Work Dirty: Workout Recap 4/29-5/5

    For some reason April and May seem to be ridiculously busy every year, partly due to the fact that we celebrate 4 birthdays and it's Spring when everyone just wants to spend time together! Not to use that as an excuse for why my amount of exercise this last week is sad, but....

Monday: We ran 5 miles at an 8:20 ish pace. It was really hot this week and I did not like adjusting to the temperature change, but in-spite of that we had a great time!

Tuesday: Our first go at hill repeats. They were fun, but really challenging! We ran up a hill 6 times with a light jog on the way down to cool down between ups. I think we ended up running about 2 miles. 

Wednesday: no running or cross training

Thursday: We had a 6 mile planned, but had a last minute opportunity to go sees The Killers (it was awesome!)

Friday: I really wanted to workout, but having only 3 hours of sleep I was exhausted when I got home. So, I did not workout.

Saturday: An amazing day of rock climbing and then running a fast 3 miles before dinner, averaging an 8:09 pace. 

Total mileage: 10
Total Cross-training: 2 hours of rock climbing 

Last week wasn't ideal, but I'm happy I got in some running! This week my goal is to incorporate more cross training (and mileage!). 

What "Eat Clean" means to me

     I am making more of an effort to talk about real food here, since it is a passion of mine to not only eat as healthy as I can, but to also teach others. About a year and a half ago I watched Food, Inc. and was amazed by what I learned. My husband and I decided to try eating raw food exclusively, but it was so hard to keep up with, was so expensive, and had us going to the grocery store 4 times a week. I don't know about you, but I certainly don't have (or want to spend) that much time going to the grocery store.  Although we only lasted a month eating like this, it was a great learning experience. It got us to start incorporating more veggies into our diet and made me start researching food. 

     Over time, I have learned so much about modern day food, farming, and diet, but I am still constantly learning! Here are some guidelines that I follow when we eat:

• Include vegetables at least 3 times a day
• Eat only organic, grass-fed meats and cheese (we limit dairy to only about one serving a day)
• When eating any bread/grain products choose sprouted varieties.
• Buy organic as much as possible, if not stick to the Clean 15/Dirty Dozen
• Eliminate refined sugar
• Don't buy anything out of a box
• Avoid GMOs at all costs
• Eat all/most meals at home
• Avoid food color in foods
• If buying something packaged, read ingredient labels thoroughly!!

I will be explaining these bullets more in later posts, this is just an overview into how we eat. What are some requirements/guidelines that you follow when you eat?

Run Through Redlands Half-Marathon Recap

 I ran my first half marathon! After months of training, Sunday my husband and I ran our first ever race and decided to make it a half marathon! We ran the Run Through Redlands because it was so close (it's about a 20 minute drive from our apartment). After we signed up for the race in March, I started getting really nervous, especially when I kept hearing people refer to the course as "hilly". Boy was that an understatement! The first 3 miles are even, but then you have about 6 miles of straight up hill. But, the best part is, the rest of the 4.1 miles are all down hill! 

Sunday morning I was a mess of nerves and I was so anxious, but I felt better having someone to run with and my dad even drove over to watch our race. We fueled up with our usual breakfast (egg on English muffin) and a 1/4 cup of oatmeal. When we got there we started sipping water and tried not to get too excited! Before we knew it, we were lining up and getting ready to start!

My husband and I waiting for the race to start!

Honestly, the race felt so short! The uphills were difficult, but I didn't think they were too bad (maybe that nervous energy paid off!). We came in after our goal time, but I think it was because we were so worried about starting out too fast that we overcompensated and ended up starting off too slow. I also walked (only for about 2 minutes tops), which I am bummed about. I should have known since I would cave in during our training runs.... But, I still finished strong at 2 hours and 5 minutes, not too bad for my first race! 

Me crossing the finish line!

Here are a couple things I learned from my first half marathon:

• It is an amazing feeling to be running with so many other people
• I absolutely love spectators cheering me on!
• Unfortunately, if you stop to walk during your training, you will stop during the race (I though differently...)
• Tape (medical tape) the toes that normally get blisters, I didn't have any problems!
• Running a race is addictive!!!

After the race with out finisher medals!

I'm already planning our next training plan to run a sub 1:45 half marathon and looking for our next race! 

Eat Clean on a Budget: Week 2

Sorry I'm a week late, but this last week was crazy and full of all kinds of family things, btu everything is okay now! Anywho, every Saturday, this is what I'm doing first thing in the morning (or Friday night):

Once I have thoroughly looked through the ads, figured out our schedules, and decided what meals we would like, I put our meals on the calendar and make a list.

Produce:                                       Fridge/Freezer:                                     Canned/Dry Goods:

Brussels sprouts                           <o> spelt tortillas                               <o> green tea
garlic (2)                                      <o> sprouted English muffins            <o> salsa
avocados (2)                                <o> plain Greek yogurt                      <o> spaghetti sauce
<o> oranges                                 Atlantic salmon                                   <o> blue tortilla chips
<o> red onions (3 lb. bag)           <o> free-range chicken breasts          raw almonds
<o> green onions                         <o> grass-fed cheese                         <o> coffee
mushrooms                                  <o> grass-fed ground beef                 olive oil spray
<o> romaine hearts                     eggs (from Farmer's Market)              <o> tomato sauce
<o> fuji apples (2 lb bag)
<o> cherry tomatoes
lemons (1 lb bag)
bananas
ginger
<o> mixed greens

Here's what I already had on hand this week: sweet potatoes, quick oats, brown rice pasta, black beans (dry).

After shopping, I took pictures of my goodies just for you :)

Eat Clean: Weekly Menu 3/10-3/15

Here's our weekly menu, what are you eating this week?

Sunday
   Lunch- left-overs from Saturday night (this week was stuffed peppers)
   Dinner- At a friends

Monday
   Lunch- Vegetable spaghetti
   Dinner- Sloppy Lentils with veggies

Tuesday
   Lunch- Left-over lentils on salad
   Dinner- Organic, free-range chicken breast on a salad

Wednesday
   Lunch- CA wrap
   Dinner- Sweet potato black bean burrito

Thursday
   Lunch- Left-over burrito filling over salad
   Dinner- Grass-fed, Organic ground beef jalapeno burger

Friday
   Lunch- CA wrap
   Dinner- Baked Salmon with Veggies

Work Dirty: Runner's Workout

I did this workout earlier this week and made it with running in mind. It's so important to really strengthen your muscles as a runner; it will help your form, make it easier to increase distance and speed, and will give you more muscle definition! This workout focuses mostly on strengthening the core and legs. 



Here's the breakdown:

12 rounds of 10 sec. rest/50 sec. work

Pistol Squat (rt)

Pistol Squat (lft)

Mtn. Climbers

Weighted Squats

Dive Bombers

Leg Lift and Toe Touch

Eat Clean: On a Budget Week 1

Every Friday or Saturday I sit down with my calendar, recipe books, grocery ads, and note pad to make a weekly menu and grocery list. I only shop at Sprouts Farmer's Market, Trader Joes, and our local Farmer's Market. When planning I try to make at least half of our menu vegetarian because we only buy organic chicken and organic grass-fed beef, which can be very pricey.  My budget: $115.00  Anyway, here are the goods:

**Not pictured was the organic, free range eggs, organic kale, wheat pizza crust, ground turkey meat, and organic chicken**