Preparation Breeds Success

Marathon training officially begins tomorrow. I have a 4 mile run in the morning and then I will have officially begun the journey. Today was spent in a frantic flurry of wrapping up final details. I had no idea how much I had on my list today. This is everything that I felt was important to finish before training began so I would have no distractions or excuses. 

• I finished my "Marathon Bible," a collection of recipes, meal plans, workouts and my training schedule so I never have an excuse not to go on my run or eat a healthy meal or snack. 
• Created a training plan for one of my friends to complete their fastest 12k
• I washed 5 loads of laundry
• Went shopping for healthy, vegan food
• Weight lifted
• Cleaned my apartment from top to bottom
• Packed my workout bags (yes, that is plural, I have an insane amount of things I take with me to the gym)
• Baked a berry crisp 
• And treated myself to a new pair of jeans

I now have no excuse to fail and everything prepared for this week. Right now I am prepared to push forward and am excited to begin. I know there will be ups and downs but I am ready. I have been gearing myself up for this day for the last few weeks. None of the excitement at being chosen to train with Nike Women has worn off yet and I am even more excited to see what the next few months bring. I am officially living my dream. Watching the Olympic Trials for Track at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon this weekend just spurred on my desire to compete and train. 

Stay tuned for my race training updates! 

Blueberry-Coconut-Macadamia Treat

This valentines day enjoy some delicious, healthy muffins instead of the traditional chocolate. There is nothing I like more than a delicious hot, warm muffin straight from the oven. This Valentine's day indulge your taste-buds with this healthy treat. You will not be disappointed. I made this recipe twice in one week when I first found it and they were a hit with my husband. 


There is no reason you can't enjoy something a little different this Valentine's day. For extra sweetness drizzle some local honey over the top. Yum! You won't be able to put these down. Enjoy, and happy Valentines Day!


Blueberry-Coconut-Macadamia Muffins




1/4 cup unsweetened coconut

• 2 tablespoons plus 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup brown sugar, divided
• 5 tablespoons chopped macadamia nuts, divided
• 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour or whole-wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 3/4 cup nonfat buttermilk (or your favorite non-dairy milk and 3/4 Tablespoon lemon juice)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut or vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (not thawed) blueberries

Preperation: 

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.
2. Combine coconut, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 2 tablespoons macadamia nuts in a small bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil; stir to combine. Set aside.
3. Whisk the remaining 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, egg, egg white, buttermilk, butter and coconut (or vanilla) extract in a medium bowl until well combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients; stir until just combined. Add blueberries and the remaining 3 tablespoons nuts; stir just to combine. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with the reserved coconut topping and gently press into the batter.
4. Bake the muffins until golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack at least 5 minutes more before serving.
• 210 calories per muffin

Pumpkin Muffin Recipe

I thought I would share the recipe for the muffins I mentioned in my previous post. Give them a try, they are delicious and a healthy breakfast treat.

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup low fat buttermilk (can substitute almond milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice)
2 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
2 tablespoons flaxseed
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (plus more for topping)

(For a sweeter treat, mix in 3/4 cup chocolate chips!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine all dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then whisk together the wet ingredients in another bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until combined. Pour batter into cupcake paper-lined muffin trays. Sprinkle muffin tops with walnuts.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Tips for Maintaining Your Fitness Progress

Smells waft through the air daily this time of year, from cookies and pies, to turkey and stuffing. The holidays can wreak havoc on any great exercise or diet plan and I am one that has suffered the consequences of eating more treats than I can burn off in a workout. Here are some important tips I use to curb my eating during the holiday season.

1. Eat slowly - the slower you eat, the fuller you will feel and the less likely you will be to eat that extra cookie.

2. Sneak healthy ingredients into your recipes - I always try to throw something healthy into my holiday treats, a few tablespoons of flaxseed in muffins, walnuts substituted for half the chocolate chips, or applesauce for oil in any recipe. These simple additions to treats will give them a hint of health benefit, without ruining their flavor. I think many taste even better. (The pumpkin muffin pictured above has flaxseed mixed into the batter and then walnuts sprinkled on top, yum!)

3. Be sure to maintain you workout routine - Often during holidays we tend to eat more and workout less, just making sure you workout every day while on vacation may give you that extra willpower to say no to that extra cookie, after all, you don't want to waste all the hard work you just did!

4. Remember to still enjoy the day - It is still ok to have treat foods, just eat them in moderation and next time you feel that extra craving coming on head for the water jug, not more cookies. Staying hydrated will keep you full longer and help you manage your cravings.

Enjoy the holidays!