Update on Stretching & Shakes!

Ok I know I told you I would be back to let you know what I thought about stretching before a run.....since I never used to. Well I have been trying it both ways the past few months and I have to say, whether its good or bad for me I prefer to stretch AFTER my run only...well maybe before if it's one of those quick 3 second stretches like you did in high school sports just to make your teacher happy but no more than that! I seem to warm up nicely in the first mile of my runs.

Also, I have been loving experimenting with different ingredients and quantities for the pre/post run shakes. So far my favorite is 1 cup chocolate soy milk( ok, soy milk is SOOOOO good for you but I figured out I can't drink it by itself...yuck, but its GREAT in a shake!), 2 bananas, 1 TBS of peanut butter, and 5 ice cubes,(once I find ground flax seed it will be a little more healthy) it's to die for!!!! Also, if you want a different consistency put in 1/2 a cup of raw rolled uncooked oats! Very yummy! These give me lots of energy after a run especially when I don't feel like making an actual meal!

Shake It!!!

Now that the weather is warming up (SOOOO EXCITED!!) I am very excited to start running outside in shorts again! Running when it's warm/hot out is truly something I love! It just feels good to be out in nature/or on the street, and not having to worry about gloves, jacket, beanie,snow, ice, etc. One of my favorite things about the Spring/Summer is the yummy smoothies I used to buy from "Juice It Up" post-run. They were so refreshing and my after run treat. The only thing about getting one made for me is I'm not 100% sure what's in it, sort of expensive, and I can't pick and choose exactly what's in it. I usually bought the Chocolate Peanut butter Mood, from there....lots of calories.....VERY YUMMY. I decided now that Spring is here I would buy a blender, save some money and start making my own! Low and behold.....lots of yummy recipes!

I started out looking at HOW to make a proper post-run smoothie. Here's what I found on Runnersworld.com

Pour in your liquid-Use 4-8 ounces of liquid, such as water or milk. If you use fruit juice (which is high in sugar) limit to 6 ounces or less.

Add fruits and veggies- Try 1/2 -1 cup of produce. Try berries, banana, mango, kale, tomato, etc. Frozen is just as good and you won't have to use as much ice, if any.

Add fats and protein- Limit to 1 serving of healthy fats to keep calories in check. Try a tablespoon of nut butter (peanut, almond, etc.) or seed. 1/2 cup of soybeans works too.

Add spices and sweeteners- Honey, agave nectar,and other sugars have few nutrients so use no more than 1 teaspoon. You can add 1/4 teaspoon of spices like ground nutmeg or ginger.

Top with ice- More ice will create a thicker shake-like consistently and less (1/4-1/2 cup) will make it more like a smoothie. If you have frozen fruits or veggies use less ice!

So out of these tips I have only done the obviously yummy, though healthy, choices. I will try the veggies.....when I get the guts....

Anyways here are some healthy post-run recipes to try!

Maple Pumpkin Pie
1/2 cup plain soy milk
1/3 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup silken tofu (I dunno if I will put this in......what is it?!)
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 teaspoon real maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Breakfast To Go
1 cup fat free milk
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
1/2 cup uncooked rolled oats
1 tablespoon ground flax seed (I haven't been able to find this at the regular grocery store.)

Low Calorie Smoothie
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 cup fresh spinach
1 kiwi sliced
1/2 frozen banana sliced

Coffee Crunch
4 ounces cold coffee
4 ounces fat-free milk
1 frozen banana sliced
2 tablespoons whole almonds
2 tablespoons natural cocoa powder

Don't those sound good? I know, I know a couple just don't. But when I try them I will let you know! The one I did today after my run was a little creation I call.....
Strawberry, Banana, Peanut butter Delight
1/2 cup 2% milk
4 frozen whole strawberries
2 small bananas
3 tablespoons peanut butter
1/2 cup oats
It was delicious!!!!!

Running + Technology = FUN!

I recently broke the screen on my "almost" smart phone so a friend gave me her "real" smart phone- the Blackberry Storm. I must say that I love it. Though I will only have it until July when I get the new iPhone =) Anyways, A friend showed me that you can get "RunKeeper" for the iPhone which is really neat. It basically uses the GPS on your smart phone to track pace, distance, calories, average speed etc. It also has a map that shows you where you have gone and keeps track of your stats for the month and year!

I have coveted the super fancy Garmin Running watches for quite a while which are VERY expensive, and do the same thing! SO, I looked for the RunKeeper app for Blackberry........but they haven't made it for Blackberry yet. BUT after much research I found one just like it that is also compatible with the Blackberry. Its called SportyPal(FREE- though you can pay and get more features, but for me the free version is more than enough). I LOVE it! There is also a feature where you can upload your stats to Facebook or Twitter.....I am still trying to find out how I can upload to blogger, we will see. Anyways SportyPal also adds up month and year stats which is useful.

The first time I ran with it I was very happy with the way it worked.....just one problem.......I felt heavy with my iPod and my cell as I ran.......

The answer to my problem???? The Pandora app!!!!!!!!! FREEE!! Also, as I am sure you know you can pick any station and any music you like with NO commercials.

So all I have to carry on my outside runs is my cell phone , which is also nice to have my cell just in case I run into a problem. Check it out its fabulous!!!!

I guess my eyes have been opened to the wonderful world of apps!!!!!!!