Run Happy? Yes Please

Many of you know that I was undergoing ARP therapy to deal with an old injury in my hip that turned into a knee issue and sidelined my working out and running for a couple weeks. Dealing with all of this while being in the midst of legislative session and the stress, poor eating choices and consuming of alcohol that comes with session, put me at a serious disadvantage. I'm sure everyone gets to a point where they moan about going out for a run, or whine when the alarm goes off at 4:30 am for a 5:15 am class. But when injury put me on the bench, well I didn't like it. Not one bit.

When I finally was cleared to return to bootcamps and running I was overjoyed. My alarm made me happy. The long nights of work followed by early morning classes made me smile. And when I laced up my shoes and turned on my tunes, well I just embraced the mantra "Run Happy."

Two Sundays ago I ran 8.5 of the happiest miles I had run in quite some time. It was hot, muggy and wonderful. I certainly felt that run the next few days though! On that run I crossed over 250 miles since buying that iPod in November, 2013. A milestone I never, ever thought I would see.

This past Sunday I ran another 6 miles that were joyous beyond belief. I'm not overly religious; I don't usually spend a lot of time talking to God. But those 6 miles it was just me, my tunes, and my thoughts with the big man upstairs. I thanked Him for the path beneath my feet. I thanked Him for good coaches, good trainers, and good doctors. But mostly I thought about the Donna half marathon and the Boston marathon and then thanked Him for the fact that I could run when others could not. Sure it might seem a little silly when I'm pouring my heart out to God and Missy Elliot and Eminem are playing in the background. But that's how I roll. Or rather, that's how I ran.

Tomorrow I start a new milestone: I am challenging myself to get my eating back under control by starting the first round of Whole30, a food road map to kick start a healthy eating plan for life. If you don't know what it is, google it. Or better yet, buy yourself a copy of "It Starts With Food".

I'm not gonna lie, I'm nervous. I have doubts I can/will complete this challenge. But like all other challenges in my life, I first have to believe, and then take the step. So here goes nothing.

Coming Back from Injury

It's no secret I've been on a restricted workout regimen lately, due to both illness and injury. During my training leading up to the Donna Half Marathon in February I put in more miles than I had ever logged, combined with multiple days of cross training. I felt good going into the Donna but by mile 9 my knee was hurting something fierce and I hobbled my way through miles 10 and 11. With rest, deep tissue massage and cutting back on the miles I recovered to running and working out without pain.

Discussing my knee issues with my trainer Shannon, I took her advice and booked an appointment with Dr. Cal Melton at Downtown Chiropractic. Both Shannon and Allison went to him for knee issues and are back to working out strong and running pain free. I went to see him right before the Gate River Run 15k and received a serious adjustment - first ever for me and holy heck did it sound terrible and feel terrific.

That weekend I ran the Gate River Run 15k. By mile 2 my knee was stiff and sore, and through the bridge and last two miles I had serious pain in my knee, albeit much less than during the Half. Recovery from this race took longer and the dull pain really never went away. For the first time since August my bootcamp workouts were needing to be modified and it was time to address the issue before I got sidelined for good.

Dr. Cal started me on ARP (Accelerated Recovery Performance) Therapy. Basically its like electrodes in a pad that find your injury (OMG does it EVER find your injury) and with lots of waves it helps breakdown scar tissue and increase blood flow and speed up recovery. I've ahem, Dr. Cal, endured a few more sessions than I'd like. But clearly its working.

Now for those of you who know me, you know I worked for almost a year on the President's re-election campaign in 2012. I basically spent much of that time standing at events, or sitting for long periods of time in my car driving to events. Every time I got out of the car after a long road trip my right hip would twinge something fierce. Usually after a few ginger steps, though, I'd be back to normal. Well turns out this was an old injury that has caused my body to not build muscle in the way it should have during all those months of working out, and the result was a tight glute, resulting in a tight IT band that ended in serious pain in my knee. We all know the song, "the hip bone's connected to the thigh bone, the thigh bone's connected to the knee bone.." yeah well isn't that the case? Knee pain = hip problem.

On April 1st Dr. Cal delivered some not so April Fools news: restricted activities for the week. No running, no bootcamp, no stretching, no foam rolling. And every day I got the ARP torture, I mean, therapy. Three days of straight ARP therapy and I was allowed to test run on Sunday. So Shannon met me Sunday am and we both got in some miles. 6 pain free miles for her, and 5.25 nearly pain free for me. I was feeling good up until the very end when I felt some pain in my hip and immediately stopped.

I was instructed by Dr. Cal via check in (yeah my doctor works Sundays for his patients!) to keep test running this week but restricted me from further activities. (This now marks three weeks of being away from the Badass Army). On Tuesday, after a very long, very arduous day at the capitol, I was struggling with the idea of lacing up and running. But I did, and I'm so very thankful I did because I completed 6 miles pain free. I was thrilled. That night I had some stiffness but it was gone by morning.

I picked up my Palace Saloon 5k bib tonight and I'm lacing up with the ladies of Badass Fitness tomorrow am where I hope to get in another pain free 5 miles. More importantly, I'm hoping I get the all clear to return to all my much missed sports very soon. I don't know about you, but its so hard to be restricted from exercise; not working out makes me not want to eat healthy. And that's the last thing I need during my recovery.

So here's hoping this is the first signs towards total recovery. Two lessons learned from all of this: 1st - never ignore a reoccurring pain. You never know what its going to wind up impacting nor how long it will take to recover. And for that matter, find an amazing doctor like Dr. Cal Melton to help you through the injury. And 2nd - the recovery after a workout is just as important as the workout itself. I can't forget that and neither should you.

By popular request: Best Crockpot Pulled Pork Recipe

I've been looking for exciting new crockpot recipes that will yield some pretty tasty dishes that I will want to eat for several days. On Sunday I made an amazing jambalaya that I've been eating for every meal and haven't gotten sick of (which I think in the world of crockpot says something).

I have been craving some non-paleo foods lately - like cheeseburgers with bread and well, cheese, pulled pork sandwiches and mac and cheese specifically. I haven't yet figured out a way to get non wheat, non dairy mac and cheese but I'm determined to figure it out! Cheeseburgers without a bun and vegan cheese is easy, but the pulled pork sandwich was on my list to recreate.

On Sunday while my jambalaya was smelling incredible, I found a terrific recipe for pulled pork and figured I'd give it a try. It turned out even better then I had imagined and who needed the bun anyways? Be prepared to allow this bad boy to rest in your fridge for a day before you make it in the crockpot though to allow for maximum flavor of the pork. The spices combined with a sweet bbq sauce make for an amazing flavor of sweet and spicy pork.

Ingredients:

3 lb pork roast - bone in is best
4 tbsp. paprika
2 tbsp. sea salt
2 tbsp. chili powder
2 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. group black pepper
1 tbsp. dried oregano
2 tbsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 to 1 bottle of your favorite bbq sauce - I used Organicville original bbq sauce which is gluten free

Directions:

1. mix all your dry spices together in a bowl to create a spice rub.
2. massage the dry rub all over the pork and into every space on the pork you can find.
3. wrap the entire pork in plastic wrap (or a big ziplock bag if you don't have plastic wrap) and let it marinade in the refrigerator for several hours. I let mine rest for about 24 hours.
4. unwrap the pork and place in crockpot with 1/4 cup of water. Cook on low for 8 hours. If you go with a larger pork roast give it a least another hour or two.
5. pull the entire roast out of the crock pot and discard the juice. Using two forks, remove all the bones (which should be easy since the meat should be falling off the bone) and shred the pork.
6. transfer all the pork back into the crock pot and as much bbq sauce as you want to cover the pork. I used about half a bottle. Let it warm up in the crock pot before serving.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did tonight! Hoping (and assuming) like most crockpot meals it will be even better tomorrow for lunch.

Recovering from Sickness with Paleo Jambalaya and a Golden ACE

Let me tell you, being sick is no bueno. Everyone knows this. But being sick when you are trying to be healthy is even harder on your mind, body and soul.

I was hit with whatever crud is going around on Tuesday and only emerged on Saturday sounding and looking somewhat like normal. Which was quite interesting since I had to be in a fancy gown Saturday evening for an awards gala. I was nominated and selected as the 2014 Tallahassee Network of Young Professionals Golden ACE in the Government Relations & Law category. I was honored to have been nominated and proud to win the award.

 

 

Earlier that morning was the Springtime Tallahassee 10k which I was registered to run, but due to bad weather and not wanting to get sick again, I opted not to run Saturday. Instead I made up the 6.2 mi on Sunday morning. After being sick all week, eating very little and not working out at all, that was one of the hardest and must unhappy runs I have done to date. I ended up walking the last 1.5 mi due to pain in my knee, and barely being able to breathe. But I completed it.

I decided there was no better way to clear my head than with a spicy jambalaya, paleo-ified. I've been searching for some good crockpot recipes and came across this one from www.lifeasaplate.com and modified it as I usually do. With windows open, and some serious shuffle of my iTunes going, I started prepping my crockpot wonder of the day. It was quick and came out delicious! Just be prepared to serve it to a lot of people or have leftovers forever.

Ingredients:
4 c chicken stock
4 bell peppers chopped (any colors)
1 sweet onion chopped
2 (14.5 oz) cans of organic diced tomatoes (include liquid)
2-3 cloves garlic chopped
2 bay leafs
1 lb shrimp raw, tailless and deveined
1-2 chicken breasts diced (1 large or two small)
1 package spicy Andouille sausage (can sub with kielbasa sausage)
1 head of cauliflower
1/4 cup (or more) of hot sauce
2 Tbps paprika
1 Tbps salt
1 Tbps garlic powder
1 Tbps black pepper
1 Tbps onion powder
1-2 Tbps cayenne pepper or chili powder
1 Tbps dried oregano
1 Tbps dried thyme

Instructions:

1. put chopped peppers, onion, garlic, chicken, seasonings, hot sauce and bay leaves in crockpot with tomatoes and chicken stock. Let cook for 5.5 hours.
2. Add in sausage and let cook for 10 more min. Add in shrimp and cook for 20 more min.
3. Steam cauliflower rice and serve jambalaya over rice in a bowl.

This was exactly what I needed tonight and I'm so ready to get back to working, and more importantly, working out tomorrow. I don't think I've ever looked more forward to a Monday before!

What's in a blog name?

I've gotten lots of questions about why I chose to name my blog "From Fat to Fabulous". Believe me when I tell you it's not because I was fat and now I'm not. The name has to do with a state of mind. Let me explain.

As women, especially as young women, we are constantly bombarded with messages of beauty. We see it in magazine articles, advertisements in print and on TV, and especially in the products that are geared for women. They all tell us we are not thin enough, not good enough unless we buy this, eat this, wear that. Nowhere are we encouraged for being the smart, successful, amazing and beautiful women we are.

 

 

This blog and especially my journey to get healthy and stay fit isn't about losing weight or inches. It isn't about dropping dress sizes. Its about the transformation I went through and will continue to go through to understand that I am fabulous no matter the shape or size that I am.

To me, fabulous comes from gaining back my confidence that I lost a long time ago. It's smiling instead of crying when I look in the mirror. Fabulous is being able to finish a half marathon, row 9,000 meters in 45 min, do pushups like a champ and concur the bosu. It's feeling better physically and mentally based on the food choices I make. And most importantly, fabulous is in the encouragement I give others who see the journey I'm making and, in turn, are working to become fabulous too.

That is what fat to fabulous means.

The Gate River Run 15k

What a fun weekend we had in Jacksonville with the Badass Babes and friends! Finishing my second 15k with a PR of 1:34 including concurring the Green Monster bridge made me proud. And the race bling is sweet too. I'm just sad that I'm having some knee issues but I hope I can work to resolve them soon. Next race is two weeks away! 

 

This weekend was exactly what I needed: fun with friends, a great run with a new PR, and time to decompress from a hectic couple weeks of work. Tammie and I set off for Jax on Friday afternoon, way behind schedule. We picked up all the packets at the expo, spent way too much on new race gear and picked up a little something special for our race planner Mitzi. Then we headed to meet the rest of the Badass babes for dinner - which didn't quite go as planned.

Saturday morning we headed to the Everbank field to get ready for the race. Shannon headed to the speedy race corral, Mitzi and I headed to the middle of the pack, and Crystal, Tammie, Amy and JT headed to the third corral - as Crystal calls it, the "caboose" and as JT refers to it, the "turtle corral".

I have never been so excited to see real bathrooms in our waiting area! We may make this race a repeater just for this reason alone. Mitzi and I decided to have a little fun with the camera while we waited for the race to start, and ran into a whole bunch of Tallahassee people in the meantime, including Badass Babes, Betsy and Sarah.

The cannon thundered and Betsy, Mitzi and the rest of our wave took off out of Everbank Field, past the Maxwell Coffee plant, around downtown and over the Main Street bridge. We headed into the neighborhoods but with the packed crowd of runners and the narrow streets I lost Mitzi and Betsy and had to finish the run alone. Thankfully 15,000 runners, some awesome Jacksonville residents with encouraging signs, popsicles, and yes even grilled sausages and beer kept me occupied. We finally rounded the corner of the last neighborhood and hit the onramp for the dreaded Green Monster, a mile long bridge that felt almost as high to climb! It also happens to be the last 1.5 miles of the race.

Finally the crest of the bridge was met and all that stood between me and a medal was my extremely tight right IT band in my knee, and a downhill run to the finish. I picked up some speed and made it across the finish line to rehydrate and wait for the rest of our crew. There were many accomplishments in our group including Shannon's Top 10% finish, several PRs and Mitzi's ability to put a fear of bridges behind (below?) her.

Race bling acquired we got out of there for a fun afternoon of shopping, and relaxing, followed by a great dinner and some adult beverages at Fionn McCool's, an Irish bar at The Landing. It was exactly what we needed after a long week, and a tough race.

It was a wonderful weekend and I am reminded again how thankful I am to have met such amazing and wonderful women who inspire and encourage me, and who help me learn and grow every day. Can't wait for the next Badass race weekend! 

It's all about the food

Yes, working out is a huge way I've lost the "huge" about me. But it's the food that really counts in seeing the pounds, and more importantly, the inches drop. During my first round of Tabata bootcamp I paid more attention to the workouts than the food. I lost 11 pounds in that 8 week period. But the second round I made a decision to focus on both the working out AND the eating, and boy did it make a difference.  To date I've dropped 38-40 lbs since starting my healthy journey last summer.

I choose to eat clean, mostly a paleo-esc diet of giving up wheat and dairy in favor of meals that are filled with protein, fruits and veggies.  But where paleo and I differ is I include potatoes and rice into some of my meals. I choose to eat as limited amount of processed foods as I can. If it comes in a box or with a label I tend not to put it in my shopping cart.

That was very difficult in the beginning with my extremely busy lifestyle and very picky taste buds. But, I have come to love my crockpot (this time around - I hated it years ago because everything was a bland, mushy mess). I make a conscious effort to ensure I have a homemade, healthy breakfast every morning, I eat leftovers for lunch of meals I made in the weekend or evenings before, and a super awesome dinner, fresh or leftover, at night. And when I do need to rely on a snack or a meal out, I try to stick as close to clean eating as possible, by knowing every ingredient that goes into my mouth. Yes its time consuming, and yes it can be expensive. But I think my body, my increased sleep, and my mind are worth it. I plan to share some of my awesome recipes as I discover them, and please, PLEASE share yours as well!

For example, one of my favorite meals is beef and broccoli. But getting it from a Chinese Food restaurant can be dangerous. So I crock pot my own.

Ingredients:

2 lbs of grassfed beef roast
1 large head of organic broccoli
1-2 cans of water chestnuts
1/2ish bottle of gluten free teriyaki marinade (should cover the meat)
2 Tbs ground ginger
2 Tbs garlic
1 Tbs chili powder

Cut the meat into smaller chunks and put in crock pot. Add seasoning. Pour in teriyaki sauce until it about covers the meat. Stir everything to make sure meat has good coverage of sauce and all spices are mixed in the teriyaki sauce. Cover, low 5-6 hours depending on preference of meat temperature and doneness.

Prior to serving, steam up broccoli florets and add to crockpot. Also add water chestnuts. Serve over rice. Enjoy!