Weird people on the Seawall

Beautiful, yet predictable 

My seawall runs have been so uneventful recently: manicured lawns and tiny pure bread dogs. Don't get me wrong I absolutely adore this area, I'm just saying it's kinda predictable. Not today though, I'm excited to admit this seawall run was different. I headed out from work to avoid the "I'll do it later" fatigue that hits me the second I get home. The first 30-mintues was blah but during the second half things got interesting.

As I headed through yaletown I was slowly gaining on a girl. I like chasing people down because, crazy or not, it gives me an energy boost. A little competitive? I know. As I approached, she looked back at me and started to pick it up. I thought to myself; ok, bring it!

I kept running at my consistent pace and slowly started creeping up. I was back to within 15-ish metres when she glanced back and tried to pick it up...again. Totally annoying this time but kinda fun too! We ran like this for about 10 minutes, me maintaining a consistent pace with her looking back and darting. I felt like a shark tracking her prey, maybe we should of just ran together but here's the kicker. When I got to my turn around spot by the "big pool" my prey stopped and bent over in exhaustion. It was such an anti-climatic ending to my game, I still had at least 20 more minutes and was tired from the hunt (stupid ego).

I guess the joke was on me; anyways, I started back and passed a man running with a backpack. Why the backpack you ask? I don't know. I wasn't paying much attention to backpack man but his feet  slapping the pavement informed me he quickened his pace. Ok, here we go again but this time the hunter was now the hunted. This was until backpack took out the kid!

I make a point of always looking a few moves ahead of me because I don't want anything to affect my pace, I'm that neurotic. I saw a kid up a few moves ahead and I know from experience that they have a habit of dodging right in front of you. I anticipated this so I went wide around the kid to avoid any slowing. I guess backpack guy wasn't paying much attention. From what I could decipher by the mom yelling and backpacks's slapping feet coming to a grinding halt; the kid got in the way. When I looked back the kid seemed fine.

I finished my run by heading over the Burrard Street Bridge. I was thinking about how weird this run was when my thoughts were frozen dead in their tracks. This ass walking along the cross road jumped out as if he was going to charge me! He thought he was just hilarious but honestly he scared the crap out of me. I gave him an exhausted death stare and muttered a few words I won't mention.

I finished my run feeling great but I'm wondering, is it a full moon or something?
xo
Becks

Cook once eat twice (at least)

I was explaining earlier that I am recently obsessed with adding natural ingredients to canned soups and sauces to up the nutritional content of convenient dinners. I’ve taken this idea one step further with something I like to call "strategic cooking". Instead of simply adding extra veggies I’m now planning my meals ahead of time so that I can revamp my leftovers and create brand new dinners!

Here, I’m reinventing my leftovers and making tomato tortellini soup with my pasta from the night before. The best part is this "new" dinner is it takes less than 10 minutes.  What you need: one can of tomato soup (believe it or not western family is my favourite), half a can of diced tomatoes, spinach and your tortellini from the night before.

Mix the condensed soup with tomatoes and spinach then add one cup of water.

Heat for about five minutes and add your tortellini. I like to wait before adding the pasta to prevent it from becoming too soft. Heat for 7-10 minutes total and you'll have a nutritionally dense, delicious meal. Enjoy the comfort food!

xo

Becks

Canned food “can” be healthy!

Ok, first and foremost I apologize about being so exited about my pun-intended cheesy title! I really want to share, my most recent food obsession is all about adding natural ingredients to canned soups and sauces. I know it’s easy enough to cook from scratch but realistically that takes time. When I’m bonking after runs or tired from working all day I want dinner now, not an hour from now. I love the idea of cooking but I’m just not going to do it. Instead, I like to prepare food. The secret to my, whatever you want to call it, "cooking" is convenience. My goal is to be eating a healthy meal in 10-15 minutes max! To do this I reach for my trusty can opener, throw in some veggies and bam, dinners done. Here is my most recent creation. Tortellini avec veggie packed spicy tomato sauce. 

Start off by sautéing onions, garlic, broccoli and zucchini. I like to pre-cute all my veggies and leave them in my freezer so all I have to do is grab a handful and throw them in the pan. 

After five-ish minutes add half a can of diced tomatoes and tomato sauce.

In the mean time boil water and add tortellini, cook for about 8 minutes.

Drain pasta and add a handful of spinach to your sauce to up the vitamins and the iron. 

Add your amazing sauce to the pasta, serve and enjoy! 

Voila dinners done, I tend to cook a lot at once so I have dinner for about 3 nights. I promise this recipe tastes really good and it's actually good for you!

xo

Becks

Feel the Run

My Sunday runs have always been my favourite training run of the week. I love meeting the girls and taking on at least 70 minutes of good running around Burnaby Lake. I'm realizing most of the time I'm so caught up in analyzing how I feel that I don't take time to look around and really feel my surrounds (yes, you can analyze about tight hips for 70 minutes straight).

Every run in so unique whether it be the flies we're forced to pry from each other's eyes or chasing down the fast girl with a dog because we don't know who she is. I really want to bottle up these experiences and appreciate that I can run. We're just so lucky and at times way too focused to appreciate it. Today, after so many long runs this was the first time I noticed these baby geese.

They're so cute until they grow up to look like their parents! Take time to watch the birds.
xo
Becks

Yogi Challenge

My most recent yoga goal was to stand up from bridge. For whatever reason I've decided that conquering this pose will help me develop some of this yogi strength that I admire in my instructors. I love watching the grace with which my teachers can effortlessly move their rock hard bodies into every type of pretzel. I totally want this but something, other than my stubborn muscles, was preventing me from reaching my yoga goal.

Everything changed when my mom raised the stakes. She said, "I bet I'll stand up from bridge before you." What? Oh wow, if you know me at all I'm not one to back down from competition. It was so on! I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins as I marched downstairs to my bedroom-turned -yoga studio to practice. Pride was on the line and I was not leaving until I mastered my goal.

About an hour later I found my mom relaxing in the living room. Assuming she hadn't given our challenge a second thought I causally walked in and without muttering a single word performed my yoga goal.

Booya, it wasn't graceful by any means and I obviously need to work on the relaxation part of my yoga practice but I'm really loving finding new ways to be strong. I might also love competition ;)
xo
Becks