3 is too much

This blog is going on the back burner for a while.

I actually signed up for a race today - but I don't think I can keep up with everything and 3 blogs. So my race training will be at my other blog .

Maybe when life slows down I will bring this back.

In other news. I have lost 19 lbs since June. :-D

Paleo Eating Week 1

I have been reading a lot about the Paleo diet, or caveman's diet. Everything I have read has had positive things today. Matt and I have been in a food rut, and we just end up eating crap because we don't know what else to do. So I figured worst case, we get some new recipes in our diet.

So last Sunday we went grocery shopping. We didn't put cheese-its in the cart or rice. Insteaad we spent a lot of time in the produce section. This is very different from a normal shopping trip. With food bought and menu made I went to bed ready to start this.

I had some concerns. 1 - I am picky. I don't like a lot of different veggies or meats. I was/am worried that I will get bored of it. 2- This diet requires work. You have to plan ahead, you can't just grab a sandwich on the way out the door to work.
But you never know til you try.

So Monday am I weighed myself (I am not doing this to lose weight- just to feel better about myself- if weight loss ensues then sweet :-D )

I am going to put this out there, while my goal was to follow paleo strictly, I was not going to beat myself up if I cheated a little. I know that weekends are always going to be hard.

So how did it go?
Well from Monday breakfast to Friday Lunch, I was perfect, I only ate according to the paleo plan. Friday we went out with friends to a Mexican place. I ate chips and salsa, I don't regret it. :-D I ordered fajitas and I only ate one tortilla shell and a little rice. The rest of the meal I just ate the steak and onions. Saturday I made burgers with my brother, I didn't eat a bun, but I did eat chips. Fail Whale. But they were good :-D

How did I feel? Well, this week I only worked Monday and Tuesday so I was able to sleep in a bit more than  normal, but I felt like I had more energy. Many times I feel like I need a nap at nap time or even fall asleep reading at nap time, but this week I didn't feel that way at all. Friday Matt and I walked around for a good 4 hours apartment hunting and normally I would have been spent and ready for a nap, but I was good to go and actually didn't get to bed until like 1:30am. I will have a better idea of how this affects me this week when I am back to my normal work schedule.

I will say that after dinner Friday, I felt full and heavy, boarder line gross. But Other meals last week I feel like I ate more than I did Friday and I never felt gross.

Hopefully next week I will have similar experiences.

I did lose 5lbs this week... It probably would have been more if I didn't cheat Friday and Saturday

Edit** I forgot to add - I spent the week doing work and school work, so I logged a big goose egg for workouts this week. Hopefully adding workouts back in will not change my energy level.

so about that roll...

It stopped rolling. I have been doing a lot of school work lately and have been exhausted this week. I got a whopping 2 workouts in.

This whole finding balance thing SUCKS. it is hard and near impossible.

I am determined to get back on track this week.

I am also going to try to change my eating habits. I am tired of eating crap and feeling like crap. So starting next week, I am going to be trying to eat more along the guidelines of the Paleo diet. Getting back to the basics of foods. It will take a lot of planning, but everything I have read about it seems to point to it being a good way to eat.

My hardest thing will be giving up the carbs. We eat rice, potatoes and bread all the time. The other hard thing will be that I am so picky, so finding new and yummy foods I like might be a challenge, but I am going to try and force myself to try new things.

I am going to give it a good two weeks and hopefully not fall off the bandwagon. My hope is to share my experience here.

If grad school will let me :-D

On a roll

and loving it.

I have worked out everyday (except last Friday because I was doing this)

I have been doing couch to 5k at an 8:30-8:50 min mile 3 days a week and p90x workouts the other days.

I finally made a schedule out. I am LOVING the p90x - even if Tony is annoying as H-E-double hockey sticks...

Here is what I am doing

You can see a better view of it here.

So far this month I am doing very well - hoping to keep my streak alive! That will take some planning ahead these next few weekends. And possibly some getting up early on weekends too... its worth it. I almost didn't workout tonight - and guilted myself into it. Now I am sitting here all sweaty and tired but glad I did it! YAY!!

Lately...

My days are all off because of my busy weekend.

Day 1 was actually on Friday. I did p90x chest and back and Jillian's 6 pack abs. Holy cow!

Sat and Sun were super busy did nothing.

Monday I ran. I decided I was going to do couch to 5k. Wait what? You can run 10 miles! True, but 10 slow miles. I want to run a faster 5k. So I am starting couch to 5k at the beginning, running FAST! Hopefully I can keep it up when it gets to be for longer periods of time!

Tuesday: Did p90x shoulders and arms. Didn't have time for JM because we were going on a date :-D I technically didn't have time to workout, but I decided I would try to fit in a workout, shower and cooking dinner before the movie... dinner at home isn't happening. (at least my workout did) Please don't ask me to use my arms tomorrow!

Wednesday: Long, tiring day. Came home and was in a mood. Laid in bed and watched America's Next Top Model from the DVR and decided I wasn't running today. Then I watched the biggest loser. I watched these 400 lb people kicking their own butts to get to a better place, and then seeing them during the final week at over 100lbs lost for all of them, I couldn't let myself lay in bed and not run tonight. I felt like a jerk! So I went and did it! It felt good and I feel better now too. Even better when I posted my status on FB - I got a message from Matt (who is in Miami - lucky duck) that said "Proud of you." Me too Matt, Me too!

Thursday I did JM workout

Friday and Saturday were super busy and I didn't workout

Sunday I did JM

I can't remember if it was Monday or Tuesday I ran C25K week 1 day 3

Wed we drove to NC

Friday am (thats right AM like 8:30- so early) we all got up and went to the gym. I did Week 2, day 1 C25K

So that is that.

Saturday we are going hiking and Sunday I hope to get a run in, and then some tennis in the afternoon.

Matt and I drive home on Monday and I will get back to regularly scheduled workouts Tuesday. 

I should probably change the name of this blog

I do love running. I have run a handful (a small handful) of times since my race (sorry coach.)

Tonight I started my version of p90x.

I am going to be doing the strength workouts, but running on other days. Also, I am not doing ab ripper x. I HATE that workout. I can't really do much of it it is so hard. So I gave the DVD to my brother. (then did the chest and back workout tonight to see it at the end of the DVD and taunt me)

I did do Jillian Michael's 6 week 6 pack (fyi - no one gets a 6 pack in 6 weeks, i don't care what you say, but I like the workout)

I am sitting here, SORE (its only been 40 mins) and stinky and hungry.

So, my new plan will go like this.
For 4 weeks I will follow this plan (typically it is only 3 weeks, but I am traveling during week 2 and 3 (wed-mon) and know I won't get a workout in some of those days)

Sat - Chest and Back then Jillian Michaels 6 pack abs
Sun - run
Mon- shoulders and arms then JM Abs
Tues- run
Wed- legs and back then JM Abs
Thurs- Kenpo x
Fri- rest

Then the 5th week I will do recovery
Sat - rest
Sun - core synergistic
Mon- Kenpo
Tues- Stretch x
Wed- Core Syn
Thurs-Rest
Fri- Rest

I haven't looked at and worked out my plan for phase 2, but I will soon.

Hoping I can find the balance for when school starts.

So yea Tony Horton and Jillian Michaels are going to torture me for a little while.

Cherry Blossom 10 Miler

This recap is a bit overdue.

I trained for this raced since January and followed the plan pretty well until the last 2 weeks. I just was super busy and couldn’t get those last long runs in.

My I finished this race 9 mins slower than my original goal. But my race day goal was to come in under 2 hours. I did just that!

I went to bed with a horrible migraine, so I was a little worried about how this race was going to go.  I woke up feeling better, but with a mini hangover (sometimes I feel hungoverish the next day after a bad migraine)

It was FREEZING at the start line. I had a bit of an issue when picking out my outfit. I don't run outside in the cold, ever. So all I have in terms of cold weather gear is a pair of running tights that I knew would be too hot for the race. The temps were to be in the high 40s low 50s by finish time.

However at the start it was high 30s low 40s. YIKES.

I wore a short sleeve black shirt (that was matt’s) to try and soak in warmth from the sun. I wore shorts and then my compression calf sleeves. Not because I wanted the compression, but the warmth!

Waiting for the start was cold, my toes(and the rest of my body) went numb.

As we started running I could feel my body warming up from the toes up. By mile 2 I was good to go. I settled in at a slow comfortable pace and just went.

Miles 1-5 were easy and fun. Mile six I got a little tired.

I have to say that around mile 3 I saw the sweep bus, I knew I wasn’t running a 14min mile pace, but it really messed with my head. I was sure that thing was coming for me.

I needed to pee, but I refused to stop at one of the portapotties because my head told me the bus would be waiting when I got outside. The bus also helped me to keep my 2 walk breaks to water stops and keep them short(I really wanted to make sure I was getting the Gatorade in my system, the first couple I think I wore more than I drank.) So while it tortured me mentally, it really kept me going.

Anyway, I kept pushing and tried to enjoy the trees and the water around Haynes Point. Mile 9 I texted Matt and told him I was almost there, and then put my head down and pushed. If I kept it up I would make it under 2 hours.

Of course they had the last 1/2 mile up a hill. Nice, thanks! I saw Matt and his mom and kicked it to the finish. My mom was there too, but I didn’t see her and she couldn’t find Matt.

No wonder look at all those people

Crossing the finish – looking yuck.

I finished feeling really good. Could I have run 3.1 more miles? Probably not, but I didn’t feel like I was going to die. Success!

I bought a medal (if I am going to run 10 miles I want something to show for it dang it!)

 

The medal has the course as the branches of the Cherry Blossoms.

 

The shirt – looks like the medal.

 

This was a really fun race, and I will run it again one day. This was a good way to end my racing start my hiatus from running.

There are a couple races that have been trying to talk them selves into my life, but I am standing firm and getting a year of school under my belt (or at least summer and fall semesters) before I add training back in. Honestly, I REALLY want to run the Disney Princess Half. Maybe 2012.

I know I can do it

The run on the plan for today was a 10 miler. (it was also on the plan last week, but it didn't happen)

I did it, and survived. I felt pretty good through most of it too. After 8 miles I got bored and was ready to go home and see Matt, who was gone the night before and came home mid run.

So the beginning of the year I made all these goals for 2011.

I wanted to run another half, a 10k , PR in a 5k, run 1000 miles for the year and possibly do a full.

Then I went and applied to grad school and got accepted.

So, after the Cherry Blossom 10 miler, running is getting back burnered. (is that a word?)

Until I know how much work I am going to be doing on the weekends, I just can't justify spending money on a race when I don't know that I will be able to give my all in training.

My first class starts the Monday after my race. I still plan to run, just not for 2 hours on a Sunday (like today)

Maybe after a few classes I can figure out how to work it all back in, if not , I hope that running is a nice break from the books for me.

After I get my 2 degrees, I plan to train for and run the Disney Princess half marathon. So look for that in a few years. :-D

I will keep this blog and when I run or find something worth posting I will post it up. I will keep reading everyone else's blogs too.

Love the Run You're With 5k

I had a great run today.

Matt and I got to Pentagon city at about 8:15. We went to Champps restaurant to stay warm - it was chilly this am.

I decided to go ahead and get in line to go pee, since it was about 20 girls deep and took about 15 mins (of course there was no line for the mens room)

Good thing I did, because when I left the restaurant to go take a warmup run, the line was three times as long.

I wanted to get a mile warm up in, but time was a little close for me, so I ran to the start line, and ended up running .75 mile.

While I wanted a PR in this race, I wasn't going to push it to get it. My last (and first 5k) I started the first mile or so at insane speed (7:30 min miles) and hit the wall hard. While I finished with a good time - I walked a lot, and had a horrible race.

I didn't PR, but that was fine with me. I ran a good, strong race and enjoyed myself start to finish.

I was a little worried, because when we go to the mall parking lot, I realized I didn't have my headphones, so my ipod was useless. I always run with music, so I was worried that I would struggle without it.

I didn't. I enjoyed myself even without music. I listened to people's conversations as I ran near them, and then when they bored me I passed them :-D.


The course was basically run 1.5 miles away, turn around and come back. I liked getting to see the people as they were running back. Even if the first person got to me before I had even gotten to 1 mile! The winner finished in under 15 mins! Insane!

As I was running, a guy running the other way wearing a University of Miami hat pointed at my shirt and said something (but I didn't catch it) I don't run outside in the cold, so I don't have cold weather running gear except running tights I bought last year for this race. (I didn't get to run it) Anyway, I wore the only long sleeve t-shirt I have, which is my A.C.'s Icees shirt.

A.C. is this old dude that sells the best frozen lemonade I have ever had, EVER - out of his truck in this little park in Miami. That guy knows what's up! (Now I need to go to FL and get me some AC)

I finished in 33:18:72 according to my watch
Mile 1- 11:10:73
Mile 2- 10:37:24
Mile 3- 10:19:94
.15- 1:10:81

The official results said I finished in 33:19:00.

Sounds good to me!

Fun race! Not too cold (thank god no rain/snow) I was actually hot running the last mile or so. Will certainly run this fun run again next year. Maybe with some friends (hint hint)

Zumba

I finally pretended that I didn't care and went to a Zumba class.

It was quite fun. I was HILARIOUSLY BAD!

Seriously. I have 2 left feet, limited rhythm and not great coordination. (OK - why the heck did I want to try this in the first place?!)

I positioned myself in front of the section of wall without a mirror. If I had to see how ridiculous I looked I think I would have been self conscious about it and given up.

I did alright. I think if I kept with it I could learn the routines. The girls in the class have been taking it for months, so they start to learn the routines.

So I was trying, I could get my feet to do MOST of the things I wanted. I had to forget about using my hands for most of the routines. But towards the ends of the songs I would get some arm motions in there too. Then towards the end, this song came on.

Everyone started giggling... (that should have been a sign!)

The instructor was right in front of me (yay I could see her feet and figure it out!) Then she started moving her hips/butt in ways my hips/butt don't move. Seriously. I have tried again in the bathroom alone, I don't jiggle like that. I tried to keep up and just go with it, I was dying laughing!

Here is a video of the choreography that they did for the last song. Seriously, how do people move their butts like that? I am slightly jealous.



So I did it, I took a Zumba class. I think after my race I am going to sign up for more classes and keep at it. But right now I want to focus on my running. Cross that off the 2011 Goals list!!!

January Review and February Goals

Today is February 1. Time to check in on some of my goals for the month and the year. 


January Goals:


Run 40 miles ( I ran 40.5! WOO!)

Strength 1x a week (yea this didn't really happen - but it will in Feb!)

yoga 1x a week ( not actual yoga, but I spent 15ish mins 4 or 5 days a week stretching- thats something)

2011 Goals

Exercise/Running

• Run a 5k and PR in it (running one on 2/13!! EEK)
• Run my first 10k
• Run my first 10 miler ( signed up and currently training)
• Run another half marathon and PR
• Run outside more 
• Do yoga 1x a week 
• Get over my fear and try a Zumba class (Going with a friend this Thursday!!! EEEEK)
• Do some form of strength work 1x a week ( see above)
• Run 1000 miles this year (957.5 to go!!)

Nutrition

• Take vitamins daily (I have been doing better with this, probably take it 75% of the time)
• Drink water at restaurants (Probably 90% of the time! I ordered a diet rootbeer once that was exciting!)
• 1 vegetable and 1 fruit with dinner daily (doing a good job adding fruits and veggies into my meals)
• Healthier snacking (meh - but a lot of the Christmas candy is gone so that is good!)
• Only drinking diet soda ( which means I won't order soda out at restaurants because I only like diet sunkist , diet mt dew and diet A&W rootbeer) (we only buy diet so i only drink it!)

Home

• Fold the clothes the day I wash them (or if I put them in the dryer before I go to bed - right away the next day) and put them away (started strong - then I let 2 loads sit for 3 days)
• Clean up dinner dishes before bed (been trying to do this, unfortunately things have been  working out so that I run the DW as I make dinner, so I have to wait to load it the next day after work. 
• Eat dinner at dinner table (which means keeping it free of clutter!!) (EH - it has its days)
• Keep the clutter under control! No more piles! ( I think it is better than it used to be - still a little cluttered. Luckily I went through and got rid of a ton of stuff on Jan 1.)

Personal

• Read every night before bed (doing ok but not every night - see below)
• Go to sleep earlier (yea, no.Fail.)
• Read at least 15 books from my list (still working on 1984 - switched to audio book and listen to it home from work everyday. Starting a new one soon)
• 
  
• 
  
• February Goals
• PR my 5k
• Run 60 miles
• Run with music more days than with tv.
• Strength training at least 1 x a week.
• Pack a healthy lunch everyday ( I typically take a lunch, but sometimes I scramble and take crap)

Runner's High

I had one of the best runs I have had in a LONG LONG time.

Lets set the stage. I ate like crap last night, I stayed out late and went to bed after 2. I slept super late :-D and then did a WHOLE LOT of NOTHING.

I knew I had to put in 5 miles down on the TM. After I finally talked myself into going down, I just figured that my day of slothness would mean my run would be brutal.

The first mile was good, but at about a quarter of a mile I had to pee (sorry for the TMI) so I ran pee after 1 mile and then jumped back on. The last 4 miles were a breeze. I ran them nonstop and felt amazing the whole time.

Love it.

In other news, I am trying to talk Matt into running a little community 5K. It isn't until April 16 and I think that is plenty of time for him to do the couch to 5k program!

I really think it would be fun to run it with him. I hope he agrees. I am off to create a plan for him and see if he will do it. :-D

Do you know what this means?

 

It means I have been running a lot. (and not running the dishwasher very often!)

YAY! That makes me happy. I have been feeling good. My knee started hurting a little on Thursday and I iced it on Friday and Saturday. I also made sure I remembered to take my glucosamine and chondroitin vitamin all weekend and I like to think that helped too (it probably didn’t make a difference and it was all the icing)

 

p.s. I have been doing a decent job remembering to take my vitamins everyday. I am a big believer in Vitamin D during the winter. I totally notice a difference. I suggest you take Vitamin D, it will give you some pep in your step.

The old me

Today I had the best run in a long time. It was only 2 miles but it was a great run!

I started working with a running coach. I am so excited. She is going to train me through my 10 miler.

So I have officially started her plan. The thing that I have noticed tonight is that while I was running, at a point when I might have wanted to stop or slow or wimp out. I didn't, partly because the run was going really well, but also because I knew I didn't want to tell her I sucked :-D.

Obviously if I was hurting I would have chilled out, but I felt good.

So following her plan I won't get 50 miles this month, but that is perfectly fine with me. I want to race this race strong.

So yay!!

Oh Hey Lazy Lady

That is me. 


I can't find motivation to do ANYTHING anymore!!! 


Seriously. What the heck is my problem. 


Anyway. I made some overall goals on my other blog. 


Here are my running/diet related ones.

Exercise/Running

• Run a 5k and PR in it 
• Run my first 10k
• Run my first 10 miler and at a pace no slower than 10min miles
• Run another half marathon and PR
• Run outside more
• Do yoga 1x a week
• Get over my fear and try a Zumba class
• Do some form of strength work 1x a week

Nutrition

• Take vitamins daily
• Drink water at restaurants 
• 1 vegetable and 1 fruit with dinner daily
• Healthier snacking
• Only drinking diet soda ( which means I won't order soda out at restaurants because I only like diet sunkist , diet mt dew and diet A&W rootbeer)

I also want to set goals for each month. This month I want to run 50 miles. 

Better lace up - its day 3 and I have logged 0 miles!!!

Runnersworld.com has a new training plan maker. I just made a new updated plan for the 10 miler, and I think I am going to make one for the half marathon in May. I need to dig deep and get to running. I want to run this race and run it strong.