I'm baaack!

Well hello blog! I know it's been 6 months since I've written anything here; a lot has been going on!

I went back through and read my last blog about how I went vegan. Well 6 months later I'm still vegan (yipee!) and I'm still loving it (woohoo!) and I feel like I've got a lot of my protein concerns covered (yay!).

But, as in normal fashion for me blogging: I have some big news! I've registered and starting training for my first full marathon--the LA Marathon! I'm really excited about this because my father-in-law and I have committed to running it together. He will be sixty six the day we run it--which by the way is March 15, 2015. How freaking cool is that? He is such an inspiration to me--when everything hurts or I feel like I don't want to go out or work out, he's sending me some article or sending me an e-crumb about how he going out for run. So, we are running 26.2 together and I couldn't be happier.


So, I finished up my first week of training. I'm using Runner's World Run Faster program for intermediate runners. My week in review:

Monday: Rest Day. I could really get into that! I didn't do anything except walk the dogs.
Tuesday: 2 Miles Goal Pace, 2 Miles Tempo, 2 Miles Goal Pace. I am training at a 9:30 per mile goal pace, even though that might be faster than what my father-in-law and I run at...so I ran 9:30 for the first two miles, 10:00 for 1/2 a mile, 9:30 for 1/2 a mile, 9:00 for 1/2 a mile and 8:30 for 1/2 a mile, then dropped back to 9:30 for the last two miles. My hubby ran with me and we both felt great after the run!
Wednesday: 3 Miles with 1x400 Sprints at the end. I had to do this on the treadmill as it was too hot outside to run. I ran the 3 miles at a little faster than goal pace and then did the sprints and then stretched. I felt good.
Thursday: (THANKSGIVING) 1 hour run with 4-5 minutes of total uphill time. I live in Redlands, CA. We have a lot of hills, so running 4-5 minutes up hill at a semi-vigorous/vigorous pace was not hard to do!  The hill was good, and I pushed myself but not too hard to tire too fast. I ran past a lot of runners trying to burn some calories before their feasts as well as ran right into the Turkey Trot race--I'm sure some people thought I was cheating when I peeled off the course! The run felt good and the weather was beautiful.
Friday: REST! Although I did some walking around as I went shopping later in the afternoon and played with the dogs.
Saturday: (supposed to run 4 miles). Ran 8 miles so I could do the long run with my husband. We chose a challenging course and it felt great and I feel good today (the day after!)
Sunday (supposed to run 8 miles). Using this as an extra day of rest. But I did walk about 3 miles total and took some opportunity to stretch out my back and legs a bit.
Total Mileage for Week 1: 23 miles. 

I feel good after my first week. The second week is almost an exact replica of week 1 with the exception of the long run...it's increased to 10 miles.

So all in all, I'm doing really good and feel great!

So until next time--

Here is a recipe to share (I just made this tonight and thought it's definitely worth sharing). I got this from This Vegan Girl and it was AWESOME! Don't get turned off by the pureed veggies. It was OUTSTANDING!


Vegan Mac and Cheez
Serves 4

1 Package of Pasta (I use Trader Joe's Brown Rice Penne)
3 small sweet potatoes (diced)
1 handful of baby carrots (diced)
1/2 an onion (diced)
1 cup of cashews (soaked overnight OR if you have a heavy duty food processor or mill blade)
1/4 cup + 1 TBS nutritional yeast
1/2 cup + 2 TBS coconut oil
2/3 cup milk (recipe calls for coconut--I used almond)
Salt, Pepper, Paprika (and sriracha if you like spicy)
Broccoli

Dice sweet potatoes, onion, and carrots and pay fry them in oil of your choice (I used EVOO).
Boil pasta a little more than al dente
Make cashew sauce by milling cashews into powder or blending them after soaking overnight. Add in coconut oil, milk, nutritional yeast, and spices. Blend into a cream. Add in the sauteed veggies and blend all together until creamy. Taste and add seasonings as you like.
Combine with noodles and add broccoli and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
*I have leftovers so I am going to add breadcrumbs to the top of this tomorrow* 

:) maggie

A Run Through Redlands... A Run Through Hills

Sunday, April 27 marked the date of my 5th half marathon. A Run Through Redlands, in my hometown was a great setting for a race. We are able to walk to start line, I know the area (which is beautiful) and I don't have to drive a long way home to shower.

Now, I've ran this race in the 10K distance twice and that distance is tough. The course is fairly hilly. When I decided I was doing the half, I thought "great, I'll just train on the course and all will be well!" HA. ha.


Below is a map of the course elevation. The graph makes me a little annoyed because it definitely doesn't do it justice. This course is NO. JOKE. when it comes to the hills. The course quickly starts the uphill that last what seemed to be like the entire race! Literally the first 7.5 miles are uphill. Then when the graph looks like it starts downhill, it does, but then quickly flattens out and then again you are summoned up another hill. This kept on for the rest of the race. It. Was. Brutal. By mile 11 I had enough of the silly hills. If it weren't for a few women who ran past me encouraging me, I probably would have stopped!

Actually I really enjoyed this race, to be honest. Not only did I get a PR on the hardest course I've ever ran, I ran with some awesome people. Around mile 4, I met up with a man who classified himself as an "older" runner that was using Galloway's run/walk method. He ran for .9 miles and walked .1 miles. He ran the course in 2:02. We talked for roughly 3 miles on and off and he really encouraged me to keep going. Around mile 6 I met up with a girl who was running a similar pace and style I was. She looked exhausted heading up a hill, and I encouraged her; she repaid the favor to me when we hit another hill. This was great because had she not been there, I may have walked. Thanks girl. :) Then the last 4 miles, the entire town of Redlands got into the race. People were everywhere yelling for you to keep going.. "you're almost there", "you look great", "3 more turns". Anyone who has ever ran knows how important this is. Especially for someone like me who doesn't run with music. I rely on these people so thank you! One of the coolest things was that my family was waiting for me towards the finish line. They ran the 10k and 5k so they finished quite a bit earlier and there they were yelling and cheering me on. That was pretty emotional to be honest. Having your husband recognize the hard work you've put in for 12+ weeks coupled with running the hardest race of your life; you're exhausted and don't think you can keep going and then they're there. It's pretty great. Then as I cornered the last turn, I could see the finish line and the timer. The announcer called my name and actually said "Maggie Woodul... cheer her on folks, she just ran 13.1 miles" and the spectators did just that. What an amazing feeling it is. I'm not an elite runner by any means, and I'm not a graceful or majestic runner, but those people took the time out of their day to cheer me on. I finished with a time of 2:09:04. I was aiming for 2:05 but with the course and the hills, I'll take that time ANY DAY. It's still a PR and with all the beauty of the course and the gracious people along the course, 2:09 is a time I'd run any day with a smile on my face.

I used Hal Higdon's Half Marathon Plan for intermediate runners. I followed it basically to a tee. I really think it helped me. I did do yoga 1-2 days a week and spin class 1-2 days a week as well and I felt myself getting stronger in my training runs. I really liked this plan as well. I just added it to my cell phone calendar and it'd remind me what I needed to do that day. Simple.

After the race, I felt amazing! I felt like I could go run 2 days later, which in past half marathons I felt like I had to take an entire week off. So I attribute that to my training.

I can't wait until next year, I'm going to strive to get into 2:05 or faster!

What is your favorite half-marathon and why? What was your hardest race?

I've Gone Vegan...What?!

I need to be better about blogging on a regular basis. Not because I want a million followers, but because it's therapeutic. I never really kept a journal as a child or teenager so this is new to me, but I really enjoy writing and sharing. So even if one person reads this and it helps, inspires, or makes them think, I've accomplished something.

Since I've last blogged a lot has been going on. I read my last blog and it was about the half marathons I wanted to do. I have done all of those minus Mission Inn and am gearing up for my next half on Sunday (Run Through Redlands). I've been working out a ton and have started incorporating cycle and yoga in my routine and have really become a lot stronger and faster. Highly recommend it!

But, as the title suggests, I'm here to talk about a huge change in my life: I've recently (7 weeks ago) gone vegan. I've been vegetarian since my sophomore year in high school (if you're doing the math that's about 12 years) so this was a pretty logical step. One of my friends, Jen, inspired me to try it after she went vegan after being vegetarian for 7+ years. I won't go into the specifics of why I went vegan--I'm not here to preach--but I'm loving it and feel great.

One of my concerns was protein levels and working out. I'm still working through that and anticipate I will for awhile. It hasn't been difficult perse in the way of missing dairy, but it has been difficult when I eat out while I travel--I'm sure I will get used to that.

So, for this blog I thought I'd share a recipe that I tried last night. I got this from Love My Vegan Life blog. She has a lot of really great recipes!

Anyone who knows me knows I love Mexican food. I especially love quesadillas. The yummy melty cheese and grease is just scrumptious! However, when you take the cheese out, you're left with just the dilla which isn't as scrumptious! So, when I found this recipe I was all over it. My non-vegan husband even loved it!

Vegan Quesadilla

Trader Joes Wheat and Corn Tortillas (you'll need two per quesadilla)
Trader Joes Spicy Hummus + cayenne pepper, paprika, and chili powder.
Full Circle Organic Black Beans, drained and rinsed
Tomatoes and Onions (or whatever other veggies you want in there--corn, scallions, cilantro, mushrooms...)
Vegan Butter for the outsides




Butter the outsides of the tortillas.
On the inside of the tortillas spread the hummus (this acts like the cheese and helps keep the veggies in)
Place the buttered side down in the skillet (hummus side up), and add black beans and veggies.
Place the other tortilla on top (hummus side down/buttered side up) and grill like a normal quesadilla.

Disclaimer: mine were very messy!

Manic Monday

I can't believe it's already race season again! What an amazing summer it's been!

This year, I have the goal to run the following half marathons: 

• Mission Inn 11/10/2013
• Snowflake Half Marathon 12/15/2013
• Highland YMCA Half Marathon 1/5/2014
• Run Through Redlands Half Marathon 4/27/2014
• Fontana days Half Marathon 6/7/2014

I've been working on distance each week and increasing my distance but during the week working on speed and cross training. 

--
I have decided that on Mondays, it's really hard for me to get to the gym or go run with my busy office Mondays. So, instead, I have decided to create a challenge I've named "Manic Monday". Every Monday I will do the same workout. 

The workout: 

• 100 Situps
• 100 Pushups
• 100 Squats
• 100 Burpees
• 100 Tuck Jumps

Do these reps as fast as you can with good form and record your time. Do the workout every Monday and try to improve your time. You can do these exercises in any order and you may split the sets up as you wish. 

Monday 9/30 was the first day I did this and it looked like this:
10 pushups, 20 situps, 10 pushups, 10 tuckjumps, 10 burpees, 10 squats. I repeated this sequence until I reached 60 reps of each exercise and then I knocked out the remainder 40 reps of each without jumping from exercise to exercise. 
It took me 29:33. 

I really enjoyed this because I was able to do this in my living room! Who wants to join?! 

Dr. Oz's Detox Day 3

Today was the 3rd day of Dr. Oz's Detox.
 
Day 3 was great. I went to get my hair done so I actually skipped my lunch smoothie. I didn't plan to be gone for as long as I was (I had other errands I had to run) so I didn't bring it with me as I did yesterday. I wasn't hungry all day! Honestly, I didn't even "eat" "dinner" until very late. I've read that on cleanses/fasts that the more you do them actually the more energy you have--this was definitely the case today. I cleaned the whole house, I did all the laundry, ran lots of errands, and still felt energized and not hungry!
 

DINNER SMOOTHIE

 
Delciousness Factor (1-10): 10
Ingredients:

• Blueberries
• Coconut Water
• Kale
• Mango
• Lemon
• Avocado
• Cayenne Pepper
• Flaxseeds

Calories: MyFitnessPal says 322.8 Calories
 
This was definitely my favorite smoothie. I've thought that I will make this again even when I'm not detoxing. When I was making this ahead, I though "cayenne peper and blueberries...yikes". But it was delicious. This smoothie is SPICY too! It really has a kick to it to make it interestingly delicious. I figured out why they have you drink this at night before your bath...the pepper helps open the pores to detox more in the bath! Definitely helped! This smoothie is also just as filling as the rest, kept me full until morning when I had my tea and breakfast smoothie!

Overall I loved this detox and definitely would do it again.
 
Pros

• Felt great
• It was only 3 days!
• Smoothies were great
• The bath is amazing
• Felt like it worked ridding the toxins from my body--felt like I didn't "need" caffeine on my next early morning trip, felt like I didn't crave a sugary food like I normally do around 3pm.

Cons

• Start up costs make it expensive (lavendar oil, flaxseed, coconut oil, stevia, the multi vitamins, epsom salt). If you don't already have these it can jump up your shopping list's cost quite a bit. But now that I have these items, the next time I do this I won't have as much costs. I really only need to buy the fresh fruits and veggies.
• The Lunch Drink was awful. The second day, because I was hungry I think it was more manageable...but on the 3rd day when I skipped the lunch and came home just the thought of the lunch drink made me gag. I have read that you should chop the celery up before blending it and it helps... who knows.

 
 
 
 :)maggie

ps--I realized I never posted this. I had it written but I didn't publish whoops! Just a couple months late!
 

Dr. Oz's Detox Day 2

Today was the second day of Dr. Oz's 3 Day Detox.

I was a little hungry today, way more than I was yesterday, and my hungriest time was leading up to lunch. After the lunch smoothie, I was full until dinner and I feel a little hungry now but not anything bothersome. I took the detox bath again today and feel even better. My skin is SO smooth and the coconut oil that you use as lotion after the bath is AMAZING. One thing about the bath... only soak for 15 minutes (I set a timer on my phone) because you will get dehydrated. I got dizzy coming out of the bath both days.

---

Lunch Smoothie Review

Deliciousness: On a scale of 1-10... 3
Ingredients:

• Celery
• Cucumber
• Kale
• Green Apple
• Lime
• Coconut Oil
• Almond Milk
• Pineapple

Calories: From MyFitnessPal... 412

First thing about this smoothie: it's NOT good. I don't know what it is...but it is just not good. It's drinkable (I really should say edible as this is a very THICK drink) but it's not enjoyable. Other people who have done the Detox also say that the lunch drink is bad. When I drank it yesterday for the first time I thought I wouldn't be able to drink it again today and then tomorrow too...but surprisingly today wasn't as bad. I actually ate it like soup out of a container today when I went to lunch with one of my reps.

Like I said, I feel great. I'm excited to finish this tomorrow and see the final results!

:)maggie

3 Day Detox by Dr. Oz (Day 1)

So I know, I know...it's been forever since I've blogged!

Recently I've been hitting both the gym as well as cross training really hard. One of my new favorite things is Fridays. Fridays at 4:30 I go to a Pilate's class. Our instructor combines yoga into it as well so it's improving flexibility and core strength. Then exactly after that class is SPIN! I love spin because it allows me to not have the impact from running yet still get an AMAZING workout. I feel my legs getting stronger by the class and it's ultimately helping in my running times too (which I know is coming from Pilate's as well).

We decided not to do the other half marathons we originally were going to do and save the next 13.1 for Fontana Days in June. (I still may do the half at Run Through Redlands in April). We've just been running and training for distance! I recently ran a 5K with our work team for Race for the Cure. It was AMAZING. There were so many people there it was really inspiring. I ran it is 26 flat and I haven't ran that fast since I got my orthotics so I feel like my other activities are helping me!
---------------

So just a bit of an update... now on to the blog post at hand...The 3 Day Detox. I found this on Pintrest. Dr. Oz is the one that started this (and I didn't realize it, but my mother in law also did this last fall and loved it). The thing that got me really wanting to do this was the fact that it's only 3 days. I do another cleanse from Trader Joes that's 2 weeks. Since it's only 3 days it's really not supposed to help with weight but more to rid yourself of toxins in your body.

It's a smoothie cleanse and you drink 3 smoothies a day that are different and I'm willing to bet that they are designed for something different but I can't find out the reasoning behind that.

Since I'm going to review each day, I will review one smoothie per day along with how I felt. (HERE IS THE DR. OZ CLEANSE INSTRUCTIONS)

Breakfast Smoothie

Deliciousness Scale (1-10)...10!
Ingredients:

• Water
• Flax seed
• Bananas
• Raspberries
• Spinach
• Almond Butter (I used Peanut Butter)
• Lemon

Calories: Myfitnesspal said 312 calories

I really liked this smoothie. It's definitely a true fruit smoothie. Very delicious and refreshing. It kept me full until lunch with no problem. I drank the smoothie at 7:30 and had lunch at 12:30. Using the blender made it think but definitely drinkable.

Before breakfast you drink a cup of green tea with a lemon (I used Trader Joes Organic Green Tea)


After breakfast you take half of a serving of your multivitamin and a full serving of your probiotic. (I use Vegan Raw multivitamin--I've taken these for awhile and like them--serving is 3; I use Trader Joes Probiotic and LOVE this probiotic--serving is 2)

After lunch you take the other half of a serving of the multivitamin and then a full serving of the Omega 3 (I picked up the Omega 3 at Trader Joes--serving size is 1).

After dinner you take your detox bath. I was a little skeptical about this because it's 2 cups Epsom salt and 10 drops lavender oil. You then use coconut oil for your lotion afterwards. I thought it was just a process but even after one bath my skin feels AMAZING. If you do this detox, DO NOT skip out on the bath.

I wasn't hungry all day, I feel great tonight and am looking forward to tomorrow!

:)maggie 

Getting Back to a Training Plan

First, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!! I hope everyone has had a very nice holiday and got some downtime with family and friends. I know I did! Maybe a little too much food, too many drinks, and late nights.

Now, it's back to training! We have races starting in January (visit the schedule of races down at the bottom of this blog). Yesterday, the day after Christmas, we decided it'd be great to get back into it but as we walked out the door to for a tempo run, it started raining! Instead, we decided to go to the gym and do a leg work out. Needless to say my legs and butt are sore! But it feels great. Today I'll be doing the tempo run (2 miles easy @ 10:53 a mile; 3 miles short tempo (9:18 a mile; 1 mile easy @ 10:53).

I'm excited to get back into training especially now with my orthotics. After the last half I ran, I wasn't sore at all, and I attribute that to the orthotics 100%. My problem from that race was the blister I got from my orthotics, so I'm hoping I've become accustom to them by now.

So this week, the planned training looks like:
Yesterday 12/26--Leg Workout
Today 12/27-- Tempo Run (6 miles; 2 miles easy; 3 miles short tempo pace; 1 mile easy)
Friday 12/28-- Yoga Class & Cycling Class
Saturday 12/29-- Long Run (8 miles)
Sunday 12/30-- Arm and Ab Workout & Cycling Class

Next Week:
Monday 12/31--Sprint Intervals (400, 600, 800, 1200, 800, 600, 400 with 400RI) 
Tuesday 1/1--OFF for obvious reasons :)
Wednesday 1/2--Tempo Run (5 miles @ Mid-Tempo Pace 9:42)
Thursday 1/3-- Leg Workout
Friday 1/4-- Yoga Class & Cycling Class
Saturday 1/5--Long Run (9 Miles)
Sunday 1/6 --Arm and Ab Workout



Schedule of Races 2013
January--Highland YMCA Run (10K and Half Marathon) in Highland, CA--January 29
February--Brea 8K Run in Brea, CA--February 24
March-- Long Beach Half Marathon in Long Beach, CA--March 10
April--Run Through Redlands Half Marathon in Redlands, CA--April 21
May-- OC Half Marathon--May 5
June--Fontana Days Half Marathon in Fontana, CA--June 1

Second Half Marathon...In The Books!

So as the title suggests, I ran my second half marathon this weekend. I ran the Holiday Half Marathon in Pomona, CA. I wanted to run this one because of the medal that you get. It's a snowflake and very unique. Also, if you run this race 3 or more years in a row, you get the snowflake medal along with a penguin medal and every year after it's a different penguin!

Unfotunately I didn't get to train as much as I wanted to for this race for a variety of reasons: I had to get my orthotics (then get used to them), I was sick for an entire week (even had to go to Urgent Care from dehydration), and I've been traveling more (so getting in training runs is difficult and something I have to get used to). I was still commited to this race though, and come hell or high water, I was going to complete it!

A couple things about this course.

1. This is a hard course (at least in my opinion). It is hilly...see the elevation chart below.
2. The course is BEAUTIFUL. I highly recommend this race especially if you love to look at scenery.



So...how did I feel?



My Blister!

Well I felt great for the first 4 miles. I've been dealing with a blister on the bottom of my right foot since I got my orthotics so I wrapped and taped my foot to help but by 4.5 miles the tape had slipped, causing an even worse blister. Thankfully there was an aid station at mile 5 and I got re-wrapped with some Neosporin. This held up until mile 12. By mile 12, my blister tore and it was excruciating pain, but since I only had a mile left, I was bound and determined to finish!

Because of my blister (and having to stop at the aid station for 5 minutes), my time was pretty much shot out of the water, but I did finish and I felt very much accomplished. Although this is the slowest time on record for me (12 mins a mile; 2:37 finish time), I felt more accomplished and proud than I ever have. I ran this one by myself (usually my family runs with me) and I had the blister. But as I crossed the finish line I still felt proud. It's not about the time, all the time. Sometimes it's just about finishing!



The Medal!

After Finishing 13.1!




Running With Orthotics

Greetings Everyone!

I know it's been awhile since I've blogged (again). Last time I wrote, I told of my pronated feet and arthritis.

All my life, I've had pronation of the ankles. This is when your ankles roll inward like this. To the right is an example of what your foot should look versus a pronated foot.

What this does essentially is creates more pressure and stresses on your feet, knees, hips, and back. Since I've had this issue my whole life I have never really noticed how much it has affected me.

So, how did I get this and why? I walked at nine months and I was a particularly heavy baby. The extra weight coupled with walking early, my ankles developed that way.

I went to the chiropractor for problems I was having with my hips running longer distances and he traced the problems in my hips and knees to my foot and prescribed me orthotics. I got my orthotics custom made and received them about two weeks later. Let me first say that orthotics take a lot of getting used to. Because I was so used to walking, standing, and running pronated; walking, standing, and running with orthotics was terrible to say the least the first few times. Just wearing them at work was painful to my back and running with them--well I couldn't even run 2 miles without stopping due to pain. I tried again and got blisters on my arch. The key is wear them in every shoe possible for as long as possible to get used to them and also to help the pronation. It is uncomfortable at first because your body is changing the way it's used to doing things. It's crazy that just a slight change in how your foot sits can affect your entire body! My chiropractor (who has worn the same orthotics I have for the past 20 years) said I will be faster in my runs and I won't be as sore after long runs. I ran for a third time with orthotics and was able to run 8 miles with little discomfort. My blister on my right foot got a little worse so I need to figure out what that's about but it wasn't unmanageable.

Did I mention I had to change shoes? In a previous post I raved about my Nike+ Free Run 2 model I was using. I think this was the part of this ordeal I was most bummed about. There was no way around needing new shoes. I had to go from a minimalist shoe to a "neutral" shoe with more support. I started running with the Nike+ Structure 16 model. It's a little heavier but definitely a great shoe so far!

So now that I know these orthotics will help out after I get used to them, I offer the same advice to everyone...if you need orthotics, GET THEM, and DON'T GIVE UP. They are uncomfortable in the beginning but they will  help!

What else did the chiropractor find out that helped me?
1. I was getting chronic headaches and none of my doctors could tell me why. I even had to go to the Urgent Care for having a headache for 9 days... I had shots in my neck to numb my nerve endings to hopefully help but it just masked the pain. Once I visited the chiropractor, he pinpointed the problem: my posture! Once he adjusted me and I started working on my posture, I haven't had a headache since I started visiting him!
2. I learned I have arthritis in my feet from the pronation. (arthritis?... I'm 26!)
3. I have bad posture and I learned how someone is really supposed to stand (think like a waiter standing at an event--hands clasped in front, shoulders back, neck in).
4. Getting adjusted feels amazing!
5. A lot of people think that you'll never stop going once you start. At least with mine, that is not the case. He is there to help me fix myself. He adjusts me to where I need to be and follows up on things that I need to work on (like my posture, my orthotics, etc). If you do feel the need to go, research before you choose one. Mine is also into holistic healing and never does x-rays (so maybe find one into holistic healing).

Anyway, I'm looking forward to improving my body along with my run times. I have a half marathon on the 9th and that will be the first race I run with my orthotics! Can't say I'm particularly excited about running 13.1 with these today but hopefully by then they are causing me even less discomfort.

:)maggie

HOLY COW! It's been a month since I blogged!

I can't believe the time has flown by! It's been over a month since I blogged.

I promise it hasn't been a month since I've ran. I actually have been running quite a bit. I have switched my focus for now from half marathons to 10K's as the race season just began and my hubby, his dad, and I run 10K's together frequently. I plan on running my first half of the season in December so I will be continuing my half training this week.

We just ran our first race of the season. We ran the Race For The Rescues in Pasadena. It's a REALLY cool race. All benefits animal rescues. You can bring your dog and run/walk with them. They have adoption events all day as well as silent auctions and Jane Lynch from Glee was there this year. Last year it was Coach Beast from Glee. The course is around the Rose Bowl. The 5K is one lap and the 10K is two laps. My husband, his dad, and I all ran our fastest 10K times we've ever ran. My hubby and his dad both got FIRST PLACE in their age groups!!! It was a lot of fun, and definitely recommend this race for everyone, especially if you love animals.

We discontinued our half marathon training a couple weeks before our 10K run to focus on faster, shorter runs to make sure we weren't just focusing on our long distance. It clearly worked.

When we go back to half training, we will continue in the week we left off.

Some highlights since my last post:

1. I ran for the first time in Portland. That was awesome. I ran downtown down to the river and a long the river.
2. I ran my fastest 10K (Race for the Rescues).
3. I am working more than ever!
4. I went to the chiropractor and found out that I have arthritis of the feet and I have to get orthopedics for my shoes (I'll be doing a review on those once I get them).
5. I have committed to the Holiday Half (Snowflake Half Marathon) in December.

More to come this week from continued training!

:)Maggie

Accessories I Use: Nike

I've been saying for a while now I want to write a blog on the accessories and 'equipment' I use while I run. This blog will be specifically about the Nike products I use!

I first want to say to all those that are looking for an activity that will help with weight loss, getting back into shape, etc. but don't want to spend all the money on a gym membership, a bike, etc. RUNNING IS VIRTUALLY FREE. Yes, accessories cost money but if you just want to run, you literally can run without shoes. These things I use help me keep my times, paces, and help track what I'm doing but they are not needed. /disclaimer.

First, I must admit I use a plethora of Nike items.

• Nike+ Sportband (get it here)
• Nike+ Fuel Band (get it here)
• Nike+ Free Run Shoes (get them here)
• Nike compression pants
• Nike Running Shorts

I used to not be the biggest fan of Nike because of child labor. I have used their shoes for quite some time due to my pronated ankles and their shoes fit me correctly, but I've always been conflicted so if you don't like Nike because of this, I totally understand.

Nike+ Sportband

2 years ago I bought a Nike+ Sportband as a (relatively) inexpensive way to track my times, pace, and calories burned during runs. I started getting more competitive and cared about my paces and wanted a way to track my progress but I didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars on a GPS driven watch. For $60 I was able to get a cool color and comfortable way to track these things. One of the coolest aspects of this watch is the Nike+ community website that you get free access to when you sign up with Nike+. It keeps your profile and it's like a little social community of runners and walkers. It also stores all your runs for you and notifies when you complete an accomplishment (fastest 5K, when you hit a certain number of miles, blah blah blah). You can also join challenges with people around the world (Guys V Girls first to X# of miles, City challenges, etc.). You can also create maps and map your runs here too. The way it works is pretty cool too. There is a chip that comes with the watch that either goes in Nike+ shoes (a little portion in the shoe bottom is cut out specifically for the Nike+ chip) or you can buy a sleeve if you don't have Nike+ shoes. I really like the fact that if you don't fit well in Nike+ shoes or you don't like them or what-have-you, you can still use this watch! It's pretty accurate for the price and what it is. You can calibrate it as well if you see it's becoming off. It's based off of your stride so if you change your stride you should recalibrate. There are two ways to sync your runs with the Nike+ community: Apple Products (iPhone, iPodTouch) or by plugging it into your computer. I don't use Apple Products, so I use the computer and it works just fine and charges the watch at the same time! It's very easy to use and it's usually to the 1/10 of a mile accurate.

Cons: it doesn't allow for extra calories burned because it doesn't have a GPS so it doesn't know when you're going uphill or downhill. It's not waterproof. It's not user-friendly for a normal everyday watch.

Nike+ Fuel Band

After the explanation of the Nike+ Sportband I will try to keep this one a little shorter. This is the BEES-KNEES. I am obsessed with it. This is very similar to the sportband but it is for everything else besides running. I wear it during my run because it measures movement and it seems to account more accurately for running uphill than the SportBand does. The Fuel Band gives you points for your activity level and you can set a Fuel goal per day. It tracks your progress through the day and when you reach your goal, it celebrates for you by lighting up like a slot machine! It tracks Fuel Points, calories, and steps taken...not mention it is actually pretty stylish for everyday wearing and it's a cool watch! You plug it into the computer to charge it just like the SportBand and you can either sync it that way or with Apple products.

Cons: Price ($150). It only comes in black. If you are just running it doesn't give your paces or distances.

Nike+ Free Run 2 Shoes

Everyone has a different take on shoes, but I LOVE these shoes. They are lightweight, they breathe really well, and they keep tight right below the ankle across the mid-foot where it feels the best for me. I can wear lightweight socks without blistering and bunching. Not to mention, they come in a variety of colors or you can even design your own!

Cons: If I run on gravel the gravel tends to stick in the sole because they are so pliable.

Nike Apparel

I wear all kinds of shorts and pants and shirts, but I do love the compression pants I just bought. I was looking for something that would help from chaffing during the hotter weather without getting overheated. I actually used these pants today for the first time on a 6 mile tempo run and absolutely loved them. I didn't get too hot because they were dry-fit, they didn't scoot down, and of course I didn't chaff. I don't think this is because they are Nike but how do I pass up a $40 pair of pants on sale for $6!?

Just a quick rundown of all the Nike products I use. All in all I love them and I think they are actually made with decent quality through and through. There is great variety in the styles and colors which is always nice. I have only seen one other person with my exact color of shoes but I see my shoes all the time. A lot of my friends own the Sportband and seem to like it and I know a couple people who use the FuelBand and all like it.

:)Maggie

A Week Without Training... :-(

So for the last week and a half I wasn't able to train a complete week. I did Kettlebells twice and I ran twice. I am bummed because I feel like I haven't made progress but I know it's a part of life. I am extremely busy with an 80% travel schedule. It's not an excuse; I can always go to the gym while on the road, but it's hard.

Since I wasn't able to really complete a full week of training I am just repeating week my 3rd week of training. This week is 800M repeat sprints, a 6 mile tempo run, and a 10 mile long run, with Kettlebells in between. I will report back at the end of the week on how this week went when I'm done.

For this blog I just wanted to do a little research on how busy people keep with training programs and how they train intensely with holidays, travel, etc.

What I've come up with is that every runner has a different philosophy on missing runs. Some keep progressing, some repeat, some even go back to the previous week. As I said before,  I am choosing to just repeat week 3.

Some of the things I do to keep myself on track (or at least try to do) is I like to set my week up at the beginning of the week so I know what my plan is for the entire week and then if I'm traveling or there is something going on I can plan around it. I also like to always plan to go in the morning and if something comes up I can plan to make time in the evening.

So with that I did Kettlebells yesterday, my hubby and I are running tomorrow, and I will be doing Kettlebells again on Friday, and doing our 10 miler on Sunday.

Sorry for the boring blog today... it's been pretty uneventful over here on the running front lately!

Day 9: Long Run...9 Miles!

Day 9: (8/19/2012)

Sorry for not updating this recently! I've been traveling for work.

On the 19th I did week 2's long run: 9 miles!

This was supposed to be a long, slower run at Half Marathon Pace + 20 seconds (9:39/mile) I ran with my husband so we ran a little slower than that (9:58/mile) and the course we use is EXTREMELY hilly. I love incorporating hills because it makes me a stronger runner. There is one hill in particular that is pure hell. It's only .3 miles but it is intense. All of last year we couldn't make it up the climb without stopping and during our 9 miler we were able to make it to the top without stopping (we were both very excited about this!). The rest of the course is filled with other hills as well as some great declines.

Workout:
Run 9 miles at a steady, controlled pace. We chose a challenging course so we had to walk at the top of some of the hills to catch our breath. Remember, Galloway always says that walking is okay; it's not anything to feel ashamed of and it's perfectly fine. The goal is the distance and if you walk, remember to keep it controlled as well. We kept our walking to a minimum; only at the tops of 2 of the hills and when we had to stop to refill our water jugs.

Method:
We ran outside on a premapped course. I use Nike+ (Blog to come very soon on this), but there is also MapMyRun. I write down the course and stuff it in my running belt (Blog to come on accessories soon as well), so that if I forget where we planned to run I can reference it. I think premapping runs is crucial so you aren't running aimlessly or running in circles. I also recommend running outside for this so your body can acclimate itself with terrain to simulate races.

How I Felt:
We felt great afterward. We weren't extremely tired. We were able to continue our day as normal.

What I'd Recommend:
Run outside and premap your run. Don't feel bad if you walk; just keep it controlled. Stay hydrated!!

How I Felt Afterward:
The next day I had to leave for work so I thought my back was sore because of travel but I talked with my hubby and he said his back was sore too along with his legs. My legs felt fine, but I stretched extensively afterward, and he didn't.

Day 8: Tempo Run

Day 8: 8/16/2012

Yesterday I was bummed because I really wanted to run but work called so I postponed the tempo run until today.

The tempo run I did today was just a straight 5 miles at a pace of 8:54. I ran up to a park by our house and back early in the morning. As I've said in past blogs, it's been extremely hot here lately and it starts getting hot around 6:00am. I left around 5:45 but it was so hot and humid I was dying before I hit 3 miles. I exhausted all my water by the 4th mile and just felt awful. I completed the mileage but was a little under my goal time because of the heat. Galloway says that when it's hot you should have plenty of water but also slow your pace to accommodate the heat, so I didn't feel like I wasn't performing.

Workout:
Tempo Run. 5 miles at a pace of 8:54 was the goal. I ran 5 miles with a pace of 9:25. The idea is to keep a consistent pace the entire time.

Method:
Road.

How I Felt:
Nothing short of awful. It was very hot and humid and half the run is uphill so the two combined was a recipe for disaster.

What I'd Recommend/What I Learned:
If it's hot, slow your pace to take into account for the heat. I would also recommend that you do tempo runs on the road and not on the treadmill to get used to terrain and weather.

How I Felt After:
I was overheated directly after, but once I cooled down, I was fine. I felt good afterwards as well.

:)Maggie

Day 7: Strength and Cross Training

Day 7: (8/14/2012)

Today was a cross training and strength training day. I felt really good after my run, so I definitely wanted to work my legs out as well as do some cardio so I did a lifting routine concentrating on my legs and finished the workout with a low impact cardio workout: rowing.

Workout:
I started with just 5 minutes of walking uphill to get my heart rate up without running and then I did a leg workout. I started with lunges and leg extension alternations. First I did a right foot lunge. Most people do alternating lunges but I started with concentrated lunges. I had a 15lb weight in each hand and lunged my right foot out (see pic below). I lunged down and came up, lunged down and came up keeping my right foot out. I did 10 of these and switched legs and did the same with the left leg. I then jumped on a leg extension machine (see 2nd pic below) and did a warm up set of 12 at 70lbs, double legged. I then did another set of reps alternating right and left foot at 40 lbs, and did a set of 10 at 100lbs. I then jumped off and did another set of concentrated lunges. I repeated this for a total of 3 sets alternating. Remember when doing lunges to keep your knee behind your toe and when you're doing leg extensions to remain slow and controlled. If you have to swing your legs or grip anything with your hands, the weight is too heavy.

*Lunges work your quads and butt the most*

*Leg Extensions work your quads the most*

 

Next, I alternating sets of leg curls and alternating lunges. Leg curls can be done a few different ways, but I prefer on the machine in which you lay down. There is another machine where you sit down but I don't like it as much. Alternating lunges are similar to concentrated lunges except instead of keeping one foot forward, you lunge down and pop back up and lunge out with your other foot. I did a warm up set on 40lbs of 12 of leg curls and then did 12 alternating lunges. I then did leg curls again but alternated each foot on 25lbs and then another set of alternating lunges. I finished up with another set of double legged curls and one more set of alternating lunges.

*Leg curls work your hamstrings and butt the most*

Next I did a set of seated leg presses. This was to ensure I worked my legs out to exhaustion. I did a warm up set on 30lbs, a set of 10 on 110lbs, a set of one legged presses at 40lbs, and a set of 12 double legged at 90lbs. I always like to try start at less than a 90 degree angle so that when I return to the starting position I don't clank the weights and I have a more controlled lift.

*Seated Leg Press works pretty much the entire leg*

Next, I did abductors and adductors. There is a machine for this and I enjoy using a lighter weight and doing a ton of reps to feel the burn! Abductors are done by opening your legs with weight pushing against your legs and adductors are done by pressing your legs together while weight resists.

I do 50 of each on a lighter weight.

*Abductors work your outer leg and butt the most*

*Adductors work your inner thigh*



Finally I did some calf raises. These can be done a variety of ways, there are machines built for this or you can just find a block, step, etc to step on. Keep your tippy toes on the ledge and let your heel fall down and just stand up on your tippy toes. I did 3 sets 20.

To conclude the entire workout I did a 15 minute rowing exercise. According to my book, rowing is one of the best cardio exercises to do on a down day. There are rowing machines in most gyms that are a lot of fun. During your down times from running it's important if you do cardio to make it extremely low impact as you recover. Rowing is very low impact, it's fun, and it's a good workout. Rowing isn't all that hard either. It takes a couple tries to get in sync with yourself, but once that happens, it's easy. In 15 minutes I burned 215 calories, and today I feel a little sore in the muscles in my back, which is always a good sign!

Method:

GYM!

How I Felt:

I felt great! At the end of the lifting portion, I could feel my legs tiring out which is the goal.

What I'd Recommend:

Always use lighter weights and work up to heavier ones. This way you aren't burnt out the next few days and you don't risk injury as much. Also, when using machines, read the instructions if you need. Don't just hop on a machine and go...there are certain settings for heights and you want the optimal workout, so read!

How I Felt Today:

I felt really good. My legs are a tiny bit sore, but nothing like last week. My back muscles are sore from rowing, but that will subside tomorrow. Today was a rest day so I should be good as new tomorrow

:)Maggie

The Start of Week 2: Day 6...Track Repeats

Day 6: (8/13/2012)

So my first week of training is complete and now I've moved on to my second week of training! The weeks are all structured alike so my first run of the week was track repeats. 

Workout:

The schedule was to warm up for 10-20 minutes, then run a 400M, 600M, 800M, 1200M, 800M, 600M, 400M with 400M Rest Intervals in between each repeat. Each repeat was to be ran at the same speed, so as you move up in distance, you're just keeping the same pace for longer. The pace was slightly faster than 8:00/mile, so the times are as follows: 1:56, 2:55, 3:55, 5:59; 3:55, 2:55, 1:56. The rest intervals I varied depending on how tired I was after the track repeat. For the first 2 I jogged the rest period, the 3rd one I tapered off from a jog to a walk, the long one I walked the whole time while I got water and I tapered the rest of the them after the 1200M repeat. I ended up after everything was said and done, with warm ups, rest intervals, and cool down running 7 miles.

Method:

I used a treadmill. Again, this to me is the best way to do these because they keep you consistent. Remember that they aren't accurate though. For example, in order to run my right pace, I had to set the treadmill at 8.0MPH which is 7:30/mile, but my pace on my watch was about 7:41. I set a speed on the treadmill and then compare it to my watch to get the right pace. It's important to run with a watch :) I run with the Nike+ Sportband (learn about it here). In a future blog I'll be reviewing this watch and tell why I love it so much.

How I Felt:

I felt great! The only time I got really tired was during the 1200M repeat, so my goal next time I do track repeats like this is to do better during this repeat. Instead of focusing on being tired I need to focus on my form and running strong. I felt myself get a little sloppy. Sloppy running makes you more tired because your muscles are working extra hard. 

What I'd Recommend:

Run on a treadmill, focus on form and breathing, use a running watch to get a good pace, and stretch after you're done. 

How I Felt After: 

Today, I feel lovely. My legs aren't tired or sore. My back is a little sore but that should subside by tomorrow. I don't feel as though I ran 7 miles yesterday.

Day 4 and 5: Strength Training and The Long Run

Day 4: (8/8/2012)

I was extremely sore still from Kettlebells a couple days earlier I decided to strength training on my upper body and stomach.

Strength training is extremely important, even your upper body because it allows you to burn calories, while making your muscles stronger. Sometimes we think that since we are running we only need strong legs. The truth is we need a strong body...not just strong legs, so working out your upper body is also important.

Workout:

I started with pushups and pull ups. I did 10 modified pushups (knees on the ground), and 12 modified pull ups (machine at the gym). Modified pull ups are amazing because you get to pick the weight you use and as you get stronger, the weight you use will go down and you can clearly see yourself getting stronger. I alternated sets of pushups and pull ups for 3 sets.

Below are images of a modified pushup and a modified pull up machine.

Next, I alternated sets rows and dips. You can do rows a few different ways, I like using a row machine (image below) and I do dips on the modified pull up machine. The second row of bars are used for dips and the same process applies (you select the weight to assist you). I did 12 reps of each, and 3 sets.

Next I did a dumbell workout. I first did 12 alternating curls, then 12 tricep extenstions, then 12 iron crosses (start with hands at sides and lift arms up into a cross position without bending arms), then 12 military presses. I did this routine twice.

I ended the workout with stomach excersises. I did 20 regular ab crunches, 20 90 degree angle crunches (legs together and bent at a 90 degree angle), and then I got a medicine ball and did 20 side turns (sit down with legs bent, grab medicine ball in hands and rotate your upper body only from side to side and try to touch ball on ground). The last excersise I did was a plank (see image below) for 60 seconds.

Method:

I was at the gym!

How I Felt:

The workout was good. It took roughly an hour and I was sweating but I felt good.

What I'd Recommend:

Do this starting with light weights and work your way up. Try to do between 10-15 reps each set.

How I Felt After:

I felt good and was mildly sore the next day.

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Day 5: (8/9/2012)

Today would have been my long run day. The goal was 8 miles at a pace of 9:39 a mile. This run is always slower than your race pace because you trying to build endurance and speed will come later with the other runs earlier in the week. This run was to take place the day that my husband and I left for vacation with our family and friends so I set out kind of not excited to run in the first place; I woke up a little late to run 8 miles and it already started to get hot; not to mention I was still sore from Kettlebells!! I decided I'd run 4.5 miles (up to a park by my house and back). This happens, and it's not uncommon to have a bad run so don't get discouraged!

Workout:

The workout originally was just to run consistently at the same pace for 8 miles. 

I ran 2 miles and walked for half a mile because my legs hurt. I ran the last 2.5 miles at a good pace (8:45/mile) and finished the entire run at 9:45 a mile so not bad, but nowhere close to what I was supposed to run or the distance.

Method:

Outdoors at 7am.

How I Felt:

I have already said how sore I was, but it took me 2.5 miles to feel decent enough to run at a good pace.

What I'd Recommend:

Wait 2 days from your last workout before running. (I.E Run Tues/Thurs/Sun)

How I Feft Afterwards:

I felt okay afterwards, no more sore than I was orginally.

The first week of training is over!

:)Maggie