Walk to Run?

It's hard to believe that after completing 2 full marathons, I'm sitting here planning out a walk-to-run program. While it's disappointing that my level of fitness has dropped so significantly, it's also very exciting to think of the challenge I have in front of me.

I got the okay from my doctor last week to start doing whatever I feel comfortable doing - within reason. I even got the okay to paint the town red in my favorite heels if I wanted to.... but considering my track record with heels (which is zero) I think my main focus is to paint the town red in my running shoes.

Once I got clearance to start gradually running, I hit the pavement within hours. I mixed up walking with running every so many blocks and realized that it is much harder to take it easy on running than not running at all. It was then that I pondered the idea of having a set plan and schedule in place so I don't go and do anything crazy, like sign up for a 5k this weekend.... a few days later that tentative idea I was casually pondering was quickly made into reality when my boss forced presented me an actual walk to run program.

So here I am... 26.2 mile veteran, planning out when I'm going to walk for 30 minutes....

But in all seriousness, this is the best thing for my grandiose-goal mind.
Here is the plan, taken from a local Columbus Running store - FRONTRUNNER.

I might jump ahead to week 2... just a thought though :)

Stay Healthy,

Anyone training for a 5k? Let me know if you use this program and how it goes!

They're Baaaack

Remember these lovely gems?

If not, you can refresh your memory right here, or you can just continue reading because they're the star of this random dish I threw together in a desperate attempt for a quick, different and always usually healthy weeknight meal:

Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage Brussels Sprout Scramble! (Say THAT 10 times fast)

I was inspired by this recipe from one of my favorite blogs, Eat Live Run. 

I chopped up the chicken sausage and threw it on a fry pan and allowed them to warm up and then completed the two, well four ingredient dish by throwing on on some thinly chopped brussels sprouts, topped with a few pepper grinder twists. 

Towards the end I sprinkled on a tad bit of olive oil just to keep things cookin'. 

And there ya have it! A super easy and quick meal full of flavor and taste while keeping things light and healthy :)

Have a great Tuesday guys!

Stay Healthy, 

Coffee is Great.

Good Saturday Morning!

Whether you know me on a personal level, or you've picked up on my not so subtle hints throughout my eloquent, New York Times worthy writing skills, ya'll probably realize that I'm a huge fan of the coffee bean.

I bring this up for 2 reasons: (3 if you count the cup of coffee currently sitting next to me)

1. I recently read a post on one of my favorite blogs about coffee and the constant back and forth on whether or not it's good for us, or bad for us and I really want to share the 411 with everyone... including you
2. I've been getting A LOT of questions about coffee from my 1st time patients, and if everything is right in the world, they'll happen upon my blog of wisdom rambling thoughts and be able to dig further into this coffee conundrum for themselves

(source) click to see bigger image

On that note, time to finish my cup of coffee and hit the pavement for some walking with a little bit of running thrown in!

Stay Healthy,

Lots of Thoughts

Hello, hello!

There's been a lot of things that have been popping up in my brain over the past couple days that I've been dying to discuss. It seems like each time I finally decide on a topic to talk too much about, another one comes to mind that seems just a tad bit more brilliant than the last.

So due in part to my very decisive nature, ha ha ha, I've decided to mash all my thoughts into one, random, multiple-topic post. I figure this way I won't forget to comment on my new favorite celebrity crush Sunday night TV show or the latest article I read in 11Athletics.

And, hey, ya never know, maybe one of these topics will strike someone's fancy and they'll actually throw a comment my way..... hmmmm... wishful thinking :)

Alright, so let's jump right into the good stuff.... Chris Powell.

Okay, just kidding.... I meant to bring up Extreme Makeover Weight loss Edition.

It's on ABC on Sunday nights and has, unfortunately, caught the eye and attention of my roommate and I. I use the word unfortunately, because the show is 2 hours long and is on until 11:00pm, which does absolutely nothing good for my routine Sunday night pledge to get up and workout before work on Monday mornings. 

But besides making waking up the next morning difficult, and having someone pretty to stare at for 2 hours, the show is good stuff. It takes place over the course of one whole year, and follows 1 individual in their struggles and successes when it comes to losing weight.... the natural way: good ole' eating right and exercising. Too many of us are trying to find quick fixes - pills, 7 day juice cleanses, body wraps, to help lose weight, and this show reiterates to America that losing weight isn't just that simple. It takes time, discipline, and determination, and that's why I love this show.... well, for the most part ;)

Alright, moving on to something a bit more local, actually, really local because it's right here in Columbus - 11Athletics Magazine! 

If you've been to any of the marathon expos, races or triathlons around the area in the past year or so, it's very likely that you've seen the magazine. I've worked with the "editor in chief" of the magazine in past internships and bouts of employment, and a lot of what I know about the whole fitness/health/nutrition world came from him, so I imagine each magazine is nothing short of awesome. 

But anyway, enough name dropping on my part, I bring the magazine up because last night while manning the front desk at my supplemental evening gym job, I happened upon a stray 11athletics magazine and quickly began to devour the countless stories, tips and interviews that makes the magazine so great. One of the articles that really hit home with me was some words of wisdom from the chief and editor himself. 

I apologize for not being able to pull excerpts from the actual piece, but the basic gist of it was that everyone is competing at something. I won't say too much more for fear of plagiarism, haha, but for me, being sidelined from ankle surgery, it's hard for me to say that I'm competing. I've been going to and seeing lots of athletes compete in triathlons and races and it's disappointing and torture to not be out there, but while I'm not running my heart out on races or trying to stay above water in a triathlon, I'm competing against my injury. 

And if you read the magazine, you'll see that it's just not in fitness and sporting events that people can be competing. I'm not sure if this specific article is on the website, but if you find the time, go to the website I linked above and check it out... you won't regret it. 

AAAAAnd on that note, I've typed, talked, blabbed, ran on waaaay too much, and it's Bachelorette DVR time with my girlfriends anyway. 

Stay Healthy,

Oh! I almost forgot! My boss has an article in the magazine as well! Check it out!!!!

A Short, Brief Lesson in Special Occasion Eating

Hello! Is everyone having a good weekend so far??

I've spend the past few days planning, prepping and hosting my roommate's wedding shower. Phew. Believe it or not, it's hard work, especially when the shower is co-ed - I'm not sure how high wedding shower games are on guys' lists of things they hope to complete before they die, but I can guess not very. 

So since this isn't a wedding shower blog, let's get to the important things in life - food heathy eating. 

Besides being in charge of making face paddles of the bride and groom and writing food labels, I was in charge of bring a vegetable tray...

 and brownies...

It can be definitely be a challenge to eat healthy at special occasions. I usually take the approach that a little is okay. I don't attend wedding showers everyday, although this summer it seems like I am, so enjoying a small brownie and an adult beverage is perfectly healthy and functional in my book. 

On that note, I'm off to buy a bike helment... apparently they're important :)

Stay Healthy,

God's Gift to His Injured Ones

G'Afternoon!

Things have been going really well with physical therapy and my ankle (I know ya'll were just dying to know). So good in fact that they only want to see my pretty face twice a week - I'm balancing on it, doing squats, lunges, stepping up stairs.... big stuff I tell ya! 

So why after only 10 weeks of intense, major surgery (direct from the horse's mouth) am I able to do so much with such little inflammation? 

Well, besides the fact that I'm awesome (How I Met Your Mother, anyone?) I owe lots and lots of credit to my new best friend:

Now I'm not one to shove a bunch of supplements and products down peoples' throats, but, BUY THIS!

Haha, kidding, but seriously, I honestly believe that taking this supplement post surgery has really helped the healing process and is why I'm in such good shape - speaking in terms of getting my foot back to working  running  mobile condition - not my fitness, ha!

This particular supplement is for acute conditions (ie sprains, strains, tears) of the ligaments, tendons and muscles. 

It does things like...

• supports the body's normal connective-tissue repair and synthesis process
• supports healthy joints and muscles
• supports bone growth and the synthesis of cartilage
• contains buckwheat, which supports the body's natural anti-inflammatory response
• contains others fun stuff like manganese and Vitamins A, E and C (all good for connective tissue)

There is a second product called, surprise, surprise - Ligaplex II. This one is for more long term support. 

As soon as I'm back to running marathons half marathons 10k's (ha, right) you bet I'll be taking it. 

So all my athletes....something to think about... especially if you find yourself injured a lot or if you're coming to see Dr. Alexander for soft tissue torture sessions. 

Stay Healthy,

Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage

I've always been a hotdog girl. Hamburgers didn't, and still don't, stand a chance when it comes to making the infamous summer cookout decision of "hamburger or hotdog." Not a chance.

You would think after 26 years of weekly hotdogs on the grill during the summer and numerous pigs in the blanket dinners during the wintertime, I'd be a tad burnt out by hotdogs.... but nope! I still stand faithful to my favorite cookout food.

So while I've been eating hotdogs for 26 years years (okay, probably more like 23 years if we want to be sticklers) my type of hotdog has definitely taken to a more mature and ingredient-aware taste. Remember my first post about choosing the right hotdog? If not, you should for sure take a second look.... here ya go.

Anyway, I bring up the topic of hotdogs, (apparently for the second time) because the other day, I made a special trip to the Joe of all Trades and picked up some hotdog-like food. I love doing my grocery shopping here because, surprisingly enough, the produce is usually cheaper than stores like Kroger or Giant Eagle, and I always find fun new options for my dinners.... like these fun guys:

Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage!

Another plus about shopping at Trader Joe's is that most of their food and products are natural and you can typically understand all the ingredients on the label:

And because it's no fun being boring (I leave that for my Friday nights) I decided to slice up the sausage, heat it up on a fry pan and enjoy it on a slice of bread topped with some cheese. 

It's funny that the things that you would throw a fit about when you were a kid, are actually some of the things you like to do nowadays. If I had to eat my hotdog on a piece of bread 20 years ago all hell would break loose. I'm sure that's sign #57 of me getting old. ick. 

I enjoyed my cheesy apple chicken dog alongside a fresh salad topped with tomato and mushroom

and my new-ish favorite dressing:

Has anyone tried it?
I've been (nerd alert) reading blogs for several years now, and I swear at least one of them on a daily basis uses this dressing, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. I know the best choice would have been a homemade dressing, but I was able to pronounce the entire, (and) short list of ingredients.

It's not bad. I'd be lying if I said I fell in love at first taste, but it's adds a different flavor to my typical, routine salads.

Well, that's all for now. I'm sure you'll be seeing these fun sausage guys in future blog posts!

Stay Healthy,

Hotdogs or hamburgers?