Heavenly Smoothie, DOMS, and Celiac

Ok guys, I just made one of the best tasting smoothies ever!

Heavenly goodness!

I used my usual base of orange juice and vanilla Carnation Instant Breakfast powder. I think there was about 1.5 cups of OJ. Then I added in about 5 frozen whole strawberries, 7-8 slices of frozen peaches, and 1 whole banana. Blend it up and drink! It was soooo good, you guys! I love peaches because it means summer is on it's way (ignore the fact I used frozen peaches, not ripe ones)!

I haven't done any running or working out yet today. My legs are very sore from the diagonal lunges I did yesterday and I haven't gotten around to stretching them out yet. I'm also on the slow boat of waking up this morning (afternoon?!). I got up at 9 and I'm still sluggish! I think I just haven't gotten enough sleep this whole spring break and it's wearing me out. So much for a vacay since school starts back up tomorrow! I'm going to try to run later today when I gather some more energy. I'm one of those people who does better in the middle to end of the day, rather than the morning.

Mama Running Ninja Girl is conducting an experiment on herself to see if she's allergic to gluten. So far, we're fairly certain she is. Ever since she had her appendix removed back in 2007, her stomach and intestines just haven't been the same. Her tummy is always upset, and while there are other things she's allergic to like tomatoes and chocolate (I would DIE!) and avoids, she still has GI issues. When Cousin visited, Mama RNG decided to try going gluten-free and she's been feeling soo much better! She did have one cupcake 2 days into her gluten fast and her stomach got sick almost immediately!

Now, we're going to start getting rid of the gluten-laden products in our house. While I'm not allergic to gluten, I see nothing wrong in eating less of it and supporting my mom. Plus, since I know more about what products are gluten-free or the alternatives she has, I get to help her adjust to her new diet. It will definitely be an adventure because she's not thrilled this is happening and sometimes forgets what her trigger foods are (she'll knowingly eat some of my chocolate chip cookies and then gets upset when her tummy feels bad later!). I'll keep you guys posted and I'll try to post some of the recipes we try. If anyone has any tips for Mama RNG and being gluten-free, please comment below! We'd love to hear from you!

Day Off

I pounded out another 3.1 miler yesterday in 28 and change. After working out 6 days last week and not getting enough sleep, my legs were like "Woah!" And I was like "Woah!" And we were like...ok, I'll stop, you get the picture.

I've been making some pretty sweet food lately. Yesterday was pretty stellar in the health department. I impressed myself. Like woah.

2 Hardboiled eggs and a mixture of brown rice, stir-fry sauce, edemame, green beans, and peas. And milk in the classiest of all classy cups.

Then it was time for a smoothie. Oj, vanilla Carnation Instant Breakfast (who needs pricey protein powder?!), banana, strawberries, and blueberries.

Mix it all up and you have this beauty! So tasty and smooth!

And den...and den...and den I made tea:

Purple and orange. Totes the new black.

I felt preeeetty dang healthy, not gonna lie. My body was super happy with me. I did eat a bunch of Pamela's Products Extreme Chocolate Simplebites, though. If you haven't had them yet, go run to the store right now and buy yourself a bag. They are so yummy and chocolatey! Best part of all, they're wheat and gluten free. Even though I don't have issues with wheat or gluten, cutting a smidge out of my diet can't hurt. Plus the cookies are just healthier for you overall, in terms of their nutritional content.

Chocolate heaven!

Today there will be no running or exercise of any kind. I have a huge lab practical tomorrow that I should be studying for. My running shoes are calling out to me, but alas, I can give them no attention! So sad! :(

"Mommy, come play with us! We want to step on twigs, get dirt on us, and see the sunshine!"

Um...so yeah...I pretty much just made myself sound like a weirdo, so I will leave you all to your judgement now. Aaaaaand begin!

Welcome!

Hi there! I'm Jennifer. Welcome to my blog!

I'm obsessed with my daily reading of other runners' blogs and thought I should start my own. Maybe I'll inspire some people to become crazy like me and run for miles at a time or at least just get off the couch or maybe I'll just provide some good solid entertainment. Whatever the case may be, I hope to provide an enjoyable reading experience.

I think this will be a good mix of running, workouts, food/recipes, and whatever else I decide you should all read about. It's also probably going to have some animal info/pics mixed in because I love animals and think they are the bee's knees. And you should too :)

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So I guess to start, I ran 4.2 easy-ish miles this morning in 35 mins and some change (I'm not very fast). The goal was to meet up at my local Fleet Feet for their weekly Sunday run at 8 AM. It would have been my first time but I got chicken because I wasn't sure if my friends were going to meet me there. I don't like socializing in a crowd of people I don't know. I get scurred. So I stayed home and got some miles in on the bike path that's right across the street from my house.

Let me tell you, when there are signs that say "Keep dog on leash at all times" that means keep your freaking dog on a leash at all times! Nearly got clotheslined a few times and had one dog charge me. I love me some doggies, but not when my safety is at risk. No siree!

After the run, I had delicious French toast and a raspberry/blackberry smoothie.

I used frozen raspberries and blackberries, orange juice, and Instant Breakfast vanilla powder. Blend it all up and enjoy! The only thing wrong with it is the seeds from the berries. I hate them! They get stuck in my teeth and they are annoying to chew. Yeah, I know I'm weird. Having this was my attempt to get over my fear of berry seeds. It didn't work, but it sure tasted good!