Restless sleeps and chocolate for breakfast

I can't seem to shut the old nogan off at night so I was up this morning at 6 before my alarm even went off.  But I did get a lovely early start to the day and some time to myself. As you can tell I was a little excited for my morning workout as I set this out last night:

And made this fuel me up for a morning of exercising:

This is just beauty on a plate...here's what we got here

A Chocolate Explosion Coconut Banana Breakfast Cookie

1/3 cups of oats

1/2 mashed banana

1/2 scoop (half a sample packet)  of Amazing Greens Protein Powder

1 TBSP almond butter

1/4 cup of almond milk

1 TBSP of cocunut flakes

carob chips and coconut flakes and oatmeal on top to make it look pretty

Than plop it on a little plate, shape it into a round cookie like shape and freeze over night

Than wake up and breakfast is readyyyy :)

Than after that, ran 3 miles outside (had to jump over some rivers of ice puddles...it was pretty extreme... no big deal) and did Kempo X at the gym. I omitted my originally planned Ab Ripper X after because I figured I'd fill up my workout time with my team blasting my midsection.

 

Pavement Dreams

Staying in on a Friday night to blog, work on some future decision shtuff (ickkk) and so that I can wake up early enough for a solid morning run...oooh I'm one of them crazy 22 year olds. But this is definitly something I've been looking forward to every since the first big snow fall. No joke, the snow piles to over your head here and the temperature drops to -25 F (Gross!). So I've been struggling through treadmill interval workouts, some elliptical and of course my favorite Spinning to get my cardio kick. And there was a few stints in 7 degree F weather that I tried my hand at running only to realize that with the windchill in the minuses that it just hurts your lungs. So now its up in the 40s and it's time to lace up my new pretty black Asics, zip up running jacket and throw on my lululemons and get my heart pumping in the way that's like breathing to me.
 I discovered a love for running at 17, when it became a release and a time to think. When I'm running, it's just me and my ipod and my thoughts. It gives me time to myself to sort through the worries, thoughts and emotions that roll through my head on a daily basis. It allows those bottled up feelings to breathe and make sense. Also, when I get mad or sad or frustrated, it's hard to identify what to say or what to do or how I'm really feeling (usually I get mad/sad/frustrated all at once) and irrational thoughts fly into my head and sometimes projectiles out of my mouth...and its just gets messy. Running has helped me sort the irrationialness and directs some sense into some matters. Lastly, it's also my time to just reflect. On who I was, who I am...and where the heck I'm supposed to go (it's a good thing the snow melted now, I really need that run). So at 7am, those streets best be ready, they've got a lot of thoughts and questions that are gonna be thrown their way.

That's me in the all white running in 2009's Scotia Bank Half Marathon :)



Anyways, I'm feeling adventurous with some cooking. I think this weekend I'm going to bake some dessert flat bread and create some sort of spaghetii squash creation! I shall let you know what I come up with!!

Top of the Morning to Ya

Hello All!
Happy St Patty's Day and Welcome to my Blog!

Today has already been a long one and its only 10 am. Up at 430 for work, grabbed my mason jar full of overnight oats and chia seeds coconut-y goodness (pictures are still in the works...camera's battery is a bit on the finnicky side). At work by 5:30 AM, one of the ladies working out commented on the "mush" that I was eating, saying "Wow, you must be brave one to eat that", I had a little chuckled a bit at the look on her face. But in general, I am used to people commenting on my dietary choices, often referring to it as rabbit food. This title actually used to spark a nerve, being initially I was forced towards health decisions due to my intolerances. I was self conscious about this inability to consume the normal college kids diet, and it was only last summer when out of a moment of weakness consumed a large piece of pizza and entirely suffered from it for two days, that I came to accept that this is a part of who I am. On a positive note, I've been able to take true form as a health nut, and that I am perfectly okay with.

My roomie, who is used to my foodage ventures (as I like to call 'em), has been particularly amused at my eating habits recently. As of late, I have been avoiding the college cafeteria like the plague and experimenting with green smoothies full of spinach and pumpkin, socca and sweet potater hummus (in my wannabe magic bullet of amazingness). I've been definitly getting some strange looks from her way and she definitly didn't appreciate the site of my green smoothie deliciousness when she was sick was the flu (sorry B. Lou!!)

Sad news folks, this once avid college pitcher is being forced into early retirement in her senior season. I went to the docs and she said that it's probably torn and keeping up my unnatural rotational routine will only cause unrepairable damage. So on orders and notes, I am out of the season participating only in non-arm workouts, stats and recruiting. . On a serious note, softball is a game that I have made many the sacrifices and commited much time to. I've said the phrase "Sorry I can't, I have practice/game etc" and it has truthfully terminated some intense relationships and friendships that held much meaning in my teenage years. But this said, I have absolutely no regrets. Softball has helped me become mentally and physically strong. There's no words to explain the feeling when you step onto the mound. All eyes are on you and the pressure in the air is thick, but once you feel the seams under your fingertips, nothing else matters. Nothing can touch you on that mound, not voices telling you your not good enough, low self confidence, physical pain...nothing, its just you and your heart beating hard in your chest out to throw one pitch at a time. There's no past, there's no looking to the next play and worrying about what's going to happen, it's just that one pitch you have to throw right there and than.  And than came the day two weeks ago, I went to go grab the ball and feel the seams under my fingertip...only to realize that my hand had gone numb. But this isn't the end, it's time to do some soul searching and figure what the athlete in me is destined to head next. RIP Chuck (my nick name for my arm...short of Chucker of course), it's been real. Time for a new chapter...