Pushing the Limits: A Half Marathon Experience

This post is way over due.. It’s been just over a month since I completed the NYC United Airlines Half Marathon on March 15th, and I have to say it was the hardest, most rewarding experience of my life. Not only was I able to contribute to the $77,000+ raised for the Michael J. Fox Foundation (THANK YOU TO ALL THE AMAZING PEOPLE WHO DONATED!!), I also learned the true meaning of “pushing the limits”.

I started training for the race about a month before the big day. This meant no Muay Thai or Luta Livre, just strictly running. I was traveling for work, so most of my running was done on a treadmill, alternating 10k and 5k days. I ran outside as much as possible, especially when I got back to New York.

I have to say I was pretty naive about the whole thing. I had never ran 13.1 miles before and for some reason I thought that if I could run half the distance and feel okay, I could run the whole thing and be fine- really tired, but fine. My time estimate was 2:15:00. I finished in 2:12 and some change (including 2 bathroom breaks). My overall running time being about 2:01:00.

So, I got one thing right; however, the physical experience was nothing I could have imagined. Around mile 9, I literally thought I was not going to be able to finish. Everything hurt, even my insides. I was nauseous, dizzy and about one gust of wind from falling over. I have to say, when you feel your body reaching a breaking point, it’s hard to keep your mental game.

Usually when I’m running, I make lists, ponder quantum physics theories, analyze a dream I had the night before, day dream about the cute guy I met the other weekend-whatever. It helps me pass the time like a movie. At mile nine- there was nothing. All I could do was focus on the facts, which weren’t very positive or motivating. As I came up on a girl who was walking, I was tempted to join her defeated march until I saw her body lurch painstakingly back into a jog almost as pitiful as mine. At that moment I knew that if I was going to finish this race, I couldn’t stop. I held onto that fact, that one not-so-negative fact, and it kept me going- so much that I sprinted the last 2 miles (and didn’t die).

Now that I am back into my regular routine of training, I have noticed that I can push myself further. Mental blocks that once existed are no longer present. Yes, I still get tired and rest, but not as frequently. Running the NYC Half helped me discover what my true abilities are, how much is mind over matter. I now have a new perspective of my physical tolerance and it has changed my training for the better.

I’m not saying we should work out until we pass out or injure ourselves, but my experience has personally affirmed that you don’t know your limits until you reach them. That being said, I am committing myself to two “seemingly impossible” fitness challenges a year. Who wants to join?

Healthy Bread Pudding: Apple Cinnamon Pecan & Cinnamon Raisin Blueberry



I’m just going to get straight to the point. The following is a base recipe. Any desired fruit can be added, pecans can be substituted for other nuts. This recipe can be baked in a 8×8 dish or in small ramequins for variety like I did above. Hope you enjoy! 

 
INGREDIENTS 

 
Filling:

• 1/2 c. Coconut sugar
• 1 egg, beaten, plus 2 Tbsp. Egg Whites
• 1 Tbsp. Pure Maple Syrup
• 2/3 c. Almond Milk
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1 1/2 c. Cinnamon Raisin Ezekiel Bread, lightly toasted & cubed (about 3 slices)
• Fruit to taste: Apples, bananas, blueberries [ you pick 🙂 ]

Topping:

• 2 Tbsp. Coconut Sugar
• 1/4 c. Almond Butter
• 1 Tbsp Egg Whites
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1 c. Chopped Pecans

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• Combine sugar, egg mixture, maple syrup & milk until well blended
• Mix in vanilla
• Add bread cubes and let soak for at least 10 min.
• In a separate bowl, mix together topping ingredients
• Line bottom of greased baking dish of choice with your selected fruit
• Add a layer of filling, then another layer of fruit, then another layer of filling (you will notice there is some extra liquid-save it)
• Top with topping. Pour extra liquid from filling over top.
• Bake for 25-45 min (25 min for ramiquins, 35-45 min for baking dish)
• Allow to cool for 10 min

If you feel like being fancy, add a garnish of your choice. Serve hot. 🙂

My First Half Marathon

I have officially signed up for the NYC United Airlines Half Marathon on March 15th. My first ever– yikes!

Not only will I be running for the personal challenge, I will also be running for the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. The opportunity to give back to others through one of my biggest passions (all things fitness) is extremely exciting.

When signing up for the 2015 NYC half, I chose the MJF Parkinson’s foundation for two reasons, the first being that its cause has a personal tie to my family. My grandfather was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in his early 60s and has been struggling with this terrible disease for almost 20 years. The pain and sadness it has brought on himself and my family is nothing I would wish for anyone.

My second reason for choosing the MJFF is because the physical effects of Parkinson’s disease have a deeper meaning to me. A huge part of my training involves agility, stability and proper, controlled form. The thought of losing my motor skills and balance makes me feel for those who have lost these abilities, but also motivates me to perfect my form.

For the next 32 days I will be posting my training efforts / diet / and other miscellaneous running factoids here and on my instagram ( @red_rumson ). Feel free to send any tips!

My goal is to finish this half marathon in no more than 2 hours. Here we go.

My Fitness Challenge

Did I mention I’ve been doing a fitness challenge?? Yeah, since about the end of November.

A good friend of mine from North Carolina decided he wanted to get back in shape, so I proposed a challenge as motivation.

The deets: we each set our own personal goals to reach in three month’s time (February 22nd) to be exact. The person who reaches their goal (or the closest) wins. My goals are basically summed up in the picture featured below.

I will admit, at the time, I had the upper hand as I was already deep into my training, but to my defense, my friend has testosterone on his side so, I don’t think my head start will have much of an influence.

So, everything has been going great so far. We’re both progressing and I’m really excited about my friend’s rekindled motivation. The only problem occurred last week when I contracted laryngitis. It knocked me out for a week and now I can’t seem to get back in the horse. I’ve been weight training, but my lingering congestion makes me want to avoid all things Muay Thai / cardio. Needless to say, I’m not doing enough if I intend on annihilating my friend in this challenge.

I need to suck it up a go because let’s face it, waiting to be 100% better is like waiting for the G train… it ain’t gonna happen.

Today is going my first day back at Ultimate Gym. No exceptions. Boom.

Does Superman Take a Rest Day?

What is the true physical limit of the human body?  As an active individual I like to humor myself by proclaiming its capabilities limitless, but we all know this is a farce, and no matter how superman-like we feel after leaving the gym, we eventually need to take a pause for recovery.

I scroll through the motivational posts of the trainers, fighters, and athletes I follow on Instagram, noting how much physical activity they put into each week, and I can’t help but think that I am not pushing myself enough– that I haven’t truly reached my limit.

One chick that I follow on Instagram does weight training, Muay Thai, Crossfit and yoga. She’s a personal trainer and is f***ing shredded. I work out 5-6 times a week (half Muay Thai training, half weight training) and by mid week my body is “strung out”, causing my athletic performance/technique for the rest of the week to be… subpar. Why? After turning this problem over and over in my head I can only determine one culprit:

M     E     N     T     A     L          E     X     H     A     U     S     T     I     O     N

I think we can all agree that the mind is one of the most powerful tools in our body. It’s the factor that ultimately determines whether you push through to the finish line or hang back in the dust of failure. When your head isn’t in it, your body isn’t either- no vice versa.

I’m finding not only is it important to have a positive mindset, but also to have a well rested mind (hello Captain Obvious..). This means adequate sleep and a good stress management system.

I’d like to think that I can lift in the morning, go to work, train for Muay Thai, and hang out with my friends/go on a date all in one day– which is basically what I have been doing for the past 2 years- but 5 hours of sleep really just doesn’t cut it. Yes, I can function living like this, but not to my fullest potential. What’s the point in putting the effort in if I’m not going to reap all the benefits?

As mentioned in previous posts, I am absolutely terrible at managing stress. Lack of sleep is probably a contributing factor.. so is my job, but that is a topic for another day. The point is, I am making a commitment to myself to treat my body & mind right and give it the adequate rest it needs so I can kick ass like Superman.

Gluten-Free, Basically clean, Mocha Cheesecake

I think it’s about time I acknowledge that I have a problem. An “unnecessary baking” problem. This weekend my roommates went on a couples retreat with their boyfriends, leaving me with an empty apartment. And, while I do relish the rare solitude, I also found myself with absolutely nothing to do.. Solution: I baked vegan cinnamon rolls AND gluten-free cheesecake purely for the sake of occupying my time. That, and I happened to have some cream cheese left over from making cream cheese icing.

Gluten-Free Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

But, this is not where the problem lies. The problem is, I didn’t have anyone to share them with. Granted, the vegan cinnamon rolls were a little too strange for me to consider sharing.. I like eggs in my pastry dough, thank you. Though, I give major props to the baker who invented the recipe. On the other hand, my cheesecake came out much more delectable, in my humble opinion, and I would have been happy to share the love. I guess sharing the recipe will just have to do! As always, I made this recipe up as I went along so, these measurements are approximate. I recommend tasting the batter before baking.. Here are the details:

GLUTEN FREE, BASICALLY CLEAN, MOCHA CHEESECAKE:

Crust:

1 1/2c. Gluten free oats, ground

1/4c. Brown sugar (or stevia with 1/2-1 Tsp molasses)

1/4c. Stevia

1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

5 Tbsp. Coconut Oil

Filling:

8oz. Tofutti Mock Cream Cheese

8oz Neufchael Cheese

1/3 c. Stevia

2 Tbsp. Agave

2 Eggs

1c. Fat-Free Greek Yogurt

2 Tbsp. Espresso Grounds

1 Tbsp. Coco Powder (add more if you want it to be more chocolaty)

Directions:

1) Mix crust ingredients in a bowl and press into a 10-inch springform pan

2) Bake at 350 F for about 7 min. Allow to cool while mixing filling. Keep oven at 350F.

3) In a large bowl, mix together cheeses, stevia & agave until creamy.

4) Beat in eggs one at a time.

5) Stir in Greek yogurt, espresso grounds & coco powder until blended well. This is the part where you taste test! :d

6) Pour batter over the cooked crust and shake pan to spread evenly.

7) Bake for 20-25 min. or until center jiggles slightly

8) Let cool for about 20 min then store in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Makes 8-10 servings.

10 Healthy Baking Tips & Tricks

Being my stubborn self, I have to try everything on my own before accepting it as fact. Whilst experimenting with healthy recipes, this attribute has lead me to make numerous mistakes and a few discoveries, most which could have been avoided if I did my research first.. and actually believed the subjective opinions of others on the internet. Anywho- I have decided to put together a quick “Tips & Tricks” list, from my personal experiences, for anyone who has a desire to give healthy baking a try 🙂

1. Density Matters: When using gluten-free substitutes for flour it is important to know the difference between almond meal, gluten-free oats, coconut flour, and your typical gluten free flour blend (usually some combination of rice and tapioca flour) as each has it’s own density, which can make or break your recipe:
   1. Gluten-Free Flour Blend: This is probably the lightest of the bunch & most closely resembles all-purpose flour. It is great for making cookies and pastries and pretty much anything else you dream up; however, it has the least nutritional value, in my opinion.
   2. Gluten-Free Oats: Second to lightest, this flour substitute is great for really flavorful cookies like peanut butter or pumpkin spice cookies (i.e. not chocolate chip cookies or sugar cookies), pie crusts, and pancakes/waffles. Of course, gluten free oats have somewhat of a “wholesome” taste to them so the less flavor in your recipe, the more wholesome your food will taste.
   3. Almond Meal / Coconut Flour: I am lumping these two together because they are both very dense flours and are, therefore, both suitable for super dense cakes. I have used almond meal for pie crusts before and found it to be quite tasty. These flours absorb a lot of moisture. So far, I have only found this attribute to be useful for the crumb topping of my apple pie…
2. BEWARE BAKED PROTEIN: Especially baked casein. It tastes terrible. While it is possible to get away with adding some to pancake batter- some brands are better than others- it should, as stated, be added, not “instead off”. Otherwise just save it for your “room temp or colder” recipes.
3. Identify your main ingredient: Healthy recipes are more likely to be successful if you can actually use the main ingredient or have a very close substitute. This is why you don’t see many healthy recipes for sugar cookies, butter cookies or pastries; and you are up to your ears in banana pancake & peanut butter cookie recipes.
4. Coconut Sugar is not for baking: I have used coconut sugar in some of my recent baked experiments and they all have one thing in common: they are slightly tacky in texture. I don’t know what the chemical process is that causes it, but it is not cool. While I consider it tolerable in some circumstances, I’m sure others do not. I think it would be good in a gluten-free granola bar recipe though..
5. THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR BROWN SUGAR: I’m sorry, I said it. I don’t care what your co-worker’s super fit friend’s blog says, if your recipe depends on the amazing flavor that is brown sugar, you’re S.O.L.
6. BEST BUTTER SUBSTITUTES: I find it best to go half “solid” half liquid
   1. Almond Butter & Coconut Oil
   2. Avocado & Coconut Oil
7. Bake in small batches: There’s a lot of “hit and miss” when it comes to healthy baking, so naturally one would want to limit the amount of waste.. Or you’re like me and pinching pennies so you eat it no matter what. I tried to make protein cinnamon banana oatmeal this morning. Kids, refer back to #2 and do not try it at home.. And, yes, I ate it all……..ew.
8. Better N’ Peanut Butter should never be baked: It ends up having the same tacky texture as coconut sugar. If you are trying to reduce fat cals for your peanut butter orgasm recipe, try PB2 first; however, refer back to #3 before deciding to use all PB2.
9. When using butter substitute, press cookies down with a fork before baking : I’m not sure why this always happens, but even if I use all coconut oil as my substitute, my cookies always end up needing to be pressed down like a peanut butter cookie. What is that about ??
10. Always write your recipes down: Even though you think you will still remember after you try your new creation, you won’t.

~Rummy

Banana Bread Pancakes: The Recipe

Due to the increased number of requests on Instagram and Facebook, I now present the detailed recipe for my gluten-free, dairy-free Banana Bread Pancakes. Preface: I literally just threw some ingredients in a bowl, so these measurements are more “guesti-ments” than anything. I have added some “what if” advice below, but honestly, how hard is it to mess up pancake batter??

Ingredients:

3/4c. Ground Gluten-Free Oats

1/3c Almond Milk

3 Tbsp Egg Whites or 1 egg

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Tbsp Coconut Oil, extra for cooking

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

2 Tbsp Stevia

1-2 Super Ripe Bananas, mashed or sliced

1/2c. Chopped Walnuts

“What If Tip”: If batter is too thick, add more almond milk. If batter is too thin, add more GF oats.

Directions:

1) In a large bowl mix gluten-free oats, almond milk, egg/egg whites, vanilla & coconut oil until well blended. Add baking powder, salt & Stevia. Fold in banana and walnuts.

2) Heat 2 Tbsp of coconut oil in a frying pan or skillet over medium heat.

3) Pour batter into pan to form pancakes of a size to your liking. Once the pancakes begin to bubble, flip and cook for a few more minutes until golden brown.

Personally, I think these pancakes taste great on their own, but if you really want to go above and beyond, here are some add-ons:

Add Ons:

1. Can’t have enough banana walnut? Slice a banana and/or sprinkle extra walnuts on top.
2. Super sweet tooth? Pile some vanilla almond-based ice cream on top
3. Chocolate cravings? Add some dark chocolate chips to the batter OR make your own chocolate sauce with almond milk, coco powder, stevia & coconut oil.
4. My personal favorite? Vanilla almond-based ice cream with bananas fosters (rum, coconut oil & banana), drizzled with homemade chocolate sauce. Go big or go home, right?

Enjoy! 🙂

What happened to week 5? -Wait pie!?

Oops.. If it’s any consolation, I did in fact complete my 5 week Muay Thai challenge and have continued training four times a week since. My updates are below.

Now, onto more exciting news…. PIE🙂 🙂

Being the start of fall aka pie season, I thought it only fitting to make a gluten-free, butter-free almond plum pie with an almond butter crust. And when I say butter I mean the nut butter- not almonds and butter.

Ingredients include the following:

Crust: crunchy salted almond butter, coconut oil, stevia, egg whites & gluten-free flour blend, vanilla extract

Filling: Plums, chopped almonds, crunchy salted almond butter, egg whites, coconut sugar, cinnamon

One thing I love about pie is that it is incredibly easy to make healthy/clean -and it’s fun to eat :p So, you can expect to see a plethora of sweet and savory pie recipes in the weeks to follow. “Excited” doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel right now 😝

~~~

Muay Thai result analysis:

Pros:
– My punches and kicks are stronger
– My obliques are as well
– My muscular endurance has improved
– The people I train with are awesome

Cons:
– My abs are not as strong as they used to be
– I’ve lost mass in my shoulders, despite gain in strength
– Though still fit, I’m not as lean as I used to be

In the end of the day, I love training Muay Thai. Period. Since that’s not going to change, I want to bring back some weight training into my weekly routine. So here’s the plan:

Monday: Boxing
Tuesday: Muay Thai
Wednesday: Weights: upper body
Thursday: Muay Thai
Friday: Rest Day
Saturday: Muay Thai
Sunday: Weights- lower body

Give me two weeks for trial and I’ll get back to you.

Until next time!

-Red Rumson

Muay Thai Challenge: Week Four

Okay so totally dropped the ball on week four’s post. Good thing blogging isn’t my day job! I figure since this week is my last week of the challenge I will hold off on the progress photos (suspense!!!!).

I promise I am not getting lazy. This week I am celebrating my roommate’s birthday and, it’s also my coach’s birthday so, obviously, I had quite a bit of baking to do this past weekend 🙂 

For my roommate, a custom oreo/heath bar cheesecake. For my coach, oatmeal raisin cookies with walnuts and chocolate chips. I must be honest, there is nothing healthy about these baked goods, BUT it’s always good to splurge once in a while 😉 

Since these recipes are not healthy, I will not be sharing the recipes; however, if you have not had your daily dose of foodporn yet, they are pictured above. 

Back to week four–  I have to say there are those days when I just really don’t feel like jumping rope for 15 min straight. We’re all human, we get tired/sore, but quitting is not how you get results. Unless I am in serious physical pain (i.e. injury, safety in jeopardy) or it is a required recovery day (1-2 days a week), I am going to push through. Believe me, the struggle is real, but once it’s over I will feel even more empowered, strong, accomplished, badass, etc.

STATS:

Weight: 133lbs

Chest: 36″

Waist: 27″

Lower Waist: 31.5″

Hips: 38″

FOOD:

Most of my meals consisted of lean protein and vegetables, some eggs, protein and/or casein shakes. I made some yummy vegan, gluten-free peanut butter cookies (see previous post) and shared them with some friends. I got some really good feedback. I’m going to make some tweaks to the recipe when I get back from Vegas next week so, stay tuned! 

So begins week five. I cannot believe how fast time has gone by. This week is the last week of my challenge. Make it count.