Training Update

Yesterday I was a complete bum after the race. I watched the Olympics, put something together for lunch, watched more of the Olympics, and then napped. At least lunch was delicious though!

Brown rice bread with veganaise and smoked salmon, roasted microwaved carrot fries on the side. I almost died over the smoked salmon. I only ate half of the packet but I was tempted to eat it all. I kept asking myself why I had promised to split it with Ian.

This morning I woke up early to fit a brick workout in. I biked 17.5 miles and then ran 3 in 22:30. My legs usually take off at under a 7:10 min/mile after biking but I really held back today. I wanted to get in a few recovery miles after yesterday’s race. I felt strong on both the bike and the run. This is good news because it will most likely be my last brick of the summer!

Breakfast loosely based off of pbfingers’ Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding. Last night I mixed 1/4 cup chia seeds, 3/4 cup almond milk, 1 T cocoa powder, 1 tsp maple syrup and a handful of blueberries in a nearly empty pistachio butter jar.

This morning I took it out o the fridge, stirred in about 1 T almond milk, 1/3 sliced banana, 1 T roasted & salted pecans, and 1 tsp maple syrup. I also added a little peanut butter on top. I couldn’t resist –> pb + chocolate + banana = amazing!

This was a great alternative to oats in a jar. It was thick and had a nice chew to it. Hopefully the chia seeds will keep me full for a while too!

Anyway, as many of you might have noticed, I took last week off of running. After a summer of hard training I could tell my body needed a little break so I also lessened the intensity of my workouts. My week ended up looking like this:

Monday- Swim 1,650 meters
Tuesday- Cycling class, abs
Wednesday- Swim 3,000 meters, abs
Thursday- Cycling class
Friday- off, abs
Saturday- BTN Big 10k*, abs
Sunday- 17.5 mile bike, 3 mile run, abs

*official time posted at 46:15

I think the break was just what my body needed. I have a triathlon next weekend and then my marathon training kicks off with a 5k the following week. I’m currently feeling rested and anxious to bust out some miles!

Do you take time off before starting a training plan?
What’s your favorite Olympic moment so far? I loved the end of the men’s road race (bike), such smart cycling! I also liked seeing Lochte earn the gold in the 400 IM. Really shows how hard work pays off!

P.S. The blog will be down tomorrow so there will be no post and I won’t be responding to comments. Feel free to e-mail me if anything comes up!

BTN Big10k Recap

This morning was the inaugural BTN Big 10k. Being a Michigan alum and a HUUUGE fan, I signed up almost two months ago and couldn’t wait for his race! While signing for the race early had its perks (Michigan jersey!) I also kind of forgot about it. Race day seemed to creep up on me and I was under prepared this morning. Whoops!

Packet pick-up was held throughout the week at various Fleet Feet locations and I decided to go yesterday at noon. Everything was well-organized and I was in and out in about 3 minute.. well I would have been had I not gotten side tracked and purchased a handheld water bottle and new socks (on the left).

The 10k started at 7:40 but I wanted to make sure to have plenty of time to walk to Soldier Field, use the porta-potties, and check out the race set-up. I woke up bright and early, drank some protein shake, and got Ian up. We were out the door by 6:15.

I ate the granola bar on the walk over and saved the banana for after the race. This is where I made rookie mistake #1. I tried a new bar before a race, around mile 3 this started to haunt me. I also made mistakes #2 (wore a cotton shirt – it was a Michigan one but made me sooo warm on the course) and #3 (wore my new socks- no trouble there, I loved them).

We arrived right around 7 a.m. and the area was already packed. I used the porta-potties twice and we sat under a tree in some shade Before I knew it, the 5k-ers were off and it was time to line up for the 10k.

I am nowhere near 10k race shape (my PR is detailed here: 42:52) so I decided to treat the Big 10k as a training run. My goal was to push myself a little outside my comfort zone but ultimately to enjoy the race. I ended up lining myself up with the 7:30 min/mile pace group.

The race started near Soldier Field and headed south. We ran under the McCormick Center and along the lake shore path. There was a little entertainment, people dressed in football uniforms, stereos playing fight songs but honestly not as much as I thought there would be. There was also a slip ‘n slide at mile 3 but I didn’t see too many runners using it.

I started out with a 7:10 min/mile and felt really good. I thought that I was moving at a pace that I could maintain for 6 miles and I honestly believe I would have had that fruition bar not threatened to come up around mile 3. The course was warm with little shade (this also could have been a factor) but all of a sudden I got suuper nauseous. It was so bad that I could taste it at times (tmi?). I didn’t want to drop out or walk (and most of all I didn’t want to puke) so I slowed my time to a more manageable pace.

The last mile was hell, I had started to burp up the bar and I was pretty confident that I was going to puke. I told myself that I could do anything for 8 minutes and that I just needed to finish. I crossed the line, grabbed two water bottles and a cold towel, and forgot to stop my Garmin. Whoops.

Pretty obvious when I started to feel sick isn’t it?

I think my final time was 46 minutes and change (I’ll update after it’s posted). It’ drastically different from my PR and a little disappointing considering the drop in pace when I felt sick but overall I’m happy. A 7:30 min/mile is a decent training pace for me.

I have a 10k scheduled in November in the midst of marathon training and I’ll get my redemption there 🙂

My nausea didn’t go away when I stopped so I sipped water slowly while Ian and I checked out the finish area.

There was a tailgate area set up with games, food, and beer. All runners were given a free hot dog too.

Before Ian and I left, I made sure to meet up with Elyssa!! It’s always nice to see another blogger and to share some Maize & Blue pride :).

By the time I was home I finally stopped feeling nauseous and started to get hungry. We have a pretty empty kitchen so I whipped up oatmeal using 1/3 cup oatmeal, 1 T chia seeds, 1 cup water, 1/2 banana, and some strawberries.

It did the trick!

Last night
We finally decided to use the giftcard I received for winning the ALS 5k and headed out to Petterino’s for dinner.

I honestly can’t say enough good things about Petterino’s. The food was good, the ambiance was nice, and our server was incredibly nice and helpful. What more can you want?

I started with the Fritzel salad but I asked for a balsamic vinaigrette instead of the bacon and cream dressing and had them bring the deviled egg on the side (given to Ian).

Ian had the iceberg wedge and loved it. It was his first one ever!

For my entrée I ordered the special salmon of the night served with asparagus and no butter sauce.

The coho salmon was super flavorful and I ate every last bite.

Ian ordered the NY Strip Steak that was served with a horse-radish crust and a potato side dish. He loved it!

Petterino’s policy is to give first time diners a chocolate mousse cake on the house but as I can’t eat dairy, out waitress brought out fresh berries with whipped cream on the side for Ian. How thoughtful!

It was the perfect way to end our evening 🙂

The 12 Million Dog March

According to the Animal Cancer Foundation, approximately 12 million cats and dogs are diagnosed with cancer each year. Cancer in pets is similar to the cancers we see in humans, it is a spontaneous disease that often manifests as non-Hodgkins lymphoma, prostate cancer, head and neck carcinoma, mammary carcinoma, melanoma, soft tissue sarcoma, and osteosarcoma (source). The 12 Million Dog March was created by The Ridel & Cody Foundation, Blue Buffalo, and Petco in order to build awareness and support for these diseases in animals.

The march takes place annually in Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Chicago but you can also participate in the virtual march by signing up here online. All proceeds from the program benefit the Ridel & Cody Foundation which provides support, resources, and treatment funding for people whose pets have cancer.

The events include live music and entertainment, dog and family centric games, dog training clinics, arts and crafts, education from veterinarians, as well as the actual march. Plus you get to see all of the pets people bring to the march!

Participating in the march is free (both in person and online) but for every person who registers for the virtual march, Blue Buffalo will donate $1 to the Ridel & Cody Fund. Registering will also sign you up for reminders so you will be one of the first to know the dates of the other marches (say Chicago for example). Pretty cool right?

So think about any pets you or a loved one may have had that has been diagnosed with cancer. My family dog was diagnosed about a year ago and died 6 months after. It was an incredibly heartbreaking and devastating situation. I encourage all of you to look into and sign up for the virtual march. It’s free, takes less than one minute, and as a result Blue Buffalo will donate $1 to a foundation that was established to assist individuals who have pets with cancer.

Thank you and have a wonderful Friday

*I was not contacted by any of the aforementioned foundations or any promoters of the event itself. I found out about The 12 Million Dog March by myself and believe so strongly in its message that I wanted to share it with you.

Midweek Musings

1. The first few days of my staycation were wonderful. I kept thinking that I could get used to having free time, working out whenever I want, watching day time t.v. etc. Yesterday I got bored and started a bake-a-thon. I have two more days + a weekend before work starts, the question is how much more can I bake?

2. Another nut butter bit the dust earlier this week and made the perfect receptacle for overnight oats in a jar.

I only have three nut butters in rotation right now. My tastebuds are unhappy but I’m sure my bank account doesn’t mind.

3. Yesterday I had a swimming PDR –> 3,000 m! I actually really enjoyed it and wanted to swim the extra 200 m to hit about 2 miles but some strange man hopped in my lane and started running along one side doing high knees. This bothered me for a lot of reasons (he could have asked – I would have said yes, he wasn’t switching sides of the lane, & he wasn’t even swimming) and I had to get out of the water before I did something drastic like accidentally kick a lot of water at him.

4. Speaking of working out, my abs are burning from the whittle my middle challenge I talked about yesterday. I was hoping to do day 3 of my 5 this morning but I was too sore. Maybe later?

5. Veggie burger salads have made epic lunches this week. The one below is now different. I topped butter lettuce and raddichio with sweet potato, mushrooms, and a veggie burger. The dressing is a mix of hummus and Bone Suckin’ Sauce. Delicious!

6. My one eye had been bothering me a lot every night when I take out my contacts. I think I must have a small cut on my eye. Either way it’s annoying and I’ve been sleeping with a cold paper towel over my eye at night to soothe the pain. Lucky Ian, his girlfriend is soo attractive. (I have an eye appt today and will ask about it)

7. Last night I made a vegetarian paella. It was really tasty and gave me the opportunity to cook beans from scratch and you know what? It wasn’t nearly as scary as I thought it would be. It just needed a little extra prep work.

I had some paella for dinner with a half-assed massaged kale salad.

I ended up going back for more paella, it was pretty good!

8. I haven’t run since last Sunday and I’m going crazy! I know the break was needed and will be worth it but I’m definitely going a little stir-crazy. I actually spent almost two hours last night working on my Goofy Race and a Half training plan. It’s almost finished and starts the second week in August. I’ll be sure to share more details then.

9. Speaking of running, is anyone else doing the Big 10k this Saturday? Originally I was planning on racing it but now I think I’m going to treat it as a training run and take lots of pictures instead :P. The weather looks awesome too, I can’t wait!

10. A month ago, Ian and I bought a Groupon for a cleaning service and they’re coming today. Neither Ian nor myself really enjoy cleaning and we do what we can to “straighten up”, sweep, and vaccum when necessary we don’t really get down and scrub the floors or clean under the fridge like we should. I’m looking forward to having that new apartment feel again.

11. It’s crazy how different cycling classes can be. I’ve been to two this week (same gym) and the one I went to this morning was a lot harder than the one on Tuesday morning. I get that workouts are different but you think they would have a standardized plan of what should be included in each class. Especially at the same gym. The other interesting this is today’s class was much less crowded than Tuesdays. Hmm..

12. I figured that I would get creative with breakfast during my staycation. Well, besides my Tuesday morning pancakes, I’ve been pretty boring and have eaten a lot of overnight oats.

This morning I had a batch with 1/3 cup oats, 1 T chia seeds, few shakes of cinnamon, 1/2 a sliced banana, handful of blueberries, a few blackberries, two sliced strawberries, 1 tsp sunflower seeds, and 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk.

I topped them with homemade granola and a drizzle of maple syrup. Totally hit the spot.

Any ideas on how to keep busy these next two days? Are you running the Big 10k? Which team are you supporting?

WIAW {Staycation}

Hey guys and happy wiaw! I know I’ve taken a few weeks off from these posts but given that I was at home all day yesterday and could take pictures of my eats, I figured it would be a wonderful opportunity for me to join back up.

Once again, thanks to the lovely Jenn for hosting. Enjoy!

{4:45 a.m.} Pre-workout snack

Trader Joe’s Nothing But… Flattened Banana, KIND granola, Valencia pb, and half of the protein shake (blend of rice and pea protein).

After eating, I headed over to the gym to go to a cycling class. I’ve been a member at my gym since April and I have yet to go to a class! Can you believe it? Well, given the temps and the forecasted rain, I figured yesterday would be the perfect opportunity to try one out. I liked it but it wasn’t as hard as I remember. I’m not sure if the class was less difficult or if I’m just used to cycling and need to increase my speed/weight on the wheel.

On my walk home I got soaked in a torrential downpour even though I was using an umbrella, wonderful. I quickly changed and did the abs routine from Oh She Glows Whittle My Middle I. My back has been bothering me lately and I’m wondering if it has to do with a weak core so I’m challenging myself to complete the month of workouts. Wish me luck, I’m horrible about strength workouts!

{7:30 a.m.} Breakfast

I took full advantage of not being in a rush to make strawberry banana buckwheat pancakes. I topped them with more peanut butter and maple syrup. I basically licked my plate clean :P. With breakfast I drank lots of water and some carrot juice when I took my supplements (probiotics, fish oil, red blood cell support).

{12:00 p.m.} Lunch

I had a “quesadilla” made with a brown rice tortilla, hummus, nooch, mushrooms, and dinosaur kale (now at TJ’s!) with turnip “fries”. I topped my ‘dilla with TJ’s spicy pico and had my “fries” with lots of organic ketchup. I love ketchup.

I wanted something sweet after lunch so I had some applesauce mixed with nut butter (try it, it’s awesome!), more granola, and some blueberries. It hit the spot!

I spent my afternoon shopping. I picked up a birthday present and then bought myself some work clothes. I thought that it was going to be a drawn out process but I managed to find a ton of cute but professional looking clothes in one store and finished it all up. I spent more than I wanted but given that I bought multiple outfits it really wasn’t so bad.

{3:45 p.m.} Snack

When I got home from shopping I had the other half of the protein shake while reading Catch-22 and watching the end of the Ellen Show. Does anyone else like to have background noise when they read?

{6:00 p.m.} Dinner

This is obviously not a very pretty dinner but I had quite a few things in the fridge that were on their last legs and needed to be used. I stir-fried baby broccoli, green beans, leftover lentils, and black beans and then added half of an avocado and jalapeno hot sauce. Random or not, this dinner tasted really good!

{7:00 p.m.} Dessert

I like to eat dessert right after dinner and then “close” the kitchen for the night so my sweet treat followed shortly after I finished eating. I had a little more than a serving of Tempt Vanilla Bean with one of my oatmeal raisin cookies. This is the ultimate combo but always leaves me wanting more and last night I satisfied that with a little more Tempt and a piece of dark chocolate ;).

{8:00 p.m.} Snack/ Drink

I ended up sipping on one of these Apple Cider Vinegar drinks while I did some baking. I made Ian these muffins but stuffed half of them with fig butter and the other half with mango butter. We shall see how he likes them, they do smell delicious!

Tuesday night was spent lounging on the couch reading and watching t.v. Waking up before 5 a.m. makes me incredibly lazy in the evening!

What delicious things have you had lately?