30 Day Running Challenge: Day 1

When did you start running and why?

I started running officially the summer after my sophomore year of college when I was 19, about to turn 20 (2004).

I have always been very active and thrived on playing sports in high school, but adjusting to college life when I had no organized sports to keep me moving really shook up my lifestyle. I would rollerblade and go to the gym with my roommate, but it just wasn’t the same.

I somehow missed out on the freshman 15, but was hit by the sophomore 25.  I saw a picture of myself at a party with a friend and could not believe what I saw!  How could this be me?  I’m an athlete!  Alas, I was an athlete with no athletic activity.

That May, I moved into my first apartment as a sub-leaser, and as luck may have it, my new roommate was a dietetics major who was an avid runner.  She ran 6 miles every day without fail and was running a marathon at the end of that summer.

For me, it was easy to pick up an active lifestyle while living with someone like that.  I went out and moved every day for at least a half hour.  Rollerblading, riding my bike, walking around campus, it just became a part of my daily life, and the weight started to roll off. 

I loved running when I was in elementary school.  I was one of the best runners in my class, but somewhere in middle school I started to HATE running, and that mindset had stuck with me.  But in my mind, the fittest people were always runners.  It represented discipline and determination, so one day, I went for a run.  I only made it about 3 blocks (this was right before I realized I had severe asthma).  But the next day, I made myself go 4 blocks.  Soon, I was running for 5 minutes, then 7, then 10, and before I knew it, I was doing 2 miles without thinking about it.

I still remember the day I ran 4 miles for the first time, and the time I ran for an hour straight for the first time, my first double digit mileage run.  I was suddenly a runner.  A day didn’t feel successful unless I ran.  

I realized that I was completely in love and addicted. 

#running

Need an oil change?

Most people know that cars need routine maintenance; gas to make it run, and consistent oil changes.  Then there are a select few that religiously get the tune ups, the engine flushes, tire rotations, break inspections, the things that a car can continue running without, but not for very long.

This is how I feel about the human body in some regards.  Most people know that you have to eat to survive, the better the fuel the better you perform, and most people will workout once in a while because they know it is good for them.
But unlike a car, we can’t get a new body when our current one breaks down from improper maintenance, or trade it in when we want a new body style. This is why it is SO important to take care of the one we have!
Just like you would take your car to a mechanic for the things that go beyond your knowledge or skill, I firmly believe everyone should see a personal trainer, or some other guru of what I like to call “natural preventative medicine” to learn how to make and keep your body at its best.
We only get one body, and unlike the car I have that I am very terrible at maintaining, I want to do everything I can to make sure my body performs at its peak for as long as it can.
You know you need to work out and eat healthy, but do you know why you need a certain type of carb or protein after a workout?  Have you ever thought about the flexibility of your spine or your hip mobility?
I used to be a pretty average gym person.  I would go, stretch, do some cardio, and do some weights… but there is so much more than that that should happen to get results and reap the benefits of fitness!
There is an overload of information out there on fitness and nutrition. There are always the latest fads, new workout crazes, but there are also the tried and true methods of how to keep your body healthy and at its best.
So, if you want to keep your “engine” running at its peak, take the time to do the maintenance and find a credible professional you trust to help you out and show you the way.  
Remember, you only get one body, and there is more involved in maintaining it than gas and oil changes. 
10 Foods that help you burn more fat

Healthy Buddha: 30 Day Running Challenge!

Borrowed from an amazing blog that I follow here on tumblr, the 30 Day Running Challenge!!!

healthybuddha:

  1. When did you start running and why?
  2. Why did you continue to run?
  3. What ultimate running goal would you like to accomplish?
  4. Tell us about your first race or when you plan to start!
  5. What’s your favorite distance to run or race and why?
  6. To you, what’s the hardest thing about running?
  7. Who…

Healthy Buddha: 30 Day Running Challenge!

Recipe of the Month: Baked Tomatoes with Quinoa, Corn, and Green Chiles

This recipe really tested my skill level in the kitchen. Broiling, carving, bagging, this one was certainly an adventure.

The shopping was all pretty straight forward, until I got to the “Poblano chiles”, because, according to Meijer, they are “Poblano Peppers”. Enter, exhibit A:

Alas, I believed it to be the same, so off to the check-out we went, and from here on out they will be referred to as “peppers”. This actually wasn’t the first “interpretation” I made on this recipe, for example:

“Place tomatoes and tops, if desired, on a jelly-roll pan”

What the H is a jelly-roll pan? Google tells me it is just a baking sheet, so all systems were a go.

The broiling turned out to be way easier than I thought it would be, since it was just a button on the oven next to “bake”. I used to be under the impression that broiling was a fancy way to boil something in a frying pan. Oh, how adult-hood is changing me.

Post-broiled peppers, blackened skin acquired.

I was a little unsure about putting the broiled peppers into a paper bag, but then realized it was probably to dry them out, making the skinning process easier.

A Horrocks bag sealed with drink mixers is kind of the same thing the recipe asks for. Paul tried to take a picture of me putting the peppers into the bag, but said my face looked too disturbed.

Skinning the blackened peppers, by the way, not annoying at all! Just kidding, it was a total pain in my butt.

The tomato carving was the most nerve-wracking part for me. I was deeply afraid of failure in this step, but, I am happy to report that I was very successful! I envisioned a massacre, but it was very much like carving a pumpkin. Just don’t stab through the bottom (or a side) and you are all good.

So cute!

I actually did the tomato carving first, that left the pulp to pretty much drain itself while I was preparing the peppers, onion, and corn. By the time I was ready to go back to it, I had very little pressing to do.

Confession time: I didn’t rinse my quinoa. I never do. I am a second child, I ate stuff off of the floor, got pacifiers straight out of the dirt, and shared my ice cream cones with the dog. I doubt my life will be saved now by rinsing quinoa. It always turns out just fine!

I questioned whether the last step was necessary or not. What major difference could 1 and a half minutes in the broiler make? Paul, in all his wisdom, told me that baking will cook it all of the way through, and the extra broiling will crisp the top. Thank goodness for adult supervision while I’m cooking.

Ready to go into the oven!

What a flavor-full turn out! Even if you don’t like tomatoes, eating just the filling will satisfy you without an overwhelming tomato taste. And it looks so impressive and presentable!

The only thing I might change is the quinoa to corn/onion/chili ratio. The mixture turns out to be mostly quinoa, but I believe it could be have a stronger flavor with more of the corn mixture.

All in all though, this seems like a very tedious recipe at first, but is one that can be mastered after just a few swings at it.

You can find the full recipe here: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/baked-tomatoes-50400000121356/

The recipe I will be tackling next, a little more in my comfort zone skill wise, is a beet salad. It will be my first go around with beets, so we will see how it goes!

I hope everyone had a safe and happy 4th of July!  i will post about my vacation sometime this week, I promise!