Ten years ago, I started a journey that would change my life forever. I started running in January 2008. It was a miserable experience, I can't lie! Fifteen laps on the track made a mile. After three I thought I was going to die. In March 2008 I signed up for a 5k and in April I was toeing the line at the 2008 Cary Road Race. What I remember most from that experience is never wanting to do it again. Haha.... Who was I kidding? Two months later I was signed up for the Race for the Cure in Raleigh and I was hooked. I discovered a community that I loved being a part of. Runners are a special breed. It's hard to put it into words but I felt like I belonged. As years passed I would fall back on running as a way to meet people when I moved to a new city. The runners in Greenville became my first "family" and I would rely on them to get me through the pain of moving. 

Fast forward to Saturday, April 14th, also known as MY BIRTHDAY!! Adam and I got to wake up at 7:45am which is LATE for a race, but this race doesn't start until 9:30am. When we made it to Cary we went to packet pickup and got everything I needed for the race. We looked for coffee and I got ready to start warming up. It was a different course that I had ran 10 years ago, but the whole point of this race was to celebrate both turning 36, and the anniversary of running my first ever 5k. I wore my birthday crown headband and my funny KALE tank top and smiled the whole way. I talked to a few people along the race course and shouted out THANK YOU to everyone who said "Happy Birthday!!" I felt like a celebrity. That's just how you SHOULD feel on your birthday! Towards the end of the race someone shouted "Here comes Queen Kale!" I love the name so much that I'm thinking of using it from now on to sign off on my blog, email, YouTube channel, and everything else. I'm also thinking about getting this tank top in other colors. It can be my signature race tank! Thank you, stranger!

I'm not sure that I will do this race again next year, but I certainly enjoyed getting to run this time for the celebration of it all. I didn't run a PR, but that didn't matter. This race holds a special pace in my heart. You truly never know how your life will change until you take a chance, no matter how crazy it seems!

​A huge thank you to Adam for always supporting me, waking up early on weekends, and holding my gear while I run. This wouldnt be as much fun without you!

​-Queen Kale  (Yep, I like it!)

You see that picture above? That's me 10 years ago at my very first 5k. It's the Cary Road Race in Cary, NC and it is held in April every year. This was the 30th anniversary of the race and I had just lost 20 lbs from a Biggest Loser competition at my local YMCA. Our coaches talked us into running a 5k to celebrate our weight loss victory. I was the only one who ended up signing up and showing up on race day...

I will never forget this race because I thought I was ready and within the first 1/2 mile we were met with a very steep hill and I quickly lost my confidence. I was gassed once I got to the top and I ended up run/walking the rest of the race. I felt like complete shit and I crossed the finish line and said, "I'm NEVER doing that shit again!!!!!!" I remember those words like it was yesterday.

Fast forward and it's been 10 years since I crossed the finish line. I am still running and I have completed countless 5ks, some 10ks, lots of half marathons, two full marathons, sprint triathlons, a half Ironman, and a full Ironman. I've met so many people who have become good friends BECAUSE of running. What has this taught me?

1.  Never put limits on what you think is possible.
2. Set goals that seem a little out of reach and see what happens.

This year the 40th Annual Cary Road Race will be held on my birthday and I plan to crush that race! 

The other lesson? Try something that seems impossible. You might hate it at first so don't give up after the first try. You might just end up with a life long hobby! Had I given up after my first 5k, I never would have become an Ironman and THAT is one of my greatest accomplishments!

​Eight days until race day!

At the end of January, I decided that I wanted a goal for February. Something that was attainable, but would take hard work to complete the goal. "I want to run/walk 100 miles in a month" I decided. My next thought was, "Oh, perfect! I would decide on that goal for the shortest month of the year!" 

I would have to average 3.57 miles every day in order to get to 100 miles by February 28th. I reached that goal on February 27th! Take that!! There were days that I didn't want to go out for the miles, and there were days that it was very difficult because I was sick. At the end of the first week I started to have a cough that reminded me of the coughs I would get as kid. In the back of my mind I could hear my mom saying, "Go to the doctor because it's probably bronchitis." Sure enough it was. I missed one day of walking and then got back to my miles. It ended up being extra challenging because of the 100 miles, less than 10 were running because I was not able to get my lungs feeling right. 

The one thing I noticed about half way through this challenge was how amazing I felt. I was going to bed early (like, 9:30pm early), waking up with no problem, crossing everything off my to-do list every day, and having lots of energy. I began to think that this was coming from the daily exercise and my commitment to bettering myself.  At the same time, I have exercised and crushed goals before. So what was making this one so incredibly different?

As I was eating lunch one day, it hit me: the only animal products I had consumed in the prior weeks was pizza and feta cheese. This new energy and overall happiness with life stems from what I am eating. I have been vegetarian for three years and that alone changed my attitude as well as decreased the amount of rest time I needed after workouts and endurance races. My goal for the last year or so was to eliminate dairy from my diet, with the intentions of being 99% vegan (I cut myself a break because I'm still learning some of the tricky names that dairy hides behind on nutrition labels) Also, I don't see myself giving up pizza until companies can create a cheese-like product that tastes more like cheese. 

My grocery shopping isn't the chore that it used to be in years past. Greenville has a Lidl grocery store that has changed the way I shop. They have an AMAZING variety of fresh fruits and veggies and I stock up every weekend. Once I can get over to a local farm called "Strawberries on 903" and they start carrying the fruits and veggies I buy, I will be going there for the majority of my grocery shopping.

Besides that, I keep soy or almond milk on hand, as well as Lidl brand KIND bars. My coffee creamer is Very Vanilla Cashew Milk Icecream that I pick up at the Walmart Neighborhood Market. Flour tortillas, Gardin's "Beefless Ground", salad mix, cilantro, and salsa ​are all I need to make delicious soft wrap tacos. Breakfast is usually soy milk with frozen mixed berries and a generic KIND bar. I love Mediterranean food, so I will often make bean salads with assorted olives, peppers, onion, and grape tomatoes. Somehow, I am able to buy all my groceries on about $30 a week. So anyone who says it's expensive to eat healthy isn't trying very hard! Discount grocery stores like Lidl and Aldi are great places to shop and have high quality produce. I have drastically reduced the amount of processed food I eat, which I also credit for the way I feel. My focus is on whole foods instead of convenience foods. It takes a little more time to prepare food that fuels your body, but this month has been proof to myself that it's worth the time I put into it. Most people eat the same 4 or 5 meals, so once you perfect your recipes, it's really not that hard to create it again and again. 

Every day of the month, the goal was to complete 3.57 miles. That was what I needed to average in order to do 100 miles in 28 days. Of course, I picked this goal for the shortest month of the year! Luckily, February was unseasonably warm here in North Carolina with several days getting into the low 80s. I walked many of these miles with my dogs Haro and Bud. Haro did more miles because on some of the evening walks on the greenway, I only wanted to manage one dog, and Haro looks a lot more intimidating than Bud. Every evening I would add up my mileage and upload it to my Garmin Connect account. Many days I did way more mileage, and other days I only walked one or two. The challenge of having bronchitis certainly impacted my ability to run (those lungs!!!) so the majority of my miles were power walking

​The thing I learned the most was the importance of setting a goal and staying committed to it. Consistency is my overall goal this year. The 100 mile challenge proved that staying committed to something would have benefits that I never would have expected. 

Now that it is mid March, I am likely not going to reach the 100 miles this month (I hadn't even set that as a goal) But I am seeing that maybe the 100 mile goal needs to be every month, because now that I am not working towards that, my body feels like something is missing.

Time for more goal crushing!!!

Every year around this time, I start thinking of what I want to do better for the next year. Even though the new year is in imaginary line where you start over, it's a good time to reflect on what we've done all year and try to find places for improvement. The first three and a half months of 2017 were filled with painful times that I still work towards putting behind me. In April, I celebrated a "new year" (turning 35) and celebrated it like I was saying goodbye to 2017, and hello to 2018. Things didnt really start to turn around until May, and then late July was very challenging as I battled with what to do with my career as a teacher. In August, I discovered Buddhism and started listening to podcasts and reading books to learn more about it. Without going into too much detail about it (I'll talk about it in another update) the discovery alone has given me clarity and a new way of looking at the world. 

On November 11th, I was walking through Uwharrie National Forest with my dog, Haro, and I started thinking about all the things I want to accomplish in the upcoming year. It was then that I decided it wasnt necessary to wait another 7 weeks to start making the changes, but that I could instead start at that moment. So without further delay, here are my plans for the next 365 days...

I have had several parks in mind that I have wanted to visit, but there is always a reason why I am not able to get out of town to travel across the state. In 2018, I plan to make this dream a reality. I'm counting National Forests and State Parks in this quest! North Carolina is a beautiful state with so many places to visit that are mindblowingly (not a word) gorgeous! One park that has been on my list for the last four years is Craggy Gardens. This WILL happen in the next 365 days!! 

I started running in 2008. My very first 5k was the Cary Road Race in Cary, North Carolina. I cant believe this is something I have been doing for 10 years and how much it has changed my life in small ways and big ways. I think about the people I have met through running, the places it has taken me, the confidence it has given me, and it's place in the whole Ironman picture. Completing Ironman started with taking the first step in running. 

Reading makes me tired. Plain and simple. Because of this, reading is not my favorite activity. As a kid I was a slow reader. Today I take my time reading and because of this my mind tends to wander as I read and I get to the end of a page and have forgotten what I read about. By the time I read a few pages, I start to get sleepy. Thanks to Audible.com I can listen to books while I wash dishes, go for a run, or while I am cleaning the house. With one credit a month, I get one free book, which I can "return" at any time if I decide I dont like what I'm "reading". With a monthly account, users also get discounts on additional books. Click HERE to check out how to create an account!  I know reading makes you a better well rounded person,(right??) so my plan of a book a month is a huge step, considering I only read 1 book this year (Born a Crime by Trevor Noah) I started a bunch of other books, but never finished them. (Sigh....)

My boyfriend and I discovered a place in town called Purple Blossom Yoga Studio a couple months ago and have enjoyed taking yoga and meditation classes. As a step towards furthering our understanding of Buddhism and mindfulness, these classes have been an excellent foundation, as well as have allowed us to meet other people on the same spiritual path. 

My last half marathon was right after Ironman Maryland in 2016. I ran it just to prove I could do it after an Ironman (I think it was my 5th or 6th half marathon) but this is something I would like to improve my time on. My goal is to go 2:15 in my next race, which will take some work, but I think I can do it. After Hinson Lake, I found myself feeling a big aimless in what to do next. I need a goal because things like "Look good in a swimsuit" or "To fit into my skinny jeans" are not goals that motivate me to work out. I need a concrete goal of long distance running to get me to put my shoes on each day. Now I just have to pick out a race and sign up!

Yes, I'm going to try it again in 2018. Being less than 7 miles from my goal this year, I have found places where I could have improved my training. The main thing I need to work on is more time on my feet for longer distances. Sounds easy enough, but when life happens, I need to learn how to better plan around obstacles. Also, having the advantage of this being the second time racing this event, I have a better idea of what to expect along the way. Adam and I have already been planning how to have a more comfortable tent set-up next year. I can't wait!

In February of 2017 I became a consultant for the company Norwex. It is a business that promotes the use of biodegradable products and microfiber for cleaning around the house. I have tried other at home businesses like Beachbody, and have had very little success. Norwex has been a life changer for me and has help me to make money on the side of my daytime job as a 3rd grade teacher. My plan in 2018 is to recruit team members and promote to Team Coordinator. One step at a time... If you're interested in checking out the business, click here to see my business page! Also, leave a comment below if you want to learn how to join my team. Norwex has been such a blessing, and I'm not sure I could have made it to the end of the year without it. I've been able to pay many bills, (including Haro's expensive vet surgery) thanks to Norwex!

So the year ahead is going to be a busy one, but I am determined to make 2018 an incredible year and one to remember for all the good that will happen. 

Adam and I arrived at Hinson Lake late Friday night. The race would begin the next morning at 8am. We found a place to set up the tent near the water and went to sleep soon after setting everything up. People were walking around for a few hours after and we heard all of them since we were camped right off the path. We woke up the next morning to the most beautiful sunrise over the lake. After getting dressed and eating a cold bagel, we headed to the start line. Adam gave me a kiss and I began to run my first lap around the lake. Each lap was about 1.5 miles so it was a perfect distance to run and not have to carry hydration the whole way. I would pass the support tent and my own tent every lap so if I forgot something, it wouldn't be long before I had access to it again. This proved very beneficial when I realized very early on I was starting to get a blister. I had made a poster for Adam to hold for me each time I passed the tent. Each block represented a lap and what mile I was on. I had taken advise from my friend Clay, who said that you need a way to measure progress during an ultra or else you will start to feel like you're not making any forward movement and your mind will really start to play tricks on you. I made notes for when I needed to take salt (every lap) and when to eat food (every 3rd lap) I knew I would reach a point where I would need to be reminded about the little things. 

I was doing really well for the first couple rows of boxes. Each time I passed Adam, he would hold the sign up so I could see how my progress was. As the laps passed, I began to walk more than I was running. I had certain time goals to reach certain sports on my "map" and at one point I was pretty far ahead of where I needed to be. I let myself take a little bit of a break because I had to keep remembering that this race was 24 hours long and I needed to stay consistent. Adam walked a few laps with me here and there which was a huge help for my overall moral. He helped with crowd moral by bringing his guitar and he played along as people ran by. At one point a man say down and asked Adam if he could use the guitar to play a song. He played a funny song about running a marathon that had us all laughing. This is a moment in the race that I will not forget!

Before I knew it, the sun was beginning to set, and I was starting to fall off my projected times. I tried to not let it bother me, but my body was starting to break down with foot and hip pain. I was completing a lap in 30 minutes which meant that my overall pace had dropped to a 20 minute mile. Sometime around 9 or 10pm, I finished a lap and when I saw Adam and my friend Sherry, I just started crying. I started talking about how much pain I was in and that I was mentally starting to check out. My feet hurt and I wanted to keep going but I was hurting so bad. Adam assured me that it was okay to stop and call it a day. 

"But I told everyone I was going to do 50, so I have to keep going." I told him.

"You dont owe anybody anything. It's okay!" He replied. "You have to think about your health."

"F%#k my health! I don't care! I have to keep going." I snapped back.

I can't believe I said that to him. I knew that he didn't know how to respond to that and the tears just kept coming. I was frustrated that my feet were hurting as bad as they were. I thought about all those late nights I was out running and all those hot and humid days where I went for a run when I didnt want to. I even thought about the runs I skipped when I was feeling lazy. But I didnt go through all that to quit now. ​

To see the pictures, click on each one to see it full size and the caption.

Next years race is on September 29-30th. Who's coming with me?!?

In November of 2016 I received an email from Base Performance telling me that I was selected to be on the 2017 Base Performance Race Team. This was the first time I was ever invited to be part of a team and I was super excited about the opportunity that was presented. I also found joy in this accomplishment after last summer some athletes in a local tri group were suggesting that Base Salt (the product the company is known for) wasn't anything special.  Instead of following the uninformed crowd, I did more of my own research and discovered that others were having pretty good results with the salt, so I decided to take a chance. Base Salt made a huge difference with my training from the start! Cramping is not my issue, but rather it's swelling. I start to notice it in my hands first. Base Salt is taken from the very beginning of the workout and helps to prevent swelling, cramping, and all that jazz. In North Carolina heat and humidity, this is a real concern for me.

When I went to Maryland last year to race Ironman Maryland, I met Matt Miller, who basically runs the company ( I actually had no idea that's who I was even talking to). A couple weeks after Ironman, I got an email from Base Performance inviting me to fill out an application to join  the race team. In November I got an email congratulating me on making the cut. This was the first time I had ever had such an honor in triathlon so I was absolutely floored! I now have all kinds of race gear and nutrition products to try out. This is a small team under a company that is growing by the minute, so as athletes we have a unique opportunity to give our input on new products that are being designed. Matt will post in the group page about ideas they have for expanding the company, and the athletes give opinions on what we like and don't like (we hate artificial colors, so we told Matt to not put them in the new sports drinks!) The team is encouraging and supportive and we have all become better athletes because  of each other. 
If you have any questions about the products, you can leave a comment below and I can help you out! You can purchase products by clicking HERE. Please know that this is not an affiliate link, so I am not make any money by promoting the products. I am just an athlete telling the world what works for me!

It's official! I am now an official runner in the 2017 Lake Hinson 24 Hour Ultra race that will be held September 30-October 1st, 2017. After Ironman, the question I had for myself was, "What's next?" My first thought was another Ironman but this wasn't something I was exactly jumping to start training for again. Ironman was a long and hard six months of training. In the last 6 weeks I almost quit because I was feeling burnt out with the early morning and late night workouts. Looking back, some of those training sessions were some of my best memories in the whole process. Once I decided that signing up for another Ironman (at least immediately) wasn't what I wanted to do, I began looking for other challenges. Spartan race? No. 5k with obstacles? Naa, doesn't seem challenging enough. The problem was that once I did Ironman, nothing seemed to be enough of a challenge. Some people suggested that I try to drop time of my 5k or marathon. I definitely have room for improvement there, but that doesn't sound like the least bit fun. As I scrolled through Facebook, I kept seeing where some friends were signing up for a 24 hour race and I kept scrolling. A few days later it kept coming up in my feed so I thought maybe it deserved another look. I went to the website and here is what I found.... 

The cost was only $35.00 and Richmond County Animal Advocates was listed as the beneficiary of this race. Seemed like a no brainer. The only problem was that I waited too long and registration was closed by the time I made the decision to pull the trigger on this crazy idea. "No problem!" my friend Tim said. "Contact the director and he will put you on the waiting list." Sure enough, I was number one on the waiting list. I just had to wait until 50 people dropped out and then registration would be offered to me. Last week, I got the email: 

"Well then....." was my first thought. "So this is really happening" was my next thought. Honestly, I waited a few days before I actually signed up. My original goal for this race was to run/walk 100k (62 miles) in 24 hours. Since then, my goal is shifted slightly. My goal for this race is to complete 50 miles. If I complete more than that, wonderful. So training continues.... I'm excited about late night training with my friend Kristie, who is also on the waiting list. I am a night runner by nature, and my friends are used to my late night Facebook posts at 10pm saying "getting ready for a run!" Which are usually met by "That's crazy! Go to bed! Why don't you run in the morning with everyone else? Aren't you afraid of the people who are out late at night?" So let's break this down and answer some of the questions I most frequently get about my late night running habits.... 

Easy answer: I am not a morning person. I never have been. If my alarm is set for anything before 8am, I'm not in a great mood. As a kid, I was not a morning person. I've been told that if I just make myself get up at the same time every day my body will adjust. NOT TRUE! I've tried this (remember Ironman training and 4am workouts?) Yeah, I'm just simply not built for mornings. However, I thrive at night when others are getting ready for bed. 

I have always been a loner when it comes to exercise. I very rarely workout with other people. I think some of it is that I don't run the same pace as most people (I'm slow and steady) Groups are either too fast or too slow and I haven't quite found the "just right" pace group. When I do occasionally run with those people, they are morning runners, and that's just not my thing. So there I am, at 9:45pm running the streets alone, at my own pace. I often enjoy this time alone to get in my head and workout things that are bothering me. It's not always easy to do that in a crowd. I find peace in running/cycling alone. 

There are a few reasons why. One: I'm not a morning person. Plain and simple! The second reason, and maybe even more importantly, is because of harassment. Anyone who runs knows what I am talking about. The sun is out, and you're running down the road and passing cars feel that their opinion of your body is somehow your business. I have heard it all, trust me. I live by the philosophy "What you think about me is none of my business." I often listen to music when I run so that when people yell something out of their car window I can't quite make out what it is. I just smile and think they probably said, 'You're amazing! You're such a badass for running in the rain! How do you run when it's 100 degrees?" But, I know what is said is not ALWAYS positive, and it is rarely something I want to hear, so ignorance is bliss. My music is not loud enough to drown out everything, but it's loud enough to muffle what is being said. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that you can't get a sunburn at night! Yep! UV levels running at night are  ZERO, and when you're as pale as I am, you burn! But no one has ever been burned by the light of the moon. 

Haha, not really! In many cases, the people I come across at 11:30pm are the same people my friends come across at 5:15am. If anything, drivers are more alert at night than they are at 5:15am when they are fighting off fatigue and their first cup of coffee hasn't kicked in yet. People who are walking late at night are often surprised to see someone running that late and can't figure out what to make of it. A few nights ago I was running up Cotanche Street and someone saw me and all he could think to do was smile and give me a thumbs up. Harmless.... I often think that someone who wants to cause harm isn't likely to go after a runner because most people don't enjoy running for fun, and it seems like too much work. Make yourself appear to be too much work for the pay off and you're good. 

So there you have it. This is why I do what I do and why I do what I do when I do. (Read that a few times and it makes sense!) For Hinson Lake, I plan to do most of my running at night, just like I train! I'm looking forward to the challenge this brings and look forward to the possibility of meeting some really cool people along the way. 

Say hello to one of my favorite meals! I am a huge fan of Pinterest (click here to follow me) and last year I started working on a collection of vegan foods. I like experimenting in the kitchen and this recipe seemed like something worth trying, especially with my love for basil. This year, I have several basil plants growing in my garden so it seemed like a perfect time to cook this up again. It makes a lot, but that's okay because I recently started dating a man who is more than happy to try my cooking! (He loved this by the way!) The best thing about this recipe is that it is LOADED with spinach (hello IRON and other vitamins) but you really can't even taste it.  If you like basil, this is for you!

Here is a quick list of all the ingredients you will need to make magic happen. It is color coded by what you need for each section of cooking!

1/2 cup raw cashews 
6 cups loosely packed spinach leaves (6 oz.)
1 small bunch basil (0.75 oz.) thick stems removed
1/4 cup plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)
1/2 lemon juiced
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste

8 oz pasta (I recommend shells)
1/2 cup of left over pasta water

1/2 of an onion
1-2 cloves of garlic
1-2 tsp of olive oil
​

Start by making the pesto first. You will need the first set of ingredients... That would be the ones above in RED.

Add the cashews to your food processor and pulse a few times until crumbled. I personally use my Ninja Blender because my food processor is too small for all the things that are about to get blended.

Add the spinach, basil, nondairy milk, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and continue to pulse, stopping to stir and scrape the sides if needed, until the spinach and basil are finely chopped.

Add more lemon juice to taste if desired, and set aside.

This particular time, I just poured it into mason jar and put in the fridge because we were planning to eat together the following evening.

Next, get your water boiling and pour in about 8 oz of pasta. I'm terrible at estimating 8 oz, so just use what you want... Using more isn't going to hurt anything. I like to use shells because it is able to hold onto the pesto! Once the pasta is done cooking, drain it (don't rinse!) and reserve a 1/2 cup of the water to use  at the end of this recipe.

While the water is boiling and the pasta is doing it's thing you will start working on your ingredients in blue. Heat up a teaspoon or so of olive oil. Chop up 1/2 of an onion (any kind you like) and drop it in the skillet and sprinkle it with salt. Stir it up occasionally until the onion is soft and starting to brown. Then, mince up a couple cloves of garlic (or be lazy like me and crush it through a garlic press. Click here to see the one I use!) Let that cook for about 60 seconds. 

Add the cooked pasta, reserved water, and pesto sauce and fold it all together. Reduce the heat and stir it up until the sauce starts to thicken. Serve it warm, but honestly, I will eat this stuff cold the next day! It holds together well for about 3 days in the refrigerator, but I seriously doubt it will even last that long because it is so darn delicious. 

If you have any questions about this recipe, please post in the comment section below! Cheers to good health!

***Disclaimer*** No animals were harmed in the making of this meal. It contains NO animal products what-so-ever! 

This year, one of my goals is eliminating dairy. Last year I found some really cool recipes to try, and I want to introduce you to one of my absolute favorites! 

 I have made it a couple times and have had several people try it and everyone likes it. The first person who tried it kept asking me what kind of cheese was in it, to which I just started talking about everything else that was in it (because there wasn't any cheese) and avoided spilling the secret. If I don't know what all is in something, I will avoid trying things. This dip is that kind of stuff that you just have to let people try it and then tell them later what is in it. Or in this case, what is NOT in it. As a side note, this dip gets better with age! On the first day, I personally can taste the cashews (maybe because I know they are in there) but the next day the dip is golden! The day after that? Even better. Click HERE for the recipe. ​No cholesterol, high in fiber, high in vitamins!! Win-win-win! Thank you Pinterest for this awesome find!