Monday....

...marks the beginning of my half marathon training! I can't wait to hit the starting line again - it's been a long break! I've decided on a race being held on September 8th in the mountains. It will be challenging, but oh so rewarding to cross that finish line! If you're in the mood to kick up your training this summer and cross some mileage and goals off your list, then join in the fun! Here's the training schedule I cooked up for the next 11 weeks:

Half Marathon

Training Plan

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	8x 200m hills w/ jog down recovery	Stretch & Strengthen	3 m run	crossfit	yoga	4 m run	Rest
2	4x 4 min w/ 90 second jog recovery	Stretch & Strengthen	3 m run	crossfit	yoga	4 m run	Rest
3	8x 200m hills w/ jog down recovery	Stretch & Strengthen	3.5 m run	crossfit	yoga	5 m run	Rest
4	4x 5 min w/ 90 second jog recovery	Stretch & Strengthen	3.5 m run	crossfit	yoga	5 m run	Rest
5	8x 200m hills w/ jog down recovery	Stretch & Strengthen	4 m run	crossfit	yoga	10 k race	Rest
6	2.5 m tempo run	Stretch & Strengthen	4.5 m run	crossfit	yoga	7 m run	Rest
7	8x 200m hills w/ jog down recovery	Stretch & Strengthen	4.5 m run	crossfit	yoga	8 m run	Rest
8	16x 1 min w/ 1 min jog recovery	Stretch & Strengthen	5 m run	crossfit	yoga	9 m run	Rest
9	8x 200m hills w/ jog down recovery	Stretch & Strengthen	5 m run	crossfit	yoga	10 m run	Rest
10	4 m tempo run	Stretch & Strengthen	5 m run	crossfit	yoga	8 m run	Rest
11	8x 200m hills w/ jog down recovery	Stretch & Strengthen	4 m run	crossfit	yoga	rest	Half Marathon

Feel free to print off a copy for yourself - success is so much sweeter when there are others to share it with :) But remember, if you haven't been active in a while, build up to this. And as always, check with your doctor first* before starting this or anyother plan.

You'll notice that the long run cps out at 10 miles, and a half marathon is 13.1 miles. Don't worry about those last 3 miles - adrenaline, fitness, and excitement will carry you through! My focus in this training plan is over all fitness, which can be reached better through multiple facets then simply focusing on the long runs.

What races are on your horizon? Have you run a half marathon before? Or a marathon? What's your dream distance?





*that old disclaimer that means, you can't blame me if you hurt yourself following my training plan as I designed it for ME.

HBO:The Weight of a Nation

One of my favorite Mommy Blogs is written by three moms on a mission to feed their kids as healthfully as possible. They adhere to a plant based diet, something that I strive to do with my own children, so I find their blog useful in garnering new ideas on how to make healthy food as appealing to my kiddos as a cheeseburger. Whole Foods Mommies posted a few days back about a documentary that HBO has produced called HBO:The Weight of a Nation. It's fabulous! I have watched a few episodes so far and highly recommend taking the time to do so. Episode three addresses obesity and children, which is what I started with, and recommend all mothers watch. It gets you thinking about what you're exposing your children to in a whole new way - and might just inspire you to try a little harder to push that apple as a snack instead of some of the alternatives that commercials suggest. Take a look - let me know what you think!

Healthy Cookies

An important element in the healing process, whether after having a baby, surgery, or some other life altering event, is to feed your body optimal nutrition. As I've been dealing with sleep deprivation lately, I've noticed a remarkable difference on the days where I eat for health, and exercise for energy - honestly, it's like night and day! The days where I follow a clean diet are smoother because I have even blood sugars, consistent energy, and a steady supply of the nutrients my body needs to continue the healing process. Throw in a heavy lifting session or interval training on the treadmill, and I am smiling! 
In my quest to keep all food healthy and clean [if you're wondering what it means to eat 'clean' foods, here's a handy site to get you started] I've developed a new cookie recipe to satisfy my sweet tooth, and feed my body essential nutrients. Sound too good to be true? It probably is; but either way, these are delicious cookies chock full of goodness, and void of guilt laden ingredients. These cookies are high in protein, have healthy essential fats, and contain enough sweetness to make them absolutely fabulous. And did I mention they won't leave you bloated or craving more like a traditional cookie? Yeah, these are awesome - Enjoy!

Healthy Cookies

an original recipe, developed by me

2/3 cups water
1/3 cup quinoa
1 cup coconut oil
1 1/3 cup coconut sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups fresh ground quinoa flour*
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/3 cup sunflower seeds, unsalted
1/3 cup fresh ground flax seed
1/3 cup hemp hearts
1 cup unsweetened raisins

Bring the water and quinoa to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave the covered pot on the stove for an additional 6 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork, then set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350*

Cream the coconut oil in a mixer, then add sugar and continue to mix until fluffy and fully incorporated. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix thoroughly.

In a separate bowl, combine the quinoa flour down through to the hemp hearts and mix well. Once fully blended, add to the coconut oil mixture and blend well. The mixture will pull away from the sides of the bowl when it's ready for the next step. Add in all the raisins and mix until incorporated.

Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Flatten slightly, then bake in the oven for 7-10 minutes until the bottom of cookies are golden brown [my dark pans took 7 minutes, while my light pans took 8. Every oven and pan is different, so watch your first batch of cookies closely.] Let cool on pan before transferring to a cookie rack. These store best in the fridge, or if you want them to last even longer go for the freezer. 

Since the recipe yielded about 5 dozen cookies, I put half in the freezer, and the other half in the fridge. Both Darius and Eli LOVE these, and will eat a few at a time for a snack, or as an addition to breakfast [these definitely fit the bill of a breakfast cookie!] I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

*I ground my quinoa flour in a coffee grinder, but it can also be ground in a blender or grain grinder. I also grind my own flax in a coffee grinder - it's a really handy tool! Just remember that if you do drink coffee, don't grind your grains and seeds on the same grinder as your coffee - you need separate grinders for these.