Talluluh is Only Half Crazy

I hope I haven't put all my beloved followers off by all my health and fitness posts lately.  Especially the past week, when I've been so overcome with excitement about my first half-marathon that I have taken over your newsfeed.  Sorry bout it.  But here's the deal:  Right after my wedding day and the birthdays of my children, today was the 4th most significant day in my life.  Today, I completed the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon's Half-Marathon.  And.it.was.awesome.

If you've been reading all my posts (and you should be), you've heard my story about the high school athlete who didn't know how to train.  I HATED RUNNING.  Hated it.  It bored me to tears.  When Ty and I got married just 5 short years ago, I would literally run about two blocks and call it a day. The really crazy part was I thought I was accomplishing something.  Don't get me wrong, doing something is better than doing nothing.  And those first few steps out the door led me to where I am today, but I was a little ignorant about running.

Now I've been running for almost three years.  It's MY time.  My time to take out all my frustration, stress, and emotion on the pavement.  When I signed up for the half, I was scared.  I had never run further than 5 miles in my entire three years of experience.  But I wanted to challenge myself, and I'm so glad I did.

If you have never run in a marathon event (be it half, full, or 5K), I implore you to at LEAST go and watch.  I was not prepared for the emotion that would consume me today.  Every moment was inspiring.   It was also a blast!  My favorite parts from today:

1.  Singing our National Anthem together before the race began.  Tears in my eyes.  Anticipation building!
2.  Passing the Midwest City Fire Department in their full gear and seeing everyone thank them and shout "God Bless!"
3.  Being passed by a person in a wheelchair (tears again!).
4.  The hundreds of people cheering, waving, and encouraging me! It was really a blessing.  There were people holding signs with funny sayings, wearing costumes, even passing out Jell-O shots and beer! It was like a big party and I was just running through.
5.  Seeing the finish line.  That brought tears to my eyes for a third time.  I couldn't believe I had almost accomplished what I set out to do!
6.  Waving to my hubby, my sis, and my cousin Dakota as I got ready to cross the finish line.  I was so happy to see their faces.

7.  Before we started the race, my goal was to finish in under two hours and thirty minutes.  Finding out I crossed with a time of 2:20 was a great feeling!

Add to all this that we were running to remember those whose lives were lost and those who were changed forever on April 19, 1995, and it truly is an experience that is difficult to put into words.  But I've done my best.  And I hope you know that if I can do it, you can too!  So do something that inspires you.  It all starts with that first step out the door!

Talluluh Cooks Skinny Pancakes

Hi, friends! I know you've been waiting with bated breath for my next blog post.  Here it is!  I've been missing from the blog scene for awhile.  Things have been crazy and hectic and it just hasn't left much time for blogging.  Rest assured that I have been keeping a list of things to blog about, so I'll try to catch up in the next couple of weeks.  First on my list is a recipe I've been dying to share with you.  If you've read some of my previous posts, you know I've been trying to live a "clean" lifestyle.  This basically means eating a balanced diet with no processed foods.  You can read about eating clean here.  I'm not perfect at it, but I am getting there.  And I've found that I'm beginning to "crave" foods that are good for me instead of cupcakes and cheeseburgers.  Go figure.  The recipe I'm sharing today is relatively clean.  The pancakes are WAY healthier than regular pancakes.  I don't eat these every day, because they are higher in calories than my normal egg white and spinach scramble, but I do usually make them on the weekend for a treat.  They are delicious and I hope you will try them!

Talluluh's Skinny Pancakes

Dry Ingredients:

3/4 c. whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 T stevia sweetener (I use Truvia brand)

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:

3/4 c. OR 4 egg whites

3/4 c. plain nonfat greek yogurt

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Other (optional):

2 T dark chocolate chips

1/4 c. sliced strawberries

1 T pure maple syrup

Combine dry ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Add wet ingredients and stir until combined.  If you choose, add your chocolate chips.  You could also add pecans!

Cook on a griddle on medium high until lightly browned on both sides. Top with strawberries and pure maple syrup.  ENJOY! 

Makes about 2-3 servings.  Each pancake should use roughly 1/4 c. batter.