4 more races

I have 4 more TRI races left for the season.  In some ways I just want them to be done!  That's probably nerves.  I do love doing them, but the training is always so time consuming.  I can run and bike right from home, but the swimming always takes effort - getting to the pool or lake, etc.  I have a race Thurs and have only swam once in 2 wks!  Oh boyyyyyy!  Here I was thinking of trying to beat my last 3 times.  We'll see!!!

I just want to go back to Step Aerobics!  Soon and very soon.  After a few months of that I'll be wishing I could be training for some more TRIs.

26 miles

I did a great 26 mile bike ride tonight.  Each week my average speed is going up.  I love that because I don't feel as strong on my bike as I do in swimming....(running has its own issues!!).  I'm finally starting to feel comfortable on my bike.  Maybe it's time to upgrade!!!

Ride instead of Drive!

Today I decided to ride my bike to the library instead of drive.  It only took me an extra 10 mins (total - 5mins each way!).  So why not - had to get a book AND got to exercise.  I highly recommend it.

It was actually my first time riding in the rain.  I always whimp out to ride my road bike in the rain.  Too slippery, etc.  Well I had no choice because I was halfway there & I needed a book!  It wasn't bad.  Can't say it was my favorite - rather be running in the rain than riding. 

So run, bike or walk to your next errand!

Stella

I think Stella Got Her Groove Back!  Really, I think I'm back and my training is going great.  What am I training for besides just the lifestyle of fitness....I suppose it's the Women's Triathlon in September.

I've said this before, but since I injured my leg in March, I was working out, but always in pain and I really had little motivation.  Last night, I felt like I was finally BACK and it felt great!!

Oh and to give you an update on my every other week TRIs:

1st time: 1:19:40
2nd time: 1:18:17
3rd time: 1:16:23
Love that it keeps going down.  I think I can cut some more time out too.  We'll see in August.


Thanks for continuing on this journey with me!

Vitamin Water

As I read the label I found this interesting.....the serving size of the bottle of Vitamin Water I was drinking is 2.5 in ONE bottle.....so if you do drink the whole bottle which why wouldn't we.....you are getting 2.5 times whatever the nutrition facts say, so while there is zero calories the one I was drinking was 16g sugar per serving = 40g sugar.  Ugghhhh!!!!!!!!!

Watch your labels.

Toenail

Am I a true runner now.....my toenail has fallen off!  I sorta have a weak stomach so the sight of it maybe me nearly pass out......but now I'm sorta proud of it!

Swimming at 7:30am on Saturday Morning anyone?  anyone?

The Show Must Go On......

Well March/April was a tough time for me.  After I injured my leg it was just one event after the next.  I think I finally got some answers through a gait analysis appointment and a sports med chiropractor.  We're moving along......

Over the last few wks I've actually felt like I've been enjoying exercising again.  I've participated in 2 triathlons.  These TRIs are unique - they are more practice TRIs (a fraction of the cost to participate!!), but they are pretty much Spring TRIs at night.  They are great.  Both times had super cool temps - like 60s!  We'll see what the next few hold.

1st time: 1:19:40
2nd time: 1:18:17

My transitions weren't good 2nd time, so I know I can beat that aspect of the time for my next event.  My strongest part of the TRI is swimming and I love to swim so it's great!

I hope you are getting outside and exercising - no excuses with early bright mornings and late bright evenings!  (except for the 90s and humidity that we're experiencing at the present moment in New England!).

Still working out!

Just in case you thought I wasn't working out anymore.....still am!!  I find myself out and about more as the weather has turned much nicer and not on the computer as much anymore (which is always a good thing!).

Oh what does my workouts look like these days!  Last week.....hmmmm.......let me think.....actually that reminds me - I need to write down my workouts again.  I've gotten lazy lately and I need to get back into writing it down (I just print out a blank calendar and fill in the blocks!).  I know I ran, I know I biked and I did a circuit workout.

I'm going to try to do a lot of TRIs this summer.  There are several series and you can do them really cheap.  I'll probably do a few 5Ks.  I'm not sure if I'll do another 1/2 marathon this year.  Jon is doing the full in the fall, so I don't want to take away from that (or maybe I'll do the 1/2 and still have time to cheer him on for the full!).

Anyways, duathlon was good.  Tough.  First run - great/best 5K time, Bike - long and HILLY - got about what I wanted to do, last run - horrible - my leg hurt and it was just so painful to run.  I think it's just my leg issues and a bit of dehydration too.  (I'm going to see a new person on Thurs!  Hope they can help me with my issues!!).  Below are my stats and a pic!!!

6/14 in age group: R1 23:34, T1 1:16, Bike 1:01, T2 1:16, R2: 28:53 (leg hurt!!) = 1:56:35

2 more days!

That's all I have until The Shamrock Duathlon.  5k run, 26k bike, 5k run.  Jon and I signed up together.  I'm so looking forward to doing this with him.  I'm totally no where near where I should be for training for this event, but we'll have fun anyways!!

Look forward to pics and results on Sunday Afternoon!

Jen.

Stressed Out?

Are you stressed out?  I was today, so I went for a run.  Boy it felt good.  No IPod; just me and nature and a few tears!

Don't hold it in, don't sit in bed, don't eat a bag of chips - EXERCISE!

Jen.

Workout Wednesday in the rain?!

Don't ever let rain keep you from exercising.  Do you know 1/2 the races I ran last year were in the rain?  It's actually kinda fun and I didn't get sick from any of them! 

I hadn't done anything since the 5K on Sunday, so I needed to GET OUT THERE.  Child #3 was napping, Child #2 was coloring, Child #1 was at school......so I decided to jump and run!  I did 100 jumps with my jump rope and then ran a 1/4 of a mile.  Because I couldn't leave my 'house' I did 1/4 mile by doing a few laps in the road in front of my house.  It was great.  The rain came and I just kept at it.  I jumped 600 jumps and did 1 1/2 miles.  After that I went to my front stairs and did a step workout for about 5mins and then ran for 5 mins and then step for 5 and ran for 5. 

All in all I had a good workout!  I have 3 kids (2 were home) and I still got a workout in!  You can't give me the kids as an excuse....so what's your other excuses?

Get out there PLEASE!

Mother's Day 5K

I love to sleep, so my top two choices for a great Mother's Day would be sleeping in or running a race.  With the lovely rain on Saturday Morning baseball was canceled so I got to sleep in, so when Sunday came I got to race!!

My first 5K of the season - time 23:43.  The funny thing is that is my best time and that was the SAME EXACT time I got at my last 5K of 2009.  Interesting!

I hadn't really been doing a lot of running lately and I didn't do my normal race routine days before the race.  In fact, I decided the night before to run.  It was fun.  Jon and the boys came with me and I ran.  It was SUPER cold and windy. I wished I had more layers and a hat.  All in all I was happy with my results.

Looking forward to the Shamrock Duathlon in a few weeks.  Jon and I are doing it together.  I'm not really ready for it, but I'll go give it my best try.

A few pics from the race:  Running and then the finish with my boys.

Back at it!

After the 1/2 I was still recovering from a leg injury and so I just slowed down.  In fact, in a month I think I ran twice, so there is your mileage update for April - probably 17 miles (that includes the 1/2!).  I really focused on my eating.  I was able to maintain my weight without too much exercise besides the day to day routine of running after the 3 boys.

I was told by my dr a few wks ago to start doing more cross training.  So I swam last week and got on my bike a few times.  My leg felt great and so I'm back at it again!

It was brutal yesterday - 90 degrees!  I decided to run 2 miles and then bike.  Well I was thinking the bike was going to last longer than it did.....I only lasted 3 miles.  It was soooo hot.  Tonight I took a nice 3 mile run.  While it was still hot it was bearable. 

Before my run I was waiting for hubby to get home from baseball with our eldest.  I jumped about 600 jumps with my jump rope while the kids road their bikes.  I love doing things like that.  I need to be outdoors with them, but when they are on their bikes they don't need me, so I can still watch them while exercising.  So many people complain or comment about - how do you have time, you have all those kids - I fit it in!  I make it a priority.  If you don't have a jump rope - get one or you can do squats or jumping jacks.  I then got on my bike and we all road bikes together.  I also practiced a few transitions in preparation for my upcoming race.  They love being a part of my practice sessions.

Anna's Results!

Anna had a great run!  She started with a 6:45/mile and let up a bit as the distance got longer and the hills appeared.  Her lungs were what slowed her down.  How could she have fixed that: more interval/speed training.  Unfortunately her tendinitis was keeping her from that the last few weeks.

Final Time: 24:50 and she placed 2nd in her age group!

This was for a great cause: Uganda Water Project.

Great Job, Anna!  Remember - she's a MOM of 2 little ones!!  Another Shout Out to Corrie Tanner, also a mother of 3 little ones, who also ran the same race.  She did extremely well, too and I think this was her first 5K.  YAY, Corrie!!

The Week before the Race

Anna Finley's 5K adventures continue:

Anna is suffering from a 6yr old tendinitis issue.  She's still going to run - that's my girl, but knows she needs to play it safe....This is what she's doing this week:

Monday: 3 miles (avoiding hills)
Tuesday: 2 miles in the a.m. and 1 3/4 miles of intervals in the evening: 1:40/1:53 for 1/4m splits w/200m rest/walk
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: Light run and a few intervals
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Race Day!  She's hoping for 8min/miles now due to her injury. 

We'll have to wait and check out her results on Saturday.  Anna, we want pics!!!  (Josh, take pics while taking care of the boys, please!!)

On the Side

So I've started something new lately.....I not only get the dressing on the side with my salad, but I also get the cheese on the side.  When you are living a lifestyle of portion control (or a trek to fitness!) everything counts.  I think it makes a big difference.  It's fun to see the amount of cheese they bring you.  It's so much more than I'd ever put on my salad.  I still put SOME on, but definitely not all of it!

Every little bit counts - for better or for worse!

More on Anna's Trek to Fitness tomorrow!

A Running Mama!

So I'm not the only Mom that is on her Trek to Fitness and loves to run......let me introduce you to:

Anna Finley: wife, mother of 2 boys, and a runner

Anna likes to run 4-5 times a week.  She ran in high school and could do 5:45/miles.  She is running a 5K race this Saturday with hopes of doing 7:45/miles.  It stinks to not have that same speed as in high school!  I could do a 1:05 100m swim and now I'm lucky do to a 1:20!  Life sure does change, but it's fun to still be doing the things you love even after age, babies and all that good stuff!

Anna uses interval training to increase her speed.  She picks a pace and runs that pace 1/4, 1/2 or 1 mile and then a 200m walk and then repeat.

Her pre-race meal will be:   Ezekiel Toast with butter and sliced cheddar cheese and coffee.  Tip for you:  Anna says the meal you eat 2 nights before should be your carb loader meal.

I'll update you in the next day or two to let you know what Anna's training is going to look like before her big race on Saturday.  Good Luck, Anna.  You are going to do great!!

13 miles

I guess I did a 1/2 marathon on my bike today!  My time was much better than my 1/2 marathon run!!  My leg is feeling better.  Ultrasound and xray says nothing.  I do have REALLY low white blood cells and the dr says stay away from anyone sick because I don't have much to fight back with.  This has been going on a month now.  Will go to another dr soon if the pain and issues continue in my leg.

However, I did enjoy my biking today.  I have high hopes to do a duathlon in May - run, bike, run!

Enjoy your day!
Jen.

Cool!

Thought this was cool!  They sent me this today!!

Salty Thoughts

I found some interesting salt info/alternatives in the latest Weight Watchers magazine:

Soy Sauce:
1T packs 800mg of sodium (about 1/3 of the recommended daily amts for adults)
Better Option: Low Sodium Soy Sauce (cuts sodium in 1/2) or use fresh lemon juice or use a few ice cubes to dilute your soy sauce (I like the last suggestion!).

Pickles:
Dill Pickles contain about 800mg of sodium.
Better Option: Sweet Gherkin (or better yet - a fresh cucumber!)

Low-Fat Cottage Cheese:
Some brands have more than 900mg of sodium
Better Option: Cup of low-fat Greek Yogurt which is about 150mg of sodium (I've been eating the Yoplait Greek and it has 0g fat, 95mg sodium, 19g carbs and 12g protein).

I did ride my bike 7 miles today.  Going to the drs tomorrow.

We did it!

That's God and I did it!!  Couldn't have done it without Him!

I completed my first 1/2 marathon!!  Ahhhhh it felt great.  I lost my little sister 20mins before the race, so I was on my own.  At mile 2, I caught up to her.  We chatted for a bit.  Off I ran and met up with some lady who was about my same pace.  That was fun until I realized the chit chat was slowing me down a bit.  Around mile 5 I met up with Kristin's friend and we ran the next 5 miles together.  At mile 10 I started to get a little nervous thinking - this is the furthest I've ever run!  I continued on.  Yes, I felt pain, but I just pushed through it.   I tried to stay hydrated as much as possible.  I carried a handheld water bottle.  It worked out great.  I wore a tank and shorts - although I was chilly standing waiting I warmed up quickly.  I even got a sunburn!

What an amazing experience!  Yes, I'll do it again, but after I get this darn leg sorted out.  I'm in a lot of pain.  Not really sure what it is.  I have 2 doctor appts coming up to help figure this out.  It kills me not to work out.  I was VERY sore the day after, but by Monday my good leg was pretty much back to normal.

Instead of 2 Blog Posts in one day I'll give you my March Recap here too!

March Recap:
48 miles ran
7 miles biked
2 miles swam

Thanks for all your love and support!  Once I get this leg fixed I'll be onto my next event - not sure what that will be until I figure out how long I'm 'out.'

Off I go.....

Well I'm going to NYC and I sure hope my aches and pains don't show up at mile 2!  Pray for me!!!!  13.1 miles later and I'll have finished my first 1/2.  YAY.

4 days.....

4 days until my 1/2 marathon! I'm super nervous; super excited and wonder will I actually run it!!! Are you laughing with me? With all my ailments and pains here and there - I will make my final decision on Saturday morning. I am planning on running it, but if things are hurting the morning of I'll be a spectator. Either way I'm going because my little sister is also running it.

Stick with me and we'll see what happens!

Today I'm going to do a 3 mile run and swim.  Thurs. I hope to get out in the warmth and do 2-3 miles (it's been raining here for 3 days and it suppose to be in the 70s the rest of the week).  Friday will be no exercise and Saturday is the race!!

Goals

Goals! I love goals because it causes you to aim/train for something.

Goals in the fitness part of life can be to stay healthy, lose weight, faster times, etc. My goal for the 1/2 was to finish in 2hrs. My goals have changed! Because of my injury 3 wks ago I don't feel like I can set my goal so high. My first 8wks of training was great and now the last 4 wks hasn't been so great. Instead of doing longer runs, I've been able to do 4mile runs! Instead of speed training, I've been sprinting in the pool. My new goal for the 1/2 is to FINISH! This is my first 1/2 and if I'm able to finish I'll have reached my goal and it will feel good (and hopefully injury free!).

You need to have realistic goals. For the MOPS moms I challenged in February, did you set your goals and reach them? I told you to only set something that you could reach within 2-3wks or so. Realistic/short goals are good (long term goals are good too!). What is your goal for the next 2-3wks:
Start walking/running 1-2 times a week
Stop eating sweets every night (maybe 1x/wk)
Lose 3lbs over the next 2wks
Focus on speed training for some upcoming races
Enter a 5K

I'll be anxious to hear some of your ATTAINABLE goals!

Workout Wednesday

Is it Wednesday or Thursday today?!! Youtube was having issues, but it finally let me upload today. I hope you enjoy this one. I think it will make you laugh, but remember stairs is an excellent way to burn calories and it's great because there are so many opportunities to "do stairs" in your every day routine. You can do them outside, in your house or take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.

9 more days until my 1/2 marathon. In some ways I don't feel ready - in others I am. I'll write more about that tomorrow!

For now - enjoy the video and then get out & get a good workout in!

How many calories am I burning?

How many calories do you burn during a 5K?

Here's the formula, courtesy of Laurie Conrod, Certified Lifestyle Management Coach and expert calorie counter. Visit www.laurieconrod.com.

Here is the formula to calculate the calories for a 5K:

Your weight X .66 X 3.1 miles

For example, A 150 lb. person X .66 = 99 X 3.1 miles = 307 calories

Bike

I got my bike back from a tune up today and did a quick 7 miles before Andrew came home from school. Loved it. You can go a lot faster than running :)

Gorgeous out tomorrow. Hoping for a run. It's fun to sweat in the heat again! I don't think this weather is here to stay though.

Hot!

I was actually HOT running today. My leg is feeling much better and I did 4 miles today. That's all I had time for.....I was hoping for 5-6, but taking it slow on my injured leg is what I am doing right now. I'm hoping for a longer run Sat and maybe a bike ride tomorrow! It's gorgeous here.......high 60s. I don't think it's suppose to stay though. I'm taking it while we have it!!

Workout Wednesday!

Happy Planks!

I did it!

I ran 4 miles pretty much pain free.  I opted for inside because it's been rainy here and if I started to feel any pain I could stop.  My legs got tired at the end which is unusual for me, but maybe because it's been a week since I ran.  I don't know.  Hoping for a good recovery day and no extra pains in the a.m.!  I did some free weights and then I rowed (on the rowing machine) for just 5 mins.  So glad to be doing something after a week of nothing.

Hoping to be able to do a longer run during the week as the weather is suppose to be nice - Tues, Wed and Thurs.

On a family note, my baby is turning 3 on Wednesday!  YAY.  Our little miracle.  It's just amazing!!

Serving Sizes!

So I always pay attention to serving sizes.....except the other night!!  I made this Tikka Masala sauce from Archer Farms (Target).  Simple recipe of cooking the chicken, adding the sauce and pouring it all over rice.  I did steam some broccoli to make it a little healthier.  After dinner, I was getting ready to throw the bottle out.  When I was in the store I had looked at the fat per servings 5g - not too bad, but I hadn't looked at the serving size!  Oh myyyyyyyy.  The jar contained 10 servings!!  This jar wasn't that big - like smaller than pasta sauce!!  The serving size was 2T.  Jon assured me that he ate at least 6 servings and I only ate 4 servings = 20g fat plus all the other calories, carbs, etc!  Ughhhhh.  Oh well.  You can only try so hard sometimes.

All that to say pay attention to serving sizes.  Cereals can be 1/2c to 1 1/2c per servings.  Crackers can be 7 crackers to 15 crackers.  Ice cream is usually only 1/2c.  You really have to read the labels on everything (even sauce jars!!).

I'm BACK!

Well at least I think I am.  My lower leg has been feeling better since Wed afternoon.  I wanted to give it a few days to fully recover - yes it killed me to do that!  So Sat or Sun I will start up again on a few short runs.  Looks like rain over here for the weekend, so I'll be at the gym.  While I prefer to be outside it will actually be better for my leg anyways - less impact!

So what did you do to workout this week while I couldn't?  Do tell!!!

Workout Wednesday

Are you enjoying this beautiful weather?  I am, but wishing my leg wasn't hurting, so I could be WORKING OUT!  Ughhhh.  It's not shin splints.  It's a muscle/tendon/connecting ligament issue.  I'm massaging, icing, resting and taking advil.  I'm going for a swim tonight and that will feel so good!!

In the meantime, while I can't workout YOU CAN!  Get out there and do something - here's a simple workout that is so good for you:

Blogless

I know I've been "blogless" this week!  I seem to be suffering from slight shin splints from Sunday's run and I haven't done much this week in terms of exercise - ugghhh!  You can imagine how I feel about that.  I did get a good swim on Wednesday in.  I ran on Thurs, but it was just a light, short 2 miles to see what I was up against.  It felt ok.  Today I went outside for a light, short 2 mile run and I was in pain almost the whole time.  ANNOYING!  I went to a great shoe store Fleet Feet tonight and got some new shoes.  I don't want to talk about the fact that this is my 3rd pair in a month!!  So I'll rest and ice for a few more days and maybe go for a longer run on Monday or Tuesday.

Thought you'd enjoy a picture (make sure you pay attention to the pretty swirls in the inside of the shoe!!)

Mileage Recap

For February:
Ran 62 miles
5 Step Classes
Swam 1 mile

I'm focusing on training for the 1/2 marathon, so I'm mostly running.  My cross training has been Step Class and weights.  I am looking forward to getting back on the bike and doing a bit more swimming.

For January (never posted!):
Ran 36 miles
Biked 49 miles
5 Step Classes
Swam 5 miles

A exercise journal is just as important as a food journal!  Get started on both today!!

9 miles!

I ran 9 miles today!!!!  I am so thrilled.  I did it in an hour and 19 mins.  By about mile 7 I was so giddy - singing obnoxiously loud to my Ipod (reminded me of the US Snowboarder Girl on the Olympics - if you saw that event!).

My fuel belt came this week.  I got it in black off Amazon - cheaper than the funky colors!  Today on my belt I had two water bottles, pepper spray, Ipod and some gel.  It didn't annoy me at all when I was running.  It might if it was warmer out, but I already have so many layers on....what's another!

The things girls worry about.....what to wear for the 1/2!  I was hoping for a tank top and capris or even shorts, but boy the weather really has to warm up over the next month before I start shedding some layers.  Today, I had on 2 shirts, light coat, tights, running pants, fleece hat and running gloves.  What would you wear?!

Floppy Arms - Part 2

My Friday housework always involves one load of laundry, vacuuming and mopping (traditional mop).  It's quite a workout on my arms, so do some housework to get your fitness in today.  And don't just do it .... DO IT ..... push the vacuum double time, SCRUB the floor......I'm sweating by the time I'm finished mopping.  I also decided to wipe down those door frames that were covered in lovely fingerprints.  That was yet another arm workout.

So it's amazing how you can incorporate fitness into your daily cleaning routine.

BTW, my tulips have started to pop out!  Spring is coming!!!

What will you do today to workout?  It better be something besides lifting the fork to your mouth again and again and again :)

Workout Wednesday / Floppy Arms?

Do you have floppy arms?  Do you want them to look better.....summer is on it's way!  I started with 1lb weights!  I know, funny, huh?  Then I decided to take the plunge and go to 4lb weights and then 8lbs.  Now I can do 15lbs!!

Workout Wednesday:  Work those arms with Weights!

Still Training

I'm still training for my 1/2 marathon in April.  I really want to complete it in 2hrs, but I'm just not sure if I'll be able to.  According to my calculations I should.  I also hope the mileage markers are very clear.  I've been to some races and they've had none (5Ks & triathlons).  So annoying.  I'm looking forward to the run and with the weather getting a little warmer it's been nice getting outside again.  Did you notice the nights are getting a bit longer, too?  It was 5:20pm and it was still light - that means evening runs are right around the corner.

I went to PA this past weekend and enjoyed 7 miles in the country.  How nice and beautiful.  I'm on week 7 (out of 12) for my training and I think I'm going to go up to 9 miles this weekend, so closer to the race I can really pull my mileage a bit lower.

Get out there and do something.....layers work well!

Workout Wednesdays

It's time to do some squats!  Have fun with them.  I just did another modification of them - squat and as you come up do a little jump, come up to standing position, squat and repeat......

Shoveling!

Shoveling: great way to burn some calories.  Your driveway is too short.....spontaneously go and shovel someone else's driveway!  No snow for all you warm state folks - stick to some squats, jumping jacks & jump rope today!!

Enjoyed STEP last night.  It's gotta be my favorite aerobic activity.  After that I did my 2nd favorite piece of equipment - the rowing machine.  Maybe I should join a rowing team!  That would be fun.  Or maybe I could just be the person that sits on the end and paces the team.

I didn't tell you about my shoe issues!  Last year, I bought these great New Balance 1224 sneakers.  Regular $140, but I got them on sale for $90.  So they went on clearance recently for $66 and so I said I'm going to buy 2 more pairs and that way I'll be good for the summer.  You really should only do about 400miles a sneaker and your sneaker is generally worn out before you even see the wear and tear.  Well I started wearing my new ones and my toes started bruising.  I went to NB to discuss this and he said my shoes are too small - I need the next size.  Ugghhhh.  I tried the 1225's on and they are gorgeous and so nice, but they are $140 (on sale on my shoe site for $99), but I still didn't think I could justify that, so I went with the 1224's / $66 in a bigger size.  I can return one of them, but not both because I've already worn the first pair.  Glad I didn't break in both pairs.  I think I can still use the 'smaller' pair, but I won't be running in them.  I can't wait for the 1225's to go on clearance.  Believe me, I'll be watching the site A LOT!!!

Flurries?!

I saw nothing about flurries last night on the weather, so it was an outside run today WITH FLURRIES!  It was 37 out though.  I did 7 miles.  YAY.  That's my longest ever.  It felt great.  I felt like I could have done another 3 miles no problem, but I wanted to stick to my training schedule!  I ran 2 miles and stopped back at home for water - I had set a cup at my driveway.  Then I ran another 2.5 and had my sister (thanks, Kate!) put a cup outside her house.  I don't have a hand held water bottle thing.  I don't think I'd like to hold it for that long.  My fuelt belt hasn't come in yet.  Jon's is too big for me.

Tomorrow starts week 6 and that will put me half way though my training for the 1/2 marathon.

Happy Valentine's Day!  Just because I ran 7 miles doesn't mean I get to eat whatever my heart desires for Valentine's Day!  Be careful!!!!

Welcome to Moe's!

So a little free sample table was set up from Moe's at my gym yesterday!!  Ugghhh, do they realize how fattening those chips are : )  Do you?  BTW, I did take some!!!  LOL  My almost 3 yr old and I enjoyed a small sample bag together (after my workout!).  You can still enjoy extras, but remember portion control!!

Do you know most restaurants have nutrition info right on-line?  Check them out and know what you are going to order before you go.

Here's just a few for you:
Chili's
McDonald's
Panera Bread
Dunkin' Donuts
Starbucks Beverages
Starbucks Food (by store)
Moe's
Dairy Queen (ice cream)

Just back from a 4 mile tempo run!

Happy Exercising today - it's not too late to do something AND the days are getting a bit longer too.  YAY.

Avocados!

Right now avocados are my favorite fruit!

Depending on the size you can get about 4-5 servings out of one. A serving size is about an ounce (2T), 50 calories, 4g fat and they have about 20 vitamins & minerals. They have monounsaturated fat which eaten in moderation can help reduce bad cholesterol levels in your blood and lower your risk of heart disease & strokes.  It also helps you get the fat you need without eating the 'bad fats.'

I love eating them on crackers - Kashi Heart to Heart Whole Grain Crackers - it makes a nice meal!  I put avocado on my taco salad last night.  It's just so yummy.

To cut up wait until they are pretty soft to the touch.  Your finger should leave an impression when you gently squeeze it.  Then cut length wise one side and then the other side and sorta twist it open.  After that you can remove the seed and start scooping the insides out with a spoon.  Yum!  What a treat.  They say put some lime juice on it so it won't turn brown, but whatever....it turns brown pretty much the instant you start cutting.  It still tastes fine.

My grocery store has them for 99 cents.  Sam's has them a little cheaper, but you have to buy 6 (I think) of them.  If I buy too many I'll eat them all, so I limit myself to 1-2 a week.

Weight Watcher points:  7 crackers and 1 serving of avocado = 4pts!

Happy eating healthy today!
Jen.

Workout Wednesdays

Ok, so I made this video for you and it came out great, but the problem is we have a video camera (no it's not VHS-C either!) that doesn't seem to want to put the videos on the computer.  My husband tried for hours (thanks, anyways!).  While it's disappointing for just the Workout Wednesdays it also means we can't put our home videos on the computer.....ugghhhhh.  So you get the bootleg version of me taping the video with my digital camera.  Oh, the world we live in!  The rest of Workout Wednesdays might be video less, but we'll work on this!!

Excuse the poor quality, but get the point and do some "stairs" today to start or continue on your Trek to Fitness!!!

Same Results?

Are you sick of getting the same results from your workout/healthy lifestyle?  SWITCH it up. 

Eat different things (all healthy things, of course)
Do more weight training / do more cardio.
Change your cardio - do speed training or do a long distance run or do a short run and ride the bike.

I feel like your body gets used to a certain exercise routine, so fool your muscles/body.  Change is good!  Instead of my dumbbell workout the other day I jumped on the rowing machine for 15mins.  It was great.  Rowing worked more than just my arms!  Multi-tasking - I like that!!

My 1/2 marathon training schedule changes things up a bit.  I'm not always doing the same mileage or the same type of running.  I continue to include STEP class, swimming and spinning, so I'm not just always running, running, running.  I would get bored of that.

Off to do 4 miles of speed training tonight.  Then my favorite show is on, Biggest Loser.  Go green team!!!

Baby it's COOOOLLLDDD Outside!

So I told you I was going to the gym to run my 6 miles, but I decided to go outside instead.  It was cold - probably around 32, but super sunny.  It's just 12mins to the gym, locker room time, getting on the right treadmill and then 12 mins home.  I can save a lot of time by just hitting the pavement - much easier running outside than on a treadmill!  I layered up - 2 shirts, hoodie, 2 pants, 2 socks, fleece hat and my running gloves.  Running gloves are so key!  I enjoyed a bit of DC Talk and U2. 

I'm bringing you back to the basics of how I started my fitness journey with Workout Wednesdays.....be looking forward to them : )

I need to sit down and work on my training schedule for the next several weeks.  I think I'm only scheduled until Tuesday!

Dinner

So I made this yummy dinner the other night.  It's VERY healthy.  Took me a bit of time to make it.  You can find it at:  http://greenlitebites.com/2010/01/03/stuffed-cabbage-pigs-in-a-blanket/  Let's see the stats:  Serving Size: 2 piggies, 260 Calories, 2g Fat, 8g  Fiber = 5WW pts (13g sugar, 39g carbs, 25g protein)

When we went out for my b'day dinner last night I got Eggplant Rollotini.  Don't worry I only ate 1 of the 4 rolls.  I'll be eating it for days.  The only thing I was soooo disappointed in was I forgot to order the whole wheat penne.  Ugghhhh.  I was so annoyed.

I was happy to get a quick run in OUTSIDE before the bus came.  Tomorrow is my longer run.  Since it's only going to be a high of 31 I'll be on the treadmill tomorrow for 6 miles.  Luckily, I found some old CDs and put them on my IPod - DC Talk, U2, a Whitney Houston CD that looks really new and I don't think I've ever listened to it - sorry if you are the one that bought it for me!  So it's nice to have some new stuff on there.  To think I'm sick of listening to Rump Shaker or Whomp There it Is! LOL.

Need to register for the 1/2 before it fills up.  Not sure what to expect in NYC!

Top 10 Tips

Below are my notes from my talk I gave at my MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group this morning.  More practical, basic ideas on food and exercise.  MOPS Ladies - I did have my workout schedule....it was in with my menus!  Sorry!!

 

Jen's Top Ten Exercise and Get Healthier Tips

A good workout helps me get through the day

and  makes me a better mother

Food

1. Food Journal.  Write things down you eat.  Be careful when you get your kid's snacks not to have a few here or a few there.  If you do, write it down!
2. Use some type of system/tool: Weight Watchers (see below) or Calorie Counter (below)
3. Portion Control.  Pay attn. to food labels and ingredients (stay away from fructose corn syrups and partially hydrogenated oils)
4. Restaurant Nutrition Info.  Available online.  Know what you can eat before you go out.
5. Don't buy it!  / Freeze it.  Don't buy the things you are tempted to eat.  When you bake you can freeze things like cookies, so you don't eat and eat and eat them.  You can have one a day or one a week!

Exercise

1. Start at home.  Stairs (just go up and down and up and down), weights, run/walk outside, jump rope while kids play outside, exercise ball, DVDs, youtube.com has great exercise videos/ideas
2. When you are out and about:  Pick a parking spot far from the store (get an extra walk in!), Squats when you are pumping gas (I'm serious; I do this!!), Watching sports events for your kids: do laps around the court/field, Go for a walk with a friend instead of going for coffee, Mall Walking with stroller
3. Workout while you watch TV (especially during commercials).  Sit-ups, squats, jumping jacks, weights
4. Get up early
5. Set Goals / Have a plan!

http://ronisweigh.com/

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

My First Entry!

I LOVE talking about exercising and so I thought why not start a blog!  So here I go.....I've learned a lot and I continue to learn.  Most importantly I have fun with exercising - I train, I participate in great events and I get my friends & family involved!

I woke up at 5:50am to go swimming yesterday.  I was not in the pool until about 6:25am.  I couldn't seem to get moving fast enough.  After my initial 500m (20 laps) warm-up, I stopped and looked outside.  It was still dark, but the snow was still falling.  It was so pretty and so peaceful.  It just made me feel good and I enjoyed the rest of my workout a little more with that snow visual.

I'm currently training for a 1/2 marathon that I'll be doing with my little sister in April.  I'm on a 12 week training schedule.  My longest run so far in my training has been 6 miles and I do about 16 miles a week.  I'm enjoying training, but I sure do miss biking and swimming.  I'm not doing a lot besides running - I still get swimming and biking (and step & spin!) in, but my intensity level is way lower - just trying to maintain those other sports at the moment.

My life isn't 100% about exercise, so don't worry I'm sure I'll have other stories for you.  Why "Trek to Fitness?"  I have a Trek bike and it took me about 1 min to find that the title wasn't taken, so why not!

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