Mad Tea Party Tuesday

So… here’s the down and dirty. Last week was strange, everything just felt off. I was overwhelmingly fatigued, my stomach was constantly upset, and the mental fog that enveloped me was leaking into every aspect of life. Yes, we had been on vacation and that usually makes the next week a little tougher, but this wasn’t that and it began to make me nervous especially headed into my annual physical Thursday. But alas, God is too good and so faithful and blood work came back normal and everything looked good, and now I’m feeling much more myself starting out this week! Thank you Jesus!

Now that we laid that out on the table here’s the sitch: my love for running and Disney has been taken to a new level and I’m not ashamed of it. After mentioning my new Instagram account @disneyruncationer it seemed only logical to do the occasional blog post on all things running + disney and runDisney and budgeting well. So here we go:

PREPARE

I love to plan, it’s a hobby of sorts and when we aren’t planning for our next Disney trip I’m usually asking my husband when we can plan for our next Disney trip. For runDisney races you usually know it’s happening 10 months out so that means PLENTY of time to budget well so the cost doesn’t hit you so hard when you arrive. Here are a few tips!

1. Disney Vacation Account – At the end of each month we hope to have some extra to throw into savings and we put a small percentage of that into our Disney Vacation Account. It’s super easy to deposit into and withdraw from and it helps you keep a stash ready whether to pay for food or to put the final payment down on resort reservations OR maybe just to have fun with. It’s worth opening one! Check it: Disney Vacation Account Homepage
2. Hey Gift Cards – Usually in that 10 month span you have birthdays and holidays involved why not ask for travel money? Jon and I aren’t huge on the material so we love to ask for plan visa gift cards or Disney gift cards – we were able to store up over $500 last year and we still have a bit left 🙂 Given wisdom of course I usually go out and get a $15-25 gift card from the store after each paycheck.
3. Vacation Planner – I only have small experience with this, because being a planner I like to have control over it ALL, however we are using one for the Food & Wine Festival this fall and it has been SO worth it. She’s found us all the deals and we’ve saved hundreds between resort and tickets then what I could have found myself.
4. Plan a day at Disney Springs – The refurbishment of Downtown Disney to Disney springs has been remarkable, to say the least, and you can EASILY spend a day just in this section and save some money on a park ticket. Plus if you are flying it’s less tempting to buy ALL THE THINGS because who want’s to check another bag? For dining check out DLuxe Burger and Paradiso 37 as excellent options!!
5. Bring Snacks! Doing most of the meal planning at home anyway, this isn’t out of my comfort zone. We do make our reservations early so we have an idea on cost, but we also pack the snacks. Being gluten free it’s become a lifestyle, but it also saves a good bit from having to get everything at the resort or in the parks. We bring individual popcorn bags, granola bars, fruit snacks or applesauce pouches, and nut packs as well as our own water bottles!

Hope this gives you some idea of great ways to plan ahead so you don’t break the bank!

Excited to write next time.

Jordan

 

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Birthday, Fundracer Goal, Charleston, and Disney Runcationer

Hey Ya’ll – its good to be back on the blog. The past 10 days have been full to say the least. Mother’s Day weekend, a battle with strep throat, birthday celebrations, Kada’s departure, Birthday fundracing, the Grove, a getaway to Charleston, and a new blog spot on runDisney runcation, whew! So where to begin?

First, gosh, I felt so incredibly loved and cared for on May 15th and the days leading up to it, so many of you guys went out of your way to text, message, or post wishing me a happy birthday, I’m already loving 27! So THANK YOU!

Mother’s Day weekend was great even through the strep throat. Mom and I did a race that morning that ended with me sprinting through the finish line and straight to the doctor (almost seriously), who took about 30 seconds to confirm I had strep. I’ve never been in that kind of pain with no relief from medicine and I’ve never loved antibiotics more. Have you ever stopped to think about the gifting the Lord gave to pharmacists and researchers? Because in this moment I absolutely did and I was so grateful for how that all went down.  Regardless, we spent that Saturday morning with my family eating breakfast classics and opening presents both for mothers day and my birthday. Sunday we hopped over to Jon’s family and spent the afternoon with them eating a delicious Shepherds Pie **Quick Recipe: Mashed potatoes, browned ground chuck, can of green beans, can of diced tomatoes, and cheese if desired. Stir beans, tomatoes and beef together and layer bottom of glass pan, layer potatoes over top, and sprinkle cheese. Bake for 45 minutes at 350. YUM!

Thankfully when Monday rolled around aka the actual birthday my throat was starting to give me some relief so it was time to celebrate. Spending the first hours of the morning at ACS, hopping over to Big Peach to open with a surprise visit of chocolates from my husband, and headed to the Grove at Passion City Church who the surprise guest speaker was none other than Priscilla Shirer, such an amazing story of how she touched my life 6 years ago and now had the opportunity to meet her and sit under her teaching on my birthday. God orchestrated this whole night from Crowder worship, serving alongside my husband, hosting Atlanta Mission ladies and connecting with them, and sitting next to the best of friends who pour into my life constantly. Birthday success!!!

Oh and of course I didn’t forget – we went over and beyond the goal for the birthday fundracer partnering with Sophie & Madigan’s Playground. You guys were so incredibly generous. Thank you for making this a success and helping build community in honor of these two girls.

Tuesday was also Kada’s departure day so I said goodbye to her before I left early that morning and Jon got her all packed up and shipped off to doggie bootcamp. Thankfully they give us frequent updates so we are getting to keep up with our girl and her progress, and there is progress!

Then THURSDAY, after months of planning it was time for CHARLESTON. An actual vacation not a runcation, although the most beautiful 6.5 mile training run happened on Saturday morning – if you ever want to find a route for yourself wherever you are mapmyrun will give you maps and distances and let you draw out your own route, it’s SO useful. The best part of Charleston : the food. From Lewis BBQ in North Charleston, to Salmon BLT’s at Lost Dog Cafe and fresh fruit yogurt parfait’s at Black Magic Cafe on Folly Beach, to crab cakes and shrimp and grits at Magnolia’s, and peppermint chocolate chip at Republic Ice Cream + so much more we were NEVER disappointed and there are so many places we want to try. We also walked all the miles which is why every Instagram post is tagged with the #walkallthemiles hashtag. We ran, explored, sat on the waterfront overlooking Ft Sumter, saw Rainbow Row, body surfed in the ocean, and just sat still while we rested in Jesus. We couldn’t be more thankful for that time together and the way the Lord worked in our hearts. Yep, I’m loving 27.

But it was time to come home, and Monday was back to normal. San Francisco is happening in less than 100 days, and the runDisney Disneyland Half is only 103 days away (whose counting) also got some fun mail as I was able to snag some fun merch from openings of my favorite small shops which gave me the idea:

@disneyruncationer IS NOW A THING and will have a blog spot here along with my regular posts – which will be back to normal in the next week, along with Instagram posts with quick tips and tricks for shopping small and planning runDisney runcations on a budget. Hope you check it out and enjoy!

As always here’s a peak into the race calendar, but it pretty much looks the same – I’m hoping to add in a 5k/10K or two. Unfortunately as I work back to a healthy weight marathons are probably off the table, but will be working towards the Walt Disney world Marathon in January!

June 11th – Hotlanta Half

July 4th – Peachtree Road Race

September 3rd – Disneyland Half

November 4th – Wine & Dine 10K

December 16th – Jeff Galloway 13.1

Excited to be home and excited to start some new hobbies. Thanks for checking in with me.

Talk soon,

Jordan

Recipes, Birthday Fundracer, and What’s Next!

Hey Everyone! If you’ve been following me over on my Instagram (@jwoods3810) you’ve seen several food posts lately. As part of my journey of learning to fuel properly I’ve been exploring with new recipes, and I wanted to share a few with you! Simple but wholly nutritious –

But first – Monday is my birthday – HELLO 27. And along with my usual birthday post, I am also doing a fundraiser partnering with Sophie and Madigans Playground (you can learn more about this charity here). Sophie would have been 11 on Monday which is why this is near to my heart. My goal is $600 and right now I’m at $160. Please considering partnering with me as part of the birthday celebration – $27, $11 or $1 it all makes a difference for kids and families in communities. Partner with me here: BIRTHDAY FUNDRACER – THANK YOU!!

Breakfast #1

Gluten Free Pancakes & Honey – Lime Fruit Salad 

Here is the link for the gluten free pancakes recipe (Breezy Bakes Gluten Free Pancakes) – I subbed unsweetened almond milk for regular milk, organic light brown sugar for regular sugar and all-natural peanut butter for regular butter.

*I added cinnamon to one of these pancakes and chocolate chips to the other for some extra flavor

As for the Honey – Lime Fruit Salad this is a go to for me – it’s simply a combination of fruit of your choice drizzled with honey and lime juice, tossed, and marinated in the fridge for at least an hour. Such a great side item for breakfast!

Breakfast #2

Kale & Eggs, Muffin, Fruit, and Yogurt w/ toppings

This one is a little bit of everything! First – sauté some kale in a dab of butter or oil, whisk up two eggs and scramble in with the kale. Next, grab a Know Foods muffin and warm for just to where you can see the chocolate chips start to melt slightly, Third, grab an apple and chop into slices – if you want something extra grab some peanut butter or dip them in this > Lastly, grab a half cup of organic plain yogurt and add protein powder and sliced almonds (or natural topping like berries, pumpkin seeds, or other nuts), stir together and enjoy!

Lunch 

Know Foods Turkey Wrap, Chopped Veggies, and Organic Clif Kids ZBar

For the wrap – take a Know Foods wrap and add condiments of your choice – I use yellow mustard. Add sliced deli meat of your choice, topped with sliced tomato, sliced avocado, and pickles (add other toppings if desired). When ready to eat pop in the microwave for 30 seconds.

For the veggies – slice up veggies of your choice, bag or tupperware them, and throw them in the fridge until ready for consumption. Ideas for dipping? Ranch is always easy, but try salsa on for size – I love the added flavor!

A few other ideas to go with these: Van’s Multigrain Crackers, SmartFood Delight Individual Popcorn Bags, or Clif Bar – Organic Z Bar

Dinner 

Turkey Burgers w/ Egg Whites & Avocado, Salad, and Roasted Sweet Potato

For the Burgers: I buy all natural ground turkey from the store and slice them individually for the perfect patties. Sprinkling a little oil on the pan, shape them into burgers, salt and pepper and cook on low/medium-medium heat. Meanwhile break an egg and add white onto the skillet to fry. While these are both cooking slice up your avocado and start your plate.

For the Side Salad: Chop some spinach, kale and broccoli and toss together. Slice berries or fruit of your choice and add to the top. Last, add some sliced almonds or pumpkin seeds to the top and drizzle with dressing of your choice.

For the Roasted Sweet Potatoes: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grab (2) sweet potatoes and slice and quarter. Drizzle with olive oil and salt & pepper, and throw in oven for about 20 minutes, flipping at about the halfway- point. Once everything is cooked throw it on a plate and enjoy!

So there are a few recipes to try. Now for what’s next:

Along with taking a step back from training, I’m doing a few local races just for fun through the summer!

May 13th – Buford, GA- Supermom 5K with mom for Mother’s Day

June 11th – Atlanta, GA – Hotlanta Half this was recent b/c I received a free entry so I plan to just run this for fun with a few friends.

July 4th – Atlanta, GA – Peachtree Road Race this will be the one I gear up for in terms of racing!

A lighter docket for me, but a much deserved break! Right now there are only (3) races on the fall calendar starting with the Disneyland Half in September, and hoping to add one or two more. It will be a good but different season, I’m excited for what’s to come.

 

Have a great Mother’s Day Weekend!
Jordan

St Jude’s Rock N Roll Nashville + Updates

I wrote all this yesterday as I completely let my heart flow as I look back on the last few months and all that God has done:

“April 30th, what I’m believing will be a day of START, of SHIFTING, of SWEETNESS. Yesterday, I made a choice, a hard one, the road less traveled. I had BIG goals and dreams for Rock N Roll Nashville, what would have been my fourth full marathon, a chance at a BQ for 2018, a chance to cross a third state off. NONE of that happened.

Instead, it looked like a shattered phone, cramping at mile two, headache around mile six, and a VERY hard choice to drop to the half officially at mile nine/ten. I still finished in 1:50 which, considering the heat advisory was satisfying, and I honestly thought Rock N Roll handled it as best they could. Salt packets, water stations, and items to help runners cool down every mile and a half. 

And the course and crowd support was great! You went through some beautiful neighborhoods with constant cheering, the downtown area full of life, and historic scenes of Nashville. I tried to make the most of 13.1 miles and have no regrets, PLUS I was running for an incredible organization in St Jude’s and that alone is worthwhile!

BUT A month ago I wouldn’t have made that choice. No, a month ago I would have pushed my body further than it functionally could have gone. I was in an unhealthy mental and physical state when it came to the rigidity in my running, and I didn’t fully see the danger in my weight and how all of it combined was affecting every aspect of me. 

It had to be surrendered, there had to be teary moments and sometimes hours. there had to be immediate food changes with super accountability. And above all else God had to work to shift my perspective mentally, spiritually, and emotionally on running. I had to realize that marathons and the way I was viewing them & structuring life around them was NOT important in lieu of eternity. 

Let me back up for a moment though. I love running, and Lord will I will train for another full marathon, it’s just all about your perspective and priorities. I fully believe God has given me an opportunity and passion to be a light and encouragement in this community, but it means I need a healthy God-centered view point on it as well or the impact is diminished.

So a month later at mile 4 I knew marathon #4 shouldn’t happen, but it became a matter of which mentality would takeover, and the Lord in his faithfulness as a healer and perfecter allowed very little conflict when making the choice, and while I had several miles to contemplate the decision, it wasn’t much of a battle when the marathon and half marathon split happened and I definitely wasn’t alone. 

And then the rest of the day happened and it was teary, not because I made a hard choice, but because seeing how much the Lord has broken down and healed over the past month just leaves me in awe of His love, grace, and faithfulness for His children. 

But it’s not over. 

Mentally there will still be battles, but I’m now more aware of them and confident I can make better decisions. And then there is nutrition and a ways to go, but I;m believe God will continue to work in what Hes already started, it’s hard work but it means MORE for the future. 

So it’s time for a new season, new job, new schedule, healthier nutrition decisions, and all around a new healthier perspective. I’m excited to see all God’s going to do! “

So that all might look nice, but you might be going yeah well practically/tangibly what is next.

1. Career : Big Peach Running Co, my new job adventure – getting to work inside the community that I love. Along with some other side projects 🙂
2. Nutrition : A nutrition seminar this weekend on proper and healthy fueling and view on eating as an endurance athlete, along with the Big Peach nutritionist in a couple weeks.
3. Running : A break, I’m taking it easy for the month of May, I’ve set a tangible limit of no more than an hour of running which is somewhere in the ballpark 6-7 miles.
4. Racing : I’m doing a fun mother’s day 5K with mom next Saturday, then the Peachtree Road Race on July 4th. The Disneyland Half in September will be my next endurance race.
5. Fundracing : I am doing a short fundracer for my birthday benefiting Sophie & Madigans Playground (Fundraising Link Here) at the Wine & Dine 10K. Trying to raise $600 in 2 weeks, and I’m giving 10 cents to every dollar no limit. My big fundracer will be in honor of my grandfather and a celebration of his birthday again for Princess Weekend benefitting Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (Fundraising Link Here).
6. Community : I have several ladies interested in running groups but the calendar is always tricky to line up, stay tuned for more info trying to coordinate on this front!

So there’s that. As always email me with any questions on fitness or nutrition and I’ll respond ASAP!

Have a great week,

Jordan