At Home Cardio

What's that you say? Can't workout because you haven't the time to drive to the gym? Pish-Posh.

Here's a routine for Share it Fitness that I found while perusing the internet. It's a five day, at-home workout that combines cardio and muscle resistance. Even better, it doesn't require a single piece of workout equipment. Click the Picture below to check it out!

As an added bonus the co-founder, Matt, is super helpful and is willing to answer any questions that you might have. He's really quick to respond to your posts so don't hesitate to drop him a line if you feel that you're unsure of this routine or another one that you may come across.



There you have it! I suspect you're running out of excuses for not working out-that's my goal, anyway.  ;)

5K Fever!

  I've been enjoying my weekly runs in some nice, balmy 30-45 degree weather lately. Okay, so that's not exactly a heat wave, but it sure is a hopeful sign that spring is near in Minnesota. All of this sun and warm weather has gotten me into the running groove. I've been planning to run 'The Color Run' in the Twin Cities with a couple of friends for a few months now.  Still, I can't help scanning the internet for other fun 5K's to keep me motivated throughout the spring and summer seasons. That's precisely why I've decided to write this post.

  I have for you all a list of what I consider some of the most fun and interesting 5K runs in Minnesota starting this month and going all through the summer. I encourage you to register for one that I've provided in my list, or do your own research and find one that you like! 5K's are a great way to help you achieve goals. Not to mention, they're a fun and an entirely different experience from running on your own, or socially with your friends/running group. I encourage you all take a gander at my list, enter an event, and reap the rewards of running a race--whether you're doing it for competition or plain ol' fun! Remember, whether you're just starting out or you've been running for a while most 5K's are for runners of all capabilities--so don't hesitate to run if you think you won't "do well". If you're not comfortable running one alone, form a team and agree that you will all run or walk together. Come on, give it a shot!


Please, feel free to add any other fun 5K runs that I may have missed in the comments!

--2013 5K Runs in MN--

For the Sports Fanatic: April 6th- Runnin' With the Wolves 5K
-Includes T-shirt and MN Timberwolves ticket
-Meet the T-wolves' mascot Crunch!
-Post-race celebration

For the Sweets-Craver: April 6th- Chocoholic Frolic
-Includes really nice zip up race pull over and sling backpack
-Forget water and fruit at the race stands. Think hot cocoa, chocolate fountains, and chocolate candies! mmmm.

For the Horror Movie/Zombie Fanatic: April 26th- Mankato Zombie Run
-Choose to be a human or zombie
-Bands and Beer
-Cool set props for the full post-apocalyptic experience!

For the Party-Animal: May 10th- The Rave Run
-A nighttime run featuring lights and electronica music.
-Includes t-shirt, LED bracelet, glow glasses, and glow necklace

For the Animal Lover: May 19th- Wag, Walk, and Run
-Bring your dog!-"six-legged" teams (you + your pooch) are welcome.
-Includes t-shirt and doggie bandana
- Helps raise money for 'Helping Paws'- a program for service dogs

For the Night Owl: May 31st- Electric Run
- Artists and lighting technicians come together to create a unique and exciting light course to run through.
- Live DJ's create mixes that sync with the lights!
-Includes t-shirt, LED bracelet, glow glasses and necklace.

For the One Who's Not Afraid To Get Dirty: June 1st- Mud Factor Run
- An obstacle run that features: climbing walls, slip n' slide, mud crawl, and much more.
-Yes, you're running through mud!
- Free bandana, plus plenty of merchandise available if participants wish to purchase a shirt or other memorabilia.

For the Beer Connoisseur or the Bar Fly- June 6th- Beer Run!
-The further you run, the more free beer you get!
- Considered an "un-race!" :) It's not timed, there are not medals at the end, and there won't be many spectators--but you do get free beer!

For the Dog Lover: June 8th- Dog Day 5K
-Dog friendly 5K
-Demonstrations, performances, and adoptions
-Includes a t-shirt with a pretty darn cool logo and a charm/tag for your dog's collar.

For the Vikings Fan: June 16th- Grid Iron Gallop
-Viking player and cheerleader appearances
-All racers are eligible to win Viking prizes
-Includes T-shirt

For the GLBT Pride Supporter: June 23rd- Twin Cities Pride 5K
- Guaranteed to be colorful.
-Runs during the Twin Cities Pride Festival so be sure to check out the parade, food stands/vendors, and entertainment!


For the Alternate Era Admirer: June 29th- Retro Run 5K 
- Wear your favorite "retro clothing"!
- Includes T-shirt



--Challenge Races (Longer Distances, Adventure, Obsticale, Terrain, etc.)---

For the Rugged, Manly-Man or Kick-Ass Girl: April 13th The Hammer Race
-BYOH  Bring your own hammer
-Run around through obstacles and on various terrain with a heavy hammer
-Includes a very tough looking long sleeve shirt.

For the Persistent One: June 1st-2nd- FANS 12 &24 Hr. Race
-Yep, that's right. Run for either 12 hrs or 24 hrs straight!
- Helps raise money for the FANS scholarship fund (Furthering Achievement through a Network of Support)



More to come soon!

Eat-clean Website

I've found an invaluable website that's chock-full of information on eating clean! Not only does it give a bunch of eat-clean recipes, it also explains how you can "clean up" most recipes, and provides clean foods shopping lists for popular grocery stores. If you don't want to commit to buying a eat-clean cookbook just yet, check out this website!

Protein Packed Banana Pancakes

While I enjoy pancakes and waffles as much as the next person, sometimes it's not in your best interest to eat what's in the batter of that Betty Crocker  mix that you bought. Just take  a look at the nutrition facts. Now that I've started paying more attention to what's in the foods I have been eating for years, I've become more and more disheartened by the amount of unwanted stuff that's in my favorite food. In my adventure to adopt a eat-clean diet I found the resolution to my pancake let down. It's a quick and easy recipe, and I'm not kidding. It's seriously simple, mindblowingly minimal...well, you get the point.  Here's what you need, are you ready for this?....

 1/2 banana
6 tbsp egg whites (2 servings)
1 tbsp ground flax
1tbsp unsweetened protein powder  (vanilla)


Directions:
Measure 6 tbsp. egg whites into a bowl. Slice banana into thin pieces and put into egg whites. "Moosh" pieces of banana with fork until it is mixed in with the egg whites. Mix in flax and protien powder. Pour mixture onto a non-stick or greased frying pan and cook like you would a normal pancake.
Makes 1 large or 2 medium sized cakes.

The only tricky part with this recipe is having them turn out in a perfect pancake shape. Because the mix is a different texture they are harder to flip. Don't be discouraged if you end up eating scrambled bits...it's still delicious!


Give it a try. It sounds a little odd-- mixing eggs and bananas--but I guarantee it's delicious! Plus, they're so sweet you don't need the sugary syrup! If you feel you want a little more flavor kick add some sliced strawberries to the top of your pancakes or some organic peanut butter. Enjoy!

Eating Clean

This may come as a shock to some of you, but I'm going to let you in on a little secret:
If you want to see a change in your body you have to eat healthy. That's right--EAT HEALTHY!

As much as I would love to tell you that by working out you can eat whatever you want and still look and feel great, that's just not the truth. As a rule, I like to remind myself that what I do in the gym is shown in the kitchen. Let me explain this by using the following example...

 There's this common misconception that doing crunches from sunrise to sunset seven days a week will give you six pack abs. I'm here to tell you that this is not the case. You will never see those muscles if they're hiding behind a layer of fat. In order to achieve the looking you're longing for you must:

 a) do cardio at least 3 days a week,

and more importantly, in my opinion...

 b) eat clean, healthy meals.

The basic concept of clean eating is simple: eat fresh food. Don't fill up on processed food that you buy from a fast-food establishment or convenient store. Don't eat food that is deep fried or has a bunch of butter slathered on it. Instead, eat fresh fruits and veggies, foods with clean fats (like ones from almonds and small amounts of lean meats such as fish and chicken), and low fat dairy products.

Another important part of eating clean is remembering to eat small meals throughout the day. Remember that old rule about eating three large meals a day? --Kick that habit! Eat small meals and snack every couple of hours. Spreading out your meals helps jump start and speed up your metabolism, not to mention you will feel full throughout the entire day. It is also important to get a good night's sleep. Staying up till 2 A.M. won't do you any favors in terms of midnight snacking.

Despite the idea of clean eating appearing seemingly straight forward, I realize that at first it might be a bit baffling for some people to make the transition. That's perfectly alright! There are plenty of tools out there to help you start out. Look for recipes on the internet, or go to your local library and look for books on clean eating. I also recommend purchasing a cookbook from amazon or another online source. I also urge you all to purchase the following book to start out.

 This book gives you a bit of background on how the eat-clean movement started, and over 50 recipes to help you start building your healthy cookbook. Plus, the author, Tosca Reno, is a really great guide. She talks about her own struggles with being over weight and then under weight, and then finally, at the age of 42, challenging herself to make some changes and compete in her very first bodybuilding competition. For me, it's these anecdotes that make this book so valuable. Her own struggles and personal barriers make the narrative real forcing the reader to realize that she is an actual person and someone we can all relate to.

One last thing. A lot of people are intimidate by the term "eat-clean diet". The important thing to remember is that it isn't a diet it's a change in your lifestyle. I promise you will feel happier and healthier after you make the transition! :)

Get Yer' Arse in Gear!

So here's a link to a  video I came across that I love to add into my routine once a week during my leg day or whenever I can't make it to the gym. Its a 15 min workout for Glutes and Thighs. Fifteen minutes may not seem like a lot--but trust me, you'll feel the burn!

Click here for an awesome workout!

Open-faced Veggie Omlete Recipe

 Who says eating healthy can't be both delicious and nutritious? 

Granted I'm not a professional food photographer, but if you like the look of this veggie omelet-- keep reading!

Pictured above is everything that you need to make this omelet.
Ingredients include the following:


1/2 c. red peppers
1/2 c. fresh mushrooms
1/2 c. broccoli
1/2 c. frozen spinach
1/4 c. cilantro (optional)
6 tbsp. egg beaters (I really like the Florentine kind, but you can use regular)
1/4 c. fat free cheddar cheese
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4tbsp. salsa
Pam cooking Spray (not pictured)

Fill a small cooking pot about half way full with water, and bring to a boil.
Place 1/2 c. spinach in pot to boil for about 3 mins. (or whatever the package recommends)
Cut up all vegetables and set aside.
Spray small skillet with cooking spray, heat on low for about 45 second, then pour 6 tbsp. egg beaters into pan. Let set until eggs are cooked enough to flip (about 3-5 mins), flip to other side and cook for a few more minutes until eggs are done.
In another small skillet pour 2 tbsp.  extra virgin olive oil and veggies.  Cook veggies approx. 4 mins. or until tender or are the desired texture.
Strain spinach (use spatula to press water out of spinach, as you don't want a watery omelet)

Place eggs on plate, spinach on top of the eggs, and then veggies. Sprinkle cheese on top of vegetables, spoon  on salsa, then top with cilantro leaves...and VIOLA!--a tasty and extremely healthy omelet.

I like this recipe because it is extremely filling, lacks fat and grease, and is incredibly tasty. Depending on the diet you choose you may also add a bit of chicken. Remember, you can feel free to substitute some of the vegetables with others. I realize that not everyone is a fan of mushrooms. Also keep in mind that organic ingredients are the best, but it's alright to do what you can with what you have. Happy feasting!