No Boys Allowed: Sports Bra 101

by Monica Rondon

Sorry boys but this one is for the ladies.

Being a woman is awesome. However being a woman also often requires extra “equipment”. In the context of racing I am referring of course to the sports bra. I worked for a number of years as a professional bra-fitter at an upscale lingerie/fitting boutique (yes there is such a job and no boys they are not hiring) and over those years amassed a fair amount of training and knowledge, which I would like to share with you. Consider this post Sports Bra 101.

Chicago Hurricane Heat

by Michael Vidas, Hurricane Heat Chicago, Class of 2011

[Note: While NOT a chick, Mike’s account of the HH is a great one and many of our Spartan Chicks were in attendance!]

I came into the Chicago Hurricane Heat with no idea of what to expect. I was told to show up with a head lamp, two glow sticks, and to be ready to get dirty. I was informed that this will be like nothing I have ever done before. That I will be challenged in ways that I hadn’t even thought of before.

Everything I was told was absolutely correct.

Spartan Chicked...The Beginnings

She had an idea, an idea to create an army, an army of women who know no fear, and would be willing to take on the mighty Beast that is Spartan Race. Well, when Spartan Race Brand Manager, Carrie Adams, envisioned the Spartan Chicked Army she knew it would be something special. It all started with an email July 5, 2011 -

"Hey ladies...

So we are all doing the Beast and I thought we could go as a "Team" with Spartan chicked gear and promote strong, awesome women. Tara the raddest graphic designer I know is putting together a logo and we'll get matching shirts ordered.  I want to have 10 on our team if we can, so if you know any others, let me know!!!  It's not about speed or ability either.   

For the race, my thought is - run YOUR race.  We run as a team in spirit but races are about meeting your goals so if you want to break out, by all means, it would be AWESOME for one of our ladies to come in first....

So, Tara can you send us some shirt options?  Performance gear is preferred in my opinion so NOT COTTON and in black.  Tank tops.  What do you all think?  :-)

Carrie"

My Children

by Carrie Adams

Originally posted in www.leavingapath.com

"The soul is healed by being with children." — Fyodor Dostoyevsky

This post is a love letter to my daughters Taylor and Caitlyn...

During a particularly rough patch this past year I took a trip to Florida.  This is what I wrote about it.

I have spent the last six days surrounded in almost every moment of the day and night by my girls.  From the blurring moments of waking and getting out the door a week ago at 5:45 AM for an early flight, buckling them both securely into their plane seats to this very moment, an angelic three year old breathing rhythmically beside me exhaustion finally forcing her to into a deep and seemingly dreamless sleep. 

Never Gone

by Carrie Adams

Originally posted on my blog www.leavingapath.com

Without hesitation I can articulate that I believe that life is such a series of moments strung together in a pattern that makes no sense to anyone outside the person experiencing it directly.  Your life is just that.  YOURS.  I can’t feel what you feel, you can’t possibly begin to understand my experience and how that’s helped to mold me, change me, make me the being I am in this moment.  There’s the surrender we each face and have to acknowledge and appreciate the place that pain holds in our lives.  We walk alone.  OWN that.  It’s a heavy burden and sometimes it hurts. 

Catey Baby Berry Muffins

by Carrie Adams

Originally posted on www.keepingitclean.org
I am a single mother to two beautiful girls: Taylor and Caitlyn.  They are mini clean eaters and love helping me bake and cook.  My older daughter Taylor helps me pick out dinner recipes for the week, shops with me and even pitches in on the cooking and cleaning up.  My girls often inspire my baking and today after dance class, while still in her tutu, Catey came up to me while I was making protein bars and asked, "Mama, will you make me something sweet?"  After my heart melted, I checked the fridge and found that  I had plenty of fresh berries and decided to make her some muffins.  I threw this together with some nutritional bonuses from the baby food, flax seed, and hemp protein powder.  I always put a drop of honey on the top of my muffins for an extra touch of sweetness.  They turned out delicious and Catey got her "sweet" for the day.

Nobowl Oatmeal!

by Carrie Adams

Originally posted on my clean eating blog www.keepingitclean.org! 

With all the cooking I do, I feel like my arms are constantly submerged in a sink full of bubbles or emptying my dishwasher. I also travel CONSTANTLY and it’s not easy to stay on the clean eating wagon in an airport so I have to prepare!  (Paleo enthusiasts don’t fear!  You can substitute quinoa for the oatmeal if you like!)

Driving with a bowl isn’t recommended and many an evening I have taken a crusted bowl out of my car and labored to scrub off the remaining oats off the sides working up a sweat. I also need to toss things in bags and take them with me so I came up with the perfect solution. With a glass of milk, these oatmeal treats, boasting 6 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber per cookie, are as hearty as bowlful and as healthy too! Grab two on your way out the door for delicious, healthy morning breakfast!

Ingredients:
1 ¼ cup Old Fashion Rolled Oats (Paleo alternative is 1 1/4 cup cooked Quinoa)
½ Cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (alternative: ½ cup oat pastry powder)
2 TBSP Flaxseed
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. Sea Salt
½ cup Agave Nectar (alternative: honey)
1 egg white
1 TBSP almond butter (alternative 1 TBSP organic peanut butter)
1 tsp vanilla
¼ cup chocolate chips (alternative: dried fruit, i.e. raisins, craisins, etc)
2 TBSP Chia Seeds
2 TBSP Hemp Protein Powder
¼ cup Sweet potato Puree
2 scoops whey protein powder (alternative: 2 scoops soy protein powder)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix Oats, flour, flaxseed, cinnamon, baking soda, chia seeds, hemp protein powder, and sea salt in a large bowl. Combine Agave, egg white, almond butter, vanilla, and sweet potato puree in a medium bowl. Combine the two mixtures. Spoon mixture into 16 or so evenly spaced cookies and flatten slightly with your spoon.
Bake 8 – 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Nutrition Information per cookie: Calories: 117 Carbs: 19 Fat: 2 Protein: 6 Fiber: 3

Above Me

by Carrie Adams

“If I lose the light of the sun, I will write by candlelight, moonlight, no light. If I lose paper and ink, I will write in blood on forgotten walls. I will write always. I will capture nights all over the world and bring them to you”
― Henry Rollins

Originally posted in www.leavingapath.com. 

My running and training lately has taken on a new dimension. One that’s not singular in nature.  So often in a sport that consists of simply putting one foot in front of the other we find ourselves becoming enveloped in self discovery, self reflection, self EVERYTHING. It’s finishing MY race, getting inside MY head, getting MY time, telling MY stories.  But, my stories aren’t what compels me these days.

Spartan Radio 16: We Built this City

by Carrie Adams

Listen here!  http://radracing.org/2011/10/11/16-spartan-radio-we-built-this-city/

Spartan Radio is back at it again this week with more guests (so many it was like the opening sequence of Brady Bunch) and all kinds of fun from the comfort and security of our living rooms.  Last week – talked about SI and had special guest Irene Mallano and her daughter on the show talking all things Staten Island, so, if you haven’t heard show number 15, get on it!  

This week was all things Chicago, the Windy City. We’ll be there this weekend and as we heard tonight, the wind is the least of our worries!  Cliffs Insane Terrain park is chock full of crazy hills that will undoubtedly be ass kickers so get ready!

Mike Morris, Russell Cohen, Todd Sedlak, and Ashley Bond (ahem, she’s a former Miss Illinois and a current Chicago Bulls dancer racing on Saturday) all join me, Shawty, Maurya and Jim for some Spartan chat, some mayhem, some laughs, and Todd’s on top of a mountain in Vermont.  True story.  

Stay tuned: Margo the Great is up next week!

Just Do It

by Carrie Adams

This week has been a tough one for me.  So busy and chaotic.  Been trying to find time, make time, save time.  I needed to pause and take a breath and remind myself of all the things that inspire me to keep on keepin’ on.  Enjoy. 

You don't stand in front of a mirror before a run and wonder what the road will think of your outfit. you don't have to listen to its jokes and pretend they're funny in order to run on it. It will not be easier to run if you dress sexier. The road doesn't notice when you're not wearing make up. It does not care how old you are. And you don't feel uncomfortable if you make more money than it. The only thing the road cares about is that you pay it a visit once in a while." - NIKE Goddess

Down with O.P.P Bars

Cut bars

by Carrie Adams

First posted on www.keepingitclean.org

I was in the mood for a sweet filling treat on this cold afternoon! I've been on a major sweet pumpkin and peanut butter kick.  They are great as a breakfast on the go with egg whites and veggies or even as a snack before bed with a glass of milk.  Portion size is 2 x 2 so keep that in mind as you snack away! 

If you don't have pumpkin on hand,  fresh sweet potatoes or a can and a half of organic pureed sweet potato is a great substitution!  The other half a can I add to meats, sauces, and soups for additional nutritional value and nothing is wasted!