Granola Energy Balls

I've been wanting to make Granola Balls and/or Bars for quite some time for several reasons.  First of all, I love being in my kitchen.  Second of all I've began to strength train (which I REALLY enjoy) to gain strength and in hopes to prevent injuries from running and need to make sure that I look for ways to increase my protein intake and fuel properly.  And finally, they're just YUMMY!

There are a lot of different recipes out there and it really is fun to try different ingredients and I already have some ideas of what to try next.  Here's the first recipe I tried.

Granola Energy Balls

Adapted from http://themarathonmom.com/granola-energy-balls.htm

Ingredients:

*  2 Cups Oats

*  2 Cups Coconut flakes (I used the unsweetened ones)

*  1 Cup peanut butter (can substitute almond butter)

*  1 Cup ground flaxseed

*  1 Cup Chocolate Chips (I made one batch with chocolate chips and another one with raisins)

*  2/3 Cup honey (I used raw, unfiltered)

*  2 teaspoons vanilla

*  1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Directions:

*  Mix all ingredients thoroughly

*  Roll into bite-size balls

*  Store in fridge 

I've stored mine in the freezer and grab a few to take to work for an afternoon snack.  They are so yummy!!!  

Blessings,

Krystal

A Helpful Workout!

As most of you know several weeks ago I put together my workout plan for now through the rest of 2013.  I'm really liking the miles I have set for every week and the goal to reach 1,000 miles for the year, but I'm really not happy with the cross training plan I have put together.  I'm averaging about 19-24 miles of running per week and then was doing Turbo Fire on my cross training days.  I really like Turbo Fire, but it's just been too much cardio for my non running days and I really don't want to get burned out.  Next to running I REALLY enjoy lifting weights, so I'm actually considering doing more of that and focusing on building my core strength as well.  I'm hoping this will help me become stronger, become a better runner and ultimately to prevent injuries.  Stay tuned as I tried to get that figured out.

Just yesterday I was talking with a friend about how good it feels to be able to be strong enough to help our husbands on projects at home.  Then last night I was talking with my dear husband how I've been frustrated with my cross training, and he had just the idea for me.  Those of you who know my husband, know he's an incredibly talented, hard working and amazing man (so I'm a little biased).  He's currently working on building a wrap around porch for our house and he's doing most of the work himself.

So, while I re-evaluate my cross training, Joshua is going to come up with some things that I can help with on this porch project.  This morning he had me move a pile of wood that he used to form the porch from the patio to the shop.

It wasn't a huge task, but it was definitely something different and it felt good to be able to help my husband!  This workout simply consisted of continuing until the job was done.  I didn't focus on the number of reps, a certain time, I just kept going until the task was complete!

Before I was really committed to evaluating my health and physical activity (about 14 months ago) I wouldn't have had the strength (or desire) to really help my husband in this way.  God has taught me so much about being the wife He has called me to be throughout this journey.  Submitting to this wonderful man and being his helper are tasks I take seriously and with joy!

I'm actually excited to see what he has in mind for my next cross training task for Friday!  I challenge you to think outside the box for your next workout and help someone you love :)

Blessings,

Krystal

New Year's in July!

New Year's always brings resolutions or new goals.  But we all know breaking down our goals to smaller pieces typically results in greater success.  Around New Year's I was still working on my two prior physical goals which was to run a half marathon and lose 25 pounds.  When I set these goals I was a little concerned that they might not be attainable, but I established a plan and just did the best I could each day.

As I've shared before I fell into the trap of allowing fitness to become my idol and had to reevaluate my priorities and make sure that God was first in ALL aspects of my life.  I'm currently going through Beth Moore's bible study 'David,' which I'm really enjoying (more on this journey at a later time)!  This has really helped bring my priorities back in line and draw me closer to Him.

After spending a lot of time in prayer, I've been able to refocus my priorities and establish some goals for the second half of 2013, which I'm really excited about.  First and foremost, my time in prayer in God's word is my first priority.  Time on the computer (or any other device at home) will not take place until my kids are in bed, ensuring that they don't feel like they have to compete with my time!  Keeping these areas, as well as my marriage balanced, will allow me to establish some new physical goals.

And without further ado, here's the new fitness goals!

1.  Run 1,000 Miles in 2013 (I've already run 503 thus far).  This will be a challenge, but I've got a plan and am just going to take one run at a time!  I use Daily Mile to log my workouts, which helps track my progress.

2.  Be able to plank for 7 minutes by the end of the year!  My plan is to begin with 1 minute planks and increase 15 seconds each week.  This will also be a challenge, but I'm hoping the increased focus on my core will help with reaching my first goal!

3.  I will also be using Turbo Fire as cross training on the days that I'm not running.  I needed something to change up my fitness routine to ensure that I'm working different muscles and ensure that I don't get bored!

One crucial lesson that I have learned over the last year is establishing a plan is crucial to success.  When I set up my plan to train for my first half marathon, I put every single workout on my digital calendar.  This ensured that I completed the workout and it also took a lot of thinking and planning out from day-to-day.  So, I set up the goals above, broke out the goals by weeks and then by day.  I'm still working on what the reward will be to myself when I reach these goals but I will get that figured out soon, which is half the fun of setting goals!  Here's a sample of my calendar for the next 6 months.  Having every workout established also helps me move workouts around if necessary when 'life' happens.

I'll admit, this process took me a considerable amount of time to put together, but I'm excited to have a plan in place!  I'll also be posting my weekly workouts on my blog for a couple reasons.  First of all to help hold myself accountable.  

The other reason is because I simply love running buddies.  If any of my girlfriends close by want to run with me on a day I'm scheduled to run, drop me a message and we'll set up a time and location (with a slight disclaimer that I usually run pretty early in the morning)!  I would absolutely love for you to join me for a warm up together, an entire run, or just whatever you have on your training calendar.  We're not on this journey alone and I ALWAYS welcome a running pal!  What goal are you setting for the second half of 2013?  Make it count!!!

Blessings to you on your journey,

Krystal 

Nike Training Club App

My dear husband is snowmobiling this weekend, it's cold outside, my oldest isn't feeling well, BUT I still needed to get a little workout in.  I found this app called Nike Training Club from another blog and gave it a try.  You can pick from a variety of workouts and my kiddos even joined in for a while.  I'm sure the image of the three of us doing wall squats together was entertaining.

And best of all, it's FREE!  Check it out!

Here's a link to grab the app https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nike-training-club/id301521403?mt=8