RACE DAY!

Today is officially race day!

I went to bed early last night because I wanted rest and I knew that I would be anxious and would have a difficult time getting adequate sleep in.  Waking up a couple of times throughout the night didn’t stop me from jumping out of bed when the alarm went off at 4:55am.

I had prepared my breakfast the night before, a jar of overnight oats with half of a frozen banana, which is what I have eaten all throughout training and I knew that it would be quick and easy for me to eat and digest all before race time at 7am.

Even though I completed 13 miles last week, I am so nervous for today.  Partly because I felt like this last weekend after the run…

Not feelin' too good

And partly because I don’t even know why!  I am going to try to make things as normal and as much like my training runs as possible.  So, even though there are 12 water stops…I am bringing my own water.  Even though there is a refuel food station,  I am bringing my energy beans.

I have been preparing for 2 months now, I know I can do it.  I am excited-nervous-anxious-scared-happy-alloftheabove when it comes to emotions!!

WISH ME AND LAUREN (one of my sorority sisters is doing it with me!!) LUCK!!

If the Pant Fits…

Since I didn’t show you a picture earlier, here was my work outfit today (I’ve worn it before)

I have the worst time shopping for pants…so I rarely ever by them.  The pants in the above picture are from 4 years ago…and if pants never wore out or got holes in them  you better believe that I would probably still be wearing the same pants from middle school (not much has changed in the hip department).

Usually pants are too short or too baggie in the hips.  Today, we got two new pair of black dress pants in at work.  The style that we all keep hearing about promoting in our store is the long black pant for everyday and mixing and matching it with a variety of different tops.

I decided to go out on a limb and try these pants on.  The first pair was waaaay to short…Steve Urkel anyone??

source

I tried on the second pair and they fit perfectly!  They hugged my hips like they were supposed to, were the perfect length for heels and flats, and they came higher on the waste so they were extremely comfortable!  I put them on hold because Brian was waiting outside for me, and I think I am going to buy them Monday 🙂  Trust me, this made my day!

Lunch

Lunch was random again…

Mixed nuts, rice cakes, and veggies.  I also snacked on another Nature Valley granola bar in the back room when I could.

Workout

Today was the last official day of running in my half marathon training schedule before the race.  Tomorrow is a rest day and I want to take full advantage of it.  I want to feel my best on Saturday.  I know that I am not competing to win (this time! 😉 ) but I want to be able to feel good and do well for me.  Feeling soreness and tightness in my legs on Saturday would just throw a wrench in things.

I ran about 2 miles and then walked a little bit.  After literally standing all day, my legs get tight and my feet get tired which has such an effect on my running.  It was also in the 90s temperature wise, and I was hungry for dinner so everything was against me.  It is crazy how this run felt physically harder than my 13 mile run this past Saturday, which is all the more reason for me to take care of myself now in preparation!

Dinner

I then came home to throw a hodge-podge of things together for dinner.  Because it was burning outside, I made a peanut butter banana spinach chocolate smoothie along with steamed cabbage, potatoes, and cauliflower.  Random…but it tasted good!

I know that I am going to fall asleep early again tonight (I slept through the movie last night) and want to get the grocery list made because tomorrow is grocery day, and I am going to Trader Joe’s!  I can’t wait 🙂

Yoga Goof

Happy September!

September just sounds like fall, doesn’t it?!

First things first…I made an error yesterday and all of you yogis out there were probably cringing.  I originally said that the Pose of the Day yesterday was the triangle, when in fact, it is the extended side angle.  Sorry I goofed!  But don’t worry I corrected it on the post and the page under the workout tab.

Today, I woke up with tight hamstrings and wanting to run.  Since I can’t run until after work because of the sun not rising early enough, I did a little stretching with some yoga poses and some crunches to get my core warmed up.

Yoga Pose of the Day:  Crescent Lunge

Slightly modified

 

I could really feel this stretch in my hip flexors while doing the final pose.  This pose was also really great for me today because of the tightness in my hamstrings.  Starting off in downward facing dog definitely gave my hammies a stretch 😉

Benefits of Crescent Lunge:  Strengthens the arches, ankles, knees, and thighs, stretches the hips and shoulders, opens the chest, stimulates digestion, increases muscular endurance, relieves symptoms of sciatica.  

Breakfast

I then had an oatmeal bowl for breakfast…voluminous overnight oats to be exact, with a frozen banana on top.

It tasted like peanut butter cookie dough 😉

Now, I am off to my first day of work in this brand new month!

Check it Out:

• Healthy Snack Ideas (fitnessmagazine.com)
• Fall Workout Clothes (Fitsugar.com)

Question:

Anyone have a good website or store to buy nice shoes for a reasonable price??? I am searching for gray bridesmaid shoes for Chelsea’s wedding and I need help!

 

 

 

Not The Triangle

Good Hump Day Morning!

Breakfast

I started off the day with the usual…

Workout

On my final week of training schedule for the half marathon, today was either a 3 mile run or cross training.  Since I work at 9am today and don’t like running in the dark I opted for the cross training.  I followed this workout from Toneitup.com.

• 20 jumping Jacks
• 10 burpees
• 20 lunges
• 5 minute jog
• 10 push-ups
• 10 dips
• 20 lunges
• 5 minute jog
• 20 second plank on hands
• 20 tummy tucks
• 5 minute jog
• 20 bicycle crunches

Followed by 8 minute abs…this video is so 90’s but I love it!

It’s that time…Yoga Pose of the Day:  Today’s pose, The Extended Side Angle

Slightly Modified

The benefits of triangle are improved digestion and circulation, help with menopausal discomfort, relief from sciatica symptoms, stretches the arches, calves, hamstrings, and groin, lengthens the spine, increases muscular endurance.

Work Fashion

Here is yesterday’s work look:

And today’s work look:

And speaking of work…gotta run!!!

Yoga Confession

Good Morning!

Today, I don’t have to be to work until 1:30pm.  That means I was able to wake up at 7am and workout in the morning, sure feels great to start the day how I prefer 😉

I have a confession to make.  I have been a little lax on the whole yoga thing, for some reason I just keep putting it off.  So, in order to keep myself accountable I have decided to post about the Yoga Move of the Day.  Since I am no pro and today is day number one, I thought I would start off simple with a pose that many people have heard of:

Downward Facing Dog

The last pose is the advanced version.  If you are not advanced or have super tight hamstrings like me (that’s why my heals don’t touch the ground) you can keep your knees slightly bent and work toward the straight leg posture.

Benefits of Downward Facing Dog:  improves digestion, relieves insomnia, menstrual and menopausal discomfort, and low back pain, strengthens the arms, legs and torso, stretches the palms, chest, back, hamstrings and calves, and energizes the body.

I would love to have feedback from anyone about my posture, benefits of the move, other variations, or anything you want to share!

*I am using Hatha Yoga illustrated by Martin Kirk and Brooke Boon

Workout

After my yoga pose, I did my own mini bootcamp outside on the canal.  It is a total of 3 miles around the canal and I stopped and did little workout pit stops along the way.

• Ran up and down 5 sets of stairs
• 15 tricep dips and 10 pushups with hands on a bench (2 sets)
• 15 calf raises on a step and 20 squats with one leg higher on the step than the other (2 sets)
• 50 crunches and 25 bicycle crunches (2 sets)

It was a great workout and great way to start the morning!  The weather is beginning to cool off a lot right now.  It’s crazy how quickly the transition into fall occurs, it seems like yesterday that I was sweating the moment I stepped outdoors each morning.

Breakfast

Since I have been doing a lot of long runs lately and working out in the evening I have had some sort of food in my stomach about an hour before each workout.  When I would workout in the morning at Butler, many times I would head to the gym first thing waiting to eat breakfast afterward.  Since I worked out just after I woke up this morning, I decided to wait for breakfast…and boy could I tell a difference!  I wasn’t hungry when I left to workout, and I wasn’t exactly hungry during my workout, but I felt weak.  It’s crazy how the body can adapt so quickly.

When I got home, I was ready for energy and had a peanut butter chocolate smoothie bowl (with spinach in it of course).

Truly hit the spot!

Now that I have time before I have to get ready for work, I am going to make some appointments with wedding florists and photographers! 🙂

 

 

 

 

In the Double Digits

This morning, I woke up with the crickets and got ready for my longest run yet.

I started with a bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter and banana…it kind of tasted like peanut butter cookie dough!

The oats will be great for giving me long and sustained energy, but just incase I: need a little extra boost, my mom bought me Sport Beans, which are energy jelly beans.

I have never tried them, so I plan on taking them with me today to test them out before the race.

Workout

I did it!!! I ran 10 miles….double digits baby!!

Check out those sweat stains

 

Off to work now!

Packing my Lunch

This morning, I started off the day by actually making dinner so that Brian and I don’t end up eating at 9pm tonight and I packed myself a lunch.  I work my first long shift at work today, and I am looking forward to it!

Lunch today is apple slices, cucumber, carrot, and celery slices, broccoli trailmix salad, and half of a crunchy cinnamon flavored Nature Valley granola bar.  Should be tasty!

For breakfast, I started out with a chocolate-peanut butter- spinach-coffee smoothie…yum and energizing!

I am planning on running my first 10 mile run tonight!  Wish me luck 🙂

 

Have a wonderful start to the week!

Last Day of Summer

Today was the official last day of nannying and the official last day of my group fitness classes at Butler, and I must say that I couldn’t have asked for a better day!

We started off the day with an early lunch to Qdoba. When I was asking the kids about what things they wanted to do at the beginning of the summer, Qdoba was brought up many times as a favorite lunch spot they went to with their nanny last summer.  When I asked the kids what they wanted to do their last week of summer, we realized that we had not yet been to Qdoba together once the entire summer!  We decided that as a treat on our last day we would have lunch at Qdoba.

Because Jeremy had a meeting at school at 11am, and they each had a French lesson at 1pm we had to eat lunch before Jeremy’s meeting.  We arrived so early that Qdoba was still serving breakfast, so while we waited Jeremy showed the worker card tricks.

When it was lunch time, I opted for a naked burrito with no rice, pinto beans, grilled veggies, lettuce, a little cheese, pico de gallo, and spicy salsa.  It was so yummy!

Qdoba lunch

After Jeremy’s meeting we spent the day playing the board game Life and doing French lessons…well they were doing French lessons, I made the grocery list (more on that later 😉 )

We then loaded up in the car once more and headed to one of my favorite fro-yo places…Red Mango.  Jeremy and Sarah had never been there before, but quickly fell in love once they tasted their treats!!

Black Cherry Fro-Yo Topped With Strawberry and Chocolate Sauce

Black Cherry Fro-Yo Topped With Raspberries

My Fro-Yo...Original Topped with Granola, Bananas, and Honey

Workout

I then went to teach my final Cycle 45 class, and I had a special visitor!!

Nice and schweaty! This picture was taken after class...so disregard the improper posture

Here is our workout:

Warm Up (5 minutes)

Seated Flat Road (5 minutes)

Sprint Pyramid (7 minutes)

•   40 second sprint—20 seconds recovery
•   30 seconds sprint—30 seconds recovery
•   20 seconds sprint—40 seconds recovery
•   10 seconds sprint—50 seconds recovery
•   20 second sprint—40 seconds recovery
•   30 second sprint—30 seconds recovery
•   40 second sprint—20 seconds recovery

Hill Climb (4 minutes)

• Increase gear every 30 seconds

Recovery (2 minutes)

Sprint Pyramid (5 minutes)

•   30 seconds sprint—30 seconds recovery
•   20 seconds sprint—40 seconds recovery
•   10 seconds sprint—50 seconds recovery
•   20 second sprint—40 seconds recovery
•   30 second sprint—30 seconds recovery

Hill Climb (3 minutes)

• increase gear every 30 seconds

Recovery (1 minutes)

Sprint Pyramid (3 minutes)

•  40 second sprint—20 seconds recovery
•  30 seconds sprint—30 seconds recovery
•  40 seconds sprint—20 seconds recovery

Hill Climb (2 minutes)

• Increase gear every 15 seconds

Sprint Pyramid (3 minutes)

•   30 seconds sprint—30 seconds recovery
•   20 seconds sprint—40 seconds recovery
•   30 seconds sprint—30 seconds recovery (COOL DOWN)

again....disregard the bad posture

Dinner

We then came home for a quick dinner.  Smoothies and curry roasted cauliflower!

In my smoothie:

• 1/2 cup Myoplex (got it for free at a race)
• 3/4 frozen banana
• splash of vanilla extract
• pinch of xanthum gum
• 1 handful of spinach
• 2 packets of splenda
• 4 ice cubes and a little water for volume

It's not easy being green...

Purple Cauliflower

I guess dinner kind of looked like Barney! Oops!!

Brian and I are headed to Nashville this weekend for a friend’s wedding.  It should be really fun because there are so many friends going, but I still have to pack!  Good night!!!

Special Visitor

Yesterday morning I taught Jeremy and Sarah a card trick that I had learned when I was younger.  I couldn’t quite remember how to do it, so my mom literally took step-by-step photos of her hands and e-mailed them to me.  Talk about a dedicated mom!  Thanks 🙂

Brenna (the special visitor) then came over to give everyone haircuts! (accept for me)

We then came inside to eat lunch, and show each other card tricks.  Jeremy practiced the trick I showed him this morning on Brenna and he got her!

Jeremy’s lunch and him dealing the card tricks

After Brenna left and a game of life, Jeremy, Sarah and I got busy in the kitchen.  We decided since it is my last week nannying that we wanted to surprise their parents by making dinner for them.  We decided on healthified macaroni and cheese with broccoli and homemade caesar with brownies for dessert.

Healthified Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli (original recipe from eatbetteramerica.com)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of uncooked whole wheat macaroni (we used rotini)
• 2 cups skim milk
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/8 tsp red pepper
• 2 cups reduced fat cheddar cheese
• 1 cup broccoli

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8 inch square or 2 quart baking dish.

Boil water to cook the pasta according to package directions.

Once water is boiling, before putting the pasta in first boil the broccoli for 3-4 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon, and cook pasta.

In a separate saucepan combine milk, flour, mustard, salt, and peppers.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until bubbling and boiling.   Then, add the cheese and stir until combined.

Once the pasta and broccoli are finished, toss in the cheese sauce.  Pour into the greased pan and place in the preheated oven.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.

I’ll share the caesar recipe later 😉

Breakfast

For breakfast this morning, I had 1/2 cup of plain Greek yogurt with a tablespoon of peanut butter mixed in, splenda, frozen bananas, frozen mangos, and frozen strawberries.  It was delish!

Today is my last official day nannying and my last official day teaching spin at Butler 😦  The kids are taking me to Qdoba and Red Mango and I have a special guest coming to class tonight!! Can’t wait!

Good Smoothie Day

Even though you do the same thing to your hair every day, some days just turn out better than others and we have a “good hair day.”  Well, today I made my same coffee smoothie that I have been making for the past few days and today it just turned out way better than usual…it is a “good smoothie day.”

My smoothie is delicious!

I am glad that the day is off to a good start, because today is actually going to be a pretty busy for me.  After nannying I have to go straight to my new job and work until 10pm!  It is going to be fine, but certain things like not being able to work out and not being able to finish my to-do list tend to make me anxious.

This is something that I have always dealt with, I stress myself out until things get done or work out and then I feel ok about the situation for a little bit until I start stressing myself out again.  Trust me, this is not a fun process, and I have gotten better at dealing with it and realizing that I don’t have to do everything today, but sometimes I just have a little freak out.

I am going into the day already knowing that I can’t work out, which is ok!  I had a great session yesterday, and I will make sure that I have a great session tomorrow.  I am going into the day knowing that this isn’t going to be the day to cross everything off of my list, catch up on e-mails, and get everything in order.  That is probably not going to happen tomorrow either, but if I am able to do one or two things each day it will help me feel a lot less overwhelmed.  Also, if I go into the day with these expectations than I won’t be disappointed at the end of the day when I “didn’t reach my goals.”

Today is going to be a great day, I can just sense it!  I get to see my sister today because she is coming to cut Sarah and Jeremy’s hair while I am nannying…that makes the day great right there!!

I hope that you all have a great day too!