Favorite Recipes for Under-the-Weather Runners or Anyone!

Unfortunately, most of us don’t have super human immune systems so undoubtedly sickness will come around – and things must be remedied so here are a few recipes I LOVE from when I’m feeling sub-par, but continuing to stay active! #2 and 3 are taken from my favorite Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow

1. Good Ole’ fashioned oatmeal w/ cinnamon – skip the pre-made ones that are high in sugar and spend some extra time with 1/2 cup of plain oats on the stove with a little salt and 1/3 tsp of cinnamon. Cut in apples, bananas, or blueberries if you want a little something extra.
2. Smoothie Bowls because vitamins all day, erry-day:
   • 1 cup of frozen berries
   • 1 frozen banana
   • 1 cup baby spinach (or kale)
   • 1/2 ripe avocado
   • 3.3 unsweetened almond milk
   • Juice of 1 lime
   • 1/2 cup GF oats
   • toppings of choice: dates, nuts, coconut flakes, *my go-tos are: chia seeds, honey, or pumpkin seeds
3. Power Bowls:
   • 1/3 cup brown rice w/ 1 cup salad greens as your base
   • 1 cup Roasted cauliflower, zucchini and onions or other veggies of your choice!
   • Add protein – my go-tos? black beans, fried egg or sautéed fish
   • Add some salsa (they have a great Smokey Summer Salsa recipe) or the lemon-garlic dressing (2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp lemon, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, dash of salt and pepper)
4. Chicken & veggie soup – on the slow cooker put in two chicken breasts, 1 can of chicken broth, 1 can of diced tomatoes and sit on low for about 3 hours. Then combine sliced carrots, onions, peppers, mushrooms, celery (or other veggies of choice) with salt, pepper, and garlic. Keep on low for another 2 hours. Voila!

Bowl theme – I know its all the rage these days, but the fact you can get so many different nutrients mixed together to create amazing flavors is just fun, and it’s something you can experiment on your own!

So, feel better, keep these recipes safe and let me know if you think there is anything I should add!

Jordan

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Gaining Mileage, How A+B Does Not Always Equal C, and the Importance of Recovery

Gaining mileage : Pain + Strength + Recovery

My background is not in running. Running half and full marathons wasn’t a norm for me, until I started working at Big Peach I didn’t even know there was such thing as a Cross Country Spike. It wasn’t until 5 years ago that I dove in and fell in love with my feet on the road.

15 miles. it was late summer/early fall and the first time I had ever conquered that many miles in one swoop. Making my way to the door I barely had the energy to turn the handle only to collapse on the floor and crawl towards the kitchen. It was a long time coming, physically and mentally drained I was anything but a pretty sight, however it changed everything. The ability to push through thresholds, to go further, to be stronger than I could have ever imagined.

In college, we would cross-train with running, agilities, or stadiums but the switch wasn’t immediate post-swimming. So how did I go from swimmer to marathoner? I walked 1 mile.

My parents have this very convenient loop around the front part of their neighborhood that so happens to equal one mile from driveway to driveway. So we walked it, together as a family most nights. But then as we started going longer and further I decided to set a goal: a 5K at a park nearby.

Sometimes all it takes is setting a goal.

So I started to run that mile, and do that several times a week. It is NOT a quick process. The rule of thumb is add 10% at any given time, a hard rule to follow I know, but it can save you from injury in the long run (ha, get it). Run 1 mile several times, consistently, then slowly work your way up. Please don’t decide to go from 4 to 9 miles at one time, but be ok pushing yourself, being in pain (the right kind of pain), because that’s your body getting stronger and breaking down barriers.

However, it’s not that once you get to 9 miles you just stay there, NOR do you just keep going up and up and up. When I’m training for a half or full my mileage stays between 4-7  – 2 days a week with track or cross-training sprinkled throughout, and then a long run Saturday which looks more like a roller coaster Here’s what I mean:

Week 1: 8 miles

Week 2: 9 miles

Week 3: 7 miles

Week 4: 10 miles

Week 5: 8 miles

and so on and so forth.

Why take yourself on a mileage roller coaster, and only run 3 days a week? One word: RECOVERY.

I learned my lesson the hard way, trying to run 6 days with no strength or stretching involved (a week that more looked like 3 miles, 6 miles, 4 miles, 6 miles, 3 miles, 10 miles, rest) and I paid the piper. Now stretching, yoga, and strength are staples in my week. If you need a good stretch or strength workout checkout these youtube vids here. They can be a little cheesy, however you can do them anywhere at any time.

So all this to say: you might have wanted a quick fix to start doing more and more miles, but it’s the three Rs of running:

Repetition – buid a base foundation and mileage and stay with short gains for a consistent period.

Resilience – as you go further and further push your body a little past your threshold each time, it will make you stronger, faster, and overall better physically, emotionally, and mentally.

Recovery – give your body rest that it needs, stretch, and refuel with the correct nutrition.  It’s ok to only do one long run a week and only gain mileage every other week, and Lord willing I will be able to speak into specific nutrition SOON (exciting news ahead) and you can always go to my resources page for Runner Cookbook Inspo: Runners Cookbooks

LAST, don’t forget to SET A GOAL it’s going to be much easier to push if you have a goal in sight!

I hope this helps, if you have something specific you want to ask email me at jordan@fuelingherforward.com

Happy Friday!

Jordan

 

 

 

 

The Kitchen Part of KitchenRunner…

Allie Kieffer is an inspiration.

In the latest article about her posted on Runner’s World (click here) she talks about her weight battle, and the beauty of gaining weight as an elite runner currently placing and running faster than ever. One aspect I’m digging in this article is the idea of not worrying about the calories, but the idea of putting as many nutrients on your plate as possible. You’ve probably heard a million times that a more colorful plate is a better plate, but what does that actually look like?

Olympian Shalane Flanagan and Elyse Kopecky have this amazing cookbook called “Run Fast, Eat Slow” (you can buy it here), and a new release coming August 15th called “Run Fast, Cook Fast, Eat Slow” (you can preorder it here). These are GREAT resources on how to truly NOURISH your body, not just eat in moderation, or carb load before a race or long run, but give your body the best nutrients it can with each meal. This makes the nutrition side of the mental journey that much easier as you begin to build discipline.

Mentally I’ve struggled with obsessing over numbers and intake and food groups, oh my! But all of ladies are helping shift thinking, training, and the conversation in the best ways!

So want a few ideas? Here is a breakfast, lunch, and dinner idea w/ the nutrients below:

Breakfast: 

• 1 small banana with a 1/2 tbsp of peanut butter
• 1/2 Everything Bagel (because I’m now obsessed with it)
• 2 egg (1 egg white,  1 whole) scramble with veggies – I usually add onion, tomato, green pepper and garlic, sea salt and pepper.

**Nutrients: 62g Carbs, 6g Fat, 9g Fiber, 17g Protein, plus 450 g of Potassium, 20 mg of Calcium, and a small source of other major vitamins.

Lunch:

• Berry Summer Salad w/ 2 cups greens, 1/2c mixed berries, 1/2 tbsp pumpkin seeds, and 1tbsp dried cranberries if desired
• Mediterranean Turkey Burgers w/ salt, pepper, garlic powder, diced tomatoes, onions and peppers, add sliced avocados or cheese on top if desired
• Plantain chips w/ 1/3tbsp coconut oil and sprinkled sea salt (bake 15-20 minutes at 350) and 1 tbsp ketchup if desired.

**Nutrients: 70g Carbs, 8.5g Fiber, 29g Protein, 21g Fat , plus 300mg of Potassium, significant Magnesium

Snack:

Carrots & Hummus

**Nutrients, good source of healthy fats, fiber, and vitamins!

Dinner:

• (2) Sauteed chicken tenders w/ tomatoes and butter-basil sauce (2 tsp butter + sprinkled or fresh basil cooked in)
• Roasted Sweet potatoes w/ coconut oil, salt and pepper (bake at 400 for 30 minutes)
• Roasted Green beans & Brussel Sprouts w/ coconut oil, salt and pepper (add into sweet potatoes with 15-20 minutes to go)

**Nutrients: 40g Carbs, 35g Protein, 11g Fiber, 11g Fat , plus 700mg Potassium, Vitamin A & C overload

Dessert:

Trail Mix – 1/2 tbsp chocolate chips, 1/2 cup plain popcorn, 2 tbsp sliced almonds, and 2 tbsp dried cranberries

**good source of healthy fats and good for the sweet tooth!

Now here is the biggest part – adjust based on YOU. I like to graze so I might add a protein bar into my day or splurge with a slab of pancakes, cupcake or donut if my body is asking for carbs.

Listen to it – it knows what you need!

Also if you feel clueless, like me, on what nutrients you need and what it should look like according to numbers (which I say loosely – DON’T OBSESS OVER NUMBERS) , here is a helpful guide on a nutrition breakdown (Nutrition Data – SELF)

Hopefully this helps on the nutrition side of life. Don’t let it consume you, just be aware and conscious of your body and taking care of it with proper fuel!

If you have any questions or comments let me know!

Happy Monday!

Jordan