Sunday, December 28, 2008 at 02:48 PM
I love it when salads have a ton of variety and each bite is a flavor surprise. This afternoon’s lunch was one of those lovely salads! Every bite kept me guessing! 
In the mix:
- Arugula
- Spinach
- Carrots sticks
- Red onion
- Maple-roasted brussels sprouts
- Grape tomatoes
- Prunes
- Balsamic vinegar
On the side, clementine pieces…
Salad + clementine with a Lindt chocolate truffle… and (not pictured) a chocolate-covered biscotti, which was another Christmas stocking stuffer.
Workout
After lunch, I squeezed in a quickie workout: 3 mile run on the treadmill + 15 minutes of upper body free weights. It was a short and sweet workout.
Run stats:
- Distance: 3.0 miles
- Time: 25:57
- Pace: 8:39 min/mile
- Calories: 294
Snacks
I’m headed to Healthworks in just a few minutes, so I packed a couple of snacks for the road: a peanut butter and carrots cake jam sandwich and Yogi peppermint tea to make at work. I’ve really enjoyed working at HW over the past few months, but honestly, I am psyched to have some more free time again! Two shifts to go! 
Do you have a part-time job? What do you think of part-time jobs?
Posted by: Tina
Posted in: Uncategorized
Tags: chocolate, jam, peanut butter, salad, tea
Wednesday, December 10, 2008 at 02:55 PM
Come on, Wednesday! Hurry up! Is today dragging for anyone else? Meh.
Like breakfast, lunch was also a repeat: A salad with grape tomatoes, broccoli, and Sweet Potato Risotto, same as last night.
Lunch also included half of a pita, but this time with TJ’s pumpkin butter inside.
The last part of lunch was eaten about an hour or so later. I had packed yogurt for lunch as well, but after eating my salad and pumpkin butter-filled pita, I wasn’t hungry for it. A little while later though, I didn’t feel as satisfied from lunch as I usually do (probably because lunch was a little low on protein), so I dug into my yogurt, to which I added a spoonful of peanut butter and Kashi cereal.
The protein-packed yogurt and PB did the trick! I am all-around satisfied now!
I finished lunch so late in the day, I don’t think I will want an afternoon snack. However, I am craving hot tea right now! I think a mug is in my near future!
Social Media for the Web 2.0
So, guys, in my perfect world, my job would be blogging full-time (and owning a pug and Boston terrier). Unfortunately, CNC isn’t paying the bills anytime soon, but I have decided to take a course at the Harvard Extension School called Social Media for the Web 2.0 to increase my knowledge in the field. I hope that the class will give me a broad understanding of social media and the social web, so, perhaps one day, I will be able to incorporate some of these ideas and concepts into my blog. Course description below…
The Internet is the fastest-growing medium across the globe and Web 2.0 applications are the fastest-growing aspect of the Internet. Applications include blogs, social networks, wikis, and other interactive and collaborative innovations. People of all ages in all walks of life use social media and young people are using them to the virtual exclusion of traditional mass media. Many uses are personal in nature, but businesses and non-profits are using them for both internal and external communications and marketers are eager to understand how to integrate them into marketing communications programs. The social media are particularly relevant in situations where marketers want to reach audiences quickly and directly.
My first class isn’t until the end of January, but I will be sure to let you guys know how it goes.
While ordering the required materials for the class, I stumbled upon this book. It cracked me up considering the content of my blog!
More Holiday Healthy Eating Tips
I know, I know… you’ve heard them all before, but these are really good tips! Real Simple gives you the tried-and-true healthy eating strategies, but then adds even more tips! It’s worth a look!
How to Eat Healthy During the Holidays
High-Frutcose Corn Syrup
Interesting article…
New data: High-fructose corn syrup no worse than sugar
Have you guys also seen the commericals on TV about HFCS? What do you think?
Posted by: Tina
Posted in: Uncategorized
Tags: broccoli, peanut butter, pumpkin butter, risotto, sweet potato
Wednesday, December 10, 2008 at 10:29 AM
My bed was so incredibly cozy today!! I had planned to run this morning, followed by some gentle yoga (I even laid-out my workout gear and yoga DVD last night), but when my alarm went off at 5:15 AM, I hit snooze… hard! My body was more interested in sleeping than exercising. Oh well. There will definitely be an AM workout tomorrow!
I apologize in advance for another oatmeal repeat. I loooovvvveee this cranberry loaf-bread pudding oatmeal that I have been eating for the past few mornings. It’s delicious and filling and delicious! I jazzed-up my bowl with a spoonful of Raspberry Peanut Butter Spread, which was a yummy addition to the sweet cranberry bread.
With early morning reading and a glass of icy H20…
Running Tips
A received a few comments on the blog yesterday asking for some running tips. Let me start off by saying that I am not an expert runner by any means. I’ve been an avid runner since high school, but my running enthusiasm comes and goes. I will run a ton for a month or so, but the following month, I will barely run at all. My recent interest in running has been ignited by all of the wonderful bloggers who have trained for long-distance races and accomplished amazing goals.
My ultimate goal is to run a marathon. I’ve walked 3 marathons, which I realize is quite an accomplishment, but there is just something about running one– I just haven’t had much success training for a marathon in the past. A couple of summers ago, Mal and I started training for the Baystate Marathon together. Mid-way through our training, I started to have some serious hip problems– to the point where I was having trouble even walking– so I stopped running all together. Neither of us ran the marathon that fall, and since then, my hips have never been the same. Running any long distance over 6 miles is so painful for me– and my hips will usually hurt for a couple days afterward too (especially my left hip). However, I am trying to slowly progress to longer distances with the hope that my hips will become stronger over time.
One of my upcoming goals is to run the Run to Remember Half Marathon in May. This time, I am giving my body plenty of time to train, and I am listening to it and giving it breaks when it needs them. I’m currently running 5-6 miles with no major hip issues. My left hip usually hurts a little around mile 4 or so, but not enough to stop running. I’m getting there, but very slowly!
Anyway, you guys probably didn’t need all of that info, so here’s what has helped me increase my distance and pace over the past several weeks.
- Intervals: Intervals are the best, especially if you are running on a treadmill. They keep things interesting and help you increase your pace. My favorite interval workouts: 45-minute Treadmill Run and Fitness NYC’s 3’s and 5’s Treadmill Challenge. If you’re running outside, “Telephone Poles” are another great interval workout. For Telephone Poles, you jog between 1-2 sets of telephone poles, and then sprint between the next set, and continue to alternate fast and slow speeds. I also use music to help determine my pace. I alternate fast and slow speeds based on the song playing on my iPod. The key to this is keeping your pace steady throughout the entire song.
- Don’t Stop: Even if I feel like total crap while running, I try not to stop and walk. I will bring my pace down to a slow jog– sometimes I will even just shuffle along. Eventually, I DO feel better and pick it back up. Sometimes, I just need to have faith that I will feel better soon!
- Mileage Goals: A weekly mileage goal has been very motivating for me. For instance, Melissa’s Marathon Challenge inspired me to set a 10-15 mile goal for myself each week until the New Year. I’m trying for the ultramarathon (52.4 miles before January 1), so I basically need to step-it-up if I want to achieve this goal!
- Gadgets: I love my Nike + iPod!! I’m sure there are similar running gadgets out there, but this little gadget keeps me on track and motivated to pick-up the pace and increase my distance. I can also set running goals for myself with it (either by distance or time), and it provides me with constant updates about my running stats (distance, pace, and time). It always seems to get me to run another 1/2 mile or additional 10 minutes! Love it!
Wow, I was really long-winded today! Jeez! I hope these running tips are helpful! Please let me know if you have any questions!
Question of the Day
With 2008 coming to an end, what is your greatest fitness accomplishment of the year?
Posted by: Tina
Posted in: Uncategorized, motivation
Tags: cranberry, peanut butter
