Mountain Mother Runner

We are nearly a month into 2017, so how are your resolutions going? Have you been keeping them up? I had quite a list of resolutions (are people supposed to do that?), with majority of them going strong, and a couple that didn't stick quite as planned. One of the most common New Year's resolutions is to eat better, in hopes of improving your health! My family eats all sorts of kale salads throughout the week and I'm always trying out new combinations. Whether you are wanting to eat healthier foods or you simply want to try something new, this Winter Kale Salad with homemade Kombucha Dressing is simply delicious! Pomegranate seeds and blueberries are both high in antioxidants, walnuts contain omega-3 fatty acids, kale is a great source of plant protein, and the Kombucha Dressing contains gut healthy probiotics! For the salad: ·          1 bunch kale (de-ribbed, torn in bite sized pieces) ·        ...

What better way to kick off the New Year than by running a local race?! The cold, wet winter can send runners to the warm gym, or even cause them lay low in their homes until springtime appears. Cross training is very popular during the off season, but for some, there is no such thing as an ‘off season’. This is the first year I started running in the ice and snow while wearing cleats on my shoes and it was one of the most liberating experiences. I grew up in Colorado thinking that snow was only meant for skiing, snowboarding, sledding, or days off school…never once did I think anyone would choose to go run in it! Scenic Lake Samish By running in weather far below freezing or pouring rain with wind, showing up to race day with clouds and temps in the high 30’s sounded ideal! Earlier this month was the 41st Annual Lake Samish Runs , offering 6.5 or 13.1 mile options. I hadn’t run more than 8 miles since September, so going for the half marathon didn’t seem like a smart idea. We ha...

Breakfast is a pretty big deal in our household. Mornings can be hectic trying to get the little one fed after waking up with just a little bit of time to cook food for my hubby, before he leaves for work! I seriously love these Grain-Free Banana Pancakes because they are healthy and SUPER fast to make. Having a child typically means bananas and eggs are always on deck in the kitchen. They are both great beginner foods that are nutritious and easy to eat. Since Eisley doesn't eat meat (and lately is refusing beans), eggs, in addition to nuts and seeds, are important for her protein intake. Instead of flour, these pancakes use almond meal and hemp seeds! Yummy pancakes = happy toddler! Banana Pancakes ·          1 large banana ·          2 eggs ·          1 tbs hemp seed ·          ¼ c almond meal ·  ...

We are only a few days into the New Year, but reflecting back on December seems SO long ago! Did you find yourself struggling to find motivation (or time) to workout during the holiday season? Waking up to snow covered ground and 22 degree weather makes drinking hot tea in your pjs by the fireplace sound like a much better idea. Traveling away from home can also put a kink in your running plans. Are you comfortable running in an area you are unfamiliar with, or do you view it as a new adventurous opportunity? I personally enjoy the change of scenery! Possession Beach in Washington Wk 1: 1-3: 5.15 miles (including Fairhaven Frosty 5k ) Wk 2: 4-10: 7.24 miles Wk 3: 11-17: 21.87 miles Wk 4: 18-24: 10.91 miles (on Whidbey Island) Wk 5: 25-31: 19.03 miles (on Whidbey Island) Total miles for December: 64.20 Our December was a time spent sitting…literally. First we puppy sat for a week, and then we spent two weeks homestead sitting out on Whidbey Island. It was a nice a...

Sorry for the slight delay in communication…we were just homestead-sitting on an island for the last two weeks. I debated on bringing my laptop and whatnot along with us, but declined in preference to lying low and living in the present. Anywho…RAISE your hand if you are ready to say goodbye (adios, peace out, later, screw you) to 2016 and start a new year! I cannot believe how much has happened throughout this year and how fast it flew by. The entire world is going through some major changes, our country here has started shifting in an unknown direction, and our baby girl grew up into a full-fledged toddler (that’s equally important, right?!?). When Eisley was a tiny baby boo! I logged a total of 1,120.27 miles in the year 2016!!! My 2016 New Year’s resolution was to learn more about running, try out different types of running, join a local running community, etc…basically, I wanted to take my running experience to the “next level”. Until that point, I had only done four l...

The Fairhaven Frosty 5k /10k was the final race of the year hosted by the Greater Bellingham Running Club , which also happened to be my final race of 2016! Can you believe that the year is nearly over?!? Image courtesy of GBRC website The race started and ended in historic Fairhaven Park. Runners headed South on Chuckanut Drive for the first mile, which was a gradual hill climb followed by a nice little downhill. Volunteer flaggers directed us North onto the Interurban Trail. We ran up through a few curves, and then it was a straight shot. At mile 2 we got off the trail and back onto the road, heading West on Old Fairhaven Parkway. The race course was open, so we had to pay attention to the vehicle traffic and try not to get ran over! At mile 3 everyone was kicking it up a notch and we were lucky to be gliding downhill. We returned to the Fairhaven Park entrance and raced down through the finish line! My official time was 24:08 (7:46min/mi pace) which is a 5k PR for me (2...

Do you ever feel like you've lost your mojo? Taking a big break from anything physical (running/spin class/yoga/hiking/etc) after doing it 5-6 days a week can be a shock to your system. Words cannot even describe the happiness brought to me through the simple act of running! Last month I said, “November, I WILL RUN YOU” and I did just that. October only had 5 runs and November went up to 13 runs, including 4 workouts at the YMCA and 1 race. Perfect view on a trail run! Week 1: 1-5: 5.2 miles Week 2: 5-12: 5.45 miles Week 3: 13-19: 8.87 miles (Turkey Trot 5k) Week 4: 20-26: 14.76 miles Week 5: 27-30: 17.07 miles Total miles for November: 51.35 The first few weeks were slow. My body was still confused as to why I was making it move and running took major effort. It can be frustrating to put all of your energy into a certain pace or distance that used to be easy. Luckily, I knew it wouldn’t take long to return to my previous level of fitness. After simply focus...