5.25.15 Weekly Recap: Food + Fitness + Fun 

The last week of May! EEKS. Here’s what all went down…

FOOD:

My Tuesday-Friday routine meals:

• Breakfasts: Baked sweet potato topped with ½ cup full fat plain Greek yogurt, cinnamon, a drizzle of maple syrup, a tablespoon of chopped walnuts, and some fresh berries.
• Lunches: A chopped salad with red cabbage, kale, radishes, beets, parsley, and chickpeas tossed with a lemon red wine vinaigrette and topped with some salty sunflower seeds. There were also some chopped up anchovies in the mix for bonus omega-3s.
• Snacks: An apple in the morning and some cucumbers with hummus in the afternoons.
• Dinners: Sautéed vegetables (kale, cabbage, carrots, onion, peppers, mushrooms) and a soft-boiled egg.

Some other fun meals:

• Dinner with some college girlfriends at Kafe 421 (more below). I had the cobb salad with grilled chicken and no cheese. We also split a bottle (or two) of Malbec – gotta love half-priced bottles of wine night!
• I also snacked on these triple berry almond oat bars all week. They are vegan and easy to make and so very delicious!
• My post 22-mile recovery meal: toast and an omelet with some chia seed jam, peaches, and blueberries. Does anyone else like fruity omelets?
• My friends and I grilled before the Twin’s game today! It was the first time grilling at my place this year. I need to do it more often. We had chicken and veggie kabobs, lentil salad, fresh fruit, and some Indeed shenanigans. So delicious!

FITNESS:

• Monday: Easy run. 6 miles in the rain in northern Minnesota. I think my shoes were wet for about 3 days, but there is something so soothing about running in the misty rain. Total = 6 miles; 9:10 min/mile pace.
• Tuesday: Cross-training. I was planning on going to run club, but the universe seemed to be against it for a variety of reasons, so I did some cross-training instead: 45 minutes on the elliptical followed by 1 round of this full body dumbbell workout.
• Wednesday: Easy run + strength training. I started the day with a gorgeous morning run with my friend Lindsey. Total = 7 miles; 9:31 min/mile. Over my lunch break I did some strength training: 3 rounds of the following 2 circuits: 1^st – sumo squat with shoulder press, standing triceps extensions, biceps curls; 2^nd – cable adductors, cable abductors, cable rows; followed by ab work and stretching.
• Thursday: Track workout. I made up the track workout that I was supposed to do on Tuesday. It was a hot evening, but went ok overall. I did a 1.7 mile warm up + 4x 1-mile repeats (8:00-8:30 min/mile) + 1.7 mile easy cool down. Total = 7.5 miles; 9:10 min/mile.
• Friday: Rest day.
• Saturday: Long run. For the last long run before the taper begins for every training season my run club (Calhoun Beach Run Club) does a “capitol run” which is the last 22 miles of the Twin Cities Marathon route: from the Calhoun Beach Club to the Minnesota Capitol Building. We always treat this run as a practice for the marathon. I always get really excited and nervous about it. The first 10ish miles went great, but then mile 12-14 I started having a weird heartbeat again like I did during the Fargo Half Marathon, so I slowed down. One of the girls slowed down and ran with me (THANK YOU AGAIN KRISTEN!!!!!), which pretty much saved me for the next 8 miles. I made it the full 22 miles because of all the support from the CBRC. Despite my body feeling ok, I’m still nervous about this marathon. But I’m going to try to go to the doctor this week, so that’ll help! Total = 22 miles; 9:25 min/mile.
• Sunday: Recovery miles. I met up with my friends Lindsey and Christie from run club to do some recovery miles. The Minneapolis Marathon was going on, so we planned our route along the course to cheer on the runners. It was a great morning for a run. Congrats to all the Minneapolis Marathon finishers! Total = 5 miles; 9:35 min/mile.
• Total: 1 cross training session. 1 strength training session. 1 rest day. 5 runs (47.5 miles).

OTHER FUN THINGS:

• Memorial Day was unfortunately pretty dreary. My family and I had one last breakfast together at the cabin before everyone packed up and headed home. The traffic. OMG, the traffic! It was so backed up, but my brother and I made it back to Minneapolis (with bright blue skies and 70 degrees – wtf?!) in one sane piece. It was such a fun weekend.
• I met up with some girlfriends from college on Wednesday night at Kafe 421. One of the girls was visiting from California and another just moved back from Switzerland – a great reason to get everyone together! Kafe 421 was one of our favorites spots in college, because of the half-priced bottles of wine on Mondays and Wednesdays and it’s right in the heart of Dinkytown (which has changed completely, FYI). It’s always great to catch up with the girls!
• On Friday afternoon I met up with my friend Natalie to work on some of our Peru planning. We go on an international trip every year – this is our 6^th! We leave for Peru in a couple of weeks (with two other girls) and still need to do some logistics planning. It was nice to catch up and get some things sorted out. I need to make a trip to REI. Also, if anyone has and Peru/Inca Trail tips, please send them my way!
• My friends and I went to the Twin’s game today – the first thing I get to check off the bucket list! Plus, we grilled (check again!) and had a delicious meal outside. It was a great afternoon loaded with silly conversations and my favorite people. <3

Hope you had a great week! xoxjd

FOOD:

• Usually my breakfasts are consistent day-to-day throughout the week, but I think I had something different everyday: muesli, fruit & yogurt, chocolate chip raspberry banana bread (<- highly recommend you make), smoothies. All good ways to start the day!
• I made some pork stir fry with onion, broccoli, red peppers, and sugar snap peas for dinner on Monday and then ate leftovers for lunch the rest of the week. I also made stir fry for my other dinners, but used onion, broccoli, carrots, kale, ginger, and a soft boiled egg. It’s such a simple, delicious, healthy, quick meal!! I can’t get enough.
• On Wednesday I took my younger brother out for a birthday dinner at Tiny Diner. I got the Pueblo Bowl, he got the Masa Gnocchi, and his boyfriend got the burger. Everything was so delicious!! I would love to go back there and sit on the patio.
• Friday evening was beautiful, so I met up with some friends to eat on the patio at Aster Café. This place is one of my favorites and also is conveniently located within walking distance from me. We had some appetizers (fresh vegetable crudite & Irish Dubliner cheese)) and I had the pear prosciutto pizza. A bottle of Malbec was involved as well. Obviously.
• My family celebrated my little brother’s birthday up at our cabin (AKA The Jabin) on Saturday night. My mom made new potatoes, a fruit and nut salad, baguette bread, and grilled ribs. Oh my goodness, those ribs! So good. Then she pulled out a lemon-blueberry birthday cake, which was equally amazing.

FITNESS:

• Monday: Easy run + strength training. For the run I did 7.3 miles at 8:56 min/mile pace. For the strength training I did 3 sets each of the following circuits: 1^st – chest press machine, lat pulldowns, triceps bench dips, squats, 2-minute plank hold; 2^nd – bicep curls, front and lateral shoulder raises; 3^rd – lying adductor raises, abductor raises, side plank hip dips, plank twists.
• Tuesday: Tempo workout. I did a 3-mile warm up + 25 minutes tempo + 2.5-mile cool down. I really wasn’t feeling this workout when I started, but I happened to run into my friend Lindsey (and her adorable new puppy!!!) who gave me some words of encouragement. It helped me power through. Tempo workouts are my least favorite – it’s a mental thing. Total = 8 miles; 8:59 min/mile pace.
• Wednesday: Easy run + treadmill intervals. I met up with my friend Monica in the morning for a nice run then later did some interval work on the treadmill. I really struggled with the intervals, because my legs felt heavy from Tuesday’s tempo run. I should have planned my week better and did the tempo run on Monday so that I could have more recovery in between. Next time. Total = 4.5 miles; 9:20 min/mile pace + 3.5 miles; varying pace.
• Thursday: Yoga. I took the DharmaCycle Yoga 2 class in the morning. It was my last day of my intro month pass, which is a bummer. I do really like the studio and am thinking about buying more classes.
• Friday: Long run. I had to fit in my long run before my friend Sarah got into town on Friday evening. Luckily, we just started our half-day Fridays at work (best thing ever) so I went out on my long run after I wrapped things up around noon. It was hot. I got sunburn on my shoulders and I did not bring my water bottle. Clearly not at all prepared for the heat. Lesson learned: wear sunscreen and bring water always. Also doing long runs by myself makes them significantly more difficult than doing them with other people. I did come across a random stranger on a bike who chatted and rode along side of me from miles 14 to 16. I welcomed the distraction. Total = 17 miles; 9:55 min/mile pace.
• Saturday: Walk. My friend Sarah and I went for a morning power walk (about 3/3.5 miles). We ended our walk at Whole Foods, grabbed some coffee, yogurt, blueberries, and WholeMe clusters and enjoyed a little breakfast outside. I love mornings like this!
• Sunday: Easy run. A nice morning run up north. Total = 7 miles; 9:30 min/mile pace.
• Totals: 1 strength training session, 1 yoga class, 1 walk, 5 runs (47.3 miles).

OTHER FUN THINGS:

• I already mentioned my little brother’s birthday dinner a few times, but it definitely was a fun part of the week. I think it’s the “year of Jordan”, so I’m excited to see everything that he is going to accomplish while he’s 22!
• My friend Sarah came to visit Minneapolis and stayed with me on Friday night before going to a bachelorette party the rest of the weekend. I met Sarah while we were both working in Tennessee and we instantly became good friends after bonding over Dumb & Dumber quotes. We’ve remained close over the years even though she lives in Phoenix and we only see each other a few times a year. She’s the one that inspired me to get into fitness and lead a healthier lifestyle. Basically, my life completely change because of her. She one of the funnest girls in the world, so it’s awesome whenever I get to hang out with her!
• Saturday I was up at The Jabin with the whole family. We pontooned all afternoon, visited Jack Pine brewery, ate an amazing meal, fished off the dock, had a bonfire, and watched a movie. Days like this are perfect. I love spending quality time with the fam.

The Jabin festivities with continue throughout the remainder of Memorial Day Weekend! The weather is so-so, but we’ll still have fun grilling, fishing, watching movies, reading, relaxing, hanging out, etc, etc. I hope your weekend is as awesome as mine has been so far. Be safe, have fun, and don’t forget to be grateful for everyone who served and lost their lives in the armed forces!

xxjenna

I was all over the place last week: Sunday = Brainerd, Monday = Minneapolis, Tuesday = Winnipeg, Wednesday = Calgary, Thursday = Minneapolis, Friday-Sunday = Denver. It was crazy, busy, but it was a great week overall. Here’s the recap:

FOOD:

Clearly since I was barely home, a majority of my meals were eaten out this week. A lot of them were in the airport. And since I was only home for a few days I didn’t go to the grocery store to restock my refrigerator. No joke, it’s just eggs and condiments in there. I had a lot of almond butter fried egg sandwiches. Therefore, I’ll just call out the things worth calling out.

• Mother’s Day Brunch. My mom and I made brunch together at the cabin. We put together a delicious mushroom, spinach, asparagus quiche, thick cut bacon, crusty bread, fresh berries, and hot coffee. It was delicious and bright and fun (proof). My parents and I devoured it.
• Brunch at Linger. This place was so fun. There was a litebrite-esue bartop, unlimited mimosas, and an interesting bathroom. I ate an amazing chile relleno. After brunch my friend (Katie) and I headed up to the rooftop for a little bit where there was a nice view of LoHi and downtown Denver, but then it started to rain so we moved along.
• Dinner at Root Down. Ohemgeeee, this dinner was amazing. Katie and I split the kale and pea salad, seared Columbian arepas, the Roman gnocchi, and a bottle of Syrah. Everything was delicious. We sat there for a longggg time eating and chatting and working through our bottle of wine.
• Dinner at Kaos Pizzeria. First of all, this place had an awesome happy hour – $2 beers! Second, there pizza is delicious. We had the margarita and the prosciutto.
• While in Denver we also had a quick late-night dinner at Mead St. Station, coffee at The Laughing Latte, happy hour at Machete, a glass of wine at Old Major, lunch at Vine Street Pub, and beers at Tavern.

FITNESS:

• Sunday: Easy run. A nice 4-mile run up north by the cabin. Total = 4.0 miles; 8:58 min/mile.
• Monday: Cycle class + hill workout. I started my Monday with a DharmaCycle cycle class. I planned to do a prime yoga class, but a mix up at the studio led me to cycle, which was fine. Then later after work I did a hill workout. Actually, I’m not sure I would go as far to call this a “workout”. I basically just ran jogged up and down a large hill 8 times with some flat miles before and afterwards. Total = 10.6 miles; 9:20 min/mile.
• Tuesday: Strength training. I was planning on going for a run, but decided that strength training would be a better option for my body. I started out with a 10 minute warm up on the elliptical, then did 2 rounds of each of the following circuits – 1^st: Romanian deadlifts, stranding triceps extensions, biceps curls; 2^nd: dumbbell chest press, bent over rows, plank knee-to-elbow; 3^rd: lunges, shoulder scaption, plank with hip dips; 4^th: side leg lifts, hamstring curls, side plank hip dips, pushups.
• Wednesday: Short speed workout. I happened to be in Calgary when Running Room was having one of their group runs, so I went to check it out! They had a bunch of different training groups doing different workouts. I joined up with the Half Marathon group that was doing a speed workout. We warmed up by playing freeze tag. Freeze tag! How fun is that?! I think I was 12 the last time I played freeze tag. Then we did 3x 200 meter sprints followed by 4x 50m sprints in a relay format, then a little cool down. It was a lot of fun and everyone was super nice and welcoming. Plus, we met at the store right down town and ran through a beautiful park by the river. I’m glad I joined up with them rather than doing a run on my own. Afterwards I just did a little 4 mile run on my own. I ran along the river and it kind of felt like I was in Minneapolis. Calgary is a very pretty city! Total = ~5.5 miles.
• Thursday: Rest day.
• Friday: Long run. I took a half-day vacation so that I could fit in my 20-miler before flying out to Denver. Such a fun vacation, right?! Thankfully my friend Monica was willing to run the first 9 miles with me; otherwise I really don’t think I would have made the whole 20 on my own. I mean, I guess I probably would have, but it wouldn’t have been pretty. The last 11 were tough, but I had Comedy Bang Bang (episode #349) to entertain me. Total = 20 miles; 10:00 min/mile.
• Saturday: Yoga Flow. My friend and I checked out The Freya Project yoga studio in the Highland Denver neighborhood. The studio was super cute and the class was great. We went through a ton of hip opening and IT band stretches. It was like the instructor knew exactly what I needed.
• Sunday: Rest day.
• Totals: 1 strength training session, 1 cycle class, 1 yoga class, 4 runs (40.1 miles).

OTHER FUN THINGS:

• I was in Canada on Tuesday and Wednesday visiting my Winnipeg and Calgary warehouse sites. I have been working with these sites since February, so it was great to finally meet everyone in person and see the warehouses with my own eyes.
• The TC 1-Mile was Thursday night! I volunteer with the Marketing Committee for Twin Cities in Motion and my role was to put together the Cheer Zones along the course. We had one at Eli’s, Rock Bottom Brewery, and Maruso. I led up the one at Maruso, handed out Thunderstix and cowbells to the spectators, and cheered on all the runners. It was a chilly, rainy night on a new course (it used to be on Nicollet), but it was still super fun.
• My friend Katie and I spent the weekend in Denver. We just wanted to get away from Minneapolis for a little bit and explore the city even though we were just there in October. We spent the weekend eating and drinking at a lot of good restaurants (see above) and walking around different areas (like Cheeseman Park). Unfortunately the weather wasn’t super awesome (quite a few rain showers), but we made the most of it and will definitely be going back for another visit!

Hope you had a great week!