One Step Ahead

I'm happy to announce that tomorrow will actually be Friday. I had to put it out there for anyone that has woken up on a Thursday morning believing it is Friday. Yup, that was me this morning. Perhaps I should take note that hitting the snooze button more than once after my alarm goes off is not the best way to start the morning. Maybe next time I'll hit it just once? Despite a slightly thrown off start to my morning, the day shifted to a much more positive note once I got my hands on some pumpkin spice creamer as I was grabbing a few other items on a quick Target shopping trip. Pumpkin spice creamer is a game changer for anyone who hasn't tried it. If you enjoy pumpkin lattes or pumpkin flavor in general, this will make your ordinary coffee taste amazing!

A few other highlights from the week:
I ordered my first pair of knee high compression socks (bright pink!) to wear for the Marathon in February; I've heard good things about wearing them during long runs so I'm curious to see how they work out
Tomorrow is the 5K FL/GA run which should be fun, even if I'm neither a Gator nor Bulldog fan. It's all about having fun!
Colby got 2 new Nylabones delivered, one of which has provided a couple of hours of entertainment after an evening walk! The other one didn't pass the Colby test, so I had to take that one away from her.
Our Halloween treat tonight was vanilla frozen yogurt with mini chocolate chips that I bought for baking but turned out to be a great froyo topper! Who needs snack size kit kats when you have froyo!?

I hope everyone enjoyed their Halloween! Happy Friday Eve!

Kong Extreme

By definition Labrador Retrievers are a breed of medium-size, strongly built, largely developed in England from stock originating in Newfoundland and having a short dense black, yellow, or chocolate coat and a thick rounded tail —called also Lab, Labrador
Characteristics of a lab include (but not limited to):  sunny, smart and hard working.

When I think of our puppy Colby, I think of a loyal, dependable and very lovable dog who loves a good snuggle. At first sight, she may seem all cute and furry, but you would probably never guess how she can work her way through a small sized nylabone in about 5 minutes. I'll never forget the day I brought home the "indestructible" dog toy that was destroyed in about 20 minutes. After spending too much money on toys that touted themselves as indestructible or constructed with heavy duty materials, I knew I had to stick with the ever faithful KONG brand. When we first started buying bones and toys for Colby, the small kong was sufficient. It still works great when we stuff a treat in it and it can provide entertainment for a solid amount of time. However, as we started noticing how much of an aggressive chewer she was, we knew it was time to graduate to something bigger. Thanks to the X-Large Kong Bounzer this was possible! This Kong has been through the best and worst of times. It's been kicked around, chewed on and thrown from room to room but besides a few scratches it has held its own! Just as Colby is loyal to us, her Kong toys have remained loyal to her. For your entertainment pleasure, you can see the journey of Colby vs. the Kong. To all of you pet owners that have Labs, what are your bones or toys of preference?

Superheros For a Day

While I love just about everything related to Fall such as the weather, leaves changing color and everything pumpkin (see my previous blog post: Eat More Pumpkin) I never get super excited about the idea of costume parties or dressing up for Halloween. I usually end up struggling for ideas and I never want to pay too much to put together a decent looking costume. This year was an exception (yes I do realize Halloween day hasn't approached yet) but this morning our Galloway running group thought it'd be fun to show up in our personalized costumes for our scheduled 5 mile run. After my running buddy Cassie sent me some ideas for outfits, a couple of them caught our eye. There was the "Running H20" idea where we could easily put together our own shirts but there were also tons of Superhero costumes that seemed feasible to run in. The next day, I went in to Kohls to look for a tshirt for an upcoming Florida/Georgia run. Moving down South from Maryland means I have zero Gator/Bulldog gear to wear but that's a whole other topic for another day! On my quest to find a FL/GA themed shirt, I came across a goldmine of printed tshirts priced 50% off in the juniors department! I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the bright blue Superwoman shirt and that is when the Superhero theme came to fruition. Thanks to Cassie's brilliant find online, we pulled together the look with our amazing knee high socks and this morning we were dressed for Halloween success! Altogether I didn't have to spend a lot of money on the costume and it was fun to wear. Despite the chillier weather this morning, we made it work and the socks really kept me warm!

Cassie and I after the run. For more running inspiration, check out her blog run or bust!

Here is the breakdown in cost for the costume:

Superwoman tshirt (Kohls): $10
Red wrap around skirt (Goodwill): $4
Knee High socks (Amazon): $8.99
Red Headband (handmade, thanks Brooke!)
Total: $22.99!

If you're looking for costume ideas this year, I highly recommend a Superhero theme! You can find plenty of items that you may already have at home or online to complete the look and not spend a whole lot of $$$. Not to mention, who doesn't want to be a Superhero, at least for a day??

Performance Gear Taking Over

Do you ever wonder how we survived with out the assortment of Nike dri fit performance wear, technical tshirts or compression gear that have taken over the active wear departments in our favorite stores today?

Last night as I was preparing my work out gear for today's morning run, I knew it would be another chilly morning (to Floridian standards) so I made sure to lay out a long sleeved top and my dri fit capri's. Normally the ensemble would consist of a tank top and shorts so this was a pretty drastic change! I was thankful the entire morning that I could layer on clothes that would keep me warm, comfortable and most importantly, DRY! I'm not going to get in to too much detail, but after running 4 miles and going for a 1-2 mile walk with the pup, this girl definitely got her sweat on! Every day after my workouts, whether it be running, walking or bootcamp class, I'm forever grateful for the benefits of dri fit clothing. I'm not a complete brand snob when it comes to purchasing work out clothes, but I do tend to favor Nike and New Balance. Years ago I made a purchase at Ross (dress for less!) in the active wear department and picked up a wonderfully bright pink Nike long sleeved dri fit tshirt. At the time, I didn't realize how much this top would change my life. Life changing may sound extreme, but this top soon became a staple for my longer run days and a great layering piece to wear underneath a fleece pullover in colder weather. It made me realize that it is possible to complete a long work out and have it appear as though you barely broke a sweat (minus the rosy cheeks and glistening face!) I remember the days where I'd be wearing a long sleeved cotton shirt and it would weigh me down. Not to mention the track pants. Does anyone remember the "tear away pants" that had snap buttons down the side of each leg? Not the most practical for even a mile long run! These clothes were uncomfortable to move in and not form fitting. Luckily those shirts and pants are now either tucked away in the closet or ended up in the charity shop pile. I couldn't be more proud to announce that the performance gear has taken over for the better!
Not only does the dri fit clothing fit comfortably and make you feel like a true athlete, the hidden pockets for your house keys or zippered pouches on the back allow you to store anything small that you wouldn't want to hold on to while working out (bite sized chews, performance gels etc)
Thank you to the awesome athletic companies out there that finally realized we were suffering with our over sized cotton tshirts. Phew! Now all of the runners of the world can choose from functional work out clothes that actually look good on us!
Happy Friday everyone!

Baby, it's cold outside!

This morning took us all by surprise when we saw the thermometer read 53 degrees! The weather man on the local news channel did warn us Floridians that cooler temps would fall upon us in the upcoming week, but I was still shocked to see the temp fall below 60 degrees. Since moving down South over two years ago, my blood has thinned out significantly and I'm never really ready for it to be cold, but this morning I layered up (about 3 layers to be exact!) and ventured out with the Cheese for our morning walk.
There is something about the cooler weather that brings out the feistiness in our puppy. Over the past week as the mornings have become a little cooler, she has definitely shown a little extra spring in her step! This morning after she gobbled down breakfast she couldn't wait to get outside. She ran to the door and with a little hop she was ready to go!
I can't say that I'm too upset about the drastic change in weather this morning. For me, Fall weather translates in to: boots, jeans, scarves, sweaters and more scarves. Are you sensing a trend here?! Not to mention I can break out the festive slipper socks! Yes, I'll be the first person to admit that I'm a sucker for slipper socks and because it is October..you know what that means! Anything Halloween related or orange will do the trick. Thank goodness for the trusty $1 bin at Target. My feet are warm and happy thanks to my slipper socks. I love how I can slip them on and off much easier than a pair of real socks, they are less bulky than your traditional house slipper and did I mention the pair I wore today say Happy Halloween on the bottom? Sure they may be a "one size fits all" but I'm sure you get the point now that I'm a fan even if they are two sizes too big!

Stay tuned for weekend updates on our Halloween Themed run for Saturday morning..a spectacular costume is in the works and I guarantee it will rock your socks off!

Skinny Noodle Recipes

Last night we put together a quick (and healthy) dish that didn't require a lot of time. I'm always a fan of quick and convenient meals, but also making it healthy and hearty can be a challenge when you want to save time. The stand out ingredient in this dish were the noodles! Now we aren't talking any old fashioned carb loaded noodle here. These are the delicious, low carb, gluten free (pretty much low everything) House Foods Tofu Shirataki Spaghetti Noodles. Yes they are made of tofu, but unlike other pasta alternatives, these actually taste good and complement any meal that would normally call for spaghetti, fettucine or angel hair pasta! I've been buying them for the past year now and I've never looked back. Eating gluten free can be easy when you have options to choose from. We eat GF for the health benefits (not because of food allergies) and I'm finding that many grocery stores are catering to the GF crowd, yay for us! It's becoming much easier to choose options that fit our lifestyle and diet.
Now on to the fun part: the recipes where I have incorporated these powerful noodles. The first time I bought them, I wanted to try something more conventional so I opted to make a standard spaghetti and meatball dinner. While I do enjoy eating meat and the occasional piece of steak, I will go through periods where I'll eat mostly vegetarian. For this meal, I used veggie meatballs. I prefer Morningstar Farms Veggie Meatballs because they have the best flavor and texture. I was so pleased with the end result that I couldn't wait to buy more and try the different varieties they had for these noodles. A couple of weeks later, I bought the Angel Hair Shirataki Noodles and made Shrimp Scampi! Another easy yet amazingly tasty meal to prepare. I also saw on the House Foods website that they offer a macaroni shaped noodle now. I haven't seen the product at my local Publix or Winn Dixie yet but I'm looking forward to trying them out. If you are a pasta lover but don't want the extra carbs, give these a try! You can find these noodles in the produce section of the grocery store and beware because each package holds a lot of liquid. Make sure to drain these out and blot out the excess liquid before throwing them in to the pan. You only have to heat them up for a few minutes so after cooking your protein or veggies, you can add the noodles in to the mix. I always use my kitchen shears on the noodles first because they tend to be very long and cut them up in to bite size pieces before cooking. I love how quickly you can add these to your meal and they have become a staple on my grocery list. Bon Appetit!

I can't wait to try the new macaroni noodles!

For this meal I added the spaghetti noodles with diced tomatoes, heart healthy pasta sauce and veggie meatballs.

For this meal I used the angel hair noodles, shrimp, lemon juice, garlic and onion. I sprinkled parmesan cheese on top.

Lessons learned from Master Chef

After Monday evening boot camp and cooking dinner, it was time to relax and tune in to some shows we missed from the past week. Lately, we have been watching MasterChef Jr and it has been very entertaining. We've always enjoyed watching the adults cook on the normal MasterChef, but showcasing the young kids ages 8-12 is rather inspiring! So inspiring that we decided we want to make our own beef wellington this weekend after watching the show. If you are a true Gordon Ramsay fan, you will understand that beef wellington is one of those dishes that can make or break you in Gordon's eyes. Not that we are gearing up for our own competition here, but making something unique is always a treat in our household! The only difference is that the dough will have to be gluten free, but using alternatives in a recipe is always a great way to customize it specifically for yourself.
After watching last night's episode where they had to form perfectly peaked whipped cream and cook a beef wellington that was up to Ramsay's expectations with the team challenge, I learned a few things.
1) Plating is essential when it comes to making great dishes. No matter how delicious your dish is, if you don't display the meal beautifully, you are not going to stand out among the judges (whether it is GR or your family!)
2) Using the proper vernacular when it comes to describing your dish can also earn you more points. Not only does it make you feel smarter to use the term "acidulating" to describe your sauce or feel great having a "royal mash" as your side dish, these beefed up (no pun intended) terms can really add emphasis to the creation you have just plated!
3) Communication is key when you are working together as a team in the kitchen. If you are giving directions to the cook, be clear and decisive. You want to produce a perfect dish by working together as a cohesive unit.
After watching the passion and determination these young kids have for cooking, it has made me realize that it doesn't matter what age you are, if you work hard for something, you can achieve success. When these kids were paired up to work together as a team and had to fight against the clock to produce the final product, they poured their passion in to cooking up something great. Not to mention, if it's a winner in Gordon's books, I can definitely take away some valuable lessons from them. Especially when I'm ready to tackle a new gourmet dish! Now let's get to cooking! Happy Tuesday my friends!

What's for dinner: Eggplant Cannelloni

Sauce

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 large shallots, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 jars (12 oz each) roasted red peppers, drained
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (juice of 1 orange)

Eggplant

• 2 medium eggplants, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices
• olive oil cooking spray
• Filling

Filling

• 4 oz goat cheese
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and minced
• 2 tablespoons capers, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

• Directions:

  For Sauce

  Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook shallots and garlic until soft, about 1 minute. Reduce heat. Cook until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Add peppers and juice; bring to a boil. Lower heat; simmer until peppers are soft, about 5 minutes. Cool. Puree in a blender. Pour into a 9“ x 13” baking dish.
  For Eggplant

  Coat eggplants with cooking spray and broil on a baking sheet until golden on both sides, about 15 minutes. Heat oven to 400˚.
  For Filling

  Mash cheese, olives, capers and 1 tbsp of the parsley in a bowl. Place 1 tbsp of filling at the end of each eggplant slice; roll up. Lay seam side down in dish. Bake 10 to 15 minutes. Top with remaining 1 tbsp parsley.
  
  This meal fulfilled 2 main goals tonight. My primary goal was to try a new recipe and have it come out tasting delicious. The second goal was to have it Husband approved! After all, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Mission accomplished! Have a great Sunday night!
   

Sweet Sixteen

This morning started off bittersweet. All week I knew that Saturday morning would approach quickly and that I had to mentally prepare myself for a 16 mile run with our running group. The most we have run at one time is 14 miles so in my head adding that extra 2 seemed like quite a bit! Even after going to bed fairly early, the 5am alarm went off much too soon. After making sure I was dressed and ready, I got Colby's food together and took her outside.  Not only were we running longer this week, we also had the Jacksonville groups meet us by the beachfront. I remember somehow falling in to the wrong group last year when the big group came to meet us so I knew what not to do this time around! Finding a group that moves at a similar pace is very important and I knew I did not want to push myself too hard throughout the run. With marathon training, I've been following the "slow and steady wins the race" motto instead of trying to break new records. If I'm going to be running longer than a half marathon, I want to finish strong and feel good on the longer run days!

Photo credit goes to a fellow Galloway Runner

I'd say overall this morning was a huge success! Thank goodness for such a strong and supportive group. I also realized that going off on tangents and talking about everything under the sun makes you forget about how far you are going and allows you to have fun and enjoy the route!
A shout out to my fellow runners this morning for making the run that much more fun! After finishing that last mile, it was safe to say that the morning ended on a very sweet note. Onward and upward my friends! Enjoy your weekend!

Rise and Shine

6am scenic run in Portland, ME during a business trip

After logging a few miles this morning with my run and dog walk, I started thinking about the benefits of starting my morning's earlier. Of course when you are in a deep slumber and the alarm goes off, the last thing you want to do is spring out of bed in excitement but after shutting off the alarm and slowly making my way out of bed, I think about what I can accomplish in the next couple of hours before starting my work day.
I do realize that not everyone out there enjoys getting up early to go for a run or tackle house hold chores before the sun comes up but as a morning person, I'm always happy to accomplish whatever I can in the quiet hours of the morning.
For starters, my morning runs usually consist of the same 1.5 mile loop and realizing that if I get out there early enough, I can dodge any foreseen traffic and get the run done with minimal stops.
Secondly, when it is still somewhat dark out and the temperatures are cooler, Colby can walk further at a more comfortable pace without getting overheated. While I love the Florida sunshine, a black lab can get very warm in the hotter temps!
After the morning workouts are complete, I have enough time to throw a load of laundry on and make a hearty breakfast to eat alongside my cup of coffee! Fortunately, I work from a home office so I don't have to worry about a morning commute every day, but waking up early certainly has its perks! So get out there and do something great this morning! Happy Friday everyone!

The Second Cup

Is your second cup of coffee in the morning ever as good as the first? For me, the first cup is always the best. It always seems by the time you go for your second cup, the coffee pot is almost empty and the flavor changes. Either I don't add enough milk the second time around or I add too much. After a 5 mile run this morning, I felt like a little extra caffeine was necessary.
A typical morning is never complete until I've had a full mug of coffee. Today, I decided to spice things up a little and add some of our Torani sugar free hazelnut syrup to my hazelnut coffee and yes I'm one of those flavored coffee fanatics. This little change made a huge difference! Thank goodness for an espresso machine that produces wonderfully frothy milk to add even more pleasure to my morning brew!  I suppose I felt like a Starbucks Barista this morning because my little technique made me feel like I was drinking gourmet coffee that would cost me at least $5! I added a drop of the syrup to the milk before frothing, then poured the frothy milk on top of the hot coffee. Yum! I will definitely do this again. Today, the second cup proved me wrong! Turns out it can be just as good, if not better than the first. Enjoy your Hump Day and try something new with your morning coffee, you might surprise yourself!

Walking in the Rain

 It's a good thing that we own a Labrador. This morning when I was about ready to step foot outside with my furry companion, I could see the rain coming down so I immediately jumped back inside to grab my rain jacket. Lucky for me, there is no amount of rain that can stop a water loving puppy. She welcomes weather like this and I've decided to adopt that mentality as well! Normally, I would see the rain as an obstacle. Either it was an excuse to hit the snooze button a couple of extra times or to skip my outdoor work out altogether. Now I look at the rainfall as an opportunity to wear my super cute and bright rain jacket (thank you North Face for making waterproof jackets fashionable) and to enjoy another quality walk with the cheese! In case you are wondering about the nickname, we oftentimes will call Colby "The Cheese" to mock "Colby Cheese." Haha.. funny right?! We like to have a sense of humor when it comes to Colby, because she can be a big goof just like the rest of us.
After we get back inside from dodging the puddles during our walk, Colby starts running in circles around the kitchen because the water makes her a little itchy. Somehow she has discovered that running in quick, small loops helps alleviate the itchiness! I'm also glad that I got her a pink microfiber towel with paw prints all over it to wipe her down after a little morning rain. I somehow managed to get her to pose with the blanket as well for your enjoyment. I promise that no treats were used to keep her still during the photo taking process..
Moral of the story is, don't use the rain as a crutch. Our dogs need exercise as much as we do, so don't avoid the rain, embrace it!! Also make sure you wear a rain jacket because we can't all be as fortunate as Colby to get dry with a couple of shakes! Happy Rainy Tuesday everyone!

Palate Pleasing Pizza Crust Alternative

Cauliflower Crust
Makes 4 individual pizzas (or 2 large pizzas)
2 eggs (egg beaters work too)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups riced cauliflower (grate the raw cauliflower on a cheese grater or in a food processor)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh basil or fresh rosemary
Pizza Toppings - get creative!
I prefer white pizza and leave out the marinara but you can add any sauce you want
1 tomato, thinly sliced
A sprinkle of rosemary and basil on top
A handful of shredded reduced fat mozzarella cheese

Other toppings I have tried on the cauliflower crust:
large black olives sliced or chopped
minced clams
sliced zucchini

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, spray with non-stick spray.
In a medium bowl, combine riced cauliflower, basil, eggs and mozzarella. Divide into 4 amounts and press evenly on the parchment paper.
I recommend baking the crust before adding toppings for at least 5 minutes or until edges are brown. Once you add the toppings, place the pizza back in the oven for at least 12-15 minutes. The firmer the crust, the better it will hold your toppings.
The possibilities are endless! While it does not taste exactly like your typical pizza dough, it has a nice texture and it's completely guilt free if you load it up with tons of veggies! Now who doesn't like the sound of that?!

Before

After

Top 10 signs you know you're a runner..

You plan your weekends around your Saturday morning training runs
You will get up early on your day off to avoid missing a training run
Your first stop is always the active wear department when you go shopping
You buy running shoes to match your running outfits and vice versa
You log the mileage on every run no matter how short or long the run is
When you travel out of town, you map out the nearest running route around your hotel
Hydration is taken to a whole new level (especially the day before your long runs!)
You start taking supplements you thought were designated only for people "older" than you
Your happy hour starts at 5 "AM"
You start allocating more space in your closet to accommodate your running gear

I'm sure all of you runners out there can agree on at least one or more of these revelations! Happy running my friends!

Running on Color

There are very few times in life where you can get away with wearing every color of the rainbow on your skin and clothing and have it be socially acceptable. This morning was one of those rare moments where I allowed myself to get completely doused in colored powder! I did it to be RAD of course! The Color Me Rad 5k is unique not only for the color bomb stations, but the concept that they don't time a single second while you are on the course.
 It's all about the camaraderie, laughs and ability to let go of the fact that your white tshirt and socks are not going to be pearly white by the time you hit the finish line.
Overall, I'd say it was a very fun and memorable experience. I loved seeing such large groups of friends and family gathered together at an unusually early time for a Saturday morning. I exempt myself from that scenario seeing as Saturday mornings always begin around 6am! Nonetheless, a race that doesn't require you to hit a new PR or finish in a required amount of time takes a lot of the pressure off and allows you to have fun with the people you came with. I also have to give a shout out to the men who showed up wearing tutu's! They were few and far between, but I suppose at the end of the day, anyone can rock a tutu. It's all about the attitude! A fun Saturday morning for the books and looking forward to continuing this long weekend! Happy Saturday folks!

Breakfast of Champions

My breakfast!

Colby's bowl of goodies

Easy Coconut Lentil Crock Pot Soup

Today was one of those days where I didn't want to come home from my evening bootcamp class and have to face cooking from scratch. So what did I resort to using after a quick trip to Target this morning? The absolutely wonderful CROCK POT! Might I add that it is a beautiful thing to have a Super Target that only takes 2 minutes to drive to and is typically empty upon the first hour of opening?? Pure bliss!
Anyhow, I will be sure to share the soup recipe in case any of you folks out there are craving fall weather food like me! There is something about a big bowl of soup in the fall months that makes me feel warm and cozy. This recipe took me about 5 minutes to chop the ingredients and of course then everything is thrown right in to the crock pot to simmer for just about as long as you need. I set the crock pot on low and let the soup simmer on a timer for about 8 hours. Here is what you need:

1 head of cauliflower roughly chopped
1 medium sized onion diced
1 cup of baby spinach
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 can of light coconut milk
1 16 oz package of lentils
4 cups of low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
4 cups of water
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp sea salt

Once the soup was ready, I scooped it in to a bowl and topped it with a dollop of sour cream and some of those bacon flavored bits. Delish!

Tonight is going to be an early Thursday night in this household. There will be a 515am wake up call for a 5 mile training run on the books! I made sure to hydrate with plenty of water today and my belly is nice and full from the soup! Have a great evening everyone!

The anti potato chip

One thing I've been doing lately is using vegetables as an alternative for dishes that normally call for pasta. I love using broccoli slaw as a noodle substitute and thanks to Pinterest, I stumbled upon a recipe for zucchini chips! Not only do zucchini's make for a great side dish, but turning them in to chips can make an amazingly delicious snack.
I started by slicing the zucchini very thin with a mandoline. You can make them "naked" without breading (either way they taste great) but for this time around, I wanted to try breading them and still make them gluten free. For breading in this case, I took a few corn tortillas and processed them in my mini food prep processor. It wasn't the best alternative but after spreading the zucchini on some parchment paper and baking them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, they turned out delicious! Make sure to keep an eye on these puppies otherwise they can definitely burn which will not make for a happy tummy.
We've also made them on the grill and they turned out fabulous. Just make sure to keep the chips thin and coat them with a little olive oil spray. Breading or not, these anti potato chips will satisfy your craving for something salty and without the guilt!!

Eat More Pumpkin

Although the weather over the past week hasn't felt like Fall, whenever October approaches everything seems to turn to..Pumpkins! I've always enjoyed the flavor of pumpkin but I learned something new this week that I thought would be helpful to share.

For all of my fellow pet owners out there, I found out from our Vet recently that pumpkin also has health benefits for dogs as well! Little did I know that one serving of pumpkin contains 20% fiber and a spoonful added to your dogs food in the morning and night can help increase the amount of fiber they consume. Not to mention it's a lot tastier for your pup than a sprinkle of metamucil would be. The idea of buying more pumpkin sounds great to me! With so many options out there to choose from: lattes, teas, breads and muffins, what will you pick?

Life Before Mizuno

I remember the days when I would dread buying new running shoes. They were never particularly stylish and I felt as though I always had to settle on the pair I ended up purchasing. Buying new running shoes always seemed like a chore, until the day I was introduced to my first pair of Mizuno's. I remember it being in the early 2000's at the lady footlocker. After visiting every department store, I finally resorted to the normally over priced footlocker to see what else they could entice me to try on. I would normally deem myself a Nike girl, until that moment I tried on this brand I had never heard of. With very little brand recognition I was unsure if I wanted to make the purchase, but from the moment I put those shoes on my feet, they felt light as air! I couldn't wait for my next run to break them in.
Ever since then, I've been a faithful Mizuno customer. I've gone through at least 5 pairs now and I will never look back. Not only are they functional, but they manufacture some of the brightest and most unique shoes on the market. I'm dedicated to my Mizuno's! They have taken me through several races and I can't wait to try out my next pair. Running shoe shopping has never been easier, now that I've found my "sole"mates.

Gaining with Galloway

I figured since my blog is appropriately titled "Running on Happy" there had to be a specific post on running and why I wanted to document my marathon training through this. In the past year I have run two half marathons and never thought I'd be in the position to train for a full 26.2 mile race! Although I've been running for years and find it to be my favorite form of exercise, I never considered running marathons until I heard about a marathon training group that was starting in my area. While I always thought I could run better on my own and free from distraction, I never realized how valuable joining a group of people with a shared passion would be.
The running group follows the Jeff Galloway training method consisting of the run/walk/run formula. One of the best parts was having my husband join the group as well and although it may seem completely crazy that we are waking up at 5 or 6am every Saturday, it has become part of our weekend ritual. The best part is knowing that each week of training is an accomplishment and that we are working towards the challenge of completing future races!
In just over a month we will be gearing up for the Wine and Dine Disney half marathon then I have signed up for two more races in December and February. There is no better feeling than hitting your mileage goals every week and sharing the success with such a wonderful group! Stay tuned for more updates on my fitness routine and sharing my feelings as I hit the pavement each week with my training runs!

Leash On

My furry friend Colby and I have been taking part in the "Leash On" 30 day challenge where we have to document any run/walks we take every day to win. If we meet the challenge of walking for 30 consecutive days we have the chance to win free dog food for up to a year! Even though we walk every day already, I thought this was a fun way to document the mileage during the week and to work towards something fun.
Although Sunday's are normally meant for sleeping in, Colby starts every day as if nothing has changed and getting up early is her standard! After the long runs that we have on Saturday, it is nice to take it easy with the puppy and get some fresh air. She reminds me that every day is a new day! Now it's time to lace up the shoes, grab the leash..and go! Rise and shine!

Up and Running!

After months of contemplation, I have finally decided to start a blog! One of the hardest parts was deciding what to write about and coming up with an original title that wasn't already taken in the blogging world.
Running On Happy will be documenting updates on my marathon training, adventures with the world's best dog Colby and healthy recipes that I'm always excited to share. Happy Reading!