ABB 5k 2015 + consistency is your BFF

 go time!  i do believe this is the longest start line i've ever been in.

it took about 9 minutes just to get to the very front and start running! all that body heat kept us warm though.

 i left my house late (unsurprisingly) and with the street closures and all ended up parking pretty far.  i pretty much ran a dang 5k through downtown before the race started!  i don't ever pay for parking downtown if i can avoid it; i'd rather walk and just save a few bucks.  i was tempted this time though cause i didn't want to be late, but i made it, whew.

#atomicphotobomb & #selfiewhilerunning. the reason for that face is because i was contemplating that 24 min PR i set the night before!!!!

so i didn't find the white rabbit to follow but i DID find a black gorrilla. or whatever that was. i had to speed up to get this pic cause he was BOOKIN' IT.

stats were posted tonight and my official time was 26:41!  i did set a PR of 24, but i'm thinking if i actually take the time to train correctly then maybe i'd actually hit it or come close smh! i love the challenge and i'm up for it.

done!  grateful to cross yet another finish line. i just can't get enough of that feeling.

so Sonny has been in Nigeria all week long for work and was supposed to touch down in Houston at 5am this morning. however, his flight was canceled and he had to hop on the next available one.  i sure would have loved to see him at the finish line, but i did find two of my gorgeous Sorors there, Ayesha and Crystal.  they are both doing the full marathon tomorrow; run hard ladies and good luck!!.

last shot before heading to catch the tail end of the boot camp class i teach with Brian every saturday.

adding to my medal and t-shirt collection!

after boot camp? a leg workout with my trainer, @showtimefitness of course!

 'what seems impossible today will one day become your warmup.' yes. i remember running my very first 5k a few years ago and not moving or lifting a finger afterwards for like 3 days straight! i was crazy tired & super sore and could have easily said 'screw running'and never did another race again. one of the hardest decisions we face in life is choosing whether to walk away or try harder. well, i chose the latter! how do you get better at something? DO IT MORE! no earthly idea how many 5 and 10ks (1 half mar) i've done since then but because i refused to quit, consistency had me up in the gym post-5k yesterday beasting through an intense full body workout with my trainer @showtimefitness. and you better believe there's a full marathon on my to-do list! just keep going. don't quit. consistency is key.

i actually love being trained as much as i love to instruct the trainings with my own clients!  Brian is awesome at what he does and i always learn more than a handful of things from him.

then... i headed to Luby's for dinner to celebrate. i can ALWAYS count on a great, tasty, healthy meal from there.  i don't care that the population is 80% senior-citizen per my husband!  i have so many childhood memories from Luby's. it was a sunday, after church staple for my family growing up.  anyway i got the salmon, steamed cabbage, seasoned carrots, pickled beets & cucumbers, and...... yes. THE BEST EVER. if you don't like mac n cheese we cannot be friends!!!!!!!! i earned it and i enjoyed every single bite.

WHAT big fitness goal have you set for yourself this year?

le

Join Team Fit Foodies! The Color Run 5K - Houston

heeeeey!  do you see the upcoming race over there in the side bar??? ------> it's the The Color Run 5K Houston!

how would YOU like to be apart of Team Fit Foodies and get your run on with me!?  i'll provide more notice on the next run, but if you're primed and ready, let's hit the streets of Houston together this weekend, March 24th, 2013!

i'm looking to fill 8 spots on the Fit Foodies team and the only requirement for this race is to FINISH. and of course to have major fun doing it ;)  if you are interested and local, email me ASAP: le@fitfoodiele.com and i'll send you the invite/link to join our team.  you've got 6 days!

from the novice or 1st time 5k runner to the olympian, let's make this happen and achieve our goals, together!  come for the camaraderie, motivation, inspiration, some exercise, and to support our veterans with PTSD.

come rep for the Fit Foodies with me!!

le

run ON! Bayou City Classic 10k '13

pre-race breakfast was 2 egg whites and a big bowl of expanding oats (1/2 cup rolled oats cooked in 1 cup water and 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk) topped with frozen blueberries, banana chunks and cinnamon!  i normally don't eat THAT much before a long run, but i woke up so hungry that i had to put something in my system that would stick.

walking to the start line  with no rain this time!  last year it rained the entire race AND during the post-race party, boooo.

 traditional feet pic :lol:

52-53 min and some change later,

DONEZO! the route was a tad bit different this year and there were hills, hill, and mo hills, whew.  that Allen Parkway is a beast.

oh how i wish i could have taken pics of all the inspirational and funny things i saw:

1. i had just made it to the halfway point when a woman on a bike heading the opposite way yelled out 'it's fit foodie!!!' are you kidding me!? if you could have SEEN my face light the heck UP as i cheesed, waved, and yelled hello back! i could not see you very well at ALL but THANK YOU FOR MAKING MY YEAR, LADY!!  XOXO!

2.  spectator sign: 'don't stop! ain't nobody got time fo dat!'

3.  people often run in teams or 'centipedes' and are linked together by a rope of some sort so that they can finish together. teamwork at its finest!   i passed a team with a gentleman running alongside his IV.  i did a double take for sure!  yes, the stand with the wheels, the fluid bag, the WHOLE NINE.  he was out there doing his thing.  if he can....

4. one thing i did NOT witness was someone biting the dust, hard.  happens every year.  people, you gotta watch where you are going, especially running in the streets of downtown Houston. *knocks on wood*

ran into a college buddy of mine just before hitting up the post-race party.  amazing run, Warren!

first things first, had to get my t-shirt before the line got too crazy. this was nothin.

i tucked it away in my bag cause i needed two free hands for all the samples i was about to acquire!! here we go:

could it be?  yep, Blue Bell ice cream sandwiches and fruit pops.

stopped by the Clif Bar sample station,

peanut butter chocolate something!

the My Fit Foods associate called this mixture 'Morning Glory'.  it's brown rice, eggs, lean ground turkey, and cheese all mixed together. it was good and something i'd throw together at home for sure.

fresh fruit (bananas and oranges), cereal bars, and scones were provided by Whole Foods,

and Fuel Kitchen supplied the breakfast tacos this year, not HEB.  they were delicious though- i had eggs and chorizo in mine.  a friend has been raving about the Philadelphia location to me and i can finally go experience the food for myself, sweet! great turn out again this year!  always a pleasure and honor to participate in helping preserve Houston's bayous, trees, and the environment :)

goodie bag, food, coupons, t-shirt. it's a wrap. time for a nap.

there were tons more sponsors there, check out the ones i didn't mention.

4 years running and counting!

Q: have you eaten at Fuel Kitchen & Health Bar? is there one in your city?

le

disaster recovery

 we got back from Vegas monday morning at 6am and went straight to work from the plane.  didn't sleep a wink on the flight or the night before.  however, Chiso did get some good sleep and snoozed the entire way home, WHEW.   you bet it was a long day that day.

while i attempted to catch up on rest, i neglected our empty fridge for two days!  i hadn't grocery shopped on Thanksgiving eve in a really, really long time.  HEB's parking lot was filled to capacity as expected, but as you see, they had every single lane open to accommodate the crowd.  take note, Walmart!!!!!!!!  AND, *big cheese* i happened to meet one of my readers in the store that night! i didn't want to scare her off, so i screamed on the inside :lol:  shout out to Nneka from Austin! *waving*

 i had just hauled my cart up to the belt when she quietly stepped behind me with her hand basket.   of course i told her to go ahead of me since she only had a few things (don't you appreciate when someone does that!?) which is when she introduced herself.  just goes to show how you never know who knows you or who's watching-  treat others how you want to be treated at ALL times.

soooo, how was your TG 2K12?!

mine started bright and early at the crack of dark.  i left Chiso and Sonny slobbering and snoring to run the annual Houston Turkey Trot 10K.  i love that the free t-shirt this year is long sleeve; that's rare.  i have not run long distance in forever, smh, but my cardio @ the gym definitely helps keep my endurance up.

before i hit the road, i made and devoured these babies:

coconut caramel pistachio pancakes.

 i used the base recipe for my banana pancakes and added the toppings- raw unsweetened coconut flakes, chopped bananas, Walden Farms caramel sauce, and crushed pistachios.

racing fuel!

might as well call these dessert pancakes- they were off the chain.

 over 12k people laced up their running shoes and showed out on Thanksgiving morning.

i was standing around and counting down to start time and noticed the people around me had on such cool colorful running shoes!

   i don't like the front or the very back, but the middle serves me just fine!  i was about two minutes or so from the starting line.  and yes, i ran with my phone in my hand the whole time. i need a fanny pack.

finished around 50 minutes or so.

   just wanted to support the cause and get some exercise... didn't care about breaking or making any PR's.

forgot to stop my watch immediately afterwards as usual, but i burned somewhere in the high 600's. which was only like half of one of my Thanksgiving plates :lol:

my heart rate really got up there! normally when i do HIIT, i top out around 176 before my HR starts to decline.  when i heard a lady shout  'last mile!!!' i turned my burners on and sustained my HR above 180 until i crossed the finish line. my legs and chest were on FIRE.

post race, you can find me by the food.

they gave out some flavored vitamin water, bananas,

and chewy granola bars.  chocolate chip, peanut butter, and a smores flavor.

 i met up with my friend Nichola post race- she competed in Vegas for Fitness America Weekend as well!  always posing;)  and sorry Nichola, no donuts at the post race party LOL

by now i am almost sick to my stomach of seeing plates of Thanksgiving food on Instagram so i'm gonna chill on sharing mine.  i will, however, share my 5 ingredient dump cake recipe!  indulgent, um yes.  so you should prolly stick to making this on holidays only.

1. canned cherries. i was über happy to see this 'no sugar added' variety of cherry pie filling, but was bummed that it was still sweetened with Splenda. womp, womp. however i got it anyway cause the original stats were just way too high. i couldn't do it.  i'm a changed woman.

2. pineapple chunks.  the 'skinny fruits' caught my eye like the manufacturers intended, but that big Splenda stamp ruined it again.

so, i grabbed what i always use- dole.  a little higher in the calories and sugar vs. the Libby's, but it's still all natural and no sugar added.

dump the can of cherries into a pan

followed by the pineapple chunks, juice and all.

3. box of yellow cake mix. it's not pictured, and any brand will do.  pour it on top of the cherries and pineapple.

4. stick of butter :shock: yeah, those are pads of butter.  they melt into the yellow cake mix when baking and form something so incredibly delectable and Paula Deen approved.  i mean you don't have to use the entire stick though, and you could very well substitute it with a lighter whipped butter, Earth Balance, or Smart Balance spread instead.

5. pecans. sprinkle them on top before popping the whole thing in the oven for 1 hr on 375-400 deg.  no stirring required! hence the name, dump cake.

so............how many times have you admired your Thanksgiving food baby in the mirror today?

do NOT let that or food guilt completely ruin the happy, positive memories of  Thanksgiving 2k12.  you ate those delicious foods cause you wanted to and you've been waiting all year for them.   you may have woken up with a tummy ache and the need to make a mad dash to the rr like i did this morning lol, but that's OK.  like most people, i ate a lot of carbs  and white sugar: pie, cake, dressing, rolls, etc, so i did cut some of my carbs today to balance my intake, but i did not cut them out.  do this:

• get back on track with your clean diet - do NOT starve yourself.
• physical activity...asap.  hit the gym for your routine as normal, or go outside for a walk, jog, or run.   you'll feel a lot better, instantly.
• drink plenty of water  and green tea with each meal as it speeds up digestion.
• let the food guilt GO.
• chunk the leftovers or give them away.  if the temptation is too much, stop torturing yourself and get rid of them. liquid soap to the rescuuuuuuuue :shock:

i slept in this morning but i made my way to the gym eventually for some cardio and light leg work.

20 minutes of HIIT on the stairmaster (60 rest rate / 90 work rate), legs, then 40 minutes of steady state cardio .  yep, put in a little extra work to combat yesterday's feasts.

i bought some chicken drumsticks a few weeks ago cause i could not pass up the sale price, so i went ahead and made them for dinner for the weekend.  we have been eating only chicken breast for........a really long dang time!!! 

it's nice to eat a different part of the bird for a change. smokey chipotle paprika drumsticks.

 i do hope your Thanksgiving was filled with family time, memories, lots of good food, and fellowship.

if i had ten thousand tongues, i could not thank the Lord enough!!!!!!!

le