"Why are you doing this to me" - Grammy

I guess I never really made a post about who I actually am....well in terms of health and fitness! If I actually knew who I was and where life was going that would be a great day! Anyways here goes.

Lil bit of background:

Flashback to my first day freshman year at UMASS. I was excited, nervous, lost, and confused on how I was actually going to make it through these 4 years especially since I got monumentally lost just trying to go across campus to see Holly and Kerie. Fast forward...winter break. I was sick. Super sick. Not the I have a cold wah poor me sick, the I have a stomach infection and the worst acid reflux of my life sick. This really helped me reevaluate my life. I gained a good amount of weight, stopped paying attention to what I was eating, and worst of all did not exercise at all! AT ALL. 

Now it is spring break and I finally make a decision to change my lifestyle. I start going to the gym regularly. Biking only 20 minutes and incorporating some abs/arm exercises I remembered from high school track. I eat salads and vegetables and limit my processed foods intake and magically lose about 10lbs by May. 

FAASST FORWARD: July 11, 2013.

So here is where my life is at today. I intern with EnergyBits. I enjoy running. I started running last summer, but have really kicked it up a notch (hint this blog) and am planning my first half marathon in the fall. I eat pretty well. Summer is hard. I try to eat as many fruits and veggies possible during the day, but I treat myself everyday. I enjoy coffee, a muffin once a week, frozen yogurt, and occasionally going out to eat. I realized being super strict with myself actually caused more harm than good since it made me OBSESSIVE. 

I think everyone needs some balance in there life. Make healthy choices, exercise, enjoy your foods, and most of all:

Week 5 Recap

Hi I can't believe it has been 5 weeks since I started this blog/running plan! 

So I'm supposed to of hit 8 miles by yesterday, and it still hasn't happened. I get nervous thinking that I can't do it so I haven't yet, but it's coming soon. I realized that I think I'm just going to loosely follow the training plan and not worry about running specific days, but running at least 2-3x a week with a long run as well. Anyways here is how last week broke down:

Sunday: 1 mile to the gym, Treadmill Run/Walk 1 mile , Track workout: 5x320m sprints with a 160m walk in between

Monday: 4 miles outside finally!

Tuesday: 1 mile to the gym, then hard lift 

Wednesday: off (packing fun!)

Thursday: 3 miles HIIT on the treadmill

Friday: 10k (6.2 miles) on the treadmill

Saturday: off (worked 9 hours)

Total: 17.2 miles 

Not too bad for mileage this week. Gotta hit up a longer run though soon! In the meantime have a great week everyone :)

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! 

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.