Four Winter Runcation Ideas

It may reach 60 degrees in Denver today, but a recent opportunity to spend weekend in Phoenix for a Oiselle team meet up was a great escape from winter weather. It got me thinking about how amazing and energizing it can be to get away from the cold of winter for a few days of sun and warmth. Even though I saw flowers starting to bloom during a walk the other day, the snow will be back still this season.

A change of scenery and new places to explore through running can provide a big motivation boost for runners, any time of the year, but especially now. Here's a look at a few winter getaways we've enjoyed that make perfect mid-winter runcation destinations.

Charleston, SC
With a temperate climate, quaint charm complete with cobblestone streets, an impressive food scene and packed with history, this is clearly a great city to explore running with plenty of non-running diversions.

• Where to run: Waterfront Park and the Battery Promenade provide stunning views of the water. Wander through the neighborhoods to take in the beautiful homes.
• Where to eat: Eli's Table, Fleet Landing, FIG, Jestine's Kitchen
• What to see & do: spa services at the Charleston Place, explore the vendors in the City Market, walk through the old neighborhoods, shopping along King Street, head out of town a bit for visits to Fort Sumter and the Middleton Place plantation.
• Where to stay: Charleston Place is a bit pricey but has a great location, excellent service and the rooms are beautiful. To stay like a local, this charming carriage house might be just the thing you're looking for.

Savannah, GA

Savannah oozes history and southern charm. You can't help but feel like you've been transported to another time and have walked into the film "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil." With parks and gardens around every corner, stunningly elegant homes and southern cooking, it's easy to start your day with a run exploring the city then filling the remaining hours with any number of activities.

• Where to run: Forsyth Park (below, top) and Daffin Park are beautiful but offer limited trails. Include one of the parks in your run but meander through the neighborhoods.
• Where to eat: Angel's BBQ, Soho South Cafe, Clary's Cafe, Crystal Beer Parlor, and Leopold's Ice Cream
• What to see: Owens-Thomas House (below, bottom), Mercer Williams House, SCAD Museum of Arts, shopping in the historic district
• Where to stay: The Mansion on Forsyth Park is beautiful while Hotel Indigo and the Andaz Savannah are closer to the action.

Santa Fe, NM

Yes it can snow in Santa Fe but the area still provides a great getaway during the colder months and plenty to keep you busy for a long weekend. This is a great option if you particularly enjoy trail running, art, margaritas and soaking tubs.

• Where to run & hike: The Dale Ball Trail (below bottom) system offers 22 miles of well marked but challenging trails with stunning views and varying terrain. Additional trail options can be found here.
• Where to eat: Maria's, The Shed, The Teahouse, Plaza Cafe
• What to do when not running: See all the art - there are more than a hundred galleries to explore along Canyon Road and the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum is not to be missed while the Loretto Chapel's staircase is a mysterious work of art. Schedule time in a soaking pool at Ten Thousand Waves for after a long run (tip: try to get a private pool/sauna and arrive early to enjoy the foot soak). Stop by the farmer's market at the Railyard (below top) for fresh food, chilis, spices and more.
• Where to stay: Casita Hopi through Airbnb is a bit out of downtown but incredibly comfortable and a perfect home base if you like to prepare some of your own meals and enjoy privacy. La Fonda on the Plaza, Hotel St. Francis and the Old Santa Fe Inn are steps from the Plaza, restaurants, and more.

Phoenix, AZ

Alright, 75 degrees is the middle of January and to go out for a run in shorts and a tank is pretty nice. It almost feels luxurious. What most surprised me about Phoenix is that while it's mostly flat, there are mountains in and surrounding the city. While the 1,000-ish ft elevation was a nice change for our group from Colorado, it might add a little challenge for those coming from sea level.

• Where to run & hike: Piestewa Peak and Dreamy Draw Recreation Area (below bottom), Camelback Mountain, find more trails here. To hit the pavement, head to Tempe Town Lake, the Arizona Canal or the Indian Bend Wash Greenbelt in Scottsdale.
• Where to eat: Luci's at the Orchard (below top), True Food Kitchen, Culinary Dropout, Sauce, Desoto Central Market
• What to do when not running: Papago Park (featuring hole-in-the-rock, the zoo and the botanical garden), the Phoenix Art Museum, take a tour of Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home Taliesin West, visit old town Scottsdale, all the golf you could want.
• Where to stay: The Embassy Suites where we stayed is close to Piestewa Peak and the Biltmore Fashion park, and also a throwback to the 1980's. The Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale has a cool retro vibe, while this cute bungalow in a quiet neighborhood or private guest house with pool and hot tub might be more your style.

What are your favorite runcation destinations? * How do you stay motivated in the winter?

Feel free to contact me if you have questions about any of these spots!

Holiday Packing Tips for Runners

A lot of us will be packing up and traveling this week for the holidays. I recently read an article listing the 10 things not to pack when you go on a trip and about halfway down the list was "workout clothes." I get it, there are probably people out there who pack workout gear thinking vacation is the perfect time to start a workout routine, but these aren't our type of people.

Approximately half the space in my suitcase is devoted to running gear when I travel. You get me, right?

Like many other things however, running and packing to go running tends to be a bit more complicated when traveling for the holidays. Winter weather is likely to require more gear than during other times of the year and running shoes, watches, and sweat wicking clothes compete for space with holiday gifts, winter boots, and big wool sweaters.

Here are a few of my holiday packing tips for those of us who will be running this week away from home:

1. Double duty. A lot of running clothes are nice enough to wear out to coffee with friends or when visiting family. So wear them for holiday activities one day and the next for your run. You're just going to get sweaty anyway, so does it really matter if you wore for a few hours already? 

2. If you're staying with family and can use their laundry machine, take advantage. This way you only need to pack enough gear to wear for a portion of the days you'll be gone since you can wear, wash, and wear again! 

3. And to that point, if your host has it, don't take it. If you usually roll out after your run (which you should do), ask your host if they have a foam roller or even a tennis ball or softball, which I find work well as a replacement. You can also spend a few minutes with your legs up the wall after your run to help with recovery too. You'll save major room in your luggage and still keep your legs fresh!

4. Use a bag to corral your hats, mittens, buffs and other gear. A spike bag or even a plastic shopping bag will do and it'll save you time when you're trying to get out the door and get your miles in before the rest of your family wakes up. Everything will be in one place, easy to find.

5. Don't forget to check the weather forecast before you leave and think about what it really means where you're going. The dry atmosphere and intense sun in Colorado means 30 degrees here feels very different from 30 degrees in Michigan where the sun rarely comes out between December and April. Having the right gear means you'll be more likely to get out there. 

6. Be sure to take one day's worth of gear and your shoes in your carry-on just in case your luggage ends up in a different city. Especially important if you're on a run streak like me and don't want the airline to dictate when it ends.

7. And of course, take snacks with you! If you rely on Picky Bars or HoneyStinger waffles before or during a run, don't count on having time to find them when you're away from home. Pack what you're going to need. You'll have a little more room for gifts on your way home since you'll have eaten them because you went running!

Bonus tip: If you think the weather might keep you from running and you want to get that workout in, put Google to work and see what gyms are close to where you're staying. Find out in advance if they have drop-in rates and what the hours are so you aren't trying to figure it out at 9:30pm the night before you want to go. (From experience, I can say it's not very fun.)

I hope you enjoy the holidays, eat great food, laugh a lot, travel safely and find some time to run a few miles and reflect on all you have to be thankful for and all the amazing adventures ahead in 2017!

What are you most looking forward to over the holidays?

4 Days and 4 Runs in NYC

If you follow me on Instagram you likely noticed I was in NYC last weekend. We enjoyed a long weekend back in the city, although in my opinion it wasn't long enough. A lot of ground was covered, a lot of sights seen and delicious food enjoyed, but I wished we had just a little more time to see more friends.

When people plan visits to NYC, I imagine they focus on Broadway shows, food, shopping, and checking out the well-known tourist hot spots. And while that is true to an extent for us too, the first thing I start planning is where we're going to run!

NYC is where I fell in love with running, so I'm thrilled to share with you the four runs we did over four days this past weekend.

Financial District Friday - 3.25 miles

We stayed at the Aloft Hotel Downtown just steps away from City Hall Park. This is a bit north of our old apartment so we know the area well and while it's probably not the first place you'll think of to go for a run in NYC, it's great, nonetheless.

Heading out at 8am meant we had to contend with rush hour, but this run goes along the water which drastically reduces the amount of street crossing and busy sidewalks.

Where to go: Start at Fulton Street and South Street (South Street Seaport) and run on the path along the water, taking it around the south end of the island, in front of the Staten Island Ferry terminal, through Battery Park (stop here to take a photo of the Statue of Liberty), up along the esplanade in Battery Park City (photo ops at the South and North Coves) then instead of heading up along the West Side Highway, head back down south and wind your way back to City Hall Park.

Where to eat: We enjoyed some good vegan eats (including delicious smoothies) at Terri but if you're looking for something a little different, Open Kitchen is a great new edition to the neighborhood with two locations in FiDi.

I mapped this out for you on MapMyRun, find it here.

Saturday in the Park - 4 miles
A trip to NYC isn't complete without a run in Central Park. I met up with two of my best running friends - who you've seen here many times - Grace and April, for this one. While running is a fantastic way to catch up with good friends and enjoy the scenery, I have to admit that I was so caught up in our conversations I hardly took time to take in the beauty around us. You can pretty much count on a lot of other runners in the park, but that's part of what makes it Central Park!

Where to go: There are countless routes in Central Park, this one however started at Columbus Circle. We headed counter-clockwise along the park drive then jumped on the path around the reservoir and headed back down to Columbus Circle along the bridle path. A bit of road, a bit of gravel path.

Where to eat: The Smith or Le Pain Quotidien on the Upper West Side near Lincoln Center.

SoHo Sunday - 6 miles
I love running through SoHo on Sunday mornings when the neighborhood is still quiet and just starting to wake up. The only place you'll see a crowd is the line outside Dominique Ansel Bakery waiting for cronuts. The trick here is avoiding tripping on the cobblestone streets or getting too distracted by the beautiful designer clothing in the showroom windows.

Where to go: We left City Hall Park, made our way up Lafayette before switching over to Broadway and criss-crossing our way around SoHo (between West Broadway and Centre Street) before heading west to Hudson St, down through Tribeca and finishing near the World Trade Center. As an alternative, take Greenwich St south.

Where to eat: Head back to Terri, Open Kitchen, Le Pain Quotidien, Pret, or head to the Whole Foods in Tribeca.

Find our (approximate) route here.

Monday Highway Run - 5 miles
Our last morning run and we had a specific place for breakfast in mind, so we stayed downtown yet again. This run, by far, is the easiest to follow. Running along the Hudson River is a nice change from city streets, but I much prefer the sections that aren't right along the road - especially during morning rush hour! Another great thing about this path is that there are very few interruptions due to vehicle traffic, although you do need to watch out for cyclists, other runners, and people out for a casual stroll.

Where to go: Starting back in City Hall Park we cut over to the West Side Highway along Chambers Street, headed north along the path, turned around just past Chelsea Piers and wrapped it up at the north end of Battery Park City (Chambers Street).

Where to eat: Zucker's for a classic NYC bagel, cream cheese and lox. Plus Colombe coffee.

Do you live in NYC or have you visited the city? Add to my list, what are your favorite runs? * Thanksgiving is next week! Do your traditions include a Turkey Trot?

Vegan in Vancouver (A Culinary Tour for All)

When we weren't walking around the city, biking through Stanley Park, or hanging out in the whirlpool at our hotel, we were probably eating. Vancouver has fantastic food and we only scratched the surface during our trip. Since I highly recommend that everyone reading this blog visit Vancouver at some point - if you haven't already - I would be doing a disservice if I didn't share our favorites.

I wish I had a picture from each place, but let's start with where to find a great meal...

Go Fish (1505 W 1st Avenue, Granville Island)
This is one place I had a meal when I was in Vancouver a few years ago for work and I was determined to bring Woody here. Go Fish is a seafood stand across False Creek from downtown Vancouver just a few minutes walk from the markets on Granville Island. Best bet is to take a water taxi over, check out the markets of Granville Island and then head over here for some delicious seafood. Okay, so I know what you're thinking... "Aren't you vegan now?" Well, yes, but no. We make exceptions every once in a while and we do eat salmon. This place has excellent, fresh Tacones (above) and other delicious options. There's always a line - and not just tourists. Tip: check out the menu then have one person stay in line to order while the other heads to the deck to grab seats as soon as someone starts to stand up. There is no shame in hovering over people on their last bite at this place!

Heirloom Vegetarian (1509 W 12th Ave, Fairview neighborhood)
We loved this place so much we ate here twice! Dinner for our anniversary; breakfast before heading up to Whistler. Beautiful space, great service, and absolutely delicious - and healthy - food. One side of the menu is vegetarian dishes, the other is vegan. Perfect for us but really, anyone could eat here. I enjoyed the pineapple coconut curry (above) for dinner, which was so much food we also split the leftovers for a snack the next day! I chose the California Hash (below) with quinoa nut patties, collard greens, roasted veggies, potatoes and pea sprouts for breakfast which was hearty and delicious before our drive.

Nuba (several locations)
Nuba is a delicious Lebanese restaurant with four locations; we visited the one in Gastown for dinner on our first night in town which was the perfect meal to start our trip. Among all the meat dishes, the menu indicates options that are vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free - there was plenty for everyone. We went the tapas route and enjoyed a smattering of several vegan options including the Le Petit Feast (hummus, baba ghanooj, taboulleh, and pickles), falafel, a crispy cauliflower dish, and red lentil soup. The meal was filling but light, the service was great and atmosphere lively.

Tacofino (15 W. Cordova St., Gastown)
First thing to know is that there are two entrances to Tacofino in Gastown - the dine-in + bar Taco Bar side, and the take-out Burrito Bar side. Turns out they do not share kitchens and you can't order something from one menu if you're on the other side even though they appear to be the same restaurant. After we got over the disappointment of learning we couldn't enjoy the vegan burrito while dining in on the Taco Bar side, we did enjoy the few vegan-friendly options on the menu, including the squash and cauliflower tostada. The space is fun and lively, there's a nice sized patio and overall a great vibe. Definitely seemed like a place frequented by the 20-, 30-something trendy crowd living in Gastown but there was a diverse group of diners. 

***** And now for the sweet stuff *****

Bella Gelateria (two locations)
Incredible gelato (yes, we made another exception!) that is a perfect treat after a day of sightseeing. Bella Gelateria has two locations - one in Coal Harbour, the other across from the marina in Yaletown (above) which also offers pizza. The line is long and the prices are a bit high, but it's worth both in my opinion - just ask for samples before you make your final choices.

Cartems Donuterie (two locations)
While searching online for vegan restaurants we came upon Cartems Donuterie, a donut heaven with regular, gluten free, vegan, and vegan gluten free options - some fried (only using coconut oil), some baked. After taking one bite you can tell the team - who make each donut from scratch using quality ingredients and no preservatives - is on a mission to make the best, most creative donuts around. While we were in Vancouver we tried a lot of donuts from Cartems, which is weird because we very rarely eat donuts, but these were just so darn good. In an effort to be 100% transparent, we had: an apple fritter and maple walnut - which has walnuts smoked in-house (above) on our first visit, then Woody went back and picked up a simple chocolate glazed, the popular earl grey, and a tequila sunrise for another breakfast. All insanely delicious and addicting. It's a really good thing there isn't a Cartems location in Denver (but there are two locations in Vancouver).

JJ Bean (several locations)
This is a small local coffee chain in Vancouver started by a family that's been roasting coffee beans in the city for four generations. A socially responsible coffee roaster and community member, they focus on responsible sourcing practices, being an environmentally friendly roaster and giving back. I swear you can taste this in their coffee, which is delicious. Not only do they have great coffee, but they also have great bakery items, including delectable vegan muffins. The bakery case was overflowing with so many mouthwatering items, it was kind of absurd.

PureBread (Vancouver & Whistler)
We split an incredibly moist piece of vegan coconut banana tea bread from the PureBread bakery in Whistler Village and a vegan chocolate chip cookie picked up from the Squamish famers market stand, but somehow never walked on the right block in Vancouver to pick something up from the Gastown location! The Whistler Village spot is a perfect place to grab something sweet (it all looked amazing), a loaf of bread, and some coffee. It's a bright, welcoming space with a few tables inside and a few outside with views of Whistler Mountain and the Olympic rings. I don't think you could go wrong with anything from this bakery.

Alibi Room (157 Alexander St.)
In an out-of-the-way section of Gastown with trains running just feet beyond the bar, Alibi Room was suggested to us by a fellow Oiselle Volée runner. Less for those looking for something sweet, and more something hoppy or wheaty, the selection is better, and more unique, than what you can find at other places around town. We stopped by here for a drink just as they were opening at 5pm and sat at the bar. The space is raw and industrial and the bartenders are happy to chat about the 50+ local and imported (including some great US microbrews) beers on tap and the cask beer selections. Best bet is to get a flight so you can try several. They also offer wine and cocktails, as well as a full menu. We only had edamame (above) with our beer but the plates passing us by looked pretty fantastic.  

As you can see, we really enjoyed eating our way around Vancouver. Thankfully we walked (and ran, in Woody's case) enough that we managed to come home without any extra weight! 

One thing we noticed was how accommodating people generally were at restaurants we visited when we asked for dishes with no cheese or other ingredients. Several times, at restaurants that didn't seem particularly vegan-friendly, immediately when we asked to subtract an item our server asked if we were vegan and then suggested menu items for us and automatically altered other dishes we requested. This was greatly appreciated and didn't go unnoticed. 

There are still a few more things I'd love to tell you about our trip, but this is long enough, it'll wait.

Do you have a favorite Vancouver restaurant that I've left off my list and we should try if we go back again? * What summer vacations do you have planned?

Making the Most of a Runless Runcation

When Woody and I plan a vacation, running is typically an integral part of that process and things were no different when we were planning our trip to Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia - where we were last week. Without labeling them as such, we've been taking runcations for years. 

With Stanley Park - a large, gorgeous park in downtown Vancouver - less than two miles from our hotel and the seawall running path along the outer edge of the city, I expected we'd spend a good amount of our time in the city in running gear. 

That was before I was plagued by an overuse injury that I tried to ignore. My right leg has been bothering me since BolderBOULDER and have tried a knee brace, icing, rolling, and not running in hopes that it would improve in time for our trip. 

Sunday morning, our first morning in Vancouver, I laced up and headed out for a run with Woody thinking that if I was going to be able to do it, it would be best to try before we started walking a lot. 

I was wrong. Dead wrong.

A little over three miles into the run and not all that far into Stanley Park, I couldn't go a step farther. After nearly breaking down in tears along the outer path with runners, bikers, rollerbladers, and countless others passing us by, I sent Woody off to enjoy the loop and promised to meet him at a beach on the other side. Let's just say that Sunday morning was the low point of our trip. I was pretty devastated. 

My week was not pain free (don't worry mom, I have a doctor's appointment scheduled) and I probably should have spent more time off my feet, but there was no way I was going to sit in the hotel and let our week go by. I decided I had to make it work, because Vancouver and Whistler are pretty amazing.

Here are a few ways we made my runless runcation a success:

On Monday we rented bikes from Spokes Bicycle Rentals on Denman Street and spent three hours riding through Stanley Park - the trail around the edge along the edge with beautiful water and mountain views as well as several of the gravel bike paths that criss cross the park - and had a picnic with a view of Lions Gate Bridge. It turned out to be a pretty wonderful way to spend a few hours and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting the city.

Taking it to the trails

The view from our lunch spot

The Westin Grand Vancouver has an excellent and fully equipped gym plus a heated saltwater pool and whirlpool (not pictured below) so once I realized running was out of the picture for me, while Woody went out for morning runs, I'd head to the gym for some time on the bike, strength training, and a nice session in the whirlpool which not only made my leg feel better but helped me relax and refocus on what's important. It might sound crazy, but that whirlpool definitely helped me enjoy the week. 

Photo Credit: The Westin Grand, Vancouver

Photo Credit: The Westin Grand, Vancouver

Then we headed out of town for Whistler and it wasn't until we got there that we learned we were a bit too early to hike Whistler or Blackcomb Mountains. While the trails were open for mountain bikers, they weren't yet ready for hikers (they typically open in late June apparently). However we did find a few good hikes in the valley and there were a lot of others that could have been explored if we had more time.

The first one we tried was pretty easy - more of a ramble than a hike - but a nice option just steps from the condo we rented in Whistler Village through Airbnb. Lost Lake Park has several trails to choose from of the easy to moderate variety and welcomes foot and bike traffic. Lost Lake is the big attraction here and there's a nice park and beach, along with several docks and rafts around the lake. It was a nice afternoon ramble for us after we had done the Peak 2 Peak Gondola ride in the morning.

The condo also had a whirlpool, which we definitely took advantage of. The first night our neighbor even provided the entertainment - she had friends over to enjoy her whirlpool with drinks and uncensored conversation!

By Lost Lake

On our way out of Whistler we drove north a few kilometers to check out the Ancient Cedars trail. Let's just say we were pretty thrilled and relieved when our little Ford Focus rental car made it down the dirt, pothole ridden road to the trailhead and back without any issues. This trail was just over 5k but took a good two hours as it's a rocky climb the entire way out, plus I wasn't moving as quickly as usual. There's a turnoff from the trail that goes out to Showh Lakes, which we probably would have taken if we had more time to explore but we wanted to get make a few stops along our way back to Vancouver. Still, this was a nice trail that required some good effort and took us through a beautiful lush forest to see the towering and impressive ancient cedars. 

The view from Cougar Mountain

Taking in the trees 

Woody in the trees

I wasn't able to run like I wanted to and my injury was literally a pain in the butt (and calf, and knee) but over the 9 days we were on vacation I managed an average of almost 23,000 steps a day (according to FitBit). We spent a lot of time just walking around the city exploring different neighborhoods, block by block. 

After my initial frustration as I broke down on the run, I had to quickly decide to adjust my expectations, focus on what I could do, and enjoy our trip because who knows when we'll have the opportunity to get back to Vancouver and Whistler again. It really was a fantastic trip that I'm not done telling you about yet - more to come in my next post! 

How you had to deal with injury on vacation? How did you adjust your plans? * What are your favorite fitness activities when traveling?

HOLIDAY WELLNESS GUIDE: 5 Easy Tips for Surviving Holiday Travel

Many of you may already be on your way, or already arrived, at your destination for the holidays, but these tips can still help you enjoy your time and get home feeling refreshed, not frazzled. AAA has estimated that 98.6 million Americans will be taking to the sky, road, or rail between December 23rd and January 4, traveling more than 50 miles from home. That’s the most since they started keeping track in 2001 and with so many people crowding onto the highways and into airports, things are bound to get a little hairy. We’re faced with a conflicting dilemma every year with a strong desire to be with family and friends for the holidays, but then the stress that often comes along with the reality of traveling, not to mention the blending of multiple family’s habits and expectations, can quickly make the whole experience overwhelming and leaving you wishing you were home snuggled up on the couch with a mug of hot cocoa watching “Love Actually."

But, a whole lot of us choose to travel and so, I’ve narrowed down my holiday travel tips to five easy things you should keep in mind when you head out - near or far - to celebrate the holidays with your family and friends.

1. Be Prepared.
This comes to life in many ways and can be the deciding factor between an awesomely smooth travel experience and near disaster.

Snacks/Favorite Foods: When leaving home, it’s always best to take some of the foods you love and depend on with you, because you don’t want to have to depend on your hosts for them or go hungry because the only options where you’re going are going to steer you way off the path of healthy eating. Pack pre-portioned bags of homemade trail mix and fresh fruit for travel days, oatmeal for breakfasts, nutrition bars for pre/post-run fuel, and a selection of teas for relaxing. If you’re driving, fill up a cooler with bottles of water and green juice, yogurt, veggies and hummus. All great for snacking on the road and when you reach your destination.

Research: Whether you’re going someplace new or to the town where you grew up, spend 15 - 30 minutes researching local activities, possible day-trips, and restaurants around your destination. You never know when these details will come in hand!

Bag it Up: Have you ever been an hour from home when you’re hit with that miserable sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach? Your phone/watch charger is sitting on your desk? Find a cute pouch and throw all your chargers inside. Keeping them together will make them easy to find in your suitcase or carry-on so you can pull it out when you spot an available power outlet at that little mom and pop restaurant you stop at for lunch. And throw your Road ID in there for good measure if you’re planning to run while you’re on vacation!

2. Stay Healthy
Don’t let travel derail your health goals - but don’t let your goals dictate your experience, either. You’ve worked so hard throughout the year to fit in your runs and trips to the gym, maintain a healthy diet, get enough sleep, and drink enough water. There are only 10 days left until 2015, so now is not the time to throw them out the window! It is possible to enjoy family meals and lazy mornings while achieving your goals. Keep a bottle of water with you always, limit the hot toddies and glasses of prosecco at dinner and throw a baggie of clorox wipes in your carry-on to disinfect your airplane seat (any surface you’re going to touch - the airlines don’t clean them and there are people like this out there!) and the TV remote control at the hotel so you don’t come down with any bugs! There’s this great place that falls smack dab in between staying the course and not wavering from a routine, and throwing caution to the wind. Focus on finding a balance to stay healthy

3. Practice Patience
While the holidays are meant to be the happiest time of the year, in reality, things can get pretty hectic and strong opinions can clash - and that's all before you get out of the airport! If you start to feel the temperature start to rise or overwhelmed by all the people, step away, take a few deep breaths, and remember that it’s not every day that we only get a certain number of days with people during our lives, and they should be enjoyed, not spent worrying about little things. You’ll be back in your own home and to your own routine in a few days anyway!

4. Make Time for Yourself
You may be spending the holidays on the slopes in a condo filled with friends, at your sister’s house packed to the brim with multiple generations, or your in-law’s house with just a few people - whatever the case may be, be sure to carve out a little time for yourself. Heading out for a run or walk before everyone in the house is awake, finding time for a 20 minute soak in the tub, or even 10 minutes to write in your journal, these few minute on your own will let you recharge so you can keep up the energy for whatever might be ahead. I personally feel the need to be "on” all the time when I’m visiting someone else’s family, so these minutes on my own are crucial. I can relax and just be. Taking time for myself makes me a better wife, daughter-in-law and sister-in-law.

5. Be Adventurous and Have Fun
Breaking free of your regular routine and familiar surroundings provides the perfect opportunity to try new things and have some no-nonsense fun. A new workout with your sister, a break from the traditional dinner you’ve had every Christmas Eve since you can remember, spending hours digging through legos with your nephew, excursions to explore a nearby national park… whatever it is, use your holiday trip as an excuse to try something new. You never know what amazing memories you’ll make!

How do you keep the joy in holiday travel?

HOLIDAY WELLNESS GUIDE: Pumpkin Quinoa Granola

You know what is the worst when it happens during the holidays, and it’s been happening to a lot of people lately? Coming down with a virus. I’m not talking about the kind that infects your computer or comes from hackers who may, or may not be, upset about a particular movie your film studio is about to release (although those are both really bad too). I’m talking about the kind that knocks you flat on your back and sucks all the energy and holiday excitement out of you. That’s what we’ve been dealing with in our house over the past week, plus. First Woody came down with the nasty thing and then I did. It’s particularly annoying when you’ve procrastinated on many holiday errands and the weekend you have to get them done or risk missing Christmas, is when you can hardly peel yourself off the couch and being more than 5 feet away from a kleenex box could prove quite embarrassing. Thankfully though, we’re on the upswing of things and should be 100% for our Christmas travel and activities. 

Because we like to make sure there are at least a few healthy food options available when we travel, one thing I love to take with me is granola. I’ve been known to stuff a 1lb + bag of the stuff in my suitcase or several pre-portioned snack bags of it in my carry-on food survival bag. I love granola, as does Woody, and because he can eat a lot of it several years ago I started making it at home. It’s such an easy thing to do, and much healthier than the vast majority of store bought versions. With fillers, oils and other unnecessary ingredients, granola can be one of the biggest offenders on the deceptive “it looks healthy, but it really isn’t” list.

But when done right, and enjoyed in appropriate amounts, it can be quite nutritious. Oats are naturally packed with fiber and iron while nuts and seeds are high in heart-healthy unsaturated fats. Besides the potential health benefits, the crunchiness and sweetness of granola make it a favorite for many. The key is to keep it simple and healthy. And use it as a topping, rather than the start of the meal.

It can also make for a great gift, which means that baking a batch of granola this weekend can help you with those last minute gifts for friends, neighbors, and colleagues. A few years ago I gave a bag of homemade granola with a cute bowl as a secret santa gift for the office holiday gift exchange; the recipient loved it and asked for the recipe! Beautifully packaged with a ribbon and one of these easy DIY cinnamon ornaments,  homemade granola makes for a beautiful hostess gift (then she doesn’t have to think about breakfast the next morning!) or for your friends who you love to brunch with throughout the year. 

If you’re hosting family for the holidays, it’s easy to bake a big batch of this granola before the crowds arrive then set it out in the morning along with a variety of milks, yogurt, and fruit for everyone to enjoy. The crunchiness also makes for a great topping on waffles or pancakes. And don’t forget the coffee, of course!

This recipe is a new favorite, perfect for the holiday season with a little, wait for it… pumpkin added in! Not only is the flavor festive, but this orange fruit also adds more fiber, potassium, iron and vitamin A to give the morning meal a nutrition boost.

 

Now while the photo above appears to be a bowl full of granola, as mentioned earlier, I don't advise actually eating a full bowl of granola! Even homemade granola has a good bit of fat and calories due to the combination of ingredients - however healthy those ingredients may be individually - so it’s best to keep the serving size to 1/4 - 1/3 of a cup. Like so many other things in life, please enjoy in moderation!

Have you made homemade granola? * What do you love to bake this time of year? * Will you be visiting or hosting family over the holidays?

What Happens at Running Camp

Since I returned from Bird Camp, a lot of people have asked me “what did you do at running camp?” It’s a valid question; I wasn’t sure what we were going to do at until I got there! I’ve also been trying to figure out how to recap the experience, and while I’m not convinced that what I’m doing is the best way to do that, here it goes.

Things started off well when I realized I was carpooling with some really great ladies – Beth, Alicia, Julia, & Jenna. No duds here! (fun fact: Beth & Alicia are also Spartans!)

A detour to Eugene to visit Hayward Field

We heard from several running experts over four days including a Q&A session with Lauren Fleshman and Linsey Corbin, a professional triathlete and Ironman Champion who lives in Bend, OR.

Physical Therapist Jay Dicharry, who works with pro athletes – including Little Wing – is a certified coach, has competed in several sports on a national level and so much more. He took us through exercises to focus on our posture and form and talked about the importance of mobility, stability, strength and power for runners and how we should all work at least one strength and stability session into our week. You can read his blog HERE.

Photo Credit: Thomas and Velo Photography

Steph Howe, winner of Western States who’s working towards a Masters in Nutrition & Exercise Physiology and focuses on bridging nutrition & performance, presented a session on nutrition for female runners. She has a very sensible and realistic view of nutrition, which I found very refreshing, emphasizing the need for female athletes to focus on getting enough calories in order to stay healthy. Check out her blog HERE.

Photo Credit: Thomas and Velo Photography

Lauren, who lives in Bend and graciously welcomed us to her town, spoke about goal setting. This was a very frank discussion as she talked about having to adjust her goals after injury – the need to be realistic and recalibrate. One of my favorite things she said was: “The best gift you can give yourself is to disregard what other people see ass success and name it for yourself.”

Photo Credit: Thomas and Velo Photography

A Pro Panel with Kate Grace, Steph Howe, Lauren, and (not pictured) Kara Goucher via Skype. They covered everything from what they eat each day, to how they overcome disappointments and their best race experiences.

Sally took us through the process of developing a line, from inspiration board to developing a color pallet, choosing fabric, finding manufacturers. It was really interesting and enlightening to learn about the various steps that go into creating the clothes we wear on the run!

Photo Credit: Thomas and Velo Photography

About 40 minutes away is Smith Rock, a really incredible state park with tough trails and beautiful views. We spent a morning here with a choice of hiking or trail running. I opted for the hike which took us to the top of the rock. Lauren gave us the low down on our options.

There was also, a lot of great food. I suppose it wouldn’t be very much fun if we were all hungry the whole time, so Oiselle set us up with tons of food for our Condos, snacks in the conference center, great meals and non-stop delicious Nuun. I really wanted to take home the Wild Friends Almond Butter – it was amazing – but was too nervous it would leak all over my bag on the flight. If you see this stuff, try it!

And of course, we did a lot of running – basically as much running as we wanted to do, we could do. One of the great things about the resort where we stayed – beyond the full kitchen in each condo – is that you literally could walk out your door and be on the Deschutes River Trail within a minute. To say this trail was beautiful is an understatement. I was worried about how I’d do with so much running, but my muscles were rarely sore and I was always excited to get out for more miles!

Running with Ironman athlete, Leana

Coinciding with our camp was the Twilight 5K put on by Deschutes Brewery right down the road from the resort. While it was pretty awesome to see so many women in Oiselle singlet's, my favorite part of the race was passing Kate Grace just after the 2 mile mark! Okay, so she was jogging, but still, I’ll take it.

Photo Credit: Thomas and Velo Photography

Reunited with two of my favorite NYC birds – Amanda & Jenna

Beyond trail running, we also did activation exercises (below), form drills and #TheDozen (as demonstrated by Lesko two down). All new to me, I’m planning to incorporate these into my training moving forward.

Photo Credit: Thomas and Velo Photography

Photo Credit: Thomas and Velo Photography

The meditation sessions and yoga with Jasyoga were amazing – legs up the wall and “I am here now” is my new favorite way to relax and let go.

Photo Credit: Thomas and Velo Photography

I had an absolutely fantastic time meeting incredible and strong women, getting to know myself a bit better and learning new techniques that will make me a stronger person and runner.

With my fantastic roommates, Katie and Michelle (We look tired because we were! this was before morning meditation!)

Fearless women of Oiselle – Sally, Kristin, and Lauren

What would Oregon be without dancing to an awesome band outside on a beautiful night?

Photo Credit: Thomas and Velo Photography

If you take anything from this really long post (so sorry!), I hope it’s that by taking chances, trying new things, building bonds and exploring new places, there’s no end to what you can learn about yourself and no limits to what you can do!

Also, it turns out, you’re never too old for camp!

Thank you to women at Oiselle HQ and Little Wing for bringing us all together for a great weekend, and to Heidi & Andrea at Thomas and Velo Photography for all the beautiful photos they took and are letting us use!