Hop on Board the Soul Train

Posted in Cross Train, Hydration, Physical Therapy, Run, Running, Track, Training by jenchoosesjoy

**Disclaimer: I’m writing this with a lot cold medicine in my system. You’ve been warned!

I’ve been so busy posting recipes this week. I figured it’s time for us to catch up!

Monday:

23 miles on the spin bike, weights, and TRX. I loved all of the fun straps!

Most importantly Monday was Chocolate Cake Day!

I made my favorite Flourless Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache Glaze…yum!

I also had a great PT session! Leah feels like I’ve turned the corner with my Achilles and I’m on the road to recovery. She’s letting me run again. 3 days this week, 4 days next week, and then back to my regular training plan…woo hoo!!

It was also Sofritas Day at Chipotle!!

Track prep for Tuesday morning…Picky Bar and Cocogo! Use code JENCHOOSESJOY (all caps) for 10% off at Cocogo.com!

Tuesday:

I set my track alarm…

I was so excited to join my friends, but boy was it early!

I’m not quite ready for speed work, but I joined my friends for their warm-up and then did progressive miles. It felt great! Tights are Nike and I got them at Fleet Feet.

We lovingly refer to our track group as the Pain Train. We decided we should change the name to the Soul Train and have a dance line instead! “The hippest trip in America!” This is the sillyness that happens after running in circles for too long!

For dinner I made a blueberry baked steel-cut oatmeal…so good! I’ll type up the recipe soon. I LOVE having breakfast for dinner.

Wednesday:

First things first…

I had a run date…great company and no Achilles pain!! This was the first time I’ve run back-to-back days in forever. Then I stopped by the new Daily Juice in Brentwood. I had the El Tropicado and it rocked!

I stopped by Fleet Feet to pickup one of the new TN Run Y’all t-shirts…so cute! My girlfriends also happened to be there at the same time! Great minds think alike 🙂

I think I need to find this shirt…it’s perfect!

#choosejoy

Do you make breakfast for dinner? It’s one of my favorite dinners. My husband makes the best omelettes.

What’s your favorite breakfast? Mine is the croissant french toast at Marche in Nashville.

What’s your best sore throat remedy? Pretty please with a cherry on top, help me out!

26Jan2015

Coffee on a Camel

Posted in Breakfast, Cross Train, Physical Therapy, Run, Running, Training by jenchoosesjoy

I drink my Monday coffee on a camel. Don’t you?

With coffee in ‘toe’, let’s catch up! Sorry…couldn’t resist a camel toe joke. What’s wrong with me?!

Thursday

After a week off, I was so excited to run with the Brentwood Breakfast Club! I’ve been using the heating pad before runs to loosen up my achilles.

6 miles without any pain. We had lots of talk about ‘Sassy Pants’ on our run!

and breakfast afterwards with these awesome friends!

I also had another PT session with Leah at ProMotion for some more ASTYM treatment. It’s really helping me! As I ease back into running, Leah has me on an every other day schedule.

Hi, my name is Jennifer and I’m addicted to Organic Girl Lettuce. I now buy it by the case.

For dinner, I made homemade tomato soup with cauliflower crust cheese sticks…so good! I’ll post the recipe soon.

Friday

RUNEMZ had this Virginia Woolf quote on her IG page…love it! She won 1st female in the Coldwater Rumble 100-miler this weekend. What an inspiration!!

I hit up the gym to spin and lift. It took me a while to notice that the bike mileage got stuck, so I’m not 100% sure how far I ran.

Came home to another encouraging post-it:)

Jason and I set down for dinner to look over plans for my blog…SO EXCITING!!

Friday night coffee prep means that I finally get to go for a Saturday morning long run!!!

Saturday

I paced the Fleet Feet Country Music Marathon 4 hour training group for their long run. My heart was SO happy and I didn’t have any Achilles pain…woo hoo!!

Also it snowed!!

And there was a little (ok, maybe a lot) of ice, but no one fell! They did however rap!

Fleet Feet passed out our new training shirts…so cute!

Saturday afternoon, our friends were celebrating their daughter’s 2nd birthday! How cute is this?!! I was excited to buy Frozen presents. And, that cupcake was delicious and lasted 30 seconds.

Sunday

I woke up with a sore throat:(

I tried to push through it with the breakfast of champions…

and a gym workout: 21 miles on the bike and weights.

I still felt crappy, so I actually took a nap (crazy! I actually wrote a post about ‘How to Nap’) and had some soup for lunch.

I’m about to knock myself out with this Mucinex Night Time…hopefully that will do the trick and I’ll feel like a million bucks in the morning:)

Did you race or long run this weekend? Share!

When was the last time you were sick? How long did it last?

Did you get any snow this weekend?

#choosejoy

21Jan2015

Hurts So Good

Posted in Cross Train, Training by jenchoosesjoy

Monday:

This pretty much sums up Monday mornings.

Spin bike for 25 miles and weights.

I tried this Arctic Zero Ice Cream and it gets two thumbs down. I guess ice cream needs more than 150 calories to taste good.

Fleet Feet had an Ultra-Dirtbag kick-off mixer for the new training season. Obviously we had a lot of Dirtbag pride and no we didn’t call each other beforehand!

Tuesday:

Orange Theory Fitness! I’ve been easing back into workouts.

I was SO happy to be back in class with Corrie!!!

To celebrate National Granola Bar Day (it’s a thing), I made these Chewy No-Bake Granola Bars…SO GOOD! I think the cranberries and white chocolate chips make these perfect for Valentine’s Day:)

I’ve had a few people ask me about Shakeology. I don’t sell it. I’m not using it as a meal supplement, but as a healthier dessert. My favorite “recipe” is:

1/3 cup dark chocolate almond milk
5 ice cubes (I’ve been freezing my coffee into cubes)
1/2 scoop chocolate shakeology
Blend and enjoy!!

Wednesday:

Perch date with Jason

And then back to the gym for 20 hilly bike miles and weights

The sun was shining and I was on my way to get a massage!

Robin Frazier at Franklin Massage Center gave me the best deep tissue sports massage! She really got into my sore muscles with her elbows. It hurt SO good!!!

I met the hubs for a Portobello taco dinner

and came home to bake apology cookies. If you know me, I’m always early. Well, I completely booked my PT appointment for the wrong time and missed it all together. I felt so bad. Hopefully these cookies will make it better when I go back for my next session!

My friend Kim Jameson posted this picture on her IG this week. She bakes, loves live music, and spends a lot of time at the beach. I want to be her when I grow up! This pic is just too perfect!

Do you use sports massage as part of your training plan? How often do you get a massage?

Have you tried Arctic Zero Ice Cream? Thoughts? Did I just buy the wrong flavor?

What are your favorite “store-bought” bars? I love Picky Bars and Bearded Brothers!

#choosejoy

19Jan2015

Guess who did a chin up?!!

Posted in Boston, Breakfast, Cross Train, Run, Running, Training by jenchoosesjoy

Thursday:

Breakfast Club!!! We started the day in the dark…

I was given one of the sweetest, most thoughtful gifts from my friend, CB!!!

Side note: I am so grateful for all of the incredible women in my life. You ladies ROCK!

I went back to PT and agreed that I would take a break from running for the next week:( Hopefully a little break now will help my achilles heal.

Friday:

23 spin bike miles and I came home to this post-it! I obviously married my husband for his artistic abilities.

I’ve been a little bummed about my time off from running and he surprised me with these beautiful flowers!!!

I saw the 2015 Boston Marathon jacket. Appearently, the purple is causing quite a stir! It could be neon paisley and I would proudly wear it!

I joined the new 2015 Fleet Feet Racing Team for a little mixer. There’s a whole lot of fast in this picture!!

Charlotte really wants to be on the race team, too:)

Saturday:

25 miles on the bike

And I met some friends at The Frothy Monkey…

after their long run.

For dinner I had this beautiful big bowl of vegetarian Pho!

Sunday:

20 bike miles and oatmeal breakfast with the hubs:)

Sunday dinner of champions…Wine, Veggie Burger Salad, and slice of Chocolate Cake!

I finally got around to creating a facebook page for our Brentwood Breakfast Club!! #BBC We’ve grown so quickly. If you’re in the Nashville area, come run with us:)

And the piece de resistance…I did my first full chin up!!!!!!!!!!!!

What do you think about the 2015 Purple Boston Marathon jacket?

Did you enter the New York Marathon lottery or are you speedy enough to get an automatic entry?

Share the Pit and Peak of your weekend! My Pit: Not running. My Peak: Ummm, hello…doing my first chin up!!

#choosejoy

14Jan2015

Non-Fitness Facts

Posted in Breakfast, Cross Train, Q&A, Training by jenchoosesjoy

I’ve been tagged a few times on Instagram to post 5 Non-Fitness Facts about me. Sorry it’s taken me a minute to do it:)

1. I play the violin and started studying when I was 4.

2. I can’t stand mint desserts. It tastes like chocolate with toothpaste on top. Gross.

3. I am a Sci-fi nerd and waited in line for all of the midnight premiers for The Lord of the Rings.

4. I eat the same lunch every day when I’m home: mache rosettes with strawberries. I’ve been eating this for 4 years (since I left my job) and I’m still not tired of it.

5. I love all things elephants! Also, I sponsor an elephant named Naipoki through the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.

Typing that list just makes me feel like a weirdo!

Alright, moving on…

Wednesday:

Thanks to gbena on IG for sharing this one with me! One of the best parts about my blog is people sending me quotes about JOY! It’s even better when they combine JOY and COFFEE!

Crepe with peanut butter, banana, honey, and granola at The Perch!

Gym time…20 miles on the bike with lots of hills. I read that 20 bike miles is equivalent to running 5 miles. Is that true? 20 miles on the bike kicks my butt.

Working on my pull-ups by laying on the floor and lifting my body weight.

Decline sit-ups with a 12lb medicine ball.

And, I made this Asian Quinoa for dinner. Isn’t it pretty?! I’ll post the recipe shortly:)

And for dessert, I’m still making Chocolate Shakeology. It really helps my sweet tooth and it tastes great!

Do you have a “healthy” dessert when you’re craving sweets?

Bike to running conversion? Any idea? I just want to make sure I’m keeping up my running fitness while I’m healing my Achilles.

Share a non-fitness fact about yourself!

#choosejoy

13Jan2015

When the husband is away…

Posted in Cross Train, Run, Running, Track, Training by jenchoosesjoy

The wife will go wild and…

And by party hard I mean be super lame and boring…

I spent many hours on the devil bike.

Rocked my Fleet Feet shirt

Made a mountain of guacamole and called it dinner. Let’s just agree that this a portion size.

Joined my friends in the dark, on the track.

As we approach another person on the track, one of us inevitably asks…”Who is that?” Between the dark and being bundled like this…I’m never really sure who anyone is.

Lots of time heating my Achilles. I told you…I’m wild and crazy!

Because it’s Taco Tuesday…

A Sofritas taco salad from Chipotle. I promise it tastes way better than it looks.

And lastly, while solo, I’ve been sleeping in the boot. We fondly refer to it as the “birth control boot.”

So basically this post serves as reassurance to my husband that he has absolutely nothing to worry about while he’s away! Although, I’m down for a Kid n Play dance party if anyone wants to come over.

P.S. I came across this proverb and while I’m taking time to heal my body it seemed especially fitting 🙂

Have you tried the Chipotle Sofritas yet? Verdict?

Have you had to sleep in a boot? It doesn’t bother as much as I thought it would.

What was your latest speed workout? I joined my friends on the track and I jog and cheer them on when they fly past me!

#choosejoy

12Jan2015

Training for Boston: My Game Plan

Posted in Boston, Cross Train, Run, Running, Track, Training by jenchoosesjoy

I can’t believe we’re already into week two of training for the Boston Marathon! It seemed so far away and now it’s here. Crazy! This definitely isn’t how I thought I’d kick-off my training. I’m still nursing a cranky Achilles and my running is limited. Hopefully taking it easy now will make for some great Boston training and an even better race!

I was reading the Runners Connect Blog and started thinking about my goals. This is such a monumental race and it could be a once in a lifetime opportunity for me.

Am I going to run hard and see what I’m capable of? OR Should I run for fun and try to take it all in?

As I get back to full health, here are some of the key elements in my marathon training.

Long Runs: This Spring, I am pacing a Country Music Marathon training group for Fleet Feet. My group is training for a 4:00 hour marathon. Our long runs are at a 9:30 pace. I’ll be pacing their miles, and then I plan to add a few more miles before and after the group run.

Speed Work: I run track on Tuesdays with my Speed Session group. We base line our workouts with a 2 mile time trial. Then the rest of our group workouts will be geared toward marathon preparation with lots of mile repeats, 800’s, etc…

Mid-Week Long Run: I like to do a Wednesday “longish” run….usually 10-12 miles. I include 6×20 second surges.

Tempo Runs: My tempo runs are usually 2 mile warm-up, 5 miles at tempo, and 2 mile cool down. (To determine your tempo pace: Add 30 seconds to your 5K pace.)

Steady State: These are usually 1-2 mile warm-up, 10 miles (20-30 seconds slower than my tempo pace), 1-2 mile cool down.

Fast Finish: I will incorporate fast finish runs into my group long runs. I’ll finish the group run and add on an additional 3-5 miles at my steady state pace.

Cross training: PiYO for low impact days, weight lifting, Orange Theory Fitness, TRX, nightly core work before bed, and I just got a YMCA membership so I can try some of their classes.

Foam Rolling and Stretching: Dealing with my Achilles problem has really reminded me to roll and stretch. Seriously, I can’t stress it enough!

Mark Hadley at Maximum Performance Running has created the training plans for my last 4 marathons. He does an amazing job at customizing the above workouts to help me meet my goals!

Conclusion…I might not have a race day game plan yet, but this is what my training will look like. My goal for now is to recover, focus on quality training miles, and then decide. Either way, I am STOKED to run this race!!!

Check out this Podcast on Setting up for Success; Boston Marathon Race Director, Dave McGillivray

And, I LOVED playing around with this Boston Marathon Pace Calculator!

Boston Advice: Would you run hard or have fun?

What’s your favorite type of training run? I love long runs!

Least Favorite? Tempo runs are always tough for me.

Do you have a Spring “Goal” Race? Have you started training? How’s it going?

#choosejoy

11Jan2015

Weekend Wrap-Up

Posted in Cross Train, Nutrition, Run, Running, Training by jenchoosesjoy

First things first, pour a cup of coffee and let’s catch up:)

Like many of you, we had some cold weather in Nashville.

I saw this little gem floating around social media. Crass…yes. Hilarious…yes.

Thursday:

My heart is always happy when I meet up with The Breakfast Club!

Followed by some time on the Devil Bike. That’s my pet name for the stationary bike while my Achilles heals.

Friday:

The devil bike is relatively new to me. I’m pretty sure this is an example of what NOT to do…

In my defense, that hill was kicking my butt!

I made this yummy PB&J smoothie! It has frozen berries, Vega Bodacious Berry Smoothie Mix, Chobani Greek Yogurt, a splash of almond milk, and Coco-Nut Butter…SO GOOD!

Saturday:

It was cold!

I was so excited for to kick-off Country Music Marathon Training with my Fleet Feet group! Pacing is my favorite way to run:)

Here’s a post on Reasons to Train with a Group and another on Guidelines for Leading a Group Run.

Followed by some core work…

I finalized my Rock N Roll Marathon Series Races.

I wanted to do so many of them, but these are the races that worked for my schedule: Country Music, Virginia Beach, and Vegas Baby!

Sunday:

While recovering, I’m running less and thought this was a great time to try my hand at pull-ups. Guess what, I can’t even do a chin up. I’m sure you’re shocked. Here’s my first attempt (with a boost) and yes I was stuck.

I’m inspired to get a pull-up bar for my house, because obviously I have my work cut out!

And I ended the day with a slice of chocolate cake from Whole Foods!!

Do those door frame pull up bars work?

Can you do a chin up or pull up? Tips?

Do you make smoothies at home? What’s your favorite?

What was the peak and pit of your weekend? Peak: Getting to pace the marathon training group! Pit: My Achilles still hates me.

#choosejoy

8Jan2015

The New Normal

Posted in Beauty, Boston, Cross Train, Physical Therapy, Run, Running, Track, Training by jenchoosesjoy

The new normal involves a lot of cross training! Here’s a look at life lately.

Monday:

I started the day with a Nespresso Soy Misto…

and Physical Therapy at Pro Motion. ASTYM and taping are really helping my Achilles.

Gym, Stationary Bike, and PiYO Hardcore on the Floor

For dinner we had this Roasted Cauliflower and Mushroom Quinoa…yum!

Tuesday:

Track with my friends! I’m still not doing any speed work, but I did log a bunch of miles running in circles:)

I tuck the Hot Hands into my gloves.

Aren’t my orchids so pretty right now?!

Picked up some more of my favorite lip gloss. I go through this stuff like crazy.

Wednesday:

Crepe and coffee breakfast with Jason…and these woodland creatures:)

20 miles on the stationary bike…such a tough workout!

And, because I’m lifting a lot more…I finally bought some gloves.

I think it’s safe to say that I LOVE Mache Rosettes!

I received a Boston email…the perfect reminder of why I’m resting and letting my body heal!!!

And, for dinner I made a Roasted Vegetable Zoodle Stir-fry. I’ll post the recipe shortly and you MUST make it. Seriously…it’s SOOOO good and it’s healthy!!!

Oh…and I got this pic of Country Music Marathon Training Run! If you’re in the Nashville area, there’s still time to sign up for the training program. I’m so excited to run with this group:)