Back to the Grind

Do you ever get off a day and it seems like it takes you multiples days (for me, weeks) to get back on track? That is what happened to me. Although I was more than happy to help my grandpa move a couple of weeks ago, not having that time set aside so I could work around it really threw me off from my blogging streak' however, I maintained my running and eating which is what is really important (if I'm being honest.)

Here are a few highlights from the past couple of weeks that I have been silent..

STUTZMAN BIGGEST LOSER

On Sunday, July 7th, my family gathered for the results of our biggest loser competition. Some of my family I had not seen since Easter so their loss was noticeable. I did my best but wasn't able to pull off the win. My uncle Dewayne came in first, followed by my uncle Terry, and I placed in third. Overall, I can't be disappointed in my performance because I am 25 pounds lighter than when we started! Here is a short video that my aunt put together.

RUNS

My average pace on my runs have decreased, which is exciting! Well, I guess more than exciting, it's unbelievable! I was running my long run on Saturday and when MapMyRun would say my split pace, I was shocked. I was holding a pace that I would have never imagined I could do for one mile, let alone for 6 miles. It just goes to show that hard work and dedication does pay off.

 

Training Plan

I am still making changes to my running plan as I need to. Because I have been feeling stronger and that I need less time to recover, I have added a an additional day of running during the week. Additionally, I am still going to use my split timer for my run/walk but am only going to use the walk time if it is absolutely necessary. I figure, if I can run 6 miles and walk less than 2 minutes of it, I really don't need to be walking 4 minutes on short runs. Here is this weeks plan:

Week 8Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday

• 3 minute warm up
• 3 minute run x .5 minute walk. Repeat 8 times.
• 3 minute cool down

Saturday 7/20 - 6 miles
HEALTHY SURPRISE

I had placed my Healthy Surprise box in my pantry and kind of forgot about it. I figured I needed to start eating some as my next box will be arriving soon. Here are some of the treats I've tried:

Sesame Ginger Journey Bar: It wasn't like a flavor explosion in your mouth but it was still good. I would eat another one. It was 200 calories with 7 grams of protein. It is all natural, gluten free, non-gmo, soy-free, and vegan. They have other flavors and I would really like to try the Pizza Marinara. You can buy them online through the website and it breaks down to $2/bar. Not shabby!

Mango, Pear, Pineapple Fruit.0: Although the flavor was good, it was like eating baby food... or drinking a warm smoothie. It may have tasted better if it were cold but I'm not sure. If I get another one in a box, I will have to try it that way. It was 100 calories for the whole pack and you can purchase them online from their site. Cost breaks down to $2.50 a pouch. Maybe a good snack to pack for kids..?

Apples + Cherries That's it Bar: I loved this bar. It was soft and chewy and filled with flavor! I hope I get another one in my next box! One bar is 100 calories and only contained apples and cherries. Seriously! They have three other kinds, Apples + Pears, Apples + Apricots, and Apples + Mangoes. If you would like to try them, you can try all 4 flavors for $6.99 ($1.75 a bar) by going here.

Home Free Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies: These crunchy, bite size cookies were delicious! They took care of the cravings for crunch and sweetness all in a 100 calorie pack! The bits of chocolate were surprising soft and creamy compared to the crunchy cookie. The 100 calorie packs go for $1.50 on their website. That's about the cost of a candy bar, only these are a bit healthier.

SunBiotics Original Almonds: They're almonds. You either like 'em or ya don't; however, I saw on their website that they have Cheesy Almonds which I would LOVE to try! I absolutely love cheese! I wasn't able to find a store locator or a place to purchase these through their site, so I'm not sure how you can try these or how I will get the cheesy flavor... I guess I'll just wait.



Running Perks and June Recap

SATURDAY

I woke up in the morning feeling like p diddy and had a tablespoon of Justin's Maple Almond Butter and a Pomegranate Blueberry Pistachio Kind Plus bar. This was my first time having a Kind bar and it was really good. I had this to eat because I planned on running about 30 minutes after...

...but the 30 minutes turned in to over an hour before I actually hit that pavement. Oops!

My phone recently had an update and ever since then the GPS has not been working properly. I was running along and hit the one mile spot waiting for MapMyRun to read my total time and distance.. and I waited... and I waited. I thought maybe I had forgot to start it, but when I looked at my phone it was only reading .70 miles. Ugh. Frustrating. But I continued and said I would just have to guess by the total time. These are the split times they gave me, none of which I am trusting because it obviously didn't take me almost 38 minutes to do two miles.

 

I did some stretching when I finished and then found this weird gross thing on my shirt. I wonder how long he was along for the ride.

I hopped on MapMyRun.com to fix the map as best as I could to see what my total distance was. I planned to do 5 and ended up doing 5.45 with an average pace of about 11 minutes/mile. I guess that just means that I will have to do 5.5 or 6 this coming weekend.

After I freshened up, I headed to IHOP for some delicious breakfast! Yes, I had bacon and waffles. My lovely aunt gave me some grief for posting this photo on Facebook but I explained to her that running has its perks. I ran over 5 miles and burned more than 800 calories, and the day was just getting started. The meal was about 660. It was probably less than that because I didn't get butter and I used sugar free syrup instead of regular. So, of you ran 5.45 miles, you could eat like this too! Well, technically anyone could have this but you can have it with less guilt if you ran first. Oh, and it is a fact All my running buddies know that we run so we can eat. :)

I then headed off to Tiffany Nails to get in the 4th of July spirit.

After the nail salon I headed to get my hair done. It was desperately in need of a cut but was talked in to just a trim as everyone said they liked my hair long, so long it stayed. I think I am going to chop it all off when I hit my goal weight but we will see.

When I got home from running around all afternoon, I was in the mood for something salty and crunchy. So I took a look into the Healthy Surprise box I received a few weeks ago and found some Sesame Dijon Zucchini Chips from Just Pure foods. These were really good and I was sad when the bag was gone! The whole bag is one serving for 170 calories and 5 grams of protein. I can handle that! But I just checked out their website and one bag is $7! Yikes! Not sure I will be buying more of these after all.

SUNDAY

I kicked off Sunday with a smoothie made of pineapple, orange, ginger, kale and protein powder and then headed out to see my friend Britni.

After spending some time with her I headed to the grocery store to get all the fixin's for the week. I didn't have that much on my list and ended up filling the cart (and my cupboards) with things that were not necessary like chips, protein and other healthy bars, zero calorie flavored waters. I guess I was a little hungry.

When I got home, and after everything was put in its place, I made breakfast for lunch. Just a couple of eggs seasoned with Mrs. Dash, an orange, and a half of an Ezekiel English Muffin with a Laughing Cow Garlic & Herb wedge.

I was getting ready to relax when I noticed I had a voicemail from my mom asking me to come help her, my dad and brother move my grandpa. So much for relaxing. It was up off the couch and ready to work.

When we got there we had to pack everything up and load it, take it to his new home and unpack it. We got the major things done first, the kitchen, bath, and bed rooms. I had to leave at 8:30 pm because I was exhausted and I had things to do to get ready for work on Monday.

JUNE RECAP

Question: What do you like to eat after a run or workout? Do you splurge every once in a while or stick to the diet?

How Much is Too Much?

Week 5 Plan
Run/Walk: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday

• 2 minute warm up
• 2 minute run x 1 minute walk. Repeat 8 times.
• 2 minute cool down

Saturday 6/29 - 5 miles

I am in the home stretch of the Stutzman Biggest Loser - a family competition to see who can lose the highest percentage of weight. I am currently in first but have some tough competitors on my behind. So I'm really watching what I eat and ramping up some non-impact exercise classes that will include spin and my first pilates class. I've never done pilates before so I'm not sure what to expect.

On this note, I was talking to a friend and telling her how much I plan to work out over the next 8 days - the final weigh in will be July 3. Which prompted a question. No, it's not if I am crazy because I already know that I am. The question was: how much is too much when it comes to cardio?

Speaking of cardio... I was a good girl yesterday and woke up early so I could beat the heat and get my run in. While I was getting ready I munched on a Oatmeal Cinnamon Raisin protein bar. I only ate half of it before my run as I just needed a little something to eat since I wasn't going to be gone for more than 30 minutes.

 

The run felt a little rough as I was having some pain in my knee and hip. But I pushed through it and made it to the end.

I did some stretches when I got back and then packed my lunch and made breakfast so I could leave the compression socks on for a little while longer. Breakfast consisted of blueberries, strawberries, spinach, mint, coconut water and PlantFusion protein powder. I only used a half scoop of the protein powder since I already had part of a protein bar.

This week for lunch I combined broccoli, cauliflower, ground chicken breast, Fountain of Health Roasted Garlic Hummus, and some Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb seasoning.

I was still a little hungry after lunch, so I ate the other half of that oatmeal protein bar. And then later I snacked on an apple with some cheese slices.

When I got home, I intended to go to spin class but I ended up taking a little nap and didn't wake up in time. So I got up and made a Fajita-Ranch Chicken salad for dinner. Mmm... so good!

I shouldn't have munched before I went to bed, but my tummy was rumbling so I at some Mango Crunchies that were in the HealthySurprise box. They weren't horrible but they weren't amazing either. They were ok for 20 calories.

After I ate them, I realized that I didn't drink that much water so I was probably thirsty and not hungry. I blame it on my tired brain.

Questions: Have you tried any new eats lately? Was it a good choice or bad?

Is there such a thing as doing too much cardio?

Please leave your comments/thoughts below!

Rocky Weekend Recap

SATURDAY
Before I made the disastrous attempt to run on Saturday, I made a smoothie with protein powder, banana, blueberries, kale, cilantro, and coconut water.

The afternoon was spent running around making some returns. I was good and didn't buy anything, only because Target didn't have my size in the shorts I was looking for.

Since I was out and about, I stopped by Subway and picked up a 6-inch sub made with honey oat bread, pepper jack cheese, oven roasted chicken, lettuce, spinach, tomato, green pepper, onion, jalapenos and a little southwest sauce for lunch.

Later I went to say bye to my friend that is deploying to Afghanistan for the next 12-18 months. On my way there I snacked on a LiveSmart Chocolate Suicide Raw Bar from the HealthySurprise box I mentioned last week.

The bar was delicious and a perfect snack at 196 calories and 6 grams of protein.

I was busy visiting and didn't take many photos. Here are the ones I managed to snap before it got too dark:

Charlie, Lilly, Me, and Kade

Me, Kade, and Lilly

The only picture of Johnny (far right) before he deploys

SUNDAY
Sunday was all around an "off" day for me. I had to get a run in since I didn't finish it on Saturday and I wanted to do it before it got too hot. So when I woke up I grabbed a Chocolate Chip Cherry Torte Larabar and then got ready for my run.

When I left for my run it was only 73 degrees but already felt way warmer than that due to the humidity.

By time I had completed my 4 mile run (I lost my GPS connection at the end), it was 76 but felt like 81 with a 67% humidity. I was dying and so was Roxie, so after I did some stretches we hopped in the car and headed to Starbucks for some cool goodness.

Roxie had a "puppy latte" aka whipped cream and I had a trenta unsweetened Passion Fruit Iced Tea.

I wasn't really in a smoothie mood but I was hungry, so I had an egg, half of an Ezekiel english muffin with The Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb Cheese Wedge on it, and served up some strawberries on the side. Mmm.. I haven't had eggs in what feels like forever and it was delicious, especially the muffin with cheese!

Later I grilled some flank steak and served it with green beans and a cauliflower puree. I had never had cauliflower puree before and I was pleasantly surprised. I seasoned it with a bit of butter, cream cheese, and garlic powder.

While I was cooking up lunches for the week, I felt a little hungry (probably due to the fact that my meal times were all out of whack) so I made a green smoothie with pineapple, orange, cilantro, Naked coconut water, and spinach. I didn't add the protein powder since I wasn't using the smoothie as a meal replacement.

Question: If you have an "off" day, do you find it hard to get back in to the groove of things?

Weekend Highlights and Tara Ties the Knot

Happy Monday to all of you! I had a pretty busy weekend and didn't have time to post anything so I'm just going to give y'all some highlights.

On my way home from work on Friday, I stopped to get the mail from my mail box and found my Healthy Surprise package in it! Yay!

Check out all the goodies that were in it:

I plan on trying these snacks over the next few weeks, so stay tuned to get my thoughts/opinions.

Saturday was a busy day! A lot to do and very little time. I did a quick 4 mile run in the morning. After my second mile, I really needed some water but I didn't have any so it was a bit of a struggle. I really need to be better at carrying some with me but I hate running with stuff in my hands.

I cleaned up from my run and went to the nail salon to get a mani/pedi. While I was getting my pedicure, I read the January issue of Glamour that featured Anne Hathaway.

This part of the interview with Anne really stuck out to me:

Eve Ensler: This is Glamour’s Self-Expression Issue. When did you feel like you began to express yourself in a way that was authentic to you?
Anne Hathaway: I had that moment after I finished making Rachel Getting Married. I realized that the life I’d been living [was not authentic] and that I had to make a change. Then I found out that my trust had been betrayed quite massively. So for me, that call came at the end of 2007. Who was I going to be? There’s no magic bullet; there’s no pill that you take that makes everything great and makes you happy all the time. I’m letting go of those expectations, and that’s opening me up to moments of transcendent bliss. But I still feel the stress over “Am I thin enough? Am I too thin? Is my body the right shape?”
Eve Ensler: And is that an everyday obsession?
Anne Hathaway: If I’m honest, yes. There’s an obsessive quality to it that I thought I would’ve grown out of by now. It’s an ongoing source of shame for me.

It struck a cord with me because you don't think of stars having body image issues. I mean, to me, she's Anne freakin' Hathaway. She is beautiful! But then you have to turn the table on yourself. How many times does someone say "you're beautiful" yet you pick yourself apart to pieces? It happens more often than not, right? What we need to remember (and I'm speaking we when I should say I) is that each of us are individuals. And although it is ok to aspire to be better, be very careful about comparing yourself to someone. Be the best YOU that you can be.

..moving on..

My nails were finished and I headed home to get ready.



..shortly after I was out the door all ready to celebrate my friend's wedding day! (Seatbelt added for saftey, not for fashion.)

They had a photo booth at the reception so the bride (who I have known since I was basically born) and I stepped in for a few snaps. The first photo we were not ready for, hence the funny look. The center picture is with my old babysitter, Nanci. And then a few more of my old time BFF. I love her like she was my sister. I only wish we had remained a lot closer over the years.

It was a fabulous wedding filled with reminiscing of old times, making new memories, and celebrating the start of a new chapter. Congrats Tara and Craig! May your life be filled with more love than you know what to do with, the pee-your-pants kind of laughter, and the friendship that will grow and last a lifetime.

Sunday started out with spur of the moment trip to Ohio to surprise some old friends, followed by grocery shopping, lunch making, and some house cleaning.

I was craving some buffalo wings but didn't want the added calories of the breading. So I cooked up some chicken tenders and tossed them in some buffalo sauce. I served it with some Alexia Sweet Potato Fries and a little bit of ranch to dip them in. It was a good decision but not sure how many calories were saved.

Averages and Run Summary

I use BodyMedia to track my activities, calories burned, sleep, etc. Here is an average of my past week compared to my goals.

And MapMyRun sent me my workout summary:



Questions: What did you do this weekend?

                  Do you carry water with you when you run? If so, what do you use? A simple water bottle or something like a fuel belt? I need some ideas!

Leave your comments below. :)