Week 3 babbbeee

Hi!

Another week down, can't believe I have less than 2 weeks left of my Junior year! This semester has been stressful so I'm ready for the summer.

So this week I didn't run as much as week 2, but still had some solid workouts:

Sunday: rest day after my long run

Monday: 3 miles of HIIT on the treadmill+abs/arms

Tuesday: 2 miles on the treadmill/2 miles on the bike +lift

Wednesday: rest, group presentation day! (so fun)

Thursday: 3 miles of HIIT+legs and abs

Friday: rest

Saturday: 7.26 miles outside through Carlisle  :)

total: 15 miles (running)


Going to Life Alive later yay!


Have a great weekend/week everyone! 

Runnin' and week 2 recapin'

This was a emotional week and the only thing I could think of doing was running. Almost everyday. I couldn't fathom doing any other type of cardio. So this week was run heavy (even though most were short and broken up) #RunForBoston

Sunday: Ran a mile to the gym. The foot still hurt a bit so I didn't do as much

Monday: 2 miles on the indoor track

Tuesday: 2 miles on the treadmill, one on the indoor track

Wednesday: 2.7 miles to Big Y, rest, and another mile home

Thursday: 1 mile to the gym, 2.62 on the treadmill with some walking

Friday: Rest [Group Meetings all day woo]

Saturday: 5 miles turned into 6 when I got lost at Amherst College.

Total: 18 miles

Here is a really attractive picture of me before my run today:

(notice the biggie poster)

Hope everyone has a great weekend! 

My Love for the Running Community

Yesterday was intense, heavy, and hard on the mind. I was on the elliptical at the gym when it started flashing on ESPN: "Bombing at the Boston Marathon" and my heart shattered. This really has given me time to think and this tragedy has been the only thing consuming my thoughts for the past 24 hours. The running community has become a part of me ever since I started interning with EnergyBits and I felt personally attacked when this happened.

So let's all take a minute to step back, take some deep breaths and reflect on yesterday's events. Dedicate a run this week to the victims and for the thousands of runners who did not get to finish. I know I am and every run will be in their honor for now on. The love and support from the running community is amazing and I hope to meet many of them someday.

source: EnergyBits 

source: EnergyBits

Week 2 on repeat and a TJ's Find

Hey!

So this week was supposed to be week 2 of my half marathon training, but it was a bust. I only got in one 4 mile run on Monday before I started hurting, therefore, I will be repeating week 2 next week. My foot is still hurting a bit today, so I'm hoping to start running again on it tomorrow (even if just a mile) to build up to my long run of 5 miles next Saturday!

Anyways, Holly and I just came back from arguably my favorite place Trader Joe's (and whole foods of course)! Besides buying so many things making our basket about 50lbs and having a delicious sample of butternut squash risotto, we found the most amazing food/dip....

TRADER JOE'S REDUCED GUILT GUACAMOLE! 
It is made with Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, and only 30 calories for 2tbsps. Just dunked some scoops chips into a little while ago and it was a struggle for us to stop eating it. Also pictured below is horseradish hummus which is by far the best tasting hummus I have ever had (also sold at Trader Joe's).

P.S. I have to live somewhere within at least 15 miles of a Trader Joe's/Whole Foods when I am older. No other supermarkets even come close to the quality and food choice of these two.

Feet and Food

Let's talk about feet.

So I had been experiencing some foot pain in my arch over the past few days. I usually wouldn't think anything of it but the pain was in the exact area where I had a stress fracture 5 years ago (track problems). Anyways, so today I got an X-RAY and it was clear...which is good news, but I'm not allowed to run until I experience no pain.

So now I'm in an awkward place. I want to run and continue to train, but I know that it will just make the problem worse. The doctor also told me to use the stationary bike while I heal. I hate the bike wah :(

So this 12 week plan has turned into a 13 week plan-or a however long I need plan. 

big mouth bites=pain

Now to be completely irrelevant to what I was just talking about...Nutrition and Exercise!

When I first started exercising, I thought okay great I just burned x amount of calories so now I can have burgers, fries, cake, pizza, etc YAY, but then I was actually gaining weight, not getting any healthier, and justifying my unhealthy eating with a half an hour of cardio. Not a good plan.


So then I got smart. Cut the meat, limited the dairy, and now trying to eat less processed gluten (but pizza, beer, baked goods are sometimes too hard to resist) and eat an unlimited amount of vegetables and fruit.
Better nutrition=better overall health!

• no more medications! 
• clear skin
• increased energy 
• rare stomach aches
• regularity
• better workouts/endurance 

Not saying that I don't eat horrible from time to time, but overall my eating habits have done a 165 (not quite a full 180) than before and I don't think I would be able to train as hard without changing my diet.

Some of my favs:

kale, banana, apple, energybits 

crispy tofu, chickpeas, sauteed veggies

veggies with buffalo tempeh

oats, banana, chunky pb, and walnuts

First Week Recap

Hey everyone,

I just finished my first week of training yesterday! Woo!

Since I started the program mid week, Monday ended up being a sprint workout and Tuesday was more of a track distance workout, but still completed something. My long run yesterday was nice, but I am a little nervous increasing to 5 miles this weekend.

So anyways here are my planned workouts for this week:

Sunday: rest day-group projects are fun!!!

Monday: 3 miles on the treadmill-going to try to make each mile faster than the first w/ abs

Tuesday: Cross train of some sorts: maybe elliptical if one is open? w/ lift

Wednesday: Another 3 miles w/ lift and abs

Thursday: Track workout (or may become a rest day if I have a meeting after class)

Friday: rest (or Thursday's workout)

Saturday: 5 mile long run! (ah, hopefully outside!)

Also, going to try an prepare food for the week today since I have some time later so I'm not eating cookies for dinner like last week...

Also pt. 2 (the return of the Also) Theresa and I are looking into a half marathon at Disney next winter! You run through Epcot and Magic Kingdom...sounds bad!!

So have a great week everyone!

It's Friday, It's Sunny and I'm not running..?

Is spring finally here?

Basing it off of the forecast for the next week, I think it is safe to say YES. 

source

Well besides Saturday..but anyways..today is Friday, arguably the best day of the week since it is finally the weekend! It is such a beautiful day, therefore, I should be running, right?

Rest Days are necessary!

I've ran the past 4 days, (total of about 9 miles) and my body is craving this down time. Rest is important and just because you take a few days off, does not mean that your progress will be lost. I often feel better after a few days of rest and have better workouts because of them. I used to be crazy (legit a crazy person and would be mad if I couldn't workout) and guess what I hurt myself. Running with a knee brace is next to impossible (at least to me) and wrapping my ankle every morning just was not a fun experience. Since I began taking rest days 2-3x a week, I haven't hurt myself (knock on wood)

So today I will be enjoying my day off with a Starbucks coffee, movies, an intern conference call, and overall a good day. And it's Friday at UMASS so a fun night as well.

 Hoping to get in my 4 mile long run scheduled for tomorrow, but I might push it to Sunday instead, not too sure yet.

So everyone have a great weekend and enjoy the sun! Get outside and walk your dog/cat/lizard/insert pet here...they really want you too...or maybe just mine does.

First Day Training and My Secret Weapon

So it has been one whole day since I started training. I ran 3 miles today on the treadmill and it wasn't too bad since I'm used to running that amount normally.

Anyways, I need to discuss/share my secret weapon when it comes to running.

It's algae. Specifically ENERGYBits. I have been interning for this company since November, and ever since I started using the product, my overall running and fitness has improved. Now what is it and why am I eating algae you might ask? Let me allow ENERGYBits explain:

"Want more energy, more mental vitality, or a healthy high protein snack you can grab on the go? How about a quick way to boost your athletic performance, supercharge your run or crank up your endurance while working or working out? If so, ENERGYbits® are for you. Made from 100% organically grown spirulina algae and loaded with 40 nutrients, ENERGYbits® algae tabs have the highest concentration of protein in the world (64%) all for just one calorie per tab. Endorsed by the United Nations as the most nutritious food on earth, spirulina algae has been a favorite of Olympic gold medalists for decades and is a super food in every sense of the word, delivering instant and enduring energy to your brain and body".

As you can see not only is it amazing for my fitness goals it is also super healthy and a great vegetarian/vegan protein source. And I've even gotten my dad hooked on the product who constantly nags me for more..

How to take Energybits..
I take about 30 tabs (I swallow them with water, but you can chew them) right before a workout and experience increased energy, no muscle fatigue, and no stomach distress! I have a sensitive stomach, so workouts have been cut short because of it, but since I started eating algae they have gone away during runs.

So I'm happy to be training with my ENERGYBits over these 12 weeks! 

I took them before the FeasterFive in November and had a PR of 42:36 on the five mile run. Note: I had to borrow a pie for the picture because I stepped in dog poop right when I crossed the finish line and couldn't find the pie table.














*disclaimer: I am an intern at ENERGYBits, but was not asked to make this post about the product. This is real-life genuine personal testimony of my use of the product for the past four months.

The First Post Anxiety

Hey everyone,

So Theresa has been inspiring that she is training for a half marathon, spending  time on the treadmill watching hours of history channel so I think it's time for me to do something challenging as well! She sent me her training program, which can be found here, and I'm ready to give it a go! 

My relationship with running....

So in high school I was on the track team. I don't even like to say that I "ran" per-say because I was mostly a manager/injured (term used lightly) and avoided workouts at all costs. I hated it to say the least, but continued to do it until senior year. So fast forward to about a year ago...I started running at the gym on the treadmill. Usually just 2 minutes here or there with long walks in between, but that is where it all started. After this summer though, I was running steady 5ks each week mainly on the treadmill and decided that I really do like to run. I ran my first 5k in November that turned into an 8k because of my failure to read signs and was hooked ever since then. 

So now it's time for a challenge. I think this half-marathon is attainable, but will take dedication and time. Runs will probably be indoor for a while until it gets warmer, but I think I can do it. 

And that is where this blog fits in to it all. I'll be using it to keep myself accountable with workouts each week. I'm excited and nervous, but ready for this!