Looking forward

I've been slacking off lately. I know it & can REALLY feel it right now.

Last week was body fat measurements with my trainer. Up another 0.5% or so. Doesn't sound like much, but it needs to stop going up! So, dialing back in the nutrition is a must. While Whole30 worked for me as a detox/cleansing/starting over, I don't seem to have the motivation to do another W30 right now. That and I don't feel like it's a viable option for a lifetime nutritional plan. So, what to do?

The goal

I decided last night that I'm going to go Paleo for any time that I'm cooking at home and "just" gluten free for whenever I'm away from home. I need the flexibility of that. I'm sure that sometimes "just" gluten free at home will have to do too. But the goal is mostly Paleo & a little gluten free. I've also been slacking a little on the gluten free stuff away from home, which is probably why I feel like crap lately.

As far as workouts, I NEED to start running again. I've been having a rough time getting up early enough to get it done in the mornings before work. After Jon gets home from work isn't happening, so I just need to make myself do it. I also need to get back on my bike. I was doing well & have just kind of slipped off the wagon.

So, today starts a new day & as I go forward, it'll be what it'll be. I'm learning to give myself permission to mess up & move on!

Catching up

Ok, I'm about a week behind in my blogging. Last Friday, I did TR Volunteer again. It was nice to keep the legs moving. On Saturday, we were supposed to run 4 miles. That never happened. Instead, we spent 3 hrs moving things around in the garage. It was a busy 3 hrs. Sorting through things, donation pile, trash pile, all that good stuff.

This week, I've done my weight lifting twice (Mon & Wed). I did TR Whorl on Monday. I was supposed to do it again on Wednesday. I was also supposed to run Tuesday & today. (Though, today's not a total loss yet!) So, what happened? We've been puppy sitting. I have no problems leaving my dog in the kitchen while I do a long workout. Not sure how the other dog would do in his crate while I'm downstairs cranking the workouts out, so I haven't done them. Tired reason, but it's the truth. The runs, we just haven't done. Jon needed to go to work early, blah blah blah.

So, that's where that all stands. I rescheduled the bike rides for next week. Easy enough. Just means riding all 5 days. Yikes!

In other news, we're getting our eating/portion sizes back under control. I've been cooking more (which also means more dishes!) and that's really helping. Jon's also back on the FitBit wagon, so that's helping too. It means he's actively trying to "be good" as well. Yay for healthier living!

Run & Yoga

This morning, we got out of bed even though neither of us really wanted to. We managed to get our 30 minute run/walk in. We're still doing a 1/1 interval. Today's weather was MUCH better than Tuesday's. Didn't feel like we were trying to breathe water.

No Bia, I do not have any beer. Especially at 6:20am!

After the run, I took a hurried shower, went to train a client, then came home & did a Yogamazing podcast: Yoga for Runners. I so needed that. My hips, especially my right one, have been so tight lately. I'm going to try to get in some yoga and/or TriggerPoint on days I run.

In nutrition news... I'm completely off the bandwagon. Here's to slowly climbing back on. Getting the workouts in gear has helped my mentality about the nutrition side a bit. I've been having a rough week though, so that's NOT helping. Baby steps, I guess!

Days 7-9

Slackin off already! Not really actually, just not blogging. I'm changing the "challenge" to myself to be active every day. Not necessarily run at least a mile every day. Why's this? Because well, I'm trying to get my strength on the bike going too. Can't do that if I'm only running.

Day 7: (Monday) TNT weight lifting for 45 minutes or so, 30 minute TrainerRoad Volunteer workout.

Day 8: (Tuesday) 30 min run/walk. 1min intervals. It sucked. Massage later. It rocked.

I think I will, thanks Bia!

Day 9: (Wednesday) TNT weight lifting for 45 minutes or so, 30 minute TrainerRoad Slide workout.

The weekend

Friday - Didn't run; headed to the campground for Saturday's race. Did a good bit of walking.

Saturday - Colonial Beach Sprint Tri. Race report to follow.

Sunday - Rest day. I feel really good for having done a tri yesterday with very minimal training.

Looking forward, I've got to get back on track! We're recommitting ourselves to better food, less snacking, and getting some training done!

I signed Jon & I up for the Maine Lighthouse Ride in September. Can't wait!

Day 3

Didn't run today, but took a couple of extra long walks with my pup. For a total of about 3.6 miles.

Trying to get him used to being in the car. He's just so adorable!

Day 2

A little slower than yesterday, but that's ok. Temps were a little more manageable, I think my body's going to go through some WTF?! moments.

Mile a Day

Week 1 of Whole 30 didn't go as well as I planned. Maybe week 2 (a restart, really) will go better? Guess I should get a meal plan together.

Yummy CSA inspired meal

Today I decided to try to give myself some motivation, since races aren't really motivation enough these days. There are a ton of "challenge" type things floating out there. I chose to try to do a mile run a day. I'm not setting a number of days on it, just do a mile (at least, more if the training plan calls for it) of running a day. It's short enough to not injure myself, long enough that I have to actually get out of the house & do it.

Getting ready to head out for Day 1

And done!

I also finally got my road bike up on the bike trainer. The only reason it takes so long to do it is because I get lazy about switching out the regular tire for the trainer tire. I did that today (and got greasy hands!) and then realized that the magnet on the trainer tire is missing, so I can't connect to TrainerRoad. I went ahead and ordered the replacement today and it should be here Thursday.

"Roadie" on her stand with the 'mill behind her. She needs a name, still.  

Any suggestions on a name for "Roadie"?

Moving Forward

I'm over this cough. No really! I'm pretty much over it! The meds worked, though it was longer than 3-4 days. I'm still coughing a little, but nothing like it was. I'm finally feeling well enough that I got into my group trainer yesterday for a workout! YAY! Nothing like being gone for about a month. Ouch, I hurt today! It's ok. I'll move around a bit today and stretch it all out.

I have a sprint tri coming up, so maybe I can cram a bit of training in? We'll see. I don't really care about the results of this one, just need to do it & cross the finish line. This race season has been such a drag with 2 DNS.

Jon & I are starting another Whole 30 today. We keep putting it off & finally decided that July 1 was a good time to start!

Tues
B - sweet potatoes & chicken sausage (H)/eggs, bacon, fruit (J)
L - CSA stir fry
D - taco salad (no shells/chips)

Wed
B - sweet potatoes & chicken sausage (H)/eggs, bacon, fruit (J)
L - lunch meat wraps with kale salad
D - burgers with coleslaw

Thurs
B - sweet potato, apple, pancetta hash
L - perfect chicken salad with salad
D - ?? need to figure out what's in the CSA this week!

I'll figure out Friday & Saturday based on what's in the CSA basket this week.

Tower of Terror training has to start this week too. Lots going on!

What's Next?

So, I went to the dr today. I love my current general care practitioner. She's younger and a DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine). Basically, DOs are allowed to practice medicine & surgery just like a regular MD. She's also a runner and she would rather treat things as naturally as possible. I'm all about that!

Anyhow... this cough. Oh this cough. It just will not go away. My dr listened to my lungs & told me I'm "not moving air well". Which is not all that surprising considering the fact that I've been at this for almost 4 weeks. So, I'm on an inhaler now & Mucinex DM. Hopefully that helps clear it up pretty quickly. I'm over it for sure!

So, what's next?

Well, my dr told me that I'm allowed to work out. When I mentioned I was supposed to do a 70.3 last weekend, she said "workout, not be crazy." So, I guess that's the gauge.

The next race on my calendar is Colonial Beach Sprint Tri. If this thing clears up relatively quickly, that race shouldn't be a problem at all. The next question would be whether or not I'm going to sign up another tri this season. I'm not 100% sure where I'd put it in my race calendar, especially if I have to travel for it. Honestly, it probably won't happen. Short tri season, I guess. It's been a weird year for me, so I'll just be thankful for what I CAN do and be happy with it.

After CBST, I've got run-only races on the calendar. Guess that means I'd better get to running! First up (for sure) is the Tower of Terror 5k & 10 miler. That'll be a busy day!

I also need to get back "on" with my nutrition. It's been all over the place lately. I think we're going to go back to being mostly Paleo. Just need to get back there. I really need to think of it as fuel for life. That's my struggle these days!

Zooma Half Marathon and Rev3 Williamsburg 70.3 That Weren't Meant to Be

Have you ever had a race that it just wasn't smart to do for whatever reason? I've had a double whammy.

It sucks.

I hate it.

A lot.

We went on vacation in May to Disney. Had a great time... and then I got sick. Nothing huge, a minor cold. I lost my voice. Again, nothing huge. Then I started coughing. Well, it hasn't stopped. For 3 weeks. It's not productive, just annoying.

Zooma Annapolis Half Marathon, May 31
I hoped that I'd be feeling better. I picked up my packet like I was going to race. I even considered downgrading to the 10k instead. I woke up on the 31st and felt horrible. No amount of cough syrup was really helping enough to make me want to be outside and running for up to 3 hrs. So, I stayed in bed. It was the right call, but it blew monkey chunks.

I needed the Fellow Flowers items. It's just too bad I haven't had a chance to wear any of them yet.

Packet. There was also a pair of VERY pink socks in the packet.

Rev3 Williamsburg 70.3, June 15
Again, I hoped I'd be feeling better. In fact, last week I WAS feeling better. Then Thursday, it got bad. Sigh. I emailed to see if there was any way I could possibly defer to next year; knowing the answer was probably going to be no. It was. I went to packet pickup & got everything as if I was going to race, but knew I wasn't going to. In fact, I didn't even bring my stuff to race. The cough was bad in the morning & evening. On Saturday night, J was very concerned about how bad my cough was. Thankfully it calmed down a bit.

T2. Wish I was actually going to be in it the following day!

Love the Rev3 vehicles!

I'm headed to the dr on Thursday to see what's going on with the cough since it's not getting better. Hopefully I can get it figured out before the next race!

Cheer Report - 2014 Boston Marathon

This past weekend was amazing. My brother qualified in Oct 2012 for Boston 2014. The events of Boston 2013 gave him more resolve to not miss 2014. We've been to all but one of my brother's marathons, so there was no way I was missing this race.

Months ago, we booked our hotel & flights. We booked 2 hotels & decided we'd check the race map before deciding which to keep. We ultimately decided on a Courtyard Marriott in Brookline (partially because it was prepaid... oops!). What we didn't realize was that the hotel was on a side street right next to the race course; perfect for spectating! We have family in MA & my wonderful aunt and uncle said they'd come to hang out with my husband and I while waiting for my brother.

We flew up on Saturday mid-morning to Boston. It was a great, uneventful flight. I'd say it was the most "fit" flight I've ever been on. Probably half the plane was going to run the marathon. It was awesome. Once in Boston, we got our bags, headed to the hotel, checked in, dropped everything off, and then headed right back out to the expo.

I love race expos. Especially BIG race expos. Adam got his bib & then came back to get us. We picked up his shirt & then went down into the rest of the expo. I ended up buying a pair of 110% knickers. I can't wait to use them. (I probably should've after today's run, but I didn't have the ice things in the freezer.) Adam bought a few peanut butter GUs. We wandered around a bit more and then headed back to the hotel.

We hit up the "Find Me Gluten Free" app for a recommendation for dinner. We decided on Otto Pizza. It was probably the best gluten free pizza I've had. Yum! We ordered way too much food & took some pizza back to the hotel with us. (We never did eat it... oops!)

Adam & Jon said theirs was like a grown-up Hawaiian pizza (pulled pork & mango)

Gluten Free pizza - pretty much tasted like a loaded baked potato. So good!

Sunday morning (Easter!), we headed to The Paris Creperie Cafe. Oh thank goodness we don't live anywhere near here. We'd probably have breakfast, lunch, and snacks there every day. The Nutella drinks are so good!

YUM!

After breakfast, we headed into Boston & got on the hop on/hop off trolley tour. We got off at a couple of stops to walk around, but mostly just rode around. We had an early dinner at Maggianos (not a local place, but pasta for Adam & GF for me!). Eventually we ended up back at the hotel for an early evening in.

I'm pretty sure we all had a pretty restless night. We were all too excited for Monday. Adam got up around 5:45 & started to get ready. By 6:15am, he was out the door. We didn't stay in bed too much longer. Jon & I went out to check out the race situation before breakfast. We confirmed that we would have to be on the other side of the road in order to get to the T to get to Adam after the race.

We had a quick breakfast & I started texting with my aunt & uncle about when they'd get to us. I was getting so excited to see them. We rarely see each other & it's not always in good situations (family "stuff" and all). They got to us just after 8:30am, which turned out to be perfect. After hanging out for a little bit, we headed down to the race course. Jon & Aunt Kim went to get Starbucks while Tim & I hung out.

Around 9, we started to see the National Guard participants come through. The first guy looked like he was having a great time! The next few, not so much. Then, around 9:30, we saw the men's lead wheelchair come through. What an amazing experience.

After a while, it was the women's lead wheelchair. Such inspirations! Bill Rogers & the race director also came through.

When the lead women came through, Jeptoo looked amazing! She was so focused. We later found out that she was really kicking up the pace. It explains why the 3 ladies behind her looked like they were working hard to keep within striking distance.

Not too much later, the elite men started to come through. We had been keeping up with it online & knew that Meb was in the lead. It was so awesome to watch them. I'm still in awe of how quickly they run, even at mile 23/24 of a marathon.

After the elite women & men, the age groupers started coming in. In full force! I was shocked to see so many people running in the 5-7 minute per mile pace! This is Boston after all. We're so used to the field being spread out at mile 23 and having no problems finding my brother. What a difference! Jon was looking for Adam through the camera lens (hoping to spot him before we did) and was having issues keeping up with the crowds. My aunt saw him before we did, just as he was getting ready to pass us. Adam actually turned around to come give us hugs & say hi. It was so great to see him. He looked strong & we promised we'd see him at athlete village. Jon didn't get any pictures of Adam. (Bad brother-in-law!)

We made our way to the "T" and headed to Boston Common. The 4 of us made it at about the same time as Adam did! Guess public transportation isn't necessarily faster than running (especially if you run a 6:50 mile).

I'm beyond proud of my lil brother. He amazes me every day with his dedication to the sport!

2 of my favorites! My Aunt Kim & little brother, Adam.

Jon, Adam, and Uncle Tim

Me, Adam, and Aunt Kim

Adam looked great for having just run a marathon! We decided to grab lunch at Rock Bottom, where Adam had 2 of the 26.2 Sam Adams along with his lunch. It was hysterical. Run drunk!

After lunch, we headed back to mile 23/24 and the hotel. We couldn't get across the road to get back to the hotel, so we stayed and cheered. This turned out to be a good thing because we were able to see my friends Jill & Tim come by!

Not too much longer & we were able to get across to the hotel. Well, most of us...

The MP asked Tim if we were laughing at him (Tim) for getting caught over on the other side without us. He got stuck on the "wrong side" of the barriers a couple of times during the day, so we were laughing. He pretended to cuff him at one point, which was hysterical.

I'm so thankful for my Aunt Kim & (Uncle) Tim and them being willing to make the trip from their home to Boston to 1) spend the day with Jon & I and 2) see Adam run Boston for his first run. Such an important run in his running career (whether or not he'll tell you that). I'm beyond proud of Adam - still. If he goes back next year, we'll likely go again. I can't imagine not being there!

PS - Not related to my brother, but I love this!  Free Hugs video

TriFrog is a Reality!

FINALLY! I finally got around to getting TriFrog made and I love it. It only took 3.5 yrs to do it.

Molly of www.everydaymojo.net was kind enough to deal work with me on TriFrog to get it just right. She was so sweet & provided me a couple of backgrounds too, so I'll be playing with those in the next few days.

What do you think about the TriFrog design?

Catching Up

Today, I rode my bike (inside unfortunately) for an hour and 15 minutes (Avalance Spire from TrainerRoad!) while watching "Reveal the Path". It's basically about getting out, exploring the world, and taking it all in. I felt like these guys knew my heart. Ultimately, it's what I'd love to do if money, time, etc, were no object.

Yesterday, I realized I'm BEHIND in my cycling training. About 2 weeks behind. Oops! Stupid cold. I've got a long 3 weeks ahead of me to catch up. Because of that same cold, I'm behind on pretty much everything. The swim, the run, my rest week. Ah well, it'll all come together.

After the ride, I took the time to read an awesome blog post from Fellow Flowers. I love everything this company stands for. A flower in your hair (or wherever you want to wear it) connects you with so many supportive women without words being spoken. In a time where we, all too often, tear each other down or are quick to judge, it's great to be supported.

Each color stands for something different. Each with it's own purpose and special meaning to the person who wears it. I could've used "No Excuses" purple yesterday and today. Maybe I'll wear one tomorrow. I may need it to get through the 30 minute run & 2 hr bike ride!

No Excuses!

Since Shamrock

Since returning home (to snow) from Shamrock 8k & half marathon, 70.3 training has started! Oh and, I've managed to come down with a cold. I'm pretty much over the cold at this point (fingers crossed!), but my training took a hit for sure.

This year, I'm going team-less. This also means coach-less. I think it'll be a good experience for me. I've combined the Trainer Road (cycling) half ironman low-volume plan, Swim Workouts for Triathletes (swimming) half ironman plan, and the Jeff Galloway (running) half marathon plan.

There are currently 4 swims, 3 bikes, 3 runs, and I have 2 weight lifting workouts per week. That's 12 workouts in 6 days. Meaning pretty much every day is a 2-a-day. I'll likely be getting rid of at least 1, if not 2, swims per week. It just doesn't seem all that doable to me!

On the nutrition front, we re-started Whole 30... and stopped it. Jon wanted to follow the program after he saw my success with it. Every day, he was telling me "it was my only cheat". He's obviously not ready mentally for Whole 30. So, we're working on making our diet Paleo when home & "treats" when out.

My new motto