The most fun running you can do in Colorado this summer

Each spring I am always on the search for fun and fit things to do in the summer.  This year there seems to be an abundance of fun runs to do!   I am not a runner but if you add a costume, good friends and mud then I am in.  Below are the runs I have found along with dates and more information. 

Rugged Maniac

http://www.ruggedmaniac.com/events-details/items/denver-2012.html

May 19th

Lakewood, CO

$48-$88

The Color Run

http://thecolorrun.com/denver/

May 26th

Denver, CO

$35-$50
**I am signing up for this one!

Boulder Boulder

http://www.bolderboulder.com

May 28th

Boulder, CO

Cops and Robbers 5k Road Chase

http://www.runningguru.com/EventInformation.asp?eID=cnr

Friday June 8th

Riverfront Park, Denver, CO

$20-$35

Tough Mudder

http://toughmudder.com/events/colorado-2012/

June 9th & 10th

Beaver Creek, CO

$60-$200
**This was probably the toughest thing I have ever done! Luckily I will be out of town this weekend for a wedding or I may have signed up again...

Highland Running of the Bulls

http://www.highlandbulls.com/

July 7th

Highlands, CO

$15-$25
**Doing this one again.  It is for a great cause and is a lot of fun!

Run For Your Lives

http://runforyourlives.com/denver/

July 14th

Lakewood, CO

$77-$87
**Signing up for this one as well!

Survivor Mud Run

http://survivormudrun.com/locations/locations_col.htm

July 21st

Johnstown CO

$43-$67

Muddy Buddy

http://muddybuddy.com/events/boulder/

August 12th

Boulder, CO

$60-$90

Warrior Dash

http://warriordash.com/register2012_colorado.php

August 18th & 19th

$55-$75
**I would do this but it is the weekend of the fitness competition I am planning on doing.

Great Urban Race

http://www.greaturbanrace.com/event2012_denver.php

August 25th

Denver, CO

$50-$70

80's Retro Run

http://retrorun.eventbrite.com/

Sunday August 26th

Sloan's Lake, Denver, CO

$25-$50

Dirty Girl Mud Run

http://www.godirtygirl.com/

Septermber 22nd

Byers, CO

raimeestar.com

What To Never Eat After Working Out

Click Here to download the Free report of What to NEVER Eat After Working Out!  Inside this 39 page PDF you will discover why your workouts might be a waste of time, research proven ratio of nutrients your body needs after your workout, the harsh truth about consequences from not feeding your body correctly and much more!

Spicy Bell Pepper Stuffed Meatloaf and Green & Orange Salad

Spicy Bell Pepper Stuffed Meatloaf
Ingredients:
1 pound grass-fed organic ground beef
1/3 cup gluten free bread crumbs
1/3 cup organic ketchup
2 medium jalapeños finely chopped
2-3 medium to large bell peppers
1 organic egg
-Season with the following spices: dried parsley, oregano, basil, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, celtic sea salt and black pepper








Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Chop bell peppers in half and clean out centers
3. In a mixing bowl, mix the rest of the above ingredients together.
4. Place the mixture into the bell pepper halves.
5. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until done. Allow to stand 5 minutes before eating.

Green & Orange Salad
Ingredients:
Spinach
Asparagus
Avocado
Green bell pepper
Golden cherry tomatoes
Clementine oranges

Directions:
1. Cut and steam asparagus then chill
2. Combine all ingredients

Ground Turkey & Veggies Lunch

I like cooking meals with leftovers for lunches so I spend less time in the kitchen and have food ready to go during the day. Below is my easy and quick recipe for ground turkey and veggies.

Ingredients:
-Ground turkey
-Spaghetti sauce
-Bell peppers 1-2 (I like to use half the pepper of all 3 colors)
-Carrots 1-2
-Onion 1/3 (I'm not an onion fan so I skip these)
-Jalapeños 1 (if you like it spicy)
-Crushed red pepper (optional)
-Cayenne pepper (optional)
-Celtic sea salt (optional)
-Pepper (optional)

Directions:
-Fully cook the turkey in a skillet
-Chop the veggies and add to cooked turkey
-Add 1/2 the jar of tomato sauce and let cook on low for 15 min
-Season to taste with salt, pepper, crushed red peppers and cayenne pepper

This should make enough for 2-4 lunches.

Get Your Breakfast Protein In

When trying to gain muscle you want to be sure that you are eating enough protein.  You must maintain enough protein intake to prevent muscle tissue breakdown for the use of protein for energy.  Here is a high protein breakfast shake recipe that will make sure you are starting off the day right.



9 tbsp drinkable egg whites (75 calories & 15g protein)
1/2 cup dry oats (190 calories & 7g protein)
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (40 calories & 1g protein)
2 scoops Prograde protein powder (130 calories & 24g protein)
1 scoop raw fiber (85 calories & 6g protein)
3/4 cup frozen fruit (I used peaches today) (50 calories & 1g protein)

Mix in blender and enjoy! (total of 580 calories & 54g protein)



by
www.raimeestar.com

Protein Packed Pumpkin Pie Favorites

Pumpkin Protein Shake

Put in a blender:

1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp pecans walnuts or almonds
1/2 cup cottage cheese
2 scoops vanilla protein powder
3/4 cup cold water


Pumpkin French Toast

Ingredients:

2/3 cup vanilla or plain almond milk (unsweetened)
1 tsp cinnamon
2 heaping tablespoons 100% organic pumpkin (NOT the pie filling)
2 tsp vanilla protein powder
2 eggs

6 tbsp egg whites

Whisk ingredients.  Dip both sides of a sprouted whole wheat bread.  Using non-stick organic olive oil or coconut oil spray or a lightly oiled griddle, fry both sides of the french toast.

Building Parallettes

So part of a fitness competition is a minute and a half gymnastics routine showing off your strenght and flexibility. One of the power moves the judes like to see is L sits. This move takes a great deal of upper body and lower ab strength. To exercise my lower abs I decided to build a pair of parallettes out of PVC pipe. This is a great piece of workout equipment for super cheap. You can also use paralletts for pushups, planches, handstands and more. Below are steps and photos on how to make your own pair of parallettes.


Go to your home improvement stores and buy the
following items if you already don’t have them:
Tape Measure
Hacksaw or Pipe Cutter
10’ of 1 1/2” PVC Pipe
4 PVC T Pipes
4 PVC Elbow (90 degree joints)
8 PVC Endcaps
PVC Glue


Cut the 10’ PVC Pipe:
2 - 18”
4 - 8”
8 - 5”


Bond together pieces with PVC Glue:
1.Join an elbow connector to each end of the 18” pipe.
2.Attach an 8” pipe to the exposed ends of the elbow joint.
3.Connect 'T' joints to the 2 exposed ends of the 8”pipe running at right angles to the longer pipe.
4.Create the base of the parallettes by attaching 4 of the 5” pieces to each open end of the 'T' joints.
5.Cap off the ends of the 5“ pipes.