Running on Full

As promised, I'm trying to add in a few extra miles this week to make up for some of my weekend indulgences. Also, I was planning on running a couple half marathons this fall (before I broke my elbow), and now that I'm back to running, I need to log some more miles to get into racing shape. This morning I got up a little early to fit in a 6 mile run before work. A few reasons I prefer to run in the morning:

-Its a great start to the day

-Boosts your energy and your metabolism

-I like to get it done, so I know that work or other distractions won't prevent me from getting out there later

I also like to run in the morning because its fun to watch the city wake up and people start their days.

Bridge on Main Street - 6am

I finished my first 6 mile run since before I broke my elbow! Not quite as fast as I'd like, but I feel good!!

After cooling down and stretching I immediately drank a big glass of water and ate some cantaloupe and a hard-boiled egg white. Your body benefits most if you refuel within the first 30 minutes after a workout, and its best to have a mix of protein, carbs and fat. If I can't eat a good meal right away, I always try to have a snack to keep myself going.

For my real breakfast, about 40 minutes later, I had one of my favorites: oatmeal! I don't know why, but the more I eat it, the more I crave it. I use organic rolled oats (not the oatmeal packets with lots of sugar and preservatives) and add my own flavors with fun mix-ins (usually I add something that will make it crunchy, salty, and sweet!). This morning I mixed in crushed walnuts and dried cranberries.

Cranberries make it nice and sweet and the walnuts give it a great crunch (nothing grosser than mushy oatmeal). I typically add either walnuts or almonds, which are two of the best nuts. Walnuts are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and various micronutrients, and they're also the nuts with the highest overall antioxidant activity! Oatmeal and walnuts are both said to lower cholesterol, which is also a good thing!

I try to eat something every 3 to 4 hours during the day to keep my metabolism going and my stomach from growling. My late morning snack was another favorite...Greek yogurt with mix-ins (are you noticing a mix-in theme today?)

This is Vanilla Greek Yogurt with 1/2 a cup of Fiber One Cereal (Original) and 1/3 cup of blueberries mixed in. There's calcium and lots of protein in the yogurt, fiber in the cereal, and lots of antioxidants in the blueberries (said to be the berries with the highest antioxidant activity)! And its delish!

Aaand for lunch (gosh I feel like I ate a lot already and there's still dinner and dessert later haha) I had salad and a leftover turkey burger from last night:

My salad consisted of organic mixed greens, mushrooms, cucumbers avocado, red bell pepper, tomatoes, and strawberries. I usually make salads with a rainbow of fruits and vegetables and as little lettuce as possible (because I think its pretty boring). I apologize for how red my salad is today, usually its much more colorful, but that's what I found in my fridge!

My burger was delicious! I topped it with more avocado, tomatoes, and dipped bites into Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce.

I made the burgers last night. I started with extra-lean ground turkey and added the following:

• Red Pepper Flakes
• Green Chili Powder
• Garlic Powder
• Pepper
• A Shake of Bread Crumbs

After mixing it all together Pat formed it into 4 patties (I like to avoid handling raw meat when there's someone else around that will do it for me!)...thanks Pat!

Then grill on medium for about 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway (make sure there's no pink in the center before taking off the grill).

Check out those grill marks! :) The burger was just as good leftover today as it was for dinner last night. Next time I may go a little heavier on the red pepper flakes and green chili powder for more of a kick!