Spring break was amazing!! I was awful and did NOT complete my 6 mile "long-but-taper" run on the 17th, so I had to push it to the 18th. That made week 4's total mileage: 35. I didn't think that it would be manageable, but it was. I kicked its ass, actually. Which is surprising, because I was not as health conscious as I could have been... but it's "break," right!? Everything in moderation... that's what my mantra is. I did GREAT Monday through Thursday afternoon. Ran 6 on Monday + weights, 3 on Tues + weights & 30 min ellip, 6 on Wednesday, 3 on Thursday + weights... Thursday night I had quite a few cocktails, but did not go too far over my caloric budget. However, Friday is a different story. It was our off day and we went to Lake County to celebrate a friend's birthday... I definitely OVER-imbibed that evening, but we had an EXCELLENT time. The only thing that I was worried about was completing my 6 mile run on Saturday with confidence, and 11 mile run Sunday morning.
I KICKED BOTH RUNS' butts. The 6 miler on Saturday evening was a LITTLE bit tough... but I drank a lot of water, made sure I ate well earlier in the day and slowed down my pace to 8:45/mile. As long as I am mentally prepared for the run, I tend to do very well.
Sunday morning was also amazing. I went into the run only having about 4.5 hour of sleep, but kept my pace around 8:40 and we ran ALL over. Here is the loop we did, and it was an amazing way to start Easter Sunday... running is definitely my "place of worship." It's where I clear my head, zone out and sort things out. A lot of people don't understand it, but it is so very therapeutic to me.
http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/32488500
Hopefully that works. Anywho, this week is 30 miles... and started off with an hour of the elliptical + weights yesterday, and did a 3 miler + 30 min ellip + weights today. Feeling strong, and can't wait to tackle the next 13 weeks!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
SPRING BREAK!!! :)
Never at the age of 27 did I think that I would be "celebrating" Spring Break... but damnit, I am. A break is very very needed... and when I go back to school next Monday just four short weeks until the semester is over, another 2 week break, and then 8 weeks of summer school and the meat & potatoes of marathon training....
This week has been a taper week, which has been more annoying than relaxing. It's only week 3 the mileage was cut back to 22... I was really irritable and antsy yesterday because I wasn't getting a run in but we tackled an INTENSE 5 mile run today that made up for it. It can be seen here:
http://runkeeper.com/user/Nicolie83/activity/32005626
I'll figure out how to embed it so it can be seen in the blog... excuse me for being a n00b. Next week will be nice because there is no class and it is a relatively tougher week when it comes to mileage. Tuesday: 3 miles, Wednesday: 6 miles, Thursday: 3 miles, Saturday: 6 miles, Sunday: 11 miles for a grand total of 29. I'm looking forward to the 40+ mile weeks. I have decided that I'm definitely going to alternate an intense hill workout such as todays with speed workouts every week. I'm going to try to do them on Wednesdays, so my legs don't get worn out for my long runs on Sunday.
I don't have much to post, but will write more later :)
This week has been a taper week, which has been more annoying than relaxing. It's only week 3 the mileage was cut back to 22... I was really irritable and antsy yesterday because I wasn't getting a run in but we tackled an INTENSE 5 mile run today that made up for it. It can be seen here:
http://runkeeper.com/user/Nicolie83/activity/32005626
I'll figure out how to embed it so it can be seen in the blog... excuse me for being a n00b. Next week will be nice because there is no class and it is a relatively tougher week when it comes to mileage. Tuesday: 3 miles, Wednesday: 6 miles, Thursday: 3 miles, Saturday: 6 miles, Sunday: 11 miles for a grand total of 29. I'm looking forward to the 40+ mile weeks. I have decided that I'm definitely going to alternate an intense hill workout such as todays with speed workouts every week. I'm going to try to do them on Wednesdays, so my legs don't get worn out for my long runs on Sunday.
I don't have much to post, but will write more later :)
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Relaxing Weekend :)
My Friday, Saturday and Sunday proved to be delightfully relaxing. This semester has been a BIT easier for me workload wise: probably because it's the calm before the storm. On Friday night I visited some friends at On The Rocks and had two Bloody Mary's-- they only had a shot of vodka each, and I sipped them over the course of two hours. They were absolutely delicious and it was good catching up with friends.
At 9 AM on Saturday morning, we set out for a 5 mile run around the neighborhood. I was well rested and it was a really nice run. I averaged 8:34 per mile and my heart rate averaged at 157-- not bad at all. It was pretty consistent throughout the whole run, which makes me happy. The rest of the day on Saturday was pretty uneventful. I did some homework, watched some Dexter and lazed around. I consumed a total of 1800 calories this day and still had 27 left to spare. I feel that when I work out early in the morning I am WAY hungrier throughout the day. Oh well, just feeding the metabolism. :)
Today we woke up at 6 AM and hit the river trail at 7 for an awesome 9 mile run. It was quick, easy, and refreshing. There were SO many runners on the trail and their etiquette was awesome. I must have smiled and said hi to 40 people. We finished our run in 1:17, which was an 8:29 average. My Garmin tracked my average heart rate as 160-- but I noticed that my heart rate was REALLY high for the first mile and then evened out to 145-155 for the remaining 8. I'm thinking that my asthma medication (albuterol) has something to do with this spike in the beginning. Oh well, it didn't affect my performance. :)
Immediately after running, I had some Kashi Waffles-- they are AMAZING and my new found breakfast food. It's only 150 calories for 2. I don't use butter... I like to eat them plain. This is what they look like:
At 9 AM on Saturday morning, we set out for a 5 mile run around the neighborhood. I was well rested and it was a really nice run. I averaged 8:34 per mile and my heart rate averaged at 157-- not bad at all. It was pretty consistent throughout the whole run, which makes me happy. The rest of the day on Saturday was pretty uneventful. I did some homework, watched some Dexter and lazed around. I consumed a total of 1800 calories this day and still had 27 left to spare. I feel that when I work out early in the morning I am WAY hungrier throughout the day. Oh well, just feeding the metabolism. :)
Today we woke up at 6 AM and hit the river trail at 7 for an awesome 9 mile run. It was quick, easy, and refreshing. There were SO many runners on the trail and their etiquette was awesome. I must have smiled and said hi to 40 people. We finished our run in 1:17, which was an 8:29 average. My Garmin tracked my average heart rate as 160-- but I noticed that my heart rate was REALLY high for the first mile and then evened out to 145-155 for the remaining 8. I'm thinking that my asthma medication (albuterol) has something to do with this spike in the beginning. Oh well, it didn't affect my performance. :)
Immediately after running, I had some Kashi Waffles-- they are AMAZING and my new found breakfast food. It's only 150 calories for 2. I don't use butter... I like to eat them plain. This is what they look like:
I bought them at Sprouts, but I'm sure that they are at every grocery store. Will definitely be searching for them again on Tuesday.
For dinner, I made a Quinoa salad that I got from Kelly and is also on the back of the Red Quinoa box from Trader Joe's. It is sooo colorful AND tasty/healthy. I analyzed the recipe and the way I make it is only 350 calories per serving and it is quite filling. I'm pretty certain it could replace a protein as part of a meal.
We have a ton left over, so I will be snacking on it for the next few days. I'm sure that it won't last long though, as it is SUPER tasty.
Because we had such a successful long run, I treated myself to some Frozen Yogurt. I feel that occasional moderate rewards are EXTREMELY important and give you something to work toward. I think that I will treat myself with a Starbucks or Fro Yo after each long run this summer as incentive to keep on keepin on.
I consumed 1800 calories today, with about 400 to spare (because of all of the calories I burned on my run).
That's all for now, more updates later this week <3
Weight: 129.4
Weeks til SF Marathon: 16Miles Run this week: 25
Friday, April 8, 2011
I've been bad!!!
ACK!! Two days with no post?!?! Sorry :( I have been INSANELY busy... I knew that posts would slow down, which is okay. Wednesday was a hellishly long day (per usual) and I really didn't have the energy to post after 9 hours at school, a 45 minute run and then 2 more hours of cooking and typing up recipes for Nutrition class. I consumed 1675 calories on Wednesday and *wait for it*... roughly 2700 calories yesterday. I was over my allotment, but I am not stressed out about it because I allow myself to have a "cheat" meal once a week. I definitely "cheated" last night with Kel (BY THE WAY READ HER BLOG...it's way more interesting than mine-- shameless plug: http://stayhealthyonthefly.blogspot.com/ ). I decided to imbibe in some Menage a Trois red wine (one of my favorites) and Kel brought over some SKINNY GIRL Margaritas... ohhhh my goodness they are delicious and guilt free, and I have officially found my beverage of choice for the summer. It is about the same calorie wise as a bottle of wine. Not too shabby, eh?
Now, I know I sound like a hypocrite because I said that I was going to abstain from alcohol while training. I made the executive decision that abstaining completely was just bat shit crazy. Yes, I said it: bat shit crazy. I should be able to enjoy a glass of wine with dinner if I'd like to once in a while, or an ice cold beer after a long run. That being said, I am going to make EXTREMELY cautious decisions to not drink 20348 double vodka sodas at the bar. Also, I am going to make sure that if I DO drink that I will drink on a Thursday night so it does not affect my training the following day since Friday's are my off days and will continue to be my off days through July.
Also, I said that I'd include some recipes to make this puppy a little more interesting. We had some delicious lettuce cups in Nutrition yesterday and I thought that I'd share the recipe because I REALLY liked it and plan on making this myself.
Chicken Lettuce Wraps
5 chicken breasts w/o skin, thinly sliced
1 package Montreal grill seasoning by McCormick
2 tbsp fresh ginger root, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
3/4 cup shredded cabbage
1/4 cup shredded carrots
3 pieces scallions, chopped at an angle
1/2 cup plum sauce
2 cups basil leaves, loosely packed
1 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, cut into half again
1/2 cucumber slices
Thinly slice the chicken into strips and sprinkle with grill seasoning
Heat a large skillet until it is very hot, add olive oil, then the chicken. Cook for 2 minutes
Add the ginger, garlic, peppers, cabbage, carrots and scallions and stir for about 2 minutes.
Add plum and fish sauce to glaze the mixture, toss 1 minute. Add basil and lettuce to the pan to wilt the leaves.
Transfer cooked chicken and veggies to a bowl
Place spoonfuls of the chicken and veggies into a piece of lettuce with cucumber and eat like a taco.
SOOOOOO good. Also, checked out a store that is new to Sacramento. It's called Sprouts Farmers Market. The produce is cheap and it is like Trader Joe's. I am very excited because not only do I have a Trader Joe's across the street from me, a Sprouts is opening less than a mile away at Greenback and Sunrise.
HOORAY!!
Now it's time to go brew some tangerine beer... hope everyone has a lovely weekend!
Now, I know I sound like a hypocrite because I said that I was going to abstain from alcohol while training. I made the executive decision that abstaining completely was just bat shit crazy. Yes, I said it: bat shit crazy. I should be able to enjoy a glass of wine with dinner if I'd like to once in a while, or an ice cold beer after a long run. That being said, I am going to make EXTREMELY cautious decisions to not drink 20348 double vodka sodas at the bar. Also, I am going to make sure that if I DO drink that I will drink on a Thursday night so it does not affect my training the following day since Friday's are my off days and will continue to be my off days through July.
Also, I said that I'd include some recipes to make this puppy a little more interesting. We had some delicious lettuce cups in Nutrition yesterday and I thought that I'd share the recipe because I REALLY liked it and plan on making this myself.
Chicken Lettuce Wraps
5 chicken breasts w/o skin, thinly sliced
1 package Montreal grill seasoning by McCormick
2 tbsp fresh ginger root, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
3/4 cup shredded cabbage
1/4 cup shredded carrots
3 pieces scallions, chopped at an angle
1/2 cup plum sauce
2 cups basil leaves, loosely packed
1 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, cut into half again
1/2 cucumber slices
Thinly slice the chicken into strips and sprinkle with grill seasoning
Heat a large skillet until it is very hot, add olive oil, then the chicken. Cook for 2 minutes
Add the ginger, garlic, peppers, cabbage, carrots and scallions and stir for about 2 minutes.
Add plum and fish sauce to glaze the mixture, toss 1 minute. Add basil and lettuce to the pan to wilt the leaves.
Transfer cooked chicken and veggies to a bowl
Place spoonfuls of the chicken and veggies into a piece of lettuce with cucumber and eat like a taco.
SOOOOOO good. Also, checked out a store that is new to Sacramento. It's called Sprouts Farmers Market. The produce is cheap and it is like Trader Joe's. I am very excited because not only do I have a Trader Joe's across the street from me, a Sprouts is opening less than a mile away at Greenback and Sunrise.
HOORAY!!
Now it's time to go brew some tangerine beer... hope everyone has a lovely weekend!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
A case of the blahhhhs.
Nothing exciting to report today... we made a really bland 4 cheese Mac & Cheese in Nutrition, so I won't be posting that recipe. I also found out that one of my group members has cancer, which is absolutely awful. He served in Vietnam, so I am assuming that he is at least 60 years old. He's my favorite, always very helpful and such a sweetheart. :( I will be keeping him in my thoughts and prayers, and I am hoping that it is something that can be cured-- but it doesn't sound like it.
I worked on revamping a chili recipe today at home, and I will be presenting it to the class on Thursday. I will post THAT recipe tomorrow night if all goes well and it tastes good. :)
Today was a 3 mile training run. I thought that I would be sore from the past weekend but I was recovered and the run was painless. Kevin is having some trouble with pain in his hip which is worrying me... we are thinking that he may need either some arch support insoles or new shoes. I am trying to urge him to go back to the New Balances he had before this pair to see if that corrects his pain.
Tomorrow is my last LONG day of the week, so I am looking forward to tomorrow night. Good night! :)
Weight: 129.2
Exercise: 45 mins weights, 3 mile run, 30 min elliptical ~ 600 kcals cardio, 90 cals weights
Kcal Consumed: 1620 cals
I worked on revamping a chili recipe today at home, and I will be presenting it to the class on Thursday. I will post THAT recipe tomorrow night if all goes well and it tastes good. :)
Today was a 3 mile training run. I thought that I would be sore from the past weekend but I was recovered and the run was painless. Kevin is having some trouble with pain in his hip which is worrying me... we are thinking that he may need either some arch support insoles or new shoes. I am trying to urge him to go back to the New Balances he had before this pair to see if that corrects his pain.
Tomorrow is my last LONG day of the week, so I am looking forward to tomorrow night. Good night! :)
Weight: 129.2
Exercise: 45 mins weights, 3 mile run, 30 min elliptical ~ 600 kcals cardio, 90 cals weights
Kcal Consumed: 1620 cals
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
OH Happy Monday!!! :o)
Normally I have a case of the Mondays... but today I did not. I woke up feeling quite refreshed, trotted off to school and picked up my graded Chemistry test: 91%. That's a good way to start any day, let alone a Monday! The rest of the day flew by. Lecture was interesting, lab was easy, and Spanish was a breeze. I was feeling really antsy and couldn't wait to get to the gym and have some gruuuub.
Gym was lovely! Tanned for about 15 minutes (I know, I know... but the girl's gotta have a base. Sue me). Lifted weights for 45 minutes...3 sets and 15 reps of each exercise. I concentrated on lower body today so I won't be fatigued for my 5 mile run on Wednesday where I am going to incorporate some hill training. Tomorrow I only have to run 3, so I don't care if my legs are a bit tired. My weight routine today included: bicep curls, overhead tricep extension, tricep dips, adducters (inward and out), calf raises, back extension, leg extension, seated leg press, hanging leg raises, and assisted pull ups. Following weights I busted out 52 minutes on the elliptical and burned 700 calories (about 7 miles). I push pretty hard on the ellipitical in order to keep my heart rate up.
When I was finished, I decided to test my body fat percentage. The machine at the gym probably isn't ENTIRELY accurate but it has always given me a great ball-park figure. A and a half ago or so I was at 25% (yikes, which is considered average... not good considering I was working out A LOT then, but not yet running). Today when I took it, I was 18.3% which is in the "athlete" range for women and makes me EXTREMELY happy.
Had a lovely dinner of brown rice, tofu and stir fried peppers, carrots, onion & celery and now I am ready for bed. <3
Weight: No weight today
Exercise: 52 min elliptical ~ 700 kcal, 45 min weights ~ 90 kcal
Kcal Consumed: 1720
Monday, April 4, 2011
WEEK ONE ACCOMPLISHED!
1 down... 17 to go!! Gonna be a short one tonight... I have been rambling for the past week and I've realized it's pretty pointless. However, I did state that this would just be a peak into what's going on inside my head. In the following weeks I will try to make this blog more colorful: recipes, pictures, quotations and inspiration. It's a work in progress and it's making me BORED already.
Today's run was absolutely wonderful. I think that I'm going to have a really hard time slowing down on my long and slow runs. As I was telling a friend earlier today, it's not the 8 mile runs that are going to hurt me- I think that it will start catching up to me around 15 or 16 miles. I am going to make every conscious effort to slow my runs down to a little over 9 min/mile. Today I hit 8:50 avg and felt great. I REALLY enjoy conquering hills. A lot of runners hate them, but they make me feel powerful-- especially when I run them at the same speed or faster than my flats. Also... I did notice that my legs are more fatigued than normal. This is because I am not taking the day off before my long run. I ran a pretty moderate paced 5 miler yesterday with hills so my legs are feeling it. But that's good... San Francisco is not going to be easy, and I don't want to be unpleasantly surprised around Mile 19 on July 31st. :)
The rest of my day consisted of homework, homework, homework. Tomorrow is Monday, which means back to the grind. I'm not looking forward to weight and an hour of the elliptical for cross training tomorrow-- but whatever.
12 hour day tomorrow, which means it is time to get 8 hours of sleep to prepare.
<3
Weight: 129.4
Exercise: 8 mile river run ~ 800 kcals
Kcals Consumed: 1678
Today's run was absolutely wonderful. I think that I'm going to have a really hard time slowing down on my long and slow runs. As I was telling a friend earlier today, it's not the 8 mile runs that are going to hurt me- I think that it will start catching up to me around 15 or 16 miles. I am going to make every conscious effort to slow my runs down to a little over 9 min/mile. Today I hit 8:50 avg and felt great. I REALLY enjoy conquering hills. A lot of runners hate them, but they make me feel powerful-- especially when I run them at the same speed or faster than my flats. Also... I did notice that my legs are more fatigued than normal. This is because I am not taking the day off before my long run. I ran a pretty moderate paced 5 miler yesterday with hills so my legs are feeling it. But that's good... San Francisco is not going to be easy, and I don't want to be unpleasantly surprised around Mile 19 on July 31st. :)
The rest of my day consisted of homework, homework, homework. Tomorrow is Monday, which means back to the grind. I'm not looking forward to weight and an hour of the elliptical for cross training tomorrow-- but whatever.
12 hour day tomorrow, which means it is time to get 8 hours of sleep to prepare.
<3
Weight: 129.4
Exercise: 8 mile river run ~ 800 kcals
Kcals Consumed: 1678
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