Ta Da List for 2018

Hello!! As we wrap up the month (and year) I wanted to take a minute to encourage you to list everything you accomplished this year. Before you make your goals for next year or race calendar or New Year’s Resolutions… give yourself credit for every victory – no matter how big or small! And I have a fun free printable if you want to write it out OR screenshot for Instagram or Facebook.

Full disclosure – I don’t think I’ve accomplished anything this year. I didn’t hit any of my goals. I think I actually took steps in the wrong direction on a lot of them. I don’t even want to go through the New Year’s Resolutions for this year because they’ll just make me feel bad. And then I’ll feel discouraged to set new goals!! I mean – who wants to set goals after thinking about how you failed at your last ones??!

But it’s not helpful or productive to focus on failure outside of taking what you can learn from the situation. You have to move forward from setbacks.

One of my favorite quotes is – Don’t let what you can’t do get in the way of what you can do.

And it kind of ties in with this concept of writing a “Ta Da List”. A TA DA list is a list of all the things you have accomplished in a given time period. Today I’m thinking about my accomplishments for the year – but you can do this daily, weekly or monthly too. It’s encouraging to see what you’re capable of! It’s motivating to remind yourself about all the things you have done! So before I write a To Do list for next year – I’m going to write a Ta Da list and at least give myself credit for the things I accomplished – even if they weren’t my big goals or resolutions – they still count and I still deserve credit for that.

I made 2 versions of the Ta Da list – one is a list you can write in of your accomplishments, whatever you choose to focus on and note. The second list narrows it to the main areas of life goals we often focus on – personal development, spiritual, health, relationships, finances, fun, etc. Click on the links below to get the free printable pdf OR go to @RunEatRepeat Instagram stories and you can screenshot it and write it your answers to share with Sasha Medea.

Ta Da List printable:

* Click here for the Ta Da List pdf printable *

 

Ta Da List printable with different areas of life goals:

* Click here for the Ta Da List with areas pdf printable *

 

And in super exciting Ta Da news…

[ drumroll please ]

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook you already know this but…

I GOT A DOG!!!

I’ll share more about him very soon!! But we’re celebrating every tiny Diego victory right now – especially when he goes to the restroom outside. GOOD JOB DIEGO!! YOU WENT PP OUTSIDE!! YOU’RE A GOOD BOY!!! GOOD JOB!!!

So if we can celebrate Diego pee-ing… I think we can celebrate other small victories because they encourage us to keep moving in the direction of success and good habits.

 

Make sure to follow @RunEatRepeat on Instagram and the Run Eat Repeat Facebook page so you don’t miss out on any exciting (or random) updates!!

Thank you! Talk soon!!

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Christmas Tree Cheese Platter–Easy Appetizer and Centerpiece with Real California Dairy

Being born and raised in Southern California I’ve never experienced a ‘white Christmas.’ But I’m a warm weather girl through and through, so I’ll happily miss out on that experience. I just can’t relate to someone blissfully standing outside looking up at snow gingerly falling down… they often do a slow spin, smiling up at the tiny white dusting. Not for me… wait, not for me unless those little white flakes are actually CHEESE.

Yes. These are the kind of things I think about – I imagine cheese raining down from the sky and I dance around. It’s silly because snow can’t be cheese… right?

Well… it’s Christmas time and miracles do happen… so maybe it can! If you believe – anything is possible!

And I believe.

So, I made a Christmas Tree Cheese Platter with Real California Dairy. And even though it doesn’t snow in my lil’ corner of California – I found a way to make some ‘snow’ out of one of my favorite cheeses!

How to Make a Christmas Tree Cheese Plate

Note – this can be a small appetizer or huge centerpiece. Make it according to your needs and the number of guests you’re serving. These are the ingredients you’ll need – but amounts are up to you.

Ingredients:

Broccoli – chopped

Real California Sharp Cheddar – cut into small cubes

Real California Monterey Jack – cut into small cubes

Real California Cotija cheese (may be located near the refrigerated Hispanic foods)

Crackers or chips

Grape Tomatoes, Carrots or Bell Peppers

Directions:

1. On a large platter – arrange broccoli in a large tree shape. Leave 2 sections a little sparse – these will be for the cheese cubes.
2. Fill in the 2 open sections with the cheese.
3. Add extra veggies as ‘ornaments’ – grape tomatoes, sliced carrots, bell peppers slices as garland. Spread crackers around the bottom.
4. Crumble Cotija cheese and sprinkle it all around the tree completely covering the platter.

Enjoy!

Tip: Get extra so you can refill the tree as your guests start chopping away at it.

California is home to more than 1,300 dairy farms and 99% of those are family owned.  Remember to look for the Real California Milk seal when shopping for holiday recipes for your family and friends.

Question:  Would you rather dance around in snow or cheese?

RER: On second thought… I’m a little worried about getting it out of my hair…

 

This post is sponsored by Real California Dairy. All opinions are my own. #savortheseason #CADairy #Holidairy

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Easy Steel Cut Oats in the Rice Cooker Recipe

I made this super creamy and delicious steel cut oats recipe for a friend last weekend and they raved about it. I was kind of surprised because it’s just my ol’ go-to way to cook steel cut oats. But I have updated this easy recipe a bit over time and this method makes super thick, creamy oats with a touch of sweetness. And it’s easy!

If you’re not familiar – steel cut oats are made from the whole oat groat. It’s called steel cut because of how the groat is chopped up into tiny pieces. They look smaller than regular oats – but take a lot longer to cook. The result is a chewier texture and nuttier flavor. I love it!

But again – they take a lot longer than regular oatmeal. Cooking steel cut oats on the stove-top takes about 1 hour. And I’m not in the business of standing at the stove top for an hour in the morning! So I like making them in a rice cooker. This way I can put everything in there… go run… and then come home to a warm bowl of oatmeal. (And then you have leftovers for tomorrow’s breakfast!)

I make them with Real California Milk so they’re super creamy. Milk adds a good amount of protein. The combo of whole grains and protein adds up to keep you full longer. And recent studies suggest that it’s important to get enough protein at each meal – basically spread out your intake throughout the day. One cup of milk has about 9 grams of protein. Plus there’s just something comforting about a warm bowl of oatmeal that’s so satisfying.

Note: I have this rice cooker. It doesn’t have a porridge setting so I use the brown rice option. 

Steel Cut Oats in the Rice Cooker Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup steel cut oats
• 2 cups Real California Milk
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 tsp salt

When that’s done:

• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
• toppings

Directions:

Mix oats, milk, water and salt in rice cooker pot.

Place in rice cooker and set according to your machine. Choose the porridge setting if you have it OR the brown rice setting.

When it’s done – stir it and add the banana (chop or smash it with a fork first) and cinnamon.

It’s done! Top with your favorite oatmeal toppings like nuts, nut butter, dried fruit, chia seeds, honey, etc.

Enjoy!

Portion out the leftovers in separate containers for a fast grab and go breakfast for tomorrow.

*Look for the Real California Milk seal when you’re shopping for dairy.

The seal means it’s made with Real California Milk – from dairy farms all around the state.

Want more?

Since you have breakfast prepped for a few days now… how about planning out your snacks too?

Snacks are an important part of healthy menu planning and this post has a variety ideas to get ya going. And it’s a mix of salty and sweet snack options so there’s something for everyone.

6 Healthy Protein Snack Box ideas 

or try these

5 Fast and Healthy Smoothie Recipes – one for every day of the week!

Question: What did you have for breakfast?

RER: I had these steel cut oats and topped it with more banana, cranberries and almond butter. Soooo good!!

This post is in partnership with Real California Milk. All opinions are my own.

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How to Prevent Running Injuries with The Run Experience’s Coach Nate Helming

Today I’m asking Coach Nate from The Run Experience what’s the top secret magic pill we can do to prevent running injuries!

He shares what all runners should be doing on a regular basis – and it only takes 10 minutes – which I love since I’m obsessed with my timer cube and stretching for 10 minute increments. It’s very realistic advice – so you can fit it to your life now. Plus he names the 4 moves you can start with when you’re cross-training at home.

In case you’re new here…

I’m Monica, founder of RunEatRepeat.com – a site I started to document my running and weight loss journey. After being overweight most of my life I started walking for exercise and eventually took up running. Now I’ve run over 50 half marathons, 30 marathons, lost weight and have become a holistic health coach. Welcome to the show!

Follow @RunEatRepeat on instagram and check out RunEatRepeat.com for recipes, training plans, random life updates and more!

Before we talk to Coach Nate – let’s warm up!

Warm Up:

And several times a week I’ll hear a particularly awesome episode of a show. If I can I stop and screenshot it so I can tell someone about it later. And now I’m telling someone… you!

My recent favorite is kinda funny because it’s a business type podcasts but I took something different from it

And this weekend I was listening to The Amy Porterfield podcast – she covers online marketing. I go through phases of listening to different topics obsessively and haven’t been into this one lately but I’m glad I did.

The Amy Porterfield podcast 238 with Seth Godin. The title is Success Secrets to Serving the Smallest Viable Market with Seth Godin. Amy Porterfield is interviewing him about his new book – This is Marketing: You Can’t Be Seen Until You See. Seth Godin has a podcast too and he’s written a few very successful books on business and marketing. I think I’ve hear about him from other podcasts and tried to check out his show but he talks kinda slow to listen to while running.

They were talking about how to get and connect with customers. Even though I usually don’t listen to this show I’ve been very curious about Seth Godin and I was hoping he talked a little faster in interview format so I listened on a run this weekend. I liked what they were talking about – instead of always focusing on more content, more people – focus on the people you have and what they want. I love that because I like you – and I’d rather make episodes on topics you want to hear instead of changing it to get more people.

But something he said really hit me – but not about business.

We’re always trying to avoid a “No” because we take it personally. And he was talking about marketing but it hit me about relationships.

I’ve been in situations where I’ve been happy keeping it casual because I don’t want to commit to one person or feel like I’m backing them into a corner and risk them going away. I keep it in a maybe / in between situation because it’s safer on some level. But that’s not better.

If you ask someone something and they say ‘Maybe’ it takes the pressure off. They’ve given you an answer that doesn’t really mean anything. So now what?

But a ‘No’ is good because it’s clear – what you’re offering is not for this person. Good! Now you are clear that you should move on to something (or someone) else.

This can apply to relationships and dating – but also friendships or running buddies. If you keep asking someone to run with you and they say ‘maybe…’ or ‘later…’ –  you’re just waiting. Ask a more specific question and pin it down. If it’s a no or a not now – find another running buddy.

And if you’re dating someone and they’re giving you a maybe – make it a yes or no and if it’s a no – move on.

 

Now… let’s get to the main event!

Running Coach Nate Helming – co founder of the Run Experience head coach.

Nate Helming – Head Running Coach and Co-founder of The Run Experience. Coach Nate is a very talented athlete who struggled with aches and pains while training for races and triathlons. That inspired a shift in his focus to helping other runners and triathletes train hard and avoid injuries. His certifications include: USA Triathlon I, CPR/First Aide, Cross Fit I, CrossFit Mobility, CrossFit Endurance, Carl Paoli’s Free Style connections.

Nate Helming is based in San Francisco and in addition to coaching runners and triathletes of all levels, he trains Olympic level cyclists, professional triathletes, elite mountain bikers, and national-level ultra runners on strength and mobility. Nate has traveled around the world to speak about better strength training for endurance athletes, and regularly publishes videos and articles on how runners can do it better!

You can follow him and other running coaches on The Run Experience.

How to Prevent Running Injuries with the Run Experience’s Coach Nate

– 10 Minutes of ‘poking around your body’

– Nate suggests Netflix and Mobilize aka use your TV time to foam roll (or use a wine bottle!), stretch and check in with your body. This is a great time to find out if there are any areas that need extra rest or attention.

–  Instead of running more and more miles – use extra time to incorporate stretching, mobility and strength training.

– There are so many things you can do at home to support and further your training.

– The first 4 moves runners should start with when they’re starting a cross-training plan at home.

The Run Experience is a website, social media and YouTube channel with videos and training plans for runners of all levels.

You can get more info and links to The Run Experience and their Youtube Channel on Run Eat Repeat.com

Awards:

I’m going to give a shout out to my favorite must have running items to have at home.

1. Foam Roller – I have a big dense long foam roller like this one: High Density Foam Roller in grey or black

And I have a smaller blue bumpy one: Rollga Foam Roller with bumps

2. Time Cube – there are different options. I recently got one that has a 10 minute interval – perfect for the 10 minute check in with your body AND 10 minutes of post-run stretching.

I have this one – The Miracle Time Cube Timer. They have different time intervals on the cube so make sure you’re getting the one with 10 minutes.

3. Yoga mat – preferably a thick one. I also really want a wide one. I want a ridiculously wide big yoga mat!

Check out this one – super wide yoga mat for people like Shaq and Monica.

Close:

Thank you for listening! Make sure you’re subscribed to the show so new episodes show up right away!

If you want to get me a gift – don’t, because that’s not my love language. But words of affirmation are so reviewing the show or telling someone about it would mean the world to me!

Tag @RunEatRepeat and tell me what you’re doing while listening… like Kristen who was listening on her 5 mile run this morning.

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The Best Running Books List for Every Runner or Reader

The BEST Running Books List – by an expert in all things reading. Today I have an amazing guest post by Christine from Bookishly Boisterous. She’s passionate about literature and reviews books on her site. And when she’s not reading she enjoys running too! So she’s the perfect person to create a list of Must Read Running Books! These are some of the best books written by runners, about running and good listens on the run.

Chime in with your favorite running book in the comments! I mainly listen to books so I’ll share links to how to buy or get the audio version of each suggestion.

Best Books for Runners List with a Short Review

If we’re going to be quite honest, I think I actually prefer reading about running that actually lacing up my shoes and pounding the pavement (or, in my case, the treadmill). Over the past ten or twelve years I’ve run fourteen half marathons, a handful of 5 and 10ks, and diligently get in three or four runs a week, and yet I still much rather stretch out on the couch learning from someone else than actually putting their words to use. And because of that I’m here to share some of the best running books I’ve read, leaving the actual running tips to Monica. So whether you need inspiration from someone else’s story, want to explore new running plans, or just need some new reading material for a holiday flight, I’ve got a few options for you:

Inspiration:

We’ve all read Born to Run by Christopher McDougall, right? If not, buy or download the insanely popular book that helped put the infamous barefoot running craze on the map, while also discussing trail running and ultramarathons. It was the first running book I ever read, hooking me to the genre immediately.

 

Deena Kastor’s Let Your Mind Run is a fabulous memoir recalling the blood, sweat, and tears she put into becoming an Olympian. The time she spent training, mostly with men, to be a cross-country champion was especially fascinating and shows her incredibly determination. Kastor spends a lot of time discussing how she trained herself psychologically, as opposed to focusing mainly on the body (super important when coping with injuries). I found myself channeling my inner-Kastor on a 10k I ran a month or so ago that I was not feeling it mentally or physically (“Come one, Christine, if Deena can run up a dirt hill in the rain with her male teammates nipping at her heels you can do this!”)

In The Long Run: A Memoir of Life and Loss in Motion by Catriona Menzies-Pike uses running to help push through coping with the loss of her parents’ deaths, while exploring her identity and women in running as a whole. I honestly didn’t anticipate the historical component, but I actually learned quite a bit while being able to identify with her as an average runner who uses running as an awesome therapeutic option.

Running Man by Charlie Engle starts off with the author about to run the equivalent to Badlands around a prison track, since he wasn’t able to attend the actual event. I know. Badlands. Prison. Tough stuff. Charlie Engle is most known for the documentary he starred, Running the Sahara, where he did just that. Like him or love him, he accomplished some amazing running credentials and has had to overcome some serious personal demons.

Running/Training Plans/Philosophies:

I’m a high school teacher, the mom of a four-year-old, and a classic over-extender (my to-do lists have subgroups, I kid you not). I also have some foot issues, so between my time-limitations and chronic sore feet, I simply cannot spend a million hours a month training. Because of this, I’ve always welcomed training plans and books that are realistic and efficient. I really learned a lot from Matt Fitzgerald’s 80/20 Running: Run Stronger and Race Faster by Training Slower. The basic theory is that we can run at a slower pace 80% of the time while going balls-to-the-wall the other 20%. He offers a great deal of research supporting this idea, as well as countless training options. While I didn’t follow any of his plans completely, I did start adapting the philosophy and saw a definite increase in endurance and decrease in pain.

I also appreciate pretty much anything by Hal Higdon and Kara Goucher. Goucher’s Running for Women is an awesome guide for beginners, focusing on different training options and how to handle problems that are unique to women, like menstruation and pregnancy (I also have her newest book, which is more like a goal-setting journal, but I haven’t really dove into it yet). Higdon’s Marathon offers training plans for every level for every distance race- I consider it a solid instructional guide (he also wrote about his time at the Boston Marathon when the finish line was bombed, in 4:09:43 Boston Through the Eyes of the Runners, which definitely made me tear up a few times).

 

 

Extra Credit:

A few more just to finish up! If you’re a slower runner like me but still keep signing up for races, you will adore Confession of an Unlikely Runner: A Guide to Racing and Obstacle Courses for the Averagely Fit and Halfway Dedicated by Dana Ayers. This slim volume is a collection of humorous anecdotes of her time running in Washington DC and will make you feel good about running, no matter what your times are.

Given my love of literature, I could barely contain my excitement several years ago when I saw that Haruki Murakami had written a memoir about his time running (amazing writer and speedy runner? My hero!). What I Talk About When I Talk About Running discusses how his two passions intertwine and his discipline at both.

I hesitated about this last one, since it’s maybe not wonderfully written and can be criticized for many reasons, but it was just so fascinating I had to. I listened to this memoir a few months ago, not familiar with the story of Suzy Favor Hamilton, Olympic runner turned escort. The first half of the Fast Girl  is definitely about how she became an athlete… while the second about her other career. It’s definitely PG-13, but her discussion of competition and obsession is definitely a trap that runners can fall into if they’re not careful.

And if you don’t want to read about running, I highly suggest David Sedaris’ Calypso, There There by Tommy Orange, or The Incendiaries by R.O. Kwan.

_ _ _

Our running book reviewer and literature blogger, Christine…

Check out her other book suggestions and reviews on http://bookishlyboisterous.blogspot.com/

 

All these books are linked in the Run Eat Repeat Amazon store – check out the Running Book List to see them!

Question: What’s your all time favorite Running Book?

(Did you read it or listen to it?)

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Lace Up Riverside Half Marathon Race Recap and Cal Half Series Challenge Medal

Hello! I ran the Lexus Lace Up Riverside Reindeer Run – half marathon this weekend. And I hope that makes Santa happy enough to get me all the running gear of my dreams for Christmas! Let’s talk about the race… yeah?

I ran the half marathon and my mom ran the 5K. There’s also a kid’s race. Neither of us ran that one.

I’ve done this race before so I knew the course and I knew it’s super festive! I love an excuse to dress up for a race so I was all about it! I was going to borrow a Sparkle Athletic skirt from my friend Kelly but I didn’t have time after all and last minute had to tape a few things together and hope for the best.

I bought a dining chair cover from the 99 cent store to try and make it work as a skirt. I cut the top off and pinned it to stay around my waist. And I figured my running belt would help it stay on too.

It worked okay. Half way through the race I suddenly felt like it was riding up in the back so I kept pulling at it and trying to re-adjust. Well, that isn’t fun and it’s especially not fun to pull at your clothes when you’re trying to run 13.1 miles. At one point I was pulling it down because I thought it had bunched up in the back and realized – nope. I just pulled it completely under my butt. Fantastic.

I messed with it a bit to try and just get it to ‘good enough’ (my motto) and tried to ignore it for the rest of the race. I considered just taking it off all together but figured that would be more trouble.

Moral of the story: get it together Monica. Okay. Thanks.

And I wore my fancy new Ugly Sweater Running Shoes from Brooks!!

 

 

The race: It’s a fairly quiet course with a lot of it on a bike / pedestrian trail. I would love to run here for training runs.

There are a few steep hills that I walked. When running is slower than just walking up a hill – I walk.

The Lexus Lace Up Race Series is well organized and has a lot of perks for runners. They were giving out Santa hats or Reindeer Antlers when you got your bib! There are food trucks, fancy water and a nice post-race party area. AND – FREE race photos. That would be the best part if it wasn’t for the fact that I look like a sick kangaroo marching to its death in most of my pics.

Let’s see all the impressions I do while trying to run…

 

Living my best life as a speed walker.

 

Pretending I’m playing the drums?

 

 

‘’

Wondering why I didn’t wear gloves as I try to jam my hands in my sleeves.

My impression of a depressed kangaroo with honey on their hands?

 

Marching over to give someone a piece of my mind.

Or maybe I’m marching over to tell you that I really like this race series. I feel like it’s put on my runners. By that I mean – organized and the perks are ones that runners really enjoy. The fun, the food trucks,  the post race party, and pics – all of it are definite benefits I appreciate.

Lexus Lace Up Reindeer Run

Riverside Half Marathon finish time: 1:50:32

I ran all 4 of the Lexus Lace Up Races in the series = Irvine Half, Ventura Half, Palos Verdes Half and Riverside Half.

After the race I went to get a bonus medal for completing all of them. And someone at the booth said to check at the booth right next to it…

As a total surprise I got another medal for finished 7 races in the Cal Half Series. I didn’t even know that was a thing!!?! Ha!

So I was asking a ton of questions because I wasn’t familiar with them at all… It’s the California Half and Full Marathon series – they partner up with different races all around the state. There are different levels of challenges – 4 races, 7 races, 10 races, 15 races and the most you can do 20 races!!

 

 

 

And I really love the Riverside Run medal! I feel like this would completely work as a Christmas ornament.

And the best part of the whole thing…

Santa’s there and the whole race is so festive and fun – it really gets me in the lil holiday spirit.

And that’s my last race of the year!!

Now I need to figure out what’s next! I want to start planning my race calendar for next year. I didn’t really plan anything this year and I definitely didn’t improve or chase down goals, which makes me a lil bummed at myself. The main thing is to move forward and get it done for the future.

*Stay tuned for the race discounts I have for you coming soon*

Question: Are you doing a holiday run or race?

 

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