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Fairy Healthy Life

I love to cook healthy and look for new ways to add to my new healthy lifestyle

Archive for the tag “fitness”

20 May 2013
3 Comments

Braden Aboud Memorial 10k- recap

This was such an overwhelming race for me. I had no idea there was going to be thousands of people.

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I arrived late and ran to the start line which was about half a mile. Then I was hit by a drum to my stomach by one of these students playing instruments. So unreal. I wanted to laugh and collapse at the same time. But I kept running and started the race about 5 minutes late.

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I had to walk for about 5 minutes because there was so much congestion of people. There was no other choice. Finally I found I was able to run and pass people. At around mile 3, the 5k and 10k runners split up and I was able to enjoy the run and find a good pace.

I felt great. It was starting to get hot but I kept going. At the last mile there was a lot of people again because the 5k and 10k course ended together. I really wanted to speed up but at times I didn’t really have a choice.

After some waiting I realized my time wasn’t recorded. I talked to the organizers and they were able to sort it out. My final time was 53:30. Of course it wasn’t a PR but it was a course PR. I ran the same course in October and finished it in 56:42. That surprised me considering I had to walk at some points.

Mile 1: 9:43

Mile 2: 8:41

Mile 3: 9:08

Mile 4: 8:44

Mile 5: 8:49

Mile 6: 8:37

I ended up with 4th place in my age group. I didn’t expect that with everything that happened and how many people there were.

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So it just goes to show, stick to your goals, run your own race, and don’t compare yourself to other runners. You’ll surprise yourself and know all of the hard work you have put in is all worth it.

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Posted in race recap and tagged , , , , , , , , ,
17 May 2013
2 Comments

Quinoa with Butternut Squash and Mushrooms

Before I get to the recipe, the What’s Up Dig on Wednesday was a lot of fun but intense. There were so many people by the end of the night. It basically was one big party. The main objective was to vote for the best of the best local restaurants, people, events and so on. So many categories.

I’m so glad they made it simple to vote. You use your smart phone to scan a QR code and that takes you to the voting site. You enter a code that is different for each person, then start voting.

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Then lots of hanging out and people watching.

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I was tired before it was over. It’s a good thing we didn’t have to wait for the results. They will be revealed in What’s Up publication mid June. I’ll share the results once I hear anything; Can’t wait!

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As promised, here is the recipe for my quinoa with butternut squash and mushrooms. It combines some of my favorite foods that I had on hand last weekend. It tastes great on it’s own as a side dish paired with chicken or fish. I’ve also been throwing it my salads with more vegetables and spinach.

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Quinoa with Butternut Squash and Mushrooms

Print recipe
Quinoa with Butternut Squash and Mushrooms
Serves 4-5
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 25 minutes
Total time 35 minutes
Meal type Side Dish
A healthy option to add more flavor to quinoa with butternut squash and mushrooms.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 garlic clove (diced)
  • 1 curry powder (optional)
  • 3/4 cups white mushrooms (sliced)
  • 1 1/2 cup roasted butternut squash
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

Step 1 036
Roast butternut squash. I bake mine with a little coconut oil and cinnamon for 35 minutes in a 375 degree oven.
Step 2 Rinse quinoa. In medium pan heat 1 tbsp. olive oil. Add garlic and mushrooms. When garlic is brown, add quinoa. Toast until light brown.
Step 3 Add curry powder and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil.
Step 4 Lower heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes or until quinoa has spiraled. You may need to add more water or broth if quinoa is not ready yet. Mix in roasted butternut squash. Enjoy warm or allow to cool and refrigerate.
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And lastly, I’m racing again this weekend!! I seem to be in the running zone lately and I’m taking full advantage. There have also been some amazing and fairly priced races happening around here these past few months. I’ll be running The Braden Aboud Memorial Run 10k on Sunday. I already know the route will be through some gorgeous communities. I’m very excited and feeling great!

Posted in fitness, Food, Food finds, Recipes, Running and tagged , , , , , , , , , ,
16 May 2013

Yoga Transitions

Instead of just single poses, I’m going to share with you some transitions I’ve been working on. I like them because they force core strength and proper breathing technique.

Forward fold into crane. In this pose you must use all your core. There is no jumping or lifting one leg first. It’s sort of like hovering. Just so you know, I’ve never been able to do crane pose. I’ve done crow pose many times. But it when it comes to straightening my arms, my strength just wasn’t there. Now it is. That’s why practicing everyday is so important. You never know when you’ll surprise yourself.

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Extended side angle pose into bird of paradise. One of my followers on Instagram who is a bodybuilder tried my extended side angle pose. That’s right a bodybuilder! Yoga is for everyone.

So I decided to create this transition for anyone trying to push themselves to the next level. Bird of paradise is still difficult for me as well. It takes so much balance.

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Transition to flying pigeon. I’ve been needing this type of stretch all week. My hips have been so tight from running. Even the first step in this transition feels great. I could stay there for a long time.

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Downward facing dog (not shown) and jump into handstand. This is still very difficult for me. I sometimes feel like I’m going to go too far and land on my head again. But it turns out I don’t even jump that far. But I’m always learning and always a work in progress.

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Posted in Yoga and tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment
14 May 2013
1 Comment

What’s Beautiful? You Are

As a part of Fitfluential, I am taking part in Under Armour’s What’s Beautiful 3.0. It’s a community of female athletes who create profiles saying what their recent short term goals are they would like to accomplish. There are groups you can join depending on what your goals are. There are so many. Some focus on being strong everyday, pregnant athletes, yoga enthusiasts, or just simply moving everyday. You complete challenges based on your goals.  I’ve only been doing it for a week and I’m already amazed at how much support these women give each other. Now to me that’s inspiring and BEAUTIFUL!

Under Armour is also giving away many swag bags and a trip to Costa Rica. So fun. I really like that there is an app for iPhone and Android devices. I can upload my challenges anytime.

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Beauty to me means giving your all in everything you do. If it doesn’t make you happy, it’s not worth it. As far as working out goes, I run, I lift weights and practice yoga because I love it so much. No one forces me to do it. It has become a huge part of my life. I wouldn’t recommend those type of workouts to someone who doesn’t enjoy it. But if they did want to start exercising, I would recommend something based on what they like. It could be swimming, walking or a dance class. As long as your body is moving and you are having fun, you are becoming healthier.

We need to redefine beauty. As women, we need to encourage each other more and stop the comparisons. If you stay positive and keep pushing to be a better person, I think the negativity will just bypass you. That’s why I’m really excited for this. I’ve done a few challenges and I already see the support. My main goal is to complete a 5k in 25 minutes. If you read yesterday’s race recap, I’m actually much closer to that goal than I thought I’d be.

It’s simple to sign up and create your profile. Let me know if you do here in the comments so I can follow you and cheer you on too! I love that Under Armour is focusing on what women can do and not on what we look like.

*The HTC phone giveaway winner has been chosen and been notified. View here.*

Posted in Motivation, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , , , ,

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