Why None of My Goals Are Running-Related This Year

In 2013, I ran my first half marathon, the Disney Princess Half Marathon, in 2:12:42. I was aiming for a sub-2:10, but considering the heat and humidity that morning (and considering I had trained in 17*F), I was happy just to have finished. Three weeks later, after I ran the New York City Half Marathon in 2:06:33, I knew a sub-2 was within reach.

My goal for 2014 was that sub-2 hour half marathon. I had run a total of seven half marathons in 2013, and the closest I had come to that goal was a 2:04:12 at the Trenton Half Marathon in New Jersey. Just over two weeks into 2014, my dream came true. I completed the Tinker Bell Half in 1:59:25.

The goal for 2015 was to break 1:55 in the half marathon. I met this goal late in the year, in October, at the Monster Mash Half Marathon in Dover, DE. I completed the course in 1:54:16. This was my strongest year in running, although you wouldn't think that if you saw how drastically my race photos changed from January to November. Let's take a look:

January 2015: This will always be one of my favorite race photos. It was taken at mile 23 of the Walt Disney World Marathon, which I completed as part of the Dopey Challenge. Here I am, over 45 miles into the 4-day event, looking strong and happy.

May 2015: Vermont City Marathon in Burlington, VT. I was nervous for this race, because it took place just over one month after I moved to Virginia, so my training schedule was a little chaotic and I missed a lot of long runs. However, this is when I learned how important proper nutrition is in athletic performance. When I moved to Virginia, I fully committed to a vegan diet, and consumed little to no gluten. So despite feeling totally undertrained for the race, I was able to set a personal best by about 14 minutes. I attribute this to the dietary changes I had made in the weeks leading up to the race. I didn't realize until I saw this image on the MarathonFoto site, but this was the strongest and leanest I had ever been in my life.

November 2015: This photo was taken at the New York City Marathon, I believe somewhere in Central Park. I didn't realize how truly terrible I look here until about two weeks ago, when I put the photo side-by-side with the one from Vermont. Muscles, gone. Body fat, zero. I made it from Staten Island to Central Park in 4:16:50, and I'm still not entirely sure how I pulled that off. This body was the result of months of stress, poor nutrition, exhaustion, mental fog. I remember not wanting to register for this bucket list race because I felt so terrible, but it had always been a dream of mine, so I went for it. That's the thing about us runners. We can be so stubborn. So many of us would rather run a dream race than take the time to take care of ourselves.

Despite my physical deterioration, I was able to start 2016 off really strong. During the first week of January, I completed my first Indoor Dopey Challenge. Two weeks later, a major snow storm hit the DC metro area, and the school district I work for closed for seven consecutive school days. Including weekends, I had eleven days off of work, so I used the unexpected free time to log some extra miles on the treadmill. I ran 155 miles that January, my highest monthly mileage ever. Two weeks later, I set off for Birmingham, Alabama to run the Mercedes-Benz Marathon. While waiting in the corrals before the race, I told my friend Jenn that I really wanted to run a sub-4 hour marathon. For some reason, as I said those words, I really believed it could happen.

I ran a 3:57:10.

In the weeks following Alabama, I continued to run 25-35 miles per week. I wasn't training for anything, but I wanted to keep my endurance up so that I could eventually attempt to qualify for Boston (I was just over 20 minutes away from doing so). I thought maybe registering for more races would help keep me motivated, so I spent the rest of the year competing, competing, competing. Let's take a look at how that went:

• March: Ran the Rock 'n' Roll DC Marathon.
• April: Ran the Oshkosh Marathon in Wisconsin. Registered for my first Olympic triathlon.
• May: Little to no training. Exhausted. 
• June: Began training for the triathlon. Still exhausted. 
• July: Ran the Old Port Half Marathon in Portland, ME. 
• August: Starting stressing out because the triathlon was over a month away and I was not prepared at all. 
• September: Accepted a transfer bib for the Marine Corps Marathon. Competed in the Nation's Tri (made it by the skin of my teeth) and the Divas Half Marathon.
• October: Competed in the Newport Half Marathon (RI), Hershey Half Marathon (PA), and Marine Corps Marathon, which took me almost 6 hours.
• December: Ran the Jingle All The Way 15k (DC).

In addition to the triathlon training I did over the summer, I worked three jobs. I spent the majority of 2016 complaining to others how tired I felt, and how frustrated I was about becoming so out of shape. I was stressed all the time, had trouble getting out of bed in the morning, and my apartment was always a mess because I had no energy to clean. The most frustrating part was that because I was still competing all the time, no one believed any of this when I told it to them. "How could you say you're out of shape? You ran a sub 4-hour marathon this year." "You can't be that tired. You ran a half marathon over the weekend." I decided that as soon as Marine Corps was over, I was going to spend more time taking care of myself.

I should have known better than to attempt to start any sort of new health regime during the holiday season, but it was a good time to start thinking about what I needed to work on in 2017. The weekend after completing the Indoor Dopey Challenge in January, I didn't answer any phone calls or texts. I didn't set an alarm to wake up each morning, or stress over getting to the gym minutes after it opened. I allowed myself to stay in sweatpants all day, watch crappy TV, and just relax. It was my first weekend "off" in almost a year. Just over a week later, I met with both a chiropractor and a nutritionist, accepting the fact that crying out for help to whomever would listen was not going to solve any of my problems.

So this is why none of my goals this year are running related. I have spent the last four years of my life racing non-stop, on top of all of life's other responsibilities, and have exhausted myself both mentally and physically. I will continue to race this year, but will focus less on my times and how "in shape" I look and feel. This year, I've fully committed to being kind to myself and my body. My goals are to get back into the habit of eating well, spend more time on stretching and recovery from exercise, engage in activities that are beneficial to my mind and soul, and to stop committing to so many things. Do I hope to get back into my top running shape again? Absolutely. But I know it's not going to happen overnight. My body has been through so much, and has already proven to me that is capable of so many great things. Recovery will be slow, but I will get there when the time is right.

What are your non-running related goals this year?

Gaia Herbs: Review & Recipe

I've been thinking about this blog a lot recently. My last post was back in February! Life has gotten away from me lately, and I've been neglecting a lot of my old hobbies. I promise that changes this week!

Last month, I was selected to participate in a campaign with Fitfluential and Gaia Herbs. Those of you who have been following me on social media or know me personally know that I've been following a plant-based diet for just under two years. My nutrition has been pretty off lately, and I've been working hard to incorporate more whole foods and supplements into my diet again. So I was pretty excited when this showed up at my door:

Three tubs of Gaia Herbs Organic Maca Powder and a shaker bottle. All for me!

Not sure what maca powder is? Here's what you need to know!

Maca has been used as a caffeine-free, plant-based performance enhancer since the Inca Empire, as it supports energy and stamina. It's an adaptogen, meaning it supports a healthy response to stress. Sounds perfect for endurance athletes!

So what can you do with it? Maca powder can be blended into smoothies and juices, or mixed in to oatmeal, yogurt, or chia pudding.

I personally have used maca powder in my smoothie bowls, which I regularly eat for breakfast. I'm not the type of girl who swings by the local coffee shops for pumpkin spice lattes or maple-glazed pumpkin scones, so I find ways to enjoy those irresistible fall flavors in my favorite plant-based recipes. Because when it's fall and you're a twentysomething-year-old female, pumpkin spice is a must!

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie Bowl
(inspired by Simple Green Smoothies)
Serves 1

Ingredients:
-1 cup fresh or frozen kale (to be honest, I never measure this...I just stuff in as much as I can!)
-1 cup (8oz) almond milk, unsweetened
-1 tablespoon chia seeds or flaxseeds
-1 teaspoon Gaia's Organic Maca Powder
-1 frozen banana, sliced
-1/2 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
-1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

What to do!
Add kale and almond milk to a high-speed blender; blend until smooth (doing this first helps eliminate the chunks of kale). Then, add the chia, maca, and banana slices.

The star of today's show: organic maca powder!

Blend until most of the banana has been chopped up. Next, add the pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice, and blend until smooth.

So basic, it hurts.

I almost forgot this little guy!

Finally, pour into a cup or bowl (depending if you want a smoothie or smoothie bowl) and enjoy! I'm not one for toppings but feel free to top with chopped nuts, pumpkin seeds (pepitas), granola, more pumpkin pie spice...whatever!

What's your favorite smoothie recipe? Share in the comments!

Hemp Heart Bars: Review & Giveaway Details

Manitoba Hemp Heart Bars were provided to me for review through my partnership with Sweat Pink. All opinions are my own.

Since eliminating dairy from my diet, I've been on a quest to find snack bars made from plant-based proteins that have a decent taste and texture. There are few brands that I already enjoy, but I think it's always good to find a few varieties that you like in the event that one brand/product is discontinued, or is difficult to find. So I was pretty stoked when I was selected to do a review of Manitoba Harvest's new Hemp Heart Bars!

Perfect for pre-workout fuel!

I'm already a huge fan of Manitoba Harvest's other products (especially their hemp seeds), so I knew that I would enjoy the new Hemp Heart bars. The new bars are available in three flavors: Chocolate, Vanilla, and Apple Cinnamon. I received samples of the Chocolate and Apple Cinnamon flavors. I liked that each of these bars had a subtle flavor, but you could still taste the distinct nuttiness of the hemp seeds.  Chocolate in general isn't really my jam, so naturally I favored the Apple Cinnamon!

Nutrition Information

Hemp Heart Bars are made from 10 or less simple ingredients, and contains 10 grams of protein and 10 grams of omegas. Each bar has 230-240 calories, 15-16 grams of healthy fat (the first ingredient is Hemp Hearts), 13-15 grams carbohydrate, and 8-10 grams of sugar. 

Uses

Manitoba Hemp Heart Bars are perfect for anyone living an active lifestyle. Throw it in your gym bag for a pre- or post-workout snack, or in your bag so you have a healthy snack when cravings or hunger hit. You could also pack it in your lunchbox, and crumble the bar to use in place of granola in yogurt or smoothie bowl!

It's like apple pie without the guilt!

Want to win a box of your own? Enter Manitoba Harvest's photo contest on Instagram and Twitter! Just share a photo using the hashtag #fuelledbyhemp, and tag @ManitobaHarvest to enter! Get all of the details HERE. One winner will be chosen each month! Open to U.S. and Canada residents only.

You can also save 15% on any variety of Hemp Heart Bars using discount code hhbarlaunch1015 at the Manitoba Harvest's online store. Each caddy contains 12 bars, and is retailed at $31.99 (before discount). Hurry, this offer expires 3/31/2016!

Have you tried the new Hemp Heart bars? What did you think?

What's your favorite Hemp Hearts product?

Snow Days and Recipes and Giveaways, Oh My!

When I first announced that I was moving to Northern Virginia almost a year ago, everybody told me that I would be much warmer here than I was in New York.

Everybody was wrong.

You won't hear any complaints from me though. I love the snow, especially when it falls in large quantities. I actually get excited when I hear that my area is going to be hit by a blizzard.

I still remember how I spent my snow days as a child. My siblings and I would spend hours playing outside, sledding or using the recycling bin to make cubes to construct an igloo. When our noses got too runny and our fingers were numb, we'd head inside to warm up. Even though I was one of the youngest, I would make popcorn and hot chocolate for everyone to enjoy after they changed into warm, dry clothes.

Fast-forward almost two decades, and I'm still spending much of my snow day in the kitchen. Back in November, Ron Redding of NuNaturals contacted me, offering me samples of different products offered by the company. Now normally when I hear the word "samples," I think of tiny packages of products that are usually only good for 1-2 uses. So I was shocked when I received a package from Ron a few days later, and it was filled with full-size bottles and packages of a wide variety of NuNaturals products.

You're a good man, Ron.

Two weeks ago, Ron agreed to host a giveaway with me here on my blog. If you're not familiar with the NuNaturals, let me give you a brief overview of the company and their products.

NuNaturals is an Oregon-based company that offers over 80 SKUs of quality, all-natural products. Their flagship brand, NuStevia, is comprised of non-bitter, zero-calorie Stevia products, such as powder packets, clear liquid extracts, and quick dissolve tablets. NuStevia is a sweetener derived from the stevia plant, a medicinal herb. Unlike artificial sweeteners, NuStevia is all natural, so you can consume it without the guilt. The products can be used in baking recipes, coffee, smoothies, specialty drinks, puddings, bean salads...the possibilities are endless!

Here's some information about the products that you could win!

NuNaturals Pure Liquid Vanilla Stevia, Alcohol Free: NuNaturals has combined the super high quality of Singing Dog Vanilla Bean Extractives with their Clear Stevia extract to give you a delicious way to use Stevia. Add this to your foods and beverages in place of regular vanilla extract to experience the delicious benefits of Stevia.

NuStevia Cocoa Syrup: This product is a bit of an oxymoron. It's chocolate, but it's GUILTLESS. This cocoa syrup is comparable to Hershey's syrup, except that it's both calorie and sugar free! You can use this syrup on ice cream, in coffee, or to stir up a healthy chocolate milk. It's also great to use in recipes! Made with NuStevia extract, this syrup will not leave any unpleasant aftertastes. And the best part? There are 385 servings...in ONE bottle! 

NuStevia Cocoa Mint Syrup: If you're a huge mint lover like myself, this product is for you! This syrup can be used in all the same ways as the Cocoa Syrup listed above, but will add a great peppermint taste to anything you're whipping up in the kitchen. I used my bottle to make a Peppermint Mocha Latte that was cheaper and healthier than one from Starbucks!

NuStevia NoCarbs Blend,  50 Packets: The NuStevia NoCarbs blend contains premium, natural, all-purpose sweetener that can be used in tea, coffee, cereal,yogurt...anything that needs sweetening! And because they come in packets, you can enjoy them on the go! I always keep a few in my bag so that I'm not stuck using artificial sweeteners when I'm grabbing coffee at local coffeeshops, the gas station, or at work.

Before we get to the giveaway, I want to share a recipe that I created using both NuNaturals Pure Liquid Vanilla Stevia and NuStevia Cocoa Syrup. Baking cookies is one of those cliche snow day activities, but using NuNaturals products can help eliminate that guilt that comes with bumming around all day eating cookies!

Double-Chocolate Cashew Biscookies
Vegan. Gluten-free. Nut-free option.
Now I can't exactly call these cookies a hybrid, like cronuts or duffins, since biscotti is basically a type of cookie. But since biscotti are typically oblong-shaped (probably so that they can be dipped in coffee), and the ones I've created are round, I've decided to call them "biscookies."

Ingredients:

• 1 cup + 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
• 6 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, room temperature (You can also use margarine or butter. Cookies will not be vegan if you use butter.)
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. NuStevia Cocoa Syrup
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• dash of salt
• 1 very ripe banana, mashed
• 1/2 tsp. NuNaturals Pure Liquid Vanilla Stevia
• 2 cups flour (I use Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Flour)
• 1/2 cup cashews, chopped (Replace with dried fruit or chocolate chips to make these nut-free.)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease a cookie sheet, unless it is non-stick. Place an empty glass cup in the refrigerator (this will make sense later).
2. Whisk cocoa powder and oil in a medium-sized bowl until combined.
3. Add coconut oil, cocoa syrup, baking powder, and salt to the chocolate mixture. Mix well.
4. Add mashed banana and liquid vanilla stevia; stir until combined.
5. Mix in the flour. Just before all of your ingredients are combined, mix in chopped nuts (or dried fruit or chocolate chips). The batter will be crumbly, so feel free to ditch the mixing spoon and use your hands!
6. Form 1 1/2" balls, making sure that the batter isn't too crumbly or else they will fall apart in the oven. Place on cookie sheet, and gently flatten with the bottom of the cold glass (I told you this would make sense later!)
7. Bake for 7-10 minutes on the middle rack of your oven. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before moving to a cooling rack, as these cookies are crumbly and may break if moved when they are still warm.
8. Brew some coffee or make some chocolate milk to dip these in and enjoy!

I so love snow days!

And now, the giveaway! FOUR winners will receive:

• one bottle of NuNaturals Pure Liquid Vanilla Stevia
• one bottle of NuStevia Cocoa Syrup
• one bottle of NuStevia Cocoa Mint Syrup
• one 50-packet box of NuStevia NoCarb Stevia packets

In addition, each of the winners will also receive a free bonus package. The total retail value of each package is $70.00. To enter, all YOU have to do is leave me a comment telling me what you love to do on snow days! If it doesn't snow where you live, tell me what you love to do on your days off! The contest will close on January 29, 2016 at 11:59PM.  Four winners will be announced Saturday, January 30th.

If you don't want to participate in the giveaway, or if you're not selected as a winner, head over to  the NuNaturals site and save 15% on your ENTIRE order with code BLG0616. This code is valid through June 30, 2016. Please also check out NuNaturals on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to get more information and learn about their entire product line!

Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts Review, Recipe, and Giveaway!

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Manitoba Harvest and the Sweat Pink community in exchange for a review of Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts. All opinions expressed are my own.

Almost exactly three years ago, I become a vegetarian. Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday, so I decided that my last time eating meat would be at my family's Turkey Day feast. I enjoyed my last few bites of turkey at my grandparent's apartment, and haven't had a bite of meat since.

Even though I no longer eat meat, and my Thanksgiving dinner plate is usually loaded with salad and side dishes, I love all of those traditional Thanksgiving flavors. Cranberries, pumpkin, cinnamon, all those nutty fall flavors...the best! And since becoming a vegetarian, I've explored tons of new foods, especially those that help me meet my daily protein needs.

One of my favorite discoveries since transitioning to a plant-based diet is hemp hearts. So when FitApproach provided me with an opportunity to do a review and giveaway on my blog for Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts, I applied immediately!

Hemp hearts are tiny seeds that have a slight nutty flavor, along with a whopping 10 grams of protein in each 30-gram serving. And there are so many ways to eat them! These seeds can be sprinkled on top of salads, cereal, or yogurt, blended into your favorite smoothie, or whisked into the batter of your favorite baked goods. You can even eat them straight out of the bag! The possibilities are endless.

Now, you're probably wondering why I mentioned my love of Thanksgiving foods earlier. FitApproach and Manitoba Harvest asked that I try out a new recipe with the 2oz bag that I received. I looked up several recipes using hemp hearts on the Internet, before selecting a Fruit and Hemp Seed Muesli recipe from Whole Foods that I altered to taste just like Thanksgiving dinner (minus the bird).

Everything-But-The-Thanksgiving-Turkey Muesli

Ingredients:

• 1 1/8 cups quick-cooking oats (I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Quick Cooking Oats)
• 1/2 cup Manitoba Harvest Shelled Hemp Seeds
• 1/2 cup Craisins
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (I used Trader Joe's Pumpkin Spiced Pumpkin Seeds)
• 5 pitted dates, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and toss to combine. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

To serve warm, combine 1/2 cup muesli with 1/2 cup liquid of choice (unsweetened non-dairy milk, water, etc.) and simmer on the stovetop until oats are softened, 1-2 minutes.

Want to win a bag of your own? Leave me a comment telling me what your favorite Thanksgiving food is and you're automatically entered! Winner will be announced on November 13, 2015. Good luck!

I'm an Everlast Nutrition Partner!

 I am so excited to share that I am now a partner with Everlast Nutrition! Yes, this is the same Everlast that has been providing us with authentic boxing, mixed martial arts and fitness related equipment and apparel for over 100 years.

As a plant-based athlete who is always looking for more natural products to help me perform my best, I really can't get enough of Everlast's products. I was able to try Everlast Vegan Protein powder for the first time a few months ago, when I received a sample of it in the mail. I loved both the texture and the flavor--two things that are very important to me in a protein powder. So when I saw that the company had opened up a Nutrition Partner program, I applied right away!

Last week, I had a 2-pound bag of Vegan Protein delivered to my door and I wasted no time tearing into it.

Some quick facts about Everlast's Vegan Protein (VP) in the Light Vanilla Flavor:

• contains a complete BCAA profile using the highest grade blend of yellow pea, rice, and hemp protein
• increases lean muscle mass and strength
• increases post-workout recovery
• free of lactose, gluten, sugar, hormones, GMO, and cholesterol
• 1 scoop (29 grams) contains 110 calories, 1.5g fat, 2g carbs, 22g protein

I'm not much of a protein shake or smoothie person, so instead I've found other ways to enjoy this protein powder. Some of my favorite ways to increase my protein intake using Everlast Vegan Protein is by adding 1/2 to 1 scoop to "nice" cream, oatmeal, baked goods, and homemade ice pops. Adding VP to these foods creates a nice subtle vanilla flavor without additional fat or sugar!

Thanks to Everlast VP, the nutrition facts of this nice cream are anything but scary!

Everlast also offers FUEL, a performance drink mix, and BURN, a convenient tablet to support the body’s metabolism and provide energy throughout the day. The company has a TON of great deals going on right now, where you can save on all three of these great products and even score some freebies! Current deals include:

• Buy one bag of Everlast Vegan Protein and get a free box of Everlast FUEL
• Buy 2 Everlast FUEL Performance Drink Mixes and get a free Everlast 20oz shaker cup
• Free shipping on all orders over $20

Looking to save even more? Use code REBECCA5 to get 5% off of your total order!

I'm so excited to be an Everlast Nutrition Partner, and am looking forward to even more great products from this company! There could even be a few giveaways or favorite recipes in the future, so stay tuned!


Have you tried any Everlast Nutrition Products before? Which product would you most like to try?