Cruising Briskly

March Is A Busy One!

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 10:06:10 -0700

March is awesome!! I always love Birthday months. Beside the fact that it goes by so fast! I can’t believe it’s been 13 days since I blogged. Yikes! However it has been really sunny and nice so my only excuse is that I’ve been outside.

So, I turned 27. I must say it’s pretty awesome. On my birthday it was a little nerve wracking to be heading into my late 20’s. I went for a 4mile run and averaged 7’15 per mile like zombies were chasing me. No, it was just age.

I have some pretty awesome things coming up! Ragnar Relay is in less than a month. I can’t wait to see all my close friends! We are also moving it just a little over a week. I’m working on packing and cleaning. Luckily it’s only a mile away. We are also getting ready for a trip to Baja in early May! So excited for that one. I have to say, 27 is going to be my best year yet. I’m also almost done with my studies for my personal training cert. It’s been a long time coming, but I’m almost there.

My apologies for the lack of posting. You can expect more posts from me! And please if you can, vote for my #YU30 finisher video! You can vote once a day every day until March 31st.

Have an awesome Wednesday!

Husband surprises me by coming home early with flowers, cake,...

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 17:52:27 -0800

Husband surprises me by coming home early with flowers, cake, wine and wine chocolates!! I’m so lucky!! #happybirthday #love

My #YU30 Finisher Video!

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 09:55:36 -0800

The #YU30 challenge is over but plant powered eating has only just begun! This challenge has made me feel better, train better and enjoy prepping my meals!

If you could please take a second and vote for my video here, it would be greatly appreciated! I would absolutely love to win this challenge and continue to share my excitement for plant powered eating!

Have a great Thursday!!

Eating healthy to start a new year! #HappyBirthday

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 07:32:56 -0800

Eating healthy to start a new year! #HappyBirthday

@pocketfuelnaturals re-fueled and ready to go for the rest of...

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 15:34:27 -0800

@pocketfuelnaturals re-fueled and ready to go for the rest of the week! #fitness #running #training #refueler

The End & Beginning of #YU30!

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 20:00:44 -0800

I can’t believe it’s almost been 30 Days of #YU30! It’s amazing how quickly time goes by. This challenge was such a wonderful start for both me and my husband! Plant powered eating provides such an amazing benefit to our bodies. I feel better, I sleep better and my cooking skills have improved immensely!

To end the challenge I wanted to make my favorite dish from YumUniverse. The dairy free, meat free black bean enchiladas. It was a hit when I made them and I couldn’t pass on not finishing the challenge with enchiladas. If you haven’t made these before, you must! So much flavor.

I’m not going to say too much more about the challenge as I want to save that for my 2 minute challenge completion video. So stay tuned!

Flashback Friday!

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 16:01:07 -0800

This is a good one! My greatest friend Felicia and I at our first ever National Swimming competition in 2001. We were so star struck by our favorite swimmers. We even stood behind Tom Wilkins block and cheered for him. He thanked us and it meant the world! Ah yes, to be young!

Happy Friday!

Camelbak Photo Shoot.

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 14:42:43 -0800

This last Monday and Tuesday I was lucky enough to be apart of a photo shoot for Camelbak! A woman who works out at the same gym as I do works at Camelbak and needed models, so I volunteered myself to be apart of it! Doing something you love for a photo shoot is pretty darn awesome.

The shoot took place around Chrissy Field and back up by the GG bridge (see photo above!) as well as up in Petaluma and in the headlands. Can’t really complain about the views we had and the gorgeous weather that filled the Bay Area.

Yeah, see?! Gorgeous views! Such amazing weather we are having.

Ok, back to the shoot. We were shooting photos for the Camelbak fuel belt and marathoner pack summer edition. It was a lot of running and stopping, running and stopping, and more running. Which is great! However my knees and calves sure took a beating from all the stopping.

The photographer was great! He was giving me all kinds of tips and let me know when I needed to speed up or lean forward. Scott is a big time photographer for companies like Salomon. He also does tons of skiing and mountain biking. Not a bad way to travel around!

I did much better the second day. I wasn’t quite as stiff but still a little sore. Couldn’t sit down for too long otherwise my legs didn’t want to move.

I also gave my lovely PocketFuel Naturals a product plug in the shoot. The crew was looking for things to stuff in the marathoner, so I gave them a pocketfuel to put in the front pouch. Couldn’t help it! I love PocketFuel!

I hope in the near future to have the photos that were shot so I can show you! The ones I did see were great! They are looking to use them in a print ads, website or at expos. So if I spot it, I will be sure to show you!

Overall I had a great time! I hope to do more of these. Especially in such great weather! Now it’s back to training at Luma fitness and getting ready for Ragnar! Woot!

Cheers!

Are you still going for your personal trainer certification?

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 18:36:00 -0800

I sure am! Doin my best to study every day :)

Tomorrow’s Funky Friday socks! #gym #fun #nerd

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 18:17:42 -0800

Tomorrow’s Funky Friday socks! #gym #fun #nerd

I'm Going To Cerritos Beach Baja!

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 15:58:17 -0800

Yes, you read that right! Going to Baja! Surfing, margaritas, ATV tours, golfing, hiking, and more margaritas. My husband and I have been waiting to do this for a long time. We decided this was our year to finally go somewhere together and luckily ZOZI had a great deal for us to take advantage of. You can check it out here!

We were looking at Cabo but this is going to be so much better! A little more rugged, just the way we would want it. Definitely something to look forward to and work my butt off a little more to get ready! Did I mention it’s one of the hottest surf spots to go to?

Woot! Woot! Cerritos Beach here we come!

Photo shoot Day 2!

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:02:06 -0800

Photo shoot Day 2!

Photo shoot! So gorgeous!!

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 12:45:59 -0800

Photo shoot! So gorgeous!!

#YU30 Update: Week 3 Completed!

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 19:14:17 -0800

(Photo: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Bell Pepper & Mushroom Macaroni)

Week 3 has already come and gone! I can’t believe this challenge is going by so fast. Luckily I’m already excited to keep the plant powered eating going. Week 3 has proven to be my best week yet!

In the last week I’ve tried new recipes, got my bake on and even bought my first ever food processor! (Thanks for the tip Heather!) My energy levels are sky rocketing, my sleep is getting better and my hair feels amazing! Not to mention I just started at a new gym and with this diet I feel fueled through every workout. (Also in part to PocketFuel!)

Pictured above is actually the first recipe I tried for this challenge. However, this time I added almond flour to the top to add a little protein and give it that comfort food feel. It was delicious! I made the cream sauce even better than I did the first time. I’m definitely learning!

I also had one dish that didn’t come out right but when it set over night in the fridge it got better. It was the oh-so-tasty gluten free, dairy free broccoli quiche. I don’t think I cooked it long enough, it was a bit droopy when I cut it up. So that bummed me a bit, but we ate it anyways! Still good, but the next day it was way better. Great for lunches! See photo below.

I also finally got to bake! I made the lemon, blueberry & thyme muffins. What a great snack to have before going to the gym! Or pair it with a tasty grapefruit and you have an awesome breakfast. They are so easy to make and have such a wonderful smell and taste. Highly recommend this recipe! See photo below.

Overall I feel really good about this challenge! Week 3 has been the best. Great sleep, great hair and a happy body. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so fresh and clear headed. Plant powered really does amazing things! I can’t wait to continue it and see how it helps me athletically.

Looking forward to the last week of the challenge and beyond! I have to start thinking about my challenge video too. It’s going to be rather hard keeping it under a minute!

I hope everyone has enjoyed their 3 weeks of #YU30! I know I have! If you are interested in going plant powered, I highly, highly recommend checking out YumUniverse. Great tips, articles and recipes to help you get started. Heather also has e-books you can by with meal plans to really help make it easy. Check it out!

Have a great weekend!

Hello Weekend!

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 16:34:21 -0800

Can you believe it’s the last weekend of February?! All the more excuse to get out and enjoy it! There are so many outside activities that you could be involved in this weekend. Here in Sonoma County the weather is gorgeous! Perfect for a hike, trail run, bike ride, and even golf! There is a blues festival going, might have to get my dance on.

I think a trip to costco this weekend might be in order to prep for our last week of #YU30. I love the big bags of organic frozen berries! I’m slightly limited on what I can do this weekend due to an inflamed tendon in my left arm. Blah. I need to get that sucker to go down for a photo shoot I have on Monday and Tuesday! (More about that later!)

So what activity do you have planned for the weekend? Don’t forget to pack some fuel with you! Maybe a little PocketFuel?!

Throwback Thursday!

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 12:01:43 -0800

This photo is from my first half marathon! It was in Sacramento, Ca for the Shamrockin’ Half March 2010. I honestly thought I would never run again after this race. My feet never hurt so badly during a run as they did during this half. Kind of a bummer for a beginner runner! But here I am, still running and lovin’ it!

New Gym and Loving It!

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:38:57 -0800

Starting a new fitness routine is always very exciting! We have only had two workouts and I am beyond excited and inspired with Luma Fitness. It’s a group circuit style of training. The workout has a great dynamic warm-up, agility work and then the main set lasting about 20-25 minutes.

I feel like I’m training in college again! Feels great to get my butt whooped. This kind of training always makes me work harder and become very competitive. I can’t help it! We are still in our 2-week trial and I keep wanting more.

However, I think I may have an inflamed tendon in my left elbow. Blah! That’s what I get for not conditioning myself properly in a couple years. I’m hoping it goes down soon! I don’t want it to become an issue.

I’m truly excited about Luma Fitness. I think I’m going to see results fast and my conditioning levels through the roof. I can’t wait! My husband and I have needed this training for awhile. Going to the gym was getting a bit boring for us and basically a waste of time.

I’ll keep you up to date with our progress!

Have a great day!!

Gluten & Dairy Free Blueberry and Lemon Muffins.

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:02:00 -0800

Today I decided I wanted to do some gluten-free baking! I made gluten and dairy free blueberry and lemon muffins. Recipe courtesy of YumUniverse. These muffins are so delicious! They make the house smell amazing too.

For the longest time I thought gluten free baking would be really hard and I’d be using too many ingredients that I just didn’t understand. I love that #YU30 has brought me back to loving baking! I used to do it all the time but stopped because it wasn’t very healthy or I was gaining weight because of what I was making. It feels great to have something that tastes so great and is all plant-powered.

I highly recommend this recipe if you are looking for healthier baking. The recipe is very easy and quick. You can get everything you need at your local grocery store. Just be sure to pick up organic! Makes everything taste 100x better.

Enjoy!!

Gluten & Dairy Free Blueberry, Lemon & Thyme Muffins.

Words O’ Wisdom. #inspire #happiness

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 14:55:40 -0800

Words O’ Wisdom. #inspire #happiness

Starting the Weekend With #YU30 Pancakes!

Sat, 16 Feb 2013 11:23:56 -0800

I can already tell that today is going to be an awesome day! We are looking at 72 degree, sunny, active weekend. I kicked it off by making #YU30 Oat & Almond Crunch Gluten Free Pancakes. They smell good and taste delicious!

These pancakes are quite easy to make. I did have to make a few alterations as I didn’t have oat flour or almonds. Ugh! So I made what I could with gluten free all-purpose flour and almond flour. Then I just had to leave the almond chunks out but added in fresh organic blueberries instead.

The pancakes (shown in photo above) still turned out delicious and my husband loved every bite of it. Which is a major win in my book! I made a lot extra and put them in the fridge so that I could use them as a snack later. Maybe even throw a little PocketFuel Naturals on them later! Great for pre-run/workout.

Check out the recipe here! You can find most of the ingredients in the bulk aisle of your local health food store. Enjoy and have a great weekend!