Today is the Big Day!

Today is the day! I've been waiting for this glorious Sunday for months. July 8, 2012 is the day I begin training for the Presque Isle 1/2 Marathon that will be taking place on September 16 in Erie, PA.

Running = ♥

Yes, I know. I'm pretty very weird and I love it.

And what better way to celebrate an exciting event than with a big bowl of fruit topped with a dollop of Greek yogurt!

Yum in my tum

Okay, okay. Enough about pretty parfaits. Let's get down to business: 1/2 marathon training.

I ran my first half marathon back in 2010 in Columbus and finished in 2 hours and 34 seconds.

At the finish line upon running the 2010 Columbus 1/2 Marathon

I was extremely proud of myself since all I wanted to do was finish the race. But this time I have a different goal in mind: Complete the race under 2 hours.

I feel that I can accomplish this goal if I stick to my training plan and add in strength and cross-training. So this morning I ran my first run of 4 miles and it felt great! I can't wait to continue this 10 week program and I'm excited for the strength and healthy benefits that naturally come along with it.

I truly believe that everybody is capable of running a half marathon. If you don't agree, sign up for smaller races at first. Find a local 5k or 10k and train for those. Maybe in a year you will feel confident enough to take the next step and train for a longer event.

Just do it! The benefits and sense of accomplishment that comes with completing a race is indescribable.

Question of the Day:

Do you remember your first race?

Growing up my family and I would always run the Turkey Trot every Thanksgiving morning. After finishing those 5k's I would go home and stuff myself silly with turkey, stuffing, and delicious apple pie.

1 Pecan Pie, 2 Pumpkin Pies, and 2 Apple Pies

Happy Birthday America!

This Independence Day our nation turned 236 years old.

Naturally, I couldn't think of any better way to celebrate than with yummy food!

Since I knew I would be eating quite the feast, I wanted to enjoy my food without guilt. So in the morning I had a nice workout with my mom at the YMCA where we did 1 full hour of cardio blasting moves. Let's just say we were well deserving of some scrumptious picnic food!

My mom and me at the Grand Canyon!

But before working out I knew that I had to honor America right away and have some festive Birthday Cake Oatmeal that I slightly adapted from here along with one three Cups of Joe of course.

It was superb.

Perfect for celebrating a red, white, and blue day!

Once the sweating commenced upon working out the festive foods began to appear. One picnic staple that is always at a party is coleslaw. However, coleslaw is usually saturated in high fat and caloric mayo. I never ate coleslaw before I had my mom's since I couldn't get past the fact of all that mayo. A single tablespoon of mayo has 90 calories and 10g of fat. That's only one tablespoon, a full recipe usually calls for 1 full cup! Yikes. Yet with a few simple swaps, our version is much lighter, healthier, and tastier.

Skinny Slaw

Both of these recipes are winners for sure and a great way to honor America.

Funfetti Birthday Cake Oatmeal
1/2 cup Old Fashioned Oats
1 cup water
1 Tbsp Funfetti cake mix
Splash of pure vanilla extract
Sprinkles

The ingredients!

Directions
-In a small pot, bring the water to a boil.
-Add the oats, give it a quick stir, and reduce the heat to low.
-After 2 minutes add the vanilla. Stir.
-Cook 3 more minutes and right before transferring the oatmeal to a bowl, stir in the cake mix.
-Top with sprinkles

Best bowl of birthday oats!

Skinny Slaw
1 bag shredded coleslaw

6 oz Poppyseed Vinaigrette

2 1/2 Tbsp Light Miracle Whip

Sprinkle of Kosher salt

Sprinkle of crushed black pepper

Sprinkle of paprika 

Optional: I like to sprinkle in garlic powder as well

 

The ingredients!

Directions

-In a mixing bowl, add bagged coleslaw and crunch with hands.

-Add in salt, pepper, vinaigrette, and Miracle Whip. Stir.

-Top with paprika and the optional garlic powder.

¡Muy delicioso!

Question of the Day:

How do you celebrate Independence Day?

My family and I usually go on a walk to long bike ride which is followed by a smorgasbord of food!

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10 Second Fruit Dip

Someone Something is thinking of you right now...

I'll give you a hint: it's incredibly delicious and simple to make.

Do you give up?

It's the berries begging to be doused with a dollop of fruit dip.

Eat me!

Berries are my absolute favorite fruit to feast on. It doesn't matter which type. Blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries...if it's a berry, it's most likely to be sitting in my belly.

Berries are a great source of vitamins and antioxidants. Read: Healthy

I love dipping berries in fruit dip but a lot of the time the store bought stuff is loaded with calories. So if you want a way to impress your friends and keep your budget and waist-line in check, have I got the recipe for you that I found here.

10 Second Fruit Dip
1 container fat free Cool Whip

6 oz. flavored low-fat yogurt

 The ingredients!

Directions

Mix the two together and enjoy!

Get in my belly

The possibilities of this decadent dip are endless. You could mix any flavor of yogurt with the whipped topping. This is quite possibly the simplest recipe out there folks! So if you're ever in a bind to bring an app to a party or just want to enjoy your fruit a little differently, this is the dip for you!

 

Question of the Day:  

What is your favorite fruit?

As I mentioned above, I love my berries. Can't get enough of those! I also love bananas, apples, grapes...the only fruit I'm not a fan of is melon. Watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew...no thank you.


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