"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:

Goodbye June, Hello July!

Hi everyone! Currently blogging from Cape Cod and its raining :( the weather hasn't been too great, but hopefully it will get better. I am on vacation until Friday woo!

But anyways, let's talk about June real quick...

The only goal I accomplished was my 10 mile run on June 5th! That was exciting and I was pretty proud...I must say. But for the rest of my goals for the month...not looking too good.

I ended up getting hurt the second to last week and was pretty much immobile in the running department for 2 weeks. But I did run 3.2 miles yesterday without much difficulty so I think I'm back to half marathon training.  YAY

So here is a look at my July Goals:
1. Run more...it's necessary. No real mileage goal just more than last month which was basically nothing...
2. Eat better. Just better. More veggies/fruits! Less processed carbs
3. Drink more water and less coffee (tempted to try giving up coffee for the month..)

So there are the goals for the month...even though they look like every month I have blogged about so far. Before I know it, it will be October aka half marathon month!!

May Recap and June Goals

Hi everyone!

I cannot believe that May went by so fast! I started off the month with finals and now I'm ending it with a new job and projects for my internship.

Let talk training...
So I officially ran 1 mile more than April (hey it's a start right?) so that is pretty cool. Rounding out the total to 63 miles this month!

Looking back at my May Goals: 

1. Keep with my running! (Try to do 3-4 miles at least 2x a week with a long run on Saturday/Sunday)

    Ultimate goal: Run 10 miles by 5/31! -Kept up with the normal runs, but unfortunately did not hit 10 miles yet 

2. Lift more, have specific lifting days with minimal cardio -CHECK!

3. Clean eating, but no obsessing/calorie counting. 6 servings of fruits/veggies a day+good clean protein 

    +lots of froyo! Fairly accurate! Many treats this month, but trying better next month for sure

4. Read more! School is over on May 9th, so working/interning/reading/running all summer! -still working on my first book, but it is so good! 

Now on to June Goals

1. A 10 Miler is still on my mind! Working hard to accomplish it! Run more miles than May! (70 miles=goal)

2. Keep eating fruits/veggies! It is finally Peach season people :)

3. DRINK MORE WATER-3 bottles a day minimum! 

4. READ READ READ

So these goals seem pretty similar to May, but hey, I think they are pretty good!

What are your goals?

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 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.