Recuperating

Hello bloggy! I've missed you so :O) I took a few days longer than planned off to visit the bestie for her birthday. I had a blast staying up way too late, running, playing, pedicuring (is that even a word? Don't know but my toes look perrrty!), eating way too much junk food, and just generally having a good time.

This trip took me through not 1 but 2 birthday parties which means double the party food. Plus being at her house I didn't want to be my usually picky self. To me nothing says rude like "nope I won't eat that because it's not organic/vegetarian/flour free, etc. I gave myself leeway to relax the eating rules and be okay with it. It was easier to say at first because I was only planning on staying 1 night but that quickly turned into 2 plus a whole day :O) What can I say, I love me some Lizzy time!

Even though I was out of town, I managed to get some good workouts in! We went and played beach volleyball for a couple hours Saturday afternoon which was actually a lot of fun! I made the best of my new running shoes and her cute neighborhood to get in a good run Sunday morning. I ran the better part of 3 miles and then walked 2 just because it was too nice to be inside. And then Monday we hit the gym for a nice sweaty treadmill sesh and some brutal ab moves that left me hurtin. It helped me feel a lot better about what I had ate :O)

We did a bit of shopping, got our toes done (pics to follow!), and spent hours on end talking about anything and everything. Somehow by the end of it she had me almost convinced to move down there! I left laaaaate Monday afternoon and it felt so good to sleep in my own bed last night!

Today started off with a sweaty bootcamp sesh with the super trainer, it was tough after the weekend but so worth it at the end. After he finished us off and left us in a pile of sweat and ab pain on the floor, he told us to go do a 20 minute stair challenge to see how many floors we could do in that time. Man it was brutal! But I hit 124 floors which is 4 more than last time woohoo! It was so tough mentally, but helped me switch over from splurge mentality to normal mode. I already feel better and more energized after the weekend.

I could definitely tell my eating had been off this weekend because once I started putting good food in it, I was starving all day long. I literally felt like I couldn't eat enough, it was crazy. And all I was craving was veggies, fruits, nut butters, and protein. I filled my belly with lots of whole, raw foods and maybe a chocolate chip cookie :O) It's like my belly was saying "Hey, remember when you used to feed me good food last week??? Yeah lets go back to that and never stop okay? Thanks, your tummy" Yup, my tummy sends me messages... especially when I don't fuel it properly.

I had a lengthy post all planned up in my noggin but even after a day of recuperation (including a nap!) I am still exhausted so it will have to wait until tomorrow. Coming up this week (hopefully):

• My epiphany from this weekend
• Foods I can't live without
• Giving my body a break/ My life as a cardio addict

facing fear

Fear is a funny thing isn't it? It's completely intangible and yet one of the most crippling things possible. I must admit that even though I am physically strong, I am still mentally weak and often plagued by fear. I won't go into my list of quirky irrational fears but trail running is one of them.

I have not the slightest clue why I was  scared to run outside or even if fear is really the correct term for it. Several times this spring I've planned to hit the trail for a run outside and break away from the treadmill for awhile. I love me some treadmill runs and get a great workout on them, but when the only thing there is to look at is the sweaty guy lifting weights in front of you, it gets boring quick. Especially because no cute boys work out at 5:30 in the morning. I've been excited to try running outdoors and even bought cute new running shoes and gear but for whatever reason could never make myself actually go out and do it.

However, today that all changed :O) I had a free morning and it was beautiful and sunny so I told myself that I could either go for a trail run or I would have to go to the gym and workout. Running outdoors won by a long shot. Instead of heading out around my neighborhood where I could quit at anytime I went down to the trail that runs by the river, warmed up and started running. I was shocked at how easy it was right off the bat, much easier than any treadmill run. Before I knew it, I had run 2 miles without stopping. I thought I would have needed to walk a lot but I took my time pacing myself and slowing down when I needed it. I had been hoping to hit 3 miles total but 2 miles in I still felt good so I went another 1/2 mile before turning around.

The second half was definitely more mentally challenging. I knew what was ahead of me this time and by now, I was starting to get a little tired and very sweaty. I kept pushing through and told myself walking breaks were okay but whenever I stopped to walk my legs just kept pushing me forward. Kind of like that feeling you get when you don't slow down on the treadmill before jumping off? My legs always feel like they should still be moving much faster, that's how it felt. So I kept running and hit 5 miles right at the trailhead. I walked another 1/4 of a mile to cool down and then stretched out and headed home.

I felt so good afterwards. It was definitely very mentally challenging on the way back. I never wanted to give up because my lungs were burning or my knees hurt, only because I felt like I would never make it back or just started freaking out about the distance. I am definitely going to keep working on my mental toughness as I increase my mileage and speed.

Things I learned:

• I could be a runner and I love running
• Trail running is better than treadmill running- the scenery distracted me and made it more enjoyable
• I am tougher than I thought
• Fuel properly- first thing I did when I got home was make a HUGE salad best loaded with protein and veggies followed by a Clif Bar. I was starving to the point of dizziness- not good at all
• Hydrate properly- I am definitely going to have to start bringing my water backpack. I guzzled my water bottle (I had it in my car to free up my hands) by the time I was out of the parking lot and proceeded to drink at least 7 more within the next few hours (without a bursting bladder I might add). Thats 192 oz of water!!
• Good shoes make all the difference- a day later and no foot or knee pain at all
• Cardio can be just as effective outside as on a gym machine- I burned 1218 calories in 1 hr 8 minutes! That's insane (and also explains the ravenous hunger)
• I don't have to live my life in the gym to be healthy- greatest revelation of all :O)

 Post run/pre-crash happiness

Happy Saturday bloggies! I'm off to celebrate my girlfriend's birthday out of town so I'll be MIA for a few days. 

love love love :O)

Some days just don't go as planned...

I know I mentioned earlier that I thoroughly enjoy Saturdays, but seriously I REALLY love Saturdays :O) I hit up the gym (nice and empty this morning!) and did a nice long warm up. 5 minutes walking @ 4.0 mph so the Polar could calculate my HR zones and then 5 minutes running @ 5.5 mph followed by 10 minutes of 1 minute intervals, alternating between 5.3 mph and 6.3-6.5 mph. This is what I did yesterday on HIIT day except much longer, and with additional sweaty cardio attached at the end and it has been a huge sweat fest success.

I haven't posted as much about my exercise history but about 3 months ago I decided I was going to take up running. Furthermore, I decided I was going to do it until I enjoyed it because at the time there were few things I hated more than running. So I downloaded the couch to 5k plan and (very) loosely followed it for less than 2 weeks awhile :O) I found that because I was already in good shape that running wasn't as hard as I thought it would be and in fact, I didn't suck too bad at it. I've been stuck at only being able to run at 5.5 for awhile (which has been a huge success for me) but in trying out these intervals, I've found that 6.3- 6.5mph doesn't feel that bad at all. Especially because I only have to do it for a minute and then I get to slow down to a jog for the next minute. I am definitely keeping these intervals in my routine to help boost up my speed consistently.

So I followed the 20 minute treadmill sesh with another hour of strength training. It was a routine the trainer had given me pre-bootcamp and I am very pleased to say that now (3 months later) I was able to up my weights, up my reps by a few, without dying. It was really great to see that I am showing significant progress. I'll post the workout later this weekend.

After coming home and taking a much needed shower, I was starving. I mean, "I need food NOW because I am getting dizzy" starving. I snacked on some peanuts while I made Gina's (The Fitnessista) Perfect Protein Pancakes. They were super dense (and not nearly as pretty as her picture) but so delicious and filling! Exactly what I needed post-workout. The recipe made 2 giant pancakes and I topped one with almond butter and sugar free syrup and the other with some yogurt butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar. These are definitely going to become a staple in my diet. Not quite as good the cottage cheese, oatmeal pancakes but still yummy. On a side note, I am loving this pancake phase! I never thought I would be able to eat pancakes again once I figured out how terrible Krusteaz pancakes were for me.

So far the rest of the afternoon has been spent cleaning the house, playing with the doggies, and relaxing with the fam. Not quite the productive Saturday I had planned, but just as enjoyable :O)

I love to run

About 3 months ago, I woke up one morning and decided I was going to become a runner. Along with push-ups on my toes and unassisted pull-ups, this was one thing that I could not do very well. I was partially struck with fear inspired by the trainer and his upcoming Special Forces bootcamp which he promised me would contain hill sprints till I puked. And partially because I just knew that even as fit as I was, I sucked at running. Sure I could sprint for a minute or two but that was it. No endurance whatsoever. So as I went for my 5:30 a.m. workout and the couch 2 5k plan, I was determined. Truthfully, those first few days weren't as hard as I thought. I found that I was more capable than I thought and that I actually enjoyed running. In fact, I loved to run. It was a huge stress reliever; the one thing I could do to block out everything else except the music in my ears and the movement of my body.

I've since started running on the treadmill about 4 days a week, depending on my workout schedule. However, I've peaked at about a 30-32 minute 5k which in my mind, is not that great. I've also peaked at that distance which is definitely not that great considering my half marathon aspirations. Occasionally I'll have a burst of motivation and go for longer, but 30 minutes/ 3 miles seems to be that milestone that I just can't break through on a regular basis. It's incredibly frustrating, because I know it's purely mental. It's not like I hit 3 miles and my legs suddenly give out or my lungs are on fire, which means that it has to be purely mental.

I've tried inserting sprints which has actually helped my speed a little but I'm stuck at 5.5 mph (@ a 2% incline). I'm not so much worried about going faster as I am about going longer. I'm really hoping that by taking my runs outside, the change in scenery will take away the mental block that I'm having. I love the feeling of running and its so rare to find something like that these days that I want to prolong that feeling as long as possible, and 30 minutes just isn't enough for that. I want to be able to just go out and take a 5 mile run or say that I woke up one Saturday morning and ran 10 miles.

I've also noticed that as fun as running is and as much as I love the runners high (I never say no to endorphins!) by the end of the week my knees are killing me. They get this dull ache in them that spreads down my calves that no amount of time spent on the foam roller (which I swear by to relieve sore muscles) can cure. I've stretched, rolled, iced, taken glutamine, tried different socks (hey anything might work!), altered incline & speed, altered pace, and nothing has worked. Come Thursday I still feel like an 85 year old woman with arthritis in my knees, and I'm no where near 85.

My last thought (at the suggestion of a friend) was to get custom running shoes. I currently use some adorable blue Adidas tennis shoes for all sorts of workouts both indoors and outdoors. They aren't specifically made for running and that's the only thing I can think of to change. As I've started reading more blogs from runners, they all talk about having good shoes. Right now I'm debating between custom running shoes (uh, hello expensive!) and regular running shoes from my local Big 5. Being so new to running, I'm not really sure which one is a better investment (especially to have to replace them in 300ish miles anyways) and even how to go about finding a decent running shoe. You know what that means??? RESEARCH here I come!

So just in case another set of eyes happens upon this page, do you have a preference? Or a recommendation for a struggling beginner? My knees would greatly appreciate it :O)