Quinoa Power Salad

Fresh, tasty, and full of color! (Also, did I mention easy?)

• 1 cup cooked Quinoa

• 1 can Black Beans rinsed and drained

• 1 cup Corn

• 1 large Tomato diced

• 1 large Bell Pepper diced

• 1 cup Peas

• Juice of 1 Lime

• Salt & Pepper to taste

• Greens as base

• Avocado

• *Shredded Chicken optional for additional protein

Coaching: Cook and cool quinoa. Combine all ingredients except greens and avocado. Chill before serving. Place on a bed of greens with diced avocado on top! Enjoy.

Grecian Olympiad Salad

When we were in Greece, we couldn’t get enough of this amazingly simple, yet super delish summertime fav. I asked how to make it, and was shocked by how easy it has been to replicate!

• 4 medium tomatoes

• 1 cucumber

• 1/2 sweet onion

• 1/2 cup pitted olives

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• salt & pepper

• Optional feta for on top!

Coaching: chop all veggies into bite size pieces. Mix all ingredients except feta in a large bowl. Add feta on top, serve immediately.

*If by chance you have leftovers, try them in a wrap with some lettuce and hummus as lunch the next day!

Instant Pot Chili

After having Athens, I soon realized I needed an instant pot to have healthy meals with minimal work and time. This has been a go-to recipe for us the past few months, hope you enjoy it!

• 1lb meat (we use turkey or bison)

• 1 bell pepper chopped

• 1 onion chopped

• 1 jalepeno chopped

• 1 cup frozen corn

• 1 sweet potato diced

• 1 cup chicken or veggie broth

• 1 can kidney beans

• 1 can black beans

• 2 cans diced tomatoes

• salt, pepper, chili power to taste

Coaching: Chop all ingredients and turn instant pot to saute setting for 15minutes. Cook the veggies, meat, and spices until the meat is browned and the veggies look softened. Stir frequently. Add in the broth, beans, and stir once more. Lastly, add in the tomatoes on top and don’t stir! Just put the lid on, and pressure cook for 10minutes. Release the steam once the cooking is complete, stir to combine and add your favorite chili toppings!

Flexibility is NOT my Middle Name...

Have you ever had to adjust your training due to sickness, injury, or weather? Maybe it’s just me, but I hate deviating from The Plan. Within the past few months, I have had all of these… which means lots of plan changing and trying to be flexible while still putting in the work towards my goals.

Sickness
Well, there are so many kinds of illnesses out there. I dealt with a head cold for a week. It was while we were traveling, so I was just worn out, not getting the rest I need, and stressed with mom-ing while not in our normal routine. I scratched a workout, cut some runs short, and slowed down the pace to keep my heart rate in the aerobic zone. I didn’t cross train or strength train to conserve energy, and I tried to get to bed earlier. If you have a sickness that requires doc attention, medication, or are puking, then you will definitely want to be more conservative and take complete rest days to allow your body to focus on recovering. Be smart, don’t dig yourself into a hole, and then take a few days to ease back into training before you do any workouts or long runs.

Injury
I shared that my calf/shin was irritated. I’m in the process of doing some form changes, strengthening weaknesses, and trying to get in solid miles, workouts, and consistency with strength training in the gym. All while still carrying more weight than my body is used to. I ended up taking a week off from running in January, and did non-impact cross training and rehab work instead. This meant bike, pool, elliptigo/elliptical, lifting, strength training, dry needing, cupping, massage, graston, rolling, and of course, icing. In the past, I would have been so upset to miss out on those miles, but weather was awful, so that helped, and when I took 6mos off from running while pregnant, a week felt like nothing. My rule of thumb is that if something lingers longer than 3 days, it needs some extra attention! If you feel the onset of abnormal pain or soreness, I promise, change the plan and back off, take off, XT, rest and then get back out there once it’s past. Pushing through is rarely a good choice.

Weather
I have lived in the Boulder, Colorado area for over 4 years, and this was definitely the worst of our winters so far. The trails were very icy and closed for consecutive weeks, lots of sub 20 degree mornings, and for some reason it seemed to snow every weekend to add to the difficulty of long runs. As I write this, it is April 10 and we are in a Blizzard warning… but it was 77 degrees yesterday, so I can’t complain on that one. Moral of this story is to be flexible with your training when weather is hot, cold, icy, stormy etc. It is not worth risking your life, your health, or your soul to force something when the elements are against you. Adjust the days of your workouts by staying up to date on the Weather Channel app so you can be prepared ahead of time to make changes, take the runs inside, change up the workouts to be effort based vs pace based, slow down, or even take a rest day.

Here are some tips for adjusting the plan while traveling, adapting training to focus on effort vs pace, or as summer makes an appearance, how to train in the heat. Cheers to learning how to be more flexible to increase success and joy in the process of fitness.

Overnight Oats: A Guide To Pre-Made Breakfast

Yup, feeding yourself always comes second to feeding your ever hungry little munchkin… or walking the dog, or doing the laundry, or getting in a run, or rushing to shower before work… whatever it is that makes your mornings busy, overnight oats are easy to prep ahead of time to get you through those busy mornings.

BASE

• 1 jar

• 1/2 cup oats

• 1/2 cup milk or almond milk

• 1/4 cup greek yogurt

• mix-in of choice

MIX-INS

• 1 tablespoon each of pumpkin, maple syrup, and crushed pecans

• 1 banana, 1 tablespoon peanut butter

• 1 tablespoon honey, 1/4 cup blueberries (frozen, fresh, or dried)

• 1 scoop protein powder plus any fresh berries

• 1 teaspoon vanilla, raisins, sprinkle of cinnamon

• 1 tablespoon maple syrup, walnuts, dried cranberries

• 1 tablespoon cacao powder, 1 tablespoon honey, crushed almonds, coconut flakes

Coaching: Combine all ingredients in the jar, shake, and store in fridge for up to 5 days.

The Baby Items You Actually Need

Being the person that I am, I had already completed my baby registry before I even started the second trimester… A few things wrong with this approach, the first being that I used Babies R’ Us and then a few weeks later they went out of business and I had to re-do my registry on Amazon. (Amazon actually worked great, and I highly recommend it especially if you have a lot of people sending you gifts vs giving them in person.) Second, there were so many thing out of stock or had new models by the time 6 months passed. No matter when you create your registry, it is super overwhelming because every list out there has a bazillion different “must have” baby items and then there are about a million variations and brands to pick from. That being said, I’m sure my list won’t be perfect for all your needs, but I figured I would share what I have found to actually be necessary and super helpful as I navigate this new thing called parenthood.

Nursing
-If you’re planning to breastfeed, the Haakaa Pump with lid/flower is a must. It catches the let down on the opposite side you’re nursing and with using just that and not even pumping, I have saved 10-12oz of milk per day since my milk came in at day 3.

-Nipple Cream is a must.. the first month, breastfeeding is hard on the body as it adjusts to feeding your baby. The Mother Love brand is what my birthing center provided, turns out, it is the Amazon best seller and of course is organic.

-I didn’t realize how many Nursing Bras I would actually need. Usually, I don’t wash my normal bras very often.. but when you’re leaking milk everywhere early on, you might go through two or more bras within 24 hours. Also, Nighttime Nursing bras are important. *Note for the runner moms: do not wear your sports bras except for working out. They get really tight and can cause clogged ducts or mastitis infections.

-Speaking of mastitis, it feels like the flu. I ended up on a 10 day antibiotic because my fever spiked to 103.8 and wouldn’t come down. During that time, I learned that hot showers, expressing, and Sunflower Lecithin help tremendously.

Baby Stuff
-Nightlights… buy them before you come home with your baby… we didn’t, and the first night home I couldn’t sleep at all because my anxiety was too high since I couldn’t see him. Have these already purchased so you have a dim light that is bright enough to see your baby’s face. This stress wears off after a bit, but at least for me, the ability to rest was very difficult at first.

2-The Lillebaby Active Carrier has been my saving grace… Athens hates walking in the stroller, so until he likes it, I have carried him in the carrier at least once a day, if not more often, due to needing free hands to get things done… I have to put him in the carrier if he is fussy and I bounce on the physio ball while getting work done on the computer. If you get the infant insert, you can use it at 7 pounds… I didn’t have that so I used a different wrap carrier until he was big enough to fit in the Lillebaby.

3-A running stroller! (I have the Thule Glide) This is an obvious one for me, but I think essential because getting outside and moving your body is so important! Definitely important to get the carseat adapter so you can start when your baby is little vs having to wait 6 months until they can go in the regular seat of the stroller.

4-A noise machine! Doesn’t matter the brand, or whether its an app, or on the baby monitor, or a fan. Just having some white noise goes a long way in helping Athens sleep more soundly!

5-Outfits that zip… at nighttime those first few months when you have to change diapers at 2am, snaps are the worst. Get some zippered sleepers for bedtime.

6-Let me tell you, as a mom, you need at least 8 arms to carry everything, so having a Back Pack diaper bag makes life a tiny bit easier.

For Mom
1-Prenatal/Postnatal pelvic floor and core strength routine. I did one 4 days per week prior to birth, and then starting at 3 weeks postpartum, I did another round of 4 days per week with a postnatal routine. I worked with Celeste at ReCOREfitness who is amazing and specializes in mama runners :)

2-Dryer balls… it’s true, you do a lot more laundry. The dryer balls are nice since you cannot use dryer sheets on baby clothes. They also help soak up the moisture so it takes less time to dry!

3-I highly recommend getting your Ferritin levels tested in each trimester and then again 3 months postpartum. Growing a baby, and having a baby, takes a lot out of your body. Staying on top of your ferritin levels and supplementing with iron if they start to drop will help your energy levels and allow your body to more easily return to running. I take Thorne Iron Bisglycinate and it has been a game changer for me when I started taking 50mg per day after my levels dropped in the second trimester.

Hope this helps! Feel free to ask any questions or share your baby must haves in the comments!

The Science of Cold-Weather Running

Dan has a PhD is Exercise Physiology from Penn State University, a 2:26 marathon PR, and is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Integrative Physiology of Aging Laboratory at the University of Colorado Boulder. He also happens to be a good friend of mine, and on long runs, he always has interesting scientific info to share as the miles fly by. He is no stranger to NeelyRuns.com as he wrote a guest blog called Train Hot Race Cool and now he is back with more insight on how climate affects running.

Cold temperatures are on the way for runners all over the country. While humans are very good at acclimating to hot weather (we increase our sweat rate and skin blood flow), we are relatively poor at acclimating to cold weather. Because of this, cold weather poses a unique challenge for runners. Here, I’ll tell you why the cold slows you down and what you can do about it.  

One way the cold temperatures can negatively influence your running performance is by decreasing muscle force production. Cold muscles contract with less force than warm muscles. The cold also changes the neural recruitment pattern of muscle fibers (basically, the brain changes the way it signals muscles to contract), which results in less efficient contractions and further reduces muscle force. This means you’ll have to increase your effort to maintain the same pace, which isn’t ideal for performance-oriented runners. How can you counteract this? First, do a dynamic warm-up (lunges, squats, clamshells, donkey kicks, etc.) indoors before going out and running in the cold; this will increase muscle temperature and blood flow. Second, wear running pants or tights when the temperature drops to near- or below-freezing levels. Sure, it might look tough to run in shorts when it is zero degrees out, but you don’t get a bonus in races for being a dumbass.

Another way the cold can affect your running is by changing metabolism. In the cold, your body uses fewer free fatty acids and more glycogen for energy. In long races, like the marathon, running out of glucose and glycogen results in hitting the wall. So, in cold weather you’re likely to hit the wall a few miles sooner than in warm weather. Be sure you start your run well fueled by eating plenty of carbs in the preceding 24 hours. Also, be sure you are fueling during any long run or race in the cold. Drinking too much cold liquid while running can lower your body temperature, so I recommend using gels or chews that can be carried with you and kept warm by your body heat (note: you’ll still need to drink enough to maintain hydration, however this will be much less than what is required when it’s hot outside).  

To summarize, in cold weather be sure you:

1.     Do a dynamic warm-up

2.     Dress in warm clothes

3.     Consume carbohydrates 

Do these three things and you’ll be ready to conquer to cold weather and your competition.

Cold weather fun fact: Ever wonder why you have to pee as soon as you go out in the cold? The cold causes vasoconstriction of the blood vessels in your periphery, which redistributes more blood to your core, including the kidneys. The increased blood flow to the kidneys increases urine production, which makes you pee.

Happy Running!

Winter Running Gear

There’s no denying that winter will be here soon.. and while we are all enjoying the awesome fall weather, it’s good to get prepared for the not-so-fun winter miles that are ahead. Having good cold weather gear is essential, and here are some of my favorites that allow me to run unrestricted outside year round!

Thermal Top
This lightweight top is surprisingly warm. Layered with a wind proof shell, and you can run in sub 20 degrees comfortably with full range of arm motion. It comes in both Men’s and Women’s styles.

Running Tights
Good tights make all the difference! These ones are lined and designed to keep our muscles warm despite winter’s efforts to thwart our ability to train outside. Men’s & Women’s tights (Refrain from wearing shorts over your tights… if you’re serious enough to run in conditions that require lined tights, then you’re serious enough to show off those legs!)

Wind Jacket
Cover up that thermal top with a wind proof jacket. This one comes in both Men’s & Women’s, and will hold your body heat in, the wind out, and it’s reflective!

Tall Socks
A must! Tall socks are my go-to in the winter to cover up the ankles… for some reason cold ankles make the rest of my body cold too. Unisex based off shoe size.

Mittens & Hat
Mittens are the way to go! If it is under 20 degrees, hot hands are good to have to keep your mittened hands warm through all your miles.

*For the Running Warehouse links, use code ATHLETEBIZ at checkout for a discount on your entire purchase! You can also go through my store on AthleteBiz website and I get a kick back with your purchase. THANK YOU.

Guest Blog: Post-Workout Recovery: Why Every Endurance Athlete Should Take Magnesium

Luke is a fitness and health blogger at Ripped.me and a great fan of the gym and a healthy diet. He follows the trends in fitness, gym and healthy life and loves to share his knowledge through useful and informative articles.

Ask any avid runner or endurance athlete and they will tell you: post-workout recovery is just as important as working out. In fact, you could argue that the way you treat your body after a vigorous training session, especially as a distance runner, will not only set the stage for your next workout, but also determine whether or not you could encounter an injury down the road.

Keep in mind that sports injuries are cumulative, meaning that just because you haven’t sprained your ankle during your run doesn’t mean that your knees are not developing patellar tendonitis without any notable symptoms. This is why proper post-workout recovery is super important for every aspiring endurance athlete, and magnesium might just be the wonder mineral you need to keep your body fit and able for the challenges ahead.

Helps eliminate muscle spasms and cramping

Athletes hailing from all sports ranging in intensity, duration, and volume of training know all-too-well that one bad cramp can be a debilitating blow to their performance, if not their entire training week. Yes, when you’re training hard and when you’re running for the distance, your cramps tend to be a bit more severe than when you get off your butt after watching Netflix for three hours.

Needless to say, a cramp or muscle spasm is always better to prevent than treat, and magnesium can help you in both cases. In fact, magnesium is the key ingredient in relieving muscle cramps and spasms, and magnesium deficiency has been proven to increase the risk of muscle cramps in the lower body. As a runner, you cannot afford your lower body to suffer like this.

An essential nutrient in energy production

To keep things simple and to the point, glucose is your source of fuel the body uses for energy and it’s what keeps you going through the toughest of challenges. Now, given the fact that your needs to turn glycogen into glucose first, you need to understand that this process wouldn’t be possible without magnesium.

So much so, that magnesium deficiency or simply the lack of frequent intake will cause your energy levels to drop rapidly, and as a result, you will feel more fatigued, thus unable to complete your workout. And of course, if you try to push yourself under these conditions, you will risk injuring yourself. So just take ample amounts of magnesium prior to your next training session, and right after as well.

Improves muscle and CNS recovery

Out of all the health and performance benefits regular magnesium intake brings to the average athlete, improved muscle and CNS recovery has got to take the proverbial cake. However, keep in mind that because magnesium does have lower bioavailability (meaning how much you can actually consume from foods), supplementing with magnesium tablets is not only a healthy option but a prudent one for athletes looking to get all the benefits. (*not endorsed by Get Running or NeelyRuns)

When you supplement with magnesium, you can also tailor your nutrition around other crucial nutrients instead of trying to consume handfuls upon handfuls of pumpkin seeds. In any case, because magnesium is a potent anti-inflammatory agent, it’s excellent for reducing muscle and joint pain, CNS fatigue, and other post-workout inflammatory conditions that might hinder your next run.

Boosting explosive power and vertical movements

Every endurance athlete and professional player knows just how important it is to skim a second off your personal best, or increase your vertical jump by a centimeter or two – any little improvement can help you achieve better results. This is where magnesium comes in as a crucial element in force production and overall explosiveness from the ground.

By eating or supplementing with magnesium on a regular basis, you can not only ward off injuries and repair your body, but over time you can also add centimeters to your vertical, and if you’re a distance runner, improve your explosive speed to reach the finish line faster without fatiguing too early. Seeing as how there is no need to cycle magnesium, you can use it long-term to experience the cumulative benefits.

Helps you build lean muscle mass

Last but not least, building lean muscle mass should be one of your primary goals no matter if you’re a sprinter, a ninja warrior, or a bodybuilder. While you should build muscle according to your needs and aspirations, it will be crucial for your performance on the track to have as much functional mass as possible.

Remember, when combined with proper endurance training, the muscle can never be dead weight! Given the fact that your body’s insulin sensitivity increases with the amount of magnesium in your system, you can improve the fat-burning and muscle-building process while experience the aforementioned benefits as well.

Proper macronutrient and micronutrient intake is crucial for any athlete looking to become better at the sport and set higher goals for the near future. With that in mind, magnesium just might be the mineral that will help you take your fitness game to the next level and ensure a long and healthy career to boot.

If you're interested in submitting a guest blog, please email me neelyruns@gmail.com

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Thoughts From My Pregnancy

To be 100% honest, I thought I would like being pregnant much more than I actually have. That being said, I am so so so grateful that it has been very smooth and uneventful. I have close friends who have had miscarriages in the past year, and I know how much of a blessing it is to have a healthy pregnancy. I have NO room at all to complain, but I figured I am not the only one who has had some of the following emotions or experiences, and I wanted to share some of my thoughts from the past 9 months.

1-The moment the pee stick says "pregnant" my life really did change. Everything shifts and while it doesn't necessarily feel real at first, I went through waves of fear and excitement like I never have known before. *side note, get an OB or midwife that you connect with. You will be so grateful the next 9mos.

2-Nausea in the first trimester was expected. But I also had it in the 3rd... beware! Cravings are not nearly as bad as aversions. I couldn't eat meat or vegetables until week 24. 

3-I thought I would be able to run further into my pregnancy than I did. I ran every day until 18.5weeks, and then my SI joint started killing me. I had to take two weeks totally off because even walking hurt, and when I tried to start running again, I felt so out of shape that it wasn't fun at all. No need to force fitness while pregnant, do what you can to stay healthy and active, but give yourself the mental break if you need it. I miss running a lot, but I get outside for walks, pool, biking with Dillon on his runs, and that has been so helpful. Especially because my energy isn't nearly what it used to be and a 45min easy bike ride now is exhausting. 

4-If you want to do a Babymoon, I definitely recommend it! Plan during the middle of the second trimester, it seems like that is the happy spot in pregnancy. We went to Europe and checked 6 countries off our travel list and made wonderful memories as a couple!

5-I'm a planner, and during the first trimester, I was so tired, that I spent a lot of time on the couch. I utilized that time to create my baby registry. The only issue, is that 5mos later when I had my shower, a lot of the products were out of stock, or there were new/better options on the market. So maybe don't plan as far ahead as I did because I had to redo my registry twice. (Also, I did Amazon and it worked so well. Def recommend it)

6-Listening to my body was so key. It's like running a marathon. You go through good and bad phases, and you have no choice but to keep going. Be kind to yourself, get the rest you need, and remember the important thing your body is doing.. growing a human!

7-Do things to eliminate stress in your life. To be honest, I hit a point right at the beginning of the 3rd trimester where I felt so overwhelmed, stressed, and out of control. I learned the hard way after a panic attack and several melt downs, that asking for help is part of parenting. A lot of what happens in pregnancy is preparing us for what our new life as a parent is going to be. I hired a house cleaner to come twice a month, I restructured my work schedule to be more manageable, I made sure to make time for myself to do fun things, and I relied on my friends and family to be there for me if I needed someone to talk to. 

8-A friend of mine set up a meal train for me... this means that after the baby is born, friends can sign up to bring meals over for the next few months to help ease the work load while adjusting to life with a newborn. I def recommend you set one up for your pregnant friends, or have a friend set it up for you!

9-Plan a lot of date nights the last month. I have had so much fun and genuine appreciation for doing fun dates with Dillon before the baby's arrival.

10-Do what feels right for you in terms of prepping for child birth. I chose to not have a set birth plan because I've never done this before, so I don't know what to expect. I didn't want to have something structured and then feel like I "failed" if it didn't happen exactly as I imagined. It seems everyone wants to provide advice as to what you should do, but in reality, it's your body and your baby and it's up to you to take ownership and create the birthing situation you want without guilt. I'm so grateful for Dillon because he said he supports me and my decisions 100% throughout the labor and delivery.

I'm in the final week, and tonight, Dillon asked if I'm sad it's close to the end. My response, "NOPE. 39weeks has been plenty long and I am mentally and physically ready to move on to the next phase and meet this baby."