Monday Yoga

So Monday is my current yoga day. I take a class at the gym I belong to that has various types of yoga. The current type of yoga I am practicing is Vinyasa Flow Yoga and I'm loving it. It's one of the more active forms of yoga moving or flowing through various Vinyasas which are just a series of yoga poses.

When Chad and I first went to the class (and before I knew what type of yoga it was) we named this particular class "mean yoga". That is not to say the instructor is mean! She is a lovely person who you can tell is very passionate about what she does. We named it "mean yoga" for what it does to your body! 

I have never been so sore in my life as the days following my first Vinyasa class. My abs and back muscles were so sore I was perfecting the roll to standing from the bed technique ;) It was rough for sure but once I started going more often it kept getting better and the recovery time is shorter and not as all over ouch! feeling.

I don't take my phone into the classroom so I won't have photos of class but am hoping to do some more practice at home.

I have also been trying to go to the Centergy class at my gym. Centergy is basically a combo of Vinyasa Yoga and Pilates set to 10 songs with different focuses for each song. There are more Centergy classes offered so I am just finding what works with my schedule right now. 

Today was a pretty awesome class! It was definitely challenging as always but today I accomplished an Upward Bow or Wheel Pose and held it! I also managed to not break my neck getting back down from it. I was giddy that I was able to do it!

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I have a few yoga goals currently. I know that they will take continued practice and focus. 

-Be able to touch my toes with my legs straight without being warmed up. Need some more hamstring  and Achilles flexibility. 

-Be able to stay flat footed while doing downward dog. Again it's all about more flexibility. 

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-Do a full Dancer Pose. I need a lot more flexibility and balance for this!

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-Bakasana or Crow Pose. I keep feeling like I am almost there with this one! I have been able to get my feet both off the floor and hover for a nanosecond and today had my first crash forward which the instructor congratulated me on saying everyone falls trying this and falling forward which I did means I'm looking in the right spot. 

I am by nature not a flexible person and I feel like the more and more I run the less flexible I get. That's was a big reason for me trying yoga. I am also not graceful, have bad balance and my mind is always wandering and moving a hundred miles an hour. So far yoga is doing its job in helping me with all these things. I have to focus so much on the here and now and what is happening with my body in order to not die in class that my mind is completely engaged. 

I encourage everyone to take a yoga class. I'm finding out there are many varieties for different goals and personalities! It's not easy to start but in the month I've been going at least once a week I'm seeing improvement and look foreward to every class.

I also took Charlie out for a walk. She was a very happy dog! 

Getting the run done and home made Kind Bar inspired bars

Getting out of a warm bed on Sunday morning might be the hardest thing I do as a runner, especially when I am the only one in the house getting up!

Yesterday was my last run of any substance before Ragnar and I went out for 6 miles before I started the rest of my day. It was one of those runs that is just annoying. As soon as I got outside I knew I would have to deal with wind the entire way, somehow living on the coast means no real headwind or tailwind just cross winds and swirling. Blah! Wind is my least favorite condition to run in. I also choose to run a route that took me next to farm fields. Normally I like running next to the field and seeing what's sprouting, growing and being harvested. Today the road next to the fields was muddy. Muddy to the point that I had to keep scraping it off the bottom of my shoes and slipping in it. 

Four miles in I left the mud behind and was finally feeling good! My stride was comfortable, my pace was improving an it seemed like the wind hard died down. At mile 5 I began to get stomach cramps and my first thought was "WTF it was just starting to improve!" 

Like many distance runners I have my fair share of GI upset. Usually I am "lucky" enough to just get stomach cramping about a half hour after I stop running. Through logging what I used as fuel on runs, distance and pace I've figure out that a lot of the gels make my stomach upset post run, especially if they contain maltodextrin. Rather then deal with that I have found that straight up candy is much easier on my stomach. We had left over packages of Swedish Fish and Sour Patch Kids from halloween and that's my usual fuel of choice. I'm still trying to work out some running fuel stuff especially electrolyte replacement because I'm a very salty sweater, you can brush dried salt off my face after a really good run. 

So there I was a mile from home and having pretty impressive stomach cramping. I figured I had 3 choices. Sit on the sidewalk and hope they stopped, walk the rest of the way home or run home. Running was option of choice, mainly because I would be home fastest that way. Looking back I'm pretty sure it was the few Sports Beans I ate before heading out to run that were the culprit so it's back to candy for the time being. 

The overall pace wasn't bad but my splits were all over the place. 12:06 slipping in mud and 10:53 when feeling good. I'm glad I got the run in despite it sucking. I know that crappy runs happen from time to time so I'm just hoping I got the one I was due out of the way! 

When I decided what I really wanted to do was make some Kind Bar-type granola bars. I love Kind Bars. They can be a life saver when you really need something to eat quickly that isn't completely unhealthy. My work days can be completely unpredictable and I unfortunately can get Hangry (hungry/angry) if I don't eat for long periods of time. A bar stashed in my purse has saved the day more then once. Now I'm all about making my own and trying new flavor combos. 

Recipies are all over the internet but what it comes down to is picking your nuts, dried fruit, seeds (if you like), and binding agent. 

I ran to Trader Joe's and picked up a couple of things I didn't have on hand (and some yummy cheese for lunch!).

My bars were going to be Apple, Almond and Honey. Yum! I happen to love honey. Love it in my coffee. Love it as a sweetener substitution. Just love it!

What went into this round of bars:

1/2c honey 

1/4c homemade apple butter 

2Tbsp water

2c honey roasted almond slivers 

1c crisp rice cereal 

1 1/2c chopped dried apples

1/2c ground chia seeds

1tsp cinnamon

1tsp ground clove

Dash of salt

An awesome tip is to weight your honey in whatever you plan to cook/use it in! Honey is sticky and just pouring it from the jar into a pot is easier and less messy then involving a meauring cup. 1/2c of honey weighs 6oz, so that's what I weight out in my pot (I forgot to take the picture when it read 6oz, doh!).

Add honey, apple butter, water, spices and salt to the pot and heat over medium low heat till the combo reaches hard ball stage (155-160) on a candy thermometer. It took about 15 minutes.

Once you hit that temp add in the rest of the ingredients. I made sure they were combined prior to adding to the goo so they would mix in thoroughly. You will get a pretty dry but fairly sticky mix. 

Dump the mixture into a parchment paper lined 9x9 baking dish. At this point you need to make it kind of even in the pan. At first I used a wooden spatula with a touch of olive oil on it to prevent sticking. Then I did what I always wind up doing and stuck my hands (well washed!) in the mix to work it around. I also added a touch of olive oil to my hands so the mixture wouldn't stick. 

When the bars are still a little warm remove the parchment from the pan and cut the bars into peices. My bars are about 1x3 which is perfect for a snack. 

The best part is you can change it up to make whatever you and your family enjoy! Dried cherries and pecans with oatmeal? Mango, sunflower seed and pistacio bars? I'm planning on making some almond and coconut bars soon! You can also use brown rice syrup or corn syrup as your binder. 

These bars are a "choose your own adventure" recipe guide. Have fun and play around! If you come up with a combo that you enjoy please share it in the comments! I'm always down for new ideas!

Getting to know you

Or really getting to know me!

                                               

When I started writing this blog (a whopping day ago) I was not expecting as many people to find their way here. Thanks to Katie at Runs for Cookies I have had a bunch of people find my little space on the Internet and wanted to give you a better picture of who I am.

- I am 32 years old and live on the Central Coast of California

- I live with my wonderful boyfriend Chad in a house which is in all reality too big for 2 people, a dog and a goldfish but I love the kitchen and that's what really matters

                                                 

- I work full time as a paramedic on an ambulance and have been working on an ambulance for over 7 years. Full time for me is 48 hours one week and 72 hours the next. That's before overtime which I work as well.

- I love my job, really I do

- Chad and I have one of the most spoiled dogs in the world. Her name is Charlie Louise and she is a rescue dog believed to be about 3.5 years old (you can look forward to a full Charlie post in the future!)

                                                

- At one point in my life I weighed 80lbs more then I do now

- I have become excellent at loosing and gaining weight. This time around I plan on becoming excellent in maintaining weight and health!

- I started running 2 years ago and have completed 2 half marathons, a 10k, a few 5ks and assorted distance trail runs

- Trail running is way harder then running on the road but so much fun

- I have recently started to practice Yoga. I'm still feeling my way through it but have fallen in love with the physical aspect of it and am looking more into the mental side

                                               

- I went to Catholic school for 6 years although my family is not Catholic. I was raised in the Episcopal church but don't currently attend.

- I hate ketchup. Hate it, despise it and don't want it on my plate. I also don't care for mustard or mayonnaise 

- When I started to become healthier (I decided that this time I was not just loosing weight but getting healthy) I started to cook again. I hadn't realized how much I missed it

- As a child I aspired to be Laura Ingalls Wilder. I read the Little House Books so many times I had parts memorized!

- I grew up doing theatre but developed a severe case of stage fright in high school

- I knit and crochet. I love starting projects and am horrible at finishing them. I also have large plastic bins of yarn lovingly referred to as the yarn coffins

- I am one of 5 kids. I have 3 amazing sisters and the most caring and kind brother in the world. Thanks to them I am an Aunt which is so much fun! 

- I am a certified SCUBA diver and have been fortunate to dive in California, Florida, Curcao, Cozumel, and Honduras!

                                                 

Well that's a little more about me. 

I am looking forward to documenting my journeys here!

   
       

A week from Ragnar

In one week I will be in Huntington Beach, CA with 11 strangers turned friends awaiting a 5am start time to run to San Diego, CA.

                             

                                               

     

That is 195 miles over the course of roughly 36 hours between 12 runners. The base concept is that the 12 runners split into 2 vans which will then leap frog each other throughout the course. Each runner will run 3 legs of the journey and there will be some eating and sleeping thrown in for good measure. 

RUN,

DRIVE,

SLEEP?

REPEAT

I was lucky enough to join a team which was organized by a Blogger I read. Katie at Runs For Cookies and John from Runner12 ran Ragnar Florida Keys in 2013 as part of the From Fat To Finish Line team. They decided to take a group of newbies to Ragnar and put together a team for SoCal. I had been telling Chad that I wanted to run one of the relays and when I saw Katie mention the team on her blog I jumped at the chance and emailed her. 

Yes I emailed a stranger who's blog I read to see if I could join her team. Not something in my comfort zone! After we started corresponding by email I actually tried to back out when I found out the team had to have a <11:00/mile pace to complete the run within the time frame given. This was in September 2013 and that was faster then my average pace. Luckily I was encourage to join the team anyway by Katie who told me the team average had to be <11:00/mile pace. I am so happy she didn't let me back out when I wanted to because I could have missed out on this opportunity!

I am Runner 5 for this relay meaning I am responsible for legs 5, 17, and 29. The legs are also rated as easy, moderate, hard and very hard depending on distance and elevation profiles among other factors. Leg 5 is a hard 6.4 miles. Leg 17 is a moderate 6.3 miles. Finally leg 29 is an easy 3.7 miles. I doubt any miles will feel "easy" during the last leg! 

So the team I am running with is Strangers to Sole Mates. 

                                                   

                                                       Artwork by Dean (aka Runner 7)

Over the past 7 months we have really gotten to know each other via out Facebook group page. It's an eclectic group for sure but all of us use running as a way to help lose or maintain our weight.

Team Strangers to Sole Mates-

Runner 1- Thomas

Runner 2- Katie

Runner 3- John

Runner 4- Caitlin

Runner 5- Hilary

Runner 6- Paige

Runner 7- Dean

Runner 8- Tay

Runner 9- Martha

Runner 10- Bonnie

Runner 11- Cat

Runner 12- Colleen 

Runner 13- Mark

As a group we want to add a 13th runner to our group. Mark was a very dear friend of our Runner 2, Katie. Unfortunately during the planning phase of this relay Mark was diagnosed with metastasized lung cancer. Mark lost his battle with cancer in late March. Thanks to Katie our team has gotten to know Mark and what a happy, bright and caring indavidual he was. I'm so glad that we can carry Mark's memory with us!

My personal training plan was a basic Half Marathon training plan. I topped out with two 10 mile runs, one of them was epically good and the other was epically horrible! That's how running is though. Someways are great and others suck. Over the course of my training my overall pace has improved dramatically. I credit that to doing tempo runs a 10k pace and running hills. I don't like intervals so I run hills as my "speed work" currently. 

Specific to Ragnar training I have run a couple of "2 a days" to get the feeling of running on tired legs. 

                                        

I've also spent a lot of time and miles out on The Bob Jone's Trail. Even better were the days that Chad came too!

                                                 

I am officially in the taper mode with my longest run between now and Ragnar a 6 miler early next week. I am also planning on keeping up with Yoga/Centergy Monday and Tuesday but then easing off that before the relay. Now it dealing with the nerves prior to the big day! 

       
     
         

The day that inspired it all

I have thought numerous times before about starting a blog and it just hasn't happened until now. The day the made that all change was my goat cheese and strawberry day last Sunday. 

I had been talking with a coworker about wanting to try my hand at making cheese. Well she not only had a great recipe but she had some goat's milk for me to use! 

MG's Goat Milk Cheese Recipe:

1 gallon goats milk

1/4 cup cider vinegar 

Salt 

Herbs if you want

1. Heat milk in a non reactive pan to 200 degrees

2. Remove from heat and pour in vinegar, mix with a spoon

3. Pour mixture into a colander lined with cheese cloth

4. Place in a glass bowl and add salt to taste and herbs if you like

(As a side note she said that you could run the finished cheese through a food process real quick to get a creamier consistency. I did this in our little mini food processor and it worked like a charm!)

With this batch I made half just plain goat cheese and added fresh garlic, chives and cracked pepper to the other half. The herbed cheese did not stand a chance in our house! 

                                                                 

My kitchen time wasn't done for the day though! 

        

   

Next on my plate was Spring Strawberry Jam. I am lucky enough to live less then a half mile from some of the best strawberry fields in the world! Okui's Strawberry Stand opened at the beginning of March and I have been twice already. Once I got three pints which quickly became icecream and snacks and once for a full flat of their Jam Berries. 

Jam Berries are like pure gold to anyone who likes to do anything in the kitchen with strawberries! A flat costs less then a third of the price of the normal flats and the only difference is the berries aren't perfect! They may have a yellow patch or not be the prettiest shape but that's not a problem when you plan on mashing them up! 

     

This flat of strawberries became 28 half pint jars of Spring Strawberry Jam. The recipe I used was based off the one from the Ball Canning & Recipe site (I'm going to have to learn how to do links!). 

I made two batches with the following in each:

8 cups hulled and smooshed strawberries (I learned the best way to get them mashed was good old fashioned clean hands!)

1 cup and 2 tbsp Ball RealFruit Low or No Sugar Needed Pectin

Juice of one lemon

2 cups sugar 

Into a large pan went the strawberries, pectin, and lemon juice. I brought it to a boil over medium heat and then added the sugar. Stirring continually it needs to return to a full rolling boil for 1 minute in order for the pectin to do its pectin thing. According to the Ball website the batches I made were too large and could potentially have issues setting up but luckily they both did! It was a little sporty fitting all that jam into the pot I used, so next time I will do 3 smaller batches.

       

 

 

      

    

I will do an entire post on water bath canning soon! I am going to be making more strawberry jam with my sister and teaching her how to can in the process. Warning to all who try canning, it is addicting! I have been accused of wanting to can the kitchen sink and it's a fair accusation! 

Two batches of jam and 28 half pint later I was happily listening to the little *plinks* of canning success!

Few things make me happier then a day in the kitchen! The cheese was gone within 4 days but the jam will be around for a while. I turned around and added garlic, chives, and cracked pepper to most of the plain cheese as well which was perfect on wheat crackers. The small amount of cheese I did leave plain was topped with strawberry jam! 

Now that's the day that took this blog from my thoughts and put it into action. There will be a lot more kitchen talk as well as running talk and yoga talk!