Week 2 Results

Things are still going strong over. I'm feeling much better, although I can't seem to shake this cold. Overall, I feel like I have more energy and my cravings are barely there. I still want something sweet, but the craving is not nearly as strong. I am trying not to eat too much fruit during this cleanse because I know I need to monitor natural sugar intake to lose weight, especially since it has been basically impossible to work out these last few weeks due to the "wheat flu" detox hell and then this stupid chest cold.

I'm getting excited for meals after the cleanse and the occasional Paleo friendly treat. It is the only way I will be able to maintain this lifestyle. That and the occasional cheat meal. I have faith that I can do this and make it work for me in the long run, 80/20.

I'm also really looking forward to running again and seeing how this diet works with my half marathon training schedule that starts in February.

Oh and I'm down another 3 lbs so that always helps matters. 10.5 in 2 weeks...not too shabby fronds.

Week One Results!

I'm going to keep this post short because I'm writing it from my phone on public transportation. I really wanted to get this done last night but making my breakfast and lunch for the next day took priority. So yesterday was my first official weigh in! A couple things before I get to the results.

It's been a rough week, but not in the way I thought it would be. I expected to be hungry or craving foods I couldn't have.  I can honestly say the only thing I really wanted this week was juice, which is odd because I rarely drink juice. I think that this wicked cold is to blame. My raw throat just wants something cold and sweet to soothe it.

I am proud that I went a week without cheating. Every single food or drink item consumed was Paleo (to my knowledge).

The withdrawal symptoms are mainly gone (thank you sweet baby Jesus). I still have a lingering headache and my leg muscles are constantly fatigued.  I read somewhere that the sensation is similar to what you might think walking through oatmeal would feel like.  That is a perfect explanation of what my legs are experiencing.  I have a feeling I will feel a million times better once I can kick this stupid cold!

So, are you ready for the results?
I am down 7.5lbs!

My reaction to this when I looked at the scale?  Shut the f up. Ha! I even weighed myself 4 or 5 different times because I thought my new scale was wrong.  I am beyond stoked.  When you don't cheat, you will see results. 

Now before you make a comment about how I won't be seeing these results in the future/every week blah blah etc etc...I know.  I'd be happy with 1-2 lbs from this point forward. This was an unexpected number and I realize that my body will adjust and weight loss will slow. I've been down this road before. I'm happy it happened and I have realistic expectations for next week.

So there you have it, a successful first week is in the books!  On to the next!

Detox=Death

This is going to be short.  Still killing the Paleo diet, haven't cheated yet, but good God am I experiencing major withdrawal/detox symptoms.  I thought maybe I was getting sick but research shows that I'm going through withdrawal from gluten/sugar/carbs.  I even read that symptoms are similar to opiate withdrawal... WHAT!?!

I feel like death.  I am coughing, I have a sore throat, I'm exhausted, my whole body aches and my headache is unbelievable. My back is so achey and sore that I cannot sit comfortably or lay comfortably, or stand for any extended period of time without pain. It's a constant ache that is making me go crazy because I cannot get comfortable in any position.  I may or may not have cried last night... it was that bad. I finally caved last night and popped some pain medicine (gluten free!) for fear that I wouldn't be able to sleep. I can't thank Omar enough for coming over and rubbing my back and helping me take care of the dog last night.  I am lucky to have him in my life!

If what I'm experiencing now isn't proof that refined carbohydrates and sugar are addictive and poisonous to our bodies, then I don't know what is! 

Read this article for more information.  For now, it's time to buy some more gluten free sugar free medicine and try to get some rest. I can only hope this passes soon because everyone raves just how wonderful you feel once you are finally detoxed. FINGERS CROSSED!

Let's Talk about FAT, Baby!

Yo, I don't think we should talk about this
Come on, why not?
People might misunderstand what we're tryin' to say, you know?
No, but that's a part of life

Come on

Let's talk about you and me.
Let's talk about all the good things and the bad things that may be,
Let's talk about FAT
Let's talk about FAT!
Please tell me you get my song reference...

Anywho, before we get to the big talk about f-a-t let's talk about the food first!

Yesterday (day 2) was a leftover's kinda day (There will be plenty of leftovers this week because I bought enough food for two people. I didn't realize the recipes were for two people, not one, so I have double of everything... ahh yup oops.  I need to pay better attention to detail.  I won't make that mistake next week)

Breakfast was the quiche and two smaller pieces of chicken.  I was really feeling nauseous on day 2, so I decided to add a piece of fruit. Sadly, the only fruit I had on hand was an orange (higher sugar content then I would have preferred).  The orange tasted absolutely delicious and I think it was exactly what my taste buds needed.

Lunch was leftover flank steak, veggies and a mixed green salad. Steak salad is so delicious (even without french fries).

Dinner was my first unplanned meal.  I needed something quick before I headed to volleyball and I just didn't want any leftovers.  So I whipped up a little omelet. Two eggs, a splash of water, salt and pepper, a large handful of spinach chopped up.  I then topped it with some fresh salsa. Yumz. I also ate a small (very small) spoonful of almond butter before heading out the door to play an hour of competitive volleyball. 

I was warned that the first few days might cause a lack of energy and slight dizziness during physical activities.  It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it might be, but I was a little light headed at certain points of exertion.  It was nothing to worry about, but I could tell that I wasn't 100% during the games.  When I got home from volleyball I felt pretty good.  I was tired, but not hungry.  Usually after volleyball I'm starving, so this seemed like a good sign to me!

Day 2 was probably the worst day when it came to how I felt.  I woke up feeling pretty terrible, but as the day went on it got better.  I know it's going to take a few days for my body to adjust to the low carb diet.  From what I've researched on the web, if your diet has consistently been a higher carb, lower fat diet, it takes a little bit of time for you body to adjust to the higher fat, lower carb diet.  Your body needs to transition from using carbs as energy to using fats as energy. 

So let's talk about fat!

Almost every diet I've ever done has been of the calorie restriction, low fat variety.  Ya know, eat the whole grains, lean meats, lean dairy, keep it low fat, lots of veggies and fruits, and some nuts.  The goal was to eat balanced with all food groups in mind.  I've had success on such diets.  I lost almost 25 lbs by counting calories, tracking my food, exercising and eating under 1200 calories a day.  It was really hard to do and I was basically always hungry.... and when I get hungry, I get angry.  Or, hangry, if you will.  Urban Dictionary defines hangry as:

hangry
	When someone becomes irritated, angry, or cranky when they haven't eaten and are hungry. Allen: I hate you and I want to punch you. Randy: Why are you so angry with me? Allen: I'm sorry, I haven't eaten since breakfast so I'm just hangry, bro

My poor family, friends and loved ones consistently had to deal with being hangry.  The low calorie diet worked but was very, very hard to maintain.  Eventually one cheat day would lead to a month of eating junk because it made me happy. So I've done the low calorie diet before, but maintaining said diet was almost impossible for a girl who loves to eat. That's one of the reasons I like this diet so far.... I haven't been hungry yet.  It's a nice feeling!  

So do you know why I haven't been hungry yet?  Because of protein and FAT.  Fat is our friend. 
Woahh, yup I just said it... fat is our friend!  Coming from the girl who has tried every fat free dressing, low fat cheese product, skim milk and low fat dessert, these words are practically sacrilegious!  

I've been doing research and reading up on low carb, higher protein diets like mad and I've found some interesting reads.  Obviously, I am not a health expert, so the more research the better, right?  One of the better (in my opinion) Paleo/Primal lifestyle websites is Mark's Daily Apple

He posted an article explaining the reasoning behind why a high fat diet is healthy. 

Top 7 Most Common Reactions to Your High Fat Diet (and How to Respond)

Take a few minutes and read this article. I think it provides some interesting points:

• "Dietary cholesterol does not affect total blood cholesterol. In fact, when we do eat cholesterol, our bodies make less of it to keep our blood levels in balance.”
• "Fat doesn’t make you fat."
• Eating a high-fat, low-carb diet is the easiest way to inadvertently eat less without sacrificing satiation or satisfaction. It also improves your ability to access stored body fat rather than lean mass, which is helpful for fat loss.
• “The most recent studies have concluded that saturated fat intake likely has no relation to heart disease, contrary to popular opinion.”
• “Fat is the body’s preferred and most reliable form of energy, which is why we store excess energy as fat on our bodies. Unless you think we accumulate body fat just to make pants fit tighter."
• “Certain fats, like egg yolks, palm oil, extra virgin olive oil, cod liver oil, and grass-fed butter, are some of the most nutritious foods in existence. And without fat in your meals, you often won’t absorb all the nutrients that are present in other foods like leafy greens, since many of them require fat for full absorption."

This points are backed up in the article with further explanation, along with a few more. Take a peak, let me know what you think.

So to sum this all up, here is a quote I pulled from page 105 of the  Practical Paleo book:

"Simply put, you need fat, and protein to feel full for a long period of time.  This feeling of fullness isn't about filling your stomach, though!  Don't be fooled by the silly notion that "bulk and fiber" are what fills you from a meal.  It is the nutrients that make you feel satisfied, and it is the protein and fat that pack the most powerful nutrient-rich punch.  The nutrients, in turn, allow your body to have a healthy hormonal response to your food.  Ultimately, it is this hormonal response that determines how full you will feel in an hour, two hours, three hours, and even longer after a meal"

I think the reason why I like the idea behind this lifestyle change is because it just makes sense to me.  The way I look at it, you don't know you're doing something wrong until you try something new and it works better. So I'm trying something new and hoping it works better. 

One final thing... a lovely picture of the skating rink and tree at PPG plaza.  I took this walking to my car after volleyball. Pretty!

Day 1 of 30 DUNZO!

Well hello fronds. Day 1 is done and I have a few things to report.

First, I must bring on the pictures of zeee delicious foods.

I spent Sunday afternoon prepping my food for breakfast (for the week) and for lunch.  All of the meals shown are from the Practical Paleo fat loss 30 day meal plan.

Breakfast
Zucchini and carrot crustless quiche.
This dish is delightful.  Full of flavor and so very easy to make. One casserole makes 6 servings. Next time I'll use a smidge less salt when I make it.

This morning I paired it with 8 oz of bacon.  Next time I will probably  make about 5 oz instead. 8 oz is a lot of bacon haha.  

I love the Rolo made it into the pic!

Lunch

I made some chicken for the week in one big batch. This is the gluten-free mustard glazed chicken thighs.

And here is what I had for lunch.  A mixed green salad with tomatoes and carrots and some homemade balsamic vinaigrette and three of the chicken thighs pictured above.

Dinner

Garlic, salt and pepper rubbed flank steak

 With green pepper and onion

 The final product. YUM.

I was also supposed to eat spinach with my dinner, but unfortunately I was pretty full and didn't even finish my dinner.  In fact, I only ate about 1/3-1/2 of the plate before I was too full to continue.

So what do I think so far?

• The food is delicious and incredibly filling.  I was never hungry today, not once. Seeing as I'm a girl who can put a way quite a bit of food, this is huge for me.  So nice to be on a "diet" and not be starving all the time.
• I craved sugar like WOAH.  Like right now I'm sitting here wishing I could just have one piece of chocolate or one of those delicious cookies in my freezer. I won't do it, but I'm definitely craving something sweet.  This was expected though, sugar is addictive and my body is going to experience some withdrawal symptoms over the next week.  
• I have had a little big of a nagging headache, but I know that it's probably only going to be worse tomorrow.
• I've also had some nausea. This too is a symptom that most people experience while going through withdrawal.
• Lastly, I had been peeing like a racehorse. I mean I normally pee a lot, but dear sweet baby Jesus it's even worse!!  I read that this will probably continue until my body adjusts to not having carbohydrates. Fair enough, better out than in, eh?

So I also wanted to clarify that I will be weighing in every Monday morning and putting any weight loss (or gain ugh I hope it's not a gain) on the blog.  I'll also try to blog a few times a week.  Things are going to start to get busier soon with half marathon training and volleyball starting up again, but I will certainly do my best to fit it in as much as possible fronds.

Lastly, as of 7pm my breakfast and lunch were packed for tomorrow as well.  In the words of Liz I was a Paleo ninja today! I even packed extra for my mum to try.

One day down, 29 to go.  I got this yo....just gotta take it one day at a time.

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen!

Adieu, adieu, to yieu (SUGAR) and yieu (GLUTEN) and yieu (PROCESSED FOODS) and yieu (DAIRY)

So tomorrow is the big day.  The day I say goodbye to sugar, gluten, dairy and processed foods and move into a fresh foods, whole foods, Paleo inspired diet. This is huge and scary and exciting and crazy for me... and hopefully life changing.

So here's the run down in the who, what, when, why and how fashion:

WHO:  Me and maybe Omar.  He is going to be forced to eat Paleo anytime he is with me on weekends, but I'm hoping he will one day to convert as well.  Time will tell!

WHAT:  I'm following the Practical Paleo book by Diane Sanfilippo. This book is an excellent resource that provides information on the lifestyle, how to shop, what to buy and explains why you should change your lifestyle.  It's incredibly interesting, even if you think Paleo isn't the way to go.

 I'm going to borrow some language from her book to explain the lifestyle to you in the easiest way possible.
"The Paleo way of life is simple: Mimic our ancestors, who suffered from fewer chronic diseases than modern populations (pg 22)." So this means eating meat, seafood, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, fats and oils and avoiding refined grains, whole grains, packaged snacks, dairy products, certain beverages that are sweetened (no beer or wine for the first 30 days) and any types of sweeteners (Pg. 27).

WHEN: Starting Monday, January 7, 2013, I will do 30 days of strict Paleo style eating; February 5th will be my last day. After those 30 days I will assess where I stand, how I feel about the diet and if I want to continue. It's silly to continue with a diet or lifestyle change if you are miserable or it is ineffective.  My goal is to maintain this lifestyle, but I won't push something if it's not work for me.  You have to do a diet that works for you, one that you an sustain.  If you can't sustain it, you're wasting your time, right? Continuing the diet will mean moving more towards an 80/20 lifestyle.  80% of the time I eat Paleo and 20% of the time I am allowed items that are not Paleo.  This should make the lifestyle more sustainable. I'll eventually be able to factor in a few gluten-free beers and glasses of red wine per week, just not right away.

WHY:  Pfff this is an easy one... because I am a CARBOHOLIC, with a cheese eating problem.  I definitely do not eat nearly enough fresh fruits and vegetables.  My diet is lacking serious nutrition. "When you eat foods as provided by nature, it actually promotes health, healing, and immunity against future ailments (pg. 23). I suffer from chronic headaches, I lack energy, I have a weak constitution.  I'm definitely not giving my body the nutrition it needs and I'm hoping this change in lifestyle will be exactly what I need to be a happier, healthier, leaner, stronger me.

HOW:
Here are the 5 rules to follow (pg 23-24):
1. Eat whole foods. 
2. Avoid modern, processed and refined foods.
   These include grains, pasteurized dairy products, industrial seed oils, and artificial or refined sugar      and sweeteners.
3. Eat to maintain proper digestive functions
    You must determine which foods your body cannot tolerate and stop eating them.
4. Eat to maintain proper blood sugar regulation
5. Follow a plan that will help you reach your own personal health goals.

I will be follow the 30 day meal plan for those interested in fat loss.  I will be making the meals as dictated by the book.  I will be prepping as much as possible later today (cutting veggies and meats) and making breakfast and lunch for Monday.  I think it will take me a while to figure out the best way to approach meal prep for the week, but I know getting as much done in advance will be the key.

Although the initial start up costs were incredibly high (Like YIKES I'M GOING TO FAINT AT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY I SPENT AT TRADER JOE'S, WHOLE FOODS, and TARGET this weekend) I do believe this will end of being a cheaper lifestyle for me.  I had to buy almost every single spice and nut and seed and cooking oil that I will be using for the next month, along with various cooking tools and gadgets and containers.  I will not be going out to eat at all this month (hopefully) and every lunch for work will be prepared.  I'll be grocery shopping for the fresh foods and meats needed weekly and spending Sunday afternoon prepping.  I'm excited to be forced to cook new recipes and new foods.  I tend to fall back on the same things every week, so this will be great for exposing myself to new cooking styles and new delicious eats. Not to mention the fact that with this diet I don't have to count calories, track what I'm eating or worry about fat.  I can eat each meal until I'm full! And umm, bacon... I get to eat BACON and not turkey bacon, real delish fattening bacon. HELL YES.


So that's it fronds.  It's time to make some serious changes towards being a healthier, happier me.  I'm going to be taking before photos and measurements today.  I won't be posting them on the site (yet), but I will be doing weekly weigh-ins listing the total weight lost.  After the end of the 30 days, I will provide a complete breakdown of my results and assess where I stand. Wish me luck on this scary exciting journey!

13 is one of my lucky numbers.

HAPPY 2013

It's gonna be a good year, I can feel it.

I know that I've disappeared for a while ::slaps own hand::. 
I lost my blogging desire...hell, I lost a lot of my running desire. Things got a little out of control towards the end of 2012. But, like most slackers, with the switch to a new year, comes the need to change oneself and get back on track.  This means setting goals, changing my diet, getting back to an exercise routine, blogging more frequently and bettering myself in other ways outside of fitness and health.

So the big changes ahead of me...

1.) Starting the Paleo/Primal Diet.  Monday's the day, so I'll blog more on this topic later (I'm working on that post already).  It's time to get my carb/sugar fetish under control because it's been so out of control for so long that it makes me physically sick. It's time to get moving to a more whole foods, healthier lifestyle.  Time to lose some more lbs. Time to get my energy back.  It's just damn time for some change fronds. So much more to talk about and discuss, but we'll get into that later... so come back soon!

2.) Training for the Pittsburgh Half Marathon starts in early February.  Time to get back to it.  My goal is to do better than I did last year.  This should not be a problem.  I'm not going to over train like I did previously and I'm going to take care of my body better with the proper fuel, rest and recovery. I will also plan on doing other races in 2013, but haven't quite worked out my schedule yet.  I'm sure a post will come along regarding my race schedule.

3.) Hot yoga at Yoga Flow in the South Hills a minimum of once a week, but preferably twice a week. I started taking yoga recently and it has done wonderful, wonderful things for both my mind and my body.  It's really hard to explain how much it affects me, but I love it. I never dread going to class.  I look forward to it before hand, enjoy it during and feel like a million bucks after.  It's fabulous. My strength has increased, my flexibility is better and most important to my running, my hips are becoming stronger and more flexible.  If you remember my IT band has been an ongoing issue.  My physical therapist told me that one of the main reasons I experience pain is because my hips are so tight, so they put major strain on my knees.  And boy oh boy are they tight.  I can't even get into certain poses during class because of how tight they are. So hopefully yoga will do good things for my running, my body and my mental health.  All good things fronds!

4.) Tracking my workouts on daily mile.  This means tracking volleyball, running, yoga and whatever else I decide to do this year.  I want to have something to visually view my progress, especially at the end of 2013.  This will also keep me honest because I won't want to look like a total slacker!

5.) Take better care of my hair and nails.  I love nail polish but my nails are a train wreck. So I'm working on taking better care of them and also painting them more frequently.  Seems like a silly change, but I hate when my nails look like a little boys (haha). Also, taking better care of my hair.  My main reason for this is because I want to donate my hair to Locks of Love.  I have hair that is fine and shiny, but breaks easily.  So I'm working on making it beautiful and strong so that I can cut it off and donate it to an organization that makes wigs for financially disadvantaged children with long term medical hair loss.  I will need 10 inches.  Luckily for me, my hair grows quickly, it just desperately needs some TLC.  So perhaps I'll blog about my nail and hair strengthen adventure as well.  

So here goes nothing fronds.  Wish me luck and please follow me on this journey.  I'll need help, support, recommendations and reminders along the way. You're the best.

Easy Egg Sammys

I'm a huge pinterest fan... especially when it comes to finding easy ways to make healthy food.
I'm a busy gal.  I tend to put too much on my plate and have trouble just sitting and watching tv or a movie without doing 5 other things at the same time.  I've just kind of always been that way since I was young and started working.

I'm often pressed for time and I'm also not the world's best grocery shopper.  I hate grocery shopping (stemming from 5 years of working in a grocery store) so I tend to procrastinate.


I don't eat breakfast as soon as I get up in the morning. I tend to not be hungry right away, so I eat when I get to work.  I usually grab something like oatmeal, greek yogurt or a cliff bar.  I decided I needed to change things up a bit and give myself more options because I don't always have healthy items on hand for breakfast. 

I love eggs. I almost always have eggs in my fridge. When I saw this recipe from Amy's Kitchen Creations I knew that I had try it!
Eggs for Breakfast Sandwiches

So here is what you do.
Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray
Put spinach in the bottom of the tin
Crack an egg on top of the spinach
Season with whatever seasoning you like (I just did sea salt and pepper)
Bake at 350 for 15 ish minutes. My oven took about 17.  I wanted to make sure they were cooked all the way through because I wasn't going to be eating them right away.

You can then store the eggs in a container in your fridge for on the go breakfasts.  Amy says they will last about 6-7 days, but if things start to smell funny to not chance eating them.

I made about 4 of them, just to try it out and see how it worked.  They turned out great!

I think it would be great to try variations.  Add some other veggies, maybe some type of meat or cheese and spruce them up.  

I also thought this would be a great idea for a brunch or breakfast party.  You can make 12 of them at a time and based on how people want them cooked, you make them a little more runny or even scrambled.  


I grabbed an egg, a whole wheat slim sandwich bread (100 calorie) and a little bit of butter spread for a quick, low cal, easy protein filled breakfast.  Next time, I'll also grab a slice of tomato. Yum!

Back to Business

So I'm back.  I completed the 38 day #RWRunStreak.  I completed over 100 miles in 38 days.  Not too shabby.  I learned so much more about myself, my limits, my strengths and why I run in the first place.  Check that daily blog out 
http://2012runchallenge.blogspot.com/

The streak came at a wonderful time for me and had motivated me to keep pushing myself.  Immediately after the streak, I went on vacation and to be honest, lost some of the motivation.

It's hard to get up and force yourself to run in humid weather when you're on vacation and your bed is just so inviting.  Or you're slightly hungover and your stomach just isn't feeling a run.  Or you're exhausted because you were up until 4 am.  Regardless, all excuses. Time to get back to business!

The biggest news I have to share, I'm going to do another half marathon this year. The Erie Half Marathon at Presque Isle on September 16th. I created my training plan using the Hal Higdon Half Marathon Novice 2 Training Plan.  So as long as the race doesn't sell out by payday, this will be my next half marathon adventure.  Which means, training has already started!  I'm one run in and it was a struggle of a run.  First one back from vacation so that's to be expected. Regardless, it's back to business time so time to get back at it.  I had my vacation, I had my fun and now it's go time.


Other races in the next few months include the Color Me Rad 5k on August 25th and The Great Race on September 30th.


I have also decided to start blogging more about cooking and what I've been eating.  I think it will help to keep me on track with food choices.  I've also made a vow to cook more and pack my lunch more for work to save some cash.  I also recently bought a crock pot and I'm obsessed with it.  So look for more frequent posts about running and food in the near future :)

Some New Tunes

I stumbled across this playlist for running and thought I would share.  I'm constantly looking for new tunes to listen to on long runs and this list is pretty comprehensive.

Enjoy

The runiverse summer 2012 playlist

I Wonder if You Remember...

SOOO I bet you forgot that I ran my first half marathon on May 6, 2012....one of the best days/experiences of my life. 


Well incase you wanted to read another blogger's journey through the Pittsburgh Half Marathon, click on the link below and enjoy Omar's version of our journey.


The Revolving Start/Finish Line


Enjoy his journey, follow his blog and happy running fronds!

Day One of the #RWRunStreak

It felt great to head out for a run today.  I only did 1.62 miles, but I was a sweaty mess by the time I got back.  Gosh it's hot today! 

I only felt a small amount of annoyance/pain on my first run.  MUCH BETTER THAN A FEW WEEKS AGO!  Haha.  I can't stress that enough.  The true test will be how my leg feels tomorrow.  If it's bad, then I'll just stick to one mile a day until it's better. 


I'm going to stretch and foam roll and really get this leg back to business.  


There is still time for you to join us on for the streaking.  Here is the link to the blog where we will be tracking mileage for all involved.  


http://2012runchallenge.blogspot.com/ 

RW Run Streak 2012

Read this:
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-267-269-14350-0,00.html


Runners World Summer Running Streak 2012=Challenge Accepted!

Any other takers?

I figure even with a bum knee, I can run 1 mile a day.  Doesn't matter what speed you run or if you run any further than 1 mile, but you have to run 1 full mile every day for 38 days.
I'll log everyday and let you know what I do.
Obviously in the beginning, it'll not be much more than a mile due to the bum knee, but hopefully as the weeks progress on, I'll be adding more mileage.

What perfect timing for a challenge like this! 


Think I can do it?  Can you do it? Let's do it together. PJ created the following site and he and I will be tracking results for all participants. Please think about joining us on this challenge. Perhaps prizes will even be involved!


http://2012runchallenge.blogspot.com/


Any takers?  Just follow the link and comment on the blog post before May 28th. Come on you know you wanna streak with us!!!


::crickets::

Green with Envy

Dear Running,

I miss you... terribly.  I can't wait until I can partake in your enjoyment/pain again. I hate this distance that we are forced to have right now.  I'm hoping to join you again soon on a wonderful journey. For now, I'll continue to read running/fitness blogs green with envy.  :(


Missing you,

Fishy


PS I never ever EVER thought these words would come out of my 27 year old mouth.  

Planning the Next Move

So the run on Monday... well that didn't go so well.  We only made it about 1.7 miles until I had to stop.  The pain was bad and I didn't want it to get any worse.  So we stopped and walked for a while.  I went home and foam rolled and stretched.  I was curious to see how bad the pain was Tuesday morning.
I was definitely in pain Tuesday. Sad panda.
Everything seems to be feeling better today, but I know that it's time to figure out where to go from here.  Now is the time to rest up and get this leg back to business.
So I'm planning, thinking and researching. I know that I want to do the Erie Half Marathon in September and the Great Race in Pittsburgh, also in September.  I won't have to start training for those until later in the summer.  So now I have a bit of time to get stronger and faster. 
I know that I can't run just yet, so I need to find some other forms of cardio to get some calories burned.  Fishy is feeling like a fat manatee lately! I also need to get some strength training in.
I want to do hot yoga (Vinyassa), I have 4 classes purchased that I need to use.  I also am contemplating doing a boot camp class.  I have also started researching Crossfit.... don't tell PJ haha.
I want to get stronger and more fit.  I want to be healthier. The problem right now is that I'm going to be travelling for the next 3 weeks for work.  No point in paying for classes and such when I won't actually be able to partake in them.
So I'm going to have to come up with a routine to do in the gym at the hotel and/or in my hotel room. Time to get this fat ass a-movin'! 
Please feel free to leave comments and suggestions.  And if you're a woman and a crossfitter, I'd love to hear your thoughts/opinions.  I have heard from guys but I want to know what women feel about it.  


PS babysitting my nephew Noah tonight... can't flipping wait to eat those cheeks!  

IT Band Update, One Week Post Half

So it's officially been over a week since the half marathon and I can honestly say I'm still as motivated as ever to keep running and to get in better shape. BUT we have a little issue.  STUPID IT BAND.

I took a week off of all exercise for a few reasons, but the main one being my IT band.  Now that the half is over and I have a break before I conquer my next training plan, I could finally give my leg a break.  I know, from my experiences with this re-occurring injury, that overuse is usually the main reason for the soreness. 

Sometimes all I need to do is give it a break and stretch/foam roll the knots out of it.  Sadly, the pain was really bad this week, and it wasn't the sore type of pain, but the shooting pain that caused me to limp the first few days after the race, and then the next few days, limp every time I sat with my leg bent for too long.  The pain was so bad, that I didn't even foam roll.  Bad Fishy.  The thought of putting that foam roller on my already hurting leg just made me cringe.

Even after a week of rest, I'm still at the limping every time I sit with my leg bent for too long stage...   :(

This displeases me greatly.  I know now is the time to get this leg back to good, with no required long runs, etc.  But I feel like a fat lard, and I'm really itching to get out for a run.

So tonight, the plan is to test it out.  Weather permitting, I want to get a short run in with PJ, just to see how the leg feels.  I just need to know how badly it hurts during and after a run, so I can plan ways to get in physical activity that doesn't cause me further pain.  I have to do something, I can't just sit here another week! So fingers crossed that it's not too bad after a run, a foam roll and a killer stretching session. 

I am a RUNNER of STEEL!

Brief note before I give a re-cap...I realize that I haven't blogged since April 20.  Partially was from being a slacker but the other main reason was because I had a recent, very quick change in my work load and job description.  I was chosen to participate in a training for my job. My entire workload was taken away from me and I have been traveling to Philadelphia to receive training for a new initiative at my job.  I will spend about a month training and then about 8 weeks rolling the initiative out in my office, teaching my peers.  It's a lot to take on, and everything was very last minute.  My life, the week before the half marathon was thrown a huge curve ball, and it has been a bit overwhelming, so unfortunately my blogging had to be put on the back burner.  But alas, I had some free time tonight to finally provide a re-cap of the Dicks Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Half Marathon on May 6, 2012.

I have so much to talk about, I actually had to outline my thoughts on paper prior to writing this, just to make sure I said everything I needed to say.

So Saturday evening, the night before the race, Omar, Shay, Sarah, Big Al and Ben crashed at my house so that we could commute down to the race together.  We attempted to go to bed early, but all of our nerves were a bit shot, and most of stayed up much later than we wanted to.  I tossed and turned for quite a while.  I just kept thinking about how the race was already here.  These 5 months of training, 274 miles run, all lead up to this one day.  I kept worrying about the dumbest things, like driving down to the race and getting caught in traffic, or possibly getting into a car accident and injuring/killing all of my friends heading to the race, peeing/pooping myself during the race, etc...my mind was just going all over the place.

We got up bright and early, 5 am, to grab something to eat and make our way to the North Shore.  We used Omar's parking pass and then walked the bridge to the start line.  Sometimes, Omar working for the Pirates comes in handy and this was one of those situations.  We used the bathrooms in the parking garage lobby.  Unfortunately, by the time we got to the starting line, Sarah and I both had to go again.  Port-o-john lines were freaking ridiculous, so we just decided, against our better judgment, to just hit a port-o-john as soon into the race as possible, in hopes that others weren't doing the same thing. 

Before the race we got a group photo


From L to R: Omar, Me, Big Al, Shay, Sarah and Ben

 Omar purchased us the throw away shirts.  We matched. Aren't we a cute couple??
Here the girls prior to the race, ready to start the half (Shay, Big Al and myself) and the full (Sarah).


From L to R: Me, Sarah, Big Al, and Shay

 And me and my man

Waiting for the race to start was SO nerve wracking and all I could think about was how badly I had to pee. When I could get my mind off of the fact that I was about to run a half marathon, the longest I've ever run in my life, I tried to look around and just take the scene in. Over 25,000 people were signed up for the race, and it was just awesome seeing them all lined up for the race to start.  We were in the last corral, so it took us 20 minutes to cross the starting line. 

Ben was in corral c so he was way ahead of us and Big Al booked it as soon as the race started so we did not see her again until the end of the race. 

Shay, Sarah, Omar and I stayed together for a short while, until Sarah ducked off to use the port-o-john.  Omar, Shay and I ran just a bit further (a little shy of 1 mile) and waited for about 10 minutes to use the bathroom.  Frustrating, frustrating, frustrating.  I didn't want to have to stop during the race, but I had to pee so badly I honestly thought my bladder was going to explode.  I'm just so scared of being dehydrated again, so I was too loaded with liquids for my own good. I knew that I would only need to go once, and I'd rather get it done with early and not have to stop again during the race.

The first 6 miles went by VERY quickly. Too quickly, in my opinion. Shay, Omar and I were taking in the sites and enjoying ourselves.  We were weaving in and out of people trying to get a caught up a bit from our time lost going the bathroom.  It worked out well because the crowds had thinned and we could make some headway in the race not being completely surrounded by people, like we were in the beginning. I'm pretty sure I had a smile on my face the entire first half of the race.  This was the first large race I completed, and it was such an awesome thing, being surrounded by runners and having people in every neighborhood of Pittsburgh cheering you on.  Each neighborhood decorated with balloons and tents and were lined with people. Some were cooking out, had horns and whistles, signs and sometimes food for runners. Very cool.

The weather was beautiful, but pretty hot for early May in Pittsburgh.  The sun ended up being quite relentless.  Not enough clouds in the sky...every water station was a Gatorade or two down the hatch and a water thrown on my head and neck.

Around mile 7 things started to go a little downhill for me.  All of a sudden, my IT band in my left leg started to hurt.  Not badly, just enough to let me know that it was there, it was a re-occurring injury, and that if it wanted to, it could flare up and really force me to slow down.

In the West End, we got to see Shay's Mom and Aunt Nancy and that cheered Shay up and added some pep to our steps. By about mile 8.5 my IT band was really starting to hurt.  Why? I have NO IDEA.  I was pissed though. It hadn't been bothering me on runs since I got a foam roller and rolled it every night.  I blame being away from my house the week before the half and not having my foam roller in Philly.

Around mile 9-10, in South Side, we saw Omar's sister Mona and Omar's mom.  They were cheering us on with cow bells and signs.  We gave them both high fives.  That definitely put a big smile on my face.  It's really awesome seeing people you know while you're running, so if you're reading this and your friends and loved ones are racers, go out and watch them.  Support them.  Cheer them on.  It's SO appreciated by those who are running. 

By mile 10 my IT band was killing me and it continued to get worse, a shooting pain in my left leg the entire rest of the race. The pain was the worst on the downhill.  It felt like quad was going to detach from my knee.  I could tell that my form was really suffering and I was limping a bit, but we only had 3 miles left and I just refused to walk at that point. 

After crossing the Birmingham Bridge, the final of 5 bridges that you cross during the race, we thought the course would be most downhill until the end.  Boy were we wrong; way to throw 2 hills into the last 2 miles of the race marathon planners...RUDE!  By this point, the 3 of us agreed that we were ready to be done running, ready to finish.  We each would chime in the occasional encouraging phrase to push ourselves up these last 2 hills, before the final downhill decent to the finish line. 

The last half mile was thrilling. Running the last bit of the race, seeing the finish line in sight, and running down the street lined with people cheering you on.  Exhilarating!  Like nothing I've ever experienced in my life.  A complete and total high. 

Very close to the finish line I heard a familiar voice yell Shay's name, a bunch of her friends and boyfriend were watching us and were cheering us on during the final stretch.  We picked up the pace and gave it all we had, crossing the finish line with our hands raised above our heads in victory. 

Omar, Shay and I ran the entire race together. We supported one another to the finish line.  We laughed, danced, acted like fools, and made it 13.27 miles to the finish of Shay and my first 1/2 marathon and Omar's second. I definitely don't know if I could have pushed myself through the pain to finish the race without the support of those two. Running my first half marathon with my ever supportive, awesome boyfriend and one of my best friends. Shay motivated me every step of the way.  That girl is one of the best running partners anyone could ask for.  She is positive and peppy and definitely kept a smile on my face even when I was in pain. Omar is more of the quiet, supportive type.  He doesn't like to make small talk when he is running, but it's like he knows when you're struggling and when you need someone to push you.  It's at that point that he always has something encouraging to say.  Two very different support systems, but both helped in more ways than I can describe. What an amazing experience and memory to share with them.

Here was our final time (I paused my watch for the bathroom break)

I was hoping to get closer to 2:10, but I have no complaints.  Overall, my main goal was to complete the race.  I'm officially a Runner of Steel. BOOM!

We were all so happy to be done and show off our bling. Big Al killed the half with a sub 2 hour time. You go GUUUURL!


From L to R: Big Al, Omar, myself and Shay

I didn't get to see PJ at all Sunday  :(  So here is a celebratory picture that I stole from his facebook.  Where is your smile Joshy?  PJ's goal was sub 2:00.  He killed it with a 1:56.  I couldn't be more proud of ya buddy!!

And Susan (momswimbikerun) with her PR of 2:07.  You're such an inspiration!

Kim killed her first marathon with a 4:04 time.  You're amazing Kim!!!

AND, no picture sadly, but brother Ron also ran his part of the Marathon Relay.  6.4 miles in 56 minutes.  FANFREAKINTASTIC BROTHER!

And last but certainly not least, Sarah finished the Full Marathon.  I couldn't be more proud or inspired by my frond. She had an emotional week due to a sudden loss in her family.  My heart broke for her during the week and then again when she told me she decided that she was not going to run the marathon.  At the last minute, she changed her mind and decided to do the race, and I think she is happy she did. I have so much respect and admiration for this girl. She has inspired me so much during this entire training process.  Love her to pieces and I can't wait to run a race with her by my side.



Beautiful sisters!

It's been 3 days since the race and I'm still on a high. It's really hard for me to put into words every emotion that I felt during, and more importantly, after this race.  Sunday was hands down one of the best days of my life.  Is that pathetic??  I don't even care if it is.  I have never been so inspired to get myself in better shape, to be faster, to be stronger, to be healthier and most importantly to run more races.  I can't wait to get back into things and start training for my next half.  I'm officially addicted.  Who would have ever thought that would happen to me, the girl who has always hated running?

3 Run Re-Cap

I'm so behind on my blogging.
This will just be a short recap of my recent runs, just to get caught up!


Saturday April 14, 2012
This was my last long run before the marathon.  YIKES!  I can't believe how quickly this race got here.  
I was supposed to meet up with the girls in North Park to run the last one together, but I had some stomach issues the night before and that morning and running in North Park, far away from bathrooms, had me worried.  So I decided to wait it out a bit and attempt a run in the afternoon around my house.  I ended up doing a really hilly course around my neighborhood, not straying too far from my house just in case I had an emergency.
Omar ran the first 6 with me and then I was on my own for the last 4. My total time was 1:39:27. Here was the mile breakdown by average pace:

Mile 1 - 10:17

Mile 2 - 9:57

Mile 3 - 10:02

Mile 4 - 9:47

Mile 5 - 10:00

Mile 6 - 9:57

Mile 7 - 10:05

Mile 8 - 9:49

Mile 9 - 10:07

Mile 10 - 9:19

TOTAL AVERAGE PACE - 9:47

I felt like this was the most solid long run I've had during this training.  The back and forth jump in pace between each mile was interesting as well.  Kind of made me laugh a little. I felt strong during the run and also felt good running so many hills on a longer distance.  I tend to keep my longer runs on a much flatter course. My mentality during this run was to sit back and enjoy the ride.  I have put so much time and energy into training for this half marathon.  I have struggled through runs and over-analyzed every aspect of a run.  I've added foam rolling, dealt with injuries and tried to work on my form to make it more efficient.  I've been frustrated, sad and angry.  But the day is almost here, and I've gotta focus on trying to enjoy this journey a little more.  So that's what I set out to do on this run. With it being my last long run before the race, I tried to be positive and think about how far I've come in my training.  It actually seemed to help.  A positive attitude can do wonders mentally for a run.  Each time I started to struggle, I just thought about how this was my last long run and that the next time I'd be running over 10 miles, would be May 6th.  I also saw this post earlier in the week on Facebook and tried to think this way:

Each hill I ran, I tried to earn the downhill.  It really did seem to help, as silly as it sounds.  It was a solid run at a pace I was very happy with.

Sunday I played volleyball for 2 hours. Monday I went to Zumba for an hour and it kicked my butt; my back and abs are still sore today (pathetic).  Tuesday I played volleyball for an hour.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

I had a very, very frustrating work day. I decided to take out this anger on my lunch time run rather than my loved ones. Yay for running and being an outlet for frustrations and anger.
I decided to do a timed 5k. I wanted to have an idea of how much my speed has increased since last year at this time. This Saturday is the Pirate Charities 5k.  Last year I ran the same 5k and PR-ed on the course at 30:12 with an average pace of 9:43.

Well this happened on Wednesday. Boom.

Average pace was 8:38!!!! AND this was a hilly course !!!!!!  !!!!!! !!!!!  !!!!!  !!!!

Needless to say, I was stoked.  My previous goal for this 5k Saturday was 28:00.  Time to re-assess that goal haha.  What an awesome feeling! I was beyond stoked about this run.  I was struggling to breathe the whole time and was giving it 90-95%.  I was congested (allergies?) and it didn't help with my struggle to breathe.  My goal for Saturday is 26:30.  Think I can do it? It's not going to be easy, but I'm surely gonna try!

Thursday, April 19, 2012

I took the day off work because I was taking the pup to the vet at 1:30.  I got up early and walked the dog and cleaned up the house a bit and before I knew it, it was later than 10 am.  I wanted to get in my 8 mile run, but in order to run 8 miles and get home in time to shower and drive to the vet, I needed to be running by 10 am.  I lost track of time, and didn't get on the road until after 11, so I set out to get in as much distance as possible.  I only ended up getting in 4.88 miles.  A little disappointing, but better than not running at all.  Sunday's 5 miler has now turned into a long run.  Oh well, it happens.  I did 4.88 miles in 46:35 with an average pace of 9:32.  I as very pleased with this time, even though this run was a bit of a struggle.  I think my legs were just tired from the week of exercising.

So today my legs are feeling sore and a bit tired.  I'm going to make sure to foam roll a bunch today and stretch.  I want these legs to be ready for tomorrow's race with Shay, Omar and Big Al.  We'll miss you Sarah! <3

PS  I didn't forget about my before and after post about the house.  I ordered a sectional on Wednesday for the family room and it'll be delivered next Friday.  I also haven't had the chance to get people over to the house to move my bedroom furniture upstairs to the master bedroom.  Once these things happen, I'll take plenty of pictures and post a little before and after blog of those two rooms!