Thursday, June 16, 2011

Daily eats

Food, food, food...love it! I changed my eating habits after the birth of my second daughter and really believe that with running and cleaner eating, I was able to shed the baby weight much more quickly than the first time around. Or maybe I was able to lose weight faster because I had 2 kids to chase around, instead of 1. Most days, I will prepare oatmeal (OIAJ, OOIAJ, or hot off the stove), greek yogurt (Chobani) with granola (homemade or Bear Naked), 1 egg with bagel thin, for breakfast. Breakfast will keep me full until lunchtime which is usually around 11 AM or 11:30 AM for me. I have to eat when I can because the girls would rather me play with them or hold them instead of eat. Lunch sometimes consists of last night's leftovers or a salad with chopped ham, boiled egg, cukes, tomatoes, and a few drops of salad dressing. About 2-3 hours later, it's snack time for me and my 2 year old. She will have hummus, while I may have an apple with almond butter (homemade or pre-bought), cheese with olives (if I want something savory), crackers, a few pieces of dark chocolate, or a SODA! Dinner always includes a protein, two veggies and a carb. Last night, I made hamburgers and creamed spinach. Delish! And before bed, I may have a piece of banana bread with peanut butter. I seem to eat quite often throughout the day. Although I like to travel, I get anxious because I don't drink as much water or have as many healthy eats to choose from.

Monday, June 13, 2011

In a Slump

For the past several weeks, I've been in a slump. Maybe I hit a runner's "plateau"? I'm not quite sure what happened, but between April and May, my mileage went from 15 miles to about 8 miles per week. You know that I've been waking up at 4:30 AM most weekdays to work out before my husband gets up for work at 6 AM. That's the best time, I thought, to get a workout in so that I wouldn't interrupt playtime, snuggle time, etc. with the girls. I began getting bored by running. By this time, I was comfortably running up to 10 miles on my long run days (Saturdays) and 6 miles two other days of the week. I also squeezed in interval runs. AND not because I was training for a race either! So, last week, I talked to my husband about changing my workout times so that I'm not waking up so early and trying new workouts. Perhaps ease back on the running?! I purchased the Jillian Michaels' "No More Trouble Zones" DVD and 2, 5 lb dumbbells. Adding in strength training has been really fun. I now run 3 days a week with a 3 or 4-miler and a long run of about 6 miles. I maaaaaay slip in a fourth run when I can. ;) I'm liking my new workout routine and should probably consider changing it up every 3 months just so I don't burn out. Shockingly though, I've lost all of my baby weight. I don't understand it because I wasn't working out consistently for 2 months. GAH! I'll take it though. Just need to tighten up and tone up. :) Have you ever been in a fitness slump? If so, how did you wake yourself out of it?

Friday, March 18, 2011

Better Than Nothing

Ok, so it's been a month since I posted something. Bleh and shame on me. I just can't seem to find time to blog amongst my so many other responsibilities! Blogging, although a new interest of mine, has fallen to the bottom of my list of priorities. I am hoping that can change if I just include it into my daily routine. Wishful thinking?! I will stop whining now. So, last Saturday, I ran my first race, a 10K, since giving birth to Chunkin who is now 4 months old. I actually ran faster in that race than on the treadmill. What's the deal?! My finish time was 1:05:12.80 @ 10:31 pace. Go me! (I'm pumping my arms in the air.) When I was running on the treadmill, I would average about an 11 or 11:30 minute pace. I'm now convinced that I run slower on the treadmill than on the street. Since I restarted running in January of this year, I've done all of my running on the treadmill so that I can stay close to the girls in case my husband can't entertain or soothe them. This 10K was my first run on the pavement. I was definitely sore after the run. My runs have been light this week. Monday: 3.1 miles; Tuesday: Slim in 6 DVD; Wednesday: Rest Day; Thursday: 3.44 miles (had to stop this run because the sod man came); and Friday: 4.1 miles. I was hoping to get an 8-miler in tomorrow, but the husband plans to till the backyard from 6:30 AM to 1 PM so that we can prepare for sod to be plotted next week. Then, we have a birthday party to go too. We shall see. With 2 little ones, I have learned that I need to be flexible with my running days and length of miles I put in. Better than nothing, right?! What's your running schedule like? I usually run at 5 AM on MWF and Saturday.


P.S. I have a follower: Hi beccarig! BTW, I was already following your blog. :)

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Let's Get it Started in Heeya

Ok. I've been wanting to start a blog about ME for awhile now. I was introduced to blogging back in 2007 as a work assignment with a few coworkers. When the assignment ended, so did my blog. My interest in blogging surfaced again earlier this year, after the birth of my second daughter, whom I shall call Chunkin. (And yes, she is a chunky lil gal...much bigger at 3 months old than her older, petite sister Peanut.) I started running in 2009 after a friend encouraged me to train for a 5K. I absolutely loved running. It was something I could do and do well. I am not fast and haven't won any races, but running has given me so much confidence. I tried running a few times when I was in college, but the heavy panting and side stitches had me quit quick. This time, I was not going to quit. I was determined to learn how to run. I went on to run several 5Ks, a 10K and a half-marathon in one year until I had to stop running, via doctor's orders, when I became pregnant with Chunkin early last year. I'm now 3 months post-partum and my doc has given me the green light to resume running. Undoubtedly, I was anxious to resume running because I didn't know how my body would react. That is, would I pop a stitch and have to stop running forever? How slow did I get after not running for nearly a year? So, I turned to the Web and read as much as I could about how to ease back into running. I actually sent a question to the Happy Runner and asked for her advice on easing back. Such a great help! I run now about 3-4 times a week. My longest run is 6 miles. I've even mixed in a little interval training to keep things interesting. I've discovered a whole new world in blogdom, and I'm really enjoying reading about other mothers trying to balance running and taking care of their families, or powerful women kicking butt with their runs. I love it!