Last Month of my Half Marathon Training

You guys.... I run my half marathon TOMORROW!!!! I am pretty stoked, and I feel ready for it. As ready as I can be in this Texas heat. The month of August has been pretty killer to run in here.

Two Saturdays ago I decided to run 10 miles in prep for this half. It wasn't in my training program but I thought I needed to get those miles in. I got up before the sun came out when it was cooler.

 It was a beautiful run. I had good music to motivate me. But once that sun comes out I am a goner. I did it though. I ran the 10 miles. I feel so confident about this half marathon because I was able to run those 10 miles.

I would write more but it's off to bed to get my rest for my early morning tomorrow. I will be writing all about tomorrow soon!!

Epic Half Marathon Training Update

I know it looks like I have gone running AWOL but I promise I have been running... well I have missed about two weeks of running... well I have missed 9 runs which is a total of 3 weeks. But one of those times instead of a 6 mile run I did a 6 mile hike. So I really missed like 8 runs. I was on vacation for a month and it was difficult to get the runs in.

This summer has been filled with all sorts of different running elements. The elevation change was crazy. I went from my usual 655 altitude to a 4500 altitude. The air is definitely thinner that high up and I felt it. I was in Utah for a week and I couldn't ever fuller breathe all the way. I never felt like my inhales were complete. But what I lacked in breath I never lacked in scenery. The view of the mountains was incredible.

I really wanted to hike while I was by those mountains so instead of a 6 mile run I went on a 6 mile hike with family and friends. It was so fun. And hard. Going up the mountain I felt like I was using muscles that I didn't even know I had. I am so used to running on flat surface that my muscles aren't used to hills.

We went on a 5.93 hike around Yellow Fork Canyon. It took 2 hours and 10 minutes. We went form 5628 ft to 6991 ft above sea level. The view from the top was just breath taking. Well I didn't really have any breath to take but it was gorgeous. What a world we live in!! Going down the mountain was fun, I ran most of the way down. I love trail running, it's so invigorating.  Overall it was a great morning and a great hike.

One of the best parts about the hike was that I burned 1100 calories and could pretty much eat whatever that day!

After a week in Utah I spent 3 weeks in Upstate New York. That is where I missed out on a lot of runs. The sun comes up at 5:30 in the morning and my kids were all up early because of that. I didn't get very much sleep but we all had a great time.  When I did run my body hated me. Upstate New York is very hilly. My legs are not used to hills. I thought Utah was hilly but no, Utah is mountainous but there is a lot of flat to run on. Upstate New York is rolling hills and it is hard to run. I have so much admiration for Upstate New York runners. They are awesome!

Running in New York was also awesome. It is still cool in the morning and not too hot to run even if you get a late start. I loved running there even with the hills. It was a nice change from the Texas heat I am used to. And you can't beat the view. Charming farms and rolling hills, freshly mowed lawns. It is just heaven on Earth.  I even passed some cows, saw deer, and little bunnies.

I took a 12 minute running test on this trip and it gave me a new half marathon pace. I was running an 11:22 min/mile. This test showed  I have improved and should plan on a 10:42 min/mile race pace. That would be amazing! But with missing so many runs I will realistically aim for an 11 to 11:22 min/mile pace.

Today was my first run since getting back to Texas. My training plan said to run 3.2 miles but I thought I would got for half of a half and run 6.5 miles. I set my alarm wrong and woke up late. In Texas the later you run the hotter it gets. So the sun was already out and warming up air when I got to running. At 3 miles I needed inspiration, but .3 miles later I rolled my ankle and had to stop 3.2 miles short of my goal. I think it's better to take care of myself than finish and have an injury. I did end up running the amount I was supposed to do so that's good.

Now that I am home from my vacation and I have about 4 weeks left in my training I am going to work hard! I didn't hurt my ankle too bad so I should be able to run on Tuesday. I just need to get into a good routine and wake up earlier.

It feels good to be back and I am ready to be blogging again!

*oh I forgot to mention that my incredible husband got me a hydration pack for my birthday and I love it!! 

Half Marathon Training Week 4 Day 2

What a fantastic run! I didn't think it would go so well. I woke up this morning kicking myself in the pants for going to bed so late and for not setting my alarm. Well I didn't set my alarm on purpose. I knew I was going to bed late and I didn't want to wake up early. But when I woke up I thought oh no, it is late to be going for a run and it will be so hot and humid.

I got up at 7:45 and didn't get out running until a little after 8. The odds were ever in my favor this morning. It had rained a lot last night so it was cooler this morning than usual. The sun was hiding behind ominous clouds.

Today I decided to listen to some upbeat music to get me going. It is amazing how much of a difference music can make to your mood. With every song I felt more energized. I even danced a bit and that was probably a sight to see.

There were so many birds out. And the clouds were gorgeous. There were planes in the air from the airbase practicing their tricks. I was entertained on this run.

Looking back on my comments about a lot of my runs I realized that I wasn't being very positive. So when I started this run today I made sure to be positive and it helped so much. The run I had to do was 3.2 miles with a 12:52 min/mile pace. When I reached the end I felt like I could run longer. It was definitely an "easy" run and I had a smile on my face almost the whole time. Awesome run!

Half Marathon Training Week 4 Day 1

Um, have I mentioned that I got fitted for new running shoes?? Well I did and I LOVE them! They are so light and comfortable and don't weigh me down. One day I will put a picture of them on here but I am too lazy right now to do it.

Today I had to run for 26 minutes with 5 strides. When I saw that on the training plan I had no idea what it meant. No worries, Endomondo had it covered! So I was supposed to run for 10 minutes at a 12:52 min/mile pace and then I would do 5 strides 20 seconds each fast (well, a 10:42 min/mile pace but I ran faster) and a minute in between each stride at the 12:52 min/mile for recovery.

This was an awesome run! When I left the house it was nice and cloudy. It was raining a little but it felt so good. I was listening to my jam and so ready to rock it. I felt really positive and I could feel that in my run.  I need that positive energy during my long runs.

What I need to work on is my stretching. I feel like the moment I step into the house from my runs I switch into mom gear and I don't get in good enough stretches because I am helping the kids with this or that or making breakfast.  So this week I will look up running stretches and try to get them in after my runs.

Half Marathon Training Week 3 Days 2 and 3

On Day 2  of Week 3   When I woke up in the morning I wasn't feeling so great so I ran in the evening. My sister in law mentioned that it is 20 degrees hotter at night without the sun than it is in the morning when the sun comes up, and I felt the difference. It was hot. When I run I like to made a note in my running app about how I felt or did during that run. I made a note "should run in the mornings" so I guess it's better to get the runs done first thing before the heat comes.

I was supposed to run an easy 1.8 miles at a 12:52 min/mile pace. I decided to get in some sprints so in the last .8 miles I ran a few sets of sprints. That was a good run.

Day 3 of Week 3 was a long run. 5.8 miles at a 12:52 min/mile pace. That was a hard run for me. I tried to go to bed "early" on Friday night and ended up going to bed at 10. I guess that is early for a Friday night but for how early I wanted to wake up it wasn't early enough. I didn't sleep well that night. I wanted to be out and running around 6:15/6:30 am but didn't leave the house until 7. Halfway into my run the sun came out. When the sun comes out it is just harder for me to run. I start to sweat more. I feel the UV rays burning my skin. The sun blinds my eyes... all that fun stuff.

Did I mention I live in a humid place? The sun was out, there was no rain, and it was 100% humidity. I felt like I was running through smog the air felt so heavy.  I tried to focus on the book I am listening to and forget about the sun and heat and humidity.

I haven't been drinking enough water. On Friday night I drank a lot so that I wouldn't be dehydrated for Saturday's run. But that meant that Saturday morning I had to go to the bathroom. A lot. I think I ran back home every mile to use the bathroom. Let me just say that when you are sweaty going to the bathroom is difficult. It is like going to the bathroom when you've been swimming and trying to get out of your swim suit. Yuck.

The most important thing is that I finished. I ran all 5.8 miles and I am always proud of myself for completing the workouts.

Half Marathon Training Week 3 Day 1

When my alarm went off this morning I hit the snooze button. I did not want to wake up. I did not want to go running. I just wanted to stay in my warm and super comfy bed. But I woke up, and I got up, and I eventually went out running.

I needed to run 4.1 miles today. And I decided to listen to an audio book during my longer runs. I am listening to 7 Habits for Highly Effective People. It was hard to get into the run, I think because I was feeling tired.  It was an "easy run" going for a 12:52 min/mile pace.

I ran it all. I guess there is something to be said in finishing something you were dreading to do.  I finished in 51:19. I burned 591 calories. What what!! That's a good way to start the day, even if I was grumbling to do the run.

My next run is short and I will do sprints after so I think it will go better.

Half Marathon Training Week 2

Week 2 Day 1-Tuesday
On Tuesday I did a 12 minute fit test. You run 12 minutes as fast as you can. I ran 1.24 miles in 12 minutes. According to this 12 minute run calculator I scored a 38 which is an average rating. That sounds about right. I am an average runner. And I am fine with that.  The point of this test was for my app to see if it needed to tweak my training schedule. It is also good to mix things up and run fast from time to time.

Week 2 Day 2-Thursday
Thursday was a 1.6 mile 'easy run', meaning I should run at a slow pace. I ran it is 20 minutes averaging 12:23 min/mile.  It was a good run. I could have run longer. Maybe next time I have a short run planned and feel like I can run longer I will.

Week 2 Day 3-Saturday
Saturdays are my long run days. This run was supposed to be 5.3 miles. I was camping with my family at a nature preserve and planned to run along one of the trails. We went on a family hike on Friday and I used up a lot of my phone battery using Endomondo to track our hike.

On Saturday morning I woke up after a hard nights sleep but excited to run. My phone only had like 30% battery left. I just hoped that it would last through the run. We were given a map of the trails but I looked at it completely wrong and ended up running completely different trails than I first thought.

It was a beautiful morning with beautiful views. The trails were narrow. There was a mixture of wooded areas and open fields.  The bugs weren't out yet and the sun was hidden behind the clouds. It was perfect running weather. I saw several rabbits on my run. They were so cute!

I love running on trails. Running on trails is so fun. Every stretch of the trail is different. I ran around some rocky areas which was a nice challenge. There were small hills to conquer which was a nice change from the flat surface I usually run.

There was really bad cell phone reception where I was so I couldn't get Pandora to work. At first I was bugged that I wouldn't be able to listen to music. But it was actually nice to be out in nature and not have any music in my head.

My phone died when I had .6 miles left to go. I know for sure that I ran 5 miles but I don't know if I ran the last .3 mile. It is more likely that I ran .1 mile more. Even if I didn't make the whole 5.3 it was a great run.

I wasted up some of my battery to get these pics on my run.

Half Marathon Training Week 1 Day 3

Today my training schedule said I would run a "long and easy 5.3 mile run". Long it was, easy it wasn't. The schedule meant easy pace wise, not easy terrain or weather, etc. It wasn't the easiest run. I started out too late in the morning. The sun was out and happily beating down on me when I headed out. I chose to leave the neighborhood and run along a not-so-busy road. There was a lot of loose gravel I had to watch out for. There were SCORPIONS. Yes, scorpions. And other manner of bugs (I need to remind myself this is Texas!).

I didn't think it would be too hot this morning, but the humidity really weighs you down. It felt hotter than it is. So the start to my run wasn't ideal, I will need to wake up earlier on Saturdays to get started on my long runs before the sun beams down on me.

I learned recently that you should go a minute slower than your ideal race pace during most of your long runs. My anticipated half marathon pace is 11:22 min/mile. So during these long runs my Endomondo app has me running an average 12;52 min/mile. With the hot sun shining in my face it was hard to be patient and run slower but when I got half way and turned away from the sun I was glad that I still had a lot of energy and wasn't labored in my run.

We live sort of out in the country, at least it feels like it. The views during my run were beautiful. There was the wide blue sky above me and beautiful fields around me. I got back into the neighborhood at the beginning of mile 5. When I only had .3 miles left I saw a stray dog where I was headed and had to change my route, but overall it was good.

It's easy to psych yourself out when running, to focus on what you can't do well.  I tried to stay positive on this run even with the sun shining in my eyes. I thought of uplifting quotes and about my goals. The only time I walked was when I was drinking water, which I drank about 16 ounces during this run. It was a good run and I feel like I can run more! Looking forward to the next long run.

Keep Going One Step At a Time

I know I said I was back and then I didn't post for a while. My family has been hit with some tough stuff in the last year. I admire people who just persevere through the tough stuff. Part of me wants to be more like that, the "get it done" attitude, do what needs to be done even if you don't feel up to it attitude. Another part of me wants to wallow in my sorrow and escape into the world of Netflix. It is a daily struggle with those two different sides of myself, and it's sad to say but most of the time my lazy emotional self wins.

This has been a good week for me. The kids have been really good. I have actually gotten dressed and made the bed and done things that make me feel happy and energetic. I just need to feel motivated to prep my healthy food rather than just go for whats readily available. And I need to get over this sugar addiction! But it is so hard! I am craving sugar all the time. If you know how I can get over it please help!

Have I mentioned that I am an emotional eater? Well I am. And even though I did well with my two week clean eating challenge I haven't quite been able to get into healthy eating habits. There have been a lot of emotional things going on in my life, and my old habits of eating when I am emotional have not escaped me yet.  I really want to be healthy, but I am lacking that motivation... I need to find my inspiration.

I have been exercising regularly and getting into a good running schedule.  I run 3 times a week. Since I have been running so regularly I decided to go premium on my Endomondo app to reap all of its benefits. I am really happy with the app. With premium I can make a training plan for myself based on my current level of fitness. I decided to sign up for a half marathon and make a half marathon training plan with the app.

With 15 weeks to train for this half marathon I feel really confident that I will be ready for it. A friend reminded me the other day that I said I didn't want to run another half marathon. And that was true at the time. I took a year and a half break from running, or really any exercise. I had my baby and now I am ready to get fit again and take care of my body. Out of all the exercises I have tried, I enjoy running most. So that is what I am going to do. Run.

On the days I don't run I want to cross train and I am thinking I want to do weight lifting exercises. I have always wanted to tone my arms but never did. I am looking for good arm workouts so if you know of any I am open to anything!

I am on Week 1 of my half marathon training. On Tuesday I ran 3.7 miles at a minute slower than my goal half marathon pace (that is what my training plan told me to do). On Thursday I ran 1.6 miles. Tomorrow will be a long run.  I am looking forward to the long run especially since I only ran 1.6 miles yesterday. Hopefully this crazy Texas weather will calm down and I won't be running in the rain.

I plan on regularly posting about my training, how it is going and how I feel about the runs, what I am eating while training, etc. I make no promises. Three kids (and Netflix) keeps me really busy these days lol. But I will try,

Kate

Two Week Clean Eating Meal Plan, Week Two

It was a busy first week for me and I haven't had time to update you on how my meals went or to make a plan for this week. I pretty much stuck to the plan, maybe switching the days of some of the meals and I didn't end up making the cauliflower crust pizza. I made homemade whole wheat pizza dough instead. And I didn't try the lentil tacos. I want to, I am just scared because I don't remember ever liking lentils.

I did go off track at the end of the week a little, eating chocolate to satisfy my pms cravings. But other than that I am feeling good and have more energy and my body feels better in general.

Anyway, here is the meal plan for this week, a few days late.


Monday

Breakfast: eggs, tea

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner: Brown rice veggie stir fry with eggs

Tuesday

Breakfast: banana oatmeal pancakes, tea

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner: taco salad

Dessert: Raw Chocolate Pudding With Cashew Cream

Wednesday

Breakfast: juice, oatmeal

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner: tilapia, rice, veggies

Thursday

Breakfast: smoothie, tea

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner: Lentil Tacos with Homemade Taco Seasoning

Friday

Breakfast: juice, omelet

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner: veggie lovers homemade pizza

Saturday

Breakfast: Kale Egg Bake

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner:  zucchini spaghetti with homemade tomato basil sauce

Sunday

Breakfast: waffles, fruit, tea

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner: veggie curry with brown rice

If I don't end up with leftovers I will eat a salad (lots of greens, tomatoes, cukes) with an egg and homemade vinegarette

Healthy Snacks

Veggies with hummus

Apples and natural peanut butter

Almonds and apples

Hard boiled eggs

Greek yogurt with berries

Banana and nut butter

Nuts and raisins

cottage cheese with fruit

celery and peanut butter

roasted chickpeas

Veggies and clean ranch dressing

Dates and nut butter

Smoothies

Popcorn (not in the microwavable bags with all that added butter)

Carrots and Avocado dip

Grapes

Pineapple Spears

Edamame

Sweet Potato fries

Two Week Clean Eating Meal Plan, Week One

Thanks to the help of friends and the internet, I have come up with week 1 of my two week clean eating meal plan that my whole family can follow. I have family friendly dinners (and budget friendly) and yummy natural snacks.  I even added a couple of desserts. Feel free to join in on this two week cleanse!

Monday

Breakfast: lemon/ginger tea, oatmeal with almonds

Lunch: salad with poached egg

Dinner: Brown rice veggie stir fry with eggs

Tuesday

Breakfast: lemon/ginger tea, Veggie Omelet

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner: Baked potato bar

Dessert: Raw Chocolate Pudding With Cashew Cream

Wednesday

Breakfast: lemon/ginger tea, Breakfast Smoothie

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner: Lentil Tacos with Homemade Taco Seasoning

Thursday

Breakfast: Lemon/ginger tea, Baked Egg in Avocado

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner: Zuchinni Spaghetti with homemade tomato basil sauce

Friday

Breakfast: Lemon/ginger tea, eggs

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner: Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Saturday

Breakfast: Kale Egg Bake

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner:  Oven baked chicken fajitas

Sunday

Breakfast: lemon/ginger tea, oatmeal

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner: Slow Cooker Shrimp Jambalaya

If I don't end up with leftovers I will eat a salad (lots of greens, tomatoes, cukes) with an egg and homemade vinegarette

And I plan on only drinking tea and water, I know I am not drinking enough.

Healthy Snacks

Veggies with hummus

Apples and natural peanut butter

Almonds and apples

Hard boiled eggs

Greek yogurt with berries

Banana and nut butter

Nuts and raisins

cottage cheese with fruit

celery and peanut butter

roasted chickpeas

Veggies and clean ranch dressing

Dates and nut butter

Smoothies

Popcorn (not in the microwavable bags with all that added butter)

Carrots and Avocado dip

Grapes

Pineapple Spears

Edamame

Sweet Potato fries

-Kate

It's Time to Start Anew

It's time to start this again. I have been meaning to start up the blog again since I January when I started working out on a regular basis, but for one reason or another I haven't. I have gone to write a post a dozen times and haven't been able to find the words that I really want to say.

I had my baby 9 months ago and since then experienced a lot of things that kept me from getting back on the health track that I want to be on. Now I am ready and hope to post regularly about my workouts and what I am eating.

Lately I have been eating horribly. You guys, I think I am addicted to sugar. I am formulating an eating plan to detox myself from sugar and processed foods and hope to get myself eating healthy again

I have heard a lot of hub bub about this whole30 challenge but haven't educated myself on it enough to start it yet. Basically it is going 30 days without eating dairy, grains, or sugar. You eat only veggies and fruits and lean proteins and natural fats. At the end of the 30 days you slowly integrate grains and dairy, one at a time every few days, and decided what works with your body and what doesn't. And you introduce sugars very rarely. It sounds great. I have had some stomach issues in the last two months and this challenge might really help me figure out what foods don't agree with me, but I am just not ready to take that on yet.

What I am planning on doing is going on a "clean eating" two week detox. This means I will not eat any processed foods. I will eat brown rice and whole wheat and veggies and fruits and lean meats and use natural sugars (maple syrup, honey, agave) and natural fats (olive oil, nuts, avocados).  I have been looking around Pinterest for meal ideas. When I have my two weeks prepared I will post it.

My goal with health and nutrition isn't to lose a certain amount of weight. It is to get fit and toned and to feel good in my own body.  No matter how much Mr. Darcy told Bridget Jones that he loved her wobbly bits, she still had some insecurity about them. And I my friends have a lot of insecurity about my wobbly bits from my third pregnancy. I guess my final goal is to get rid of my baby pooch.. I would love to be flat there!

I have really been motivated by the physical activeness of a lot of my family and friends.  When you are depressed or grieving it can be hard to get out of your little funk. My funk has been to watch lots of shows and get nothing done all day and stay in my jammies. But seeing my family and friends reach their health goals has helped lift the fog a bit.

Lately I have been running again. Well, off and on running because I have also been sick a lot lately.  But I have enjoyed the running I have been able to do. I think out of all the types of workouts I have done through the years running is my favorite. My sister in law convinced me to run a half marathon and I have to tell you, I am not ready. But I will run it the best I can and think of it more as a practice than an actual race. Then after I run this half I am going to look for another one and actually train for it.

I think what is going to help me achieve my fitness and health goals is to plan. If I don't have a plan in place I won't get out of my bed when the alarm goes off. I need to plan my meals and workouts ahead of time.  The other thing that I think will really help me is going to bed early!! I have been going to bed so late! And I love my sleep, so when the alarm goes off I snooze it and snooze it until I have slept as long as I need to.  If I just go to sleep at a good hour than I will sleep enough and feel good when the alarm goes off. Does anyone else have this same problem?

I really want to get into a good daily routine: wake up, workout, get dressed.  On days that I take the time to get dressed and do my hair I feel better about myself. It really makes a difference.

I will post week one of my two week meal plan. I am always up for suggestions if anyone has any!

I will also be posting more regularly, but I can't guarantee how often. I want to keep track of how I am doing and posting on this blogs keeps me accountable. I need to be accountable or I will slip back into my little fog.

-Kate