as you can see from this picture.
The three teams were Run Bloggers Run, Run to Eat, and Team Awesome. Unfortunately, Lindsay was sick so Team Awesome was lacking a runner for the final leg of the relay. Luckily there were extras on hand from the Challenged Athlete Foundation and the guy below ran their final leg! He was awesome!
This race was like none that I’ve ever done before in that it didn’t start until 11am. Normally, I’ve finished a race and showered by 11! We had to catch a lovely shuttle bus around 9:45. The bus reminded me of white water rafting trips or childhood field trips!
Meghann clearly enjoyed herself!
The race was held in the Algonkian Regional Park in Sterling, Virginia. We assumed that we would be running through the scenic Great Falls area based on the course ratings:
The Great Falls sections are highlighted by some intense elevation changes, with steep-but-run-able climbs up to 300 feet. The River Trail covers what is widely held as the marquee section the event: up to three miles of tip-toeing and hopping along bluffs high above the Potomac River. The tedious-but-scenic time it takes to cover this section is more than offset by cruising sections of undulating trail in the river basin.
Unfortunately, the above review was not reflective of our terrain.
The starting and vendor area was a picnic/park area. But, it made for the perfect pre-race relaxation area and picture point!
Team Awesome Heather getting ready with a smile! Run To Eat: Leslie, Cara, Gretchen, and Amanda! Run Bloggers Run: Meghann, Me, Heather, and Jes!
We all had a great time chatting and getting to know each other. I’d been talking with many of these ladies for the past few months so it was finally nice to put a name with a face and twitter name! 🙂 Before we knew it was 10:50 and time to get ready for the first leg!
Last minute logistics and transition discussions!
Some runners were a bit more intense than others! Our team was about having fun!
Since there were no mile markers on the course almost EVERYONE used a Garmin. I had the chance to test out a Garmin by transitioning Jess’ ankle tracker and Garmin after she was done.
And they’re off like the wind. After the A leg took off we had some time to explore the vendor tents, take a last pit stop, and pose for pictures of course! We decided to run together since this was our first trail race and had both been randomly put in the B spot. My goal for the race was to run the entire time and maintain under a 10:30 while also enjoying the course. I made a split minute decided to run sans headphones. This allowed me to hear the birds, other runners, and rustling bushes. I enjoyed it more than I expected.
I would sign up for another trail run tomorrow if the opportunity presented itself! In fact, this evening we’ve all been tweeting about doing the half next year!
Each lady finished strong throughout the race and completed swift transitions! Leslie finishing strong in her running skirt! This weekend she convinced me that I needed my own Jackson and a great running skirt. Cara, Run to Eat’s last lady heads off after the transition.
Our last lovely runner was all smiles and ready to get the show on the road! By the time the last leg started it was after 2pm and she was getting revved up. Go Meghann ! After Meghann hit the trail, Leslie, Heather and I enjoyed a much deserved free post race treat- beer! Her only request upon finishing was water and skittles. Luckily, these healthy living bloggers could deliver! Less than four hours later our last runner crosses the line! After a long day out in the sun and barely any food, we were all craving a delicious, sit down lunch in the area. Five of us (Leslie, Meghann, Cara, me, and Heather headed over to Reston Town Center for some much needed Mexican!
Uncle Julio’s was able to answer our Mexican craving and impress us with their fresh tortillas! Yum!
Clearly we were hungry as this bowl of chips disappeared in about 5 minutes flat between the five of us. Their salsa was a fiery chipolte flavor that was a delicious complement to the salty chips. A few of us ordered the vegetarian fajitas. I was excited that the fajitas included guacamole and portabella mushrooms, two of my favorite things. I was not excited when we realized the “cheese” on top of the vegetables was in fact butter. *sigh* Regardless, this was one of the best vegetable fajitas I’ve ever had. The veggies were all very fresh and the serving size was quite large. In fact, Meghann and I could have shared if we’d realized ahead of time. Delicious warm tortillas made fresh in house. Is there anything more delicious than this creamy and flavorful combination?
We spent the lunch laughing and reminiscing over race memories before parting ways. Leslie was kind enough to drop Meghann and I off at the nearest Metro station so Part 2 of our Virginia adventure could begin. We were looking forward to meeting Jacquie in Georgetown!
Eleven girls met up this morning unfamiliar with the area and each other and then left the event friends and teammates! What a great day!
If you’re new to my blog, I’d love to know more about you! If you have any questions or topic requests for me please let me know! I hope you enjoy!
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