Where's the Beach?

It's hard to believe that tomorrow is already Thanksgiving. That means Christmas is just around the corner. Wasn't it just summer? It seems that Thanksgiving has become more about the food than the actual giving of thanks. I can understand the food part to an extent. It's tradition. It's what we grew up having each holiday. It's the time when families actually take the time to gather around a table, together. But, it shouldn't be a total free-for-all to eat like it's our last meal. When did a holiday become a free pass for all things unhealthy? Don't get me wrong, I'll have my dad's manicotti or a holiday cookie in absolute moderation. But the rest of my meals for the day are very typical of how I eat day-to-day. My tummy usually thanks me too. I mean, admit it. How many times have you over done it and your tummy rumbles around the rest of the day? Yep, not fun. Don't worry, I'm not going to preach about not gorging ourselves on

I don't know what the weather is like where you live, but it certainly got cold here fast. Last week I was still running in shorts. By the weekend, it was all about the layers. On top of it being cold, we had gray skies and rain/freezing rain/sleet to contend with. Not exactly an ideal way to kick of the week. That kind of weather absolutely screams, no it demands soup for dinner. I had several veggies on hand that needed to be used up pretty quickly. So I came up with a Tempeh Vegetable Soup . The great thing is that it's souper (teehee) simple to put together, and you can use up any veggies you have on hand. I also like that it's high in protein thanks to the tempeh. Of course, you could use beans, tofu, TVP or meat if you're not vegetarian or vegan. Tempeh Vegetable Soup Ingredients: 1/2 yellow onion, diced 2 tbsp minced garlice 3-4 carrots (depending on size), diced 1 cup no salt vegetable broth 4 cups water 1 not-beef bouillon cube 1 can no salt added

To say that it was a busy, hectic weekend is kind of an understatement. But, we've had lots of very low-key weekends recently, so I can't really complain. Plus, we did have lots of fun. Friday night we had a party to go to. It was on the other side of town, and one of my more favorite restaurants - Ya Ya's Bistro - happened to be on the way. I think that was just fate saying we needed to stop in for a happy hour drink. So we did. Our friends met up with us as well since they were going to the same shindig. Ya Ya's had an amazing Pumpkin Pie Martini, very similar to one my sister and I concocted a few years back that I called Pumpkin Pie Bliss . I figured since I was still celebrating my Birthday Week, I could splurge. Saturday morning I got up to get in my long run for the week. It was cold, windy and rather dreary. Amy and I ran for about 2.5 miles together so that helped. She had started her run much earlier, so I finished the rest of my miles solo. I know it&#

Happy Happy Friday! You know this also means Fun for Friday . Angela at Happy Fit Mama did another edition of  Old School Blogging today. I decided to "borrow" the idea. It's fun. It's easy. It's Friday. Where is your cell phone? In my purse, which is on the floor nearby Your significant other? Jason. We've been married for a whopping 13 years now and together 18.5 <---WHAT? Your hair? Freshly cut as of yesterday but of course it's a crazy windy, rainy day today. Go figure. Your mother?  Has a beautiful smile Your father? Makes me smile Your favorite thing?  Time with my sister. Plain and simple. Your dream last night? I actually remember it ... I had on flip flops and they were filled with dirt as if they could have been full shoes (I'm sure that makes zero sense) and a huge worm was crawling out of the side. YUCK. Your favorite drink? Wine but I drink water like it's my job. Your dream/goal? Honestly, to help others ach

It might be my birthday, but I'm giving a gift to someone else today. The winner of the thinkThin protein bar giveaway is: Congrats Heather!! And thank you so much to those who entered, tweeted, shared and liked my Facebook page. I wish I could give everyone a box! So today is my birthday. As I get older, I find myself often down on and around my birthday. I don't want to get older. And now that I'm hedging 40, I want to recognize my birthday even less. I know, it's silly. Age really is just a number. This year, however, I'm actually not freaked out that I'm a year older. I'm not depressed. But, I've just not let myself worry over aging. I mean, I can't stop it right? Rather than wallowing in the fact that I'm no longer 29, far from it, I'll just embrace it (for now). In fact, I'm having one fantastic week. Nothing crazy exciting is happening. Well, the Pink concert perhaps. I don't have any exciting plans for tonight. I a

Happy Hump Day! Hope the week is treating you well so far. Today I wanted to share something I've been reading lately - we can call it What I'm Reading Wednesday just for fun. For five years, I worked in a bookstore to pay my way through college, pay the bills basically. While the retail aspect wasn't glamorous by any means, it was a book lovers paradise. To say that I read a lot is an understatement. I read pretty much every evening before bed. I typically read fiction. It helps me decompress. Let's me think less. But, I do have my stacks of non-fiction books as well. Sometimes I'll read a few chapters of a fiction novel then switch to something else, something more educational. Lately, that has been  Tom Venuto's latest book: Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle: Transform Your Body Forever Using the Secrets of the Leanest People in the World. I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy to review (the book will be released in December ). I was extremely ex

I know most people start the week on a Monday. I tend to start my week on Sundays. It's my workout week really, but I see it as the real week now too. I don't even know why I started my workouts on Sundays vs Monday. Sometimes it's best not to think too hard about stuff like that. All that was said just to say that I kicked off my Birthday Week on Sunday in style. Saturday I had gotten in a really great 12 mile run. So, Sunday needed to be a slower, recovery run. I convinced Jason that he wanted to run 6 miles with me. He really didn't. It was crazy warm, humid and windy. It was 73 degrees when we started the run just to give you an idea of how crazy our weather has been. The wind was straight from the south and brutal. For me, it wasn't a horrible run. I rather enjoyed it. Mostly the company I suppose. Jason would probably disagree about enjoying the run though. He was fairly miserable. After the run, we cleaned up and had errands to run and he needed a hair

Happy Friday. Not only is it the end of the work week, but it's my rest day. I will admit that I almost got up to run an easy 3 miles. Then I rationalized with myself. I mean really, why 3 miles? Is it going to make any difference to skip it? Nope. So I stayed in my warm bed. Sometimes I can be smart and take my own advice. This kind of brings me to Fun for Friday . I thought it'd be fun to do a list of "sometimes." I did this a little over a year ago, appropriately titled " Sometimes ." This time I thought it'd be more like sometimes I am a walking talking do as I say not as I do person. How does that happen by the way? As a fitness trainer and running coach , I dispense advice on workouts, running, nutrition. I set out plans and prescribe rest days, intensity levels. I help clients learn about proper nutrition, healthier eating options. But, for myself, sometimes ... I don't want to take a rest day. I don't want to run. I don

I might have mentioned a few times that I love Pinterest. I love the motivational quotes, inspiration for new recipes, ideas for home decor or new outfits. The same holds true on Facebook too. I have also done a post touching on the topic of over motivation .  But, it seems that it's just inundating social media. What I don't love is the constant barrage of images of too-thin women, or unrealistic images of women appearing to be cut, rock solid day in and day out. Even worse is when they're coupled with quotes that could be motivating. They really could be. But they can also be shaming and even detrimental to our own motivation.  I see quotes like, "Do it every damn day." No. Absolutely not. Try for healthy eating, yes. But working out every single day is not ideal. As a fitness trainer, I do want my clients to feel motivated. At the same time, I don't want them to feel ashamed for missing a workout or for not looking like these images splashed all o

What I Eat Wednesday - No, I don't have any new recipes to share, and I'm not sharing my eats for the day, but I do have a tasty giveaway to share. While I try not to rely on protein bars and shakes for my protein intake and snacks, sometimes convenience has to win out. I'm one of those people who always keeps protein bars stashed in my purse and in my desk drawer at work. You don't want to be around me when I get hungry. And one way to tame hungry horrors is by getting an ideal balance of protein, carbs, and healthy fats.  I try to be as selective as possible about packaged snacks. There are so many that are touted as healthy but are full of unnatural ingredients, mostly sugar and carbs and very little protein. Basically, glorified candy bars. However, one protein bar that I do keep on hand is the thinkThin ® high protein bar. And this is truly a bar that has high protein, not just touting high protein but only 6 or 10 grams. Nope, the high protein bars h

I guess first things first - I need to announce the winner of the Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones. Congrats Sarena! And thank you to everyone who took the time to enter. I will have another giveaway this week. Saturday morning I was up early. That worked out fine though, because it meant I could meet up wiht Amy at 6:45 and get the run out of the way for the day. I had thought it was going to be sunny. I put on my shorts, top, hat and pulled out my sunglasses. I kept thinking that it seemed awfully dark for that time of the morning though. Hadn't we just taken a picture of the sunrise around 6:30 the day before? Then, I stepped outside and realize it was raining. Huh? When did that happen. Talk about a complete change in the forecast. It was hovering around 48 degrees so then I worried I would end up cold because of the rain. It was a tiny bit chilly for all of 5 minutes, then I was almost glad for the rain since I had worn a long-sleeved top, foolishly. Despite the gloomy ski

It sure feels like it's been a LONG time since the last weekend occurred. Our household has had some major ups and downs with the pupsters. Last Saturday, Maddie started throwing up then having major diarrhea and then not wanting to eat. After a call to the vet, and some anti-everything meds, she seems to be back on track. She was feeling good enough to eat the most recent bed I attempted to buy for them. Now Heath Man is under the weather. It started the other day when he didn't want breakfast. But he did eat dinner. Then the next day he refused both. He's not acting super listless, but he's starting to be less peppy and not wanting water either. This means another trip back to the vet. And we're pretty certain it has to do with his Gallbladder Mucocele  disease. He's been on medication since his diagnosis and has responded astoundingly well. The vet was actually surprised by how well his levels (whatever all they measure) were at his last visit. Not sure

I was recently given the opportunity to review Beats by Dr. Dre headphones for Staples . I didn't even know Staples sold headphones! Guess you learn something new every day right? I've gone through many headphones in search of the perfect pair. The ones that don't jiggle around too much, the buds that actually stay put in your ear, and a pair that sounds good too. I decided to test out " heartbeats ," designed by Lady Gaga. I went with this particular model because of the fact that they come with 7 different ear tips. Talk about being able to find the perfect fit! Now, I don't run with headphones in unless I'm on the treadmill. I honestly believe it's a huge safety risk running outdoors with them. Yes, you can turn the volume down or only wear the one ear bud. I will still call it a safety risk. This was also something reiterated in my RRCA Running Coach Certification course. So it's not just my belief, it's becoming a wide-spread beli

It was another weekend of productivity and relaxation. I love that balance. We had a cool down Friday night. Jason and I decided to take advantage of that and put our run off just a bit. He went to go watch his nephew's last football game, and I scrubbed and cleaned around the house. It felt good to be productive right off the bat. When he got back, around 11, we headed out for a run. I was planning on 10 miles for the Fall 5 or 10 Miles Virtual Race Series . Jason was planning on more like 8. It was gorgeous out, low 60s, but crazy windy. At first I thought it was coming from the north, but then realized it was also coming from the west. Actually, it seemed to be swirling. It definitely made it more challenging. Jason dropped around 7-ish miles and I continued on. I decided to head north towards a park. I stopped and took a picture when I hit my 10-mile mark for the race. My watch picture didn't turn out at all (1:24:24), but I did get a nice picture of the park at leas

I feel like everyone is saying this, but wow, how on earth is it November already? Didn't we just have the 4th of July? Weren't we just lounging in pools? There's definitely no lounging in our pool now, though, with recent highs in the upper 70s, I suppose it would almost be plausible. At the beginning of the week, it felt more like September. We were running in tanks and shorts. Today, it was 48 at the start and 46 when I got back to the house. Frozen fingers. I suppose it actually felt like November today. Just in time right? I do know that I'm super excited about the time change. It'll be nice to see sunrises while running again, as well as to see the ground. I used to dread the time change because it meant dark at 5 pm. But, now that I run, I've changed my mind. Speaking of minds, I'll stop rambling now and get right on to Fun for Friday . This will be a post-race edition. I have mentioned many times that I don't really enjoy racing. I love to