Suzie Homemaker Alert!!

This crazy thing has been happening this past weekend.  I've been spending more time in the kitchen (insert sexist joke here).  I've decided that I want to save WAY more money, so that I can possibly move away from Omaha after I get my degree.  I noticed I tend to spend the most amount of wasted money on food from Panera or Blue Planet Natural Grill (a local restaurant that only makes food from fresh ingredients and doesn't fry anything!).  

They are both AMAZE-BALLS, but let's face it..they're not saving me anything.  I started searching on Pinterest and the internet for healthy, easy-to-make meals for myself.  Here's what I've come up with so far:

Grain Free Tortillas and Tacos
 

Makes 1 large tortilla or 2 small

Tortilla:

2 tbsp almond flour

1/2 tbsp water

1 egg

Mix together and cook on med heat skillet.  Flip when golden brown (about 3min). Cook for another 2-3min

Top with choice of meat, veggies, and other taco toppers.  In this picture I have ground turkey, lettuce, and organic salsa

Naked Turkey Burgers (from Muscle and Fitness Hers)

Makes 7 small turkey burgers

1lb ground turkey
1egg white
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 garlic powder
1/4 poultry seasoning
2tsp Dijon mustard
(I also added 1/4 cup bread crumbs)

Combine all ingredients and divide into patties
Cook on skillet or grill! (It was too cold to fire up the grill so I opted for the skillet)

Sweet Potato Chips

1 sweet potato
1tsp olive oil

Cut thin with mandolin (I LOVE MY MANDOLIN!)
Toss with olive oil and spread on cooking sheet (make sure they don't overlap)
Cook at 400 for 25-30min

Also, I made the turkey burgers and sweet potato chips on the same day, so I decided to top the burgers with some chips.  My only remark--WHY DID I NOT THINK OF THIS BEFORE?!?

Avocado, Egg, and Bacon Bake (from Pinterest- not sure who made it)

It's pretty simple:
Cut avocado, take out pit and about 3/4 of the insides and save for meals
Put in cooking pan WITH LIPS!! (this is so the avocado doesn't roll over and dump out the egg). 
CAREFULLY pour egg in each side of the avocado.
Sprinkle on top UNCOOKED bacon
Bake at 425 for at least 15min (more if you like your egg cooked well- like me)

...Oh and for anyone that thinks eating little to nothing is the way to go..well here's my answer..

YEAH..I eat a lot of food!!

Avocado on Avocado on Avocado **RECIPE**

Lately I've been having an avocado obsession, so here's a couple of recipes I came up with!!

Avocado and Kale Recipe:
Ingredients:
3 avocados (pit scooped out)
3 lemons, peeled (could use limes or mix them)
2 bags of Kale

1. pit and peel both the avocados and citrus and place in blender
2. mix to consistency you like (I like mine smooth)
3. massage avocado/citrus mixture onto kale leaves
4. ENJOY!

Here's my recipe from the Super Bowl.  My friend, Twyla, has asked me to bring a healthier, gluten free dip that she could enjoy without feeling guilty.

Avocado and Greek Yogurt Dip:
Ingredients:
3 avocados
1 lemon
1 lime
Organic salsa
2 large cans of chicken (in water, 98% fat free)
1 cup plain greek yogurt
spices you want

Layer 1:
Mix spices with greek yogurt, like chili powder or cayenne pepper, cilantro, etc.
Spread into bottom of dish

Layer 2:
Blend pitted avocados and peeled lemon and lime in a blender (leave some chunks)
Add in spices, like cayenne pepper or chili powder
Spread on top of Layer 1

Layer 3:
Open chicken and drain the water
Spread on top of Avocado layer

Layer 4:
Top it all off with that salsa!! and ENJOY


Today's Workout:
*45min of Spin

*18:31 of Lifting:
10 Pushups
15 Power Clean and Press (65#)
25 Bench Jumps
25 Overhand Inverted Row
25 Thrusters (20#)
25 Overhand Inverted Row
25 Bench Jumps
15 Power Clean and Press (65#)
10 Pushups

PS- HAPPY NATIONAL PANCAKE DAY!!  Have you had your pancakes today??  I didn't..would anyone be willing to share their favorite clean pancake recipe?!

Oh Sweet Smoothie Goodness!

So I realized that my vegetable intake has seriously been lacking.....
I also realized that my schedule this semester is going to OWN me....example- I left home yesterday at 430am to teach spin (#PoweredByBits of course) and did not get home until 830pm! Today I left at 8am and will maybe get home around 10pm...yikes!

I decided that adding a smoothie to my day would help with both of my issues- I can put massive amounts of veggies in it and it takes about 5min to make (including clean up).

Here's my first recipe: (Sorry for lack of pictures- I drank it too fast!)

Spinach Goodness
Serves 1

Add the ingredients in this order
4 cups spinach (I also tried 2c spinach and 2c kale..yummy)
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
Blend
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (I used Blue Diamond)
1 banana cut
Blend
ENJOY!

I told you it's super easy! I'll be keeping you updated on other creations I make!

I'm off to Les Mis tonight...has anyone seen it yet?!?
Do you have a smoothie recipe with veggies you'd be willing to share?

8-Week Nutrition Challenge!

My CrossFit box is having a nutrition challenge for the next 8 weeks and I was crazy enough to join!!  It was a $50 buy-in, but I have an opportunity to win it all back!!  Here's the rules, as written by one of the coaches:

Okay, if you're not as skilled in reading messy handwriting (I've had life-long practice with my dad's atrocious writing..you'd think he was a doctor); I'll explain here:

1. It's a combination of zone and paleo (don't worry I'm not done explaining).
2. For the paleo aspect: 
1. Eat all meats, nuts (NO peanuts are not nuts), seeds, and veggies
2. Some fruit is allowed (eat it with breakfast or post workout; try and avoid it later at night, unless you workout at night).
3. Little starch (a little is allowed around workouts and morning)
4. NO SUGAR! (fake sugars are included in this, so dump that crap down the drain!)
5. Keep alcohol VERY limited
3. For the zone aspect: 
1. He took our measurements (weight, body fat %, butt, waist, and arm)
2. Based off all these he gave us our "blocks" (instead of using calories, zone uses blocks, so that you eat more balanced- carbs, fats, and protein)
3. I was given 12 blocks a day 
4. We have to break that into 5 meals a day, so I chose: 3 2 3 1 3
1. This means that at a given meal I will eat that many "blocks" of EACH macro- carb, fat, protein
5. Then we went over what constitutes as a "block"
1. In general, most lean meats are 1oz=1block
2. Eggs: 1egg=1block
3. It varies with veggies and fruits, but if you google "zone diet" there's really good documents that have how much amount of food= a block
4. Every night we have to fill out our charts that give us points, or take away, for everything we've ingested and our workouts.
5. We are also suggested to start taking fish oil (or eat fish) and multivitamins
1. I choose a fish oil (I HATE fish) and it has a special coating, so it doesn't taste funky
2. I have a multivitamin from HyVee based on GNC's women's mega (for WAY cheaper)
6. We also are told to pick 3 meals a week and not worry about zone or paleo.  This does NOT mean to let loose and go crazy; still try and stay healthy, but don't get caught up on staying within the exact blocks.

Okay, so that was a pretty simplified explanation, so if you have any questions: comment below or ask me on my Facebook or Twitter!  Of course, I will still be eating my ENERGYBits before workouts because they fit within my guidelines and they've improved my performance SOOO much!!

Now, why am I doing this?!  Well, recently at CrossFit we've been talking about our weaknesses and nutrition is definitely one of them!  I mean I eat pretty healthy, but I could do so much better!!  Also, it really hit me when one of the girls, that I usually try and keep up with during workouts, said, "I just want to do it to show off all the hard work I put in here."  It's SOOO true; I work my ass off and only eat "pretty" healthy?!  Does that make sense..yeah doesn't to me either!  My sister-in-law tells her friends/coworkers that I'm a "shit, brick house."  Well, I'm pretty small and built, but I'd like anyone on the street who saw me to say that about me!

Also, I decided it was time to make a change and hold myself accountable after the coach took our measurements...yikes!  Now they're not horrible, but NO WHERE near where I would like them.  Here goes..don't judge:

1. Weight: 125#
2. Body Fat %: 22.5%
3. Waist: 29.5"
4. Butt: 35.5"
5. Arm: 10.5"

I'd like my BF% in the teens (not low teens though) and my waist closer to 27-26."

I'll leave you with a picture from my breakfast this AM: 1/4 cantaloupe, 3/4 cup egg whites, and 2.25 cup kale sauteed in olive oil.

Do you follow any special diets?  If so, which one?  

Back to Endurance Racing...

Also, in my exciting news: I have signed up for more races!! The last two "endurance" races I had done were: my 5th marathon in June and my first sprint triathlon in August. I have done a couple other shorter races (5K and 10K) because I am trying to focus more on my speed and strength. Plus, if you've never done a distance race; it is MENTALLY TAXING. I LOVE my marathons because they have taught me how strong I am physically and mentally, but by the time that 5th one came around I was ready to be done for a while. I really liked the triathlon for the same reason, but it was a little easier mentally because by the time I was sick of one event it was time to move to the next one. I had decided I needed a break from endurance racing, especially with my last year of college and a part-time job approaching. I switched gears to shorter distances and fell in love all over.

I had done cross country in high school, but only as a way to stay in shape for soccer. After running my first 5K since high school, I wanted more! I enjoyed getting to run fast and not having to save anything in my tank for multiple hours of running. Then, this week my sister-in-law (who got me to do my first half, my first marathon, and all the marathons and half's since) called me about the Cowtown Marathon in February in Fort Worth, TX.


My rockstar sister-in-law and me after completing RAGNAR
(2 Days of relay running, no sleep, and no showers)

 She said her and my brother were going to run the full and that I should think about doing it. Well, I know that mentally I am not ready for a full; I still need a little seperation period before I put myself through the ringer again (not that I don't enjoy it). Also, we figured it would be a perfect family reunion because a majority of my mom's siblings and my grandma live in Fort Worth AND are runners (yes, my entire family is crazy). I met her in the middle and said that I would do the half because it would require some training, but I wouldn't have to worry about getting a 20-mile run completed while I'm studying for finals. SO, what does this have to do with ENERGYBits??

Well, I am going to be using ENERGYBits as my source of fuel before and during my training and during my race! In case you didn't know, endurance racers have to refuel during the event because eventually your body burns through your energy stores and wants to start taking it out of your muscles UNLESS you give it more energy to take from. I have tried GUs, other gels, blocks, beans..you name it; I've consumed it. Unfortunately, I have one of the most tempermental stomachs and EVERYTHING has done unimaginable things to my digestive system during a race.  I will keep you updated on how these little bits will push me through my runs and workouts!!

People have started asking me if I will be putting CrossFit on the back burner now that I'm adding in more races.  The answer is NO NO NO!  One because I am obsessed/addicted (whatever word you want) to CrossFit.  It has made me stronger and faster as a runner, so I won't stop!  If you need some more evidence that lifting/strength training will improve your running; take a look at Blonde Ponytail's blogpost about running and CrossFit. 

For now here is my upcoming race schedule:
October 28th- 5K
November 22- Trail 5K
February 22- Half Marathon

Is this likely to change?  MOST DEFINITELY. 
Do I have times in mind?  YES, I'd like to PR on all of them.  For the 5K that means anything under 24:30 and for the half I'd like to be under 1:55.  I will keep you updated with my training schedules (once I figure them out) and how EnergyBits is helping me push through and improve my training!!

Are you registered for any upcoming races?  Do you take anything pre-workout?

Exciting News!!!!

 



In case you didn't read the title, I have some super awesome news!!  I was picked to be a Brand Ambassador for EnergyBits!!  In case you missed my review when I first tried them out; here it is again. 

 

I wanted to add a little bit more about the company and how it got started.  The founder, Catharine, started this company after her sister was diagnosed with breast cancer four years ago.  Her Oncologist told her to try adding more alkaline to her diet.  Catharine started reading more about green nutrition, gave up her career, studied and taught nutrition, and then launched this wonderful company!  This was another reason I really wanted to be a part of this company, in some way at least.  If you don't know me or my family I'll give you a quick synapses.  My great-grandmother on my mother's side died from breast cancer and my grandmother on my father's side was diagnosed with breast cancer almost two years ago and survived!  I also have numerous other types of cancers floating around my gene pool along with countless other diseases and illnesses.  I have always understood that nutrtion IS your health care, if you don't eat right and put the right things into your body; you're asking for trouble.  Which is why I LOVE ENERGYBits; I don't have to worry about what chemical is going into my body and how it will effect me not just immediately, but 10-15 years down the road.   If my review hasn't persuaded you to switch to "green energy," hopefully that story will :) 

 

Now what does it mean to be a Brand Ambassador?  Well, it means I get to spread the word to everyone about EnergyBits and how much it has helped my performance!  I will get to give (thanks to EnergyBits) discounts and giveaways to followers, so if you haven't yet make sure you "Like" and Follow EnergyBits on Facebook and Twitter.  Also, "Like" my page, The Young The Fit and Follow me on Twitter for updates on these discounts and giveaways :)

 

Also, as a Brand Ambassador I'd like to start doing a weekly or monthly nutrition or fitness blog post.  What do you think?  If so, please comment on what you'd like answered or discussed!

Stay tuned for how I will be incorporating EnergyBits into my everyday life and my training!! 

 

 



 



And On The 7th Day, She Cooked

"If you fail to plan, then plan to fail."  

Such a TRUE statement for anything in life, even your diet.  That's why I am always cooking food in advance if I know that I won't be home for a meal.  Sometimes I have a big cooking day, like Sunday's or I'll cook during my class breaks in the week.  I don't usually cook these massive, amazing concoctions.  Usually it's just ground turkey, chicken, and some sort of meat in the crock pot as well.  I'm a pretty simple kinda girl.  I don't like to put a lot of time or effort into my meals, so it usually ends up being meat and a veggie or salad.  If I can mix it all together into one dish...YIPPIE!

Here's a pretty common example of a meal.

Cooked ground meat, sauteed veggies, mix together, and TADAA..AMAZINGNESS :)

For some reason this week though I was channeling my inner Rachel Ray.  The first two recipes are based on different ones from PaleOMG.  If you haven't checked out her blog...DO IT!  The first one was egg muffins.  I put one whole, beaten egg in a muffin tin and sliced up a piece of bacon inside of it.  You can honestly put anything you want with it- veggies, bacon, cheese, etc.  I just think bacon is the BOMB DIGGITY!  Next, I made a turkey dish.  I baked cooked ground turkey, hot sauce, and sweet potatoes...yummy in my tummy.

Egg Muffins:

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees

Beat one egg and pour into muffin tin

Mix in any other ingredients you want

Cook for 10-15min (or until eggs are no longer gooey)

Turkey Meatza..maybe:

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees

Shred a whole sweet potato

Place in Skillet and cook with Coconut oil for 5min

Add in Ground Turkey and cook until turkey is completely cooked

Add 1/4 cup Hot Sauce

Coat turkey and sweet potatoes evenly

Pour mix into a baking pan and place in oven

Cook for 5min

The next thing I decided to bake is based off of Bare-To-Bake's recipe for peakaboos.  I exchanged some ingredients to make it paleo-acceptable.  

Preheat oven to 375 Degrees

Mix 1/2 cup coconut flour (next time I'll use less), 3 whole eggs, 1tsp of baking soda, 1tsp vanilla extract, cinnamon (to taste)

Place evenly among muffin tins and cook for 10-15min (will still be gooey in center)

Cut in half and place a nut butter (I used cashew) and stick back together

Top with more cinnamon!!

When I went shopping on Sunday, I decided to try something new that I have been seeing on Facebook, Instagram, and LOTS and LOTS of blogs: Kombacha Tea.

I had the mango one.  There is also plain and a chia seed one.  It's pretty good, but it does have a little bite!

So, do you need to make all these meals and spend all this time making meals for the entire week??  No, but make sure every day you know exactly what you are going to eat. Whether you are eating at home or some where else; YOU NEED TO HAVE A PLAN! With that I will leave you with a picture of my scheduled cheat meal this past weekend: FROYO..mmmmm

Primal Blueprint

In my previous post I talked about my trip.  Well, it was a LONG plane ride and I decided to read my free ebook, Primal Blueprint.  It is Mark Wolff’s take on Paleo as a lifestyle, rather than a quick fix diet.  If you want to know the basics of Paleo and the Primal lifestyle, I highly recommend it.  He breaks down the acceptable foods, improvements you’ll see, and what you won’t see.  

I read his take on physical activity first.  I REALLY REALLY liked it.  It wasn’t “spend hours and hours lifting and running each day.”  It was completely opposite actually.  He says to revert back to childhood and play.  Do what you love to do and make it your regular activity.  Mark states his is Ultimate Frisbee, for me it is running and CrossFit.  He doesn’t want you to dread working out, but rather wants you to wake up every day thinking about what game you are going to play before or after work.  I started thinking like that this week and let me tell you it helped!  

On Sunday and Monday, I really had to itch to run, so I did.  Instead of my usual, “well how far should I go?  how fast?” I JUST RAN.  On Sunday, I was feeling a casual run with rolling hills, so before my flight I ran 4.5 miles, not too fast, not too slow.  Then Monday, I was dying to sprint (I know, weird).  I decided I would do sprints 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off; increasing my incline as well.  After I went from 8.0 speed and 2.0 incline to 9.5 and 4.5 (my planned end).  Turned out I wanted more.  I decided to “cool down,”  where I then went back down my speed and incline, until I was back to my starting point.  

Mark also wrote about how people don’t need to lift for hours on end to get the results they want, so I took that into account.  Technically, I have already been doing this with CrossFit, but I still did it while on vacation.  I did lots of Tabata circuits.  I would pick a movement, like the squat, and perform it for 8 rounds of 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off.  Trust me, it burns by the 3rd round.

Next, is his view on the Paleo Diet.  Mark does not mess around with this one!  He does not let anything slide by, like you know how most diets and even a lot of Paleo follower will make their old favorite meals to fit inside the diet rule dimensions?  Well, Mark says that that is a no-no.  He doesn’t want people to think of this as a “diet” that is going to hinder you from enjoying life.  He wants his readers to make their mind think of food differently.  Now he’s not against every once in a while having a paleo cookie or pizza, but for the most part he wants people to follow the basic plate: half meat, half veggies, some fats, and a little fruit (every once in a while and mostly berries).  I like this approach, especially for me.  I’ve always tried to make pizza, cookies, etc. “healthy.”  What did that end up doing to me?  I just kept craving that food and eventually all I wanted was the real deal, not some low-carb or low-fat version.  

After Whole30 and not allowing myself to make any “Paleo *Insert Cheat Food*”  I no longer crave those foods.  I actually see myself craving meats and veggies A LOT more!  Maybe it’s not that I’m craving them more over sweets, but my body is recognizing that I don’t crave the sweet or salty treat.  I’m just HUNGRY.  Whatever it is I like it!

Overall, he pretty much wants to get across that the majority of the population are not professional athletes or models sporting a front cover or a fashion show.  That because of this we should stop worrying about our physique so much and worry more about our health and figuring out what will really make you happy.  Will having that six pack or a football game every Saturday morning with your friends happier?

What am I trying to get across with this post?  That if you’re really serious about Paleo as a lifestyle, not just something that you think will make you look like a bikini model (which Mark states will NOT happen.  You’ll get a better body, but you’ll get the body your biology wants).  CHECK THIS BOOK OUT!  

PS:  Ladies, if you look at ACTUAL pictures of our primal female ancestors they are NOT extremely cut with six packs.  Were they fat?  NO!  They did however have some meat on their bones because back then what was more important than showing off their six packs?  Making sure their species SURVIVED!  Guess what?  Most women can't conceive at 9% body fat!

If you’re wondering, do I have a six pack?  Nope! I’m about 19% body fat at 5’0”, but I can still lift any day I want, run however far I want, and just be a plain bad ass when I please.  Guess what?  I don’t hear any complaints from my boyfriend and I like filling out my jeans!

Whole 30 and Moving Forward

PREFACE:  I’m writing this on my plane ride back from New York, so I’m sorry if I start ramble, but sitting still drives me nuts, so I just keep thinking of things to talk about!  Give me a break, I had 7 hours to kill!

Alright, so I didn’t make it 30 days of the Whole30 Challenge, but I made it further than 21 days.  Which is apparently the magic number; if you can make it at least 21 days you are usually good to go.  Let me tell you, it is SO true!  I honestly have not felt better since taking out the gluten, grains, and cutting way back on fruit.  I went against everything I thought eating a lot more fats and meat, but man do I feel AMAZING!  I feel like I work harder during my workouts because I’m not worrying about stomach pains or bloating I used to get from eating all those supposed “necessary pre- and post-workout carbs.”  Am I saying that carbs are bad? Am I saying that you shouldn’t eat bread or pasta?  Not necessarily, it all depends on what works for YOU!  Personally, I noticed when I started running long distance my stomach became more sensitive and it seemed like NOTHING I did could fix that.  I tried eating “all natural”, “low fat”, “sugar free.”  It wasn’t until this Whole30 that I truly understood what all those cute little categories meant:

All Natural: “everything we put in our food is natural.”  Does NOT mean it is good for you.  If you check some “all natural” foods it will still have hydrogenated oil or those nasty -lose ending ingredients, which are usually fake sugars that make you bloat.

Low Fat: “low-no fat.”  Did you know skittles are technically “low fat,” but would you eat them? 

Sugar Free: MY FAVORITE haha.  They don’t contain sugar, BUT they contain those pesky fake sugars that can reek more havoc on your body then the real deal.  Sometimes your body has a harder time digesting them and that’s why you end up feeling bloated and gassy. 

So why did I cut the 30 short if I am so pro-Whole30?  Well, in case you don’t follow me on Facebook or Twitter, I went to visit my boyfriend this week in New York for his last home series (yes, he’s a baseball player..love my boy of summer).  Monday-Wednesday  he took me out for really nice dinners after his games.  He wanted me to get some really good hearty meals in since he knows I try really hard to eat “clean.”  Now, before you say anything about “he should be supportive of your healthy eating.” BLAH BLAH BLAH.  He is, but every once in a while he likes me to let loose and just enjoy myself.  I did!  I didn’t go hog wild the whole time I was out there.  I would eat really good during the day, workout (workouts below post), go watch him play, and then indulge at night.  

What I learned the most from indulging?  I no longer have an emotional attachment to food, like I used to.  Don’t get me wrong, the food was DELICIOUS, but I wasn’t all giddy or excited when I ate the food and I didn’t kick myself afterwards.  Instead, I ate until I was no longer hungry and then pushed the rest to the side.  Those 21 days really allowed me to just focus and re-teach myself to use food as my fuel.  I learned how to eat around my workouts, so that I was properly fueled and I wasn’t eating things just because I had a craving for it.  

I know you’re next question: where do you go from here?  What do I do now that I’m finished with my Whole30?  Do I go back to eating like I did before?  NO WAY!!  I plan on staying paleo and just adding some things back in, like the occasional piece of gum, almond milk, and coconut flour to bake with (when I get the initiative haha).  I honestly do not miss bread or pasta anymore.  I don’t crave sugary drinks or my energy drinks.  I actually had one of my favorite energy drinks this week to give me a boost one of my boyfriend’s games and for the first time I realized how AWFUL energy drinks taste.  It tasted like metal against my tongue and I was no longer a fan.  I actually was craving my dark roast, black coffee!  The front desk got so used to me coming down for extra coffee that they had it out before I even asked (gotta love good customer service).  

Moving forward my diet is going to look like this because there are somethings I still want to tweak.  I want to try and keep my fruit intake to once a day, maybe two when I have a heavy cardio AND weight day.  I also want to keep my fruit intake mostly from berries and melons.  I also want to start making my plates half protein, half non-starchy veggies.  Have a cheat meal once a week or every other week.  

I have still a little ways until I reach my physique goal, but for once in my life that is no longer my main goal.  It no longer fills my every waking moment.  It finally hit me, “why am I worrying so much about my physique,” this vacation.  My boyfriend never has anything to say about my physique turning him off or wishing I looked different.  Why shouldn’t I give myself the same respect as he does?  

What I gained from all this?  A challenge for September (and I challenge you all to do the same)!!  

1. Love myself every day!  Whether it is replacing every bad comment to myself with a positive or giving myself a break on a stressful day.

2. Eat paleo 90-95% Why only 90-95%?  Well, we’re not all perfect and damnit I want a cheat meal every once in a while ;)  

1. Plan my meals for the week and cook (as much as I can) on Sundays.

3. Drink more water!  At least half a gallon a day.

Well, I think that’s about enough writing for today and I’m sure you’re trying to figure out when my rambling ends, so here you go....THE END.

PS: here’s my hotel workouts!  Also, you may notice that they’re a little easier than usual and you’re exactly right!  I wanted to back off a little from my intensity, focus on my form, and let my body recover a little so I can (hopefully) ROCK my 5K on Friday night!  Don’t think for a second though that if you do these RIGHT you won’t be sore.  I was definitely still sore, but not the sore that makes it hard to roll out of bed.  Rather the sore that keeps me coming back for more!

SUNDAY: Ran 4.5 miles before getting on my plane

MONDAY: 4 rounds:
20 backward lunges Overhead (2 10# dumbbells)
10 pushups
20 Kettlebell Swings (25#)
15 chair dips
TIME- 9min

Sprints: 30secs on, 30secs off increase incline every minute
TIME- 14min

Tabata: 8 rounds (20 sec on, 10sec off)
Squats

TUESDAY: 4 Rounds:
15 burpees
25 squats
35 situps
TIME- 11:45

Tabata: 8 rounds (20sec on, 10sec off) 3x

Burpees
Situps
Pushups

WEDNESDAY: 5 rounds:
30 Kettle bell swings (25#)
25 squats (2 12.5# dumbbells)
20 overhead lunges (2 7.5#)
15 push presses (2 12.5#)
10 burpees

Arc Trainer: 30min

It's been a while....

It's been a while since I've been on here.  I guess that's what happens when you are going to school, training for a marathon, and working two part-time jobs!  Trying to stay sane...

A lot has gone on since I was last on here, so I'll try not to go on too many tangents!

First, wanted to update my marathon training:  I'm in tapering time YAY- less than two weeks till my fourth 26.2 (yikes) in Chicago.  This past Sunday I ran in The Omaha Half Marathon with several family members and friends from Team in Training.  I had a few hiccups during the race (hint hint Omaha Race director: get some MORE porta-johns!), but still managed a PR (personal record) at 2:03!  I'm hoping for a 4:15 marathon in Chicago since it's much flatter than this past race and it wasn't too taxing to run at that pace, so definitely doable.  I love races because they may just be a training run that I have to pay for, but it always reminds me why I started running: for the pure love and simplicity of it.  I love hearing people's stories during the race- there's a lot of time to talk and meet new people.  But it also gives me a lot of time to reflect and let all my stresses go.

Now that I've talked enough about running I want to bring up the next thing that has been on my mind the past week.  So, my personal trainer had recommended I watch Food, INC. (a documentary about our food industry) because it would change everything I had previously thought about how I eat.  So I watched it going into it with no preconceived notions (mostly because I had never heard of it before).  WOW, did it ever change what I feel about our food industry and how I want to eat in the future.  If you haven't watched the documentary yet I would recommend it, but get ready for some serious revelations!  So, from now on I am going to try and eat as natural as possible after seeing what I saw in that movie (won't give anything away for the people that would like to watch it).  I want to know what is exactly going into my body when ever I bite into a food and how it will effect me.  I know it will not be easy, but I want to give it my best shot.

This brings me to my last subject- Body by Vi.  After reading more into Body by Vi and reading the ingredients (in depth) I do NOT believe it is the way to go for weight loss.  I'm not saying it doesn't work, I know people lose weight using it, but I don't think it's the RIGHT way to do it.  I feel the only way (properly) to lose weight is through a good, healthy (mostly natural) diet and regular exercise.  I just don't like the idea that Body by Vi gives you a shake powder and says, "Here you go- eat this and you'll lose weight."  I think the only company that is really teaching a proper way to lose weight is WeightWatchers- they show you how to eat correct portions (with REAL food) and regular exercise.  Plus, with Body by Vi and all those other shake weight loss programs out there, do we really know how they're going to effect our bodies 10 years down the road??  BUT if you choose to go the route of eating natural foods, in smaller portions, with regular exercise you will lose the weight AND keep it off.  Plus, you will have forever changed your life and live longer, healthier.  Who doesn't want that??  Unfortunately, Americans have been conditioned to want the "quick fix", but I will tell you that it DOES NOT exist-  if it took you 5 or 10 years to put on that extra weight- why would you EVER think taking it off in 90 days could be healthy??  We're not contestants on Biggest Loser- they're working out at least 8 hours a DAY.  That's why they see those large numbers each week, but most gain a few pounds after they leave the show because they're not working out that much anymore, but they're all over healthier because the trainers show them how to eat properly and naturally and incorporate exercise into their daily routine.

Okay, sorry for the rant, but I feel very strong about people eating naturally as a means to lose weight because it's the only way we know will work (long-term) for weight loss- that does not have any ramifications in 10 years.  The only ramifications from eating naturally and exercising regularly is being 60-yrs-old and people wondering if you're 50, I don't see any problems with that- do you??

Till next time and one step closer to a Hardbody,
Mo