Vacation Count Down

 

I am sooo ready for vacation. We finally booked a family vacation in the wonderful location of Hawaii. Of course I booked the vacation based on an unapproved school calendar. What does that mean you ask? That means my children get an extra week out of school this year. I am okay with that. Hubby and I have been running in ever direction lately and so it is time to unplug and unwind with the family. I am excited to be to a new place and just relax.

 

At this point you may be wondering what that has to do with eating clean and my new health kick. Well, it has everything to do with it! With a trip to Hawaii that means I HAVE to be in better shape. I don't want to be embarrassed to get into my swimsuit, I want to feel confident and relaxed.

 

 

That being said I turned to my friend and who became a Beachbody Coach and jumped on the bandwagon. I signed up for an Insanity Max:30 challenge that began 1/1/15. I will admit I was not as focused as I should have been. My diet was lacking, but I was working out. Add the 5 days a week 30 minute intense work out with running 3-4 days a week and I have really started to see some differences!

 

 

 However, in the process I have started to realize that change needs to be on the inside as well as the outside. I have to change my thinking about food and certain aspects of my life. I am not a super mom or super hero. I have limitations, and that is okay.

As for food, the mindset I want to have is it is okay to enjoy food, but the important thing to remember is that food is fuel for my body, not just a taste good thing. Crap in means crap out. I never used to buy into the idea that a shake could work to reduce cravings and my sweet tooth. I am not sure if it is the Shakeology or a combination of Shakeology with working out, but I have actually been able to walk past the case of Girl Scout Cookies in my pantry and not be tempted to eat them all in one sitting. In fact I think I have had a total of 6 cookies since the season started. I enjoy the shakes and actually feel full afterwards. I will gladly go into the benefits of Shakeology,  if you would like to email or comment below I will respond! But what I can say is that I don't want sweets nearly as much and love fueling my body with real whole foods!

 After I finished Insanity Max:30 I couldn't wait to try the next thing and this time get my nutrition under control! That lead me to 21 Day Fix Extreme. Literally I am working out doing a 30 minute video every day for 21 days! I was nervous but I have pushed play every day (Ok I missed 1 day but I made up for it). Along with the program came to portion control color coded containers and wow! I started seriously dropping some inches. I am determined to have a body I am happy with. It may not happen by Vacation, but I will be so much closer!

Thanks to my successes, and all I am learning, I have decided to pay it forward and became a coach with Team Beachbody! If anyone is interested in finding out more about the challenges, programs, or Shakeology contact me and we can discuss. You can now find me on facebook at facebook.com/carriesjourneytofitness to follow more of my journey on a regular basis!

       

Lessons from an 8 Year Old Swimmer

Wow, so I am trying really hard to keep up with life right now. With sick kids, work, school, husband on travel. . . well it is just a little crazy to keep up around here. I sometimes feel like I am barely keeping my head above water. Normally running is my saving grace. Daughter #2 is almost always up for a ride in the jogging stroller so I can get some stress out and she enjoys the ride, usually breaking at a park for play time. After last weeks 7 at 7 mantra I was ready to get moving more. Wednesday we spent the day at her first Preschool Field Trip - Oma's Pumpkin patch.

 

She had a blast, and yes I know fail on my part for putting her in shorts to go to a pumpkin patch, but it has been SSOOOO Hot I was not thinking about the hay as much as the comfort of not over heating. We got home from the Pumpkin Patch all set to get a 3 Mile run in. I had mapped out the course so that I could run from the house to Daughter #1's school that would be a 4 mile run. The weather was low 70's and slightly overcast, perfect running weather! I was going to run to the school and then walk home with the girls (shortest route is 2.5 miles). Daughter #1 LOVES walking to or from school, so I was all set. Got dressed, loaded up jogging stroller with water and snacks, loaded up Daughter #2 and started to move, realizing that the stroller had a flat tire. No big deal, we have an air compressor so easy to fill up the tire. One BIG problem, husband had loaned the air compressor to a co-worker and had not gotten it back yet. UGGHHH, no running to the school! Then, plans to run on the treadmill were derailed with daughter #2 became sick with the nasty flu/cold going around.

 

So to shorten what became a very long week, no running occurred either on the road or the treadmill due to sick child interrupting at the worst times and so no run and barely enough time for a shower. Then just when I thought I would maybe get to sleep in we realized we would have to be at the pool by 7 AM for Daughter #1's first official year round swim meet. That is life right?

 

Attending her swim meet and seeing her determination was a lesson that I hope to carry over to my running

 

What to Eat . . . .?

Why on earth is it so difficult to lose weight or even just figure out what is best for our bodies. I am constantly trying to figure out a way to eat healthy. There are so many fads and diet “cults” out there. Let me preface this blog post by stating that I in NO WAY am judging what anyone eats or does. We all have to make our own decisions and conclusions of what is going to fuel our bodies. Those are the words that so often we don’t use when it comes to food, fuel. Ultimately the food we put in our body is supposed to be the fuel our bodies need to accomplish the work we need our bodies to do for us. For some people that means fueling your body to sit at a desk for 10 hours and then drive home to sit on a couch. For others it means fueling for the body to clean the house, run after the kids and entertain friends and family. For many of us it means not only fueling for the above activities but also those training runs that range from 2 miles to 22 miles of running/biking/swimming etc. For the athletes out there looking to drop a few pounds it becomes almost more difficult.

When I first started running the goal was to lose weight. So I jumped in full force with the running and signed up and loosely trained for a ½ Marathon. While that was the catalyst that got me running I am still struggling with the food aspect of this. Many people, myself included, eat food because we LOVE food, not because we NEED the fuel.  The other thing I didn’t realize was that as I started to run longer my appetite got bigger! My body needed more fuel.  I have always joked that I run because I love to eat. I used to get upset because my wonderful husband, who can get out and run an 8 min mile with no work and not seem out of breath at all, lost a ton of weight as we trained for that first ½ Marathon. He didn’t really need to and here I was needing to but I stayed the same (at least I wasn’t gaining was my motto). I realized after a while that his view of food was much different. He ate to LIVE and ran because he LIKED it. I ran because I LOVED to eat. Main difference is he looks at fuel as food; I look at it from a much more emotional point of view. Food is a comfort thing. I also love the different flavors and to bake in general. My main point in this rambling is that while I am running much more consistently and a little faster my weight is really not changed much in the 3 years.

I gave up on dieting a long time ago. I realize that “diets” don’t work. I am looking food now as fuel for my body. In the last year I have started to recognize that food is fuel. Don’t get me wrong calories in and calories out is still something I think about a LOT. However, I don’t really count them as much. I am trying to think of food as if I am hungry I eat, if I am not hungry I don’t eat. On the same vein what I am eating I am thinking about more carefully. I still eat junk food and processed food, but it is not as often. Before when I would see a cookie or piece of cake at the store I wouldn’t be that hesitate to buy it and eat the whole thing, then feel guilty afterwards. Today I can safely walk by the bakery and while it looks and smells good I don’t buy. Mainly because I am more aware of what could be in the processed cookies and cakes. I would much rather make my own with a few substitutions to make them healthier and less full of sugar and oils. Dieting may help you lose weight in the short term but they rarely help you keep the weight off. The key is to making healthier choices, fruits, veggies, all that stuff we know about.

This leads me to nutrition and running. I am sure most of you have heard it called rungry, it is horrible. I go out for a long run spend 2 hours running, I come home and drink my after run Chocolate low-fat milk and banana. Then finish cooling down, maybe eat breakfast with eggs, cheese, spinach (or other veggies) and toast. Then an hour later I will feel like I haven’t eaten in a week and could eat everything in the fridge. Rungry is not fun, and if the goal is to lose weight it is very frustrating. But I have started researching. As I start contemplating running a Marathon next January (2016) I recognize a few things:

1)      Food is fuel and your body needs it to operate properly and give you optimal performance. As fuel the more nutrient rich the better. This means shopping the outside of most stores and avoiding, for the most part, the inner aisles.

2)      Natural foods can taste just as good as the processed foods when cooked correctly!

3)      Not everyone needs the same fuel so don’t compare yourself to others

4)      Processed foods may seem easier, but sometimes it is faster and easier to just make food yourself

I won’t lie; I am researching different diets because some have some very interesting ideas. I have read books lately like The Fast Metabolism Diet, The Daniel Plan, The Whole Foods 30 Day Diet, as well as books and blogs about Paleo.  All seem to have the same underlying idea that the more natural and less processed the better. Don’t get me wrong they all have some major differences and I am not an expert on any of them to say one is not better than the other, nor have I tried to follow all of them.  I have just read the books. What I am learning in my research is what works for one person to fuel them and help maintain their goal may not work for the next. Everyone has different genes that play a role in how they process food. The basics are the same, but we need to educate yourselves and then do what is best for you. We also need to stop judging other people for doing it a different way.  If the goal is living a healthier life we will get there. It may take a while and we will always be learning, but even one step towards being healthier is better than nothing.

If you have any suggestions of healthy whole food ways to fuel during marathon training please let me know! I would love to hear what others do!

Fitting in the Workouts

Ever feel like there is just not enough time? I have been feeling very stressed and frustrated with myself lately.  I was told one time a saying from my mom, not sure where she got it from, “Some days I am a great mom, some days I am a great employee, rarely am I the both on the same day.” I feel I should tweak that statement a little to include runner as well. I love my runs and know they are important, but so often I feel like they are taking time away from my family. I struggle almost daily with the idea that I should be doing something other than my run. Or just as bad I struggle with myself and feel like if I was just a faster runner it would be so much easier to get the runs in and still have time for everything else.

So often I used to think that stay at home moms should have plenty of time to do everything. Haha! I was SOOO wrong. Now that I am a stay at home mom I feel so much more stressed and have even less time for my workouts it feels. I need to be working 4+ hours a day to keep up with the work. Then the cleaning (let’s face it that takes last priority). All this is around kids’ schedules of school, swim, tutoring, and homework, not to mention just playing with them. It seems like there should be plenty of time. But let me lay out the day. Wake up at 6-6:30 and it is get kids/husband lunches ready, and kids ready for school. By 8 it is out the door for school drop off. This is usually a longer process then I plan because I indulge my kids and walk them to class and then end up running into a parent or two to say hi to and talk with about life. So instead of getting home by 8:30 it is usually 9. Then I try on MWF to get my runs in, anywhere from 3-5 miles depending on the training plan. Due to my pace being so slow this is anywhere from a 36-60 min time. After you account for getting the little one set up with her movie or snack and all the other interruptions it is usually 10-10:30 before that is done.  From there I usually clean up a little (not a shower yet who has time for that). By 11 I MAY have time to sit down and get to my job. “Work” from 11 AM-2 PM interrupted frequently by youngest needing something or wanting help with her coloring or reading. Of course at some point in there I have to get lunch. At 2 we get ready to pick up the oldest from School. Again that rarely goes as fast as I hope pick up will go. So by the time we get home it is 2:45-3. Then it is snack time and homework until 3:45 and then off to Swim until 5:30-6. After that it is home for dinner/showers/cuddle time/bed. If I am lucky kids are in bed by 8-8:30 and actually settled by 9. At this point, if you are following along I still need to work for another 1-2 hours to get all my time and work done. Just looking at that typed out makes me cringe and think that running really should be cut out so I can clean more.  However, then the family would really dislike me! I would be so grouchy.

The perfect schedule would be me getting up at 5 AM and getting my work out in before 6:30. However, I am just not a morning person. 5AM just comes SOOOO early! I haven’t had my running partner lately due to life so I have no motivation to get out of bed! I am trying so hard to be perfect and fit it all in. I think the facts are we can’t always fit it all in. No matter how well we plan our schedule there has to be flexibility. Life is great at throwing us curve balls. I did a weekly schedule with cleaning and work outs. It included getting up every morning at 5 AM to get it all in. What it left out were important things like helping with homework and grocery shopping. I will have to revisit that some day soon.

For now I am going to do my best to keep plugging away and make time for the most important things, my family and taking care of myself. While some, and even myself sometimes, think my running time is selfish, I would argue it is needed. Without it I would probably gain even more weight (a subject for another blog post) and be very grouchy. So, my “me” time is running and the rest of the day is flexible depending on what my family needs. I try to remind myself that by doing this I am setting an example to my daughters that it is important to take care of yourself, even in busy times.  Life happens but how we react to it is the important part!

Life Changes . . .

Has it really been almost 6 months since my last post! Wow, a LOT has changed since then. Back then I was a full time working mom and life seemed busy. NOW, I am a full time stay at home mom and a part time remote worker.  It is ridiculuos how much busier I am NOW than I was before. Not only do I have to to fit in 20-30 hours of working remotely I also have to take care of my lovely family.  In the process my running has taken a side note.

That needs to stop NOW! I was listening to a Podcast the other day and the topic was that we need to make a decision to make time for our runs. That is soo true. My oldest daughter is now in swim team and is being so active. I am so proud of her. She however, has noticed that mom has been a lot grouchier and less patient than normal. She asks me almost daily now if I have ran lately. The answer to that would be no. Why, I ask myself, have I not been out beating feet and doing what I love? Oh I have excuses up the wazu, but none of them are valid! I have come to realize that I need to just schedule my work outs and set them as a priority, just like I do work.

With the summer over and school starting up life continues to change. Husband on travel a lot more, youngest in preschool 2 days a week, oldest in school, swim team, homework and on and on and on. Oh and don't forget continuing to work remotely 25 hours a week and selling Thirty-One Gifts. I LOVE my life, but running is not as easy to get in. However, that didn't stop me from getting together with my BRF and running 7 miles today! We have both been slacking, but today my motto was 7 at 7, and it worked! We started talking and before we knew it we were at 6 miles. By that point I was not about to stop, my mantra today, 7 at 7.

You may be wondering why I am trying so desperately to get in 7 miles today. The answer is that in about 1 month I have another 1/2 Marathon, Silver Strand 1/2, to run. I really want to get my goal of 2:45 and to do that I need to get more serious, get my runs in, get some cross training in, and just be happy with myself for doing my best.  I am realizing that I am not getting younger. So, if I am going to actually PR I have to actually train and TRY to get faster. I know it is a crazy idea. I am getting there. I may not be fast right now, but I am getting my stamina up and I am going to do it. Now, to get my diet in order life will be good. That will get there as well. One step at a time.

Mother's Day 1/2 Marathon (Present to myself)

What a wonderful Mother's Day Weekend I am having so far! Mother's Day hasn't even happened yet and I feel like it is finished and it was great!

Today marked the completion of my 5th 1/2 Marathon, Girls on the Go San Diego 1/2 Marathon! I actually PR'ed it (personal record) at 2:46:18. This is almost 12 min faster than my previous PR. I know I did my best based on the fact that I can barely walk tonight! It was a beautiful day for a run in San Diego and it was made even better by my daughter runnig the finish line with me. I was only slightly bummed that I didn't make my goal time, but I had let that go at mile 10, so I was over it.

The race started by sleeping last night at a hotel literally a tenth of a mile from the start line! For anyone who has ever run a race knows the worst part is getting up super early in the AM to fight for parking, deal with port-a-potties, and wait in the cold for the start of the run. How great was it today to get up literally 1 hr before the race, get some food, use the hotel bathroom, and role out the door 15 minutes before the start. I LOVED that! The course ran directly by the hotel so the family was able to hang out in the play area and wait for me to run by with my GU in their hands (didn't have to carry it with me!). At the end of the race there was no mile long walk back to the car, or waiting for a bus to take me back to my car. If you have the choice, this was the way to go!! It was Awesome and the best Mother's Day weekend ever. I don't even need tomorrow to celebrate, we already did!

 

Overall it was a great run, and a well organized race. My only complaint was that by the time I finished all the after race snacks were gone. Now normally I am a slow runner and expect this. However, today I was actually more middle of the pack and by no means last. Come to find out all the people that ran the 5K and 10K had pillaged the food and left nothing for those of us running a longer race. I find this a little disappointing that they would put it all out at once and not save some. Also disappointing that the other runners felt the need to gorge themselves and not leave any for the rest of us. But that is my only complaint.

 

I also learned some lessons during this training and race that I want to share and get down to remind myself for future training and races! Yes there will be more, just haven't decided what yet (other than the 5K with a friend next weekend).

 

Lesson 1: Cross training is a good idea, really should have done that this training cycle. I started out really strong running the first 5K today at a nice fast (for me) pace. I felt strong. I knew after driving the course (mainly a place called Fiesta Island) the road would have a slight slant to it. I also know that means my hips will be feeling it by the time we got off the island. Sure enough by mile 4 my right hip was starting to act a little angry. On the bright side I was running, no walk breaks at this point. I realized, as I was struggling and zigzaging my way around the island, that strengthening my hips and core will be a must before the next 1/2 if I want to improve my performance. By mile 10 I was afraid that if I stopped running and moving I would never start again. I was also already thinking of the pilates and yoga I will be doing during the next training cycle.

 

Lesson 2: Running is running and to let go of the pace! Around mile 7 I realized that I wasn't really looking at my Garmin (other than to get the distance). I was not worried about time. I was listening to my body and paying attention to how it felt. 13.1 miles is a LONG distance for this girl. I forgot how long until I got to mile 9 and realized there was still another 4.1 to go. But once I let go of the 2 hr 30 min goal I really relaxed and actually was able to enjoy the run. I focused on the fact that I am out there and enjoying the run!

 

Lesson 3: Training Training Training! After Ragnar So Cal I lost a lot of motivation. My training went south and fast (or slowly as the case may be). If I had completed the training runs, especially the long runs, I may not be 1-as sore and 2- I may not have missed my 2nd goal time by just slightly over 1 minute. But hey, I still PRed so who is complaining!

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Lesson 4: Sunscreen is always a good idea. It was a beautiful run on a beautiful day, but I have got to remember sunscreen in the future as well! I have some of the weirdest tan lines thanks to compression socks and long shorts. But I would rather have weird tan lines then shin splints and chaffing (if you have never had either you are lucky!).

This race was a great one, but in the future I am looking forward to having more time to train since I will be a stay at home mom starting the first of June! Hopefully that means more time to blog as well. Only time will tell!

Ragnar...When can I do it again? #ragnarsocal

Okay, I realize I am only 4 days out from Ragnar SoCal, but honestly I am ready to do it again. I found it to be such an amazing and fun adventure I can't wait to do it again. I say I won't captain a team again for a while, and yet I am already contemplating a team for Ragnar Napa? What is my problem! Oh wait it is because I have been talking to quite a few Mother Runners interested in the idea. Will it happen, not sure yet, but let me tell you what I would do differently next time.

Rum Runners Team 311 Bib and Finishers Medal

1 -  when you get your team together, or even at least a good idea that the team is coming together, think logistics and GET THE VANS RENTED. Hint: The deposit is refundable so just get them before the prices go up or they are gone and you have to live in a mini van. Mini vans are doable, we did it, but 12 Passanger is better. Also - consider where the runners are coming from. Relays are point to point so if some are coming from the start and some from the finish get a van from each point so no one has to drive something even smaller! Buy decorations and get crazy with the van decor, once they are rented and the name is decided have fun with it!

2 - Don't forget your shoes. I was so focused on my clothes and making sure I had all that stuff I almost forgot the most imporant piece of equipment! My shoes!

Third - Enjoy teammate bonding time whenever you can! We started by spending the night before at Downtown Disney. Okay, so part of that was because my High School friend is just a little of a fanatic about Disney, and hey I love the place too! In hind sight we probalby should have tried to have a team meeting between all 12 of us. But Ronda and I got to relive some High School memories!

Ronda and I just outside of Disneyland - just like sophmore year of High School!
 

4 - Plan on not really spending much time with the other van until the finish line. I couldn't wait to see my college friend (who I haven't seen in 15 years). But that didn't happen until I handed off at Exchange 6 and then we had time for a sweaty hug and for her van to take off. We got to visit at the "after" party (talking about later) but still not enough time to catch up!

Brenda (College Friend) and I at the finish line!

5 - When running, plan for stop lights to slow you down and stay in a positive happy place! I have struggled all along with the fact that I am a slow runner. This was proven by the number of times I was "killed" (Ragnar term for being passed) during my 8.7 mile first leg. Be prepared if you are a slower runner to get to your happy place when running and have some rebuttal when the negative thoughts come in. It took me about 1/2 a mile to get out of that negative mindset. But I got there!

6 - Be prepared at night when you are running for just about anything to happen. This includes running through a downtown area at 2 AM when the bars are closing. Decked out in your safety gear it is still nice to see other runners and keep them close to avoid the drunks and other interesting characters stumbling their way home.  As my mother says "nothing good happens after Midnight." While I may not always agree with that, since I am running and that is good right? It is still a little nerve wracking to get through that mile. It is again a mental game as much as a physical game. I did have headphones, but in hindsight I would probably have left them behind for this leg.

Finishing my 2nd run at 2:30 AM

7 - The finish line is an awesome atmosphere and you should do your best to have the WHOLE team there to cheer on the final runner as you cross the finish line! Ragnar is an incredible experience that will not be regretted! Something about seeing a group of 12 all wearing the same thing running across the finish line knowing you have accomplished an epic run that you would never have been able to do on your own (unless you are an ultra runner and then disregard that statement)!

Finally - If you want to have an after party do it the NEXT MORNING! Breakfast party would be a great idea! We had a wonderful get together at our house afterwards, but it may have been more fun and less tiring if we had hosted breakfast the next day so we could all sleep. Somehow going on only 1.5 hours of sleep and then trying to catch up with everyone, you aren't really able to focus on all that happened. 

Sunday after the run was spent sleeping, thankfully my daughter was on board with that idea!

I am still processing and thinking about how to train better for the next one. Would I captain another one, maybe. Would I join another team, in a heartbeat! But for now I keep reminding myself I have a 1/2 Marathon coming up in May that I need to stay focused on. Hmmm. . . guess I will start making sure my training doesn't slack now!