The Taper

Today I officially started to taper with my mileage. This is one of the nicest and most nerve wrecking parts of the training process. It is nice because you know until the big event you will not have a run that consists of over 5 miles. It is unnerving because your mind keeps telling you it would be “better” to keep up that high mileage until the race. However, pretty much every training plan on the planet tapers for at least the last 2 weeks before an event so here we are. I did learn some interesting things on my run today.

1. I need to re-vamp my running play-list ASAP. This is a high priority before race time!
2. Forgetting to take water on even a shorter run will still cause muscle cramps (silly me!)
3. People are odd. I heard a mom tell her toddler that organic milk was “dirty” and it had germs in it. Ahem.

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Move

I think it must be common for everyone to have days where you think to
yourself, “wow I would actually prefer a punch in the face to going in
for a workout today.” Today was one of those lousy exercise days for
me.  As the Disney Wine and Dine ½ Marathon approaches I find myself
feeling a little beaten down physically and mentally. Those old
feelings from last years Princess ½ are creeping in and saying, “ Are
you really sure you can do this?”

Starting the process of training for an event is difficult to describe
if you have never done it. You pretty much have to structure
everything in your personal life around this huge goal, especially
food and workouts. I glanced at my calendar and saw today listed as
“Cross Training”. I feel guilty for being so relieved I did not have
to run today. So that left me with the question…. What am I going to
do today?

Cycle?

Yoga?

Zumba? (I’m still trying to get brave enough to go to one of these
classes for the first time)

After some thought I decided my cross training day was best spent
doing 20 minutes on three different cardio machines at the gym. I kept
it simple, programmed in the “fat burn” program to each one, and
mindlessly sweated for 60 minutes. Mentally it did wonders for me to
not spend hours on a single task. I got to work different muscles, not
think about time/speed, and zone out to some cranked Britney Spears
and Glee tunes (no judgment!).

Tomorrow I will be hitting the pavement, running my 5 miles (being
thankful it’s not 10) and getting in a good place for the upcoming
race at Disney. How can I not smile about it when I know I am going to
be in Disney during my favorite time of year?

I am looking quite forward to (hopefully) not getting hurt this go
around and finally getting that shiny finishers metal I have been
coveting for so long!!

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Sara Eats and Moves

The Eats:

Yesterday I had a serious problem. The entire day I just felt like I was starving. I am not talking about eating from boredom or stress but rather the “sick to your stomach because you are so hungry” feeling. Sadly, the result was eating pretty much everything in sight at my house last night. Not good. So, I decided to approach this from a healthy perspective and think about why my body felt it needed so much food. I asked myself the following:

• Did you get enough water/fluids yesterday? (Yes)

• Did you eat frequently throughout the day? (No)

• Did you follow your good health guidelines? (Yes)

• Did you eat a lot of junk the day before? (No)

• Did you eat a balanced breakfast? (No)

The last question gave me my light bulb moment. I had a healthy breakfast yesterday but not a balanced one. I did not have any substantial protein or healthy fat. I pretty much just had whole grains and fruit. During the Healthy Living Summit I learned at one of the sessions that your morning meal sort of sets the tone for how your body will metabolize food the rest of the day. That is why it is good to eat from all food groups in the morning if you can so your body is an efficient fuel machine for the rest of the day.

This morning I started off with a skim milk latte (1 point).

Then I made some yummy smoothies for the hubs and I. (this recipe makes 2) by blending:

• 1.5 cups low fat vanilla yogurt (thank you Stonyfield and HLS for the HUGE free sample)

• 1 large banana

• 1 ½-2 cups frozen strawberries (buy frozen or freeze fresh the night before)

• 2/3 cup pineapple juice.

The smoothie ends up with a “point” tally of 4-5 points and you get in 2-3 servings of fruit and 1.5 servings of dairy.

Along side that I had a whole grain reduce calorie English Muffin (1 point) with an egg (2 points) and lean ham slices (1 point).

I used 9 points for this meal but it started my day off on the right foot, I was less hungry throughout the day, and I had buckets of energy.

The rest of today’s eats included two of my “in a pinch” recipes:

Whole Grain Pasta, Turkey Italian Sausage, Spinach, and Parm for lunch

& Veggie Spaghetti for dinner

Spaghetti in a Veggie Sauce

I also snacked on some fruit (not pictured).

I met all of my good health guidelines, easily stayed within my WW points and, most importantly, felt good about my choices.

The Moves:

Today for my Wine and Dine ½ marathon training I jogged 4 miles. That is not a feat for some but I am still impressed with myself when I make it through. I am continuing my jog/walk intervals and feel much more confident about the upcoming run then I did before the Princess ½ last year.

The rest of this week’s moves are shaping up like this

Wednesday Cross Training ( I think I might try Zumba!)
Thursday: 4 Mile Run
Friday: Rest
Saturday: The Long Run (8 Miles)
Sunday: Gentle Cross Training (Yoga or a Bike Ride at 5 miles or less)

What is your favorite cross training workout?

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To Body Pump or Not To Body Pump

To Body Pump or Not to Body Pump-that is the question. Maybe someone with far more fitness knowledge than I have can answer it. With the training (running 3 times a week and cross training 2) is it ok to throw Body Pump into that mix two days a week? I certainly don’t want to overdo it but there are some areas where I just feel weak overall. I think some strength training would be ideal. Tuesday and Thursday are shorter training runs (never more than 5 or 6 miles max) and Body Pump only lasts an hour. If this isn’t a good plan then what should I be doing to get in that much needed upper body strength training? I need to figure that out.

I am constantly amazed at how much I don’t know about fitness. When I was in my teens and early twenties I was very active but never learned a lot about exactly what that meant for my body or my health. I didn’t even realize its’ importance until it was too late.  Starting this process essentially means learning a whole new skill set. However, I am dedicated to doing so because I think it’s so incredibly important. A healthy lifestyle is definitely something I want to pass down when some tiny Running In Pink Project fans finally come along. Did you grow up in a health and fitness conscious household?

Today’s training went well. Since this is week one mileage is still very low and I did my 2.5 miles today without complaint. My legs felt strong in spite of yesterday’s bike ride and I am steadily improving in terms of my cardiovascular strength. I also remembered to stretch out really really good before the run and it truly makes a difference. I snapped a photo of this cute butterfly right after leaving the trail today. It kind of captured the mood of the run. It was just a nice, peaceful run.  Next training run is 3 miles Saturday morning.

Today’s “eats” were simple (and did follow my WW good health guidelines) but I did have on of my favorite dinners. We fixed (healthified) BLT’s with center cut bacon (less than 200 calories worth) and whole grain bread along with organic tomato soup. YUM! A little tip-adding some fat free sour cream to tomato soup can really “summer up” the flavor!)

Finally the yummy bread in smaller slices!!

No HFC! Love that!

Simple Summer Dinner

Tonight I am enjoying some much-needed time with the hubs and pups, watching some Vampire Diaries reruns (lame I know!) and shaping up my weekend plans. I do heart a weekend!

Have a Happy and Healthy Thursday!

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And It Feels So Good

Nothing is quite as promising as that first day of training, first day of dieting, or even first day at a new job. Things feel so alive and full of promise. So as days turn into weeks and weeks into months how do you keep that spark alive? That is something I am hoping to find out during my training for the Disney Wine and Dine ½ marathon.

Today was day 2 of training (technically day 1 since Monday is a rest day) and I was so excited to get out there and do my run. However, I had a long day at the office in between me and my running shoes.

Work was finished soon enough and it was time to head out for today’s run, which was two miles. I have made a decision that during these very low mile runs I am going to work some on speed and intervals. During my last training I was all over the place with my run/walk intervals and I think finding that right combination will be key in finishing the Wine and Dine ½ strong.

Today’s run was good. It felt really good to be back out there working toward something. I am working on a 4-minute run/1-minute walk interval right now. I would like to bump that up as I progress but for now this is a challenge. I was also incredibly thankful to be back in a new pair of my “old” Asics. I don’t know technicalities about shoes but these hold my foot just right. I had none of the pain I had been previously experiencing with the other style. The humidity was high so I felt a bit smothered but the body is amazing in how it adjusts as best it can. I never do well on my first mile and a half or so which is why I really looking forward to kicking up the mileage over the next few weeks.

One last running note: I am going to * try * to take 1 photo per training run until the race. I think it will be fun to look back at my different perspectives once things are all said and done.

Can you see the humidity?? Ugh!

Today was not just about the running. I planned today’s menu to include lots of veggies, protein, and good carbs. Here is a quick rundown of Tuesday’s food:

An Egg on Toast and V-8 Fusion

1 slice of left over Spinach, Broccoli, and Mushroom Casserole

Apple Slices

The infamous "$30 Salad"

No it does not cost $30 to make. 😉 Here is the deal with the 30 dollar salad. A friend spotted this salad in a nice restaurant, ordered it,  and loved it. She just didn’t love the 25+dollar price tag on a single bowl of salad. So being the fabulous girl she is she figured out exactly how to recreate it at home and was nice enough to share the recipe! So I affectionately nicknamed the salad “30 Dollar Salad” and it is worth every penny. YUM! Thanks to Lisa and Kristen for sharing. 🙂

Here is the breakdown on how to make your own 30 Dollar Salad:

• Marinate thinly sliced steak in equal parts honey and balsamic vinegar (for at least 2 hours-overnight of possible) and then grill or sauté in light olive oil.

• Cube Potatoes and Bake them with Olive Oil and Rosemary at 425 for 20 minutes

• Steam Green Beans –Approximately 10-15 per person (season to taste) Tonight I had to use frozen and they were still really good. Steamed would have been great!

• Prepare (cut, wash, dry, etc) some mixed greens (or cheat any buy them bagged like I do!)

• Grill up 1 large sliced onion in olive oil (Mushrooms would be yummy too)

• Combine equal parts honey and balsamic vinaigrette for a dressing

Then:
Place the Potatoes in your bowl

Top with Green Beans

Top with Mixed Greens

Top With Steak

Top with Onions

Top with Dressing

And Enjoy!!!

Have a Happy and Healthy Tuesday

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How Not to Diet..

My weekend (which was set aside for relaxation) was oddly busy.  It was also full of dieting faux pas. Though it was nothing too serious I think it is always good to take a look at the small things that have the potential to lead to a big derailment.

Friday night went just as planned. The hubs and I had warm spinach salads after work with steak and onions on top and the best salad dressing ever. Note to self- when you hear oodles of food bloggers recommend something- Buy It! I am so glad I did. 🙂

After dinner we headed out to Sweetbrier College for a local production of Alice in Wonderland. I heart Alice in Wonderland so I was really looking forward to the play. It tried (ish) to follow parts of the book but try as I might I just wasn’t into it. I also was wierded out that we couldn’t get cell phone signal out there.

Pretty basic right? Well Saturday is where things started to unravel. It started off well. I went on a short jog to break in my new running shoes (YAY!) and then I did a 4 mile bike ride with the hubs. It had rained the night before so it, for a nice change, was not unbearable outside!)

We started on the trail....

and ended up downtown

The hubs on my pink bike

biking in pink!

I only made it 4 miles which was disappointing in some ways but when I think back to my very first attempt at cycling ever (which was under 1 mile) this was great in comparison.

It was after the workout when things took a turn. Saturday is my flexible day in terms of my eating plan. I had planned to make homemade chicken salad for sandwiches and some strawberry cupcakes from scratch. That is what I had been craving. So after the workout the hubs and I made some breakfast sandwiches and then spent the morning running errands.

After said errand running we decided to kind of do our own thing for the day. I decided to go shopping for some beach necessities and underwear. Another little gem of weight loss is the constant dropping of bra sizes. It’s a pain but I do love an excuse to lingerie shop! No photos though since thats creepy and all. 🙂  I went from store to store  and was literally out for hours. I rarely go shopping alone so I was like a little shopping powerhouse. I should also mention that I wore another one of the NY and CO dresses that I cannot say enough good things about. LOVE them!

When I got home it was dark. I had skipped lunch (oops) and had not had a single drop of water (oops). So I decided the first thing I needed to do is get my 1.5 liters of water and get to drinking.  The next thing that needed to happen was making dinner. Now, in order to make my orchard chicken salad I first needed to make the chicken and let it cool so I could make the chicken salad. Therefore making the chicken first thing should have been the logical choice. But no. I was obsessed with these strawberry cupcakes and buttercream frosting so I started that process first. I made the frosting and put it in the fridge to firm up. Feeling super efficient I start on the cupcakes. Have you ever made cupcakes from scratch. I hadn’t. Apparently it takes forever. It didn’t help that I was making Martha Stewart cupcakes and I had to sift and chop and blah blah blah. It went from relaxing to making me crazy in a matter of two hours.

fresh stawberries for the cupcakes

I had added the last ingredient to the batter when my husband comes in to gently suggest “Maybe we should skip dinner since its almost 10:00pm.” I’m staring at this bowl of batter, no chicken made (never mind cooled), with no back up plan. So, the hubs patiently cuts and cooks the chicken while I fill the cupcake tins. “This will make tomorrow night’s dinner easy” he says.  A half an hour later the cupcakes are out of the oven, the chicken is cooling, the water has been consumed and I have yet to eat on my flexible day. It’s really bad for you to go a whole day and not eat. Its especially bad when you are on a weight loss plan. But, what was done was done and I decided “Tomorrow is another day”.

I woke up this morning with my muscles screaming at me. Apparently cycling tortures a whole different set of muscles than running does. Despite this the hubs was dying to get out and ride his new bike and I needed a Sunday workout. I was all ready to go when the hubs reminded me it had been over 24 hours since I had eaten and I needed to have something substantial. We had eggs and toast (not pictured) and headed out to the trail.

I reached my mini goal of biking 5 miles today!!I managed to get through it pretty quickly even though I was extremely sore in the “seat” area. Any suggestions on how to combat this? But, I felt really proud and oddly worn out after only 5 miles. My next mini goal is 10.

After our ride I decided I needed to get home and ice those cupcakes from yesterday. So then this next no-no happened. I decided since I missed my flexible food day yesterday I would do it today. This is problematic because 1. I weigh in on Mondays and I don’t want an extra salt or a heavy meal hindering that.  2. I hadn’t eaten the day before so my body was all out of whack anyway. 3. Sunday is not my flexible day Saturday is.  BUT be that as it may I still did it.

I did make the choice to only have 1 “bad” meal and in essence the only high calorie thing I ate today was a cupcake. But I will get to that. After the bike ride I iced the cupcakes and it turns out the nearly 3 hours of work was totally worth it. They were fantastic! (and pretty and of course pink!)

I also decided to make the chicken salad so it would have some time to come together in the refrigerator before dinner. For this super simple orchard chicken salad I did the following:

• Cube and cook 1 lb of boneless skinless chicken breasts and let cool. Then to the chicken add 1/2 cup cranberries, 1/2 cup golden raisins, 2 stalks celery finely chopped, 1 small granny smith apple chopped, grated carrot (1), 1 cup light or FF mayo, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1 squirt of yellow mustard, salt, pepper, and garlic salt.

After preparing all of the dinner items we decided to head out to lunch and a movie. I wore a very light and airy (ie comfy) vintage inspired dress I picked up in DC a couple of summers ago (when it did not fit at all btw. I just liked it too much to leave it there).

Lunch was a tomato and basil salad with a couple of pieces of fresh mozzarella.  Such a perfect combo!

For dinner I had the chicken salad sandwich (1 serving = 6 points) on a whole grain bun with some baked “fries”. I am also slightly ashamed to say I ate another cupcake. For what it’s worth I am give the rest away to remove temptation from the house but they were kind of awesome (and did I mention even the cake was pink??) 😉

Tomorrow is my first weigh in since this whole “oh lets not weigh for a while and not be a slave to the scale” nonsense so my fingers are crossed its not a huge disaster. I also start my Disney Wine and Dine 1/2 marathon training this week so my blog will have a little more of a focus. I know these past few weeks Ive been all over the place.  I am so excited to have a set goal. My competitive nature kicks in and I am ready to train hard and hopefully lose some more pounds along the way! This will be a fun week on the blog so check back with me and have a happy and healthy Sunday!

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Who is With Me??

I am excited about my upcoming 10K in Roanoke but even more excited about the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon. The Disney site says….

The Inaugural Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon will be run on a brand new half marathon course at the Walt Disney World Resort, and it will be run at night! Where else can you run a half marathon at night? Running through theme parks and world-class Disney entertainment along the way will make the miles fly by, but what could motivate you more than finishing inside Epcot® to an exclusive after-hours party inside the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival? Culinary delights and specialty drinks from around the world await you along with an inaugural finisher medal! This race experience will be the ultimate “Runner’s Night Out”. Mark your race calendars now for the race weekend with a party you don’t want to miss!The Inaugural Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon will be run on a brand new half marathon course at the Walt Disney World Resort, and it will be run at night! Where else can you run a half marathon at night? Running through theme parks and world-class Disney entertainment along the way will make the miles fly by, but what could motivate you more than finishing inside Epcot® to an exclusive after-hours party inside the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival? Culinary delights and specialty drinks from around the world await you along with an inaugural finisher medal! This race experience will be the ultimate “Runner’s Night Out”. Mark your race calendars now for the race weekend with a party you don’t want to miss!

I know that most people won’t start training for a while but I really want to follow the journeys of the people that do. I will for sure be keeping an eye on Melissa and Andrea‘s blogs and hope that anyone else running will leave a little comment so I can follow your blog as well! Also, if you know of any other bloggers running this race please link me to their blogs. 🙂 Now, if I could just talk some of my “real life” pals into running it with me!!!

Have a Happy and Healthy Wednesday!

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