Week 6 of Crossfit

It's been 6 weeks of finally doing something consistently, I am in love with this insanity and the results are amazing. Anyone that knows me understand how much of a milestone it is for me to maintain something like this for this long... I am not only in love with the WODs but I am in love with the amazing results. I am committed to keep this going as a life style and can't wait to see the transformation a few months down the road. 

The picture above was last week. I have NEVER EVER had abs defined, not in my twenties, not when I was running 5 times per week, not when I did bootcamps... NEVER!!! And look at this, they are starting to build in ONLY ONE MONTH!

What does one of these WODs look like you might ask? Well they vary daily but here is an example

Crossfit is definitely reshaping me in many ways, not only I find myself a lot more disciplined in my daily routine and diet (Paleo) but it has made me mentally stronger and helped me reach heights never before imagined. Pain tolerance? Geez, no pain, no gain! I am sore 24/7. But I feel happy and accomplished, I love this new lifestyle and body and I am looking forward to every bit of improvements. 

Little things that will make me happy? My first unassisted pull-up, my first handstand push-up, ring dips and the list can go ON and ON! I am so focused and determined! No more running, or silks or any distraction that could take me away from getting better and giving my best to this new love of mine. I am moving in only one direction, and that is FORWARD!

This is it for now... I think I might start a new blog just Crossfit related to log my WODs and track my progress, so keep your eyes open if you are curious!

XOXO

CM

And this is what's new...

It's been a while since my last post, and even though my life has been wonderful and interesting to say the least I haven't been very motivated to write. I usually use this blog to document progress is some sort of area in my life, whether it is nutrition, running,  etc. Well, I haven't been running, or cooking anything interesting lately but I did start an exciting new activity that I would love to journal about.

Three weeks ago I started the hardest workout I've ever tried in these 37 years of life, I started Crossfit! Out of curiosity and with the goal of not only slimming down but toning up I ventured into this very uncharted territory. I have ran plenty and tried different workouts that I've enjoyed but never really stuck to it long enough to see the results that I would like to see. Well, I have to say I don't think Crossfit is going to go the same way. 

I started this on October 29th, I've managed to go 4/5 times per week and all I can tell you is that people keep telling me how good I look. They don't quite notice what has changed but they can tell something is different. I have not lost much weight, but boy is my body reshaping and changing. My posture is so much better,  I can see where my deltoids end and biceps begins, my shoulders are looking great and I can even see a bit of traps!

Now let me stop bragging about results and start telling you about my experience. I love my "box" (CrossfitRX in Atlanta) - which is what fellow Crossfitters call the Crossfit Gym, the sense of community is amazing and you feel part of a group. As intimidating as it is to begin this journey I have to say that I've never felt more welcomed. 

Another GREAT quality about this place is how much time they actually take to teach you proper form and safety. They encourage you to reach your full potential without compromising your safety, always safety over weight! If heavier weights compromise your form then they will make you go with a lighter weight until you master the lift.

Bad Ass WODs is an understatement! I have male friends that have been doing this for 2 + years and when I show them our long WODs (at least one per week) they go WTF?!?!?!? This makes me want to run away, but I finish my WOD EVERY TIME! That is what makes this such a great workout, not only it makes you physically strong, but it gives you a mental strength and determination that not even long distance running has been able to do for me.

Every WOD is a challenge and when done EVERY TIME I feel like I conquered the world!

This is in a few words my experience so far, I will probably now that I feel more comfortable with the WODs start posting pics and talking more in depth about each workout. Honestly, I still walk into my Box every day scared to death and not knowing what to expect. The good thing is that every time I walk out with a great sense of accomplishment having reached heights never before imagined!

XOXO

CM 

My 37th!

So my birthday is coming up and I can’t help but recap my life and evaluate where I’m at and where I want to go and all I can say is that I can’t be any more grateful than what I am now. This year has been just wonderful, my life has done a 180 turn and I feel nothing but accomplished!

Here are some of the blessings received!

·         A new career that I love and that is very profitable

·         A new job where I almost doubled my salary and that allowed me to move to the city

·         Not only I moved to the city, but I moved to my favorite neighborhood downtown with an amazing school district and into the cutest little house. WINNING!

·         I met a man like no other I’ve been with before. Someone I am extremely happy to have in my life, which I admire and look up to and who has done nothing but teach me and enrich my life.

·         And last but not least, I am finally applying for my Citizenship this month! Can I say excited? I have been waiting for this moment for a LONG time. I can’t wait to have my US passport!

With that said there are still a few things I am working on, but my life’s improvement has been unbelievable in the last year. I am nothing but grateful and I want to thank all of the people that have had a positive influence in these changes!

Until next post!

XOXO

CM

I had company!

This weekend was my first week at the new place, and to celebrate I had company. My beau went camping over the weekend and I offered to keep Murphy with me. Murphy is the cutest boxer mix ever! We had a blast, my new neighborhood is super dog friendly and has all these running/walking paths that go for about 16 miles out. So Sunday morning we went for a 2 hour walk where he got to play with other dogs and exercise, we came back home, ate and took a nap and then waited for "A" to pick him up.

I ended up dropping off Murphy, we then went to the movies to see Savages, which I liked very much, stopped at our neighborhood for dinner and a bottle of wine and then back to his place for some alone time. It was a wonderful weekend and a wonderful date night.

I am really enjoying my new place, the neighborhood, life in the city and all these awesome changes that had happened in the last month or so. Life is good, so I think is time to change the name of this blog to something less melancholic and  more welcoming to this amazing life that I am very much enjoying.

I need to think about the new name, but the decision has been made. Even though I miss Chicago, it is no longer in the way I did. I don't ache to go back, I no longer want to change my present, I am no longer working towards going back, at least not any time soon. I am embracing change and this new life full of opportunities, a new career, a new relationship, a new place, all the things that I've prayed for are here! It was granted to me and even though they are not in Chicago i welcome them with excitement and arms wide open!

Embrace change and be grateful!

XOXO
CM

One week to go!

I am AGAIN in the process of packing, a tedious process but well worth it this time! In 9 days I will have moved to my new place and I can not express in words the excitement. Not only am I excited about my new neighborhood but my commute to work will be cut in half and life will just be so much better.

Next Friday I have to go pick up my keys and movers are scheduled for Sunday, Saturday will be cleaning day and maybe painting too. Can I say that I JUST MOVED and somehow I find myself AGAIN packing way more than what I thought I had? 

I am not the best at this though considering the amount of times I've moved I should have it mastered by now, I do find myself though less attached to things and being able to get rid of crap way easier this time. I don't want cluter in my new place, I want it squeeky clean and extremely uncluttered. 

Not just that but it has to remain spotless at all times since my beau is only 2 miles away and can drop in at any time! I can't wait to decorate! It will take a little while to make it look exactly the way I want it but I will get there soon enough :)

That's it for now and will make sure I post pic once I am all moved and set up, it will be so much fun to share with you this new stage of happiness! Back to the city life, the one I crave, the one I love!

Au Revoir!

XOXO
CM

Be Humble, Be Grateful - Count your blessings!

When I go back and see all that happened in the last 1 1/2 years I can't be prouder of myself, it was rough but somehow I managed to keep going and stay focused and it is finally paying off. I promised myself to set goals move forward and leave the past behind and it was the best thing I could have ever happened to me.

My goals were set on things I wanted to accomplish to better the life of my daughter, things that would make me grow and learn. Career goals, health and lifestyle changes, the much needed structure that I lacked and that Sophia very much needs and deserves. All these things are little by little materializing by staying strong and focused and leaving distractions aside.

I have learned that my focus needs to be me and Sophia until every single detail of my life is in order. Career, finances, health, fitness, interests... Until I become the woman I want to be for my daughter. Yes I am seeing someone but I don't let that be my focus, I do not and will not let that distract me from the goals I have set for myself.

I want to continue to be strong and independent, be there for Sophia and lead by example. Not only I want to be there physically, but I want to be present every moment we are together. I don't want to miss a thing, I don't want distractions, I don't want Facebook, or texting, or computers or anything that could rob me of those precious moments that become memories. Memories are the one an only thing that no one can take away and will stay with you forever.

You know? they grow so fast and if we get distracted we miss it, miss these little moments that matter tons. Just looking at her smile makes me happy, and these summers away from her just remind me not to take all our time together for granted. It makes me miss her so much that hurts, I don't want to take anything for granted. I want to appreciate every second with her, every moment that I get by her side is just the greatest gifts of my life!

Our new life is about to start and all things keep falling into  place. I move to our new place in just 2 weeks, my new job is going great and life is just wonderful... what else can I say? I just want to take it all in and be grateful. I don't want to take any of this for granted because even though I have worked hard for it and I know I deserve it, I am also aware of how easy life can change and have this all go away.

So just remember to be humble, grateful and every day that you wake up alive COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS!!!

XOXO

CM

Sleepless!

So last night I signed the lease! The place is mine and I am thrilled. So that triggered my head to spin, anyone that knows me a little knows that I LOVE to decorate and make a house a HOME with little touches that resemble my taste as well as PAINT! LOTS OF IT!

Because of that I tossed and turned plenty last night thinking of color palettes and such... How to arrange my furniture and what do I need to decorate the empty walls. So after failed attempts to relax and go back to sleep I jumped into pinterest to look for inspiration.

Isn't that the cutest house? While talking to my landlord she expressed she doesn't like people painting the walls. Uh Oh... I cannot live under white plain walls! So we compromised on neutral palettes even for Sophia's room and she will need to approve them and select the paint which I'm fine with.

My room I'm thinking WHITE, a bright and plain WHITE! all white with white linens and silver accents all over. I am debating between a vintage iron white headboard and my all time favorite Pier 1 silver headboard. The good thing about going with something like this is that if I get tired of the look I can accent with pillows and throws and change the color/look very easily.

For Sophia's room I am thinking a white with a hint of pink and just keep her old bedding from Pottery Barn Kids which is still gorgeous and maybe get her the duvet cover that goes with the set if they still have it.

This pic I grabbed from the craigaslist ad, much better than the one I took with my iPhone and obviously furniture will change. I do not like that beige yellowish color so I will paint either white or whatever else I can get my landlord to approve. The TV will be mounted and there is this really cool wall across from the window behind the couch where I'm planning to put vintage frames with family pictures. I need something for the wall across from the TV, I'm thinking a big mirror hanging above the couch. 

Then there is the dinning room, I want a new one or at least new chairs. I won't be able to get that right away but eventually I will get the one I like from IKEA. Or maybe I can even budget the one from Z Gallery I like $$$ with a nice area rug for it.

The kitchen is pretty spacey, I might try to change the door knobs but that's about all I can do there, I guess I can live with that :) I'll look for accents and make it cute and charming. It has tons of space! I am grateful about that, and lots of cabinets to keep everything in order. There is actually a lot more counter space on the other side of the kitchen, it's just not shown in the pic.

The bathroom is typical of an old house and I am not thrilled about it but guess what... Nothing is perfection and I am willing to compromise the bathroom to live in that area. Again I will make it charming and cozy.

The backyard needs some work, and I am happy to take care of that. Sophia is thrilled that even though we are moving into the city we are not losing the perks of living in a house. You can't see it here but in the yard they actually have a raised bed with tomatoes and other stuff and a compost box as well. I will add another one for my kale, greens and other beloved veggies so a lot of my time will be spent in the yard, gardening and growing yummy fresh veggies!

Down the street there is a park with a playground, tennis and basketball courts and even a swimming pool. We saw lots of kids last night and people are just so friendly. There is tons of cycling and running too, there are paths for runners and the place where I do silks is walking distance too. I am also starting Crossfit next Wednesday and that is right down the street as well.

Long story short... Yes, I will have to commute to work but after I come home and park my car I can walk EVERYWHERE and that I cannot be happier about! My last picture is of the Fellini's Pizza around the corner... Can I say YUM? Best pizza place in Atlanta!

With that I'll leave you because it's lunch time and this pizza made me hungry! The message is I guess that with hard work and patience life always gets back on track. And most importantly, no matter how crazy and out of order things look... God Has A Plan For You! And that plan sometimes is not our plan so he needs to de-rail us from our stubborn ways and gets us right where we are meant to be.

Love always,

CM 

It's official

So I've been dying to share this but I had been waiting for background check, references and drug test to clear... Not that I had any doubts that it wouldn't but I just wanted the green light to be official. I have an awesome new job! I start May 29th and it's a great career move.

I am so excited about this, I will be working for a great Fortune 500 company doing what I've been doing at Triumph x 10 only that with a whole team in place, processes, a lot more organized and most importantly growth opportunities. Can't wait to take my career to a whole new level and become better and better at this.

This is the reason that I am finally moving to the city! My commute won't be too bad, about 30 min and the timing for this couldn't be better as my munchkin will be going to her dad's and I can take care of the move while she's away.

She will come back to our new place, a pretty pink room, a huge backyard in the coolest neighborhood in Atlanta and an awesome new school. There are kids everywhere and it's just such an amazing area! I can't be happier.

This weekend I am meeting with my future Landlord and talking about the final details of our lease! My neighbors are into gardening and we have a raised bed with tomatoes, basil, parsley and lettuce and who knows what else. There is also a compost box, and I am planning on adding some berries, cucumbers, kale and whatever else I can get to grow... Oh I can already see me going to my garden and picking up veggies to make juicy, healthy salads!!!

Well, I guess that's it for now... I won't be moving until July 1st so don't expect any pictures sooner than that. I am though looking at color palettes for my new place, trying to figure out bedroom decor and more! I will be posting pics of that for sure. Oh and my BF is only 2.5 miles away from my new place! Woot Woot! Can't wait to get to hang during the week, watch movies and cook dinner for him :D

That's it for now!
XOXO
CM

The move!

I am writing this on the iPad so excuse the post if it looks weird (I will fix it tomorrow from my computer). I am extremely excited and had to share! I am finally moving to the city, something I have been wanting to do for quite some time now. As I've always said I'd rather commute to work and love where I live than live in the burbs! My commute will be about 45 min to 1 hour but let me tell you... It will be well worth it! 

I am planning to move to one of my favorite Atlanta neighborhoods, I can walk to restaurants, little shops, park, there is a running/cycling trail, the place where I do silks... I mean what else can I ask for? I am so super excited! Sophia is going to love it! Family neighborhood, a great school, farmers market, tons of like minded people! I just can't wait :) I will go check more about the area this weekend and will take some pics to post. I want to check the school too at some point and check out drop off and pick up times. I just can't help to be excited about how life is just falling into place in every aspect. I am so blessed! 

It took a while to get here but through hard work, discipline and braking patterns and bad habits I am becoming a better me and life just gets brighter and brighter. I have made major accomplishments financially, personally and professionally. Who would have thought a year and a half ago that life would be so great now! Out of financial trouble, out of rushing into relationships, out of crappy jobs with horrible pay, out of toxicity and deep into happiness! Today I truly thank god for unanswered prayers, packing and going that December was honestly the best thing that could have ever happened to me. 

I am happier, healthier physically and emotionally, more independent and responsible! With a great new career and an ocean of opportunities. I am so proud of what I've accomplished! I should stop bragging now but I can't help it, I am happy and life is great! 

 XOXO

CM

Woot Woot!

It's been a while since I blogged and lord has life been exciting! I guess when everything is going great I rather not blog too much about it, I don't want to jinx it! I've had 2 awesome trips, I'm running quite faster, awesome workouts, clean diet, work is just taking off at another level (in a very positive way), I have been seeing a wonderful guy for quite a while now and for the first time in a LONG time I am doing things right and not rushing into situations that will just set the relationship for failure since the very beginning! No living together, no marriage, just plain fun dating and getting to know each other!

I've been working real hard on breaking those patterns that have caused nothing but trouble and I am excited about this new life that is getting every day. I am so blessed with a little girl that makes my day EVERY day, even when she drives me crazy. She has grown to be such a perfect little lady, smarter and stronger every day.

That time of the year is coming where Sophia goes away for two long months, and even though I miss her dearly every second she's gone I get to do all the things I can't due to logistics when she's here. I am planning on a couple of Triathlons and of course a few weekend getaways. In the list is North Carolina Mountains, Whitewater rafting AGAIN in Tennessee and a tropical vacation somewhere out of the country, haven't decided where yet.

I am also excited about a trip planned for the end of the year, my beau wants to go to Venezuela so that's in the plans. It's a big deal! I haven't been to Venezuela in quite some time so the plan is to hit Caracas, Margarita and Los Roques. I know he is going to LOVE IT and he will get to practice his Spanish, the rule of the trip is NO ENGLISH ALLOWED.

I need to blog more about past events like my trip to California and Chicago, an intro to my nutrition school program and much more! I will get to that soon :)

That's it for now.

XOXO

CM 

Chicago Next Week

I am so excited to be in Chicago next week, I have been waiting for about 4 months to do this SFDC training and they have cancelled it 3 times in Atlanta. Lucky me they had it scheduled and confirmed in Chicago for next week and my boss thought it would be a great idea for me to attend! So travel arrangements are made and I am registered for this developer training which will weigh so much on my resume!

On top of that I get to be at my BFF's first Crit race which for me is a pretty big deal, I haven't seen her since Thanksgiving and even though I speak/text with her daily I miss her so very much. We will get a ride or two in and I will get to run in my favorite city :)

The food? I might have to behave as I have been doing Paleo and the results are unbelievable, the goal? my abs by June... I definitely see the difference and how I am getting leaner. This promises a long weekend trip with my Boo who is in the same path both displaying our new accomplishment. Hot pictures you ask? Most definitely, he's such a HOTTIE!

I am definitely going to enjoy my Chicago visit, besides Kosti is pregos and I will get to see her, her princey poo and her bump! I'll catch up with my friend Chris and I get to stay at Hotel 71 with amazing view of the city!

I can't wait to get there and run by the lake front, have a glass of wine with Shannon and just enjoy the city that I love with the company of my friends.

That's it for now!

CM

Challenge of the month!

So people on Twitter/Facebook have been doing monthly fitness challenges which is a great idea not only to motivate others but to keep yourself accountable. So I am stealing the idea and using it to keep me on my toes! I've been running but the last couple of weeks I have only done long runs and skipped most of my shorter weekly runs, so my March Running Challenge will be to run EVERY DAY at least a mile.

This is great to get you out there even if you are on a tight schedule and most likely once you are out there you will end up running more than just a mile. My friends who have done it got a lot faster with this challenge, I guess it works a bit like speed work (shorter/faster runs) so i am looking forward to this. 

My other March challenge is 100 Squats a day. I need to target specific areas of my body that will make me a stronger runner and this is definitely a good one... On top of making my behind nice and perky for bikini season.

On top of that I am focusing on a LEANER diet to get those abs out, AB RipperX 3 times a week, a few pole dancing classes and silks which should take care of the upper body strenght since I'm already in Level 2 (Climbing and out of the Hammock!).

Add to this a swim a week and maybe next month I will start cycling again... Oh lord, talk about packed schedule! The first few days of the month will be challenging, heading to California today for the IIN Mega Conference... This will definitely get me motivated but since its a Girls Trip, it will be hard to not fall of the wagon when it comes to going out for drinks and prioritizing my workouts. The up side to it? 100 squats and a mile run take very little time so at least with those two things I can keep me on track!

That's it for now, I will be posting some silks and pole pics when I come back from Cali!

XOXO
CM

This week...

This week Sophia is in FL, I drove half way (Daytona) to meet Michael as Sophia is on winter break. I use these breaks to kick my training up a notch and also for a very much needed "me" time. I officially start swimming again this week which means that I will be back in triathlon shape very soon!

I had frozen my gym membership because all I was doing is running but now that swimming is in the picture again I am joining the Y! On top of that lets add dating to the picture and talk about booked schedule. 

All I can say is that 2012 is looking EXTREMELY promising, so many things falling into place. I miss my monkey but I have to admit that this "me" break feels good. Now it's time to take advantage of the free time and go for a run!

See ya!
CM

It's been a while...

So I was sick with a cold for a couple of weeks which meant not running much and missing the Tybee Half Marathon. After a massive cold and a stomach bug I was just not in the best shape for a half so I decided to stay home and go for shorter runs to get back to it.

I had stopped running for 2 weeks to recover and boy did I feel it. The weekend of the half was my first attempt to run after a 2 week break and I was so glad I stayed. I went out to PTC to hit 8 miles and guess what, 4 was the most I was able to get in! The next day went back and did 6 but felt crappy and my runner's ego was shattered in tiny little pieces.

I easily freak out when things  like this happen, it's been such a struggle to bee consistently out there and it freaks me out whenever I stop because I fear so much to lose endurance or break my routine/motivation and not get it back.

Last weekend I did 12 miles, and even though I felt like I was dying I did it and accomplished the distance I was planning on logging in. The pace? not so great... but I'll take it! I still have a left over annoying cough and I am definitely not 100%

This upcoming weekend I am planning on running the February Half that I missed... hopefully it will go well and if not, even with a slow pace I will get some BLING!

Many other things are happening... Not running related and all great so I've been busy and excited :) Hopefully I will be writing about it soon but for now I won't blog about it, they deserve a whole post alone!

XOXO
CM
 

Fun Fun Weekend!

The highlight of my weekend was Cher's birthday celebration, oh my gosh, how much fun that was! Saturday night we headed to a BYOB private pole dancing session of 1 1/2 hrs for us girls and it was awesome, on top of a nice  workout! We had tons of fun dropping it like is hot and boy can I feel it today. After we headed to a PTC restaurant for dinner and drinks, where I carbed up for my 10 miler today and then Tavern on 74 for some dancing!

After getting home almost at 1 a.m. obviously I wasn't thrilled about waking up early this morning to go for a run but since I was a slacker this week it had to be done! I was sore from last night's class and dancing, and of course just tired due to the lack of sleep and alcohol intake (didn't drink too much but still). I met my friend Lacy at the PTC library and we started running together until I HAD to slow down and then she kept running and looping around me to make sure I wasn't dying, lol! And yes, she is that fast so while I ran 10 miles she probably did like 12 or 13, amazing! Love this girl :D

Though I was extremely tired throughout the run it feels so good to have done it so I am happy and feel accomplished. There was a lesson to learn though, I need to step up my game on millage during the week so these "long runs" on the weekends don't feel so hard. Soon these long runs will become longer so I can get in MARATHON mindset. Marathon training doesn't start yet, but if I prepare early it won't be so hard when the weather gets warmer.

That's about it for now!
XOXO
CM

Spicy Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

This was a new recipe and loved it, got it from a cooking magazine and it's only 230 calories per serving, so here it goes!

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell peppers
• 4 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (3 inch) stalk lemongrass, halved lengthwise
• 2 teaspoons of Thai chile pasta
• 3 cups Chicken stock
• 1 1/4 cups light coconut milk
• 4 teaspoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 2 cups of shredded cooked chicken breast
• 1/2 cup green onion strips
• 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Add oil to a pan and swirl to coat. Add mushrooms, peppers, ginger, garlic and lemongrass and cook for about 3 minutes. Add chile pasta and cook for another minute. Now add chicken stock, coconut milk, fish sauce and sugar and bring to a simmer.

Reduce heat to low now and simmer for 10 minutes. Add chicken and cook until it's thoroughly heated, discard lemongrass and top with onions, cilantro and lemon juice.

Absolutely yummy, and I would kick the spicy up a notch but that's just me ;)

Enjoy!

CM

Healthy Pancakes

This is one of my favorite recipes because it's unbelievably healthy and incredibly yummy, my daughter loves it and it's one of those comfort breakfasts that just makes you smile and sigh. This recipe is under 400 calories and if you want you can add dark chocolate chips and its still pretty good.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup steel cut oats
• 1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese
• 1 cup egg whites (about 4 eggs)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

Just throw all ingredients in the blender and mix for about 2 minutes, then cook on stove top on setting 6 for about 1 1/2 - 2 min each side max and voila! I add Grade A Maple Syrup and some berries and you have a super yummy and healthy breakfast.

Enjoy!

CM

Museum of Aviation Half Marathon

Quick post! Ran my second half marathon of 2012 and got my first medal of the year :) The race was awesome and I got to run it with my friend Jeff and his brother... Thanks to them I shaved 8 minutes from last weekend's race so I am thrilled. I gotta step up my game because Tybee Half Marathon is in 3 weeks! I definitely want my number to keep going down!

Can't wait to my next race/medal! I am so excited about this year's running plans and I can't wait to see the progress. My goal is to finish the year doing the Vegas half under 2 hour :D

And that's about it, I've been up since 4 am and I'm going to bed!
XOXO
CM

Grateful

I have to say that I am loving my new neighborhood, Sophia has been enjoying what it feels to live in a house on a cul-de-sac (even though I am still a bit paranoid of letting her just go out there), and I... well I come home from work at lunch time (5 min commute) and go for a run around my neighborhood! I have to say that I am loving it, and putting my running shoes and heading out the door with no driving involved is just priceless.

Of course my motivation only has gone up since I moved and things just seem easier when it comes to running. I am running my second Half Marathon of the year this Saturday and I couldn't be happier! I hope to do a bit better in time but that will depend on the course I guess.

This is the year of running, abs, nutrition, health and hopefully a bigger paycheck. A year of accomplishments in time, races, certifications, income and muscle tone. It's a year of controlling my destiny and the outcome of the things I want in my life, no more going with the flow.

So wish me luck because we all now that rituals and routines are not my strong suit, neither I do  anything consistently but I am very determined to change that in 2012, so we shall see!

That's it for now!

XOXO

CM

For the love of running... and healthy eating!

For the love of running is correct... Who wakes up at 5 am in the morning to run in the dark foggy weather? This girl right here!!!! Because now I have a roomie I can sneak out really early in the morning while everyone is sleeping and squeeze my run in... Today, 4 miles with a fellow runner friend, I can't be happier. 

My run felt so great and it was just easy, throughout the day I just felt great and I didn't have that constant worry of... will I be able to get my run in or not? Tomorrow we will do it again!  And Sophia loves it, by the time I get back I feed her breakfast, shower and have plenty of time to get ready.

One of the other things I've been working on has been nutrition, an important piece of the puzzle when it comes to having energy and successful runs. I cooked during the weekend certain home made foods that I could quickly have ready with all the healthy benefits. Below find a recipe that I brought back from Tennessee, I absolutely love it and will probably make it weekly!

Homemade Sweet Potato Gnocchi

This recipe literally has 2 ingredients and serves 4 portions, all you need is:

•  1 large sweet potato
• 2 cups of whole wheat flour

Some recipes call for baking the sweet potato, I instead boiled it! Peel and cut the sweet potato in small squares and boil until tender. Once it's tender puree the sweet potato and let it cool. I like using my hands but you could also use a kitchenaid, once the puree has cooled down start adding the flour in increments of 1/4 of a cup at a time. I ended up mixing only 1 1/2 cups and used the rest when making the little gnocchi balls.

Once the dough acquires the desired texture (doesn't stick to your hands) divide the dough in 4 equal balls and roll out each ball into a 1-inch wide rope. Then cut each rope into 1-inch pieces and roll the gnocchi over the tines of a fork. Transfer them to a baking sheet until you have finished with the remainder of the dough.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and start adding the gnocchi in small batches you will know they are ready once they start floating, cooking time should be about 5 minutes. You can now with a slotted spoon drain the gnocchi onto a baking sheet.

I then, because I was cooking for the week, proceeded to put the baking sheet in the freezer covering it with foil; that way you can freeze the gnocchi individually and they wont get stuck together. You can then separate portions in small freezer bags and have them ready to go, all you need to do is throw them back into boiling water for about 3 minutes and voila.

I made a spicy marinara to go with it which really pairs well with the mild sweetness of the sweet potato. Add a little bit of Parmesan and you have yourself a delicious, healthy home cooked meal!

First Bib of 2012

So the idea of this is to keep track of my running progress throughout 2012! A race per month that is and as I said in my last post, ideally a half marathon per month, except for October & November when I'm running marathons. After only 7 5 weeks of training I ran my first half of the year.

Yesterday I ran the Red Nose Half Marathon in Columbus, GA... A FREE race organized by the Columbus Running Club, FREE = No Medal, but hey, it was a certified course! I finished in 2:27 which is 6 minutes faster than my last half... but my last half was almost 2 years ago. What I ambition? I ambition to finish this year doing the Vegas Rock N' Roll half in the 1:50s. My accomplishment thus far? Running the entire distance! I am thrilled that I didn't walk other than at the water stations while drinking water :)

I hope these races keep me motivated and my training going, next weekend I run the Museum of Aviation Half and can't wait to get my medal!

Upcoming races per month:

• January - Red Nose Half Marathon / Museum of Aviation Half Marathon
• February - Tybee Island Half Marathon
• March - Publix Half Marathon - Atlanta
• April - TBD
• May - Pensacola Half Marathon
• June - TBD
• July - Napa 2 Sonoma Half Marathon
• August - Chicago Triathlon
• September - TBD
• October - Chicago Marathon
• November - Solar Eclipse Marathon - Australia
• December - Vegas Rock N' Roll Half Marathon

As you can see I have a few months that I still need to find races for but most of my year is planned out, I might throw a few 10Ks & Sprint Triathlons in there to add some excitement to the off weekends but those are the MUST DO races.

If you have any other races you would recommend feel free to comment, I would love to hear suggestions!

Until next post!

CM

Fuel your body

One of my New Year Resolutions this year is to complete at least a race per month throughout 2012. Ideally these will be 11 half marathons (2 in January) and 2 marathons, one in October and one in November. I am particulary excited about 2 specific races, the napa2sonoma in July and the Australia Solar Eclipse in November. Obviously, to accomplish this, it will require a fair amount of training but also I am determined to fuel my body with the foods that will keep me going.

In an effort to keep it healthy I am trying to plan my meals around a weekly menu, for this week besides my almost daily Ezequiel Turkey Sandwich and Sophia's beloved Lentil tacos I have a few others. I will post more recipes throughout the week but for today I will leave you with the following!

Chicken Chow Mein

INGREDIENTS

• 250 g Dried medium Chinese egg noodles
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 280 g cooked chicken breast, shreaded
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 100 g shiitake mushroom, sliced
• 100 g bean sprouts
• 3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil

Begin cooking the noodles according to instructions in the package and let them stand while preparing other ingredients. Then pre-eat a wok over medium heat (today because I just moved and can't find my wok I used a skillet, it was messy but it tasted just fine). 

Add the sunflower oil and swirl around the wok to coat it's walls. Once the oil is hot add chicken, garlic, peppers, mushroom, scallions and bean sprouts and stir-fry for about 5 minutes.

Now you can add the noodles to the wok, toss well, and stir-fry for an additional 5 minutes. Drizzle over the soy sauce and sesame oil and toss throughly combined.

This recipe serves 4 and it's under 500 calories, it's a good healthy option if you need to carb up for a race or long run!

I hope you get to enjoy this delicios recipe, try it out and let me know what you thought!

XOXO

CM 

New favorite artist

I heard this song today for the first time and LOVED IT! Actually LOVE Laura Jansen, all the songs I've heard from her so far I love :) Thanks Pandora radio!

First run of 2012

This has definitely been a hectic start to 2012. Between spending New Year's Eve in Nashville and picking up Sophia yesterday from Tallahassee I've been driving A LOT and running NOT SO MUCH! Thankfully, yesterday I went prepared... I was on my running clothes because I was determined to squeeze a run in Tallahassee while waiting for Sophia. 

I got to Tallahassee a couple of hours early and got a 3 mile run in after driving for 4 hours, what could be better than that for circulation? I ran around a small lake they had and it was pretty pleasant. The down side? I had the brilliant idea to eat Chipotle before my run, that wasn't very brighth.

The important thing is that I ran, I got my run in! Today I'm having a hard time finding motivation to get out on this cold (25F) but I have a run scheduled with one of the MRTT girls tonight, that will get me out there... and what more motivation that my Saturday Half Marathon? I'm going to kill it!

Well that's pretty much it for now - And a New Years Resolution post is coming soon!

Until then...

XOXO

CM