How To Drive A Runner Crazy

June 9, 2014 / ktbuchs87

The number one way that you can drive a runner crazy is to tell them they can’t run. Then just sit back and watch the madness ensue. For the past month or so, I have not been able to run because of a knee injury. I thought that I should share this experience with you because I know that some of you may have dealt with this yourself. Or, although I really hope not, you might have to deal with it in the future. This has been a tough month, but I do think some good has come from me having to deal with this injury.

Towards the end of April, Adam and I were doing a workout together that included some running along with squats and pushups. During the running parts, I noticed a little twinge on the outside of my knee, but didn’t pay much attention to it because it wasn’t bothering or hindering me in any way. That changed near the end of the workout when I could barely run/walk because of the pain in my knee. I thought that I had just over worked myself that week and just needed a little rest/ice and my knee would be good to go. I have been extremely lucky in my time as a runner that I have had practically no serious injuries. So I rested all the next day and iced my knee and by Monday morning it felt better, so out I went for my run. About 3 minutes in, the pain was back full force and I had to hobble my way back home.

Thus began my time of not running. This was the first time in my whole running “career” that I had to stop running for longer than a few days. I immediately went into panic mode and jumped to the worst possible conclusions and thought, “What if I can never run again?” Yes, I can tend to be a little overdramatic. The first few days of not running, I was pretty miserable. To make matters worse, running was the ONLY thing that irritated my knee. I would do yoga, my crossfit like workouts, walk, ride my bike, and anything else you can think of and my knee would be fine. But start to put one foot in front of the other in a running motion, and I was down for the count. This was also right around the time that all the stress of our future move started to really pile up. All I wanted to do was go for a run but I couldn’t. I knew that I needed an outlet for all that pent up frustration, so I started to bike in the mornings.

I do not like biking. I still do not like biking. In fact I probably dislike it more now than I did before my injury. Biking just is not my thing. I like the idea of biking and I respect and appreciate all the people out there who love to bike. My husband is a biker, and I love to encourage him to bike more and do what he loves. But put me on two wheels and tell me to go, and I will make a face like a kid being told to eat a worm. You’re probably wondering two things at this point, 1. Why did she replace running with biking if she hates it and 2. Has she ever eaten a worm and is that why she used that analogy? To answer the second question, no I have never eaten a worm, don’t worry. To answer the second, it’s a little complicated.

The simple, quick answer is because I thought I had to ride my bike if I wasn’t running. The more complicated, and more honest answer, is I was afraid. Running has become my therapy. It was one of the catalysts for finally taking charge of my health and changing and I have fallen in love with it. Running had always been there and it had always helped me, even if I didn’t think I needed help. Now it was gone and I was afraid of what would happen to me. I was afraid that I would lose ground in my overall health and fitness. I was afraid that if I stopped running I would never run again. I was afraid that I would somehow turn into the old me before I decided to change my life and become healthier. I didn’t want to wake up one morning and look in the mirror and see the unhealthy girl that was never totally confident about herself staring back at me. I thought that without running I would immediately lose all I had gained as well as gain all that I had lost.

As this month has gone by, I can tell you that none of my fears have come true. Once I stopped pouting about not being able to run and came to terms with that fact that if I wanted to get totally better I had to stop running, I realized that I could do this. Being a runner isn’t the only thing that makes me me. Running isn’t the only thing that has made me healthier these past few years. It’s funny, but once I took away running, I was able to see all of the other areas of my life that I am really good at and that promote my overall health. I am pretty decent at yoga, and poses that I always thought were out of my reach actually come quite naturally when I focus and concentrate on my form. I am strong. I can do squats for days, and I am almost to being able to crank out a good number of full pushups, something I have struggled with for a long time. I am fairly good at coming up with creative ways to use the foods I eat on a regular basis. I am getting better at using the ingredients I have on hand to make delicious and healthy meals. While to a certain extent I have always been confident in the kitchen, I have become even more so and I am also more confident in doing my own thing and not always following a recipe to the T.

Without running, I would never have discovered or paid much attention to these other areas of my life and I would have missed out on the other great things that make me, me. But it’s time to bring running back. I miss it a lot. I miss the feel of the ground beneath my feet as I finally hit my stride. I miss the smell of the trees and grass as summer is making it’s way to the midwest. I miss the feeling of accomplishment and invincibility that follows a ten mile run. I even miss the it hurts so good sessions of foam rolling my IT band. This week I am going to start to slowly add running back to my life. I am still a little nervous that the pain will come back in the first few minutes of my run. I still have the irrational fear of never being able to run again. But I also have the newfound knowledge that just because I define myself as a runner, that isn’t the only thing that defines me.

Coming to You Live From Chicago!

June 2, 2014 / ktbuchs87

Hello from Chicago! My husband, Adam, and I are finally living in the Windy City. We moved into our apartment a little over a week ago and have settled in these past few days. We have really enjoyed getting to explore our new neighborhood and learn where everything is. Every morning we head out to the Chicago Lakefront Trail and ride up and down enjoying the beaches and parks all along the way. The city has so much to offer us and we are very excited to take full advantage.

This move was the most stressful move for me that we’ve ever done. All our other moves were of a smaller scale, as in we would just move down the street or at least within the same town. We didn’t have to rent a truck, figure out a new city, leave our job, or worry about where to run outside (ok, that last one is just me!). I admitted to Adam yesterday as we were walking around outside, that while I was ok with moving for his new job, I had been absolutely terrified to move to Chicago. I was afraid that I would hate everything about city living. All the people, cramped spaces, a smaller apartment, a grocery store I didn’t know, unfamiliar streets, higher cost on everything, and no concrete job position for me. I was truly worried that I was not made to live in a more urban area and that I would quickly isolate myself with my cat in my apartment. I knew in my head that moving here was the best decision for us, but I just couldn’t convince my heart that was true.

This wasn’t even totally full yet. Thank goodness Adam is a Tetris champ!

One of my biggest problems is that I tend to internalize my stress and worries instead of sharing them. I bottle up my feelings and soldier on because I feel like that is what I should do. No one needs to carry the burden of my problems other than me. Of course that is ridiculous. No one can keep all of their problems to themselves without breaking under the pressure at some point. By keeping all my worries to myself, I negatively impacted my health. I developed a cold a few days before our move and I am still getting over it. A few weeks before the move, my knee started to hurt so bad that I could no longer run on it. I still have not been able to run, and I am trying my hardest to rest and let it heal. During the actual move, I lost my appetite and didn’t eat the same healthy meals that I normally make and I also didn’t drink as much water as I normally do. All of these things added up to me feeling crummy and that is not how you want to feel when you have to move. I felt weak and could barely help Adam move and load our boxes. I felt exhausted during the day and wanted nothing more than to take long naps all day. Even my face started to break out. Health wise, I was pretty much a wreck.

Bedroom. Haven’t done much to this room other than put our stuff in it. We’ll get to it soon….

If you go back and read my other posts about moving, you’ll probably notice a similar theme. I start to stress, keep it to myself, and my health turns into a mess. Why can’t I seem to get my act together and why do I keep telling you about it? I am not perfect, far from it, in fact. Even though I enjoy being healthy and do my best to do all the things I know make me feel and look my best, I still fail from time to time. I know that many of you feel that becoming healthier is really hard and you get frustrated when you fail. I am the same way. I am slowly learning though that being healthy isn’t about being perfect 100% of the time.

It’s ok to fail or not do something as well as you had hoped. It isn’t how you fail that defines your health, it’s how you deal with the fallout. Rather than wallow in your shortcomings and quit, pick yourself up and get right back in the game. Use that experience to help shape your healthy journey in a positive way. Learn from your mistakes and when the same obstacle arises next time you will be able to overcome it. I am getting better at being ok with my imperfections and knowing that my overall health is more important that the tiny little things I do everyday. As long as you are working towards being healthy and the majority of your choices and decisions are good ones, I promise you that your health will be just fine. One setback every now and then is not going to totally derail all the hard work you have done.

Tiny kitchen, but I make it work!

While I am hoping that I won’t have to move for a long time (I would love to live in an apartment for more than one leasing period!), I know that this move has taught me so much for the next one. I am also happy to say that I absolutely LOVE living in Chicago. All my fears and doubts are gone and I am relishing living in a new area. It is exactly what Adam and I needed to continue to grow in our lives and in our relationship. We had gotten all that we could from our previous area and it was time to move on. Now big things are in store for the next chapter of our life and I can not wait to get started!

Shot of the living room/office and the dining room. This is where most of our attention has been focused for the time being!

Mac N’ Greens

May 16, 2014 / ktbuchs87

In one week, Adam and I will officially live in Chicago. Technically our lease started yesterday but we won’t be moving until next Thursday. This move has come really fast and while I still have a to do list a mile long, I don’t feel as stressed as I usually do when we move. Although that could all change in an instant, talk to me next week! This will probably be my last post for a few weeks while we get everything moved and settled in our new place. Once we’re in Chicago though my blogging will be much more regular and there will be some changes happening to the site! Excited for all the new things that we are going to do and experience in the next few weeks!

This meal is a quick and easy meal to throw together and it makes a lot of leftovers. It’s kind of the perfect meal to make when you’re moving to a new city…

Mac N’ Greens

1 package of pasta (I used brown rice pasta to keep it gluten free. Whole wheat would be good too)
1 bag of frozen kale or spinach, thawed (could also use fresh and whatever green you want like collard or mustard)
Olive oil
1 onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup raw cashews
1 3/4 cup vegetable broth or water
1 1/2 cup cooked cannellini beans (or 1 can)
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp brown mustard

1. If you’re using dried beans, soak them overnight, then drain and rinse them and cook them on the stove for about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2. Make sure your greens are completely thawed. If you are using fresh, chop them up and set aside. Cook your pasta according to the directions on the package. Once the pasta is cooked, drain and set aside.

3. In a medium skillet saute the onions in olive oil for about 5 to 7 minutes until they are soft. Add in the garlic and saute for another minute or two.

4. In a blender or food processor, grind the cashews until they are a fine powder. Add in about 1 cup of the broth or water and blend until smooth. Add in the onions and garlic, beans, lemon juice, and mustard. Combine until smooth and add in salt and pepper to taste.

5. In a large pot, combine the pasta and greens until fully mixed together. Pour the sauce into the pot and heat over medium heat until everything is warmed through.

Enjoy your delicious and nutritious pasta dish, and I’ll see you in Chicago!

“Parmesan” Topping

May 9, 2014 / ktbuchs87

Growing up, my sister and I topped many a meal with the green container of “shake-y cheese”. Thats what we called it in our house, because you could shake cheesy goodness on to anything. Clever I know. I also know that shake-y cheese isn’t really cheese at all, but that didn’t stop it from tasting delicious sprinkled on top of a big ol’ plate of spaghetti. There are a variety of different healthier and dairy free versions of this topping out there, but I think this one comes closest to the salty and slightly buttery taste of my beloved shake-y cheese. Plus it is really simple to make a bunch and then store it in a container in the fridge. Make this and get to shakin’!

“Parmesan” Topping

1 cup walnut pieces
3-4 tablespoons nutritional yeast, depending on how cheesy you want the flavor to be
2-3 tsp salt, depending on taste

1. Preheat oven to 250. In a blender or food processor, pulse the walnuts a few times until coarsely chopped. Add in nutritional yeast and salt and process everything until it has a fine breadcrumb like texture.

2. Line a large baking pan with parchment paper or a silpat. Spread the walnut mixture evenly over the pan and place in the oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes in 10 minute increments. After each 10 minutes move the mixture around so it doesn’t burn. It will be done when it has a nice golden brown color.

3. Let the topping cool and then transfer to a container. You can store this in your fridge for up to a month.

Simple and easy way to add flavor to any of your meals! This is great on vegetables, lasagna, spaghetti, casseroles, or anything else your little heart desires. Enjoy!

Health Reminders

May 5, 2014 / ktbuchs87

I think that we can all agree and say that no one is perfect, especially when it comes to health. Even celebrities and fitness trainers and those in the health world have their imperfect moments no matter how healthy they seem. As we move from winter into spring, I thought it would be a good idea to give a few tips and reminders about your health. You can call it spring cleaning if you’d like, but take just a few moments and assess your lifestyle and make sure you’re getting the most out of your healthy journey.

1. Water, water, WATER!!! This was the biggest reminder for me lately. I had been really good about drinking a lot of water heading into the winter months, but as it got colder and colder, water seemed less appealing to me. I pretty much stopped drinking any extra water January through February and boy could my body tell! I was tired, sluggish, and just had an overall lack of energy. I attributed it to the long, cold winter months but in all honesty, part of it was my lack of water consumption. Now I have a 1 liter water bottle that I keep with me and try to drink one if not more of those per day. I’m not going to tell you some specific amount of water that you have to drink in order to be healthy, just make sure to drink enough where you don’t feel water-logged or too thirsty. It really helps to keep a refillable bottle with you at all times and just sip throughout the day. Don’t like the taste of just plain water? Try adding lemon or lime for a little flavor!

2. Eat Seasonally. Many of us can get any fruit or vegetable that we want at any time of the year, whether it is in season or not. This isn’t a bad thing, believe me, I have my fair share of out of season food all the time (hello sweet potatoes!). I’m not saying you have to eat only foods that are in season, but it does make a difference. For example, I had been roasting up a whole butternut squash over the fall/winter months and using that in meals throughout the week. I started to notice though that around the end of January and into February, the butternut squash didn’t taste as good as it had before, the selection was getting smaller, and the price was getting higher. Take a look at the food you regularly prepare and see if there are any seasonal changes that you can make. Check out your local grocery store and see what produce they have on sale or look at a list of seasonal foods and pick something new to work with. Eating seasonally is a great way to keep your diet varied, eat the most nutrient dense food possible, and spend your money smartly.

3. Get Some Sun. Most of us stay squirreled away in our homes during the winter months, trying to stay as warm and cozy as possible. This past winter was a doozy, and if I could avoid it I stayed away from the great outdoors as much as possible. When I did have to venture out into the tundra, I was so bundled up that only a slit for my eyes was all that was exposed to the air. With the warmer weather, it’s time to get some outside time in! You don’t have to spend a ton of time outside, but even 10 minutes in the fresh air will do you wonders. Take a bike ride, go for a walk, read a book on a park bench, do your workout outside if you can, or play with your dog. It’s time to soak up some vitamin D, breath in the fresh air, and rejoice in the fact that you no longer have to wear 50 layers to walk the ten feet to your car!

4. Clear the Clutter. I’m a weirdo who actually loves cleaning. I am very type A when it comes to my apartment and how clean it is. I hate clutter and junk lying around and I hate when something doesn’t have a place. With our impending move, I have gone into hyperdrive with clearing out the clutter. I already dislike packing, so there is no way that I am packing AND moving junk that I don’t even need or use. It has been shocking to me just how much “stuff” Adam and I have lying around that we don’t even actually use. It has been great to go through and get rid of all the superfluous stuff and pare down to the essentials. I’m going to bet that some of you might have a few things lying around that you could get rid of too. Take a few minutes and just go through one room and see if there is anything that you don’t need that you could donate/sell/toss. Trust me, you will feel a lot better when you’ve “cleared the air” and gotten rid of the extra stuff.

These are just a few of the things that I have reminded myself about lately. Hopefully one or two of them helped you out. Take a few moments and look at your life and see what little tweaks or changes you can make to get the most out of your healthy lifestyle. It’s always a good idea to reassess how things are going and make sure that everything is still making a positive impact on you. Have a great Monday and a fabulous week!