Weight Lifting Wednesday

January 27, 2016 by kpjenn

It’s been a while. Oops.

The holidays happened. Then I moved. Now January is almost over and I feel like I don’t know where it went. Gah.

In all of this busy-ness, running has kind of fallen to the curb. I’ve run maybe twice since the Baltimore marathon in October. I’m signed up for a couple of races this spring, but honestly, I’m enjoying the break. From running at least.

What have I been doing in the meantime?

Lifting a lot of heavy things.

The boyfrannnd is a Marine and that means being in shape and PT tests and since we both like fitness (and beer and pizza), we find ways to workout together so we can eat and drink together, too. We’ve crafted a workout schedule that is mostly weight training, balanced with some cardio and I’ve really been feeling great. Physically and mentally. It’s a huge boost to my self esteem to see the numbers on the plates tick up week to week.

By no means are we preparing for any body building or bikini figure contests, but damn if my arms and traps and lats don’t look way better than they used to.

Weight lifting can be super intimidating – I get it – but with the right plan for you, it can be the best workout you’ve ever gotten.

Just to give you a taste, here’s a week in the life of my current training schedule:

Monday: Back/Shoulders

Pull-up pyramid(5-4-3-2-1-2-3-4-5)/push-ups (10) superset
Military Press: 65#; 4×10
Barbell Rows: 115#; 4×10
Lat pull downs: 104#; 4×10
Tricep pull-up pyramid (5-4-3-2-1-2-3-4-5)

Tuesday: Legs

Squats: 165#; 4×12 (we opted for reps over weight here, whereas our last training cycle was focused more on heavy lifts and I was squatting 195#-200#)
Deadlifts: 165#; 2×10

Wednesday: Chest

Straight bench: 105#; 4×8
Incline bench: 95#; 4×8
Decline bench 105#; 4×8

Thursday: Rest

Friday: Bi/Tri

Standing curl (27.5#)/dips (10) superset: 4×10
Reverse grip pull downs : 55#; 4×10
EZ Bar Curls: 50#; 4×10
Tricep pushdowns: 55#; 4×10
Rope curls: 55#; 4×10
Plate curl drop sets: 45#, 35#, 25#

Saturday/Sunday: Cardio

I mean, one of the most frustrating things I hear from women is that they “don’t want to get big.” Now, I totally get the not wanting to look like some juiced-up East German Olympian with a lady ‘stache, but muscles are hot! And being strong is sexy. I love looking in the mirror and knowing that the reason my shirt is a little tighter or my jeans are filled out more is because I can squat more than what my boyfriend weighs.

Stringing together pull-ups, a thing I haven’t been able to do since I was a kid, is awesome. The day I finally put up 135# on my bench press? I felt like such a badass. Not to mention the fact that lifting weights is an incredible way to build core strength (without having to do a million crunches or other silly ab workouts) and is great cross training for running, biking or other cardio-based workouts.

If you’re at all intrigued by weight training – ask a trainer about it! When you’re at the gym, don’t be intimidated, just do some reading and research and give it a try. Make a plan, start light and get lifting!

On Love and Friendship

November 2, 2015 by kpjenn

hearts Lately I’ve been having these epiphanies.

Well, maybe not epiphanies. Maybe it’s just remembering things I already knew. Maybe it’s because I have some time to myself while not training alllll the time.

Maybe it’s because in the three years since I picked up and moved away from home and family and friends, I’ve been forced to think about, really think about, what it means to truly care for someone.

Yes, I’m talking about love.

Not just romantic love, though that is something I think about often, too. Philia. Love for your friends.

Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics describes Philia as “affectionate regard” or “friendship,” which is a simple translation. In his Rhetoric, the definition goes deeper:

“wanting for someone what one thinks good, for his sake and not for one’s own, and being inclined, so far as one can, to do such things for him.”

Aristotle speaks of love as something selfless. Loving someone puts them first. Puts their needs and feelings and experiences first. Loving someone asks that one gives of herself and doesn’t demand for the same in return. Loving someone is giving yourself fully and trusting that love to nourish and enrich both souls.

It isn’t something that should be felt lightly, though too frequently, it is.

Hearing “I love you” from a friend should be something you cherish. It’s a tiny gift that you can carry with you, a light for your heart, a constant reminder that someone, somewhere, has your back. Cares about the state of your heart. Wants to protect it for you. Wants to guard you from hurt and suffering.Will do nearly anything for you to lift you up. To stand beside you and hold your hand when you’re frightened. To celebrate and laugh and cry with you. To remind you of your boundaries and to call you on your shit and to respect your limits. Love should be fearless in this way. It can be fearless because both souls know the other deeply and well. That fearlessness is born out of mutual trust and respect.

“There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.” – Jane Austen

To truly love a someone is to give yourself to it wholly. To put your friend before yourself. To take ownership in that relationship and to recognize that your words and actions always have an effect. What you do and say carry weight. Think about your dialogue. Be respectful of your friend’s truth.

Maintaining the old, far-away friendships takes work and I’m fortunate to have bonds with people that can withstand years and miles. Forging new relationships, though, has taught me how to value people and their stories in a way I’d never considered before.

For a long time, friendship was easy for me. School was a social situation I was comfortable with. My peers and I had plenty in common and those experiences brought us together. Moving halfway across the country to a city where I knew nearly no one changed the landscape altogether. I struggled, for a long time, to connect with people here and that was not something that I was comfortable with, or comfortable admitting. It was lonely and I let myself live inside that loneliness for a long time.

“Life will break you. Nobody can protect you from that, and living alone won’t either, for solitude will also break you with its yearning. You have to love. You have to feel. It is the reason you are here on earth. You are here to risk your hear. You are here to be swallowed up. And when it happens that you are broken, or betrayed, or left, or hurt, or death brushes near, let yourself sit by an apple tree and listen to the apples falling all around you in heaps, wasting their sweetness. Tell yourself you tasted as many as you could.” – Louise Erdrich

It took a while to find a way out of that lonely place – it was unfamiliar and I didn’t like it, but it had a way of keeping me there – but when I did, I found what I had been missing. New friendships, found almost by accident, but since nourished by a depth of mutual respect and care that I am overwhelmed by the affection that I have for them.

They give me more than I realized I wanted and fill my heart to overflowing. They teach me what it means to be brave and strong and genuine and kind. They are beautiful souls who have come through fire to light one in me. I didn’t realize how much I needed them until I found them and now? Now I gladly give of myself to repay that respect and generosity of spirit.

“Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.” – Anais Nin

Friendship, much like romantic love, is not without risk and it can hurt, deeply, when those bonds of love are disrespected or broken. But what is living without taking a risk? You will be forever changed by that person and what they can teach you.

“Hearts are breakable and I think even when you heal, you’re never what you were before.” – Cassandra Clare

You have the choice. Let others in, let them teach you and put them before yourself, or live in that dark place, alone, with nothing to keep you company but selfish pity. Let yourself be changed by the good in others and the love that you feel will be genuine. That is true friendship. And it is beautiful.

Run Army Strong: Army Ten Miler

October 12, 2015 by kpjenn

As my marathon training winds down (it’s this weekend, guys!), I’ve sort of been struggling to keep my head in the running game.

Life gets busy sometimes, and priorities change. Motivation changes. I made the decision a while back that following the marathon, the next couple of months were going to focus less on racing and more on my other fitness goals. Running just isn’t giving me the same balance that it used to.

So, as I’ve been struggling through this “running is meh” mindset, I’m glad that the “I love running!” version of me decided to sign up for a handful of races as part of my marathon training. It’s definitely been a little bit more motivating to have events to go to and publicly accountable reasons to get my training miles in.

In the last month, I’ve done the Navy/Air Force Half Marathon (which I’ll re-cap soon!) and the Army Ten Miler. This is the cool thing about living in Washington DC: lots of opportunities to run really fun, well-organized races put on by different branches of the military.

Obviously, the big one that everyone recognizes is the Marine Corps Marathon – I haven’t run this one yet, but I have spectated it! It’s on my bucket list… maybe next season? If I feel less meh about running then?

But after MCM, the Army Ten Miler is probably the second most well known. At 35,000 runners, it’s the third largest ten miler in the world.

Yesterday morning, all 35,000 of us descended upon the Pentagon to get things started. Because there are so many runners, ATM does a wave start, with eight waves that start roughly eight minutes apart. It works pretty seamlessly. Both times I’ve run this race, the start was smooth sailing.

The only downside to yesterday morning? It was CHILLY. Like 44 degrees by the time I got to the Pentagon. I had worn capris and a tank to run in (which was ultimately the best call), and had brought a sweatshirt to throwaway at the start, but because I didn’t want to have to check a bag o’ stuff, I decided not to wear anything else to stay warm.

Consequently, that also meant that because I got there STUPID early (I’m talking 2 hours early, folks. I’m an idiot. Or I just wanted to get there and get it over with.), I was faced with the prospect of standing outside in the cold for far too long. So, I decided to huddle in the Metro station until the security guards threw us out. Ultimately, that ended up being about an hour.

I was warm for an hour. And then I was banished outside to wait for the sun to come up and bless us with her warm, inviting rays.

This is the face of someone who just wants to be warm.

I went to my corral, found a curb, and proceeded to sit on it with my knees up around my ears until it was time to start.

Fortunately, that happened quickly and as my wave rolled forward, I kind of scooted into the wave in front of me and ended up starting with them. Ultimately, this worked out well for me, because it was clearly the pace group I should have been in.

My race plan was to stick to my marathon training strategy: 5-1 intervals, pacing around 10:30-11:00 min/miles. But then I thought about it some more. “It’s only ten miles.” “You can run faster than that.” “Why the hell not?”

So, I decided to push this race. I had a time in mind to finish by, one that I haven’t seen in a couple of years and knew I was more than capable of achieving. As we started, I kicked it out a bit, not going too fast, but hanging with the swifter-moving folks in our group. Turns out, I banged out the first two miles (without walking) in 8:20 and 8:14. Not mad about it.

After Mile 2, I decided to implement the intervals again, because I know they work for me. So I did. Stopping to walk for a minute every five definitely affected my pace, but I was surprised to see that I was still moving at a good clip. Miles 3-9 were all between 8:58 and 9:30 min/miles. And then I ran Mile 10 straight through, without intervals, to finish that one in 8:20, and ultimately meet my time goal for this race.

I don’t know what happened, but I was pretty stoked on it.

Today, however, my legs are a liiiiittle tired. I’ll have to be nice to them this week as we go into marathon day.

Here’s to knocking out that last bit of training and looking forward to 26.2!

FootGolf… Say What?

September 11, 2015 by kpjenn

Raise your hand if you’ve played soccer.

Okay, now raise your hand if you’ve played golf.

I’m guessing that the number of hands that went up for soccer was significantly higher than the number that went up for golf. Just a hunch, but I bet I’m right in assuming most of you have either never played golf, or have played a limited amount. I’m definitely one of those people – aside from minigolf or TopGolf, I’ve never really swung a club or played a round. Working in the golf industry has taught me that I am not alone.

In fact, the golf industry is struggling now to bring younger (millennial) golfers to the game. And women. Lest we forget that for so long golf was a “gentlemen only,” very exclusive sport. It still carries some of that stigma, which has definitely been seen as a hurdle to attracting new golfers to the links in recent years. Not to mention the fact that learning golf takes time, can be expensive, and can be really intimidating if you don’t have someone showing you the ropes.

To combat this, golf-hybrids have entered the market. New games that mimic golf, or incorporate elements of golf are popping up across the country. Aimed at attracting new players to the course, sports like Snag Golf and FootGolf have gained popularity in recent years.

I hear about FootGolf alllll the time at work. My friend Sarah is on a millennial golf task-force, and I’ve also been involved in conversations surrounding millennials in golf, so when a Groupon for FootGolf popped up in Sarah’s email, we immediately decided that a double FootGolf date was in order.

So, what is FootGolf exactly? According to the American FootGolf League, it is:

“… a combination of the popular sports of soccer and golf. The game is played with a regulation #5 soccer ball at a golf course facility on shortened holes with 21-inch diameter cups. The rules largely correspond to the rules of golf. FootGolf as a game is played throughout the world in many different forms, but as a sport, it is regulated by the Federation for International FootGolf (FIFG). The American FootGolf League (AFGL) is the exclusive member of the FIFG and governing body for the sport of FootGolf in the United States. The AFGL is organizing tournaments throughout the country working with golf courses to bring FootGolf to their clubs as another avenue for revenue and to develop the game further.”

Basically, you take soccer balls out on the golf course, and bomb them down the fairway toward an oversized hole. The goal is to get the ball into the hole in as few kicks as possible. Easy peasy.

So, last weekend, Sarah, myself and our significant others loaded up and headed out to our tee time.

We were excited. I promise.

We were all a little interested to see how well this adventure would go – while three of the four of us had played golf before, none of us were soccer players. As it turns out, neither mattered and after warming up (the first hole was a little bit of a doozy… staying out of the rough was tricky), each hole got progressively better.

At Cameron Hills Golf Links, the FootGolf holes are on the same course as the golf holes. The tee boxes are often in different places and the holes themselves are fairly well separated. That said, we were pretty much on top of the golf course and there were traditional golfers playing while we were out there, which got a little hairy sometimes. We actually hung back and let a couple of folks play through so that we could take our time and stay out of their way.

This is obviously a point of contention among traditional golfers – sharing the course with non-traditional players. But hopefully, sports like FootGolf can combat that mindset, which will ultimately help open doors for others to the game of golf.

We rented carts, but it was pretty apparent that walking the course would probably have been more efficient, and would likely have improved our pace of play. I think we wasted more time moving the carts than anything else.

All in all, we had a great time. We played 9 holes (we could have played 18, but due to previous engagements, we abbreviated our game), had a few beers, and enjoyed a beautiful morning on the links. We found out, too, that East Potomac Golf Course (a public course in DC) is now offering FootGolf as well, so we’ll definitely be checking that course out in the near future!

Shoe Review: Skora Tempo

June 26, 2015 by scootadoot

Last month, Kyle and Cam were called upon to serve the running community. Their mission? To test run the new Skora Tempo – a beautiful, bright, natural-running shoe that touts “connection + cushioning.” Kyle began marathon training in her pair. Cam ran Ragnar Wasatch Back. These are their stories.

Kyle

Upon receiving my Tempos in the mail, I immediately tore into the package and stuck the suckers on my feet. I’ve had a love affair with minimalist shoes since I started distance running three years ago and though I’ve moved away from them during my last two marathon cycles, I was excited to welcome them back on to my feet. I’d never run in a pair of Skora shoes before, but I’ve only read good things about them, so I was really looking forward to putting some miles on them.

The first thing I noticed about these shoes was how wide the toe box is – in my excitement to try them on, I didn’t put on socks and they felt really too big in the toe box. But, after putting on a pair of socks, they felt a lot more snug. I loved the lacing – it’s anatomically designed to fit the natural curve of your feet and it allows for a “second skin” like feel.

I took them out for a short test run that day and I was in love. That zero-drop is my jam, tho. Knowing my feet and how they handle long distances, though, I know that these shoes will probably be designated as middle distance kicks – no longer than 13.1 in these babies, because otherwise my feet and knees will be a bit unhappy.

As I tested the Tempos out, I wore them to the gym for my other workouts. The great thing about zero-drop shoes? They make GREAT lifting shoes. These are no exception. You’ve got plenty of cush to make your joints happy, but you’re also totally connected to the ground, which gives you a strong base to lift from. Usually I lift in my New Balance Minimus, the soles of which are made of the same material as the Vibram Five Fingers. I love those shoes, but I’ve been looking for something different and Skora, you’ve come through!

I’ve got a 9-miler on the docket for this weekend and I’m looking forward to another run in the Tempos. I’m still getting used to minimalist running again, but I love how light and unencumbered my feet feel in these shoes. I’m excited to see what my splits look like – even if it’s just in my head, I feel faster when I run in these, and that’s always a good thing!

Cam

So you guys know how I feel about Skora, right? I’m pretty much their biggest fan. I’ve had nothing but shoe problems since I began running around 5 years ago. I’ve tried them all and Skora is where my heart is. It’s a very committed relationship. Given the opportunity to try out their new model, I was like a kid in a candy store…or a runner in a shoe store? I don’t know, I was thrilled.

My first wear…with socks.

Skora generally are made to be worn without socks. They have this “no sew” construction so you don’t feel all the seams and junk on the top of your foot. The Core is what I’ve worn in the past and just before trying these, I invested in a pair of the Forms. I like that they’re made from genuine leather. They’re soft and mold to your foot. These are a zero drop shoe, meaning they have a 0mm differential between the heel and toe. The Forms I’ve been running in weigh a whopping 6.8 oz and have a 13 mm sole. The Tempo are a little lighter at 6 oz but they have considerably more padding at 22 mm. Socks not needed!!! These shoes are super light, super airy, and super comfy. Plus, they look awesome and reflective, which is must for us night runners.

The first thing I noticed is that they have a bit of an arch, probably undetectable for normal feet but my flat feet noticed immediately. The gave me a bit of soreness in the heel and arch initially, which I haven’t experienced with the Form. Once I’d given them a solid 10 miles, though, they entire shoe was undetectable. And because of the mesh upper, I could feel the breeze on my toes.

I’ve been wearing them for cross training, also. Like Kyle mentioned, they have a huge toe box. Mine were a bit big in the length, even though I ordered my normal size 10. I felt like the material buckled around my toe a bit with lateral movement. If I were to order these again, I’d probably size down a half size. The box is big enough, you don’t have to worry about your toes rubbing against the shoe so sizing up is unnecessary.

At this point, I was already very please with my these new shoes, but I wanted to put them to the real test: Ragnar. Would I still love these shoes after three runs over two days and 15+ miles?

On our way to Utah!

I’ve had terrible issues with my ankles, so I wrapped and wore compression socks for my first run. These shoes did fabulous. I had no foot pain, which is my main issue when I run. Granted, I have to apply a lot of topical pain relief to my ankle before I run, but my arches felt great. My second run, I ditched the socks and felt the wind between my toes.

Go Ragnar! Gearing up for my last run…sockless.

My last run was 4.1 miles downhill. And when I say downhill, I mean like 2000 ft elevation loss. I ended up getting huge blisters on the inside arches of both feet and a pretty sore achilles. The extra space in the toe from the shoe being a little big may have had something to do with this. However, I didn’t have knee pain, which I anticipated given this downhill and I didn’t lose a toenail, which happens every Ragnar. I can’t be sure if the blisters were because of the shoe or just a casualty of Ragnar. Historically, by my third leg, I can barely walk, my knee caps feel like they’re about to pop, and ankles are the size of grapefruits. I’d definitely rather just have a couple blisters!

Sometimes when I run, I also dance.

Overall, I really like these shoes. I think they’d be fantastic for someone with more of an arch and the cushion is just unbeatable. I don’t know what they’re using in the soles, but seriously, it’s like marshmallows. I still like my Form the best, but I’ll be adding these to my list of reasons why Skora holds my heart.

Road Tested: Cultures for Health

May 11, 2015 by scootadoot

Recently, the ladies over here at Scoot a Doot were approached by Cultures for Health, a real food company run by Julie and Eric Feickert. Their goal? To create a website where people making a food change in their own lives could find all the products and information they need to be successful. Part of that website provide folks with kits to make their own food. From yogurt, to cheese, to kefir, to sourdough, to kombucha – these starter kits provide the perfect opportunity to dip your toes into the world of sustainable, traditionally prepared foods.

The lovely folks over there gave Meridith and Kyle the chance to try their hand at making some food… these are their stories.

Kombucha.

Wait. What?

Yes. You read that right. Kombucha. What is Kombucha? Well, according to the wisdom that is the internets (and Wikipedia, which, you know, ALWAYS has the right answer), kombucha is “a lightly effervescent fermented drink of sweetened black and/or green tea that is used as a functional food. It is produced by fermenting the tea using a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast, or ‘SCOBY’.”

That’s a fun way to say it’s a delicious drink with debatable health benefits. Whatever. I like kombucha, though I usually buy it pre-made, in a bottle, at Whole Foods. It’s bubbly, and fizzy, and has a fun little tang to it.

So obviously, when Mer and I were offered the chance to test out the Cultures for Health kits, I jumped at the opportunity to try and make my own kombucha.

Things I knew going in:

Kombucha is cultured (duh, hence the name).
Unlike some cultures, kombucha takes a looong time.
This might be a struggle because I’m terribly impatient.

When my kit arrived, I immediately busted it open because I wanted to know what this process was going to be like and what other things I might need to gather to be successful.

Turns out that I needed to get a bigger mason jar, but given that I’m dumb and that I don’t plan ahead, by the time I needed to start the culture to have something ready for this post, I hadn’t picked one up. Solution? Use the leftover coconut oil jar (washed, of course) instead. It was a little small, so I had to half the recipe. I was a little concerned about how successful this would be. #badplanning

Anyways. The process itself was fairly simple. Essentially, I had to brew some tea (the kit included some black tea, which I enjoy), add some sugar (more than I thought, but… science, I guess?), some vinegar and the SCOBY, and then… wait.

And wait.

The instructions say that the starter culture is supposed to take roughly 30 days to cure. So far, it’s sat for 11. It’s looking good!

I tasted a little off the top – and while the culture still isn’t completely ready yet, it’s definitely doing something! It’s sweet and vinegary (a little). I’m excited to see how it turns out after a month.

The instructions in this kit were very clear as to how this process was supposed to go – and while the recipe is fairly simple, the process for making the starter culture vs. your own kombucha tea can get a little confusing. I appreciated that these steps were delineated clearly. I also liked that they gave instructions on how to continue using your culture to make multiple batches of tea. If this goes well, I definitely will!

Cheers!

Mozzarella and tomato slices, drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

Homemade pizza with delicious melt-y cheese.

Yes indeed, I had big dreams for the Cultures for Health kits.

My best sous chefs were prepped (aka: my kids) and ready to go. Although I’d never made cheese before I was confident that I could follow the directions in the booklet.

After all, how hard could it be?

Famous last words.

The kits came with most of the ingredients, we needed to supple one gallon of cow or goat milk and chlorine-free water.

Note: don’t do what I did at first and get organic milk. Organic milk is highly pasteurized and that doesn’t work well when making cheese.

After actually reading the directions I ran to the store to get regular cows milk. We wanted to make sure we had the highest chance of success possible, and that means following the directions. (We also now have a lot of milk in my house – the kids are thrilled because this means lots of chocolate milk!) It also says in the booklet under the section “Before You Start”: Read all the instructions. Okay, okay, I get it. Reading is fundamental.

The kiddos love helping with food prep and I kept them busy, pouring the milking and mixing ingredients. The little guy has high food selectivity (Autism/mouth-feel, you do it to me every time!) but I’ve found if he is involved with making food, he’s more apt to at least try new things.

Once we moved things to the stove, the kids helped stir the milk while we got it up to the proper temperature.

At this point, I think we were about a half hour into the process. The directions suggest that it takes about 30 minutes to make, in total. Obviously, we are not artisanal cheese makers. Yet.

Checking to see if the curds had separated from the whey. (They hadn’t fully so we let them sit a few more minutes.)

There was much singing about the Little Miss Muffet and tuffets and whatnot. I wasn’t exactly sure what we were doing at this point but I was hoping that we had good stuff going and soon would be feasting on mozzarella yummyness.

However, things weren’t looking so great when it came to the stretching of the curds. I had grand visions of being very twirly, creative at this point. Instead, this is what I got.

Not so stretchy. Not so twirly.

I continued on with this, wishing, hoping, praying that it would magically turn into a beautiful shiny ball of mozzarella. Instead, this is what we wound up with…

Cheese?

So what went wrong? Well, I think the processing of the milk could have been a factor. Even though it wasn’t ultra-pasteurized, I’m assuming that this is where the I had issues. The booklet has troubleshooting tips and I think that we could have increased the amount of citric acid to help balance this.

Thankfully, each kit makes quite a good amount of cheese; I’ll try again because I’m bound and determined to make it work. Additionally, the website is helpful in troubleshooting and they have an 800 number and email for customer support, which I will be taking full advantage of in my next venture.

Homemade cheese will happen! I will triumph!

Thanks to ztpr and Cultures for Health for giving us the opportunity to try the products mentioned. No further compensation was given and as always, our opinions are our own.

Come Run With Me!

March 23, 2015 by kpjenn

Back in January I alluded to some exciting news:

Welp, I’m happy to share that I’ve been chosen as one of the 2015 Navy/Air Force Half Marathon Ambassadors!

This year, the race will be run on September 20 and as an ambassador, I’m ambassador-ing all of you to join me. Well, you know, if you want. But it’ll be a great time.

Anyone who has done a race in DC knows that few things are greater than running past the US Capitol building, the monuments and the White House. Living in the Nation’s Capital spoils me – I can run on the National Mall right alongside history whenever it strikes my fancy. To finish a run on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial is one of the best feelings there is.

‘Merica

The Navy/Air Force Half winds its way through the District, starting on the National Mall in front of the Washington Monument (within view of the White House), around Hains Point, past the Lincoln Memorial and up through Georgetown along Rock Creek Parkway. You’ll get to see some of the best parts of the city!

I’m really looking forward to this race because it supports a great cause: mental and physical fitness for our troops. As the race website says: “The Navy-Air Force Half Marathon is an annual race hosted by Morale, Welfare & Recreation (MWR). This prestigious race began 11 years ago as the Navy 5 Miler and has grown to over 6,500 runners! The year 2015 will mark the 4th year for the Half Marathon and the 12th year for the 5 miler. Our mission is to foster and support high productivity for our Navy-Air Force audience through mental and physical fitness, personal growth, a sense of community, positive values and Family well-being.”

It’s a win-win situation – the joy of running with a purpose.

Registration is open and if you register using my Ambassador Code: KYLE, you’ll be entered to win a tech shirt!

Click it. You know you want to.

And if you’re coming in from out of town for the race, I’ve got the low-down on places to stay and, more importantly, where to eat. So, come run with me!

Spring Means Summer and Summer Means Frozen Treats!

March 20, 2015 by kpjenn

According to science and planets and stuff, Spring is here. Allegedly. As I’m writing this (Thursday night), I’m looking at a snowflake in my forecast for tomorrow, so really, I’ll believe that Spring is here when I see it.

But, being that Spring is technically here, I think it’s fair to say that Summer is right around the corner. That makes me really excited. Because Summer means sunshine and warmth (and humidity… but I’m not really excited about that part). Summer means running outside and sunburns (I’m Irish and German. We don’t do tans). Summer means movies in the park and laying by the pool. And Summer means frozen treats to beat the heat!

Last week… I cheated and got a head start on Summer because I’m impatient and I just couldn’t wait. Here I was, meandering through Whole Foods, and while I was in the frozen foods aisle, I was struck with a craving for my favorite smoothie meal.

Acai Bowls.

Acai amazingness

These things tho.

I think I’ve had one of these a day for the last week. I’m not exaggerating. I might need to get some variety in my diet. Right now though, I really just want another one of these beauties.

“Caveman” Bowl

Half of a frozen banana or a handful of frozen blueberries

1 Sambazon unsweetened Acai smoothie pack

Tablespoon of Peanut Butter (or 2 TB of PB2)

1 cup of almond milk or coconut water (or whatever liquid you want. I don’t usually measure it, I just throw it in the blender and add more if I need it.)

Dates

Unsweetened Coconut flakes

Granola (Gluten-free if you can find it. Trader Joe’s has a couple of delightful varieties.)

Chia Seeds

Throw the frozen fruit, acai, PB, and liquid of choice into the blender. Make it creamy dreamy. Pour into a bowl. Top with sliced dates, coconut, Granola, chia… the options are endless. Mostly, just fill it up with delicious stuff. Then nom. Hard.

Those acai bowls fill me up and keep me full for hourrrrrrssssss. Not joking. I’ve made one for breakfast the last couple of days and I haven’t even felt a little bit hungry until lunch… six hours later. Brilliant. Sometimes I like to experiment with the plethora of possibilities for these delicious treats. I think the next one will be green – I have some spinach that I need to use up – and I have some frozen mango and strawberries that might be tasty together. We’ll see. We’ll see.

Mayhaps these delicious frozen treats will help propel me through marathon training (because if you haven’t heard, I’m toying with a few options for 26.2 this summer. San Fran? It could happen. Or Baltimore? To be determined.) Or maybe they’ll just make me feel better after a long day at the office and in the gym. I’ll eat them either way.

What are your favorite summertime treats? Do you have any tried-and-true, go-to meals to fuel your training?

Cleared For Takeoff!

January 28, 2015 by kpjenn

Huzzah, I say! Huzzah!

Yes, friends, the day has come. The #bustedankle is no more.

Celebratory snapchats required

After my physical therapy appointment last week, I got the clearance to run – albeit only for short intervals – but that didn’t matter. I’m allowed to run! And you know what? It felt gooooood (regardless of the fact that I was on a treadmill). While my ankle didn’t feel 100% that first go-around, after a few minutes, things loosened up and it felt better than it had in a long time.

Yesterday, I had my last physical therapy appointment – I graduated! Yay! Cleared to do all the things (except play basketball… that has to wait another month, because lateral movement).

Pivot. You know. Basketball.

With clearance to run again, now comes the hard part. Deciding which races to do! This is a seriously important question. I know I want to aim for another marathon this fall, but I’m not sure which one, yet. I have at least one half marathon on the docket in September – the Navy Air Force Half (more on that in my next post, exciting announcement to come!) – and probably another go-round at Bird-in-Hand, preferably with better temps and conditions than last year. There will be Jog n’ Hog again (because what beats ice cream in July? Oh. I know. RUNNING THEN ICE CREAM THEN RUNNING).

Team Scoot? Try Team Cute.

My first race back will be at a work function – the association I work for always has a 5K at our annual conference – so, my first race of 2015 will be in the great state of Texas! I’m teaming up with my friend Nichole to help her take down the boys we’re running against. Can’t wait for some friendly competition – just the motivation I need to get back in gear.

I am fortunate enough to live in a place where during the spring and summer there’s 5K or 10K or 10 miler nearly every weekend. There are so many options! Choosing is the hard part. I’m going to spend the next few weeks working those intervals and trying to narrow down my racing options. Bring on 2015, folks. I’m ready!

What races are you looking at/interested in/already planning for? Do you have any local favorites? Dream destination races?

This is How You Train with a #BustedAnkle

January 21, 2015 by kpjenn

Remember back in November (GOSH that was a long time ago) when I did a dumb thing and my ankle ended up looking like this?

Not. Bueno.

Well. It looks less like that now and more like a normal foot/ankle situation, albeit a little bit puffier than one would like. Two months of physical therapy later, and I’m still not allowed to run. Yet. My orthopedist made mention of “coming back to see [him] in a month if the ankle still isn’t better.” That was before Christmas.

For those of you that can count, Christmas was nearly a month ago. Ankle? Still not 100%. But, I’m waiting to make that appointment until my PT gives me a re-evaluation. (I really don’t want to have to do the surgery-thing. I want to avoid the surgery-thing as much as possible.)

Anyways. In trying to avoid the surgery-thing, my PT has me doing all sorts of fun things. Strengthening exercises, ultrasound, stim… and he’s cleared me cycle (THANK GOODNESS), do the elliptical, and walk briskly on the treadmill. So, I’ve headed back to the gym, with gusto, to continue to train and strengthen my sad ankle and try to stay in shape (a shape that isn’t a circle).

So, how do you workout with a sort-of busted appendage? Let me count the ways:

Cycle:

I’ve been spinning for about two years now and I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t one of my favorite things. I try to go at least three or four times a week. Lately, I’ve been going nearly every day. Because when my options are either spin or “walk briskly on the treadmill,” I’ll take spin every time. Not to mention the fact that it’s a great cardio workout and if you focus on form and power – it can be a great strength workout too. #quadzilla like whoa.

Spin is good for the soul.

Weight Training:

I love lifting. Like, a lot. Because when you do it right, lifting weights burns a ton of calories, builds muscle, and works your whole body like crazy. I like to get in a session after a cardio workout, when I’m warmed up already. I haven’t been as disciplined about getting in the weight room in the last few months, and I’ve felt it. So, this month, I’ve made an effort to lift at least four times a week, and I feel SO much better.

Musclessssss. Sort of.

Rowing:

Chick Vic is a real rower. I just like to hang out on the Concept2. This is a great upper body and core workout. And it doesn’t hurt my ankle which is an even better thing. I like to do this on days that I’m not spinning, because this wipes me out! Added bonus, if you row, you can be a cool cat like Frank Underwood:

Maybe I watch too much House of Cards…

I’m supposed to be cleared to run this week (I go back to my PT today), but in the event that I’m not, I’m going to ask about swimming. I haven’t been allowed to do that yet for fear of hyperextending my ankle, but now that it’s on the mend, I should be able to. Fingers crossed I get some good news today!

What are your favorite workouts? How have you coped with an injury? Because it’s just the worst.

Scootadoot

fitness, food, friends, fun

Tag Archives: kyle