Playlists

I've mentioned before that it is hard for me to run alone in silence. I just need music. God uses music based in His word to reach my heart more than anything else. Here are a couple of playlists I've put together for my workouts using songs that have contained truths I have absolutely needed in my life...

Playlist 1 (approx. 25 minutes)
"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus..." - Romans 8:1

:: Forgiven and Loved – Jimmy Needham
:: You Lifted Me Out – Chris Tomlin
:: Free to Be Me – Francesca Battistelli
:: More Beautiful You – Jonny Diaz
:: Perfect People – Natalie Grant
:: Lost Get Found – Britt Nicole

Playlist 2 (approx. 26 minutes)
"If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." - John 15:7-8

:: City on Our Knees – Toby Mac
:: Until the Whole World Hears – Casting Crowns
:: My Soul Magnifies the Lord – Chris Tomlin
:: Sing, Sing, Sing – Chris Tomlin
:: Let God Arise – Chris Tomlin

Ok, so you can probably tell I’m a Chris Tomlin fan, and perhaps it’s because he is such a huge fan of God’s Word! I love discovering the scripture that is the basis of his worship songs!

What songs get you moving, get you worshipping, get your hands in the air?

Mango-Jicama Salad with Cilantro Dressing

I found this recipe in a Williams-Sonoma cookbook. It is SO delicious! I hope you enjoy it! The cilantro dressing is good on any salad!

½ C. minced red onion (soaked in cold water for 15 minutes and drained)
6 C. mango, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice (about 5 mangoes)
4 C. jicama, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice (1 small jicama)
½ t. sea salt
¼ t. ground black pepper (optional)

Combine ingredients in large bowl. When ready to serve, toss well with dressing as desired. Garnish with light dusting of chili powder.

Dressing:
6 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
¼ C. plus 2 t. extra-virgin olive oil
3 T. fresh lime juice
3 T. fresh orange juice
4 t. honey (1 T. plus 1 t.)
¼ t. chili powder
½ t. sea salt

Combine in food processor or blender and process until a smooth dressing forms, about 15 seconds.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Valentine 5K in Parker

Parker Rec Center is hosting the Love Em or Leave Em Valentine Day Dash on Saturday, February 13 at 10:30 AM. To register or for more information, check here.

First of all, no race I've ever been in started this late so I highly recommend it just for that! :) I'll be there and I know a few other gals plan on running, so come join us! If you are interested, please email me at mikelisafischer@msn.com and we can coordinate transportation and/or meeting. I've heard this is on a packed gravel trail as opposed to a concrete trail which is SOOOOO beneficial!

Hope to see you out there!

Recipe Wednesday

It’s easy to talk about what foods are good for you, but how do you translate that into meals on the table? Well, here are some of my new, favorite recipes. They may not be perfect, but it’s a start!

Dinner stuff:
:: Quinoa and Black Beans (see recipe here)

:: Brown rice with sautéed veggies (spinach, garlic, red peppers, mushrooms or any of your favorite combos sautéed in olive oil and garlic) served with a salmon filet

:: Spaghetti squash topped with organic marinara and free range chicken breast (There’s more than one way to cook spaghetti squash – here’s what I do: split lengthwise, deseed, place on lipped baking sheet face up, coat with olive oil or low-fat butter, season with sea salt and ground black pepper and bake for about 1 hour at 350° to 375°. Scoop out flesh to act as “noodles” for spaghetti dish.)

Snacks:
:: Yogurt with baked bananas and cinnamon as follows:
6 – 8 oz. Greek non-fat yogurt
½ - 1 t. cinnamon
1 -2 baked bananas (peel, slice in half and bake for 15-20 minutes at 350°)

:: Cottage cheese with anything – 2 of my favorite combos:
- Pineapple, craisins, and sunflower seeds or shaved almonds
- Red peppers, green onions and radishes

:: Avocado topped with black beans

:: Organic hard boiled eggs

One of my new favorite salads thanks to a friend:
California Salad
Dressing:
1/3 C Orange Juice
1/2 C Olive Oil
2 T Red Wine Vinegar
1T Birch Sugar
1T or .07 oz pkg of Italian Salad Dressing (Good Seasoning)
1 t Salt

Salad:
Red leaf lettuce
Romaine lettuce
purple onion or green onion
11 oz. can Mandarin oranges (drained) or peeled Clementine oranges
1 small can water chestnuts
Jicama- peel and chop
Toasted almonds

Everyone has different dietary needs. Some are on whole food diets, some can’t eat dairy, others are gluten intolerant. Whatever your restrictions, take heart. Almost any recipe can be altered to fit into your diet. Don’t be discouraged, be adventurous! What are some of your favorite things to eat? Share your favorite recipes for healthy eating!

Moving through February

Hopefully you spent January working up towards running for at least 25 minutes at a time. If you are having difficulty, I suggest checking out the Couch to 5K Running Plan here.

I would highly recommend exploring cross training activities this month to see which ones you like and which ones fit your schedule and your budget. Cross training is vital to injury prevention, motivation and endurance. Muscles catch on really quick so we must keep changing up the activity if we expect changes in our physical abilities. Check out the January blog post here for some of my favorite cross training workouts. One I would add to that list is a strength training class like Body Pump or something similar. Body Pump is one hour of strength training using light weights or your own body weight at high reps. You WILL remember every single one of your muscles after this workout. I suggest a light run or yoga after you do something like this for the first time to flush your lactic acid and prevent serious soreness on the second post-workout day. Body Pump is offered at the Castle Rock rec center (check schedule here) and a similar class is offered at the Parker rec center (see link under resources).

Continue this month with maintaining or working up to running 25 minutes at a time at least 3 times a week and work in some cross training days as well. Focus on nutrition to fuel your workouts. Garbage in means garbage out. Check out Sheri Rose Shepherd's Fit for My King February Challenge here for some good nutritional guidance and encouragement in the Lord.

We’ll start meeting for group runs in March! Yeah! And remember, if you are joining in on the Bolder Boulder 10K, we would like to register as a group by February 28th! See post here for more race info.

Also, on Sunday, March 14, 2010 is the Running of the Green Lucky 7K (4 miles) in Lodo! I hear this is a blast! Join in on the fun! Register here.

Run With Endurance

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1)

I’m 5’2” (if you are rounding), my BMI index isn’t impressive, I’m slow as molasses and I’m just not what you imagine when you think of a runner. I obviously wasn’t a supermodel to start so 35 years and 2 kids certainly haven’t helped matters. I’ve learned over the years that there is little reward from running a race with speed while looking beautiful. But, running with endurance in the presence of God? The rewards are countless… and beautiful indeed! It’s all about focus. It’s more victorious to stand at the start of an x mile journey without fear of what lies ahead – knowing that if you have the right focus, you will make it to the end to claim the prize no matter your speed! I want to be a woman who can laugh at the days (or miles) to come (Proverbs 31:25b).

When I started running, I was a smoker who could not complete a ½ mile loop around a nearby lake without walking. My last race before I had children was a half-marathon (13.1 miles). And today, I have been smoke-free for 11 years! Our determination alone can accomplish incredible things. So what would happen if I completely surrendered to God and completely relied on His power, not my own? O yes, I think there would be laughter indeed. Every day a celebration of what lies ahead! Perfect peace, perfect love, perfect relationship with God in a house built for me where my waistline and heart condition are forgotten nuisances in the presence of the One who was and is and is to come!

Just get your toes on the starting line…. He’ll do the rest!