Exciting news!! Enspire Balance will soon be expiring and Scott and I have started a new blog over at Fuel For Your Life! You can now find and follow us on Pinterest under Fuel For Your Life and Twitter @Fuel4YourLife.
We look forward to having you come along with us on this new adventure!
What a beautiful morning it was yesterday for my long run. I captured this spectacular sunrise as I ran toward New Albany.
I set out for a 15 miler but ended up clocking 17.7! I got far away from the house and felt good so I took a bit longer route home. I never know exactly how far I am from home so I’m always a little surprised to see my final mileage. I maintained an 8:35 average pace which is right on track with where I’ve been for other runs.
I picked up a new pair of shoes early last week at Fleet Feet. I ended up going with a pair of Nike Vomero. I hit it off with the sales associate as soon as I learned she was vegan, a mom, fellow runner, and was familiar with Rich Roll and a fan of Matt Frazier (No Meat Athlete). And, she had a similar foot structure and was wearing Vomeros. We could have chatted for a long time but I had C with me and she was getting a bit antsy.
I ran in the Vomeros for all of my shorter runs last week and they felt pretty good so I was relieved. Before I got them I was having a little pain in the outside of my left foot and was starting to experience a bit of plantar fasciitis in my right foot. The pain in my left foot is now gone and the plantar fasciitis is the same or maybe even a little better so that’s good news. I think new shoes was exactly the thing I needed. I had to stop twice during the run yesterday to adjust the shoelaces because I noticed some tightness and pulling in the front of my left foot and then later tightness around the top of my right foot. Loosening my shoelaces did the trick and I didn’t have any more trouble. My feet are a little sore today but nothing like I would have expected after running that far.
Before my run I had a giant glass of water with a little apple cider vinegar followed by about 1.5 super ripe bananas with a little peanut butter. I normally don’t eat peanut butter with my beloved bananas because the bananas digest better on their own but I decided to try it out this time. I’m not sure if it was this combo or possibly the meal I had the night before (a Chipotle veggie bowl that was noticeably saltier and oilier than usual), but I had stomach issues the whole run and had to make a porta potty pit stop at one of the construction sites along my route. I continued to have a stomach ache for most of the rest of the run but it wasn’t severe. I have found that my stomach can get a little upset in general after long runs and yesterday was no different at least for the first part of the day.
I carried three water bottles in my fuel belt that I filled with a mix of coconut water, regular water, and water that had dates soaking in it and a few blended frozen pineapple with a touch of salt. I finished almost all of it and felt hydrated for the whole run. I also brought along several medjool dates that I had mashed up and rolled into little balls. I put them in foil and then in a plastic bag. They were a little hard to unwrap while running but I managed and they otherwise worked great. Mashing them up in advance made them easier to eat without having to really chew. I never feel hungry during my runs so I wasn’t sure when I should eat them. It took me the normal 6 miles or so before I felt like I was in a groove and then I started to feel like I was losing steam around mile 13 so I had two of the dates and that carried me through til the end. I finished the rest of the dates as soon as I was done. After a short walk to keep my legs loose, I hit the yoga mat for a bit and then had my normal smoothie for breakfast.
I was blessed with a Relax and Restore training with Michelle Bailey at Go Yoga in Upper Arlington in the early afternoon. We had an 80 minute practice that couldn’t have been more perfect after the run. Then we wrapped up with more details on how to teach this type of class. I felt so much more relaxed than usual and I think it’s because of the run in the morning. My long runs have been very meditative for me and calming even though I’m putting forth a lot of effort. I think the run put me in just the right mental place for the class.
My legs felt heavy later in the day as they often do after run long and then being on my feet for most of the rest of the day so my favorite thing to do before bed is get them up in legs up the wall pose. I have a cool stretch out strap that the kids and I shared during bed time reading. They thought it was great to do the pose with me while we were in Cape Cod so I figured why not do it at home too.
That’s all for now. I hope you enjoy the week and do something a little extra to take care of yourself – mind, body, and spirit!
It’s great to be back on here after a fun and busy summer! We had a few last minute trips out of town and ended up being gone for most of July so it seemed like the summer flew right by. I just finished the halfway point of my 18-week marathon training plan. Woohoo! In some ways it seems like I’ve been training for way longer but at the same time it seems to have gone by pretty fast. I was a little nervous about training while traveling but I was able to fit in all the runs and it was refreshing to run in new locations.
Our first stop was the Vegetarian Summerfest held at the University of Pittsburgh in Johnstown, PA. We had a fabulous time learning tons of information, meeting great people, and eating amazing food (I need to do another post or even a few more about that experience). If you’re not familiar with Pennsylvania, it’s quite hilly at least in parts and the Johnstown area is one of those hilly parts. I tackled a few smaller hills, which was good for me since I don’t spend a lot of time running hills. I was very tired for each run since I was up much later than normal every night and up earlier than normal in order to finish my runs before breakfast which was only served from 7:30-8:30, but it all worked out and I got them done. My long run that weekend was a 9-miler. It was the day we were leaving so I skipped a session after breakfast and did a little yoga since I didn’t think it would be a good idea to ride in the car for several hours without getting a decent stretch in. At Summerfest, we had the great pleasure to meet Rich Roll, spend some time with him, and attend his running clinic. At the end of the clinic we did a fun run and Scott and I ran with Rich the whole time. It was a pretty cool experience. I think I’ve made it clear in prior posts that I’m a huge fan of him, his wife Julie, and their work. If you’re not already familiar with Rich and Julie, you definitely need to check out his book Finding Ultra, their cookbook Plant Power Way, his podcast, her music and their other work and products. He, Julie, and many of the people he (and sometimes they) has interviewed on the podcast have inspired me in this marathon challenge, my whole-food, plant-based journey, and many other areas of personal growth. I listen to his podcasts on every run (I use his app or the Sound Cloud app on my iPhone). Here are two pics with them.
Our next stop was an overnight stay with some friends in Mechanicsburg, PA. In the morning I visited the local Y to get in my cross-training workout (swimming and some weight and core work) before we got on the road. I unfortunately forgot my Speedo at home so I wore my sports bra and the bottoms from my no so sporty two-piece. The drag created by the somewhat loose fitting bottoms was a bit annoying but at least I kept them on! They must have been the reason I was so slow that day. Ha, ha. I’m not the fastest swimmer no matter what suit I wear but I do have pretty good endurance.
Cape Cod was the final destination on this leg of our trip. It was our second year visiting the Cape and hopefully it will be a yearly trip for our family. My best childhood friend and her family have a home in Sagamore Beach and graciously allow us to stay there. The highlight of the week was when our friends visited with their 9-month old baby. She was a delight to be around and the kids loved playing with her. We enjoyed many great conversations and spoiled them with several yummy plant based meals and desserts. This was our first vacation being whole-food, plant-based and while it definitely took a bit more planning, it worked out just fine. We didn’t partake in any of the traditional local fare – namely seafood – but we did thoroughly enjoy the abundance of farm stands. 
So on to the running part…the topic of this post, right. It’s so easy for me to go off on a tangent! There are many places to run near our friends’ house including the Cape Cod Canal path, which runs along the canal (see below).
I like running on the path for shorter runs but it is totally flat and a down and back so I find it a little monotonous after a while. I ended up running most times starting out from their house and then winding through neighborhoods and along local roads. There were plenty of rolling hills and some short but steep inclines. It was challenging compared to my normal routes but was a really nice change (similar to PA). I also loved the fact that it’s lighter there earlier in the morning so the sun was already shining when I’d leave for my early morning runs. One day I was running through a neighborhood and a few turkeys ran in front of me. That was a first!
My long run that weekend was supposed to be 10 but I ended up doing 11. I started out on the canal path and passed fisherman after fisherman out for their early morning catches. I love to think about what life might be like as a fisherman sitting in the serene stillness of the morning. It certainly requires a lot of patience and persistence – both of which I could use a little more. Then I headed toward a road that was just inland from the houses facing the beach. I was the only one out at that time of day so it was very peaceful. I made my way further inland before ending with the steady climb back to our friends’ house. That last portion was the killer part of the route. Just when I was ready to be done (and feeling like toast), I faced the most challenging part of the run. Because I sometimes like to torture myself, I did hill repeats through their neighborhood a few times. They were slow but fun in a weird sort of way.
From the Cape, we came home for a few busy days of trying to get things back in order and catch up on everything after being gone for almost two weeks. We then headed north to Cheboygan, MI where Scott’s originally from. His grandmother still lives there in a vacation home his aunt and uncle recently rebuilt. The house itself was amazing and just a short walk from Mullett Lake – a large and beautiful lake. We had a fun (albeit interesting) few days in a house jam-packed with family. There were literally people sleeping everywhere! My favorite part was the boat dock where I enjoyed several post-run yoga sessions in the early morning stillness. Below is a pic of that lovely spot.
I have traveled with “my” food and Vitamix (a must bring along travel item for me if at all possible) for several years now showing up with bags of produce in particular. This year we brought even more since I was packing for all four of us and we didn’t want to have to make a huge grocery trip when we got there. Thank goodness their fridge was the Cadillac of fridges and fit all of our stuff and more! We used the Vitamix several times a day so I’m sure everyone else was relieved when they returned home to quietness after hearing the jet-engine like sound of the Vitamix for several days.
The house sat right next to a really long snowmobile trail that people use recreationally for other activities like biking, walking, and running. I ran a few short runs on the trail but knew I didn’t want to do my long run on it because it was harder to run on with it being gravel and it was monotonous – completely flat and tree lined the whole way. I set out for my long run intending to run 12 according to the plan but ended up doing just over 13.5 (13.2 was the furthest I’d run prior to this!). I had gotten too far out on a long country road before looking at my phone to see how far I needed to go to get back home. I turned around at a farm stand, which was a neat coincidence. I planned to go back later in the day to get produce but as soon as I got back to the house it started raining. Below are a few pics from that morning.
We found out later there was a tornado close by. It was a good thing we didn’t know it at the time as our son is terrified of tornadoes and we were in a giant window filled house. It continued to rain for hours and we lost power at the house (so no water or toilets!!), which just wasn’t going to work for all of us in the house for very long. We made the decision to head out a day early. It was a great decision to avoid the inconvenience of no water but not so great considering how far I had just run. I was a little worried that I would be really sore the next day after riding in the car but I was able to use the stick roller and stretch a little before getting in the car and during our ride so that helped.
I had a step down week the following week and then ramped back up again completing just over 14 on my next run. Below are two pics I took along the way. The sunset was fabulous that morning and I snapped a fun shadow pic closer to the end of the run. I had to stop for that one.
I set out early and got home before everyone else was up and moving. I felt pretty good after about mile 6 when I got into a nice groove. I took two water bottles filled with a water/coconut water combo that I had soaked dates in overnight. It was really refreshing and seemed to do the trick but I ran out by the end of the run. I plan to take more for higher mileages and I’m also planning to take along some nourishment as I go further. I used dates when I trained for the half last year and plan to try them again in addition to sweet potato. I joked that I might put the sweet potato in my sports bra so if you see me at the beginning of my run I will have a large chest and it will slowly dwindle back to normal by the end. In all seriousness I’ve heard sweet potatoes can be great for long runs if you are trying to stick to whole foods.
Pace-wise, I’m hovering around an 8:30 average pace. This is almost a minute slower than my average pace for the half but I seem to be naturally gravitating toward this pace. I haven’t paid any attention to my pace until I finish each run and when I finally look I’m always within 15 seconds of the same average pace. It’s actually pretty remarkable that the body works like that. I may end up even a little slower as I start adding on more miles but we’ll see.
I’m going to need to a new pair of shoes and sadly my favorite Nike Air Pegasus are now made differently and no longer fit well. Unfortunately I can’t find any of the older style online or in stores. I’ve been wearing Air Pegasus since I started running about 6-7 years ago so I’m really bummed. I tried a pair of Brooks at a local running store and thought they felt ok but after running to the end of our street in them I knew they weren’t right for me. I’m going to head to another local store to get a running / fit analysis done so hopefully that will help steer me in the right direction. I am mad at myself for not getting a few extra pair of the Pegasus the last time I ordered some online but what can I do now?
I’ve been focusing on carbs/starches a lot more recently and it seems to have really helped with my energy and the recovery process. I think this combined with a whole-food, plant-based diet has been behind my overall increased energy, reduced soreness, and faster recovery. I’ve heard plant-based athletes talk about this but didn’t believe it until I started experiencing it myself. My diet is the main difference between this year and last when I trained for the half and was eating a mostly whole food diet that was lower in starches and contained animal products. I will continue to boost my whole food starch intake and see what happens. I’m also trying out a few supplements that Rich Roll mentioned in his book Plant Power Way. I’ve been adding fresh ginger and spirulina or chlorella powder to my smoothie every morning and then occasionally adding maca and camu camu powder. I also take turmeric capsules to help with inflammation and have experimented with cordyceps mushroom capsules to try to boost my oxygen levels. I’ve never been one for supplements but I figured it’s worth a try especially since they come tested and recommended by an ultra-athlete.
Whew – that was a long post. Thanks for staying with me. I’ll leave you with a little inspiration that has been on my mind since I first heard Julie (Rich’s wife) say something like it to me at the Summerfest:
Hold the highest vision of yourself and others. When you envision the greatest potential in yourself and others, you (or they) will eventually move toward that vision and you will certainly see yourself and others in a more positive, accepting, and compassionate light.
I love when our kids tap into their creative sides! After lunch today our 7-year old set up his own little pretend restaurant he called “Ethan’s Cafe.” The pic below is of the menu he created all by himself. He’s clearly influenced by the things we are talking about and listening to on podcasts. Notice the vegan cookie sandwich and fruitarian donut (This one really made me laugh! Maybe someday he’ll invent something like this). And what a steal – you can get the “All for one and one for all” for just $4.00 :). He said he’s taken chicken and meat off his menu. He also told me “this would be a place you and people who like being vegan would like to eat.” As a parent, I’m always amazed at the things they hold onto from conversations.
Here’s Scott and I looking over the menu before we place our order.
And here’s little sis and her buddy at their own pretend cafe. Their menu was full of dairy based items but that’s okay. When her friend offered me ice cream for dessert, C piped up and replied “does it have dates, she likes it with dates?” (I eat banana “ice cream” with dates). They are having a great time and they are using their imaginations.
Of course it’s hard.
It’s supposed to be hard.
If it were easy,
everybody would do it.
Hard is what makes it great.
A League of Their Own
The day has arrived. Day 1 of training for my first marathon here in Columbus on October 17th. Woo-hoo!! I’m super excited about this journey and the ways it is going to challenge me physically, mentally and spiritually. I’m feeling great right now and ready to take on this challenge. I’ve got my fuel belt ready, new shoes on the way, and have run up to 8 miles recently. It’s time to roll!
Below is a pic of me from this am. It’s definitely not my best shot but who really looks good in goggles and a swim cap anyway? Cross-training was on the schedule for my first day (read more below about the plan I’m following) so I swam at the Y at 6am and followed it up with some push-ups, planks, chest presses, pull-ups and a little more core work before heading home for breakfast. I was conveniently in a lane right next to a few guys training for Ironman. Nothing like a little motivation for me to get to work! The second pic is of my breakfast smoothie. My latest favorite combo (and yes, it’s quite a combo….I had simplified it for a while but have gone back to adding in lots of things) is about 6-10 very brown bananas, blueberries, raspberries, mango, granny smith apple, some combo of greens (including things like romaine, kale, spinach, and beet greens), beet, celery, fresh ginger, turmeric, mint, cilantro, spirulina, maca, coconut water, water, and ice. Sounds great, right? I think so and the kids drink a cup of it most days of the week – not always willingly but oh well.
I’ll be following Hal Higdon’s Novice 1 Training Program. I was originally going to follow Novice 2 but I decided I’d rather start my long runs at 6 miles rather than 8 🙂 I will eventually get to that 20 miler with either plan but I just wanted to start out with a bit less. The plan as it is written has the long runs slated for Saturdays. Since I teach a 9:30 class on Saturday mornings I decided to push the schedule back by a day and do my long runs on Sundays instead. We normally go to the 9:00 service at church but at least for the days when I will be running longer distances we’ll go to the 11:00 service instead.
For the last two half marathons I ran, I followed a training plan that included running 3x per week and cross-training 3x per week. I also did yoga every day. I never took a full day of rest (unless you consider a pretty intense yoga practice rest). For the marathon, my cross-training day will be on Monday and at this point I plan to swim on Mondays. I may also jump in the pool for a few laps on Tuesdays and Thursdays since I’ll already be at the Y those days for my daughter’s preschool class (through the summer). I plan to incorporate about 20-30 minutes of strength training and/or core work on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and some arm/core work (like push-ups, planks, etc.) on the other days. I’d also like to continue my daily home yoga practice even if it has to be short. The marathon plan includes two days of rest. I’m not sure what I will do on these days. I’m a person who is always on the move and have found that I prefer active rest over passive rest activities like sitting on the couch or lounging around a pool. However, I’m going to feel out what my rest days should look like as I get deeper into the program. A full day of rest where I get off my feet might be good for me but it would also be very challenging. I’m used to doing some sort of exercise every day first thing in the morning so I’m not sure I’d even feel like myself if I did something different. I say this all the time in my yoga class even though it’s a pretty hard thing for me to do – listen to the body. I’ll definitely need to be listening to my body for this challenge! I will also spend some time in the hot tub, foam rolling, and hopefully enjoying a few massages along the way.
This will be my first time training for a race on a whole food, plant-based diet so I’m wondering how I will feel and if I’ll notice any differences. When I trained for the half’s, I was eating a large bowl of ice cream right before I went to bed then getting up and running without any other nourishment besides good old water. I’d like to think I’ll feel better in the mornings considering I’ll be operating on REAL food. I’m a bit nervous about the heat but I’m hoping getting out the door as early as I can will help. The last two longer runs I’ve done have been complete sweat fests and I left the house at 6am.
I’m excited to share my journey with you and I’d love to have you join me by finding your own race to train for!
Well, I bit the bullet yesterday and registered for the Columbus Marathon on October 18!! I’ve been thinking about it for a while now and am tired of letting my fears and excuses run the show. I’ve said it out loud to a few people over the last few weeks and decided I just needed to make the commitment. I can’t believe I’m doing it since I clearly remember saying to myself after finishing the 1/2 last fall – “I will NEVER do this again. What was I thinking.” I guess I stuck to my word though since I’m not doing the 1/2 again 🙂 I think I’ve been listening to far too many podcasts with endurance athletes and it’s starting to rub off on me. When you are surrounded by stories of people who overcome incredible odds and push their body to the limit it’s hard not to get caught up in it. To many of them (endurance / ultra athletes), a marathon would be like a walk in the park but hey, it’s a start for me and will be a challenge nonetheless. I figure this is the perfect year to do it. It’s already been a monumental year for me in transitioning to plant-based eating and ditching my serious ice cream habit. Why not add a marathon to the list!
I’m pretty sure I’ll be following Hal Higdon’s Novice 2 Training program which would mean me starting my 18-week training program the week of 6/15. Wow that is soon! I get nervous looking at the mileage but I’m going to keep repeating these mantras to myself – take it one day at a time and one foot in front of the other. Stay in the moment. With proper training I am capable of this. I believe in myself and much more that I believe in God and the strong person He created me to be. When I am weak and feel like I can’t go on (and I know I will feel that way many times throughout the training), He is strong and will give me the strength mentally and physically to push through.
I’d love to have some of you join me in this adventure (if not for a full marathon, some type of challenge for yourself). I will need all the encouragement and support I can get! I plan to write consistently along the way about my journey and include some tips I learn along the way, so stay tuned.
Have a great day and enjoy the sunshine!
As usual I’ve been trying lots of different recipes the last few weeks and wanted to share some of my favorites with you. The first four below are from Oh She Glows. My favorite veggie burger (I posted on about it a few weeks ago) is one of her recipes too. I’ve quickly become a HUGE fan of her / the site. I’ve tried many different recipes and haven’t found one yet that I don’t like. The best part is the family has enjoyed them too, which has allowed us to incorporate more and more fully plant-based meals into our week. She likes to combine beans and lentils with nuts and seeds which results in a great texture. I’m sure I made a few changes to the recipes as I normally do, but I have no doubt they’re great as is.
Lentil-Walnut Taco Meat (I used this as the “meat” for an enchilada casserole and also with rice in stuffed peppers)
Ultimate Vegan Lentil Walnut Loaf (I enjoyed this with roasted veggies including sweet potatoes, parsnips and rutabaga)
Vegan Enchiladas With Cilantro Avocado Cream Sauce
Nut Butter Crusted Parsnip Fries (I used leftover peanut sauce I had in fridge from another meal. I made them again with just nut butter and definitely liked the moisture the sauce added)
15 Minute Spicy Udon Vegetable Stir Fry (I added quite a few more veggies for more color and variety)
Check out my “Favorites” board on Pinterest for more of my favorite recipes.
Switching gears….it has been busy around here with the family. I feel like I’ve been rushing around a lot which makes me feel anxious and often brings out the yelling in me. I struggle with being in control of my emotions and am trying to work on that 🙂 I love this quote:
In moments of stress and
anxiety I will remain
calm and peaceful
I will not react to what is
being said or happening
I am in strict control
of my emotions
I will not respond when I
am angry, I will choose
my words carefully and
speak with kindness
I will not allow my self
be controlled by feelings of
fear, self doubt, or anxiety
as to the future
I will remember that I
have no control over anyone
else’s actions, behaviors or words.
I hope you have a great start to your week!
I’m excited to announce the launch of a really cool web site developed by my bright, creative and talented husband 🙂 – StartMarketingRight.com. He’s spent the better part of the last six months developing this tool and we are looking forward to see it take off. Check out the site to learn more and share it with others!
PURPOSE. PATIENCE. PERSISTENCE. PROGRESS.
I think I’ve mentioned this before but it’s only been in the more recent years that I have made a few goals and followed through with them. I’ve tried doing the goal setting thing at the beginning of the year many times but typically end up forgetting about the goals all together or half-heartedly working on them until my motivation sizzles. Practice, patience, and persistence definitely pays off when working toward a goal – in whatever area of life. I definitely fall into the trap of looking for the fast and easy way to accomplish something but I have of course learned that most things in life take persistent work, focus and a series of steps to achieve the end goal.
My latest achievement was getting a fun transition between crow and handstand poses. I started focusing on handstand in the summer. I’d been doing crow for a while and was able to kick up into handstand against a wall but was not able to hold it without first touching the wall. After several months of practice and extra work on my core, arms, and focus (what I gaze at), I finally mastered handstand in the early fall. In mid-December I saw an Instagram clip of Patrick Beach doing crow to handstand and I was inspired to make that my next goal. I’ve been building up to it one step at a time since then and I finally nailed it last Saturday. I didn’t get it on video that time but after a week of attempts I was finally able to get it again. Check it out! It was a great reminder for me that I CAN achieve what what might first seem impossible if I set my mind to it and take the necessary steps to make it happen.
Here are a few inspirational thoughts to leave you with!
Persistence pays off!
Set some goals,
Then demolish them!
I may not be there yet,
but I’m closer than I was yesterday.
Make changes and move forward but don’t worry about how far you need to go. Keep the end goal in mind but focus primarily on the very next step you need to take instead of how far you need to go to achieve the end goal. If you focus too much on the end goal, you will become paralyzed because it seems overwhelming.
Have a great day!
Scott and the kids were gone again a few weekends ago when I was supposed to attend a training for a new fitness class. I decided to forgo the training but they still went out of town since they had already made the plans. I taught a few classes, went to some of our church’s women’s conference, shared a fabulous meal with a great friend (more on that below) and of course spent lots of time in the kitchen cooking and listening to podcasts.
Unfortunately, the rest of the family was in a car accident on the way to Cincinnati. This was the second time in six months that Scott has been sandwiched in between two other cars on the highway traveling to or from Cincinnati. The first accident was in his car and this time the van. Praise God everyone was okay and the van was still drivable. It needed some major repairs and after a few weeks of waiting on the other people involved in the accident, we are finally getting it fixed.
One of my favorite podcasts from the weekend was Rich Roll’s interview with psychologist Michael Gervais titled Mastering Mindfulness in Sports & Life: High Performance Psychologist Michael Gervais. There were tons of great takeaways from the interview. I’ve been listening to many great podcasts and reading more and I want to remember some of the things I hear so I decided to start a Word doc to keep track of everything in one place. Normally I’ll jot stuff down on sticky notes or in my journal but I end up losing the notes or completely forgetting about it. I’m hoping having one central location will help. I found it ironic that I randomly picked this podcast about mindfulness to listen to since we had just had a discussion about mindfulness at a women’s Bible study I’m part of and mindfulness is the main topic of the March 2015 issue of Yoga Journal.
I’ve been including one of Michael’s suggestions at the start of each day and have found it so helpful to start my day off with more intention and focus. Most days I wake up to the alarm, jump out of bed and get straight to my workout. I am a morning person so it has never been hard for me to get up and going in the morning but I realized it would serve me better to begin my day at a slower and more mindful pace so that I can take a moment to just breathe, work through any anxiety I’m feeling and get my mind in the right place before I do anything else. I recently started getting up 10 to 15 minutes earlier than normal so that I could have some dedicated time to take a few deep breaths, read my Bible and devotional, journal and pray. It’s a small amount of time but after many years of unsuccessful attempts to do this for a larger chunk of time, this is a good start. I’m happy to report I’ve stayed committed to the plan for all but two days in the last several weeks. I’m feeling great about this accomplishment. The pic below is of my “morning spot.”
In addition to this, I’ve incorporated a simple 3-step routine before my head even leaves the pillow (Michael suggests this in his podcast):
1. Take one deep breath (and continue breathing of course!)
2. Have one thought of gratitude
3. Set one intention for the day
Lastly, I try to set a positive tone for how I’m going to interact with others that day by making my first interaction with another human a positive one. In the few weeks since I’ve been doing this short and simple routine, I have found that I start my days with more peace, less anxiety and a better state of mind overall. This doesn’t mean the rest of my days have been perfect but at least I’m starting them out better!
Here are a highlights from other things I did during the weekend they were gone.
My friend and fellow yogi / foodie / cookbook addict / etc. had an oh so yummy dinner at Banana Leaf vegan and vegetarian Indian restaurant on Saturday night. Check out this spread! We both got the buffet at the suggestion of the owner and loved everything. The buffet comes with an appetizer plate (the school lunch tray looking thing in the pic below) for each person that contains some common Indian street food. I’m not sure what everything was on there or that I ate from the buffet but I loved it all. It had been a long time since I last had Indian and I’d forgotten how much I like it. If only I could re-create these dishes at home. Of course I spent time that night on Pinterest looking for Indian recipes! Unfortunately my first attempt a few days later totally bombed but at least I tried, right? I knew it was bad before we even sat down for dinner but I kept my mouth shut and so did the rest of the family. I was shocked they ate it without complaining! I have a nice family 🙂 I’m going to invest in a few new spices and hope for success next time around.
After I got home I spent some time in the kitchen making a batch of homemade corn tortillas that I used in a meal later in the week and a batch of homemade whole wheat tortillas to put in the freezer. I tried a corn tortilla recipe a few weeks back and was disappointed in how fragile they were. I couldn’t even get the dough off my tortilla press. I used a similar recipe this time but saw a tip to cover the press with plastic wrap and it worked like a charm! The tortillas peeled right off in one piece.
The family got home on Sunday and I made this vegan spinach artichoke sauce pizza on quinoa crust. I added chicken and a little shredded cheese for Scott and E. I used elements of several different recipes and can’t remember exactly what I did so I’m not posting links to anything. But it turned out pretty good for my first attempt at a vegan pizza. The sauce was great. Next time I’ll bake the naked crust a little longer to get it nice and crispy before adding toppings.
I have been learning so much from listening to podcasts lately and by incorporating things I’m learning, I am starting to make positive changes in areas that have been challenging me for years. I am a routine person and like to be (or feel like I am) comfortable. Change has never been easy for me to swallow. This quote spoke to me and I wanted to share it with you.
What if I told you that
10 years from now,
Your life would be
Exactly the same?
I doubt you’d be happy.
So, why are you
So afraid of change?
Karen Salmansohn
Have a great weekend!
enspire balance 