I had to yell at myself and a great salad recipe for runners.

I was really stoked for my run this morning because my running friends are all back in action.  We did 10 miles together but for the first 5 miles or so I kept comparing myself to where I was a month ago with my running… a PR 5k, some great speed work sessions and 10 miles felt super easy… today it felt anything but easy.  After getting more and more annoyed with myself and my current fitness I had to yell at myself (in my head) to just stop it.  

My latest thing that I am doing when it comes to my thoughts is to ask myself a question when I start thinking (or obsessing—> which I tend to do a lot) about something… Where are these thoughts going to get me?  Are they going to build me up or tear me down?  If they are going to build me up… then I keep thinking about them.  If they are going to lead towards me feeling bad about myself then I am trying to learn to stop them immediately and think about something else.  Sounds simple right;)

Is getting down on myself for losing some fitness going to make me faster?  No.  Is thinking about my goals and committing towards working on them going to make me faster?  Yes. 

Easy cheesy.  Try it.

And I am back on the 6 days of core work a week bandwagon.  Brooke usually throws food at me when I am doing planks while she is eating breakfast.  Multi-tasking at its finest.

IMG 9237

Clearly I didn’t get enough salmon last night so I had to make some for lunch today.  Brooks sent on over a list of 10 ingredients (sweet potatoes, whole wheat pasta, quinoa, salmon, eggs, mixed nuts, radishes, tomatoes, apples and mixed greens) that are recommended for a race training regime and I turned a few of them into a meal.  

Lemon Butter Salmon Quinoa Salad

DSC 9996

Super easy….

-Cook quinoa in rice cooker (I always throw in some garlic and oregano when I cook this).  

-Lay out your mixed greens (spinach, spring mix, arugula) and top with cooked quinoa (I put on 1/2 cup) and thinly sliced radishes.  

-Season both sides of your salmon with lemon pepper and heat pan with a little butter and garlic.  Cook salmon 10 minutes per inch of thickness (flip salmon 1/2 way through).  Throw it on top of the quinoa and top with fresh lemon juice and/or balsamic vinaigrette.  

Boom… you get your complex carbohydrates (key energy source for intense workouts and races), high quality proteins (salmon is also a great source of polyunsaturated fats) and veggies (gives you the vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients to keep your immune system strong and metabolic processes optimized) all in one meal.  

——————————– 

One reason I am kind of happy that it is cold today = Brooke can get one more use of her awesome fur vest this winter.  

IMG 0236

I am on quite the cooking/baking kick lately (it comes and goes… there is no way to predict it) I made Oatmeal Scotchies (I added chocolate because all cookies need at least a little bit of chocolate).

DSC 9981 

———————————————————————-

Tell me something exciting going on your life lately?!?  Fill me in!!!

You May Also Like

68 comments

Reply

Something exciting is my best friend just got engaged!! He is coming to visit this weekend so we can celebrate and I haven’t seen him in 7 months so I’m super excited :) and I loooooove his fiancée!

Reply

That salad sounds amazing!

Something exciting…I’m going to visit my BFF in North Carolina this weeknd. :-)

Reply

Sounds like an exciting day to me. I really enjoy salads with some sort of carbohydrate source in them (whether it’s pasta or rice). It’s been my go too lately.

I need to get some core in today but I might just take the day off. ha. Something exciting about your neighborhood LOLZ…I just tried a pair of Brooks pure flow and I really like them. (Insert surprised emoji here).

Reply

I had a couple horrible weeks of running and was down on myself too :/ I’m also on a cooking/baking kick! We have so much in common :)

Reply

That salad looks amazing, I never use fish for salads but I really should do it more. Brooke’s vest and high bun are the cutest, you’ll have to get her an adorable Summer clothing staple to wear on the regular.

Something exciting, I’m going to Japan in 37 sleeps!!

Reply

Brooke is getting SO BIG!

I’ve been on a baking kick lately too! Sally’s Baking Addiction Blog is giving me millions of delicious things to eat and my pants are slowly expanding. Ooops. My run this morning was like yours too, coming off of marathon training and trying to figure out my next step is making me feel all bleh.

The most exciting thing in my life is I’m getting married in 38 days!

Reply

On a rough couple days of running right now and you have a great way of snapping yourself back into the positive. I am going to steal that.

Exciting – I have my own blog and I want to interview a fellow runner. What better runner than my inspiration, my Fiance :). I am surprising her and grilling her with tough questions tonight lol.

http://runningschlub.blogspot.com/

Reply

I made a pretty rediculous HUGE single serving (for me) Trader Joe’s COOKIE BUTTER (with reese’s pieces) cookie last night that made me happier than it should have. Is that exciting :)

Reply

Cookie butter melted on toast made me very happy today too! I feel that is very exciting :)

Reply

Ummm your lunch looks amazing. Way better than my left over mac and cheese with steamed broccoli that I had. Can I come over tomorrow and you can cook for me? k thanks.

Brooke needs that fur vest in every size so she can always wear it.

Good job on the 10 miles. And that goal sounds so simple, but it is not. It is definitely something I need to work on though so thanks for the reminder. Now I just need a shock collar or something for when I think negatively about myself to get me to stop. That wouldn’t be weird, right?

Reply

One exciting thing going on in my life right now is continued improvement with running after an injury more than a year ago that led to a complete overhaul of my running biomechanics. It’s been a long process, which makes each run all the sweeter!

And way to turn your perspective around when it comes to those voices in your head! I recently heard a new way of looking at negative/destructive thoughts that I really liked. I’ll do my best to explain it: Your life is a bus and you’re driving in the direction of your values and goals. Negative thoughts might get on board at various stops along the way, and you can’t help that. However, that doesn’t mean they get to take over the wheel; they are not in charge. So keep on driving and making decisions that direct you to your values and goals and let those negative thoughts off at the next stop.

I hope that makes sense!

Reply

I really love that and am going to steal it to use!

Reply

That salad looks awesome! I so needed to read this post about not beating myself up while running. I’m struggling to get back to my 7:40 race pace (currently around 8:30) and I often find my thoughts on the negative side of things. To the point that it makes me want to skip my run all together. So thanks for sharing!

On an exciting note…headed to Vegas this weekend!

Reply

That salad looks really good! I am craving salmon now. I had a salad with tomatoes, avocado, black beans, tomatoes and TJs corn salsa for lunch! SO good.

I like what you said about trying to change your perspective. This past year I feel like I’ve been really fighting my body on everything (speed, weight gain, injuries, hormones, etc) and its really easy to get down on myself. Thanks for that help there :)

Exciting news? I’ve really been loving the sun here lately (San Diego) and have actually had time to fit in some beach time the past 2 weekends. The warmth has made a huge difference in my happiness :)

Reply

I love that Brooke throws food at you lol! Something exciting… 30 week checkup today went awesome and I got to see that sweet little baby on the ultra sound :)

Reply

It is ridiculous how excited I am for the Pretty Little Liars finale tonight! :)

Reply

I just barely got back to the gym this week since having my baby girl and it has been awesome!

Reply

Did you make those cookies because it’s oatmeal cookie day?? I’m going to Portland AND Malibu for weddings this year which is very exciting because I’ve never been more west than Colorado!

Reply

I ordered my first pair of arm warmers today. I have an April 1/2 and in the PNW you just never know what the weather will be like (especially since it’s on an island). It’s my first half in my Half Fanatic singlet, and want to make sure I’ll be warm enough to start!

Reply

I’ve had a hard time in the past with comparison in athletics as well. I want to be the best me possible, but sometimes that just isn’t going to happen – and I shouldn’t get down on myself for it! As long as we are doing what we love, that is all that matters.

I found out today that my husband and I are officially going to Hawaii for a family vacation. I have only been to the big island once, so I am really excited to go back!

Reply

I make scented all-natural soy candles (http://www.lilypadcandles.com) and I’m excited that they are starting to sell really well :)

On the running front I’m still 1.5 months away from starting to train for my first marathon, but I’m already excited just thinking about it!!!

Reply

Brooke looks SO cute!!!

& now I am craving salmon. Looks delish!

Reply

I like the “where are these thought going to get me?” question. I like to think I’m a pretty positive person but I know that if I forget to monitor myself I can go on a bit of a negative Nancy thought train. It’s always good to have a little reminder to stay focused on the positive :) I’d also really like to try making those cookies

Reply

Those are my husband’s favorite cookies – minus the chocolate – he’s a butterscotch kinda guy!

I think I might have gotten this idea from you – I made peanut butter cookies last night and topped them with Rolos instead of Hershey kisses. SO good!!

Reply

I love Salmon, but we haven’t had it for a few months. We have been on a tilapia kick lately.

I ran outside for the first time since Christmas. It was amazing. We live close to a river trail. It makes our runs feel like fun and not so much work.

Found out my husband is going to Vietnam on a business trip. He is taking chocolate to share with his new friends. That’s how you close a deal.

Reply

Aww I love that Brooke can still fit into that little vest. It’s my fav piece of hers, hahaha. I clearly follow closely along with her fashion sense.

Reply

That salad is perfect!! I would be jealous but we’re having sirloin tonight and that’s pretty good too! :) And something exciting? I just got into grad school!!

Reply

Ummm, didn’t you just run a 20 miler?! You probably just needed a little rest…Brook’s vest is so adorable :)

Reply

Something exciting- it was 51 degrees when I got off work (and sunny!) and i got in a beautiful 2.25 mile walk!

Reply

Its in the 40’s here today – and even though my run was tough I got it done!! Love being able to run outside…its not looking good these next few days so glad I got it done today.

Reply

I can’t wait to watch the Housewives of NYC tonight. I can’t get enough of Bravo drama!

Reply

Brooke looks just like Curly in that picture.

Reply

Something exciting is that I had my last ultrasound today and I’ll be meeting my baby girl on April 3rd!!!

Reply

exciting news?? baby should come out in the next 3 weeks or so! that’s pretty exciting for me!

Reply

Yum!!! I need to try that recipe- both the salmon and the cookies. After thinking about my half marathon, I think core work would help me get towards that PR. I completely neglected it and my hips/knees/lower back suffered for that.

As far as my life, I am contemplating joining a gym so I can get back into fitness classes!!! I need some strength training in my life again. It was so nice having access to a gym while in grad school.

Reply

I have three exciting things to share: 1) It is spring break. 2) We are getting central AC! We live in the northeast and lots of homes don’t have it (especially older ones) but we finally saved up enough to afford it. It will be so nice this summer. 3) I am 31 weeks today and I can’t believe I get to meet my baby girl face to face soon. Whew. Too much excitement for this pregnant lady:)

Reply

When I start concentrating on negative thoughts or rehashing frustrations I say “stop!” out loud. It’s really helped and I’m breaking this habit.

Reply

Today’s excitement was warm temps after spending all day inside for training. It was nice to get outside, stretch my leaves and then a surprise sighting of baby elk.

Reply

I like that question you ask yourself about your thoughts. I had a bad run today (I’m injured), and I kept obsessing about how I wanted to just drop out of all my upcoming races and hang up my running shoes for good. It was clearly not an uplifting train of thought to be on, but I couldn’t shake it. From now on I’ll remember what you said.

Reply

Those cookies look soooooo good to me right now.

Reply

My next half marathon is on Saturday! I’m getting nervous/excited!

Reply

looooove that you are able to stop and think about your thoughts and determine whether or not they should continue! that is absolutely something i’m still working on a lot in terms of anxiety as well as my husband and i starting our own business together. it’s tough but worth it :)

Reply

So are you able to just eat a couple of those cookies at a time or are you like me and after you’ve eaten about 7 you say to yourself, “ooooo…that’s a lot of cookies!” And then around the tenth you think, ” hmm…feeling kinda sick…I should probably stop.” And sometimes you stop and sometimes you don’t. I swear my homemade cookie-eating shut-off switch is broken.

Excitement abounds. Yesterday I had my bloodwork done and tomorrow is my pre-op physical! Surgery two weeks from tonight :) I cannot wait!

Reply

Brooke’s vest is perfect! Something exciting: one month from today I will be in South Africa!!!

Reply

Oooh I know something exciting! My mother-in-law bought me a Nikon D3200 for my blog and I’ve been playing with it all day! Exciting, right?

Reply

Janae I’m running the utah valley half!!! I am sort of scared because I now live in AZ and won’t being training with utah’s altitude anymore. =/ Any tips?

Those cookies look SO GOOD!!! Brooke is getting so big! She’s beautiful!!

Reply

Yum those cookies look great!

Reply

love love love your comments about positive thinking. I made some chocolate chip cookies tonight, and then ate 4. YUM. No regrets!!!

Reply

exciting is that spring officially arrives on Thursday! I’m ready to put away the scarf and gloves.
Also, it’s looking like i just confirmed i’ll be running Ragnar Napa in September with my running pals. YAY!!!!

Reply

Brooke looks so much like Curly in that picture!

What is up with me..lots going on at work with the merger…stay tuned..I hope it will be good news.

Reply

My husband and I find out where we’re moving for 4 years this Friday! I’m so excited!!
Your salad looks AMAZING!!!! :)

Reply

Something exciting… One month til my first full marathon!! I have done plenty of races but this is the first full!
Also looking to fill our van 1 for wasatch back! Do it with us! We need 6 people!!

Reply

Something exciting yesterday was starting my little one on stage 3 foods and watching him chew!!! So cute!!!

Reply

Something exciting: my sister in law is coming to visit today! I just love my new family :)

Can it be winter forever? Brooke’s vest is too cute to go away.

Reply

I’m just going to throw this out there: while I was reading about your inner monologue all I was singing in my head was “Why do you build me, build me up, buttercup baby just to let me down….” So there’s an option something to think about on a long run…?

Reply

I had a run yesterday that, while the run went well, the aftermath was a disaster. I was sore and cranky and basically just annoyingly lazy. I was complaining to Mike about it and he was like, “well, you are 8 months pregnant, so things aren’t really going to get better.” Then I realized I was an idiot and should probably just be happy with whatever exercise I can get these days. It definitely put things in perspective.

Reply

I am going on vacation next weekend to Santa Fe- I need tips on running in high elevations!

Also- loved hearing about how you put together that meal and the purpose of each ingredient. Looks great!

Reply

something exciting this week is a friend from my gym is visiting and I get to have three workouts with her before she goes back home. and it’s warm out today and the snow is melting!

Reply

THANK YOU for the salmon recipe! I’ve been looking for a simple fish recipe that’s delicious!

Something exciting in my life – my dad and I are about to run a half marathon together! It will be my third and his first, so I’m so excited to run across the finish line with him!

Reply

Hi lady! I was wondering if you ever get an official diagnosis for your calf injury? I am coming off what seems to be a very similar injury (it’s taken me over a month to get back to slightly longer runs, and they are still not where they need to be for my upcoming marathon). I went to the dr. a couple of times, and it turned out to be a strain, which actually causes tightness throughout my entire left leg. I am getting better though. I was just wondering if that was what you were dealing with. Keep up the positive messages! It’s helping all of us injury prone ones! xx- Tracy

Reply

I went shopping all by myself, bought some cute stuff . . . .TO VISIT MY SISTER, since we all know how you LOVE your sister ME TOO!!

Can hardly wait to see her – send some prayers to her if you don’t mind, she is going thru chemo and I’ll be with her for the last one!!!!

Love the fur vest – she can still wear it for awhile

Reply

Something exciting in my life: I do freelance writing on the side, and a few opportunities that I am really excited about came my way last week. I don’t like naming the magazines until it is actually in print, but I’m excited!

Reply

Mmm that salmon salad looks delicious!

Reply

one of my great friends texted me at 10pm last night and asked me to go to Chicago with a group Thursday! so I am taking off work for a good old fashioned road trip. Also Java House monster cookies, almost as good as my mom’s and the size of baby’s head. And I signed up for 4 races today! my credit card LOOOOOOOOVES me haha

Reply

Hi Janae! Do you follow a core work video or some other routine regularly? I so admire you for doing core work regularly since I know how important it is as a runner but I find it so boring! Help please :)

Reply

That salmon dish looks delish! I’m a wimp when it comes to choosing proteins and always pick things I think are easy: chicken sausages, ground turkey, chicken breasts, etc. I need to add more fish!

Something exciting? I signed up for two half marathons in two months, this year! I’m excited to get back to that distance and rock it out.

Reply

All cookies (and things in life) need chocolate :)!

Reply

thank you for a reminder of thoughts building me up or tearing me down! such a simple thought process that can make or break my day! I needed to read this today…my daughter is spending the next 4 days with her dad, and those are always the toughest, so I needed this – thank you!!!

Something exciting – I bought a new pair of sneakers and can’t wait to wear them tonight for a long overdue run!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *