Fitness Myths and Fastest Mile

I finally broke down and purchased the Ninja blender on Saturday. (So shiny!) I was excited to wake up yesterday to use my new toy.

I whipped up some coconut water, banana, kale, parsley, and ginger. It is NOT a juice. It was a little different as it was very pulpy. But it was still good.

I had the drink along with an egg white scramble that had mushroom, green pepper, and onion topped with some zesty cilantro salsa. Yum!

While I was cooking, I heard Cosmo messing around with a paper bag. When I checked to see what he was doing, I found him inside. This is not unusual for him but it is always hilarious. 

Then Roxie decided to lay down next to him.

After breakfast, I flipped through the paper and found this article about 10 fitness myths. Here are few that stood out to me:

• A higher number on the scale means you're getting fatter. I have known that if you have the same volume of muscle and fat that the muscle will weigh more. I decided when I started my weight loss journey that I wasn't defined by a number on a scale. It is just a number. When I get to a point where I am much leaner, I am going to rely on how my clothes feel and not that number. 
• Lifting weights make women bulky. I don't know about you but I listen to Jillian Michaels. She has said it time and time again, women are not going to bulk up because they lack the testosterone to build large muscle mass. It will, however, help you look lean and toned which is what every women wants!
• Running on a treadmill is better for joins than running outside. I always assumed this was right, thus the reason I planned a treadmill day at the gym to help out my shinsplints. However, according to this article unless it is a high-quality treadmill, it really wont make much of a difference. And I think it's safe to say that the gym probably doesn't have the high-quality treadmills they're talking about. I might just scratch out that treadmill day because I prefer to run outside.
• Machines are safer than free weights. I never thought this and have actually always preferred free weights. I feel like using the machines will always keep the stronger side stronger because it will always be compensating for the weaker side. Using free weights allows that weaker side to work just as hard.
• Stretching before exercise improves performance. I have had this discussion several times as I do not stretch before I work out. I have read that it can actually cause injury because your muscles are not warmed up and ready to be stretched; however, I do believe stretching after you workout and are warmed up is great. It helps lengthen your muscles and can reduce soreness. 

When I was done reading, I looked over and saw my fur babies kind-of-sorta cuddling. Aren't they adorable?!

Since I opted to do spin on Saturday instead of my long run, I had to get out and get in my 3 miles. So I grabbed Roxie, turned on FitRadio and headed out the door. When I hit mile one and my stats told me that I just did a 10:14 mile, I was shocked. That is my fastest recorded mile. I wasn't even feeling that great. I was actually tired. But non-the-less, I was super excited! I felt like I struggled the remaining two miles as the 84 degree and humid weather caught up to me. There was also a handful of people that were starting fires and grilling that was making it a little hard to breath. But I pushed through it and completed the three miles.

Question: What are some fitness myths you've heard?

Happy National Running Day!

Did you know that today is National Running Day? Well, if you didn't, you do now!

I just got home from the gym where I completed my treadmill run for the week. I can really feel the shin splints coming... not happy about that. At. All. However, I did run to Target last week and pick me up this foam roller. My spin instructor said that it could help with shin splints and would also help "roll out" and relax the calf. I have used it a few times and I can immediately feel a difference in my calves. 

I have also been looking into compression socks which I have heard can help alleviate the pain, increase circulation, and aids in recovery. You can wear them while you train, after your run for recovery, or both. I am really considering them but haven't bit the bullet yet because they run about $50+ a pair. They also sell sleeves (just covers ankle up to knee) but I think the socks would be more beneficial as some of them will add extra support to your foot and/or ankle. I might be lookin' like a weirdo but I will do what it takes.

Circling back to my treadmill run.... guess which two of the following were performed on a treadmill? 

1.

2.

3.

4. 

5.

6.

7.

If you guessed 4 & 7, you're correct! I am really stumped on why my average pace has been about 45 seconds to 1 minute slower than my outdoor runs. I always thought assumed that your pace on the treadmill would be faster than outside. The first week of my actual plan (3 & 4) I just did the task at hand. But after I saw that my treadmill pace was slower, I was really curious to know how fast I was running outside. I'm thinking that I am actually faster than I lead myself to believe, so when I am on the treadmill I'm not running as fast as I could because I think, "I can't run that fast!" and slow my pace down.

So, yesterday while I was doing my outdoor run I tried to look at my phone to see what my pace was when I was running or walking. (MapMyRun if you're reading this, you need to make your map smaller and the current/average pace larger!) The current pace and average pace are in the left hand corner and are seriously about a font size 4. It is uber hard to read just while I was walking and impossible when I was running. Needless to say, my original thought didn't pan out to any good information. 

I decided that when I went to the gym today that I would push myself to see if I could get closer to my outside pace from yesterday. I started running at a 5.6 which is about a 10:40 min/mi. I started there because I knew that my average running pace from Saturday and one of my mile splits from yesterday was around there. But it felt a little too easy so I ended up increasing it one to two speeds each round until I reached a 6.2 (9:40 min/mi). I held it there for a few rounds and on my last round I went with a 6.4 just because I could.

I'm not going to worry about the pace difference going forward. I will just push myself each time to see what I am capable of for now. Once I am done with the run/walk plan and just focusing on miles then I think I will have better luck at getting the pace to match.

Question: Do you get shin splints? If so, what methods do you use to help prevent and/or alleviate them?

Extreme Weight Loss + Crazy = Marathons

Yesterday was the start of week two in my training plan. I made a few minor changes because in week one I felt like a 2 minute walk was too long.

Week 2 Training PlanTuesday 6/4 - Thursday 6/6

• 3 minute warm up
• 1.5 minute run x 2 1.5 minute walk. Repeat 8 times.
• 1 2 minute cool down

Saturday 6/8 - 3 miles

When I hit mile 2 and MapMyRun announced that my mile split was 10:40 I literally raised my right hand in celebration! I would have raised both hands but my pup was secured on my left hand. When I was finished I made a quick trip to the store to grab so more fixin's for some more Fajita-Ranch Chicken Wraps that I was craving since I made it on Saturday. Yes folks, it is that delicious!

When I got home, I turned on Extreme Weight Loss while I cooked. Last night followed the story of Meredith. Chris Powell - trainer extraordinaire - gave her a challenge of running the Niagara Falls Marathon at the end of 'Phase Two'. This course is not only done around the beautiful falls but you also run from one country to another. Yes, you read that right. This course takes you from the US across the border to Canada! How cool is that?! I had to know more, so I checked it out online and found out the only way to run from country to country would be to do the full.

Rewind back two years and you may remember that after I had completed the RNR San Diego run, I said I would never do another full marathon. Well, as of today I  have added the Niagara Falls Marathon and changed the Nike Women's Half to a Full on my goal list. Yes, I am crazy.


Question: Do you have a goal list? If so, what kind of goals have you set for yourself?

Flash Floods and Fajitas

Saturday was my first "long" run. Although it wasn't exactly long, it was the first run that wasn't planned as a run/walk. I decided that I was going to see if I could do the full 3 miles without walking any significant amount.

Erika and I met at Kreager Park to do our run. The initial plan was to do it together but as I warmed up I was picking up my pace and she was falling behind. I hate leaving people when we planned to do something together but I needed to see how I could perform over the three miles. I walked a tad bit to see which way I was supposed to go because I hadn't run at that park before.

Additionally, our run didn't go exactly to plan due to the huge storm we had on Friday night. The storm caused a flash flood warning as some places received 5-7 inches of rain in an hour. This caused part of our planned course to go under water. So we had a few spots that we did an out and back so our tennis shoes didn't get soaked.





Overall, I was really pleased with the run. My average pace was literally just under 11minutes/mile. I am hopeful that as I continue to train and put in my time/miles that I will see a faster pace.

After our run, we headed to Bob Evans for some well deserved breakfast. As always, our time was filled with many bizarre conversations and laughs. I headed home soon after to clean up and take a nap.

After my nap, I decided to get my meal planning on. I logged onto my Plan to Eat account and planned out my meals for the week and dinner that night. I had been wanting to try this Fajita-Ranch Chicken Wraps I had found earlier in the week and couldn't stop thinking about!



The recipe was super easy to make. The only change I made was to use a gluten free wrap instead of a flour tortilla... and I poured myself a glass of wine to have with my dinner. I usually don't have wine around but the bottle caught my eye while I was shopping and it paired well with the dinner. Doesn't it look delicious?!

Running the Rivergreenway

Tuesday was an outdoor run and I'll be honest, I didn't want to go. I had called my friend Erika on my way home from work to see if she would want to join me. She didn't answer. So when I got home, instead of changing into my running gear, I laid on the couch and watched some TV. I really quite comfortable and had no intention of getting up. At about the time I was almost okay with skipping my run (this is not unusual for me) my phone rang. It was Erika! Yay! She agreed to go on a run with me. We decided we would hit the Rivergreenway.

The Rivergreenway Trail is a 24 mile long linear park in Fort Wayne and New Haven, Indiana. The trail is along the banks of the St. Marys, St. Joseph and Maumee Rivers. Much of the Rivergreenway has been funded by the State of Indiana and the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. The Rivergreenway provides a great opportunity for recreation, fitness and conservation, as well as providing an alternative transportation network safely connecting the community.

My family used to ride our bikes on this trail when we were younger. I was never aware of how far we were actually going but I checked and it was about 4 miles - one way! It's crazy to think that when I was younger we would frequently ride 8 miles in a day.

Anyway, the original plan for the run was a 3 minute warm up followed by a 1 minute run and 2 minute walk repeated 8 times with a 1 minute cool down (not including stretching). We ended up going a little longer, and repeated the run/walk combo 10 times. I was synced to MapMyRun.com during the run and here is a little snap shot of the trail and some other cool things.

The bright green on the map shows the trail, the red is where we did our out and back. You can also view my pace per mile to the right of the map, and below the map shows the elevation compared to my pace at that time. Pretty cool, huh?

After our run, we did some stretching and chatting so by time we departed the park it was past 8pm. Passing the fast food chains was tempting, but I went to our local Kroger and picked up some sushi for dinner and some other goodies.

Question: Do you use MapMyRun.com? If so, tell me about it! What do you like about it or dislike?

Fort4Fitness Training Plan

Well, I bit the bullet and signed up for the Fort4Fitness mini marathon at the end of September in my hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana. I have signed up numerous times for this event, but have yet to do it due to injuries or lack of training.

Since I signed up, that means that I need to start training. I did some searching on the internet for various training plans and kind of made my own to suit my needs. I am prone to shin splints and know I need to ease as much as possible into the amount of time I pound the pavement. So I came up with a run/walk plan that has me doing more walking than running at first. I also plan on incorporating a treadmill run to help absorb some of the shock.

The plan is to do my short runs on Tuesday - Thursday with Wednesday being the day I run on the treadmill, and then on Saturdays will be my long runs. I'm not going to include any of my cross-training activities as they are always changing.

Here is the tentative 18 week training plan that I came up with.

Week 1
Tuesday 5/28 - Thursday 5/30

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

Saturday 6/1 - 3 miles

Week 2
Tuesday 6/4 - Thursday 6/6

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

Saturday 6/8 - 3 miles


Week 3
Tuesday 6/11 - Thursday 6/13

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

Saturday 6/15 - 4 miles


Week 4
Tuesday 6/18 - Thursday 6/20

• 3 minute warm up
• 2 minute run x 1.5 minute walk. Repeat 8 times.
• 2 minute cool down

Saturday 6/22 - 4 miles

Week 5
Tuesday 6/25 - Thursday 6/27

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

Saturday 6/29 - 5 miles

Week 6
Tuesday 7/2 - Thursday 7/4

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

Saturday 7/6 - 5 miles

Week 7
Tuesday 7/9 - Thursday 7/11

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

Saturday 7/13 - 6 miles

Week 8
Tuesday 7/16 - Thursday 7/18

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

Saturday 7/20- 6 miles

Week 9
Tuesday 7/23 - Thursday 7/25

• 3 minute warm up
• 3.5 minute run x .5 minute walk. Repeat 6 times.
• 3 minute cool down

Saturday 7/27- 4 miles

Week 10
Tuesday 7/30 - Thursday 8/1

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

Saturday 8/3 - 7 miles

Week 11
Tuesday 8/6 - Thursday 8/8

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

Saturday 8/10 - 8 miles

Week 12
Tuesday 8/13 - Thursday 8/15

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

Saturday 8/17 - 9 miles

Week 13
Tuesday 8/20 - Thursday 8/22

• 3 minute warm up
• 35 minute run/walk
• 3 minute cool down

Saturday 8/24 - 6 miles

Week 14
Tuesday 8/27 - Thursday 8/29

• 3 minute warm up
• 40 minute run/walk
• 3 minute cool down

Saturday 8/31- 10 miles

Week 15
Tuesday 9/3 - Thursday 9/5

• 3 minute warm up
• 45 minute run/walk
• 3 minute cool down

Saturday 9/7 - 11 miles

Week 16
Tuesday 9/10 - Thursday 9/12

• 3 minute warm up
• 40 minute run/walk
• 3 minute cool down

Saturday 9/14 - 9 miles

Week 17
Tuesday 9/17 - Thursday 9/19

• 3 minute warm up
• 35 minute run/walk
• 3 minute cool down

Saturday 9/21 - 9 miles

Week 18
Tuesday 9/24 - Thursday 9/26

• 3 minute warm up
• 30 minute run/walk
• 3 minute cool down

Saturday 9/28 - RACE DAY! 13.1 miles

**Disclaimer: I am not a certified physical trainer or even a seasoned athlete. This should not be considered advice; however, you are welcome to use and modify my plan if you wish. I am sharing my plan only to provide details of what I plan on doing, to help keep me accountable, and (maybe) inspire others that may not be a great runner but are interested in starting. Additionally, you should always consult a doctor before beginning any exercise regimen.**


Question: Are you currently training for a race? If so, which race(s) are you training for? I'd love it if you would share!

A Last-Ditch Effort for a Proposal from Kenny...

Kenny Chesney that is!

To catch y'all up to speed, my dear friend Megan is in love obsessed with Kenny. Ok, obsessed might be a little strong. But nonetheless, she did state on her bachelorette weekend that she may not come home if she happened to run into him and he was to propose.

The company I work for has a suite at a local venue and they will frequently allow employees the opportunity to enter into a drawing to purchase tickets to an event. I was lucky enough to win the drawing for two tickets. Naturally, Megan was the first person that came to mind that I would take as a guest. I figured it was a long shot with her wedding being a couple of days later, but there was no hesitation on her end.





We started our night in the suite which, for some reason, I didn't bother to take pictures in. Right before Kenny came on, we went down looking to meet up with some friends. We couldn't find them, but we did find a few open seats so we snuck in and stayed through the entire concert. Not a bad view, is it?

 

When the concert was over, we headed to Buffalo Wild Wings to meet up with some of her friends that were in town for the wedding and for some over due food. We had planned on going out to dinner before hand, but we ended up running out of time. So we didn't eat before. We did order and split one soft serve pretzel. We were having too much fun.

Needless to say, there was no proposal from Mr. Chesney that night. Sorry Meg!