Race Day!

On Saturday I ran a 5k and it was one of my favorite things of the summer!

I ran it with Catherine, Tiffany, and Laura.  Betsy and Nicole ran the 1/2 marathon - those super stars.  Here are some pictures from the race:

Gwen and Jeremy came to support me.  Cutest little girl!

 Here we are pre-race on the right: Me, Betsy, Nicole, Catherine, Laura, and Tiffany

 Stretching those muscles!

And then we were off.  The course was awesome.  It was pretty flat and had a section that went through the woods.  I felt really great the whole race.  I have been hiking a lot and running a little, so it was the first time in a about a year that I ran over three miles without stopping.  And I had enough in the tank to sprint to the finish:

 Here are the supporters and 5k finishers:

 Paul(Tiffany's husband), Dave(Laura's husband), Jeremy, and Gwen - Catherine's family got to cheer us on from their house, since we ran right by.  Paul rode next to us for portions of the race and we chatted (mostly about Stranger Things) and he of course also encouraged us as we ran. 

It was such a fun race! I seriously want to run a million more and now I have a time to beat! With 33.47 min, with a 10:15 pace, I placed 4th in my division and would love to medal at some point.  Wouldn't that be cool?!  I think I will stick with 5ks or 10ks.  I would rather focus on getting faster and faster than running farther - plus it's easier on the knees.  Can't wait for the next one! - maybe it will be a trail run.

Refueling

Jeremy and I have been playing a lot in the mountains now that we live in beautiful Vermont.  It is crucial to refuel after that sort of thing because we always get so exhausted and hungry.  And we know if we ignore those things it leads to the dreaded "hangry", so we rely on great snacks to get us through.  Nutritionally, it is good to have a snack that has a mixture of carbohydrates and protein to really replenish what your body needs.  Here are some of my favorites (which are of course Celiac Friendly):

Chocolate Milk
You can buy it on the way home from a convenience store after you sweat out in nature or you can just make it at home the old fashioned way with milk and chocolate syrup.  We always have chocolate syrup on hand for that sort of thing (and for topping ice cream, of course).  Chocolate milk is notorious for being the perfect combo of all the things you need after working out and it is super delicious!  It's my go to beverage.  I have been having it so often after our bike rides that Jeremy is finally converted to the goodness and bought a 1/2 gallon at the store the other day.  Keep it coming!

Trail Mix
I have really been loving trail mix lately.  It is so tasty and I love the variety of mixes that are out there.  The sky is the limit on trail mix so if you are getting bored of one combo you can let your creativity go wild to make your own.  You just need some nuts, dried fruit, some chocolate if you are up for a real treat, and whatever else you feel like throwing in, and voila... perfect snack.  Trail mix is packed with protein and a bag of it can easily be thrown into your car, pocket, or backpack for your outdoor fun.  Whenever we go hiking or mountain biking, I like to have trail mix on hand for quick energy.  My favorite combo right now is almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, raisins, golden raisins, and craisins. 

Fruit and Nut Butter
Fruit and nut butter is the best!  It is another great combination for what nutrients your body needs especially after a good workout.  My go to is the classic apple (Galas for life!!) with peanut butter.  I probably have it almost everyday since is also such a solid afternoon snack.  To change it up a bit, I recently got some almond butter which was certainly different than peanut butter and still delicious.  Now I am out to try cashew butter and sunflower seed butter, just so I can be a truly informed consumer when it comes to nut butters.  You of course can change up the fruit as well, although I can't think of many options besides the apple or the banana, but who needs anything else!!

Yogurt and Granola (and Blueberries)
Yogurt, granola, and fruit is my typical breakfast, so naturally it becomes my port-workout fuel if I workout nice and early.  I have recently switched to 2% plain Greek yogurt, with some GF granola, fresh berries, and drizzled honey on top.  I have left that flavored 0% yogurt in the dust to embrace the creamy goodness of the plain 2% with honey, and I haven't looked back.  It is a great way to start your day or get that energy back up after making your body work.  Try it out!!  Your body will love this classic, nutrient-dense combo!

Hummus and ANYTHING
I tried hummus about a year ago at my in-laws and I have been inhaling that stuff ever since.  I have landed on my favorite flavor - roasted red pepper - and now have a hard time branching out.  I typically just dip some GF crackers in hummus for a great snack to refuel after an outdoor adventure.  Hummus is a great protein and mixing it with some carbohydrates is just what your body needs.  I recently made the most amazing cheese crisp after a bike ride with a brown rice tortilla, shredded cheese, salsa, I randomly threw on some of my favorite hummus for good measure and it was quite a delicious combo.  Salsa and hummus TOGETHER are top notch, my friends... top notch! 

Ta-da!  That's what I eat basically all of the time, especially after a sweat session in the mountains.  I'm telling you, aren't snacks the best?!!  What are your favorite snacks? Any Gluten-free ideas get gold stars!  Check out Nuts.com for more great snack ideas - they also have a great selection of all sorts of nuts, dried fruit, and trail mixes that are looking delicious.

Today's Ride

This afternoon we headed to the Equinox Preserve to check out the trails on bikes. 

...and we LOVED it!

There are easy trails (our territory) to hard trails, so there is a lot of riding to be done.  We may be complete novices at this point, but we will be actual beginners in no time.

Lake Paran

Sometimes I get done with work before Jeremy, ok almost all the time.  I have started packing some running clothes almost everyday and then I just go an outdoor adventure until he's done.  Today I finished work a few hours before Jeremy, so I ran three miles to Lake Paran from his office, sat in the sun for about an hour and a half, and then ran three miles back.  It was delightful! 

I got trapped by a train right before I was about to leave and it just camped out right over the road I needed to cross.  After patiently waiting for 10 minutes and exploring all other options, I just crawled right under it.  Don't worry, momma... I was speedy fast and I won't do it again.

Late Night Decisions

I have learned that I have the most fun when I do things with a little spontaneity.  So when I got a message from my friend, Betsy, last night at 11:00 seeing if I wanted to run a 5k this morning at 9:00, I thought, "Well, why not?!"  So I dropped Jeremy off at work and went to run my guts out jog about on the Vermont foothills.  Funny thing is... I won 2nd place in my age group, which was uber surprising considering we kind of mozied about on the course.  But when you live in a small town, then you have a small race, which means you feel like a total rockstar for running a barely sub30 5k.  Maybe I will train for the next one... or maybe I will just try to get a more decent night's sleep and hope for low registration numbers again. 

Cracks me up!!

getting dirty

this morning a few friends and i ran a dirty dash and we had an absolute blast.  it's a 5k with obstacles in the mud. what's better than climbing walls and jumping in mud?? jeremy came along for the ride to cheer us on and document the whole thing.

here we are getting ready for the race:

 we put our bibs on, gave each other tattoos, bought souvenirs ($6 tank top, yes please!), and had time to take a bunch of jumping pictures, which i think are always hilarious.

 our start time finally rolled around and we of course wanted to be at the front of the pack. 

and we were off!  there were probably 10 obstacles total. we crawled through muddy tunnels, scaled walls, jumped over fences, climbed nets and hay bales, balanced on logs, waded through mud pits, flew down a giant slip and slide, threw mud at each other, and chugged root beer right before our final descent.  jeremy was amazing with the camera and captured us at the top of the hill whooping and hollering.

we were covered in mud! (and scrapes, blood, and bruises... it was brutal.)

 we grabbed our free loot, thanked our supporters, and we hit the hoses to try to get some of the mud off.  it was the best race ever!  maybe because it wasn't timed and we were all just out for a good time.  no stress, only fun. and lots of mud. i see more of these in my future.  jeremy's doing the next one with me!