I didn’t really know what to expect going into my weekend with Transamerica and Rock n Roll.  I was excited about the opportunity but (kind of) nervous about running a half-marathon.  It would be my longest run to date.

The weekend was even better than I could’ve dreamed!  From the expo, to the interviews, the entire crew, all of the runners, and the actual race, Rock n Roll San Francisco was the perfect place for my racing debut.

I started the weekend with interviews and photos with Steve from You & Me Productions.  This is the first in a series of interviews that will follow my journey throughout the year.   The interview took place on a Trolley Car – an iconic piece of San Francisco history.  Next I headed to the expo; expos are one of my favorite things about race weekend.  I love the energy, I love the runners, and I love being a part of this unique community!  I worked the Transamerica booth and had a chance to talk with runners and family members.  People had a chance to guess how many runners I would pass, and it was fun to hear their guesses.  Some people asked a lot of questions: “How fast are you?, What time do you hope to finish?, Have you ever run a half-marathon?, What’s your fastest time? How many people do you think you will pass? How many people are running the race?” and others just picked a random number and wrote it down.  Here are a few of my favorite guesses: A LOT!, 1 billion, 50,000, zero (this person didn’t have any faith in me, ha!); I also got a lot of very precise guesses – 5127, 7342, 9,682, etc.  I finished the day with an interview with Joe from The Marathon Show.  He’s a great guy and it was fun to finally meet him (I’ve been seeing him at expos for years!).

I headed to the expo again on Saturday.  The day started with a Q&A session, hosted by John “The Penguin” Bingham and myself.  I had a chance to talk about the Transamerica Tomorrow Chaser program and why I’m so excited to partner with Transamerica.  More than anything, I love being a part of something that creates better tomorrows for people!  After the Q&A session I headed back to the booth for more guessing games and interaction with runners.  I had a chance to (finally) meet Sheena from SheenaBean13 and Daniel from Daddy’s Running, plus some many others that had heard about the Tomorrow Chaser program or “knew” me from my blog.  It was fun to connect with so many different people.

BJ, LJ, and I had a chance to explore the city after the expo each day.  We took long walks, ate at cool restaurants, and even found the best Tequila bar for miles.  I’m really thankful that they were able to come and be a part of this special (and important) weekend.   It was fun to spend time with Transamerica and my family.

On Saturday night, we had an opportunity that will likely never happen again: attend a party on the top floor of the Transamerica Pyramid.  Wow!  What an incredible view of the city – and beyond – from the 48^th floor of this iconic building.  It was such a cool experience.

After the party, BJ, LJ, and I headed back to the hotel for race prep and bedtime.  The weather was expected to be beautiful for race day and I had everything ready to go: shorts, Transmerica jersey, running shoes, socks, garmin, sunglass, and honey stingers (plus all of my pre-race clothes and of course, my breastpump #momproblems).  I was ready and excited for race day.  More than anything, I couldn’t wait to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

My guess for race day was between 4,000 – 5,000 runners passed (which would equal $4-5,000 for St. Jude).  My secret-don’t-tell-anybody goal was to pass 6,000 runners.  What’s your guess?!

To be continued…

Read Part II to find out how much money I raised, and read my race report.

For more info and miles, check out: Transamerica, Rock n Roll, and {will run for margaritas}

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Transamerica
Twitter: @Transamerica
Pinterest: http://tr.pinterest.com/transamerica/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RnRMarathonSeries
Twitter: @runrocknroll
Instagtram: runrocknroll
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/runrocknroll/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/willrunformargaritas
Twitter: @run4margaritas
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5 weeks ago I was given an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up: partner with Transamerica, run a couple half-marathons throughout the year, and raise money for a variety of charities, including St. Jude and Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Even though I was barely running (I started back 3 months ago), I knew that I wanted to be a part of what Transamerica is doing!  Transamerica believes that living an active lifestyle leads to healthier individuals and a healthier society – and so do I.

That’s why I’m running Rock n Roll San Francisco this weekend.  For every runner I pass, $1 is donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

So, I dare you.  Take a guess.  11,000 runners are registered for the race. How much money do you think I can raise for St. Jude?  Remember, I’m 5 months postpartum so I’m not the fastest I’ve been.  But I’m motivated and encouraged by this cause, and you better believe I’ll be running as fast as I can!

If you’re running RnR San Francisco, stop by the Transamerica booth to say Hi, ask questions, and take a guess.  For more information, check out the Transamerica press release {here}

Transamerica, Rock n Roll, and {will run for margaritas} will follow my progress, check us out for more info:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Transamerica
Twitter: @Transamerica
Pinterest: http://tr.pinterest.com/transamerica/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RnRMarathonSeries
Twitter: @runrocknroll
Instagtram: runrocknroll
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/runrocknroll/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/willrunformargaritas
Twitter: @run4margaritas
Instagram: http://web.stagram.com/n/run4margaritas
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/run4margaritas/

I’m so excited to announce that I have been selected as the 2014 Transamerica Tomorrow Chaser! Transamerica is one of the world’s leading financial services companies providing insurance, investments and more to 19.5 million customers.  Yet they see themselves mush differently than “just an insurance company”.  Transamerica believes that living an active lifestyle leads to healthier individuals and a healthier society.  That’s why we’re teaming up to run and raise money for a good cause!

To kick off our partnership, I’ll be running the Rock n Roll San Francisco Half Marathon on April 6, 2014.  I’ll start from the last corral and for every person I pass, Transamerica will donate $1 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, one of the world’s premier centers for the research and treatment of pediatric cancer and other deadly childhood diseases.

I couldn’t be more excited!

Join me at the Health & Fitness Expo at the Moscone Center April 4-5.  You’ll have a chance learn more about Transamerica, meet me and the Transamerica team, and ask questions related to running and training.  I’m leading a Q&A session on Saturday, April 5, at 11am; be sure to attend if you have questions about training, running, nutrition, and more.

My favorite part?  Guess how many runners I’m going to pass and you’ll have a chance to win prizes (at the Transamerica booth)!  Remember, I’m 5 months post-partum, so cut me a little slack (haha).

If you can’t make it to San Francisco, I’m also running Rock n Roll Philadelphia (September) and Rock n Roll Los Angeles (October).
Transamerica, Rock n Roll, and {will run for margaritas} will follow my progress, check us out for more info:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Transamerica
Twitter: @Transamerica
Pinterest: http://tr.pinterest.com/transamerica/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RnRMarathonSeries
Twitter: @runrocknroll
Instagtram: runrocknroll
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/runrocknroll/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/willrunformargaritas
Twitter: @run4margaritas
Instagram: http://web.stagram.com/n/run4margaritas
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/run4margaritas/

I’m Irish so I love St. Patrick’s Day and all things {green}.  To celebrate – and to counterbalance the green beer I’ll be drinking later – I’ve rounded up a variety of my favorite and healthy recipes that all have one thing in common- they’re green.

Green Smoothie  

Kale & Quinoa Stir Fry

Kale & Potato Soup

Tuscan & Green Lentil Salad 

Kale “wedge” Salad – via Cooking with Kale

Green Goddess Juice
Kale, Romaine, Cucumber, Celery, Green Apple, Mint, Lime

What’s your favorite {green} recipe?

For more recipes & margaritas, follow me:
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Fact: You’re going to lose your mind when you take the first bite of black bean tostadas with pickled veggies.  The flavors burst with healthy goodness and perfection.  It’s colorful and beautiful.  And my “I need protein” loving husband loved this all-vegetarian meal.

By now you probably know that I like easy recipes (and bonus if it’s delicious).  This meal checks both boxes, and quite possibly takes the cake.  It’s insanely delicious!

Ingredients
4 large carrots, shredded
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 cup chopped cauliflower
bunch of radish, chopped
1 cup romaine lettuce
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 ripe avocado, diced
1 can black beans, drained and mashed
corn tortillas
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tbsp chili powder

Directions

Pickled Veggies:  Place carrot, peppers, onion, cauliflower, and white wine vinegar in a medium bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.  Let marinate for one hour.

Meanwhile, heat over to 400 degrees.  Place tortillas on baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes.  Flip, and bake another 5 minutes.
Mash beans and stir in chili powder.  Spread beans evenly over warm tortillas.  Top with pickled veggies, lettuce, avocado, cilantro, and serve.

Enjoy!

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During my pregnancy I really embraced my inner yogi.  For 40 weeks, I practiced yoga 3-4 times/week and truly believe it helped with flexibility, strength, fitness and overall well-being.  Once I was cleared for exercise, I was excited to get back on the mat.  I wanted to move.  I wanted to stretch.  I wanted my pre-baby body.  But more than anything, I wanted to share my love of movement with my little guy!

After talking with my favorite yoga instructors, I was sold on the idea of Mommy & Me yoga.  Baby gets love, attention, stretching, movement, interaction, and fun.  Mom gets to vinyasa and strengthen core muscles – and be a mom, without judgement!  Feeding baby, changing diapers, and letting baby talk (or cry) is encouraged. LJ and I started practicing when he was 10 weeks old and it’s been such a wonderful – and fun – way to bond!

While every class is (slightly) different, the idea is that both baby and mom have the opportunity to move; movement is beneficial for neuromuscular development, range of motion, and sleep (!!).    A well-taught mom & baby yoga class will have a healthy mix of poses for baby, poses for mom, and poses done in tandem. Our particular class begins with whole body stretches and massage for baby, followed by vinyasa flows for me – and even though I get a few minutes to move on my own, I incorporate LJ into my practice.  My favorite part of class is kissing him on the belly when I chaturanga.  He laughs and smiles, and loves it!  During core exercises, I grab the little guy and we work on getting my 6-pack abs back.  Toward the end of the class, we partner with other moms/babies and stretch, sing, move, and laugh.  LJ and I have so much fun together!

taking “corpse pose” (almost) literally

If you’re still on the fence, consider these benefits from my favorite yoga teacher, my doula, and owner of the newly opened, Blue Nectar Yoga, Jane Bahneman:

For mom, getting out as soon as possible and meeting other moms who are experiencing the same stresses of motherhood is incredibly beneficial. Sometimes just knowing you are not alone is enough to help you plow through the first few long weeks and months of seemingly never-ending changes! Physically, yoga is a great way to ease back into post-partum exercise. The deep core work and pelvic floor focus of yoga goes right to the places that need the most attention. New habits of nursing, carrying baby, bags, and car seats all can wreak havoc – yoga helps to counteract this. The breath work is invaluable, tapping into the part of the central nervous that reminds moms to “relax and renew” and that all is well (even when in the middle of chaos!). Lack of sleep, irregular sleep patterns, shifting hormones, a new lifestyle and more all can contribute to chronic sensations of stress and irregular moods. Yoga can help stabilize you from the inside out.

And the benefits for baby? Babies are natural born yogis! They love to move and contort their perfect little new bodies! Yoga poses for babies can get their blood really flowing to their quickly growing brain and can activate the muscles that help baby hold head up, roll over, crawl, and more. Not to mention, a group of babies rolling around together and giggling on yoga mats is nothing short of hilarious! If you enter class tired and distraught, I promise you won’t leave that way!

I couldn’t agree more – thanks, Jane!

If you live in Northern Virginia, check out my favorite studios:

Arlington
Tranquil Space
Wednesday & Friday at 10:30am
Teacher: Elizabeth has a beautiful and gentle demeanor.  She is wonderful with both mom and baby, and you can tell that she really loves babies.  She remembers certain things about mom/baby and this personal touch really sets her apart from other teachers!

Mind the Mat

Falls Church
Interested in starting a mom & me yoga class? Blue Nectar Yoga Studio just opened in Falls Church, VA and they aim to please! Fill out the ‘contact’ form on the website expressing interest – if enough moms are “in” then so are we! www.bluenectaryoga.com

now that I’m a mom – and one that breastfeeds – I have to extra careful with what I put in my body.  Did you know that Nyquil decreases milk supply?  And sage?

In my previous life I cooked with sage (double check your Italian Seasonings) and took Nyquil without thinking anything of it.  Now, I read labels (“if pregnant or breastfeeding…”) and if those labels tell me to call a doctor, I do it.

Two days ago I felt a cold coming on.  While normally healthy, I think a combination of weather and lack of sleep (4-month sleep regression, anyone?) weakened my immune system.  That night I reached for the Nyquil – and saw the dreaded text…  So, I skipped the Nyquil and called our Pediatrician the next morning.  Nyquil contains 3 major ingredients, 2 are okay but the third causes a decrease in milk supply.  I don’t know about you, but even though I have a good supply I never want to risk it.

I had to get creative.  I had to figure out a way to feel better, naturally.  So, I took it back to the basics.

If you’re breastfeeding or prefer a natural/homeopathic approach to combating illness, try these remedies:

Raw honey, lemon, and garlic shots: this simple (and actually, tasty) shot helps supercharge your immune system.  Take one or two of these per day during peak flu activity when viral transmission is at its highest (usually January-March).  Recipe/Source

Neti Pot:  Even though it’s an awkward feeling and totally unsexy, I love my Neti Pot.  The Neti Pot is used to help wash the nasal cavity and flush out excess mucus and debris from the nose and sinuses.  Salt water flushing can also loosen and thin the mucus, making it easier to expel. Without this build-up of mucus, the tiny cilia, or hairs in the nasal passage are able to function more efficiently, pushing excess mucus either to the back of the throat or to the nose to be expelled. (source)

Salt-Water Gargle: An oldie but a goodie.  If you have a sore throat, make a salt-water gargle by mixing a teaspoon of salt in a small glass of warm water.  Gargle for 30 seconds and spit out (do not swallow).

Clear My Head Herbal Inhalation:  CMH is a custom blend of seven pure essential oils and all natural herbs.  It helps open sinuses and inhibits airborne pathogens.
Buy here

Others:
Take a hot, steamy bath
Drink lots of water (hydration is key)
Sip hot water with honey to help soothe a sore throat

Well, I’m off to take a steamy shower while sipping hot water honey, gargling a salt-water, and neti-potting.  I’ll end my night with a raw honey, lemon, and garlic shot.  Who needs wine when I have shots of garlic?!

Here’s to hoping this helps…

For more motherhood & margaritas, follow me:
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Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or physician.  Opinions are my own.

Every once in awhile a really easy dinner is really quite delicious.  Chickpea and almond pasta fits this description perfectly.  This pasta dinner is easy and the ingredients are simple but when combined, it’s a wonderful combination.  The leftovers are just as tasty!

Ingredients
1 can chickpeas
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2 handful sliced almonds
bunch of flat leaf parsley, chopped (save some for topping)
juice of 2 lemons
splash of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Spaghetti (or angel hair) pasta

Directions

Cook pasta according to packaging.  Meanwhile, saute onion and chickpeas until cooked through.  Strain pasta and combine all ingredients, add salt & pepper and lemon and combine.  Top pasta will additional parsley.

enjoy!

For more recipes & margaritas, follow me:
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