As such, after arriving home from a 12 hour stint at school the thought of perfecting my research presentation for tomorrow was baked in the oven next to a healthy “cookie” experiment that had been on my brain all day. Apple cookies and taper talk.. how did I get anything done today!?

Baked Apple Breakfast Cookies

The start of plenty more edible taper tantrums to come!

Adapted from this recipe

Ingredients:

1 mashed banana

1 chopped apple

1 tbs coconut oil

1/2 tbs vanilla

1/2 c oats

1/3 c wheat bran

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tbs flax

2 tbs chia

1 scoop Vanilla Sun Warrior (or other protein powder)

1 tbs cinnamon

splash of almond milk and scoop of plain Greek yog

Melt coconut oil in a bowl, mash in banana, apple and vanilla

Add all dry ingredients.. mix well

I then added a splash of almond milk and a scoop of Greek yogurt for consistency – apple sauce would’ve been money here!

Spoon into balls and bake at 350 degrees for 10 mins

Who said “cookies” need sugar, eggs, butter or syrup!?

ENJOY!

I’m off to sleep.. I have a hot date with Yasso and the West Park track tomorrow.. last one!

A huge shout out to Miss Brittany Dunbar for her generous (and first!) donation to Team Livestrong and A Marathon for Marianne! Thanks Britt.. if any of you feel so inclined to check out our in progress fundraising page, you can do so here!

NIGHT NIGHT

2 WEEKS TILL RACE DAY!!!

The greatest happiness is to transform one’s feelings into action

If I sign up for and commit to training for another marathon this year however, this time for a charity will you in turn bless me with super human powers and allow me to kick some Heartbreak Hill rear end on April 18th?

Whats that you say.. we have a deal? Perfect

Thank you!

Love Alyson

And with that .. I am officially signed up as a member of Team Livestrong for the 2011 ING NYC marathon on November 6, 2011.

As a I briefly mentioned the other day, I had a guest speaker come into one of my classes who road in the Journey To Hope with the Livestrong Foundation and I had some of those “AHHH ha!” goose bumpy moments and set out to see if I could somehow get involved.

The main driving force behind my desire to run for Team Livestrong however, is to embark on the fundraising journey in honour of my close friend and roommate’s mother Mary Anne who passed away in June 2010 after a 10 month battle with stomach and liver cancer. I have lived with Hillary for 3 years and she has become like a sister to me and it has been quite the heartbreaking journey to watch her experience the death of her mother at our young age. On the flip side of this, it has been very inspiring to witness the bravery and courage Hillary has brought to the situation and I have been looking for some way to honour her as well. Although a basketball superstar, Hill is not a huge running fan however, I have her full support and “together” we are going to raise as much money for cancer awareness as we possible can and run this marathon in honour of Mary Anne. I  will have much more to come on this mission after Boston however, if anyone is curious and would like to put the first dent in our $3,800 fundraising challenge, then venture over here to our work in progress fundraising website!

Due to the fact that it is after 11 and I was hoping to be in bed at 10, I am going to be that girl who simply lists her workout shows you a picture of the day’s main meals.. snacks not included!

On tap on the running front today was an easy 10km which featured double up and downs of both Glenridge and Burleigh Hills.. enjoyable.. no Garmin.. felt great!

Breakfast – Kashi with bananer, chia, flax and almond milk

Lunch – Salad Beast and gala

Dinner – Salad Beast

Dessert – Fruit and Greek yog

Now, I do have a question slash confession to make in terms of my eats today. This afternoon after coming home briefly from my seminar before heading into exile at our local coffee shop, I cut up the second cantaloupe and pineapple that I bought on sale on Tuesday. It’s now after 11pm and both the cantaloupe and pineapple are both 85% gone, and so is a clamshell of strawberries. To tally this up for you, I bought 2 cantaloupes, 2 cored pineapples and a clamshell of strawberries on Tuesday.. it is Thursday night and all of it is basically gone! DO I HAVE A PROBLEM??

I would love to hear your thoughts on my over indulgence in fruit and whether or not this is bad for my running!?

Also here is a great article for you fellow Boston runners out there.. TAPER TIME!

I am going to be discussing my taper plans in the next couple days and look forward hopefully getting some weigh in from you experts out there!

Have a fantastic Friday! I have a  full day with class, meetings, an interval class to teach, a lovely run with my  XC buddy Aless andddd the 2011 SPMA Pub Crawl!!

What are your weekend plans?

GOOD NIGHT

“It’s important to give it all while you have the chance”

It is hard to believe yet another week is half over and that in two days from now it will be April.. EEEEEEK! This is both super exciting as it means Boston is just around the corner (which leads to my trips to NYC  and home as well as a big move to Toronto!).. but at the same time it also means I  am almost done undergrad and I am going to be leaving the comfort of a student lifestyle …Double EEEEEK!

Focusing on the amazingness that is the present, I started this hump day off nice and early with a bowl of steel cut oats with a banana, chia and flax

I was a little sleepy and slow moving this morning thanks to a rather busy Tuesday which consisted of a Yasso 800’s workout by day, and the Brock Athletic Banquet as well as my running buddy Meg’s Boston fundraiser at night. It was a fabulous day all around and despite the snow on the track (lets get it together Mother nature, it’s almost April!) my workout was great (9 reps at under 3:10 per set) and the evenings festivities were a blast. I even went so far as carting my camera to the track to snap some pics of our workout but of course, upon arrival I realized the battery was dead! Fail.. 

  SPMA Love and Brock XC

Today I packed a standard issue salad beast and gala apple for lunch and spent the day at school before coming home to inhale a smoothie in a bowl heading out the door to run club.. final hill night!

I must say I am officially SO glad that I have gotten involved with the Running Room in St Catharines and the ladies and gents in the spring half marathon clinic are all amazing.Without really anticipating such, the clinic has turned out to play a crucial role in my Boston training efforts and running experiences this winter. Yay for clinic leading!

After hammering out our 6 rep hill workout I scooted down Glenridge to Johnny Roccos where I met up with a group of friends celebrating the lovely Megan’s 22nd Birthday. Due to arriving late, the only eating I took part in was a random sampling of everyone’s dishes, which were all very tasty. When I arrived home I quickly whirled together an egg scramble with asparagus, spinach, onion, beans, hot peppers and a sprinkle of Swiss cheese.. and inhaled it with little breathing!

Well, its off to hit the hay for this girl but I will leave you with some information on a fabulous upcoming running event being put on by my 4th year leadership class.

If you are close to the Niagara region and have yet to sign up for the 2011 Brendan Ford Run for Success happening on April 10th at the Welland Canal then you are missing out!

Check out the event website at www.runforsuccess.com

GOOD NIGHT!

Are YOU running the Brendan Ford Run for Success? If so, share with us your goal time and what you’re looking forward to most about race day!

“What the mind believes the body achieves”

Anonymous Babe Patroller

In my corporate social responsibility class at Brock University, we were fortunate enough to have a guest speaker from Lance Armstrong’s 2006 Journey to Hope. She was a fabulous presenter who not only has run the Boston marathon (and got proposed to at the finish line!) but fought cancer while being pregnant with her daughter and is living proof of the undying human spirit.

Personally, I found her stories especially intriguing due to her running background and today Mary’s presentation ignited a fire in me that has been smoking for a while now… I want to run a marathon for a charity!

Now, yes I know my Boston taper is a week away and I’ve sworn off any post Boston running commitments in fear of my running desire being left behind on Heartbreak Hill, but I cant help but feel being in class today was one of those star aligning, right place at the right time situations. And that my friends is why it was only a matter of hours before I received this message in my inbox…

Dear Alyson,

Thank you for applying to fundraise on behalf of the LAF in one of our Team LIVESTRONG endurance events! We have received your application and will be reviewing all submissions in the coming days. Once we have chosen the recipients of our guaranteed spots, we will notify you right away.

ING NYC Marathon – November 6, 2011
New York, New York
Join us and run through the five famous boroughs of NYC, crossing the finish line in Central park. Skip the lottery and fundraise with Team LIVESTRONG to gain entry to the most popular marathon in the world. With two million cheering spectators, this is a race you’ll never forget.

2011 New York Marathon for Team Livestrong? We shall see  Babe Patrol.. report to duty!?

Anyways, back to reality! This morning started with a delicious Sun Warrior smoothie -Yes in my blogging hiatus I have officially joined the Sun Warrior train a la Fitnessista and Mama Pea.

Lunch was taken care of by the salad bar at Brock’s marketplace – although no WF, it is a great deal for $4.19 and does the trick on days like today when my sad fridge is in need of a trip to the St. Catharines Farmers Market.. Thank goodness that’s what Tuesdays are for!

For dinner, I whipped up some roasted beets (with my new oil from Whitty Farms) and a canned salmon, egg and bean scramble in a sprouted grain tortilla.

And a juicy grapefruit for dessert… summer please come fast!

Today being a Monday after a 50+km weekend, means it has been a total rest day for me. Tomorrow morning I will be up bright and early to get in a date with the beloved Yasso 800’s at the West Park track along with my buddies Cass and Kyler. I am up to 9 repeats and this will be my second to last track workout before the race on April 18th.

Tomorrow evening is our Brock Athletic Banquet as well as my awesome co-instructor Meg’s Boston fundraiser so I’m sure much fun is going to be had!

Have a fabulous Tuesday!

Have you ever been involved in any charity based running events? I would love to hear any stories, input or future advice!

PS: for a more detailed overview of our guest speaker today see my fellow SPMA’s awesome blog: www.thefreshtrain.com

You live longer once you realize that any time spent being unhappy is wasted. 

~Ruth E. Renkl

For those of you who have been following my umm “blog” for the last few months.. I am very very sorry. For those of you who have asked me repeatedly to post something, whether you are actually interested in my crazy life and Boston training, or just looking for a form of procrastination.. I am again, sorry!

For those of you who have been reading along during my rise and fall to becoming an actual “blogger” not only do I commend you but I also vow (yes, I know you’ve heard this before!) to be a better, more entertaining and consistent source of running and food related rambles for you to enjoy.

In three weeks tonight, I will be going to sleep (in a hotel room with the lovely Andrea) for the last time before running the 2011 Boston Marathon.

Can somebody PLEASE tell me where the time has gone!

The last two months (yes, its almost been two months since my last post!) have seriously gone in turbo speed and although it seems just like yesterday I was frolicking around Vancouver with my sissy at Xmas, I have packed an outrageous amount of life into the past 60 days..

Because I know you all missed me so much, lets do a recap shall we…

Since arriving back in Ontario from Christmas I have been to:

Toronto (4 times)

Ottawa – for thesis interviews and a freezing cold half marathon relay

Amherst, Mass – thesis related trip where I visited and did some work with a professor at UMASS

Boston, Mass – where SPMA took over the MIA Sloan Sport Analytic Conference and I previewed 33km on the race course..

And before the month of April is over I will be adventuring to the following places:

Boston, Mass – for the Boston Marathon, and BP reunion

NYC – post Boston/undergrad vacation with my awesome Auntie

Vancouver/Victoria/Courtenay, BC – Home for Easter!

Toronto – Moving my life here for the start of an internship on May 2nd..

Needless to say.. my life has been and will continue to be a whirlwind for the foreseeable future however, I am very grateful and excited for it all to unfold AND I am very much looking forward to sharing it with you!

I addition to having a complete blast and soaking up every last bit of the student life, the last couple months I have been focused on school, my thesis, TAing, fitness instructing and half marathon clinic instructing but my heart and soul has only had one thing in the drivers seat…running.. and a lot of it!

It has been a brutal but character building winter and now that spring is hopefully here to stay, I must say I am thankful for everything that has come my way the past few months and I (knock on wood!) feel very confident going into the last leg of my journey to the start line in Boston. I am very excited to share the last three weeks of my training and use the blog throughout my final workouts and 10 day taper as a form of accountability and outlet for the inevitable taper tantrums that are sure to occur!

I feel like there is SO much for us to catch up on and it is my goal in the coming days to bring to life some great recaps which will provide background and insight into my daily life here in St Catharines.

Right now however, I would like to do some “buttering up” and leave you will this fabulous Chocolate Peanut Butter Blondie recipe.

Forgive me for being MIA?

Did I mention they are exploding with peanut butter cups?

Happy Birthday Bradish Blondies

1 c. flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp basking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 c. light brown sugar

1/3 c. butter (melted)

1 egg

1 tsp pure vanilla

1 c. chocolate candies ( I used rosebuds)

4 peanut butter cups

1 peanut butter O’Henry bar

In a large bowl mix dry ingredients – flour, bp, bs, salt

Melt butter and add to sugar and vanilla – mix well with electric mixer

Add egg – mix some more

Carefully add wet and dry, stirring just until moistened

Add chocolate…

Spread into 8 in x 8 in greased pan and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees

After 20 minutes, remove from oven and cover top of blondies with peanut butter goodies

Return to oven and bake for another 5-10 minutes

Remove from oven and let cool completely before cutting into bars

ENJOY!

If you are still out there please say hello and leave a comment! Anything you would like to be updated on? See you tomorrow!

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony”

Mohandas Gandhi

AWESOME hummus of course..

Basil Garlic Hummus

In a food processor combine the following:

1 can drained and rinsed chick peas (save 1/3 c. liquid from can)

3 cloves of garlic

2-3 tsp of lemon juice

1-2 tsp of olive oil

1-2 tbs tahini

salt and pepper

2-3 leaves of fresh basil

** Add liquid from can to desired consistency

Whirl together, scraping the sides occasionally.. And Voila!

TIP: I find all homemade hummus tastes better after a day in fridge (or this is what I tell myself in attempt to not eat all of it right of out of the food processor bowl!)

Sweet Potato Hummus

** Adapted and inspired from Vive le Vegan’s “Cannellini Bean Yam Hummus” (pg.60)

In a food processor combine the following:

1.5 c.  canned six bean medley (could use straight chick peas or cannellini beans)

3/4 c. cooked and mashed sweet potato

2-3 tbs fresh lime and lemon juice

2 cloves of garlic

2 tbs olive oil

1/4 c or so of banana peppers and some juice from jar

salt and pepper to taste

Mix together in processor, spice to your liking and enjoy!

I must say both deserve air high fives!

LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW!

And on that note, I sprung out of bed this morning, tried to pretend I didn’t see the enormous snowstorm vomiting all over the ground outside my building and made a befitting breakfast I like to call..

“I –missed –you -roomie, omg –we –are- so -old.. Pumpkin- Oatmeal- Pancakes”

Pretty easy peasy – and even possible when the only thing in your cupboard is Libby’s Pumpkin you brought back from Christmas vacation in California..

In a medium bowl combine the following:

1-1.5 c. oatmeal

1/4 c. almond milk

1/2 cup Libby’s Pumpkin

2 tbs ground flax

1tbs pumpkin pie spice

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Squeeze of honey

Mix it all up really well ( if possible, use your amazing new Cusinart toy gifted to you by your awesome Auntie!)… and heat a frying pan over medium heat.

Spoon the batter into smallish pancakes in the pan and cook for about 4 mins on each side or until outside is brown and cakes have formed.

Serve with anything you can find in your fridge, in our case.. syrup and jam!

Other options could include fresh fruit, nut butter, sliced or grilled bananas, etc

After such a great start to the day things kept getting better, for Mr. Cuisinart that is..

A little b-day cake action…

And I’m off to reunite with the SPMA crew and the ever famous pickle shot!

Have a great evening

It was yet another enjoyable day on the West Coast, a little rainy to start but the sun came out for the end of the day. On the workout front, I got in a lovely 10km run on the sea wall and nearly lost my life at the hand of a crazy Pilates instructor during my last day of a week membership to Exhale Studio. However, I did enjoy the class.. when it was over!

One of my favourite things about staying with my sis in her adorable bachelor suite downtown this holiday has been the opportunity I have had to cook for her and share some random and hopefully delicious healthy eats. She is teaching dance 6 days a week and is not a kitchen lover at the best of times, which was evident by her nearly bare cupboards and empty fridge I found upon my arrival. Throughout the last week, I have done my very best to inspire her in the kitchen, and whether or not it is actually working, I think she (well her belly) is enjoying the attempts!

I was so proud when I received this text from her when I was out spending the afternoon with some friends..

“I just found some chia seeds for $6.99 and flax seeds for $5.99. Is that good?”

Music to my ears, sistah!

Sistah Scramble

A very easy, tasty and satisfying lunch (or breakfast or dinner, for that matter).. especially for those on a budget!

Start by gathering up all the random veggies you can find, chop em’ up and heat in a frying pan with garlic, olive oil and some spices.

Spinach, onion, mushroom, brocc, egg whites, cheese

Skillet time..

Once the veggies are soft and fragrant, turn the heat to medium low and add your scrambled eggs (in this case, I used egg whites)..

Cook on medium low, scraping the sides of the pan frequently, until the eggs have cooked and everything is scrambled up… Once the eggs are cooked, sprinkle on your cheese and heat until melted through..

If you’re like me and like your eggs well done, pop the skillet under the broiler for a minute or two.. ** Note: When doing this make sure the handle is not in the oven or you may start a fire and damage your roommate’s beautiful Paderno frying pan.. not that I know from experience or anything!

Serve with toast, grab your sistah and enjoy!

Salad Beasts

What is a salad beast you ask? (For the record I stole this name from the amazing Fitnessista)

I will define it as “a salad on steroids which contains anything and all things nutritious and delicious”.

Tonight, our sistah salad beasts look a little something like this..

Spinach, onion, brocc, tomato, canned salmon, quinoa, roasted sweet pot and parsnip, black beans, tomato sauce (sissy has no dressing or balsamic vin.. sin I know!) and cheese…. BAM!

… Or shall I say ROOOOARRR!

Nighty nighty from the West Coast!

What’s your favourite thing to do for your siblings when visiting them!? Although I love to cook and shop… cleaning is a different story!

Last night at the Broadway Running room it felt oddly, but amazingly like the first day of a new school year, that is with the exception of age and planned out first day of school outfits! I couldn’t help but laugh at the excitement, hugs and flowing conversations that continued before, during and after a lovely 7km sea wall run.

Also, last night was extra special because it marked the “friendaversary” of the night Carolyn, Amelia and I met on the false creek seawall. After an awesome run, and celebration gathering with the Babe Patrol minus AF, I couldn’t help but be thankful for the decision I made one year ago and whatever it was that made me enter the doors of the Broadway Running Room.

Although I will not technically be in this winter’s marathon clinic (commuting from St Catharines would be a tiny bit difficult!), I will be absorbing Dave’s knowledge vicariously through the BP. Although I’m sad about this, I am looking forward to settling into my Boston training in St Catharines… that is if I ever get back there! I have decided, due the fact that Vancouver is amazing and playing house with my sissy is too much fun, I am not returning to Brock until Tuesday. This means I am so excited and grateful to have four more days to play, run and get my school work done in the city.

On that note, the sun is peaking through the clouds and the sea wall is calling my name!

Enjoy your day!

PS: I am terribly sorry for my lack of blogging in the last um… almost two months! Due to exams, a California family vacation, Christmas and NYE excitement, and BP reunions.. I have struggled to find the mojo to write about it all. As always, I am now vowing to post on the regular and find the time to finally implement my ideas for this little bloggy. Wish me luck, and I would love to hear any thoughts, input or advice you have related to this endeavour!

“Let’s be grateful for those who give us happiness; they are the charming gardeners who make our soul bloom.” – Marcel Proust

I hope everyone is enjoying the lovely weather, be it snow on the best  West Coast or sunshine and warmth here in Onterrible!

Today started off with an early morning run before my 8 am class with my early bird running buddy Aless. Due to a few alarm sleep throughs and mid week drinking late nights studying, we haven’t had a morning rendezvous in a few days, so today was extra lovely!

Stats:

Distance: 10.16km   Time: 57:58   Avg: 5:42/km

During our run Aless and I got chatting about goals and how we are going to approach the months ahead. My plan for the month of November has been to keep running to maintain a base, but as you can tell by my easy paced runs as of late, there are no real training efforts being put fourth. I have enjoyed the break and it has allowed me to focus on getting to more classes for experience towards Can Fit as well as the relaxed schedule has let me hop back on the yoga train (which I will be discussing this week!) . However, as November is almost over (how is this possible!) and as much as I have enjoyed rolling out of a bed and running easy in the morning, it is time to start thinking about picking it up and giving some direction to my early morning workouts. Perhaps I may be hearing from a certain Western States lottery entrant soon with a template/advice for a Boston training schedule!

Anyhow, back to today and the title of this post .. POWER HOUR!

In attempt to be productive this week, I allotted myself an hour this morning to prepare some healthy food options for the week ahead. I am the worst for lollygagging in the morning resulting in an overflowing pot of half cooked steel cut oats, or spending an hour slowly preparing and cooking dinner at night when really I should be working on my thesis lit review ( food > ambush marketing!). I am happy to report that the first instillation of POWER HOUR was a success!

In less than one hour I prepared the following:

Slow Cooker Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

(from The Fitnessista)

Homemade Hummus

Steel Cut Oats (Enough for the whole week)

And I also had this fabulous salad bowl and yellow fruit salad for lunch..

Wahoo!

Now, continuing with the theme of POWER HOUR, I best be going to be productive on other non running and eating related fronts.. unexciting I know!

Have an amazing day!

What is your worst procrastination habit and what do you do to overcome it?

“If you love life, don’t waste time, for time is what life is made up of.” – Bruce Lee