Recipe: Paleo-friendly banana bread

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Eating healthy can be tough when one of your favorite fall activities is curling with a hot pumpkin-spiced latte while something yummy bakes in the oven. But after watching the eye-opening film Fed Up (if you haven’t seen it yet, it’s a must-watch), we’re making a concerted effort to cut down on sugar, forgo processed foods and make smarter tweaks to our favorite recipes.

Like this one I found for banana bread — it seems like we’ve always got a few over-ripe bananas that need to be used. They add natural sweetness, and using coconut flour in baked goods is an excellent lower-carb, high-fiber and gluten-free alternative to wheat flour.

The best part, though? Due to the higher fiber content, coconut flour doesn’t spike your blood sugar as quickly as grain-based flours — i.e. you won’t have that inevitable crash that comes post-sugar high. So you can have your cake…er, banana bread…and eat it (guilt-free), too!

Paleo-Friendly Banana Bread

(Recipe adapted from CivilizedCavemanCooking.com)

Ingredients: 

  • 4 bananas
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 c coconut flour
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp agave syrup
  • pinch sea salt

Directions: 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit
  2. Combine bananas, eggs, nut butter and butter in a mixing bowl
  3. Once wet ingredients are blended, add in coconut flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, agave syrup and sea salt and mix well
  4. Grease or line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper before pouring in batter
  5. Bake for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean
  6. Remove from oven and flip bread out onto a cooling rack
  7. Slice and serve!

This was my first time experimenting with coconut flour, and I’ve gotta say, I’m impressed. The texture and consistency seem similar to whole-wheat flour, which will make your baked goods slightly more dense.

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Not so dense, though, that you lose the cake-like quality of a good banana bread. And surprisingly enough, we didn’t even need butter; it was perfectly delicious and moist enough to munch on straight out of the oven!

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How do you feel about making over your favorite recipes with healthier ingredients? 

Detroit Marathon: Week 17 training recap

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Marathon training while crunching through fall leaves — even though this season’s program hasn’t gone exactly as planned, I can’t complain!

As you can see, the Hanson’s program doesn’t do a heavy taper in the final two weeks before the race (49 miles?!), which is good because I’m also slowly adding mileage to get my body acclimated for a few hours of activity at once.

Here’s the original schedule:

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And here’s my adapted version:

  • Monday: Revocycle class, strength training, PT exercises
  • Tuesday: Run outside (10 run/1 walk x 6 = 66 mins)
  • Wednesday: Elliptical (45 mins), PT exercises
  • Thursday: Run outside (20 run/1 walk x 3 = 63 mins), PT exercises
  • Friday: OFF, PT exercises, stretching & foam rolling
  • Saturday: Run outside (25 run/1 walk x 3 = 78 mins), PT exercises
  • Sunday: Elliptical (60 mins), strength training, PT exercises

I’ve got some new scenery this week, too, because I’m home in Michigan, visiting family and working remotely while I’m squeezing in my final workouts before race day. There’s still a whole lot of green in this picture, but the leaves are starting to change, so it’s a great time of year to be here.

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And my workouts are going pretty well! The upside is that I haven’t lost a lot of speed and I have been able to maintain some good endurance with my cross training.

But the downside, as I’m finding out, is that I must be compensating ever so slightly on my left side to favor my right. I’m feeling a few aches and pains in my left hip, hamstring and knee, so I’ve got to be careful.

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It’s also going to be tough to rein myself in on race day. I’m still mulling over my final goals because — as you can see from the pacing below, which was from my recent 20 run/1 walk workout — I could potentially make a run for it because it’s a flatter, more forgiving course than my last one.

But I don’t want to injure myself too badly in the process, so I’m going to see how the next few workouts go before making an official game plan. As much as I want to push myself, it’s not worth another round of rehabbing at the PT, so the toughest battle come race day could actually be the mental one.

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In the meantime, though, my coach has me sticking to my PT work, foam rolling some Trigger Point release techniques in order to keep things loose and functioning properly through full ranges of motion. The goal is to work up to a 60-minute run with no walk breaks next week before we bring mileage down toward the big day.

Onward to week 18; thanks for following along!

Fave Fix: FlipBelt running belt

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Running is a constant game of trial and error. Sometimes you strike gold with a shoe that complements your stride or a gel that sits well on a sensitive tummy. Other times you strike out, be it a chafe-y short, a hat that overheats…or that time I tried to outsmart myself during a half marathon and store two gels in my sports bra (long story short, it ended very badly for both ‘girls’).

So I’m always on the lookout for gear that allows me to take any element of chance out of runs, particularly the long ones where there’s A) a higher risk of something going awry, and B) decent odds that I’ll be a good distance from home when it happens. And bonus points if it allows me to go hands-free, because we all know that the amount of “stuff” you have to carry is directly proportional to your mileage — meaning, mo’ miles, mo’ problems juggling my keys, phone, headphones, gels, water, etc.

Enter FlipBelt, which is one of those so-simple-it’s-brilliant products — literally, it’s a tubular fabric waistband in which you can tuck all your must-have items while exercising (click here to see it in action). And to keep everything even more secure, all you have to do is flip the belt inward, effectively “locking” the openings against your body so nothing pops out.

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Easy-peasy. But does it work?

I don’t know about you, but I’ve had notoriously bad experiences with products that sit around my hips while running. Be it my mechanics, anatomy or just personal preference, I get super annoyed when anything slips, bounces or is at all noticeable (again, like that time I tried a hip hydration pack and ended up having to strap it — mid-run — around the lower half of my butt to keep it from jostling around = #RunningFail).

The shot above is of me in the FlipBelt with six gels in it, plus my keys (there’s even a handy little lanyard key clip if you’re especially OCD about losing them, like I am). I took it for a few test runs during some of my recent treadmill workouts, so it got put through the paces thoroughly at both a walk and a jog.

My verdict? It didn’t budge, bounce or otherwise both me. Success!

The only con I can see is that it isn’t waterproof, but that’s probably so you don’t end up with a big, hot ring of sweat around your waist. And if you want to store your phone in the FlipBelt and keep it from getting wet, there’s an easy fix: just slip it in a waterproof Ziploc bag, and you’re good to go. When you’re using it to play music, however, or want to access it more often, like I do, then you may want to opt for an armband for regular access.

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Not only is it easy-care (the fabric is machine washable), but it’s also so easy-wear that I’m even considering breaking my “nothing new on race day” rule and using it in my upcoming marathon to tote all the essentials — nutrition, phone and keys — for 26.2 miles.

For more information or to order one of your own, visit FlipBelt.com.

This post was sponsored by FlipBelt through their partnership with Fit Approach. I was not compensated monetarily, but was provided a FLipBelt for review. As always, all opinions are my own.

Guest Race Recap: Hubby takes on the Portland Half Marathon

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Since I’m sidelined from racing while I prep for Detroit these next two weeks, I thought I’d hand the reins over to Hubby to let him share his race-day experience from this year’s Portland Marathon Half.

Although his pre-race plans are, ahem, “unconventional” (sorry, hanging out in a bar and drinking beers the day before the race does not count as carb-loading, hon), he did managed to fight for a strong finish and snag a shiny, new PR.

Here’s how it went down, in his own words:

Portland Half Marathon 2014

With Jen getting back into the swing of running, but not wanting to push it too much leading up to her Detroit Marathon, I ended up running the Portland Marathon Half myself yesterday. I thought, why not just run it for fun? But of course, once race morning came, I figured I’d push it a little. Having done the Portland Triathlon two weeks ago, I still had the competitive juices flowing.

The Start

Yesterday morning could not have been more beautiful. I am an Oregon native and always remember Indian summer in October, but it has been an exceptional last week. With a Saturday filled with watching Beaver football and Timbers soccer, however, you might say I didn’t really prime myself with an agreeable “diet,” although I did rest my legs.

I woke up early, put on my gear, decided to run in my new Hoka Conquests, and ran the mile or so to the starting line. I got in the corral and almost immediately the race director announced we would be singing the national anthem — only someone would start us off, and the crowd would finish the song ourselves.

I stood next to a older guy in orange and black, and assumed he was a fellow Beaver fan; he was hoping to get a 1:45, and I thought I’d try to do the same. The gun went off, and away we went.

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Miles 1-5

This was essentially the only uphill portion of this race. Compared to the last half I did in SF (Rock ‘n’ Roll), it was nice to only have a couple small hills and, really, the rest was pretty flat. I took off a little quicker than expected, around a 7:30 pace.

I will say that these are some fun miles with bands playing, high-fiving pirates, signs encouraging “cropdusting” and a picturesque loop up towards OHSU and above south waterfront. The climb was worth it, though, for the early morning views of Mt. Hood off to the right on the way back into town. My favorite parts were the bands playing music on overpasses and forklifts.

Then the route headed down towards the Willamette waterfront, and I could see our apartment building as we started a long straightaway up to mile nine in north Portland.

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Miles 5-9

These were miles where I could definitely feel the dehydration start to set in. It’s a long, pretty flat stretch that seems to never end. I downed Ultima at pretty much every fuel station and had a few gummy bears, which helped a little but seemed to upset my stomach a bit.

I decided at about mile eight to just do water from then on. I think this helped, although I could feel my pace slowing. My friend from the start passed me, and I stayed on his heels until about mile 11.

What I enjoyed most here was being able to run my first half along with full marathoners. It was inspiring to see these people make the turn around mile 10 toward the East side and still have another 16 miles that, thankfully, I didn’t have to run.

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Mile 10-13.1

I would call these the wish-I hadn’t-“dehydrated”-myself-yesterday miles. About mile 10 my legs started to feel really heavy, and I felt really thirsty. Just when I felt I needed a fuel station, there wasn’t one for about a mile and a half.

Around 11 miles in, I walked through the fuel station and drank two glasses of water, gave myself 30 seconds to walk and then started to plod along again. My pace had slowed considerably to about 8:45ish per mile as I got back into town and started the final stretch.

With the announcer congratulating me on a strong finish, I pushed across the finish line. My unofficial time was 1:50:27, which was about five minutes slower than I wanted, but still a PR and a fun morning run in my favorite city.

Final Thoughts

Today was one of those runs where I never felt like I got “in the zone.” I was also a bit frustrated with the last three miles, as this has always been my weak part of each half. A lesson learned today is that I need to prep my body the day before with something other than the fantastic Oregon IPAs and Moscow mules.

I was tasked to take a couple of pictures along the route, which I didn’t do a great job of. But I did get a picture of a girl’s tattoo that I though Jen would love. It’s a Dairy Queen ice cream cone — which, come one, we all love — and the word “Hustle.” Side note: My first job was at the Dairy Queen in Corvallis, Ore., where I unofficially invented the mint Oreo blizzard (Jen doesn’t believe this story, but it was corroborated recently by someone I worked with at DQ).

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All in all, it was a great day, and I wish I could have had Jenny there by my side, but I know she was there in spirit. And I was happy to have earned my Besaw’s Eggs Benedict and an afternoon of watching football and napping in the park.

Next up for me: the Silver Falls Trail Run half marathon on Halloween weekend with some great friends from the Bay Area. Uh oh, I have a feeling I may be “fueling” in the same manner as I did before this one, too. And can’t wait till next year’s PDX half…or maybe full???? I still don’t know how Jenny does it!!

Congratulations to all Portland Marathon participants, as well as anyone else who was racing this past weekend!

Detroit Marathon: Week 16 training recap

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Normally the two weeks before the race are all about tapering — i.e. decreasing mileage and intensity in order to make sure your body is as rested as possible so you can maximize your potential. But since I haven’t run much in the last month, things are a lot different this time around; I’ll actually be trying to slowly (and safely) ramp up in mileage in preparation for race day.

Even though I’m technically out of the woods with my injury, I can’t just jump back in from where I left off because if I bite off more than my body can chew, it’ll only set me back. So I’ve got to slowly start building again to raise my level of cardiovascular fitness, continue to work on my weak links and develop the strength and stability to prevent future injury.

Of course, this makes it interesting when you’ve got a marathon in two and a half weeks…but more on that later.

Here’s what was on the schedule this week:

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And here’s how my actual workouts are panning out:

  • Monday: Elliptical (45 min), plyometric & Bosu stabilization exercises, physical therapy
  • Tuesday: Revocycle class (45 min), PT exercises
  • Wednesday: Swim (30 min, ~1300m), strength training, treadmill run intervals (2 min run + 1 min walk x 10 = 22 min), PT exercises
  • Thursday: OFF, Bosu stabilization exercises, foam rolling, PT exercises, run coach strategy session
  • Friday: Treadmill run intervals (10 min run + 1 min walk x 4 = 44 mins), PT exercises
  • Saturday: Aerobic recovery (long bike ride, 1.5-2 hours), massage, PT exercises
  • Sunday: Treadmill run intervals (10 min run + 1 min walk x 5 = 55 mins), PT exercises

Three things of note this week:

First, my PT “graduated” me; I’m feeling strong and was able to run for 15 minutes without pain last weekend, so she referred me to a running coach at the training facility to make a plan for getting up to 26.2 in a matter of weeks. Frankly, I haven’t a clue on how to go about that, so I’m glad to have help.

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Second, I spoke with the coach yesterday, and together we made the call  for me to officially bow out of the Portland half marathon this weekend. His thinking is that it won’t help me, fitness-wise, at this point and could only potentially hurt me. I totally agree. But I’m still disappointed — and, frankly, a bit scared — being this far behind so close to the marathon.

Third, and along those lines, we had a really open, honest and difficult discussion yesterday. Although I’ve got a good base of fitness and have been racing regularly this year, the fact is, I’m running out of time. To jump into too many miles too quickly might injure me again before race day, yet to not do enough mileage in advance might be damaging to my body when I’ve suddenly got to run 4+ hours on race day.

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We talked about potentially backing out of the race altogether and focusing on another one in the spring…but after a long year of racing, my body needs a break and, mentally, I was hoping to switch things up and focus on getting faster at shorter distances and getting back on the trails. So a slow, steady and cautious build it’ll be in these last two weeks in order to try to complete the Detroit Marathon on October 19.

Notice I said “complete:” I had a rough day yesterday coming to terms with the fact that racing this event simply wouldn’t be a good call. It comes down to staying healthy and strong, advised the coach, rather than digging myself into a deeper hole that I have to spend all off-season getting myself out of. It helps to try to keep perspective in these situations — there will be other races — but it’s still a process of mourning having to let go of a goal you’ve been working toward for six months.

It sucks. I’m angry — mostly at myself for starting an aggressive training program when I wasn’t 100 percent. I know better, but I let my excitement get the best of me. So I’ve got to accept it, learn from it and move forward. And I know if I’m able to run another marathon in the future, it’ll be as a stronger, smarter runner. Which is the cruel irony of this sport!

On a lighter note, one exciting part of getting to run again is trying out new running shoes. I’ve been a longtime fan of my Asics Gel Kayanos, but since my PT was thinking they’re a little too stable for me, I’m taking a new model for a spin: Hoka’s Conquests.

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They may look like a beast of a shoe (seriously, the outsole is huge), but the beauty of them is in their state-of-the-art weight-to-resilience ratio and cushioning. Billed as being “fast, highly-responsive” shoes, the Conquests are light as can be and promote accurate foot roll through the gait cycle — not to mention they’ve been comfy as hell as I’ve been slowly breaking them in.

More time — and mileage — will tell, but I’m excited to see if these might be my new “sole” mates on the road. Between now and next week’s recap, I’ll (fingers crossed) be able to break them in a bit more.

Stay tuned for week 17; thanks for the kind words, encouragement and for following along!

Portland fit fix: How Revocycle is fueling an indoor cycling revo-lution

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I have a theory that there are two types of people who work out: those of us who “embrace the suck” and find solace in the burn of each rep or the quiet rhythm of breaths and footfalls during a run…and those of us who try to tune everything out and just push through the pain with the aid of numerous distractions.

Well, as much as I’d love to tell you I’m a member of the former group, I’ve got to admit that I’ve always tended to fall into the latter. That is, until I stopped into Revocycle here in Portland and had an experience that, quite literally, redefined my idea of a good workout.

In an attempt to mix up my cross-training, I decided to check out one of founder Michael Hosking’s early-morning classes a few weeks ago. He started off by helping each student find the proper bike fit, down to precise angles for a safe ride, while reminding us that our goal was to use excellent position and practice beautiful form in an attempt to notice the muscles and the movement and the breath.

Ohhh no, I thought as I started calculating my odds of getting noticed if I ducked out the door. This is going to be the longest 50 minutes of my life. 

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But after quashing those initial feelings of panic, I committed to opening myself up to the experience. After all, as Hosking explained, by paying attention to our bodies, pedaling exactly on the beat of song, tuning in to our breath and heart rate and engaging in mindfulness, we’d be maximizing the benefits of a cycling workout without putting ourselves at risk for injury.

And just because it’s not a loud, high-intensity workout doesn’t mean it isn’t tough; it just means you feel refreshed and rejuvenated after, rather than drained and exhausted.

“Finding the zone is about minimizing distractions,” he recently told Fitness magazine. “Music can help you do just that. If you focus on the rhythm and sync your pedaling or steps with the beat, you can help quiet racing thoughts. It’s moving meditation.”

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And how! For the first time ever, I wasn’t tempted to speak a peek at the clock; time flew by as Hosking expertly intertwined music with instruction, and before we knew it, we were all drenched in sweat, smiling from ear-to-ear and entering our cool-down.

You see, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about my approach to working out while in PT these past few weeks. Namely, learning that some of my major muscle groups had gotten lazy and stopped functioning — and that I hadn’t even noticed — has made me realize the importance of awareness with movement.

Clearly, my body’s trying to telling me that disconnection won’t cut it anymore. Removing excess ‘noise’ (both literally and figuratively) in workouts and getting into a more authentic ‘zone’ — in which I’m working hard and totally engaged, yet feeling profoundly peaceful — is not only more relaxing, but also powerfully effective.

And did I mention pretty darn addicting?

Portland-Metro area residents, your first two classes are FREE. Visit Revocycle.com for more information and to register. 

Recipe: Almond Flour Chicken Fingers

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My friend Katie is currently on the Whole 30 program, and as we were swapping healthy recipes the other night, she mentioned this one as a family favorite. While I’m not quite convinced I am able want to follow a strict eating regimen (you’ll have to pry carbs and dairy products out of my cold, dead hands!), I’m always game for anything that can get Hubby and I out of our weekly baked/grilled chicken rut. And this one just so happens to be pretty darn awesome.

Almond Flour Chicken Fingers

(recipe adapted from GenYFoodie)

Ingredients: 

  • 2 packages boneless, skinless chicken tenders
  • 2 cups almond meal
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder (we didn’t have, so I omitted)
  • 2 eggs

Directions: 

  1. Preheat oven to 375, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a small bowl, lightly beat eggs, then set aside. In a shallow dish, mix together almond meal, paprika, cumin, cayenne, pepper, salt and garlic.
  3. Dredge each piece of chicken in egg, then roll in dry mixture to coat it completely. Repeat with each piece, arranging them all on baking sheet.
  4. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden.
  5. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce or chopped in a salad!

First prep the eggs in one dish, and measure out all the dry ingredients in another.

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Here’s what the coating looks like when it’s all mixed and ready for dipping.

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The almond flour helps create a wonderfully-thick breading, which will crisp up in the oven. These are all ready to go in for 25-30 minutes.

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And as an added bonus, the fat in the nut coating helps retain moisture for these little strips of goodness.

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One final tip: Make a double batch because they’ll disappear quickly!

Detroit Marathon: Week 15 training recap

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Big news this week! Hint: It rhymes with “funning.” 😉

Yep, I’ve officially been cleared to run. Ok, so maybe it’s twice a week for five minutes at a time on the treadmill, but I’m thrilled A) to be making forward progress, and B) to be getting stronger.

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My PT even said I had a crazy-huge grin on my face at my last session when I realized I wasn’t feeling my previous aches and pains. But, oh, does running feel different now that I’m actually using my butt muscles! Go figure.

Here’s this week’s schedule; I get anxious thinking of all this peak mileage I’m missing…but I’m thankful to be able to run, regardless of pace (and still mulling over race-day goals…other than the primary objective of finishing healthy).

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And below is my actual schedule; as you can see, I’m still hitting it hard with PT and trying to keep my cardio up through non-impact exercises. I’m also substituting some serious (for me) bike mileage for my long runs, which will hopefully help me maintain the strength and endurance needed for 26.2.

  • Monday: Spin class (60 min) & physical therapy
  • Tuesday: Elliptical (45 min), Bosu stabilization drills & PT exercises
  • Wednesday: Swimming (40 min, ~1500m), jog on treadmill (5 min), strength training & PT exercises
  • Thursday: Revocycle class (45 min) & physical therapy
  • Friday: OFF, Bosu stabilization & plyometric drills, PT exercises
  • Saturday: Long bike ride (aiming for 40-60 miles), PT exercises
  • Sunday: Elliptical or swim (45 mins), jog on treadmill (up to 15 min), PT exercises

Two other highlights from the week, since I’m trying to remain positive and goal-oriented:

First, I’m finding a swimming groove. Whether it’s that I’m trusting my leg again or regaining some fitness in the water, I was able to cut two minutes off my 1500m time from last week and five minutes from the previous week.

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And second is this shot from my weekend long ride, which is pretty self-explanatory. If you like fall — and running — as much as I do, then you’ll understand why (surprise!) fall running is one of my very favorite activities.

So even though it’ll be some time before I’m out logging miles on foot, I’m thankful to be able to enjoy this view from my bike in the meantime. Especially because my days of riding outside in the sun are numbered this season, according to what all the Portland locals are telling me…

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Next week my PT and I will have some decisions to make. I’m registered for the Portland Marathon half on October 5, but I’m not stuck on the idea of running (or even walk/jogging it) if it’ll jeopardize my chances of being able to run my full 26.2 later next month.

As much as I’d like to start building mileage again soon — probably more so to mentally prepare for a marathon — I’m trying not to get too far ahead of myself. The last thing I want to do is undo all the work we’ve done so far, so I told my PT I’ll do whatever she says as long as it’ll get me to the starting line in Detroit, healthy and ready to run.

So stay tuned for week 16 as the countdown to race day continues!

Make exercise more fun with The Fitness Games

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After being sidelined from running for a bit, I’ve been on the lookout for alternative ways to fuel my competitive fire. Enter The Fitness Games, a new app that aims to make exercise as addicting as Candy Crush Saga.

Some background: I met founders Arya Farzin and Joseph Phillips, two nationally-certified trainers with a combined 20 years of experience in the fitness industry, at this year’s IDEA World fitness conference. Not only are they super-nice, extremely-passionate guys, but there’s a great story behind the creation of the app: Obese for most of his life, Arya decided to make a change when he was 19 years old. After losing 200 pounds, he made it his mission to help people all over the world make the same positive changes…and have fun while doing it.

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So here’s how it works: Instead of having to go it alone each day until my marathon training resumes, I can challenge anyone, anywhere, to any type of workout, post photos and videos to show progress, or simply challenge myself with one of the app’s workouts. What I love most, though, is that I can find a partner  — regardless of geography or time zone — to connect with via GPS so we can compete and track our progress in real time.

Whether it’s a virtual elliptical buddy (yep, I need some help staying on the machine for 45 minutes) or motivational match-up for some strength training, all I do is post the the workout I want to complete via the app dashboard. Other users respond if they are interested in doing the same workout, and then it’s go-time!

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Workouts are divided into four categories: Cardio, Strength, Full-Body and Cross Training. Each category operates on a unique scoring system that was carefully designed to determine how hard users exercised to determine the winner of each head-to-head contest.

Points earned during challenges can be used to level up, as well as unlock free workouts. And all workouts performed are tracked, scored and saved so users can see their progress over time.

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If you’re looking for a way to get motivated and make workouts a team effort, this is a simple, yet effective, tool for tricking yourself into being more consistent. And, let’s face it, there’s nothing like a little friendly competition to get us all stoked for that next sweat session, right?

Let the games begin!

This post was sponsored by The Fitness Games through their partnership with Fit Approach. I was not compensated monetarily, but was provided the Platinum Version of the application for review. As always, all opinions are my own.

How I Run: SweatGuru founder and ultra-runner Jamie Walker

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Jamie Walker is the CEO and co-founder of both SweatGuru, an online marketplace for fitness (disclaimer: where I work!), and Fit Approach, a wildly popular San Francisco boot camp, blog and online community whose “Sweat Pink” motto has inspired more than 5,000 global members and 20,000 monthly visitors to lead healthier lifestyles.

But when she’s not busy being the boss, you will more than likely find Jamie out running the trails like one. She’s an accomplished ultra-marathoner, yogi, trainer and all-around athlete, and it was because of her that I signed up — and completed — my first 50K this year…a mere two weeks after she rocked a 100-mile race.

It’s pretty clear that Jamie’s passion for health extends into everything she does, so I figured it was only fitting that we kick off this brand new interview series by taking a look at what makes this ultra-awesome woman tick:

1. What’s your favorite route? My favorite route is anywhere with a good, long trail…and views. One of my favorite places to run is up on Mt. Tam. I love doing the East Peak Summit run, especially when it involves chasing sunrise.

2. What shoes do you wear? I rotate between Brooks Cascadias and Salomon Sense Mantras for trails and Asics Gel Kayanos for the road.

3. What other run gear can’t you live without? My Nathan hydration pack is my all-time favorite piece of running gear. I can pack everything I need and be a totally self-sufficient runner. Plus, it has been with me on some epic adventures (you can probably tell by the grime).

4. What’s your best time-saver or “runhack?” I am an ultra runner who believes that all training should be efficient. I don’t slog the “recommended” number of long miles every day or weekend, I do what I can when I can. Running isn’t my job and shouldn’t feel like one. I like to go get lost on the trails and am perfectly satisfied when I put miles in, however many I can.

I’m not a lazy runner, though. I keep a consistent base of fitness and challenge myself with interval training, strength training and yoga. I truly believe that if you build a strong body, you can put in the miles. And to build a strong body, you need to differentiate your workouts. This holds true for any sport.

5. What running-related thing are you better at than anyone else? I don’t know if I’m better than anyone at anything, in particular. But one thing I’m super proud of is my ability to shut it all out. I try not to get caught up in pace, splits, and other runner frenzy (anxiety). I run for me and find my zen through running.

6. What do you listen to while running? The sounds of nature and the voices in my head. 😉

7. What are you currently training for? I’m running Dick Collins Firetrails 50 Miler in about a month which is one of my all-time favorite races. I’m also doing another Ragnar Relay, which should be a blast.

8. What are your recovery & sleep routines like? Recovery…what’s that? I don’t have a specific training plan, as I said before. I try to keep a consistent base of fitness and listen to my body. I try to mix up my routine — between running, yoga, weights, bootcamp — and through that find a way to stay active without overdoing it! Sleep, well, let’s just say that’s something I’m really working on lately!

9. What’s the best running advice you’ve ever received? The best running advice I have ever received is “forward progress, just keep moving…” In fact, this has become my own personal mantra. It’s true for running, life and even my career. Everything is all about continuing to put one foot in front of the other.

10. What’s your favorite running-related memory? I think my fondest memory to-date is crossing the finish line at my first ultra – the Dick Collins 50 miler – I was in so much pain and barely hobbling towards the finish, but as soon as I saw it, my body allowed me to give it every last ounce and sprint in through the finish. It felt amazing. I remember laying down in the grass almost immediately and just relishing in my accomplishment.

11. Fill in the blank: I’d love to go on a run with ______. Kelly Ripa. She’s probably pretty fast and would be fun to talk to out on the trails.

Thanks for playing, Jamie! 

Runner friends, please give me a shout (info (at) kineticfix.com) if you’d like to be featured!