running

Midwives, Marathons & Massages

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Today is the last day of my 6 day vacation and I’m sad for it to be over. Neil and I have been super busy every day of this vacation and I am using today to relax and get ready for the short but surely busy work week.

Thursday I spent most of the day trying to get some work done around the house, I took a nap and then headed out to watch Neil’s softball game. After his game, we went to American Flatbread for our traditional post-midwife appointment flatbread date a day early since we had made different plans for after our Friday midwife appointment.

Friday Neil and I woke up early and headed out to an early morning midwife appointment at their main office 75 minutes away. We usually go to the satellite office that is only 45 minutes away but we had hoped that we would be able to tour the birth center but unfortunately all the birthing suites were full when we arrived so we couldn’t tour. On the upside we found out that the baby turned and that now there is a 98% chance they will stay head down!!

After our appointment we headed to Hill Farmstead Brewery so Neil could sample a few beers and pick up a stock (you can only buy bottles at the brewery). On our way there, we stopped in Hardwick at the Buffalo Mountain Co-op for lunch where we both got veggie and tempeh bowls with brown rice for me and quinoa for him. After we finally made it to the brewery (after getting lost, asking for directions, learning we needed cash, getting cash and returning) we finally headed to Little River State Park in Waterbury (where my parents were camping) for dinner. Neil helped them set up camp and then we ate tons of raw veggies with dip, Field Roast Sausages and potatoes, then Neil and I finally packed up and headed home.


Saturday we stopped into the VCM Race Expo, ran a bunch of errands and then relaxed.  Since Neil was running Sunday we didn’t want to over do it and spent all afternoon/evening relaxing on the couch.

Sunday = RACE DAY! Neil and I both woke up bright and early to get ready for the Vermont City Marathon. I spent the day as a spectator and Neil ran his very first half marathon! We dropped Neil off at the starting line and then we headed to our planned viewing spot, just after mile 10.  Since we were going to have a few hours to wait before Neil passed through we headed up the hill to cheer him on just pass the 2-mile marker.

Just Pass 2-Mile Mark (Neil with yellow hat)

After we cheered on Neil and his fellow runners we headed back down the hill to our spots and set up camp to cheer on runners as they passed by.

Finally we spotted Neil with the 4:15 pace group and gave him a big cheer as he passed.

We stayed and cheered on all the runners up until the very last one passed us by and then packed things up and walked down to the waterfront to meet official Half-Marathoner Neil (his unofficial time is 2:20!)

Monday after spending the day in the hot sun and running Sunday, Neil and I were both ready for our anniversary massages at The Essex Resort and Spa.  About a month ago I scheduled appointments for a sports-specific massage for Neil and a prenatal massage for myself for our anniversary which is May 31st, BEST IDEA EVER.

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We arrived a bit early, checked into the spa and then went the relaxation lounge to relax, sip green juice and water before our massages.  We ended up having our massages in the same room together which was really nice and they were honestly some of the best massages either of us have had.  We had the same massages about 3 months ago in Boston and although they were good these were amazing.  The best part was I could lay on my stomach thanks to the special pregnancy belly pillow they had for prenatal massages.

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After our massages we decided to take advantage of the facilities (you have access to the pool, gym, sauna, steam room and relaxation lounges) and we headed to the indoor pool for a swim.  It was so nice to get in the water and swim around, I wish I had been doing this throughout all of my pregnancy! Walking has becoming more challenging but swimming yesterday I was able to do 300 yards with no problem!

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After the pool, we headed back to our designated (men/women) spa changing rooms so that Neil could use the steam room and I took the time to put my feet up and enjoy a cup of tea, a cup of water and a trashy magazine since neither the sauna nor the steam room were options for me.  We both showered and got ourselves ready for the day and then headed out to pick up a picnic lunch and run a few errands before settling in at home.

We ended our night with this delicious homemade flatbread and caught up on a few shows.

{Closed}12 Days of Giveaways: SPIbelt

Sleek, expandable, secure and does not bounce. Can hold an iPod™, Blackberry™, cell, keys, up to five GU™ packs, and other small personal items. The SPIbelt does not bounce, ride or shift while running or doing other activities. The SPIbelt is great for athletic events, traveling, carrying diabetic supplies, and much more! Fits Waist 24" - 40+"

This giveaway is for one of my favorite running products the SPIbelt.  My Hubz has a wonderful review of his experience with both the SPIbelt and SPIband here is a sneak peak:

When the SPIBelt first arrived, I was somewhat skeptical about its ability to hold everything I needed to carry with me on those days when I seemingly want to bring everything.  I was quickly proven wrong, once you open up the zipper the pocket unfolds to carry quite a bit.  I was able to bring my iPhone, identification, cash and keys with me and still comfortably close the zipper.  The true test was once I got out on my run with it.  Other similar products I’ve tried have been too bulky, uncomfortable or bounced around too much.  Despite the heavy load, I didn’t have any of these problems with the SPIBelt.  It has a rather small profile, is easily hidden under my shirt and I didn’t have any issues with it bouncing around.

read more…

GIVEAWAY:

SPIBelt is generously providing the winner with their very own SPIbelt. The giveaway is open to US  Residents ONLY. Giveaway open until 12pm est on 12/3

To Enter: (please leave a separate comment for each entry)

  1. Answer this question: What would you put in your SPIBELT?
  2. Follow SPIBELT on Twitter
  3. Follow @RunWithTongs on Twitter
  4. Tweet: “I want to win @SPIBELT giveaway http://wp.me/pFVWo-2Oc @runwithtongs #12daysofgiveaways”

Lazy-Active Weekend

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This weekend was one of those weekends where I just didn’t want to do anything but relax on the couch.  Unfortunately I have responsibilities and a husband who gets stir crazy if he stays home for too long so only about 60% of my time was spent lounging.

On Saturday morning I made my first attempt at organizing our office/spare room which used to be my office/elliptical room.  Now that we have (finally) gotten rid of the non-functioning elliptical we have tons of space to organize the office and make it into the perfect space for me to work and to practice yoga.  I love having a little quiet hideaway to get my work done, I’m so much more productive.  After a cleaning sesh Hubz convinced me to head downtown to look for new shoes and hit up the farmers market.  Finding new shoes was a bust since nice vegan shoes and boots are very limited in Burlington, we’re hopping our trips to Philly and NYC will be more fruitful.

We stopped into the farmers market in search of a vegan cupcake however all they had this week was chocolate-mint, not quite what we were looking for so instead we headed to one of our favorite eateries Zabby & Elf’s Stone Soup.  I was really in the mood for a nice cup of chili which came with two hunk of nice bread and the Hubz decided to go with the hot bar and a hunk of my bread.  Everything was so warm and delicious, perfect for a fall day.

The remainder of Saturday was spent running errands and then home to do a short yoga session, lounge and catch up on Dexter.

Sunday came and along with it a time change, this totally screwed my day up.  I was all ready to head out the door to pick up groceries when Neil pointed out at that it wasn’t 8am but rather 7am!  We waited around for a bit and then headed out to pick up our groceries for the week which included lots of root veggies, squash, Brussels Sprouts and green beans. Any idea what I might be making this week??

After grocery shopping we headed home and I decided to just relax for awhile because I wasn’t feeling great, a little bit of an upset stomach- I blame all the gluten I ate on Saturday.  I was supposed to do a 5-Miler yesterday but after waiting out to see how I was feeling I ultimately decided I just wasn’t up for it so the Hubz and I went for a 2.3 mile walk before dinner.  When we got back he changed into his running gear and went for a run and I made dinner: Black Bean & Butternut Squash Burritos with Chipotle-Cashew Sauce and a green salad.

Chipotle-Cashew Sauce:

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1 dried chipotle pepper
  • 1 15oz can whole tomatoes, with juices
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon cumin powder
  • 3 tablespoons cashew pieces
  • salt and pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a small pan over med-high heat. Add the onions and cook for 3-5 minutes until translucent.  Stir in the garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, water and chipotle pepper; bring to a simmer then cover and reduce heat.  Cook for 10 minutes on low.   Stir in the cumin and cashew pieces and cook uncovered for 5 minutes. Transfer everything to a blender or food processor and process until smooth.  Return to the pan and season with salt and pepper to taste.
In other news I have temporarily givin up coffee and alcohol.  

Ready to say “Good-Bye to October!”

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…and “Hello November!” I have am anxiously waiting and preparing for November first to come.  For me the start of a new month means a start of new possibilities and November is going to be a crazy one filled with new adventures in my personal, blog and business life.  I wish I could reveal everything right now but I am going to resist the urge and leave a little mystery until everything is more secure but trust me it’s exciting.  Don’t worry though I’m not going to leave everything a mystery here is what is going on with each part:

Personal

Neil and I are finally taking a mini vacation to Philadelphia over Thanksgiving! We have been in need of a vacation for months now and unfortunately it seems nothing has worked out.  We were supposed to go to Vida Vegan Con in August but then something (I can’t discuss here) prevented us from doing that.  Then we planned to go to Philadelphia for a long weekend in August with our friends and then Irene decided she wanted to rain on our parade. Next my trip to NYC for an IIN conference was cut short because Neil went and fell of his bike and bumped his head.  Also a result of Neil’s injury (which he has now recovered from- wahoo!) caused us to rethink our Disney World Half Marathon due to the fact he lost over a month of running time.  So now we are taking the time to get away and enjoy a new city and each others company.

We also are doing a mini trip to NYC in December to meet up with our friends who we haven’t seen in years. This is my favorite kind of trip because we are flying down (thank you JetBlue for cheap flights) and we are renting an apartment via airbnb.com.  It makes the trip so much less stressful when you don’t have to drive and stay in a hotel (which is 3x as much in NYC). I tweeted earlier today about doing a meet up in sometime between Dec 8-11, if you want to join our little meet up e-mail me lindsay@cookveganlover.com

Looking forward to these tasty treats

 

Running: I have been keeping up with running and even signed up for a half marathon in February! Neil is also going to be running this half.  It isn’t Disney but the good news is that we will be able to run our second half at Disney because we were (luckily) able to defer our registrations to another race.  We chose to do the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon next September/October (the date hasn’t been released yet) which I think will be more fun because it will be warmer and at night.

Also if you are in NYC and want to come out and run with us or cheer us on we are running the NYRR Jingle Bell Jog while we are on vacation in NYC on December 10th.  We are so excited for this race!

Blog

I am planning a face lift for the blog. I am not loving the color and the layout and it just needs to be rejuvenated.   I am also looking to add some new features which will be revealed as they finish up.  In addition to visual improvements I am working to improve my photos, recipes and blog posts.  Instead of just posting to post I have been scheduling time in my day/week to actually sit down and blog.  I hope that this improves my blog and my writing.  I love my blog but I know I need to make improvements to it.

Health Coaching

Nicole Culver and I have created a 5 Session Teleclass Series that we will be putting on all month.  This series will be covering topics like sugar cravings, eating for energy, meal planning, eating out, exercise, self care and more. After each session participants receive handouts, an email with major points from session, recipes and bonus materials including a food shopping guide.  This series starts soon so if you are interested in participating you can sign up until 5pm EST on November 1st. 

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I am also offering a free teleclass on December 5, 2011 from 7:30pm-8pm EST that will discuss the top ways sugar is negatively affecting your health and happiness, tips to eat foods you enjoy and not deprive yourself, and ways your lifestyle affects your cravings. In addition you will also receive tips and suggestions on how to use natural sweeteners in your upcoming holiday baking.

Lastly, in January I will be rolling out a special CVL plant based health coaching program that you will find right here on the blog.  I am in the process of developing the entire program and more details will be coming out over the next month.  That being said I would love to hear what you would like to see in a program.

Other Events:
  • Hunger Mountain Coop’s 18th Annual Food and Wellness Expo
    • November 5, 2011
    • Location: Montpelier City Hall Time: 11:00 AM
    • Enjoy free samples of local and organic foods, free consultations with wellness practitioners and free massages! Bring a food item for the VT Foodbank and receive a $5 OFF coupon to The Coop!

 

 

Fitness Friday: Running Shoes- In Search of the Perfect Fit

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Running Shoes- In Search of the Perfect Fit

The first pair of running shoes I ever bought were purchased on a bit of whim.  I knew I needed running shoes if I wanted to run however instead of getting fitted for the right shoes for my feet I went by brand name and comfort.  In retrospect I should have really done more research before purchasing them because I later came to find that although great shoes they weren’t the right shoe for me. A year later (I didn’t run much that first year) I purchased a second pair of shoes but this time I visited Fleet Feet to get fitted.  I learned that I am a mild to neutral pronator however I require medium arch support.  I was given the option of a neutral shoe with a Superfeet insole (the blue or green one) or a stability shoe with medium arch support. This information is really invaluable because it is really the key to picking to right shoe, so go get fitted! All that being said I decided to go with the Asics GEL-Kayano 17 .  I really like the shoes but I guess you could say that after 250 miles on these I’m not totally sold.  I feel like I might need just a little more arch support or maybe just a different shoe.  That’s where Brooks comes in… I contacted Brooks Running about doing a shoe review and they were interested so I used Brooks Shoe Advisor to determine which shoe is right for me. So based on the Shoe Advisor and my Asics I went with the Ravenna 2. Pros:  the feel good to run in; the fit is right; I like the color; I like the support, they are light weight and breathable. Cons: although they feel good to run in they don’t feel GREAT- this is the only real con that I have.  So I went back to Fleet Feet. I was re-evaluated and in reality I should have probably chosen neutral pronation. Conclusion: I find that my Brooks Ravenna 2 are good running shoes, for now. I don’t have any issues with my knees or legs or stride like I did with my very first pair, however I am going to head to the Green Mountain Rehab which now has a new running store to discuss my needs more in-depth and try out the above four shoes to see if maybe they will be the perfect fit. Things I love about the Brooks: I love the service- I picked the wrong size because apparently I need a full size larger in running shoes and they were quick to swap them out.  I love the shoe advisor, it is quick and easy to use.  It also provides the resources to make sure you understand what they are asking for so you can choose the right shoe for you. I also love their True Blue Guarantee: Brooks products come with a no-questions-asked, 30-day satisfaction guarantee on every purchase. Who knew that choosing the right running shoe would take so much trial and error?   _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Disclaimer: Brooks Running provided me with a pair of their Ravenna 2 running shoes.  I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway. All thoughts and opinions are my own and are based on personal experience. 

Fitness Friday: {Giveaway} Be Seen

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Workouts since last Fitness Friday

Thoughts:

  • Not enough time spent working out. Over a 7 day period I only averaged 23 minutes a day. That is way less than I should be doing.
  • No yoga this week. One of my goals is to do yoga at least once a week. I find that it improves my running, my mind and keeps me balanced.
  • Poor fueling before runs=not so great runs. This is one thing that is going to be fixed starting now, yes right this minute. In the last week I fell off my normal workout routine because our gym was closed, hurricane Irene came for a visit and because I chose not to put as much dedication into my workouts as I should have.
Goals for this week:
  • Spend an average of 45 minutes per day working out even on passive rest days.
  • On passive rest days do yoga, go for a walk or do a gentle swim.
  • Get back to meal planning and work on eating foods that will benefit my health, my running and my body.
  • Hydrate. Drink more water, more frequently.  That is one thing that I haven’t been doing well enough lately and I know I should.
Conclusion.  I see the improvements I need to make and I know I have the power to do them, we all do really.  I will take the time this week to support my body and mind so that it is at it’s healthiest.

Moving on…

Since I started running I have been on the lookout for running gear that fits well, is comfortable to run in and of course it needs to look cute. I have been slowly accumulating new items, some that work really well and some that are not so great and have resulted in chaffing or just don’t fit correctly.  One of the newest tops I have tired out is from Be Seen the creators of active gear for those who enjoy outdoor activities such as running, biking and walking.

Be Seen is the vision of Eric and Lisa Fenstermacher. As dedicated age-group triathletes living in Dallas. TX, they appreciate the need to be safe and aware on the roads. Unfortunately it seems everyone involved in an outdoor lifestyle knows someone that knows someone with a tragic story. Eric and Lisa want to help these stories change to tales of accomplishment. The most effective mechanism to achieve this is through education and awareness. They firmly believe that awareness is the precursor to change. Be Seen out there and stay safe.[1]

Eric and Lisa have created a fashionable and effective way to improve the safety for outdoor activity lovers with their Been Seen athletic tops. The large designs on all sides of the garment brightly reflect vehicle headlights and other ambient light. They are made from sweat wicking fabric, moisture moves quickly to the surface where it evaporates.

Reminder: Don't take photos at 5am.

My thoughts: 
As soon as I received this top I tried it right on and headed out on a early evening run on the bike path.  The things I love about this top:

– The Length. I have found that my biggest issue with woman’s running tops is that they are many times too short or way too long.  I was happy to find that this shirt was just the right length, hitting at the hips and it was perfect because it didn’t ride up while I ran (my other huge issue).

– Safety First. I really love that the large design that is both on the front and back is not an eyesore.  I am all about safety first but I cringe at the though of florescent orange and neon green tops. This top is great because it’s cute and promotes safety.

– Overall fit.  I know I mentioned above that I like the length but the overall fit is also worth noting.  I was told in advanced that the shirts tend to run a little big so when ordering one you probably want to go a size smaller, I had to. I also loved that it was fitted but not tight or hugging and the sleeve length was perfect.

–The fabric.  I thought the fabric was perfect. I went on a hot run in the top and I felt great.  The fabric breathes and doesn’t chaff. I did find that fabric to be a bit heavy though especially for 75F+ and 50%+ humidity (welcome to VT summer), however I do think that it will be perfect now that it is cooler in the mornings and evenings but not cold enough for long sleeves (although Be Seen has those too).

Overall. Overall I love the top.  I would recommend it to anyone especially those who are avid bikers, outdoor runners and walkers.  It is comfortable, cute and of course promotes safety first.

{Giveaway Time} Closed

Winner:

 

Guidelines:  Giveaway for your own Be Seen top is open to US residents only. Giveaway will close at 8pm on 9/6/2011.  You must do the mandatory question, for additional entries you MUST leave a separate comment for each entry.

Mandatory:

1. Visit the Be Seen site here  and complete this sentence: Been Seen is ______

Additional Entries: 

  • “Like” Be Seen on Facebook.
  • Follow Be Seen on Twitter
  • Tweet: “I want to win @cookveganlover @beseenforlife giveaway http://wp.me/pFVWo-2xo”
  • Follow my new running blog on twitter @LindzNeilRun
  • Subscribe to my new running blog in a reader.

[1]: Been Seen|About