I was not surprised to see that the "Fattest" cities in this msn.com article were dominated by the south. I mostly blame it on the southern cooking and lifestyle. I'm not sure, but just guessing. That being said, everyone has a choice as to how they maintain their bodies and I know there are plenty of healthy people in some of these cities.

I was however, pleasantly surprised to see that many of the cities I have visited and love, are in the fittest!

I've been to five of the ten and would have to agree. Maybe that's why I've always been drawn to these places? Not necessarily just their beauty and wealth of activities available, but that people are so active. I guess when you have a lot of opportunities, mountains, rivers, bike paths, etc at your finger tips, it's harder to neglect activity.

Why did you choose the city you live in? I've pretty much lived within 45 min of home for my entire life so it's a bit harder to say I chose this place, but if I do ever leave Tracktown, USA, I have dreams of venturing to...the mountains of Colorado, Portland, San Fran or North Carolina.

Today you can catch me guest blogging about life's timelines over at Girl With The Red Hair as Amber and Eric enjoy their time in Cinque Terre, Italy. It was my absolute favorite town on my Europe trip last May. You can read my recap of The Cinque Terre here. It's one of those places that you can only dream about living...so quaint and picturesque.

I've been experimenting a bit with breakfasts. I recently picked up this Stoneyfield vanilla yogurt, which I can add to smoothies, mix in berries, etc.

This was found inside the lid. I totally agree. It says "Organic brings economic opportunities to many small family farms. Organic agriculture also reduces farmer exposure to persistent pesticides known to cause cancer."

I figured it was the perfect time to try out the overnight oats you hear about over the internets. Essentially, you take dry oats, mix in your yogurt (and chia seeds for me), top with berries, bananas, and whatever else you wish and cover it to sit in the fridge overnight.

The verdict? The vanilla yogurt is good, but the raw cold oats just isn't my style. The texture is off. I'd rather make hot oats w/ banana cooked in any day. Have you tried overnight oats?

Happy Tuesday!

The start was an early 7 am er so this chica had to be outta bed by 6am, car loaded and oats prepared by 6:20. I scooted out the door, made it to a parking lot near the start line and met my cheering buddies K & D for some bike fun.

K was borrowing my oooold mountain bike. It took a little getting used to.

It was a beautiful day for a race.

Because a ton of our running groupies were running the 1/2 or full, we saw at least 10 friends go past us at the 8 mile marker. It also made it tough to decide when to abandon ship and head to the next spectating location because everyone is at various paces.

In this photo, we know all three in red. Check out those lightning pants!

There was even a flapjack/banana station around mile 9. The bananas were consumed by many. The pancakes...not so much.


Can you imagine trying to scarf down a pancake during a marathon? I'm guessing it's a correlation with Krusteaz since they are a major race sponsor. I do love me some Krusteaz (honey wheat flavor)!

We ended up seeing the start, the 8 mile corner, some of the 1/2 marathoners finish and then walked backward on the marathon course to spectate from mile 25. It's tough work spectating a marathon...our voices were getting horse near the end.

For the final 200m, the racers enter historic Hayward Field to sprint to the finish. Pretty cool way to end your marathon, I'd say!

Overall, I'd say the race course seemed fun, fairly flat and a little scenic taking runners to a few different parts of town. The weather was perfect, maybe just a tad warm for some.

I got home around 11am and decided to take the pup for a short 2.5 mile run before putting the bike gear back on. It was just too sunny to sit at home. I headed out towards and easy flat route w/ minor rollers and scenic views. 30 miles later, I was starving and done.

Another good (but fly-by-fast) weekend in the books!

Yesterday, I set out on a long (ish) run since I knew today would be marathon spectating madness. In all honesty, it is not a good idea to set out on a long run 1 hr after having about four pumpkin/banana pancakes. But, I kept telling myself that I could take walking breaks in just another 5 min or after the song finished.

Sometimes, you've just gotta give it up to the running gods and believe that walking is best for your unhappy tummy. Might tight hammies didn't mind either. I finally let myself walk back in the door when the Garmin clicked over to 9 miles. Long run, done.

Afterward, I set out for a six year old's birthday party and then on to errands spying on all the marathon runners in town. I made a stop at Nike, a local shoe store and the Eugene Marathon expo. The expo was much smaller than the ones I'm used to (Portland, San Diego, Nashville), but then again MUCH larger than Whidbey Island's.

That being said, I must say that Eugene definitely has the cutest race shirt. Technical fabric AND a cute design is hard to come by with race shirts for some reason. So way to go, Eugene. It seemed to me that there were a lot of local businesses at the expo and not so many national ones trying to get their product out there.

This being just the fourth year of the Eugene marathon, I imagine the bigger companies will jump on board in the next few years. You know racers LOVE samples at the expos, so I tried the SO Delicious coconut milk and a blueberry smoothie they made with it. Mmm...

I may have also stopped by a local shoe store and picked up these shoes fit for a five year old. I don't care. I love me some casual, comfy no socks kind of shoes. Sometimes I feel guilty buying shoes that are not a) for work or b) for running, but ultimately I know these puppies will be worn!

Friday (and Saturday) night we had chicken burritos. I love meals that last two nights. Last night we enjoyed ours while watching The Hurt Locker, which was a long and tense movie.

Near the end I just had to get up and do some things (wash dishes, get the bike gear out for marathon spectating) because I can't stand sitting for 2+ hrs straight.

Today, the weather was sunny and perfect (IMO) for the 1/2 and full marathoners. But more details about that TOMORROW! Meanwhile, the flowers manfriend planted last weekend are enjoying the sunshine.

And Jonah, she's ready for dinner. Not gonna lie, so am I. After a 30 mile bike ride in the sun, I've been famished the last few hours.

See ya tomorrow for a spectator's view of the Eugene Marathon!

Well, not to much to report on these fronts. It's a busy work day ahead full of meetings, which is unlike most of my Fridays. And, I'm wearing black slacks rather than my typical Friday jean attire, but hey, it's still FRIDAY!

After work, I'll be jetting over to watch some serious runners do their thing at the Oregon Relays. Our SPEED coach, Lauren Fleshman will be running the 5k and other elite runners will be at Hayward doing their thing. Should be fun!

And last night, I was proud of myself. After donning the spandex and heading over to the track to meet the group, I was prepped for a tough workout. I got 15 min of warm up in, we did some drills, a few strides and it was time for the fun to begin.

I chose the pusher workout, while most everyone else was doing a shorter version because they're racing on Sunday.

Here's how I fared:
1600m - 7:17
1600m - 7:12
1200m - 5:22
800m - too tired to calculate
400m - 1:39

Thankfully, we had 2 min rest between each interval. But I was pretty happy that I was able to hold a steady pace the entire time, especially when I tend to start out too fast when attempting tempo pace.

This morning I definitely needed that 25 min yoga for runners session for some tight hamstrings. I need to stretch those better after EVERY run. Are you 'good' at stretching? I know it's really important, but often it's just too cold out or I just want to jump in the shower rather than lay around in sweaty spandex.

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend! I'm not sure what I'm doing yet, besides the marathon spectating and a long run, but I hope I find a little time to relax.

I'm generally half and half. Most of the time, I have good intentions of getting up, going for a walk, heading to the gym for a quick lifting session or just read a magazine and eat lunch anywhere BUT over my keyboard. But often, that's where I find myself.

Yesterday, I was a little stressed, grabbed my lunch, Lean Forward into your Life, and my reusable grocery bag and headed to our local shi shi market. I did a little grocery shopping before sitting down at their tables (just for customers who come in to grab lunch - or in my case groceries, including a Kombucha I enjoyed w/ lunch). It was a nice way to enjoy a new scenery, get some good produce and actually relax on my lunch break.

I highly recommend it!

Also, in Active's enewsletter, I spied Eugene, OR (my city) listed as the first of the Top 5 Trail Running Destinations in U.S.!

I was also excited to see that Nashville, Santa Fe and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan were included because I know people who've lived/will live in all of these places! K (good friend and running buddy) will be moving to the land of the honky tonk for more school, Heather from DOTR is from New Mexico, and the manfriend went to college in the UP of Michigan and raves about it.

Happy almost Friday! I'm excited for the weekend to get here. This Sunday is the Eugene Marathon, so while I'm not running the 1/2 or the full, a lot of my friends are and it will be fun to spectate on le bike w/ friend K. Plus, the city will be jam packed with crazy runners. I think I might even head to the expo...just for fun.

In reading these words, I thought they also might touch and inspire others.

Even in failure, do we not find often that our vision and resolve are strengthened? Perhaps what is more important than hitting exactly what you are aiming at is the simple act of aiming, in itself.

To actively move in the direction of your dreams and be open to the voice of the universe. To pursue each promising lead and allow the story to unfold. But considering our daily lives, it is a struggle for most of us to build up any kind of momentum at all. We find ourselves idling in what we think are pressing tasks. There is something to be said for stability and consistency, but I believe that if you do not make room in your life for purpose and passion, there will never be any.

And just a page later, I was struck by this.

If I am disatisfied with the where of where I stand and the what of what I do, I can either:
a) change the dreams I'm dreaming or
b) love the life I'm living and live it knowing it is everything I need.
~ Lean Forward into your Life by Mary Anne Radmacher

As a person who never quite feels satisfied with the where or the what, this gives some perspective to simply enjoying it. After all, THIS life is all that we have. Things may not be perfect or easy, but the truth is, if we have shelter and people we love (who love us back), what more do we need?

I need to take it easier on myself and let the journey happen. And not only that, I need to ENJOY the ride as it happens. Thanks for the book recommendation, Lisa!

Last night after a soppy run and whipping up pasta for dinner, I was feeling the itch to try out a new recipe. I settled on The Single Dish's 'Super Awesome Granola' because who can pass up a recipe with that name? I highly recommend making this if you're not necessarily hungry for a sweet treat, but want a divine smelling kitchen and a little breakfast pizaz to save for later.

Recipe:
*I made a few slight changes to this recipe swapping canola oil for vegetable oil and traded pecans for almonds and walnuts. I also nixed the flaxseed bc I didn't have any and threw in some chia seeds instead.

2 cups oats
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup almonds
1/2-1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup flaxseeds
1/2 cup coconut
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 cups dried cherries

And be sure to watch your granola carefully. My oven is hot and I overcooked the mixture just a bit too much. Not burnt, but just a little more toasty than I'd prefer.

First, mix up the oats, coconut, brown sugar, nuts and spices.

A kitchen helper is necessary.

Pure maple syrup is the key here.

Stir the wet (maple syrup, vanilla, oil) into the dry (oat and spice mixture).

Lay it all out on a cookie sheet. Bake at 300 deg for 35 min, stirring every 10 min or so.

Finally, mix in the tart cherries (I chose TJ's brand)!

It makes a great topper to a green monster smoothie, although the cherries did sink to bottom.

I'm looking forward to making the fruit and yogurt parfait with this. Yum.

In other news, it's pouring here. Sometimes the rain just makes me not care about how frumpy my work outfit may be. Today, for example, I'm wearing a pair of old gap pants that are a size or so too big and just hang from the hips. Bah! Here's to sunshine returning quick to these parts (and a JCrew shopping spree, of course)!

This morning I headed off at 8:30 am to meet a local group for a 9am ride that was flat and about 35 miles. We meet at a park before the group pedals away at all sorts of speeds.

Within a few miles, I was dropped from the front pack, but luckily caught a couple I know from running. While the rest of the group went 18 mph or so, we rode at our pedestrian 15-16 mph. Although it frustrated me that I can't keep up with the main pack, I know that it simply means I need to continue riding regularly to build my cycling muscles. Plus, I had a nice ride and got to chat with two friends so it wasn't that bad.

I got home with 40 miles under my wheels. Then I took the dog for a nice walk/run in the sun.

In other news, last night the runners met for happy hour and then headed to the Banff Mountain Film Festival. The videos were completely amazing. If the festival is coming to your city, I HIGHLY recommend snagging a ticket.

My favorite by far was Rowing the Atlantic with Roz Savage. Click on the link to watch the short preview of her story.

"A few years ago, Roz Savage gave up what for many would be an ideal life (husband, great job, big house), picked up a few pairs of rowing oars and a boat to go with them and set off across the Atlantic Ocean — alone — in a rowboat." -Banff Film Fest

Has anyone ever been to a Banff film fest? Well, I'm off to tend to dinner. My crock pot just dinged so that means it's time to add the bbq sauce to our pulled pork! Yum.

Easiest recipe ever (thanks to Kristin @ IowaGirlEats)...crock pot, pork shoulder, dried onion soup mix, 1/4 cup balsamic and 1/2 cup water. Add bbq sauce afterward. Do you know an easier recipe that gives so much in return? I know I sure don't!

In honor of earth day, manfriend and I both biked it to work yesterday. Plus, the weather happened to show all sun so I wasn't discouraged. I managed to stuff all my work clothes, food, and running shoes into my backpack for the day.

I also made a pretty awesome sandwich if I do say so myself. Enclosed between Dave's Killer Bread is: avocado, blackberry jam, sharp aged Irish cheddar, spinach and smoked turkey.

Manfriend thought I was crazy to be putting jam in the mix, but let me tell ya, it went peeerfectly with the sharp cheddar.

It kind of reminded me of Kath's Crofter's sandwiches that always look AMAZING. Next time you make a sandwich, I highly recommend using your favorite jam paired w/ cream cheese or any cheese in fact.

When 6pm rolled around it was time for tempo work with the group. Our options were: 3, 4 or 5 mile tempo. After Wednesday's boot camp full of walking lunges, jump squats with weights and alternating jumping lunges, the legs were not feeling the tempo work. I squeeked out the 3 mile version, cooled down for another mile with K, and then ran another 1.5 mi back to the office. 6.5 miles done.

Sweaty and tired, I pulled on the bike shorts and shoes and slowly pedaled my way home. There's nothing like speed workout to make you feel like a fairly flat 5 mile ride is tough.

Manfriend arrived home shortly after and we got to work on chicken nachos. Yum. It's the perfect fun, easy, protein filled meal to throw together. Then we raced up to his friends house to visit for a bit (while the guys chatted bikes). They had a baby six months ago who is now squealing, rolling over, and making motor boat sounds with her mouth. It was absolutely adorable.

Okay, enough baby talk. It's time to get this Friday going. I took the dog for a nice 25 min walk and then did 20 min of a Dave Farmar podcast. Time for breakfast! I don't know where the week went, but halleluiah for Friday (and happy hr)!