Weekly Recap

Sorry I didn’t get this posted yesterday.  I woke up at 3am to drive 2 hours to do a trail race and it took me over 7 hours to complete the total distance due to flooding and muddy conditions and I was just exhausted yesterday and completely forgot about this post until I was already in bed last night.

• Saturday: this was a somewhat messed up day.  I worked overtime Friday night and so didn’t get to bed until after 6am, then was back up by noon to mail a package and get my abbreviated day started.  I ran the Illuminations Half Marathon and that started at 6:15pm (look for my race recap I the next week or so…after I’ve gotten my official pictures).  It was part on paved trails and roads and part on trails and gravel roads.  And it was at night.  This was a challenging run but it was so much fun!  It was also the first time I got to use my new FitBit Blaze for any kind of exercise!  (I plan to write up a review in the next couple weeks, so stay tuned for that as well if the Blaze is something you’re thinking of buying)

• Sunday: after working 16 hours Thursday AND Friday nights and then running a challenging half marathon Saturday evening, I needed SLEEP.  And boy did I get it.  I was in bed for about 11 hours.  I woke up and felt like I had been hit by a truck.  Whoa.  I got up and got moving, then decided what I wanted to eat for the week (other than tilapia) and went and bought what I needed.  Then I came back home and started working on my housework and baking the tilapia and cooking the sweet potatoes in the crockpot and slicing my apples.  After all that, I went to the gym in the evening and did my 65 minutes on the elliptical.

• Monday: I ran a half marathon on Saturday that was challenging, and then I’m running a total of 22.4 miles today on trails, so this week was a recovery and taper week all in one.  So, my runs this week are easy and shorter.  This day, I just ran 4 miles easy.

• Tuesday: since I had my therapy appointment on this morning, I had to keep my workout short and sweet.  That means TRX at home!  So I did my TRX workout and added pullups, stairs and then mixed my 22 BOSU pushups into the workout.  Then, between before and after my appointment, I walked about 4.5 miles.

• Wednesday: a thunderstorm moved into my area overnight and there was loud thunder and bright lightning that woke me up a couple times.  When I got up, it had stopped raining but there were still thunder rumbles in the distance, so I wasn’t sure if I would go ahead with my planned run or go to the gym and use the elliptical.  Ultimately, I decided to do the run and geared up with a rain jacket and my water proof earbuds.  I did have to change the route I was running because I was originally going to run through the park, but the low water crossings were most likely flooded over, so I didn’t chance it and changed to my 5K route and earned my Shamrocked It virtual race medal.  By the time I headed out for my run, the rain had started up again, but it wasn’t a down pour, just a light, steady rain.  I love running in the rain because it feels good spiritually and it makes me run faster.

• Thursday: went to the gym and did my 65 minutes on the elliptical.

• Friday: this was going to be a rest day, however I just couldn't do that.  So, I went to the gym and did 65 minutes on the elliptical and it was a GREAT session too!  It just clicked and I went to town on that elliptical and burned almost 100 more calories than I usually do!  Oh yea!

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I talked in last week’s recap about my plans for eating.  I cooked up 6 lbs of seasoned tilapia and portioned it out into 12 oz portions.  I cooked some orange-spiced sweet potatoes (a recipe I made for the first time on thanksgiving) and sliced up lots of apples.  I set myself up for success this week.  If I stuck to this eating plan, that would put me right at 1100 calories for the day.  On Monday, I did meet a friend for breakfast at IHOP and got the 2x2x2 with sausage and sugar free syrup.  I was still well within the daily calorie allowance I assigned myself of 1550, so I have no guilt whatsoever over it.  I did really well in that department.  Sure I ate some chocolate here and some Cheez Its there, but I never went over my calories and most days I had at least a couple/few hundred calorie deficit.  Woohoo!  And that resulted in what I saw on the scale when I weighed in a day early on Friday (since I was getting up at 3am to do that trail race on Saturday I opted to weigh in a day early).

I am pretty dang happy with that!  3.7?  Oh yea!  I hope I can lose something again this week.  I’m going with the low calorie, high volume tilapia again.  (It’s also quite budget friendly and I need that right now.)  I’m also doing the orange-spiced sweet potatoes for dinners again and pink lady apples for snacks.  And then, of course, my 6 eggs for breakfast.  I’m really trying to treat this as a revised good outlook on things.  I’m not trying to be perfect, just better than I was being. 

I’ll be recovering from Saturday’s trail race for the majority of this week because it was a huge challenge both mentally and physically for me to complete, but that doesn’t mean I’ll be backing off a LOT with my workouts.  I’m going to back off a smidge with my running.  I probably won’t run more than 2 runs this week.  But I will get my strength training done and be using the elliptical as well.  Might even throw in some other cardio exercises here and there as well.  We’ll see.

I've been doing the 22 for 22 challenge.  I chose to do 22 BOSU pushups a day for 22 days.  I invite you to join this challenge with me.  You don't have to do BOSU pushups or even pushups.  Pick your exercise and do 22 reps of it for 22 days.  But, my advice is to choose something that's at least a little challenging for you.  You also don't have to do the whole 22 reps at once.  You can break it up throughout the day.  Why am I doing this challenge?  Well, statistically, 22 American soldiers commit suicide every day.  By doing this and sharing why you're doing it with friends, family and on social media, you help raise awareness for those 22 soldiers and so that tomorrow's 22 soldiers will get the helps they need to make a different decision.  As a military veteran that struggles with depression every single day of her life...as someone that has been there in that darkest of dark moments...this cause means so very much to me.  Please join me in this.

drop and give me 22!

The Long Run

The long run.  It’s a staple of any distance runner’s weekly running regimen.  The distance on any given runner’s long run varies from runner to runner.  Someone who runs marathons or ultra marathons, their long run will always be in the double digits.  Someone who runs half marathons or less, not so much (if at all) in the double digits.  No matter what you consider to be a long run, that is exactly what it is, a long run.  Don’t let anyone laugh at you for saying that 6 miles is your version of a long run.  To you, 6 miles IS long.  And to be honest, 6 miles IS a long way to go on foot.  It’s just that some people (me included) are so used to running 10+ miles, not only in long runs, but in weekday runs that we could do 6 miles in our sleep.  But that doesn’t mean that running 6 miles isn’t an accomplishment.

 

Some people love the long run and some people dread it.  I am one of those people that LOVE it!  I love being out there running, be it on the sidewalk around town or on a trail through the park.  I just love it.  The longer I get to run, the more I love it.  However, the longer the distance, the more anxiety I have pre-run.  Seriously.  I am so nervous the day of and the day before, what I call, a “super long run.”  Basically, anything over 15 miles is what I call a “super long run.”  I’ll be out there for closer to 3 hours so I really have to make sure I’m fully prepared.  I mean, I have to be fully prepared for ANY run, but with my super long runs, so much more could potentially go wrong.  Hence my anxiety.

 

In the past, I’ve said that I would do all of my long runs that were 10 miles or more at the Ladybird Lake hike & bike trail near downtown Austin.  I didn’t stick to it, though.  However, this time, I think I mean it.  I went and ran a 10 mile loop of the entire trail (from the Mopac pedestrian bridge to S. Pleasant Valley Dr) and I loved it!  It’s a great change of pace and scenery, which is really great to do with your long run.  You should really enjoy your surroundings when you’re doing your long run because you’ll be out there for longer than your other runs.  Duh, right?  Also, it helps alleviate my anxiety because no matter how far I run, I’m no more than 5 miles away from my car and there are hundreds and thousands of other people out there on the trail as well that can help me if something happens.  There are also police officers that patrol the trail on bicycle.

 

There are different ways you can make the long run more enjoyable and less anxiety-inducing.  One is to change the scenery from your usual running routes.  Make your weekly long run a bit of a visual “treat.”  If you usually run on the sidewalk or the street, go to a park or a hike & bike trail.  Another thing you can do is join a running group.  These don’t always have to be the running groups that you pay for membership in through your local running stores.  Running with others really changes the game.  Suddenly you’ve got others around and it just plain more fun.  It’s like running a race!  It’s exciting!  And then there’s the post-run meet ups at a coffee shop that these groups sometimes do.  I have not personally participated in any group runs, but I have done a couple runs with just one other person and let me tell you, it made the miles fly by.  I never thought I could be one of those people that could carry on a conversation while running, but I totally am!

 

Another thing you can do to help make your long run less “ugh” is to break it up.  For instance, run a 5K race in the morning, then go later on and run a 10K or more on your own.  I’ll be doing that this weekend.  I’m running a 5K at 9am, then going home, changing, grabbing a bagel and then heading to the hike & bike trail for another 10-13 miles!  This will be the first time I will break up a long run.  But I know so many people who do it all the time. 

 

So, whatever your definition of a long run is, just know that including it in your weekly running routine is important.  Why?  Because it helps build endurance and stamina.  That’s why when you’re training for a half marathon or longer distance, you increase the distance of your weekly long run by about 10% each week.  You’re increasing your ability to run longer and longer distances, building up to your target distance (whatever your race distance is).

 

What’s your idea of a long run? 

How do you make your long run less daunting/more fun?

Weekly Recap

Yesterday was a little crazy, which is why this didn't get posted until today.  I worked overtime Friday night and got off work at 6am, so I slept until noon then got up and mailed my FitBit Surge off to my friend Jessica (so excited for her to get it and start using it and motivate herself!), then I went for lunch and by the time I got home, it was pretty much time to decide what I was going to wear for the half marathon I ran last night and then hit the road so I could pick up my packet by 5pm.  Then I ran the race and hit the store for a little bit of grocery shopping, then home and shower and crash in the bed!

• Saturday: spent the entire day at the renaissance festival.  Lots of time on my feet and made it a little over my 10K steps for the day.

• Sunday: spent most of the day running errands, going shooting, and procrastinating.  Finally headed out for a run around 5:30pm.  geez.  But, the temp was around 70° and there was a light breeze, so it was a comfortable run.  I’m still recovering from the marathon, but this day’s run definitely felt better than Friday last week’s run did, so that’s good.

• Monday: went to the gym and did 43 minutes on the elliptical on the cross country program then hit the free weights.  I did decline bench, deadlifts with a barbell, standing rows with a barbell, side bends, bicep curls and step ups.

• Tuesday: ran the 1.33 miles to the school track, then ran 8 laps with 100m sprint and 300m recovery, then ran back home.  Felt fantastic!  I’d like to do this once a week and eventually work up to 100m sprint 100m recovery, then repeat for 8 laps.  Then I ran back home for a total distance of 5 miles.

• Wednesday: still pretty sore from Monday’s visit to the gym mixed with some defensive tactics training I did for work on Tuesday, so I skipped the strength training and just did my 65 minutes on the elliptical on the cross country setting.

• Thursday: was going to go for an 8 mile run, but took too long doing the other things I needed to do on this morning so I actually ran out of time and cut it short at 7 miles.  It was also really warm for an early March morning so my heart rate was over 160 for the majority of the run, which just made the whole thing feel harder than it was.

• Friday: picked up overtime on the night shift Thursday night, so no workout on this day.

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This week I decided to add a little something to my daily routine.  A while back I heard about the 22 for 22 challenge.  Pick an exercise that might be a little challenging for you and do 22 reps of it a day for 22 days.  The point of this challenge is to raise awareness for the average of 22 American soldiers that commit suicide each day.  Being a veteran myself, this hits me close to the heart.  I also suffer with chronic and lifelong issues with depression and PTSD due to events in my past.  I’ve been there.  I’ve been in that moment where you can’t see beyond the moment and everything seems hopeless and like there’s no point.  It’s not an easy place to be in.  So the more awareness I can bring, the more help they can get so maybe they can see at least a little bit that there is something beyond that moment and that it’s not as hopeless as it feels.  So, I finally started the challenge.  I decided to do 22 pushups on my BOSU ball for 22 days.  I challenge you to do the same.  Maybe not the same exercise, but pick something that is a little challenging for you and do 22 reps a day for 22 days.  Then post about it on social media and tag it #22for22 and help spread awareness!

Oh so yea!  I finally got a working pump for my BOSU ball!  So, it’s now fully inflated and useable!  I love it!  I love having my own BOSU!  Now I just need a pair of 30 pound dumbbells and I can do that entire workout at home!  Woohoo!

For the most part, during the week my eating was pretty good.  There was some extra eating on Thursday but that was the day I worked a double shift, so it’s to be expected…at least a little bit…that I would eat a little extra.  But, I did do my best to not go fully overboard.

And now, for the scale...

Yep, you read that right, I'm UP 2.9 pounds.  However, before I freak out, let's look at the bottom number, my body fat %.  Last week it was 34.8%...so, while I gained 2.9 pounds, my body fat went down .7%.  So, maybe the gain isn't *all* bad.  I do have some plans rolling around in my head to get this turned around and going back in the direction I want/need it to go.  It has a LOT to do with what I'm eating.  So, I bought a BUNCH of tilapia because it's super low in calories and cheap and I can eat a large serving of it (12 oz) and still be under 350 calories for that meal.  And then my usual eggs, some orange-spiced sweet potatoes cooked in the crockpot and sliced apples.  That's what I'll be eating this week.  That's about 1100 calories a day.  I need to get myself back in control and, really, my main problem is food.  I need to grow a spine and tell myself "no" when things I shouldn't be eating present themselves to me.

March Goals

In February I ran 84.7 miles. I had a goal of at least 100 miles. I fell a little short. A while back I told a friend that the months where I run a marathon are the months I have the most trouble logging higher mileage. He was surprised to hear that. However, it's no surprise to those who run marathons. Say the marathon is mid-month like the Austin marathon was. You're tapering and logging way less miles the 2 weeks leading up to the marathon. Then, after the marathon you're in recovery and therefore logging way less miles. Some people don't run at all for 1-3 weeks after a marathon. I usually take 2-5 days off from running post-marathon. It just depends on how I feel. Hopefully I can ramp my mileage back up in March. With that said, let me go over my goals for March:

• run at least 100 miles

• finish the San Felipe Shootout without injuring myself

• do 2 strength training workouts a week

• finish up the 22 in 22 challenge...and then keep going by doing pushups every day, ultimately increasing the amount of pushups I'm doing each day

• start doing pull ups

• read as much of the book Run Less Run Faster and develop a plan for training that will help me increase my base speed

• make a valiant attempt to PR the 5K (I'm running 2 this month so I have 2 opportunities)

• lose some weight…any weight, even just 1 pound is fine with me

I think that's a good list for my monthly goals. Some are repeats (and will continue to be repeated each month) and some are new or specific to this month.

In February, I also fell short on my 10K steps a day every day.  Usually on Sundays.  I did not follow my intermittent fasting schedule.  And I did not lose any weight.  In fact, I’m about 5 pounds heavier now than I was at the beginning of February.  Ugh.

Weekly Recap

• Saturday: after a little procrastination because my running buddy, Stacey, was volunteering at a 5K so she wasn’t able to meet with me for a run, I finally got up and made my way down to Ladybird Lake for a 7 mile run.  It felt a little difficult, but not too bad.

Later that day, my friend Heather and I went and participated in The Music Run and had a great time.  We walked most of it, but that doesn’t matter. 

• Sunday: no workout.  Went to the renaissance festival and fell short of my 10K steps by less than 200, but I didn’t have it in me at the end of the day to finish it up, so I just called it a day and went to bed.

• Monday: again with the procrastination, but did still manage to get out of bed in time to get a full workout at the gym done.  I’m very happy to report that I did not have the light headed feeling I was getting previously and was able to do my full 65 minutes on the elliptical.  YAY!  Then I did my strength training in the meathead free weight area.  I did decline and incline bench, walking lunges, side bends, front and side arm raises, and overhead tricep extensions.  It was a really good workout!

 

used my new workout log for the first time!

• Tuesday: set out to do a 5 mile run, but by mile 2 I was already feeling like I wanted to run more…that 5 miles wasn’t going to be enough.  I initially toyed with the idea of doing 7 or 8 as I wasn’t in any kind of time crunch, but ended up doing 6.  Wasn’t at a fast pace…10:56 average pace.  I was pretty sore from Monday’s strength workout, specifically the lunges.  Oof!  I ran in my yellow Altras.  Now that the marathon is done and run, I want to try and run in my zero drop shoes a little more often…like once a week.

• Wednesday: no workout.  I picked up overtime on the morning shift on this day, so I just focused on getting as many steps as I could during the day.

• Thursday: was flip-flopping on what I wanted to do for a workout on this day.  Originally, I wanted to go to the gym and do the elliptical plus strength training.  I slept in a bit and by the time I finished my coffee is the time I should have been arriving at the gym if I were going to do what I’d originally planned to do.  So, instead, I decided to get some stuff done around the house.  Put together my scrapbook pages for the Austin Marathon and for The Music Run and then I attempted to install my exercise straps (generic TRX).  However, I couldn’t get the self-tapping screws to tap into the beam in my entryway, so I just wrapped them around my pullup bar in my bedroom doorway.  Being there it limits the exercises I’m able to do with them as it’s a somewhat narrow area whereas the entryway is a little more open.  So, I got those wrapped around my pullup bar and proceeded to do the majority of my TRX workout.  Oh, I also tried to air up my new BOSU ball, but it won’t stay aired up after I turn off the air pump, so I can’t get the plug in it.  I might be returning it and finding a different brand of the same kind of piece of equipment.  SO!  I had a nice exercise strap workout along with some side steps and bicep curls with the resistance band I got from 5 Below.

• Friday: went to the Brushy Creek Regional Trail (BCRT) and ran 10.1 miles.  This run wasn’t a total slogfest, but it didn’t feel super smooth either.  I did the first 6 miles on the part of the trail I’ve run on previously, but the second 4.1 miles was in the opposite direction and was therefore a new trail to me.  I really liked it!  Not sure if I’ll go there or Ladybird Lake for tomorrow’s run.  I ordered the INKnBURN pixels pullover last month as part of my Club INB membership and was afraid that Texas was not going to get cool enough this year for me to wear it, but I got lucky and it was below 50° for this run and I got to wear it!  I love it!

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I’ve really got to get my weekend eating a little more under control.  I didn’t “super” over eat, but I didn’t eat very conservatively either.  I definitely could have done much better, even for weekend eating.  I need to not go so “hog wild” on the weekends and treat it like a free for all.  I don’t really have a plan for weekend eating and I need to fix that.  I do want the weekends to be a bit of a break from what I’m eating during the week, but it needs to not deviate so much from my ideal eating plan.  I guarantee I will see better results on the scale and in the mirror and in the way my clothes fit and look on me if I can come up with a weekend eating game plan.

When I work overtime on the morning shift, like I did on Wednesday, I usually end up at the courthouse cafeteria for breakfast around 8am because their breakfast platter is super cheap and yummy.  however, it is anything but good for you.  It includes a sausage patty or bacon, 2 scoops of scrambled eggs (cooked in butter), a hashbrown or potatoes, and a biscuit that I put full sugar content jelly on.  Oh and I got a brownie too.  I planned for that whole breakfast platter and logged it before the day even started, but I do regret the brownie.  It wasn’t planned for and it wasn’t even all that great.

hello, my name is BOSU and I am here to pump you up!

I also received the BOSU ball I ordered earlier in the month this week.  However, the pump that came with it was a piece of crap and wouldn't work, so I messaged the seller and he contacted BOSU and they sent me a replacement pump that arrived in today's mail.  This pump was a hand pump instead of a foot pump and it worked fantastically!  I now have a fully inflated BOSU ball ready for me to use!  WOOT! 

I didn’t come into today’s weigh in really expecting much.  I think the way I worked out and ate this week were more in line with maintenance than with weight loss, so we’ll see.

Sigh. I go down...I go up.  I feel like I was fairly good with eating this week, but I did have a bunch of chocolate at the end of the day yesterday...so maybe that had something to do with it?  The fat girl inside me is whispering to just give up but I can't listen to that voice.  I won't listen to that voice. I *will* get back down in the 160's again and I *will* maintain it.  Anything worth doing isn't easy.  If it were easy, everyone would do it.