Just J.Faye

Hiking & Other Adventures

Thursday Things 10.23.14

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Thursday Things 10.23.14

The Philadelphia Marathon is one month from today! ONE MONTH. That’s 31 short days away. I am both so scared and so excited.

Scared, because I had a major hip flexor issue earlier this week. After my run on Monday evening I was in so much pain, hobbling around my condo gripping countertop to countertop as I walked around. There may have been a tear (or five). BUT, thankfully, it’s not anything major. I went to see Dr. Crabtree at Uptown Natural Care Center for some Active Release Therapy (ART) and will be going back a couple of times a week for the next week or so. In the meantime I can continue to run, which is great because on Saturday I am running the Monster Dash plus 5-7 additional miles (you know, for fun-ish).

Scared again, because I am not so sure I will be able to reach my goal time. I just don’t feel as strong as I did when I ran Grandma’s Marathon last June. But I still have one whole month to train my body and (probably more importantly) my mind to run that 26.2 miles.

But still, excited! Because I have been working towards this since August 2. Because I am running it with a bunch (what are we up to now, 9?!) other Calhoun Beach Run Club-ers, who are all amazing. Because I want to eat 4 post-marathon Philly cheesesteaks. Because running a marathon is such a thrilling (yet painful) experience.

Ok. I’m done with the marathon rant. That went on longer than it should have.

In non-running news, I did go to my first yoga sculpt class since forever ago. A co-worker had told me about Yoga Sol, so I went to check it out. It’s little studio in Northeast Minneapolis. There is no membership, but they ask for a $10 donation for each class. So great, right?! The sculpt class was fantastic. Lots of sweating, strength, and stretching – everything I needed. I’m excited to check out more of their classes, because I really just NEED more yoga in my life.

I also NEED you to check out all these great things I came across this week:

  • This article was both hilarious and good to know. I’m glad I never described myself as a locavore foodie who loves yummo ‘za and orgasmic sandos.
  • Dinners I want this weekend: Savoury Tomato Parmesan Crumble and Stuffed Chicken Breast with Pears and Brie.
  • I have been saving wine corks for a little over 8 years now (I started when I studied abroad in Berlin in college) and have bowls upon bowls of corks spread throughout my condo. This bulletin board would be a good way to use some of them up!
  • When I grow up I want to have a progressive dinner party like this.
  • This is a great article on authenticity. Let’s be REAL.

A little long-winded this week, but sometimes that happens.

OH, almost forgot. I finally made a Just J.Faye Facebook page. Follow me!! If you want.

I hope you have a great Thursday and a wonderful rest of your week.

<3jd

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Exploring Denver, Colorado

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Denver. The Mile-High City. The Queen City of the West. Broncoville. D-Town.

Exploring Denver, Colorado I just got back from a long weekend in Denver. I have heard over and over again how awesome the city is, so my friends and I decided to check it out to see what all the hype is about. It did not at all disappoint.

We did some sightseeing, beer tasting, exploring, and hiking. It was the perfect mix of vacation activities. We pretty much followed all of these healthy vacation tips without really even trying.

I wanted to share all the highlights with you! Here they are:

City Running Tours

Exploring Denver, Colorado Since I now manage Minneapolis City Running Tours (PS- did I tell you I manage CRT in Minneapolis now?! Check out my bio here and the Minneapolis group runs here! Then sign up for one!) I wanted to check it out in Denver. Luckily my friends, who aren’t runners, were willing to do it with me (they are so great). We did the Downtown Denver Highlights group tour, which was led by Lee, the Denver CRT Manager.

We met at the REI flagship store on Friday and 9:00am. It was a perfect morning for a run: 50 degrees and sunny. Lee led us around Denver showing us Confluence Park, the Cherry Creek Greenway, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Civic Center Park, the State Capitol Building, 16th Street Pedestrian Mall, Daniels & Fisher Tower, Larimer Square, Union Station, and many more!

During the run we learned all about the history of Denver, like how it started as three separate towns that eventually formed into one. Lee also added in some other interesting facts, like how the artist who created the mustang statue at the airport (known to some as “Bluecifer” or “Devil Horse”) was killed when a portion of the statue fell on him. Who knew?!

We took some pictures at sights along the 4-mile run and ended back at REI where we started. I am so happy that we did the running tour! My non-runner friends even enjoyed it and were happy they signed up. City Running Tours is such a great way to see a city and learn about its history and culture, all while fitting in some exercise. It was super fun to experience a tour from a participant perspective, rather than a guide perspective. If you ever travel to Denver, Minneapolis, or any of the 14 other CRT locations I would definitely recommend checking it out!

Brunch at Snooze

After our morning run we decided to treat ourselves to a bomb brunch. The friends that we were staying with recommended a place called Snooze, which was just a few blocks away from their apartment.

This place. Delicious. The line was out the door when we got there on Friday at 10:30 (what do all these people do?! They can’t all be tourists?). The 45-minute wait gave us just enough time to go back to my friends’ place to shower and get ready for the day. We were back at the restaurant just in time for our table to be ready. Perfect.

Our waitress, who was awesome and oddly enough had some ties to Minnesota, greeted us with a sweet potato pancake to start (on the house!). It was phenomenal. The sweet potato, the spices, the homemade caramel, the pecans, the ginger butter – all amazing. We devoured it in about 2.5 seconds and I am surprised it even lasted that long.

After our brunch appetizer we ordered a round of mimosas and different varieties of eggs benedict. I had the Late Harvest Benny, which was “sweet potato polenta cake topped with griddled sweet potato, fennel, and kale hash and served with poached cage-free eggs, cream cheese hollandaise, and toasted bread crumbs.” Oh so good. I have never seen such perfectly poached eggs.

Everything was ridiculously delicious and we were all definitely satisfied. The only unfortunate part is that I forgot to take pictures.

A Trip to Boulder

Exploring Denver, Colorado On Friday afternoon after our fantastic brunch we decided to go check out Boulder, which is about a 45-minute drive from Denver toward the mountains. Oh my goodness, this city is gorgeous. All of us were ooh-ing and ahh-ing out the window as we were driving into it.

We started at Chautauqua Park and walked along one of the Flatiron trails. We weren’t properly dressed (skinny jeans, sweaters, and flats are not ideal for hiking), so we didn’t go for very long. However, we definitely walked long enough to drink in a lot of beautiful views (and a lot of very thin air – elevation, yikes).

From Chautauqua Park we went and strolled around Pearl Street. Loved it. Pearl Street is a pedestrian mall with many adorable shops and restaurants. There were tons of people out and about, checking out the stores and the many different street performers.

We stopped at West End Tavern to sit, chat, and enjoy a beer outside then mosied over to Tahona Tequila Bistro for some margaritas and appetizers. We jokingly researched some houses for sale/rent. Definitely out of our price range…

Red Rocks Amphitheatre & Lookout Mountain

Exploring Denver, Colorado

Exploring Denver, Colorado On Saturday afternoon we wandered out to Red Rocks Amphitheatre to do some more hiking and exploring. I added “see a concert at Red Rocks” to my bucket list. The theater is just so beautiful and the views are absolutely gorgeous.

There were a bunch of exercise groups running up and down the steps, which I’ve heard is awesome to do when the sun is rising. My friends and I weren’t really in the mood for that type of activity and instead we went on Trading Post Trail. It was a 1.4-mile walking path that looped around the rock formations. The majority of the trail was flat, but had some inclines/declines/steps along the way. It wasn’t anything too strenuous, but we were glad that we were all wearing tennis shoes this time. There was also a 6-mile hike option, but I guess I’ll save that one for next time.

We planned on checking out the Coors Brewery Tour (recommended to us by one of our Uber drivers), but didn’t realize that they closed at 4:00, which is the exact time we pulled up to the entrance. Oops. I guess I’ll save this one for next time too.

We then drove up to Lookout Mountain and took in some more beautiful scenery. We also took a pretty epic panoramic picture (that we took ourselves, thank you very much).

Other Fun Things

Exploring Denver, Colorado So those were the primary highlights, but we there were lots of other fun and silly things too:

  • Getting manicures at Aveda Institute and then running into a friend from high school in the lobby as we were about to leave. Hutchinson people are everywhere. It is unreal.
  • Sitting outside at CRU in Larimer Square while enjoying a half-priced bottle of bubbly. FYI, a bottle of bubbly is the most perfect way to start a vacation.
  • Enjoying the most delicious breakfast sandwich at Salt & Grinder in the Highland area.
  • Watching the Gopher’s Homecoming football game with other University of Minnesota alumni. Side note: It was my 5-year college reunion. Where has time gone?!
  • Checking out local breweries, like Wynkoop and River North.
  • Seeing and hanging out with so many friends (old and new) from different areas of my life.

I absolutely loved the city of Denver and had such a blast there. It felt surprisingly similar to Minneapolis, but with mountains and better weather. I will definitely be going back!

Have you ever been to Denver? What did you see and do there? I’ll need some more tips for next time!

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Thursday Things

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Thursday Things 10.16.14 My friends and I tailgated for the Vikings game last Sunday. And by “tailgated” I mean “wandered around the tailgate lot, drank beer, and didn’t dress up in Vikings gear.” That’s still tailgating, right? We just wanted to check out the tailgate scene before the Polar Vortex strikes again! The end to this nice weather is near. Must.Take.Advantage.

Maybe we’ll go back and I’ll dig out my old Viking’s sweatshirt (#PurplePride). Or maybe we’ll just go to the apple orchard instead.

On that note, here some fun things I stumbled across this week:

  • Do you know what wine pairs best with your favorite Halloween candy? You do now.
  • Joy The Baker is the first blog I ever started following, ever. It was way back in 2010. She just released her second cookbook, Homemade Decadence. I can’t wait to devour everything in it. Everything she creates is absolutely wonderful.
  • How great is this doormat? I want to be greeted like that when I enter a place. Who wants to have a craft day with me?!
  • Clutch essentials. All of these things = totally necessary.
  • These pears. I want them.

So I will leave you with those things and get on a plane to Denver now.

Have a fabulous weekend! xoxoojenna

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Frosted Pretzel Shortbread

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Do you and your girlfriends have any silly little traditions? My friends Sarah, Pooja, and I do. We tell sneakrets. We write down predictions. We drink champagne. We snack on pretzels and frosting.

Pretzels and frosting, a salty/sweet mix of deliciousness. frosted pretzel shortbread 5 years ago I moved to Tennessee for work and didn’t know a single soul. This was both scary and exciting at the same time. I was lucky to meet Sarah and Pooja there, two amazing ladies who greatly impacted my life and are two of my best friends.

Our short time (1 ½ – 2 years) living in Murfreesboro together was full of high highs and low lows for all of us. I don’t think any one of us would have survived our time there without the love and support from each other. I have learned so much from these girls and love them so much. I could go on and on and on about how amazing they are, but I won’t. There’s just not enough space on this blog. frosted pretzel shortbread I don’t remember exactly how our pretzel and frosting obsession originated. If I were to guess though, I probably had leftover frosting from a cake or cupcakes lying around. We then probably used pretzels as a vehicle to transfer the frosting from the bowl to our mouths, because spoons are overrated and pretzels are delicious. Don’t judge. It happens.

Now whenever we get together pretzels and frosting are one of our “must have” snacks. Unfortunately geography (Sarah in Arizona, Pooja in New York, and me in Minnesota) and other grown up life things prevent us from getting together as often as we would like (everyday), but we try to have a reunion at least once a year.

On the last day of our time together we write down predictions for each other that we anticipate will come true by our next reunion and read through our predictions from the previous reunion. It’s a fun little tradition. Sometimes our predictions come true, but sometimes we’re way off.

I was super lucky to see Pooja a couple of weeks ago when she was in a town for a work conference. She recently announced that she is expecting her second child, another beautiful little baby girl! I wanted to make her a little treat to celebrate this wonderful news. Champagne was obviously out of the question this time around, but pretzels and frosting definitely were not, so I transformed our favorite treat into some cookies.

frosted pretzel shortbread

frosted pretzel shortbread These are simple shortbread cookies made with pretzel flour (finely ground pretzels) and powdered sugar, giving them a fantastic salty/sweet combination. They are then topped with my absolute favorite buttercream from Magnolia Bakery, which is, of course, colored pink.

I was planning on adding sprinkles, but totally forgot. Huge fail. If you have some I would highly recommend using them for these cookies. Maybe add some sea salt too. Then get crazy and make these little gems.

frosted pretzel shortbread If you have never had the pretzel and frosting combination, you need to try it out. Make these cookies and start some new traditions with your friends!

Frosted Pretzel Shortbread
 
Print
These cookies are a simple shortbread, but some of the flour is replaced with ground pretzels to make a delicious salty/sweet combination. They are then frosted with Magnolia Bakery's vanilla buttercream.
Serves: 1 dozen
Ingredients
For the Pretzel Shortbread:
  • 1 ½ cups pretzel flour (~3-4 cups pretzels, see note)
  • ½ cup all purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Buttercream:
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3 – 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup milk
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place parchment paper or a silpat mat on a cookie sheet.
  2. In a small bowl combine the pretzel flour, all purpose flour, and salt.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer add the butter and powdered sugar. Mix until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Add in the vanilla. Add in the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
  4. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll to ¼-inch thick. Use the cookie cutter of your choice (I used a glass, because I apparently do not have a circle cookie cutter) to stamp out the cookies.
  5. Put the cookies on the prepared cookie sheet. Baked for 8-10 minutes or until cookies are set. Be careful not to burn them. Let them cool on the pan for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  6. Make the frosting while the cookies are cooling. Place the butter, 2 cups of powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla into the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium until smooth and creamy, 3-5 minutes. Add in the remaining sugar ½ cup at a time until the icing has reached your desired consistency (you may not use up the full 4 cups). It should be thick enough to easily spread. Add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly.
  7. Once the cookies are completely cooled, spread a nice layer of frosting on each one. I like my cookies to be heavy on the frosting. Feel free to add some sprinkles and a little bit of sea salt on top!
Notes
Place 3-4 cups of pretzel twists in a food processor until it is finely ground.

frosted pretzel shortbread

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Thursday Things

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Thursday Things 10.09.14  My mom bought me this little candle last week and I’m completely obsessed. I rarely burn candles in summer, so I forget all about how amazing and delicious smelling they are. Now I remember. Thanks, Mom.

In other news, check out these things:

HAPPY THURSDAY! xojd

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5-4-3-2-1 Variety Speed Run

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I love a nice and easy five-mile run; however, every once in a while it’s good to switch things up and add in some variety speed.

You know, break up the monotony of routine. Spice up coffee with some cinnamon. Listen to country instead of pop. Wear lipstick. Do some speed work in the middle of a run.

We’re not doing anything crazy here. But still, let’s try out something different. Bust through plateaus. Be re-energized. Become better. And when it comes to running, get faster.

Adding in intervals and speed work into a regular run can do just that.

Running at your “easy run” pace is great, but eventually your body will get too used to it. You won’t be improving, because you won’t be adding new stresses (good stress in this case) for it to adapt too. Incorporating speed work into your runs can help break up the muscle memory of your usual pace, helping you to become faster with the same amount of effort. Speed work can also lead to a VO2 Max improvement, allowing you to be able to work harder for a longer period of time.

These are all good things, so this is what we need to do: 5-4-3-2-1.

Variety Speed Workout

This workout is definitely a workout. It’s not easy, but it goes surprisingly fast.

Once the second speed interval is completed you’re basically almost done! This is also about the time I need to start my mantras: “Three minutes! You can push it for three minutes!”, “Two minutes. Two minutes. Two minutes. That’s it. Just two short minutes”, “I just need to pick it up for one more minute – that’s basically nothing!” Some days it’s easier to convince myself of these things than others.

The key is to make the last one-minute interval of speed work as fast as (if not faster than) the first five-minute interval. This will help you train your body/legs/mind how to kick it into gear and push through the fatigue, which will come in handy during the last few moments/miles of your next race.

You can check out some other speed workouts here and here. Maybe add in some burpees just for fun?

Kidding.

(I’m not kidding)

This workout is perfect for a 6-7 mile run with a full two-mile warm up and cool down (depending on your pace). If you want something shorter you can decrease the warm up and cool down, just be sure to get at least eight minutes in for each. You can also start the speed intervals at four minutes rather than five.

If you are a go-getter or are further along in marathon training, feel free to add on a six-minute speed interval with a three-minute recovery at the beginning. This would probably get you closer to 7-9 miles.  I will be doing tomorrow this after work. Cannot wait.

Speaking of marathon training and marathons… the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon was yesterday!

This marathon. It’s amazing. I love it. The runners. The spectators. The course. All wonderful.

I am on the Marketing Committee for Twin Cities in Motion and organized the cheer zone contest. Part of my duties for this was to bike along the course and judge the cheer zones to determine the winners. My friend Katie and I biked, stopped at the cheer zones, chatted with people, ate, drank, cheered on runners… it was rough, but we got the job done. It was my second year working on the cheer zones and being on the association – I loved every minute of it!

Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon 2014 Now that I have run a couple of marathons I understand the blood, sweat, and tears (literally) that go into training for and running one. The 26.2 mile journey begins long before the start line. It’s a true feat of endurance and is (in my opinion) just as much of a physical challenge as it is a mental one.

8,848 people crossed the finish line yesterday. All at different times for different reasons with a different story. I hope they are all celebrating right now. And foam rolling.

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