It's like a circus...

So last night at the gym was like a circus. I decided that it was because it was a Monday, and the first of the month. A second chance, if you will, for those who made the resolution on January 1st to lose weight. Basically that just means that the cardio equipment was all being occupied, and I mean every single machine.

I looked around to see who might be getting finished soon, and then stood off to the side waiting. It took 10 minutes or so before a treadmill opened up, so I grabbed it even though it was one of the ones with the TV. While the TV is nice to occupy yourself on a slow walk- when you're running it makes you kind of sea sick because it is so close to you. I had to turn it off, but I did use it to watch my form in the reflection.

Even though there was a wait I got the run done and it felt good.

3 miles in 35 minutes

I try to remember I'm not looking for fast, I'm looking for endurance.

Week 5

Half-Marathon Weekly
To help motivate, inspire, and get your week started…

“It is hard when you have to do it, not so bad when you want to do it.”
- Unknown

The quote this week can apply to many aspects of life- give it some thought.
What do you want?


This week’s workouts:
Feb 1: Monday- 3 miles
Feb 2: Tuesday- cross train/strength train
Feb 3: Wednesday- 4 miles
Feb 4: Thursday-cross train/strength train
Feb 5: Friday- 3 miles
Feb 6: Saturday- Rest
Feb 7: Sunday- 5 miles (sounds scary- but you can do it!)


Listen to Your Body

When running or doing any exercise, remain aware of your body. Pay attention to the aches, soreness, and persistent pain cues your body is giving you- usually they are early warning signs of a future injury. Yes, sometimes you can be a little uncomfortable when pushing your limits- so you have to be aware of what is a slight discomfort and a developing issue. When in doubt try complete the workout by slowing down, or in some cases it might be necessary to stop for the day.

If you need to stop or alter your workout, just make sure to put some effort into correcting the issue(s) you are having. Take some time off from your planned workout, and substitute light walking, bicycling, and stretching. Then after three days slowly begin to add in easy runs again by doing half your normal planned distance. Do this until you are able to comfortably complete your planned miles. If you still are having pain, you should schedule an appointment with a specialist.


Hope everyone is doing well. Stay motivated, we are now officially entering the second month of training! Look how quickly it went. Before you know it we will be lined up, ready to hit the road and accomplish our goals.

Soup for your Soul...

Not Chicken soup, but homemade turkey soup. Here's the long story....

It was a balmy 15 degrees here today, but once you factor in the wind you are looking at single digits- maybe even below zero. It's a good thing that soup was on the meal plan for tonight.

Last Sunday Matt made a turkey, so on Tuesday I put the bones in the crock pot with water and some seasonings- to begin creating a homemade turkey soup for this week's meal plan. (See I told you I plan ahead.) After the bones were done "cooking", I strained the whole mixture to save the broth, then picked all the meat out. The broth went in the fridge so I could skim off the fat, and the meat into the freeze so it didn't go bad.

Then Saturday morning I skimmed the fat from the broth, and put it back in the crock pot. Then I added chopped onions, chopped carrots, chopped celery, and chopped rutabaga. (The rutabaga wasn't planned, but I had one so I figured why not- it actually is really good too.) In the afternoon I added some wild rice, otherwise I just let the crock pot do it's thing on low all day. It creates a great aroma in the house.

So this is what it looks like...



My picture taking isn't getting any better, but Matt said the soup was awesome. Which is pretty good considering he normally won't go near celery.

Coming Soon...
The weekly half-marathon post will be up tomorrow night, and I'll hopefully be reviewing a movie for you this coming week.

Business Trip

I get to go out of town for training in March, yes I know that seems far away- but I plan ahead. I like business trips because it give me a little variation to my normal schedule. This time I'm headed to Philadelphia for 9 days. Business trips provide variation but they are provide a challenge.

What challenge? Staying on track with my health and fitness goals. Typically during training sessions people have very few options to prepare their own meals, and rely on the federal building cafeteria and local restaurants. Which means that each night people break off into little 'groups' and go out in search of food.

It may sound bad but I try not to become part of these groups, they probably think I'm being anti-social but really I'm just trying to maintain what I've worked so hard for. So I typically return to the hotel and do some sort of workout, depending on the gym provided. I try to keep things similar to I normally go about my day, plus I don't like to eat dinner until after I work out. During previous trainings for my job, I actually had a co-worker who knew that I wanted to get a gym workout in each night and knew that foods options should be generally healthy, and she would wait for me before going to dinner. She won't be there this time.

So I'll go it alone. I already know where the local Whole Foods store is and where the indoor market is, so I will just have to do my best. I will certainly get lots of walking in as I travel to these places. And hey, maybe someone else at training will be health-minded too!

More to come related to how I plan to stick with my plan despite not having a fridge or stove available. I've got some time to plan it out, maybe it will even help you when you have to head out of town for business or pleasure.

Do you have any ideas you want to share?

Biggest Loser

Can you say drama?

Don't get me wrong, I like the show but it is hard to see the inspiration when there is so much arguing. Yes, the show is essentially a game being played for money- but the bigger picture is these people are playing for their life. With each new season the contestants get bigger and bigger, and the drama grows at the same time.

For those of you who don't follow the show, one of the contestants has had immunity (can't be sent home) and over two weeks has lost only ONE pound. The contestant claims that she did not throw the weigh in, but in comparison to people who are typically losing anywhere from 4 to 15 pounds in one week -it makes you wonder.

But then there are contestant who get it, who know they have been given an unbelievable opportunity- that even a slightly overweight person would love. A chance to focus solely on the goal of becoming a stronger, healthier person minus all the distractions of everyday life. A chance to save themselves. Wouldn't it be nice to get up in the morning knowing your purpose is to focus on eating right and following the orders of your two personal trainers? Sometimes I wonder if some of the contestants actually realize what has been given to them.

Alright, I'll stop rambling...going to go see how it works out.

Oh wait, this just in:
The girl who lost one pound over two weeks- just lost eleven pounds in one week.
Odd...don't you think?

Great Start

So far today my meals have been great, I think this week's meal plan is going to be the best so far...

Breakfast: Egg Whites w/ mixed veggies(No picture)

Mid-Morning: Oatmeal Breakfast Bake


Lunch: Eggplant Parmesan

(Sorry the picture is weird...I can't figure out how to turn it.)

Afternoon Snack: 2 clementines and Almonds (no picture)

Dinner: Grilled Chicken with Squash Casserole and Side Salad



And it is so nice splitting the cooking responsibilities, it makes it easy. You can almost say it's like have your meals delivery- Meals on Wheels! Yeah!

Thanks for being patient with my picture taking, the camera isn't the best and I'm not the most skilled. I try!

Half Marathon Weekly

Half-Marathon Weekly
To help motivate, inspire, and get your week started…

"Ready, ready, ready, ready, ready to run, All I’m ready to do is have some fun….”
-Dixie Chicks

This week’s workouts:
Jan 18: Monday- 3 miles
Jan 19: Tuesday- cross train/strength train
Jan 20: Wednesday- 3 miles
Jan 21: Thursday-cross train/strength train
Jan 22: Friday- 2 miles
Jan 23: Saturday- Rest
Jan 24: Sunday- 4 miles


RUNNING SHOES

The one important 'step' to avoiding potential running injuries is to make sure you have the appropriate footwear. The shoes you wear provide stability and shock absorption, but over time shoes will wear out. So it is important to consider how far you’ve traveled in your shoes so that you don’t put yourself at risk of injury.

How far should you travel? Well, according to many internet sources the suggested mileage per pair of shoes is 350 to 550 miles. I good suggestion is to add a second pair of shoes into your running activities around 350 miles so that when your old ones are worn out, the new ones are broken in. Depending on the shoe model you choose, you might need to replace sooner or later so make sure you look at your shoes and pay attention to how they feel.

Where should you buy shoes? The best place is a running store, a place specializing in assessing how you run specifically. Everyone has a different pronation, which is the natural inward roll of the foot. You are in one of three categories: overpronate, natural pronate, and under pronate. You can find out more about your specific stride by seeing the professional. Some good store will even have your walk/jog on a treadmill so they can get an idea of the best way to fit you.

How much is this going to cost you? Chances are it will cost you at least $100 to find a pair of shoes that will satisfy your running needs. Yes I know you can get sneakers on sale or from a discount retailer, but the question you have to ask yourself is if saving $40 to $50 is worth a potential injury. For me it isn’t.

And just one last thought, we will be covering just over 400 miles during the half-marathon training so if your shoes are older or only cost you $50- you might want to consider breaking in a new pair so you can avoid some potential injuries over the next four months. This will no guarantee no injuries, but will help avoid some potential injuries.

The Penguin Run (5K) is on January 31st at 11 am. It is forecasted to be a balmy 2degrees here in Buffalo, any takers???