A look back at 2012

My blog is only 4 months old, but all the cool kids are doing recaps of 2012. 2012 was a year of big things for me as a runner. It's the year that I really proved to myself and the world that "yes, a chubby girl can do great things". I really focused on educating myself about running and nutrition. I set lofty goals and did really adventurous things. I wanted to reach out to other runners and I wanted to inspire non-runners.

I wanted to run 3 half marathons in 2013. I ran five. I wanted to make running less expensive for my family's budget. I found groupons and deals, signed up for memberships that offered discounts and was awarded a sponsorship with The Girls On The Go race series. I wanted to move on from the run/walk/run method and run an entire half marathon. I ran the entire Silver Strand Half marathon.

I wanted my children to experience the rush of crossing a finish line. They ran their first races as 1ks and 1 milers. And I wanted to instill a sense of personal pride in taking control of their health. They both look forward to running 5ks with the whole family now. Running is part of who we are now. I've run 2 halfs with my momma, my first race with my husband by my side and both kids have a wall of ribbons, medals and bibs. What could be expected of a family descended from a man who ran over 700 miles of races last year. That's my dad, the crazy ultra runner and my biggest motivation during my runs.

I also ran with friends. I discovered that runners are the best people out there. Giving, enthusiastic about life, and real. I helped a friend run her first half marathon when she needed a race morning sitter. I've helped friends with training plans and through running issues. But they've given back tenfold this year. I signed up for two extra half marathons because they wanted me too. I ran faster with them by my side. And one special running buddy volunteered at the Finish Line to award me my medal. Running Buddies are special.

Late in 2012 I started my Paleo Diet. And about a month after, I started this blog. It's still young and I'm still uncertain of what I'm doing with it. But a few people have said that I've helped them start their paleo journey. I hope to continue to do so by sharing my own journey.

For 2013 I want to do it all over again. I I'm shooting for 8 halfs in the new year. Our family will be running the Firecracker 5k in LAs Chinatown to earn cool Year of the Snake medals. And I'll be running the SoCal Triple Crown to earn the challenge medals with my friend Dave. And I plan to continue to cook and eat like a caveman, since it's only brought good things to me and my running. Good Fortune to all of you in 2013! And I hope you're back here reading next year's recap with me!

ATTACK OF THE LEFTOVERS

Anyone else have a fridge FULL of leftovers?  I made BOTH a turkey and a ham for Christmas Dinner and now I'm paying for it with a fridge too full of food to justify eating out.  Luckily the internet is full of great ideas for leftovers, and a lot of them come from the paleo community.

I always serve Turkey Soup the day after I make a roasted bird.  It's something that most of my family loves and its easy to make, although takes all day because I make my own stock from the carcass, neck and giblets.  But the day of Christmas, while everyone is glued to their new gifts, there's no rush to be anywhere.

My favorite homemade stock recipe was posted by a Ms. Polcyn on allrecipes.com.  It makes use of the parts of a chicken or turkey that I dislike using, which makes me feel better than tossing them out.  It REALLY makes a difference when you use homemade stock in a dish than store bought.

Ingredients

• 6 cups water
• the neck, giblets and leftover carcass (I usually just use the wings from my cooked turkey)

• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 onion, quartered
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp peppercorn

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, combine the neck and giblets (excluding the liver), 6 cups water, celery, carrot, onion, tangerine rind, bay leaf and peppercorns. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and continue to cook at a simmer, skimming the froth occasionally for 1 hour. Add liver and continue to cook at a bare simmer for an additional 30 minutes.
2. Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a bowl. There should be about 3 cups of stock. If there is more, simmer the stock until it is reduced to about 3 cups; if there is less, add enough water to measure about 3 cups.

MAKING YOUR OWN SOUP 

Making soup used to be a bit of a mystery to me, until I had used several recipes found online.  I realized that there are ___ steps to making a soup.

1. Cook your aromatic vegetables in fat.  These would be your onions, garlic, and celery.  These vegetables release their full flavor when they've been sauteed in butter/bacon grease/olive oil.  
2. Add your other vegetables in: tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, green beans, zucchini, broccoli and cook for just a few minutes.  This is also the time to add your COOKED meat.  Leftover turkey, ham, chicken, beef strips all work well in soups.
3. Add your additional spices (sage, thyme, rosemary for Turkey) (rosemary, oregano for beef) (I prefer nothing for ham soup) AND ALWAYS A BAY LEAF!  This is when you add your broth/stock too.  Enough to cover the ingredients.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer for 30-40 minutes.  
5. Remove from heat and taste.  Add your salt and pepper now, that way you have control over the saltiness and pepper levels.  Flavors concentrate in the soup making process and you can end up with a VERY salty or peppery soup!

Soup making is as easy as THAT!   You can experiment with different vegetables and broths and seasonings and make it exactly how you like it.  

A new one I'm trying is inspired by the Cabbage Soup with Leftover Ham from paleodietlifestyle.com.  I usually like to use my leftover ham in breakfast dishes, but a Christmas virus had me craving hot soup.

Ingredients

• 1/2 head cabbage;
• 2 tbsp fat (butter, ghee, bacon grease, olive oil, you pick)
• 1 onion, chopped;
• 1/2 lb green beans
• 2 carrots, chopped;
• 1 lb cooked ham, cubed;
• 2 cloves garlic, minced;
• 2 bay leaves;
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;

Preparation

1. In a large saucepan over a medium-high heat melt the cooking fat. Sautee the onions and garlic in the cooking fat for 5 to 7 minutes, just until the onions are translucent and tender.
2. Add the cabbage, green beans, carrots and ham and toss with the onions and garlic. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, frequently stirring to prevent anything from burning or sticking to the bottom of the pot.
3. Pour in the stock with the bay leaves. Allow the soup to come to a simmer and cook partially covered for 35 to 45 minutes. Season to taste with freshly cracked black pepper, but taste the liquid before adding any salt, as the ham will most likely give off enough saltiness on its own.
4. Remove the bay leaves and serve.

Santa Came To Town

All the prep and good behavior worked and the Jolly 'ole elf visited us last night. He apparently loved the paleo cake pops we left for him, although his reindeers made a glittery mess outside.

Kris Kringle was very good to the paleo Mommy, bringing me a Kitchenaid Mixer in Onyx Black, a book of Paleo Desserts and Chuao Chocolate (a San Diego local chocolatier and a sponsor of the SD Half Marathon)

I wish all of you a Merry Christmas, filled with time with your loved ones and full bellies.

Christmas Eve Feast

My Christmas Eve feast took 2 days to prep and 20 minutes to eat. But having a special meal that was homemade and paleo was worth it. Not to mention all the yummy leftovers I get to eat for the next few days. This paleo mommy also achieved a small victory. My 11 year old son, diagnosed with autism, consented to trying his first bite of turkey EVER. And he LIKED it!!! Small steps towards big goals.

Girls on the Go Races

One thing I have neglected to mention on my blog is the fact that I'm a Girls On The Go Race Series Ambassador.  A race series created by Debbie Adelman and Rosemarie Gibson, these races are "every girl’s chance to commune with mothers, daughters, sisters, grandmas and friends in a run, walk, jog or samba to the finish line.  This is not just any race. This is a celebration of women of all ages and fitness levels. The finish line includes a Girlicious medal, stylish T-shirt, festival, and so much girl time fun!"  The Race Ambassadors were found through a facebook essay contest and chosen for their experience, love of running, and passion for motivating people around them to get up and be active!  I am VERY proud to be a part of the Girls On The Go family.  

As a race ambassador, I promote the GotG race series at expo booths, by wearing the series gear during my training runs and races and by encouraging people to sign up for races!  The upcoming GotG races that you can sign up for include

Girls On The Go Sacramento 10k/5k 

Sunday, Feb 10th, 2013

Crocker Park

Sacramento, CA

Girls On The Go San Diego Half Marathon/10k/5k

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Fiesta Island - Mission Bay

San Diego, CA

Girls On The Go San Dimas Half Marathon/10k/5k

Sunday, Sept 22, 2013

Bonelli Park

San Dimas, CA 

Another Ambassador responsibility is providing inspiration for "girls on the go" and I get to do that through the Girls on the Go Training Tips page.  I just posted my first blog entry yesterday, so please go check it out!  This entry is focused on Running Moms who now have kids at home for the holiday breaks.  

You might be wondering about the PERKS of being an ambassador.  Well, the BIGGEST perk is getting to meet other like minded women.  The other Ambassadors have just as much enthusiasm for running and racing as I do.  It's always great to meet other women who don't mind when you talk about PRs or race day nutrition or gear.  I also get free tech tees from my sponsors, to wear to promote the race series.  It's definitely a perk since the race series color is raspberry pink . . . my FAVORITE color.  And the last and most beneficial perk is that they allow me to race the series for free!  

Men are welcome to run the series, but are ineligible for prizes.  If you are interested in any of the Girls on the Go races and want a discount code, please ask!  I'm usually able to get discount codes from the race directors.  Come join me in a fun, woman-centered, race with all the girly perks you could ask for!

Twofers, marathons, and Wheat Thins

The Hubby and I are both runners.  He prefers the mud covered intensity of Obstacle Course Races (OCRs) like Tough Mudder, while I'm a dedicated Road Racer.  With two racers in the family though, we have have to have a MASTER calendar of all the events we're signed up for.  "Check the Calendar" is an often heard phrase in our house, and it's an instruction to go check the desk size calendar that's attached to our brag wall.  Imagine my surprise when I discovered that I'm running TWO races in the same weekend.  I often get carried away by race sign ups when they offer discount codes or when a bunch of fellow racers are all signing up.  That's what must have happened when I managed to sign up for BOTH the Electric Run in Del Mar, CA and the Cardiff Kook in Encinitas, CA on the same weekend.  I've never run a two-fer before, but there's a first time for everything.  And luckily my two-fer is just two 5ks.  Some day I might feel up to running a 5k followed by a 10k or even a half marathon the day after.  Right now I'll stick to accidentally registering for two small races.

During Thanksgiving Break my Daddy (a 100 mile Ultramarathoner) told me I'm ready to run a marathon.  Since I'm like him in every way (except for that crazy 100 mile race thing he's got going on), he must have known that his comment would circle around in my head until I couldn't ignore it.  I found myself checking the most "walker friendly" marathons at MarathonGuide.com  Perhaps this time next year I'll be planning to do one of those . . . if I haven't worn out the legs running 8 half marathons in 2013.

Runners need carbs and lately I find myself fighting against eating conventional processed carbs.  I miss the crunchy saltiness of crackers.  My flaxseed crackers are great, but they're quite delicate, which makes them useless for dipping.  Thank Goodness for inventive cooks who make low carb/paleo versions of brand name crackers!  This recipe for "ALMOND THINS" was found at a website called lowcarbfriends.com, a message board for those following the gluten free or low carb lifestyles.  And I am EVER grateful for this recipe!

Almond Thins

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 packet of Splenda
• 1 egg white
• pinch of salt, garlic powder, & onion powder

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven 325. 
2. Mix ingredients well. 
3. Place mixture onto a well greased piece of tin foil. Lay a piece of saran wrap over top of mixture. Use a rolling pin to roll out to a cracker thickness. Gently remove saran wrap. 
4. Sprinkle more salt on top if desired and press lightly into dough. Score with knife or pizza cutter into 1.5 inch squares. 
5. Lay tin foil on rack in oven. Bake until golden brown about 10 minutes. Makes around 30 crackers.

Nutritional info: serving size 7 crackers fat 13.1g  sat fat 0.9g  cholesterol 0mg  sodium 12.8mg  carb 5.7g  fiber 2.8  protein 6.4g

Running, maple syrup and brownies

As the end of the year draws near, I'm feeling the pressure to reach my milage goal of 600 miles in 2012.  I set that goal in January, feeling that it was a lofty goal and unlikely to be reached.  Color me surprised when I looked at my totals and found that I only had 21 more miles to go!  With 2 weeks left in the year, I definitely think I'm going to make it.  I've run about 1/3 of this year on the Paleo diet.  I definitely feel that my recovery is faster, which is ideal when I've got back to back half marathons in every month.  The weight I dropped going paleo has helped too.  Less weight is more speed and less damage done to my structural muscles.
Besides my milage goal, I also had a goal of running three half marathons in 2012.  My very FIRST half marathon was the San Diego Rock n Roll in 2011.  I thought I'd push myself and do 3 times that in 2012.  As of right now, I have SIX half marathon medals hanging on my Brag Wall. That means I ran 5 halfs in 2012.  I never thought I'd be so into a physical sport.  And paleo just makes it better.

I had to teach myself about Maple Syrup and the grading of it this week.  A recipe I wanted to make required GRADE B maple syrup.  And apparently maple syrup is NOT the stuff I've been putting on m pancakes forever.  Apparently that stuff is just corn syrup with flavorings added to it.  If YOU want to learn more about maple syrup, the Huffington Post has a great article on the differences in grades of the sweet stuff and what they are used for.

You may be asking yourself, "Well, what was the recipe??" I aim to please, so here it is.

Dark Chocolate Banana Bites by Paleo Parents

• 2 bananas
• 5 eggs
• 1/2 C coconut oil, liquified
• 1/2 C maple syrup, we recommend Grade B
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• 1 C almond flour
• 1/2 C cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup ENJOY LIFE chocolate chips

1. Using an electric mixer or food processor, combine all of the wet ingredients (bananas should smooth out)
2. In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients except chocolate chips
3. While mixing on low, add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until just combined
4. Sir in chocolate chips to the dough
5. Using a silicon mini muffin pan or mini muffin liners on a metal pan, scoop the dough until almost full into mini muffin pan
6. Cook at 350 for 10 minutes

Makes 4 dozen; store chilled and let come to room temperature before serving or eating. 

Nutritional info
Serving size 1 mini muffin 107 calories 7g fat 4g sat fat  32mg cholesterol  11.6mg sodium  9.2 carbs  1.4g fiber  2.6g protein