Alrighty kids – it’s been eight days since my last post, and really that’s more like eleven because the last post was essentially no better than a “will return soon” sign, with no promise as to when. Truthfully though… I [...]]]> Only you will know where your mind just jumped to, but I’m hoping it wasn’t the gutter!

Alrighty kids – it’s been eight days since my last post, and really that’s more like eleven because the last post was essentially no better than a “will return soon” sign, with no promise as to when. Truthfully though… I have written a post. Two of them actually – two versions of the same thing. Only they haven’t been published due to the fact that they’re about something I just don’t really want to talk about! You know the feeling you get when you’ve had too much candy? Like Starbursts or Swedish Fish or something. You have that sort of dull stomachache, and it’s almost like your mouth hurts? Yeah… that’s how writing those two drafts made me feel. Like I’m not only raining on everyone’s parade, but I whipped out my personal fireman-strength hose and turned that on full strength too. No me gusta… to say the least.

This is the first photo that shows up for “good attitude” on Flickr…

But then I realized that was only the angle on this story if I chose for it to be. Remember that whole attitude is a choice thing? And my favorite passage – “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7) Mmm yep, still a true as ever. So here we go, jumping right into the meat of the post (couldn’t help it):

How I became a carnivore my health.

… Rabbit Food …

Nope… put your iCal away. You didn’t miss April 1^st. If you’ve been hangin’ out at Dr. TriRunner for a while, you know that I am was a vegetarian. For eight years to be exact. I became a vegetarian at the age of 12 because something in my very-large-12-year-old brain clicked, and I suddenly couldn’t separate the thought of eating meat (chicken, pork chops, turkey lunch meat, etc.) from eating people meat. I mean, a rib is a rib, no matter how you look at it. I actually look back and think – huh, I was a pretty smart sixth grader! Makes me kind of proud….

Aah! I digress. So that was the initial reason I became a vegetarian. Over the years, I became more passionate about animal rights, the meat industry in the U.S. (actually did a big thesis project on that one…), and definitely did my research to make sure I was being a healthy and educated vegetarian. Anyone, but especially an endurance athlete, cannot sustain on lettuce alone.

Photos of good veggie food: throw-back posts from April 2008!!

… Endo …

Also at a young age, I was diagnosed with endometriosis. “Diagnose” is sort of a misuse of the word, because that can’t actually happen without a laparoscopy (which I haven’t had done), but all signs, symptoms, examinations, and ultrasounds would suggest so. Trust me… yo’ girl has had more than her fair share of “lady exams.”

What is endometriosis? Aside from something I’ve mentioned all of like twice, but never in detail… it’s essentially a condition where endometrial tissue (the tissue that lines the uterus) grows in other places too, such as the fallopian tubes, ovaries, and pelvis. It acts as normal endometrial tissue, in that it builds up, thickens, and then tries to shed. Only there is nowhere for the blood to go because it’s not inside of your uterus. And basically, it hurts. A shitton. For more details on the disorder, the Mayo Clinic’s website (as with everything) does a good job breaking it down.

Long story short, in the past year, and more specifically the past four or five months, I feel that my symptoms have been getting markedly worse. The episodes of pain and cramping have become more frequent, and my period has gone NUTS. Most female distance runners fear losing their period, and I’m worried I’m going to lose all the blood in my body! (Haha – don’t you love my use of the color wheel here?) The last four months (and apparently five, starting Monday…) I have bled heavily for two weeks straight. Losing this much blood + endurance athletics = no good = potentially anemia. Once again… no me gusta.

Due to the non-existent awesome insurance that I am paying $300 a month for, anything beyond a flu shot and a sliver removal are considered “over and above” your necessary care. Endometriosis is considered “specialty” care, and specialty care is considered lots of $$$, and lots of $$$ is considered something I. Don’t. Have. So I do what I do best, and get my study on and try to figure out what is going on. No worries, I don’t count Wikipedia as a “source.” I am lucky enough to know several very knowledgeable (and qualified!) people to help me out here.

Flickr has many other photos for endometriosis, but I’m keepin it PG. They’re strictly medical though, so if you’re not squeemish then feel free to check them out.

… My findings …

(Although I tend to think I’m as smart as a rocket scientist, much of this is common sense.)

1. B/C pills are the most commonly prescribed “treatment” for endometriosis. The pill I’m on is one that’s most likely doing jackshit for me. But hey, it is “covered” in that excellent insurance.
2. SOY… is known to augment endometriosis. As a vegetarian for eight years, soy is obviously a large component of my diet for providing protein.
3. SOY… is in freaking everything. Or at least it would seem to be in everything that I have come to know and love. Cereal? Really?
4. If I cut out soy, that doesn’t leave me with many protein options. Especially when I factor in the amount of blood I’m losing, and needing to get EXTRA protein and iron to make sure I’m not headed towards anemia.
5. Meat has protein. And iron. And helps prevent anemia. Amen.

I know… rocket science right? So, now that you have my whole endometriosis rundown (the part that I feel is like listening to nails on a chalkboard) that concludes the flashback, and we return to the title of the post…

Hello iron-deficiency anemia.

… BEEF …

As of Tuesday April 27^th, I am no longer a vegetarian. And I figured if I’m going to eat meat with the purpose of getting this iron in me, I need to do it right. Beef. And not just any beef, but Chipotle’s Barbacoa shredded beef.

How was it? Crazy. Not crazy like bad, but crazy weird. Add this to the list of “findings” … meat takes a helluva lot longer to chew than non-animal foods. And I’m sure my stomach found those shredded cow muscles entering my digestive system and said, “What the ⠃ ⠥ ⠉ ⠅ are you putting in here??” (haha yessss!!) Eating meat just seams so raw and so primal to me… it’s not like it “tastes” bad. If it tasted bad, then companies wouldn’t make faux meat products like Light Life Buffalo Wings or Morningstar Farms “Ribs”.

Eating meat is definitely going to take some getting used to, and also a lot of learning! I had a 20-minute conversation with my new hommie in Trader Joe’s today about eating meat, endo, triathlons, and backpacking. ?? Yes. I’m not going down this road kicking and screaming, and I’m not being forced. This was no one’s decision but my own, and although I would like to still be a vegetarian, I do not think that for my health it is the right choice. I was talking to a friend today, and told her “As much as I’ve wanted to fight sometimes and say “I know my own body!” … it’s not always the case that a physical reality and a mental ideal match up.” And in this case, what I ideally would like and what physically is goin’ on ain’t tellin’ the same story. Capish?

I would also like to say that I would only buy local, organic, free-range, grass fed, smiling happy [dead] cows from California. But honestly? How many times have you heard me say budget is an issue? Muchas veces, my friends. Realistically I can’t afford such things. I will be eating animals (the word “meat” seams so misleading to me at this point…?) on a limited basis, so as best as I can, I will follow my conscious and at least try to support companies and sellers that follow more humane practices. All in all though, humans are still killing the animal for consumption. I might get some hateration for this, but it doesn’t really make a difference to me.

@ Chipotle… scared.

Examination of the cow now marinated and in my Burrito Bowl.

IRON.

… El Fin …

Time for me to end here amigos. I hope you will understand my decision, and if you don’t… well, your choice! I’m all for honesty as we all know, and this is what’s currently going on. I appreciate your honesty, whether it is in accordance to what I am thinking/feeling, or not. As always, any questions and comments are welcomed whether you leave them here in the comments section or send me an email.

Shoot. Now I gotta go change my “ABOUT Me” page. So much for finishing this VO2 report!

⠇⠕⠧⠑ ,

Erika (yes – that’s what the “E” stands for!) aka Dr.TriRunner

p.s. maybe I could win this $60 shopping spree and buy something from CNS’s kitchenware site… I could definitely use some help in the grilling department!

Progresso teamed up with BlogSpark and they were awesome enough to send me a TON of delicious soups to try! They also (unaware that they were feeding my oversized mug [...]]]> Raise your hand if you like warm delicious soup? Good. Now raise your hand if you like free things? GOOOOD. Here’s what I got for ya:

Progresso teamed up with BlogSpark and they were awesome enough to send me a TON of delicious soups to try! They also (unaware that they were feeding my oversized mug addiction) sent a cool Progresso Mug, just big enough to hold the whole can. My upper body strength work came into play when I carried these bad boys up my three flights of stairs from the delivery truck to my kitchen!

I know it’s been a little while since my last GU:2010 (I promised you though, there’s one coming!) , but what about YOUR goal update? Was healthy eating a part of your goals for 2010? Well, Progresso wants to help you out!

The Souper You Debut Contest!

[From Progresso:] Celebrate the New Year and a new you with Progresso Light and 100 Calorie Soups because from January 4 through March 15th, you can visit www.Progresso.com/SouperYou to enter the Progresso “Souper You Debut” contest for the chance to win a full makeover in New York City.

Three grand prize winners will be awarded a trip for two to New York City from May 21st-23rd. The prize includes roundtrip airfare, a two-night stay in a NYC hotel, a full makeover, a $1,000 wardrobe shopping spree and personal consultation at a New York department store.

To enter the Souper You Debut contest, you’ll need to do the following:

• Go to www.Progresso.com/SouperYou to learn more and enter the contest
• Submit a short essay (200 characters or less) telling Progresso why you love Progresso Light or 100 Calorie Soups and why you would like a makeover
• In addition, please submit a photo of yourself that visually reinforces the theme of your essay

Once you enter, you’ll have the chance for your photo and/or an excerpt from your essay to appear on www.Progresso.com/SouperYou, so be sure to check back frequently! Once the 10 finalists are announced (and I hope YOU’RE ONE OF THEM!), you can visit www.Progresso.com/SouperYou from March 29 through April 12 to vote for your favorite.

In addition, throughout the duration of the contest you can visit www.Progresso.com/SouperYou to download a coupon for $1 off any three varieties of Progresso Soup!

[Sperly takin' back over] OK, a free trip to NYC? Who wouldn’t want that? Awesome! But just in case you don’t end up winning that prize, Progresso and BlogSpark still wanna hook you up. You have the chance to win some awesome Progresso soups of your own. FREE! Though I can’t promise I’ll be there to help carry the box up your stairs, I can promise you that soup is GOOD, and Progresso is no exception.

To enter this GIVEAWAY (different than the souper you contest), all you need to do is:

• Leave a comment telling me your Progresso soup! If you’re new to this tasty brand of convenient goodness, you  can check out their WEBSITE and tell me the flavor you’d most like to try!

Easy peasy, right? Because we want to waste no time getting started on a healthy 2010, I’m keeping this giveaway open only through this weekend, aka midnight on Sunday (CENTRAL time). But why wait? All it takes is a click of a button, and you’re ticket’s in the hat!

-E

Poppin (Remix) – Christ Brown ft. Lil Wayne & Juelz Santana

Today, being a Sunday, would mean it’s a long run day. We haven’t discussed my running status [...]]]> As promised – I’m back on Sunday, my favorite day of the week! And I have a lot to give you, so I’ll get right to it!

Sunday Long “Run”

Poppin (Remix) – Christ Brown ft. Lil Wayne & Juelz Santana

Today, being a Sunday, would mean it’s a long run day. We haven’t discussed my running status much as of late, because well, there really isn’t a status. It’s been constantly changing! For the month of December, running was super minimal. (read: like 30 miles for the entire MONTH maybe?) No – its most def. not because I can’t handle the Minnesota winters – we all know I’ve got that covered. Unfortunately.. it would be the hip. Again. My next “big” Dr. appointment is February 8th. Maybe I’ll know more after that, but at this point, this is what I do know: (words of my lovely sports med doc:) “It’s not going to just break through while you’re out there – if you want to be running, and it isn’t excruciatingly painful, you might as well.”

High Definition – Lupe Fiasco ft. Snoop Dog & Pooh Bear

So since January, I’ve taken that and run with it, literally. My milage is still NOTHING like “normal”, but at least I’m running a few days a week. However, no weekend long run for me. So today’s “long run” is brought to you by my Octane Q47 (or what I refer to typically as my “xRunner”) machine… lookin a little like this:

Dirt Off Your Shoulder – Jay Z

And since I have two hours scheduled with this bad boy, I figured what a better time to give you my ellipti/run/music rundown. What you see in BOLD and PURPLE are the songs that are playing currently while I am typing. Yes. Blogging while working out is pretty much the only way I have time for this right now. And since right now I have, oh… an hour and 44 minutes left, you get lots of songs.  My iTunes is on Shuffle btw, but I’m skipping around a bit if I hit a song I don’t like.

Beggin – Madcon

As you can also see, I’m not writing a ton in between what are anywhere between 4-5 minute songs. That’s because blogging, as I’m sure all of you who have your own site know, takes mucho tiempo.

Track 7 – Grey’s Anatomy Soundtrack

(Don’t know the actual name… really not a fan of this song… but it gives you an idea of the eclectness of my iTunes.) Which brings me to the next item on my agenda…

Future Updating Schedule:

Guarantees – Atmosphere

It’s no joke that I am super busy this semester. But this blog is really important to me, and I actually really LIKE doing it! My iCal last week looked a little like this, and this is even just a four day week, with school just having started, so not a ton of homework yet. This also doesn’t show the 6 credits of online classes I have currently going on! Ayyy. Contemplating dropping Physics this semester, but that doesn’t seem like a good plan because I still need to take it at some point. All the classes I’m taking right now are ones I need to eventually take! Thank you God for inventing iCal…

This Is What It’s Made For – Usher

Because of this insanity, my posting schedule will most likely be once or twice a week. It will also probably be a bit more to the point and content driven than all this extra curricular stuff. Actually.. no, it probably wont. That’s just how I roll. If you’ve seen some of my tweets lately though, you know I got a lot going on:

• 20 credits
• 2 labs
• 2 jobs
• boyfriend
• family/friends
• the Tri team
• Dr. TriRunner
• the Tri team’s website – I just took this one on, but I’m excited about it!

There’s no blame or fingers to be pointed (other than at myself )… this is what I get myself into. Welcome to the life of a Type A (+) overscheduler. Moving on…

Real As It Gets – Jay Z ft. Young Jeezy

On Friday I promised you a gear review, and that’s what I have for you now!

Cycling & Winter Running Socks: Review

You – Atmosphere

First up, my loves of all time: SMARTWOOL. More specifically, their Ultra Light Cushion Women’s Cycling socks:

These were a gift from the boy, and damn, does he know how to pick em’! I love the way these hug my arches in just the right spot, and I don’t have to fold them over because they’re so effing big or have the “heel” be sitting at my ankle! I wear these in spin right now and they are PERFECT! They come up just high enough so my shimano shoes don’t cut into my leg, but they’re still “ankle socks.” Final Grade: A

Dirt Off Your Shoulders Vs. Bittersweet Symphony Remix – Jay Z & The Verve

Next: CRAFT Pro Warm Quarter Running Sock

Alright.. when I told you everything  you’d ever want to know about WINTER RUNNING… I told you how much my feet/hands circulation sucks. Well that post needs a revision: my feet/hand circulation SUCKS when I’m not properly prepared!!

Jesus Walks – Kanye West

This was also included in a x-mas gift from the boy (he’s winning in all corners here!) and DAYYYNG. I. Love. Keep in mind that these were not sent to me by the company – this review is solely based on my usage of said socks and happy warm toes. These. Are. FANTASTIC. On a run where my fingers were frozen solid through… think permafrost frozen… my feet were SO toasty, but not sweaty! Just happy, happy toes. Thankkk you to novio and thank you to Craft! Final Grade: A+

Real World – Match Box Twenty

(Haha! I told you it was on shuffle!)  While were on the subject of SOCKS, I will say that I am yet to wear my supafly Kayano Left and Right specific running socks that my mom gave me for Christmas. I feel like these need to be reserved for races or special occasion / monumental runs only. Q: Do you have any clothes like that? I definitely have a racing only sports bra!

Push It Remix – Camron ft. Jim Jones, Juelz, and Lil Wayne

Annnd that’s one hour down! Love it! What I don’t love is this weekend is “Open House” weekend at my gym. Read: Way super overcrowded!! Un momentitio chicos… bathroom break.

OK! Hour two.. start it off with an all time favorite:

I’ll Be Missing You – P. Diddy ft. Faith Evans

This is also where I switch to going backwards and up the resistance a bit! Annnd make sure I’m continuing to hydrate:

Baby It’s Cold Outside – James Taylor ft. Natalie Cole

(Hahaha!! Don’t judge!) Ok so I’m starting to really enjoy this live blogging thing. Pictured above (excuse the blurriness.. I took it one handed and moving) is the new LEMON LIME Powerade Zero! But not only Powerade kids.. that would be Lemon Lime PowerDew. If you haven’t done the PowerDew yet.. hop on it. And make sure to tell me what you think!!! And because we’re talking about beverages and hydrating….

Nilla’ Mint Coffee Recovery Shake:

Hotel California – The Eagles

I also told you last Friday that I had a recipe coming! I fell in love the second this cool, creamy shake of shining glory touched my lips. Not exaggerating.

Always Coming Back Home to You – Atmosphere

Thankfully that was not a 4:26 am photo! Here’s what we got goin’ on:

• Chocolate Mint Coffee, (.5 – 1 cup, depending on preference of taste and texture) cooled (a la Ghiradelli – sent to my by my absolute fave SwimBuddy Lizzy)
• 2 scoops Vanilla protein powder
• Xanthan gum
• Ice ( I use about 6 regular sized cubes)

If you tragically are not able to find this miraculous mint coffee, as I no longer am because I ran out and apparently this is a seasonal delicacy, I have moved on to using regular coffee (or espresso to be more accurate), dark coco powder, and mint extract. Place all ingredients in blender of choice, and get to town.

Say Shhh – Atmosphere

(If you’re from MN.. GET that song. Has been a favorite of mine for a lonnnng time!) Depending on the type of protein powder you choose to use, you can get upwards of 20g of protein here! Other variations: you could use chocolate flavored protein powder and nix the cocoa powder. You could do half coffee/half milk (or milk alternative). If you’re lucky enough to have any leftover Girlscout Thinmint cookies stashed in your  freezer… send them all to me one or two blended up in the drink would lead to nilla/choco/mint ecstacy. Caution.

When’s the Last Time – Clipse ft. Pharell

As you can see, I did this in my Magic Bullet and it barely fit. I’m still praying that the folks from VitaMix HQ over in Cleveland, Ohio will find this lil runner/triathlete/future doctor and realize:

Dang – this girl really needs a Vita Mix in her life. Her future depends on it. How can we help?

I have an extra kidney if any of your employees need it. We could work out a deal. KIDDING!!! Kinda…

Bout It – Yung Joc ft. 3LW (Step Up Soundtrack)

Alright – decision time: I have half an hour of this “run” left… and there are still about a billion things I have on my “to post” list. I wanna give you a GU2:10 (or Goal Update for those who haven’t mastered the Dr.TriRunner terminology…) but I think I will wait till January is over and  give you a complete one month perspective.

Maria Maria – Carlos Santana ft. Wyclef Jean

(Yes, I really did only type that much in the time it took to play all of Bout It. Not a short song.. but I’m sweating more liquid than my shower gives on a good water pressure day. Haha what an attractive mental picture..) What I think needs to happen right now, since I neglected it on Friday, is a little guilt relief. That’s right kids – sounds like a…

Sunday Friday Confessional:

What We Talkin’ Bout – Jay Z ft. Luke Steele

You know the rules of the game: there are none. Nothing is off limits. You fess up, I fess up. We all feel better. This is a practice I have very much loved ever since my very first ever Friday Confessional back in November of 2008. One year ago I was fessing up to this:

1. I’ve become rather spiteful without running. I’ve seen other people running outside or hearing them talk about running and wished they couldn’t run too. It’s like if I can’t run, no one else should. 
2. I stole my roommates pack of Cinnamon Spice gum off her desk. Sorry Laur – I owe you.
3. I ODed on Cinnamon Toast Crunch one night in the beginning of the week. I literally had FIVE bowls. Just dry. Back to back.  And I felt sick as hell afterwards/the next morning. It was completely emotional and very delicious. But I don’t need to do that again.
4. I paid $55 for unlimited group fitness at the Marino. And I’m yet to take ONE class. I signed up for abs tonight and spinning tomorrow morning.
5. I accidentally brought home a pool belt from the Y. And it is sitting under my bed. And it’s mine.

Ever The Same – Rob Thomas

Have I changed? Let’s see…
#1 – I am currently running, but nothing like “I used to.” But my thoughts on that one are much more stemming from frustration.. not “spite.” Or at least I’d like to think so.
#2 – No stealing gum. I have a plentiful stock of my Stride favorites.
#3 – No more CTC sadly – I no longer have “the caf,” and therefore no longer have open access to crack this goodness. Probably a good thing.

Nothing Ever Hurt Like You – James Morrison

#4 – $55 seems like a steal when you’re paying $68/month for a gym membership. Nuff said.
#5 – That pool belt fits me perfectly

This week I’m going to confess only one thing to you in the blog word, because a) I only have 7 minutes left and I want time to make a song wrap-up, and b) I’ve been pretty darn good this week if I do say so myself. Here we go:

Move If You Wanna – Mims

1. I have become increasingly reliant on sleep aids. Tylenol PM, Simply Sleep.. the melatonin ain’t doin jack isht. It’s at the point where if I don’t take anything, I just don’t get tired. No matter what. Friday night – took nothing. Fell “asleep” around 4 am. Was already awake when my alarm went off at 8am. I’m fessing up to this one because it’s actually a problem. I plan on talking to my doc about it at my next appointment. Which I am yet to schedule. :/

That’s all I have time for kids! This was a GOOD POST if you ask me! Sorry if I overwhelmed you with all of  this at once though. Here is the…

Long “Run” Song Wrap-up:

Encore – Jay Z (good song to end on!)
Poppin (Remix) – Christ Brown ft. Lil Wayne & Juelz Santana
High Definition – Lupe Fiasco ft. Snoop Dog & Pooh Bear
Dirt Off Your Shoulder – Jay Z
Beggin – Madcon
Track 7 – Grey’s Anatomy Soundtrack
Guarantees – Atmosphere
This Is What It’s Made For – Usher
Real As It Gets – Jay Z ft. Young Jeezy
You – Atmosphere
Dirt Off Your Shoulders Vs. Bittersweet Symphony Remix – Jay Z & The Verve
Jesus Walks – Kanye West
Real World – Match Box Twenty
Push It Remix – Camron ft. Jim Jones, Juelz, and Lil Wayne
I’ll Be Missing You – P. Diddy ft. Faith Evans
Baby It’s Cold Outside – James Taylor ft. Natalie Cole
Hotel California – The Eagles
Always Coming Back Home to You – Atmosphere
Say Shhh – Atmosphere
When’s the Last Time – Clipse ft. Pharell
Bout It – Yung Joc ft. 3LW (Step Up Soundtrack)
Maria Maria – Carlos Santana ft. Wyclef Jean
What We Talkin’ Bout – Jay Z ft. Luke Steele
Ever The Same – Rob Thomas
Nothing Ever Hurt Like You – James Morrison
Move If You Wanna – Mims

[Change of location - the workout went wonderfully! No pain, sweated my a$$ off, and feel good. At home now.] Hope you enjoyed this post as much as I did! I have two pages that should be up and running soon: music, and the return of my blogroll (finally)! There are more layout/style changes to come too. For now, if you’re looking for music (like the Reader’s Choice Ultimate Mix) just click on the “music” tag in the right column! Gotta go for now peeps – my VIKES are playing tonight!

-E

But just in case you can’t get your hands on a can of PowerThirst, you can try out my mix, PowerDew!

Why yes, I have fallen off the face of the planet. I expect to return this weekend with a whole host of things to share, but in the mean time, I want to share this:

But just in case you can’t get your hands on a can of PowerThirst, you can try out my mix, PowerDew!

And I actually can’t say “my”, because my cousin told me about this one at Thanksgiving. 50% blue powerade, 50% mountain dew, 100% caffeinatedly delicious.

Stuffed in the bag of goodies I have to share with you upon my return:

• A gear review (running AND cycling!)
• A recovery drink recipe
• A food review
• A giveaway!

Work them turbo puns ladies and gents! I am most definitely giving birth to a Kenyan!

-E

Back when I asked you guys for your #1 pump-up song for my “reader’s choice spin mix”, (keep those entries coming btw – CLICK HERE to go to that post!) my east coast homie and fellow BAMF Karyn told me I should check out this [...]]]> We’ll get to the title in a minute.. trust.

Back when I asked you guys for your #1 pump-up song for my “reader’s choice spin mix”, (keep those entries coming btw – CLICK HERE to go to that post!) my east coast homie and fellow BAMF Karyn told me I should check out this other chica’s blog, Mindful Living. So I clicked my way on over to Christina’s blog, and am SO glad I did – this girl is awesome! Not to mention we have a crazy amount in common: we’re both the same age and the youngest of sister-only families, both marathoners (and both decently fast one’s at that ), both entering the health/medical field, both teach (or taught/may be teaching again soon!) spin, both are super close with our families, and we’re both lifelong athletes. And oh yeah, there’s the healthy lifestyle blogger thing underlying somewhere in there too.

Christina recently tagged me on the Beautiful Blogger award – thanks lady! I LOVE fun facts! Cmon.. think back to your college orientation weekend.. job training.. summer camp. It gives you a chance to learn something you probably wouldn’t know otherwise. Or… if you’ve been around the blog long enough, stuff you DO already know, but a nice catch-up for new readers! Following the rules of the game, you get seven of my favorite “fun facts” and in turn, I get to pick seven of YOU guys to do the same! Kind of like a Pay It Forward (gotta love H.J.O. at age twelve), and an Ice Breakers remix. Here we go!

1. I have a personal mini-hardware store residing in my left hip.
   After a few months of “groin pain weird-feelings” back in the fall of 2008, and a final push from my spots med doc out east, I finally went in to have my hip x-rayed. After touring all that Boston’s medical scene had to offer, I finally wound up with a bone/hip specialist at Children’s Boston, and two diagnoses: fibrous dysplasia, and a fractured left femoral neck (a la tension side). I had surgery in December over Christmas break back in Minneapolis, and many a pool running sesh ensued. Unfortunately, surgery was not an “end-all” solution, as fibrous dysplasia isn’t something you really “cure”. I will post more on this on a later day, but I may be lookin’ at surgery #2 here soon. Biiiig bummer!
2. My dad and I have matching identical tattoos.
   Haha – I cringed at the word “matching” for whatever reason. It’s not a pinky promise, but that pinky squeeze is something special my dad and I have done for as long as I can remember. It means something along the lines of  ”I’m glad I’m with you.”  We had thought long and hard about what to get, and when I thought of our special pinky squeeze, I knew it was right. We got it done before I moved to Boston and before my dad moved to Philly at Steady Tatoo. Tatted by Rodger – they took the picture of our hands together when we went in for our consult.. I think he did an awesome job! I have loved my tattoo every second since of every day since he was inkin’ it in me!
3. I would not be a runner without my mother.
   My mom is my best friend – this we know. I’ve mentioned our occasional mother daughter runs that I love. (Especially ones sprinkled with a little Christmas!) You might not know that she is also a very accomplished runner!  My mom didn’t start running until she was out of college, but she definitely had the natural talent! She has run 22 marathons over the course of her running career, broken 3 hours twice, WON a marathon outright for the ladies, and definitely put in wayyy more miles than I have! Some of my very first runs were just a few miles long with my madre. She gave me the genes
4. I am on the Triathlon Team at the U of MN.
   Check out our team page! Next up are the Collegiate National Championships down in Lubbock, Texas in April. The plan as of now is that my fractured/fibrousdysplasiaed/lisfranc’ed self will be injury free at that time, and I’ll be ready to compete!
   
5. I have endometriosis.
   I have mentioned it before briefly… I have a whole long post written on it that for whatever reason I just don’t want to publish, but it’s a fact! Hahah I wouldn’t call it “fun”… but it’s part of life. Be very thankful that I didn’t pull my “endometriosis” image off of google images. Search at your own risk. Photo credit goes to a fellow blogger dealin’ with the same thing. Maybe my fun fact #5 should have been “My hot water bottle is one of my best friends.”
   
6. I treat my training gear with about as much excitement and love as I would my own kids. Meet Rilo, and Gomer.
   
   
   
   (Sorry for the camera angle….) The day when GOMER was delivered into my hands, I knew I had a gift from God. True story – I have a permanent tan line around my bicep from this lil guy. It’s my second birth mark. Then, several years later when RILO came into my life, it was like a stolen child was finally returned. Hahhaha.. issues. I know.
   
7. I grew up as a “minority” student. And I am sooo thankful!I went to a K-8 elementary school where over 50% of the students were native spanish speakers, 20% were african american, caucasians made up about 15%, and the remaining 15% were from different ethnicities. The school is still extremely diverse – check the stats!  Then I moved onto a high school that was also super diverse! White kids made up about 20% of the student body. I say I’m so thankful because being around so many students coming from different backgrounds, having different beliefs, different lifestyles, and different opinions taught me right off the bat that everyone in the world is DIFFERENT and that is an amazing good thing. NTM I was understanding my 2nd grade buddies from Mexico City before I ever took my first “spanish class.”

Alright, time to share the love chicos y chicas! TAG – you’re it!

• Susan – Susan Runs
• Frayed Laces – Frayed Laces
• Courtney – Pink Cowgirl
• Melissa – A Fit & Spicy Life
• Katie – Faith, Food, & Fitness
• Karyn – Marathon Maiden
• Jenna - The Foodie In The City

But you can’t really put a limit on Paying it Forward.. can you? I think not. So I definitely encourage ANYONE who wants to go and give your seven fun facts to let er’ rip! Sadly, this is all I have time for, and it took me 1.5 hours on the ellip plus over an hour at home. Someone asked me how I blog while I’m working out, and I gave you a picture last time, but keep your eyes out for a live post from my steady spot on my Life Fitness elliptical, complete with play list and intervals, to come! As for now, I have a double date with my BFF and my madre. And hopefully I can see the boyfriend somewhere in there too. Adios!

-E

First things first, HAPPY SATURDAY! I have had a wonderful day thus far – not really sure how Sunday could top it, but giving how much I Love Sundays (throwback link!), it just [...]]]> (Get ready for some serious link love here my friends…! And possibly some alliteration. I’m on one of those moods. )

First things first, HAPPY SATURDAY! I have had a wonderful day thus far – not really sure how Sunday could top it, but giving how much I Love Sundays (throwback link!), it just might have to! Today has been filled with a seriously sweaty spin sesh, muscle sculpting on the moving mountain of stairs, a splash of core, and some very necessary stretching. I also just started the book My Sister’s Keeper – for whatever reason once something gets to that “trendy” stage, if I wasn’t hooked before it got popular I tend to avoid it completely. Which is dumb because if everyone like’s something, they all must like it for a reason, right? Biggest two examples coming to mind: Lord of the Rings and Twilight. Noo thanks. Returning to the point – My Sister’s Keeper is GOOD and I just want to read it all the time! Haha feels good to read something other than endocrine functions and muscle insertions.

Anywho, other than wishing you a happy Saturday and a lovely weekend, I wanted to wave something in your face. I know how much all of you love your Celestial Seasonings tea. Well somehow I stumbled upon this little diamond in the rough:

Yes my friends. That would be Canadian Vanilla Maple (Decaf) tea. And according to the Celestial Seasoning’s HQ, this amazing delicious fantastic tea has been DISCONTINUED!! (Insert face of horror and shock.) So how was I so lucky to score myself some? That. Is a secret. What I will tell you is it makes a pretty freaking awesome shake. Something inspired by my favorite pimped out protein chick and her many tea infused shakes…

Vanilla Maple Pumpkin Protein Shake:

Call it dessert, call it a post-workout recovery shake, call it MINE because I’m not sharing! (Haha, ok, you can have the recipe at least!)

• 1 Vanilla Maple Celestial Seasonings tea bag (steeped in .5 cup hot water)
• 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
• 1/2 cup vanilla soy milk
• 1/4 tsp thickening gum of your choice
• sprinkle of love stevia
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• splash of vanilla flavoring syrup, something along the lines of Toranni’s goodness
• iccce at your discretion (I use 4-5 regular sized cubes)

Place all ingredients (not the tea BAG.. just the tea. obvio!) in blender/bullet/VitaMonster of choice. Blend away. Pour in bowl/cup/wineglass. Covet like it’s made with holy water. Cry silent tears because you know if you actually do get your hands on this miracle tea, supplies are limited.

Um… I think that is all I wanted to share. Just a reminder to keep your ULTIMATE PUMP UP PLAY LIST submissions coming – there is a really good mix so far!! Goooood night, good night.

-E

A while ago (and I really do mean a while… like pre-Thanksgiving I think) a wonderful little MuffinFairy sent me a very generous assortment of goodies. These were goodies that I had been [...]]]> Aright bloggies – remember when I said that sometimes life happens? Well, what is about to follow is definitely one of those cases.

A while ago (and I really do mean a while… like pre-Thanksgiving I think) a wonderful little MuffinFairy sent me a very generous assortment of goodies. These were goodies that I had been eyeing for quite some time, but never bit the bullet deliciousness and bought myself. Yes my friends, I confess: I was a Vitalicious Virgin. I can’t tell you how many times I had drooled over these ridiclicious VitaCreations I had seen popping up on other blogs. There were even NON-chocolate flavors, which definitely tugged on my I-love-dessert-but-chocolate-aint-my-thang heart strings. So you can bet your butt that when this bit-o-mail showed up on my doorstep and I opened the box, I nearly fainted:

Yes – please do drool and ooh and ahh, because you know I was. This makes me even more disappointed in my major display of slackeritis for not posting about this the second they arrived in the mail. Maybe I was just too busy eating them still in shock. Hopefully the MuffinFairy will forgive me, because its still better late than never, right? So here we go folks – my official…

LoveMuffin Vitalicious Product Review:

If the title isn’t a sign of my deepest emotions towards these little individually wrapped portioned controlled packages of bliss, then I don’t know what is. I feel like a small tiny hole in my heart has been filled.  I know, I know… for a future doctor, I’m gonna have to work on being less emotional. But these bad boys are GOOD! And you wanna talk about GOOD FOR YOU? Why yes Docta T.R., I do! From Vitalicious’ website:

Vitalicious® Inc. is the market leader of innovative “vital and delicious” baked goods that promote a healthy lifestyle, without sacrificing taste. First to market with 100-calorie servings, Vitalicious® is leading the way to a holistic approach to maximize satisfaction with minimum calories, with products that are low fat and high in fiber and nutrients. Vitalicious® has created a unique triangle of need-satisfaction (All-Natural ingredients + Nutraceuticals + Weight Management), the only baked-goods company in this niche. Founded in 1999, Vitalicious® creates and sells a variety of unique, healthy, value-added baked goods under the VitaMuffin™, VitaTop™, VitaBrownie™, VitaCake™, and VitaMuffin Mix™ trademarks. Vitalicious® products are now sold at stores nationwide and at www.vitalicious.com (www.vitalicious.ca for Canadian Residents). Here at Vitalicious® our mission is simple: to make healthy and delicious baked goods that are fortified with essential vitamins and minerals.

The Vitalicious website also has a cool little page comparing the nutritional information of a Vitamuffin with an apple:

I’m not telling you to abandon your fresh produce, but hey, sometimes when I’m craving BAKERY my mind doesn’t instantly jump to APPLE. We’re all human here.

And since here at Dr.TriRunner we’re all about being real, let’s compare a VitaMuffin to, oh… let’s just say a Panera Cinnamon Roll. And I only single out this delicious cinnamon roll because I happened to eat one of these monsters in it’s entirety by myself at 10:45 pm the other night. And it was DELICIOUS and well worth every single bite. For fairness sake, lets even get crazy and compare a 4 oz. Vita Muffin (and Deep Chocolate too, because we also need equality on the decadence scale) because my cinnamon roll was definitely, um.. large. Like 7 oz. large. (click the picture to view larger)

vs.

I’m not blind. I know my cinnamon roll contained 24g of fat (vs. 3 in the VitaMuffin), 14g of which were saturated (vs. 1.5 in the VM)  and 33g of sugar (vs. 23g)… and I also know I loved it! But did I really need a 7 oz. cinnamon roll at 10:45pm? Probably not. It’s also probably true no one needs a Lumberjack Slam – two huge buttermilk pancakes drowning in butter and syrup, grilled honey ham, two slices of bacon, two sausage patties, two eggs, hashbrowns or grits, and two slices of buttery toast. Mmm I can feel my arteries closing already! Obviously not the healthiest choice, but that doesn’t stop it from being put on the menu, and if it’s on the menu, someone will order it. It’s not “new news” that America is obsessed with the bigger = better mentality, and that definitely applies to food as well. Moderation hombre… treat yourself well, with the same respect you’d give your grandma (or your two year old), and enjoy the good things in life in moderation. My VitaHomies – I give you five gold stars!

Now the Vitamuffins and Vita brownies were amazing on their own… don’t get me wrong. I found out soon though that a little splash o’ this, dollop o’ that (just probably not Daisy… no offense but sour cream+brownie wasn’t my ideal image of YUMM) took these bites of heaven to a whole ‘nother level! Seeing as how I had TWENTY FOUR to sample, I felt like I had some wiggle room for experimenting. And speaking of “wiggle room”, yes, Jello did make it into the mix on several occasions. For lack of any creativity whatsoever at the moment a better name, I deemed that one the VitaCottageJello Mountain. If YOU feel so inclined to make a VitaMixofDeliciousness, but don’t really know where to start, well Vitalicious thought of that! There is a page dedicated to VitaRecipes for you to explore. Oddly enough, I feel like most of you readers are creative enough in the kitchen to come up with your own awesome combinations, but a little inspiration can go a long way! Some of my favorite combinations (that I’m sure have all been tried before) included greek yogurt, applesauce, frozen yogurt, TruWhip, microwaved frozen strawberries, and microwaved apple+cinnamon. Some of my more unique concoctions included blending a vitatop into a particularly delicious protein shake, and also baking a vitatop into a cake of sorts. Haha… why so secrative, and why no photos? I feel like those could have been posts on their own, which you may or may not be seeing in the near future…. I liked these guys so much, I felt it completely reasonable to take over our entire freezer:

My posts tend to get lengthy my friends, and that is what this is starting to do. So I will wrap with my [multiple] one word reviews of the Vitalicious products sent to me:

• Delicious
• Heaven
• WarmFuzzyMuffinMemoryCreating
• Melty
• FlavorExplosionInYourMouth
• MorePlease!?

And I leave you with that. I know most of you don’t need my review because you are all VitaMuffinMasters and way ahead of this chick who has been living under a rock. I am going to head over to my blender to attempt to recreate a shake from heaven….

Love,
-E

p.s. For future reference, you can find this post and all of my other product reviews under the Product Reviews tab at the top of the page!