Even though I didn’t complete No Sugar November, I liked the idea of having a focus for the month. So I’ve chosen two things to focus on in December, in addition to generally training for the Mississippi Blues Marathon.
Is the Mississippi Blues Marathon in only 6 weeks?! Time flies when you’re eating pumpkin cheesecake… or something like that.
Goals for This Past Week:
How did I do?
Woohoo Cyber Monday! Looking for a gift for the special runner or athlete in your life (or for yourself)? Look no further! Here are my picks for this year.
Turkey trot results are at the bottom, but first, a list of things for which I am thankful on this Thanksgiving.
In no particular order:
Now that I’m all emotional…
So, as may or may not be apparent from my posts and the title of this blog, I am a vegetarian. It all began when I was about seven years old and my mom explained to me that beef = cow and pork = pig (“Like Babe?!”) I continued eating chicken and turkey for another five or so years before deciding that doing so was morally inconsistent. The hardest thing for me to give up was my grandmother’s stuffing at Thanksgiving. She makes it from scratch and stuffs it in the bird, and it is incredibly moist and delicious, or so I remember from 17 years ago when I last had it…
Even though my grandmother’s stuffing is “off the table” for me, I still LOVE Thanksgiving–the concept of having a holiday devoted to being grateful, and the way it welcomes the Christmas season, and the food. So I thought I would share some of my favorite vegetarian dishes for Thanksgiving, in case anyone out there is looking for ideas.
Goals for This Past Week:
How did I do?
Goals for This Past Week:
So, how did I do?…
This afternoon I Googled myself, as I do from time to time. You know, just to see what’s out there and to make sure no one is writing libelous things. The first several hits were the usual — things related to my job and my race results — but then I saw a result that surprised me: there, third from the bottom was my full name and the words “Runner on Strava.”
For those of you who don’t use Strava, some brief background. Strava is an app that uses GPS on your phone or other device to track activity such as biking or running. With a premium account, I’m told you get all kinds of cool data and have the ability to set goals within the app. Even with a free account, Strava will store your runs (including pace, distance, a map, elevation, splits, whether it was a “long run” or a “commute,” etc.) and data such as your weight. Strava will talk to other apps like MyFitnessPal if you link them. There is also a social element to it — you can connect with friends or post from the app on social media, and you can see how your pace over certain stretches compares to other runners’.
I use a free Strava account to track my runs. I’ve really, really enjoyed using the app and have been very impressed with its accuracy and data features. I haven’t tapped into the social element: I only have one “follower” on Strava, and we do actually know each other in real life. Perhaps ignorantly, I always thought of Strava as having a ton of my data but being contained in the little app on my phone. I never thought about whether I would have a Strava profile on the internet for all to see…
As I mentioned last week, I was ready to start No Sugar November on Sunday. I stocked up on No-Sugar-November compliant snacks such as apples, bananas, Babybel cheeses, avocados, and some olives. But physically, I was hurting from dropping my computer on my toe on Saturday night. (I swear I am not a complete baby. I’ve run through lots of pains. But this toe thing was something else! Even putting on a shoe was tough.) Luckily the pain subsided after a few days.
Short Recap: This week was not what I would call “spectacular” from a fitness and nutrition perspective but I am not really in the mood to beat myself up about it.
Long Recap
Monday: Soulcycle
My name is Athlettuce. And I’m addicted to smoothies.
I’ve had a smoothie almost every morning for at least six months, and I’m showing no signs of stopping. I have one on days I run, on days I lift, on days I sleep in. They make me feel so, so good, and like I’m starting my day on the right foot. They are also portable–I can tuck them into the side pocket of my backpack and drink once I get to work or after Orangetheory. I can drink while walking the dog. Or I can enjoy at home on the couch. They are easy to digest, so I don’t need to wait long after drinking one to work out, but they are also refreshing and protein-packed to help with recovery.
I should note that I’m not like those creative folks on Instagram coming up with a variety of colorful smoothie bowls with lines of seeds and nuts and coconut strips on top. No, I’m more of a practical smoothiewoman.
Here’s what I throw in the blender:
athlettuce 