Last year I did one of those 11 mile obstacle mud runs. It was a super hot day and a very hilly course. The hills were the most grueling part of it, more so than the obstacles. But I was happy to have finished, even if I had to skip the 10' walls that I just couldn't get over. They hired a firm to photograph the event. I posed for several pictures with my team for the photographers, plus they had others around the course taking candid shots of the participants. After the photos were released, I excitedly looked up my participant number and found absolutely nothing. No candid shots, and none of the posed shots with my team. My husband even took a few days sifting through the thousands of unclaimed (i.e. your race number was too dirty to read) photos, trying to find a single shot of me with no luck. It sounds silly, but I was so disappointed. I had visions of some cool photo of me snaking through the mud that I could frame with my race number and be like "yeah, I did that!", but nothing. Sign ups are open this year and I've been on the fence about doing it again. It sounds silly, but trudging up those hills in 95 degree heat, getting beat up and bruised, and having no photos to remember the event by kind of sucked. Not in a regretful way, I'm glad I did it, but more in a "maybe one time was enough" kind of way.
So on to the next thing. My sister is running her first half-marathon in October and I'm just about ready to join her. I finished my longest run to-date today, at 6.56 miles. It was supposed to be 6 miles today, then something in my head said, "hey, you're almost halfway there, just knock out that extra half mile", and I did. My overall time isn't great- I came in at 11 1/2 minutes per mile, still a few too many walking breaks, but it's progress. The better times will come with more practice and better endurance. Today's run being over an hour, I brought one of those gel pack snacks with me. They aren't bad- but I would still like to try making something myself if possible. I can't explain why, but the miser part of me kind of balks at paying $1.50+ for each of those silly little things that are basically just sugar, salt, artificial flavors and preservatives. My plan is to start experimenting- and post anything here that works. Cheaper, healthier- I'm up for that!
Til next time... :)
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Monday, May 27, 2013
Run Forest Run!
Criminy... I've been ignoring my blog for far too long, shame on me!!! But I have something new to chat about- I started running!
I keep telling myself that I want to be a runner. As if it's a destination, where one day I will arrive, and not just the process of strapping on the shoes and hitting the road. So I went to my local running shoe store last month and was fitted for a good pair of running shoes. I was almost embarrassed at the time to tell them during the fitting, "well, I'm not a runner yet, but I'm planning to start. Really, I swear." I was afraid they would burst into laughter at any moment; after all, these are seasoned pros that probably knock out half a dozen marathons a year and my paltry little 1-2 mile starting "runs" (with a little walking mixed in) are a joke by comparison. But they were awesome, and I came away with a pretty new pair of Saucony's that are keeping my feet happy as I ramp up the mileage. I even went back today for a snazzy new water bottle that is a little more conducive to holding for an hour than my current one.
I'm currently using the Runkeeper app (currently working on the sub-65 minute 10k program) as a training schedule. The program schedule runs 4 days per week, with long runs falling on Sundays. The mileage is fairly quickly ramping up, with speed drills starting to enter the mix this week. My time is averaging right about 11 min/mile right now, which could definitely stand some improvement. But that will come with continued endurance work and the speed drills. This past Sunday's run came in at 5.5 miles, but most exciting of all is that I think I managed my first glimpse into the infamous "runner's high", or at least some kind of feeling where I was able to get into the music and enjoy it, instead of counting steps or minutes until the workout was over with.
It's a slow relationship I'm building with running- but we may grow to love one another just yet.
I keep telling myself that I want to be a runner. As if it's a destination, where one day I will arrive, and not just the process of strapping on the shoes and hitting the road. So I went to my local running shoe store last month and was fitted for a good pair of running shoes. I was almost embarrassed at the time to tell them during the fitting, "well, I'm not a runner yet, but I'm planning to start. Really, I swear." I was afraid they would burst into laughter at any moment; after all, these are seasoned pros that probably knock out half a dozen marathons a year and my paltry little 1-2 mile starting "runs" (with a little walking mixed in) are a joke by comparison. But they were awesome, and I came away with a pretty new pair of Saucony's that are keeping my feet happy as I ramp up the mileage. I even went back today for a snazzy new water bottle that is a little more conducive to holding for an hour than my current one.
I'm currently using the Runkeeper app (currently working on the sub-65 minute 10k program) as a training schedule. The program schedule runs 4 days per week, with long runs falling on Sundays. The mileage is fairly quickly ramping up, with speed drills starting to enter the mix this week. My time is averaging right about 11 min/mile right now, which could definitely stand some improvement. But that will come with continued endurance work and the speed drills. This past Sunday's run came in at 5.5 miles, but most exciting of all is that I think I managed my first glimpse into the infamous "runner's high", or at least some kind of feeling where I was able to get into the music and enjoy it, instead of counting steps or minutes until the workout was over with.
It's a slow relationship I'm building with running- but we may grow to love one another just yet.
Monday, January 21, 2013
The Modern Cavegirl?
I've been doing some reading on eating plans lately. Mark Sisson's The Primal Blueprint really struck a chord with me. The idea that our culture suffers ailments due not only to inactivity, but also our consumption of overly processed foods that seem to so often accompany our "go go go" lifestyle, really makes a lot of sense. People seem to have had phenomenal success with this lifestyle, whether their goal was weight loss, or just optimizing their health.
I have a "go go go" lifestyle, and it's nothing I can change at this point in my life. Nor can most people probably. So... here goes my attempt to make paleo/primal work for me in my own way. The modern cavegirl.
I don't have hours to prep meals each day, so I need things that are quick and still healthy. Monday through Friday will be healthy days. I'm fortunate, I have a nice healthy salad bar at work (employer-subsidized too), which makes it easy to make a good meal if I can't bring one from home. I will aim to be good on the weekends as well, but I won't beat myself up too badly if I have a meal that's not the ideal either. So eat healthy the majority of the time, but still allow a (little) splurge every so often, because food is life and love and meant to be enjoyed! As I uncover good recipes, I promise to share.
The other part of the cavegirl lifestyle is the exercise. I don't exactly live like a cavegirl- I work at a desk job and spend too much time during the day (and a lot of nights after the kiddos are in bed) sitting in front of the computer, when my counterpart would be out gathering berries and food for her family. I don't think I could talk my boss into a treadmill at my desk (ha!), and don't foresee the workload lightening up anytime soon, which means making fitness a priority in my day. I will rule my mornings and get my workout done for the day- it is a great feeling to have it done and really charges me up to face the day ahead. My current workout favorite is Turbo Fire- starting week 3 tomorrow.
Last but not least- sleep. Cavegirls were able to sleep and wake with the sun and nap when they felt so inclined. Not going to happen for this modern cavegirl. This is probably the biggest challenge for me right now. Work, kiddos and demands of life in general often keep me up late and up again early. I will aim for at least 7 hours of sleep a night and refuse to sleep less than 6 if at all possible. With the last project at work, I found myself up til 1 or 2am nightly, and back up at 6am. After six weeks of that, my body rewarded me with a nasty cold for the next month. Lesson learned body, lesson learned. I will stick with my at least 6 hour goal. A well rested modern cavegirl is a happy one.
And on that note- time for bed. Here's to good health!
I have a "go go go" lifestyle, and it's nothing I can change at this point in my life. Nor can most people probably. So... here goes my attempt to make paleo/primal work for me in my own way. The modern cavegirl.
I don't have hours to prep meals each day, so I need things that are quick and still healthy. Monday through Friday will be healthy days. I'm fortunate, I have a nice healthy salad bar at work (employer-subsidized too), which makes it easy to make a good meal if I can't bring one from home. I will aim to be good on the weekends as well, but I won't beat myself up too badly if I have a meal that's not the ideal either. So eat healthy the majority of the time, but still allow a (little) splurge every so often, because food is life and love and meant to be enjoyed! As I uncover good recipes, I promise to share.
The other part of the cavegirl lifestyle is the exercise. I don't exactly live like a cavegirl- I work at a desk job and spend too much time during the day (and a lot of nights after the kiddos are in bed) sitting in front of the computer, when my counterpart would be out gathering berries and food for her family. I don't think I could talk my boss into a treadmill at my desk (ha!), and don't foresee the workload lightening up anytime soon, which means making fitness a priority in my day. I will rule my mornings and get my workout done for the day- it is a great feeling to have it done and really charges me up to face the day ahead. My current workout favorite is Turbo Fire- starting week 3 tomorrow.
Last but not least- sleep. Cavegirls were able to sleep and wake with the sun and nap when they felt so inclined. Not going to happen for this modern cavegirl. This is probably the biggest challenge for me right now. Work, kiddos and demands of life in general often keep me up late and up again early. I will aim for at least 7 hours of sleep a night and refuse to sleep less than 6 if at all possible. With the last project at work, I found myself up til 1 or 2am nightly, and back up at 6am. After six weeks of that, my body rewarded me with a nasty cold for the next month. Lesson learned body, lesson learned. I will stick with my at least 6 hour goal. A well rested modern cavegirl is a happy one.
And on that note- time for bed. Here's to good health!
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Welcome!
Hi, I'm Jenn!
It seems like every new year begins with a new goal toward getting fit. And here I am again, a few days post-birthday, now officially in my mid-30s. After indulging a bit too much over the holidays (who doesn't?), I'm ready to commit back to being fit and hoping to drag others along in my journey.
A little more about me: I am wife to a great man and mom to two amazing daughters. I work full time and co-lead my daughters' Girl Scout troop, as well as serve as team mom for soccer. Balancing the demands of family, work, extra-curriculars and life in general can be a challenge, and I find that when one demand really heats up (usually work), the first thing to go are the workouts and nutrition. So, here goes my attempt to stop that trend and be more accountable. Once upon a time, I went to school to become a dietitian, but stopped short of earning my RD, and went into the world of accounting instead (long story). However, I still have a passion for nutrition and learning, as well as fitness in general. I also have a strong desire to not slip into the weight gain trap that starts to feel inevitable as we get older. I hope this blog will be informative to anyone who may stumble across it as well.
Live well!
It seems like every new year begins with a new goal toward getting fit. And here I am again, a few days post-birthday, now officially in my mid-30s. After indulging a bit too much over the holidays (who doesn't?), I'm ready to commit back to being fit and hoping to drag others along in my journey.
A little more about me: I am wife to a great man and mom to two amazing daughters. I work full time and co-lead my daughters' Girl Scout troop, as well as serve as team mom for soccer. Balancing the demands of family, work, extra-curriculars and life in general can be a challenge, and I find that when one demand really heats up (usually work), the first thing to go are the workouts and nutrition. So, here goes my attempt to stop that trend and be more accountable. Once upon a time, I went to school to become a dietitian, but stopped short of earning my RD, and went into the world of accounting instead (long story). However, I still have a passion for nutrition and learning, as well as fitness in general. I also have a strong desire to not slip into the weight gain trap that starts to feel inevitable as we get older. I hope this blog will be informative to anyone who may stumble across it as well.
Live well!
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