A Good Weigh In

After almost two months of hanging around in the low 150’s, I finally got my eating under control last week and had a good weigh in!

Totals for 6/13/12 – 6/19/12

Daily points used:  196/196
Weekly points used:  46/49
Activity points earned:  31
Activity points used:  31
Points left on the table:  3

The key really is to just stay within the allotted points each week.  If only it was as easy to do as it is to say!  The weekends are usually where I give in.  Saturday we were out of the house from 9AM to 9PM – we left early to tailgate, then went to the A’s game, then headed to a barbecue at a friend’s house.  It was a long day, and as designated driver I only had three beers all day – one at the tailgate, one at the game, and one at the barbecue.  I also chose relatively healthy food at the tailgate and the barbecue – grilled buffalo tofu and celery sticks, stuffed zucchini, grilled banana, bean tacos with hot sauce and shredded cabbage.  It was a long, exhausting and fun day.

Sunday I was only scheduled for a five mile run (it’s still funny to me to say “only” for anything higher than two or three miles), so I didn’t earn a whole lot of activity points, but I seemed to naturally eat healthily.  I LOVE those days when it’s easy to eat healthily.  It certainly helps to have a stocked fridge…makes it easier to pass on calling for Chinese food.

Anyway, to get to the point, I weighed in at 149.5 on Wednesday, 4.5 pounds down from the week before.  Now I have to stay determined to not jump back up into the 150’s.  To help me move in the right direction, I joined Run with Jess’ Marathon Weight Loss Challenge.  I don’t quite have 26.2 less to lose (nor do I think I could lose that much by September anyway), so my goal is to lose a half marathon, 13.1 pounds.  You weigh in each Monday for a chance to win prizes, and there is a very supportive and fun Facebook group.  Registration closes on June 25th, so there’s still time to sign up if you’re interested!

Wednesday, 6/13/12

breakfast – mango, banana dates, almond milk, chocolate hemp protein powder, carob powder, 1 Tbs ground flac, wheatgrass powder, maca powder
AM snack – applesauce, 12 almonds, coffee with vanilla coconut creamer
lunch – Thai Veggie Burger on romaine with pineapple and sriracha-Vegenaise, roasted broccoli, roasted potatoes with onion & red bell pepper
PM snack – limon frozen fruit bar, nectarine
dinner – salad (romaine, bell pepper, mushrooms, bac’uns bits, 1 tsp hemp oil & balsamic vinegar), pizza in a cup (pizza crust, pizza sauce, mushrooms, peppers, cheesy sauce), 12 oz light beer, 6 oz red wine

exercise – ran 2.5 miles (30 minutes), walked 10 minutes)

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  6
activity points used:  14

Pizza in a cup, tutorial here

Thursday, 6/14/12

breakfast – smoothie (pineapple, banana, almond milk, Plant Fusion protein powder, 1 Tbs ground flax, spinach)
AM snack – applesauce, 12 almonds, coffee with vanilla coconut creamer
lunch – salad (romaine, shredded carrot, light champagne vinaigrette), pizza in a cup
PM snack – Persian cucumbers with 1 1/2 oz hummus
dinner – Thai veggie burger on rye bread with pineapple, lettuce, sriracha-reduced fat vegenaise, dill pickles, 10 oz red wine

exercise – Wii Fit rhythm boxing, hula hoop, advanced step, squats and lunges, Biggest Loser Wii yoga

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  3
activity points used:  12

Friday, 6/15/12

breakfast – smoothie (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, banana, chocolate protein powder, almond milk, 1 Tbs ground flax, spinach)
AM snack – plum, nectarine, 12 almonds, coffee with vanilla coconut creamer
lunch – giant salad (romaine, chickpeas, edamame, wheatberries, carrots, corn, tomato, sesame dressing)
PM snack – cucumber with 1 1/2 oz hummus
dinner – salad (romaine, shredded carrot, bac’uns bits, Goddess dressing), pizza in a cup
after dinner – banana, 2 slices rye bread, 16 oz red wine

exercise – walked 20 minutes

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  1
activity points used:  5
weekly points used:  17

Saturday, 6/16/12

breakfast – smoothie (peach, banana, 1 Tbs ground flax, almond milk, spinach), coffee with vanilla coconut creamer
lunch @ tailgate – buffalo tofu, celery sticks, Moroccan zucchini stuffed with couscous, dried apricot & toasted pine nuts, potato-mushroom skewers, grilled bread with grilled banana, 24 oz beer
dinner – two tacos (corn tortilla, pinto beans, avocado, hot sauce and shredded cabbage), 12 oz beer
after – 10 oz red wine

daily points used:  28
weekly points used:  22

Sunday, 6/17/12

breakfast – grits with 1 tsp hemp oil and nutritional yeast, coffee with vanilla coconut creamer
pre-run snack – banana
post-run – 1 cup coconut water
lunch – Tofurky slices on rye bread with hummus, mustard, dill pickle and baby greens, carrot sticks, peach
PM snack – cherries
dinner – Leahey Gardens macaroni & cheese with spinach, 12 oz red wine

exercise – ran five miles (60 minutes), walked 10 minutes

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  12
weekly points used:  6

I do love a Tofurky and hummus sandwich.

Monday, 6/18/12

breakfast – smoothie (peach, banana, 1 Tbs ground flax, almond milk, Plant Fusion protein powder, chlorella)
AM snack – cherries, 12 almonds, coffee with vanilla coconut creamer
lunch – Tofurky slices on rye bread with hummus, mustard, dill pickle and baby greens, carrot sticks
PM snack – 2 plums
PM snack 2 – chocolate sacha inchi blueberry energy bar
dinner – fried quinoa with tofu, edamame, carrot, mushroom, celery, zucchini, bok choy & sesame seeds

exercise – 50 minutes Afro-Belly Boogie (belly dancing)

daily points used:  28
activity points earned: 4

fried quinoa with tofu, edamame & veggies

Tuesday, 6/19/12

breakfast – smoothie (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, 1 Tbs ground flax, banana, chocolate protein powder, almond milk, carob powder, 1 Tbs chocolate hazelnut butter, spinach)
AM snack – 1/2 honeydew
lunch – fried quinoa with tofu, edamame, carrot, mushroom, celery, zucchini, bok choy & sesame seeds, dark chocolate with blueberries & almonds
PM snack – mini sweet peppers
PM snack 2 – 2 dates
dinner – Tofurky slices on rye bread with hummus, mustard, dill pickle and baby greens, neapolitan mini frozen dessert bar

exercise – ran 2 miles (24 minutes), walked 10 minutes

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  5
weekly points used:  1

Advertisement

Half Marathon Training Weeks 7 & 8 – Running in Reno

half marathon training week seven
Monday – walked 20 minutes
Tuesday – walked 40 minutes
Wednesday – ran 3.5 miles
Thursday – 10 minute stationary bike, walked 30 minutes, BodyPump (60 minutes weight lifting)
Friday – rest
Saturday- ran 9 miles
Sunday – rest

Mileage total for the week – 12.5

As mentioned in my last post, my left leg was extremely sore on Monday and Tuesday from the trail race I did Sunday, so I took it really easy those days.  It worked out well, as a friend was in town and I went to hang out with her both days after work anyway.  I got the scheduled 3.5 miles in Wednesday with no pain, which was a huge relief.

We went to Reno for the weekend, leaving work early on Friday to beat traffic.  I had a nine mile long run scheduled for Sunday, so I moved it to Saturday and ran along the Truckee River, which passes through Reno.  The downtown casino area may be a little scummy at times, but the riverwalk and the parks heading west along the river are beautiful.

Photos from a previous trip:

There were people out kayaking, fishing, swimming, picnicking, running, dog walking, and regular walking.  I ran west along the river until there was no more path, then circled around a nice residential neighborhood a bit before it was time to turn around.

My stomach was upset for almost the entire run.  I ate my normal pre-race meal (English muffin with nut butter and coffee), but it had more nut butter than normal (Justin’s Maple Almond Butter is some incredible stuff).  I also drank a bit more the night before than I should’ve (ahem), and didn’t get as much sleep as I had wanted, and was accordingly under hydrated.  I just needed to get through it the best I could, then I could rest and re-fuel.

I took a walking break at 2.5 miles to drink some Vega Sport Lemon Lime Electrolyte Hydrator, which I was trying for the first time (and I’m sure I sorely needed it!).  I was taken aback by how salty it is, I wasn’t expecting a salty flavor.  Once I got used to it though, it was fine.  It tasted like lemon lime Gatorade mixed with ocean water.  I paused again at five miles to drink more hydrator and take a gel.  By this time my legs were starting to hurt, so I just focused on moving my legs, regardless of the pace.  I paused again at mile seven to fill up at a conveniently located water fountain, and found that my feet were tingling pins and needles, which I think only happened because I stopped completely for about 20 seconds.  My feet and legs HURT during the last two miles.  The thought of water and air conditioning and food got me back to the hotel.  Total time was 1:56:22, for an average pace of 12:56.

half marathon training week eight
Monday – 50 minutes kickboxing
Tuesday – ran 2 miles
Wednesday – ran 2.5 miles
Thursday – Wii Fit Plus rhythm boxing, step, hula hoop, squats & lunges, Biggest Loser Wii yoga
Friday – walked 20 minutes
Saturday- rest
Sunday – ran 5 miles

I felt like I slacked this week, even though I technically only missed one workout.  I did my Wednesday run before work on the treadmill, since I had plans for after work.  I was scheduled for 3 but only had time for 2.5, which really isn’t a big deal.  The after-work plans got cancelled, so it was nice to have some unexpected free time!

I usually attend BodyPump on Thursdays but my gym was closed for renovations, so I busted out the Wii Fit instead.  It had been a really long time since I worked out with the Wii Fit – it’s not the most amazing workout in the world, but it sure is fun.  I definitely felt it in my core the next day from all the hula hooping.

After work on Friday we went to the grocery store to stock up for a tailgate the next day, and by the time we got home at 6:30 I was exhausted and starving, so the run went out the door.  It was supposed to be a cut back week, so I wasn’t too worried about missing one run, although it WAS supposed to be four miles.  I added a mile to my run on Sunday to make up for it a little.

With only four weeks left to go before the half marathon, I feel good!  My legs and core feel strong, and I think I’m getting a good feel for how to execute and fuel for long runs.  And, I’ve finally got my eating back under control this week, so I’m crossing my fingers for a good weigh in result.

Monday, 6/4/12

breakfast – smoothie (peaches, banana, almond milk, 1 Tbs ground flax, Plant Fusion protein powder, kale)
AM snack – cherries, 12 almonds, coffee with soy creamer
lunch – Amy’s Indian Mattar Tofu meal, more cherries
PM snack – 4 Persian cucumbers w/ vinaigrette (1 tsp hemp oil, 1 tsp balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard)
dinner – mushrooms, eggplant, lentils and kale over couscous & wild rice, 12 oz red wine, 16 oz beer
after dinner – pretzels

exercise – 20 minutes walking

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  1
weekly points used:  2
non-existent points used:  10

Tuesday, 6/5/12

breakfast – smoothie (pineapple, banana, orange juice, 1 Tbs ground flax, chia seeds, kale)
AM snack – strawberries, 24 pistachios, coffee with soy creamer
lunch – smoky split pea soup
PM snack – salad (baby greens, broccoli, beets, shredded carrot, chickpeas, light balsamic vinaigrette)
dinner – 9 tortilla chips with salsa, two tofu mole tacos, refried beans, 28 oz beer

exercise – 40 minutes walking

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  2
non-existent points used:  16

Wednesday, 6/6/12

breakfast – smoothie (pineapple, banana, almond milk, Plant Fusion protein powder, kale)
AM snack – strawberries, 12 almonds, coffee with soy creamer
lunch – hummus plate with roasted red peppers, artichokes and pita bread, 2 apricots
PM snack – cherry tomatoes & basil leaves with vinaigrette (1 tsp hemp oil, 1 tsp balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard)
PM snack 2 – chocolate sacha inchi blueberry energy bar
dinner – quinoa paella with spring vegetables

exercise – ran 3.5 miles (41 minutes), walked 10 minutes

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  7
activity points used:  2

Quinoa Paella with Fava Beans & Spring Vegetables, adapted from this recipe

Thursday, 6/7/12

breakfast – smoothie (strawberries, mango, banana, orange juice, 1 Tbs ground flax, 2 Tbs rolled oats, kale)
AM snack – plum, 2 apricots, 12 almonds, coffee with soy creamer
lunch – quinoa paella with spring vegetables
PM snack – cherry tomatoes & basil leaves with 2 Tbs Goddess dressing
PM snack 2 – chocolate sacha inchi blueberry energy bar
dinner at Fresh choice – giant salad (kale, romaine, cucumber, radish, edamame, kidney beans, sunflower seeds, light Italian vinaigrette), small portions of black bean-avocado salad, baby carrots & celery sticks with hummus, roasted leeks, pickles, roasted eggplant, steamed broccoli, artichoke & asparagus salad, one slice sourdough with one Tbs maple spread, 1 cup vegetarian pho, honeydew melon & orange slices

exercise – 10 minute stationary bike, walked 30 minutes, BodyPump (60 minutes weight lifting)

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  7
activity points used:  9

Friday, 6/8/12

breakfast – smoothie (pineapple, banana, almond milk, Plant Fusion protein powder, kale)
AM snack – 2 plums, 12 almonds, coffee with soy creamer
lunch 1 – quinoa paella with spring vegetables
lunch 2 (late afternoon on the way to Reno) – hummus sandwich on rye with lettuce, cucumber & tomato, apple, handful of french fries, decaf soy latte
late dinner & rest of the night – springs rolls over rice noodles with carrots, lettuce, cucumber, bean sprouts & Vietnamese sauce, 36 oz light beer, 18 oz red wine, pretzels (now you see why I was dehydrated on my long run…)

daily points used:  28
activity points used:  39
weekly points used:  17

Saturday, 6/9/12

breakfast – sprouted grain English muffin with maple almond butter, soy latte
pre-run – Vega pre-workout energizer
during run – Vega lemon lime electrolyte hydrator, Vega orange endurance gel
post-run – Vega recover accelerator, banana, Vega vanilla performance protein mixed with almond milk
lunch – 10 tortilla chips, burrito (rice, beans, lettuce, salsa, guacamole), 12 oz beer
PM snack – pretzels, 4 oz bourbon with lemonade & pomegranate juice
late dinner & rest of the night – veggie burger on a wheat bun with ketchup, mustard & avocado, french fries, 44 oz light beer, 5 oz red wine

exercise – ran 9 miles (110 minutes), walked 10 minutes

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  21
weekly points used:  32
non-existent points used:  34

Sunday, 6/10/12

breakfast – sprouted grain English muffin with chocolate peanut butter, banana, Amazing Grass Acai & Goji Berry superfood powder mixed with almond milk, soy latte
lunch – 8 tortilla chips with salsa, roasted veggie burrito with beans
dinner – spicy garlic eggplant, steamed broccoli, 22 oz red wine

daily points used:  28
non-existent points used:  26

Monday, 6/11/12

breakfast – smoothie (mango, kiwi, banana, orange juice, hemp protein powder, chlorella)
AM snack – cherries
lunch – Thai Veggie Burger on romaine with pineapple and sriracha-Vegenaise, roasted broccoli, roasted potatoes with onion & red bell pepper, pickles
PM snack – sprouted grain English muffin with 1 Tbs almond butter and banana
dinner – quinoa paella with spring vegetables
after dinner – pretzels, dark chocolate

exercise – 50 minutes kickboxing

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  9
non-existent points used:  5

Tuesday, 6/12/12

breakfast – smoothie (strawberries, banana, 1 Tbs ground flax, almond milk, Plant Fusion protein powder, wheatgrass powder)
AM snack – honeydew, 12 almonds, coffee with hazelnut coconut creamer
lunch – Thai Veggie Burger on romaine with pineapple and sriracha-Vegenaise, roasted broccoli, roasted potatoes with onion & red bell pepper
PM snack – cherry pit Larabar
dinner – mushroom sushi roll, avocado sushi roll, sushi roll w/ fried tofu, inari & seaweed salad

exercise – ran 2 miles (23 minutes), walked 10 minutes

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  5
non-existent points used:  9

Thai Veggie Burger from Peas & Thank You

Half Marathon Training Week 6 – My First Trail Race

Poking around for smaller races to integrate into my half marathon training, I came across the Canyon Meadow Trail Run, located in  nearby Redwood Regional Park.  I was scheduled for 8 miles that day, so neither the 5 mile race nor the half marathon fit very well.  The run looked like lots of fun, and a good introduction to trail racing, so I signed up for the five miler and figured I could just keep going for three more miles after the finish line.  (I was tempted to sign up for the half marathon and just hike the last five miles, but Dave convinced me it probably wasn’t the best idea.)

I thought about taking a camera along to capture some scenery, but decided against it that morning.  I kind of wish I had though, the trails were absolutely gorgeous!

Let’s talk about elevation for a second…

Having never run a trail race, or any hilly race for that matter, I didn’t know exactly what to expect.  I had read a few race reports from the previous year that talked about the giant hill at the beginning, and the race director warned us to walk it and save our energy for the rest of the run, so walk we did!  It was pretty brutal, even for a hike – almost a 400 foot gain in half a mile!  Once at the top, we were on a fire trail on top of a ridge, with rolling hills.  I ran the smaller ones, and hiked the steeper or longer ones.  My first mile was the slowest by far, clocking in at 16:52.

The runners doing the other (longer) distances shared the trail with us until about halfway, where the five mile runners turned off on another trail.  This trail descended into a shady canyon and a wide, leaf-covered path wound along a stream for most of the second half.  It was much more solitary and very quiet, except for a few groups of hikers.  The first two big drops were pretty difficult on the ol’ legs, but after that it was a nice, easy jog into the finish line.  About a half mile out, I passed a campsite where a few adults and toddlers were starting their day.  One lady called out my number as I approached, and the kids jumped and cheered.  As I passed, another lady said “You’re an inspiration to all of us!”  I don’t know if she said it because I’m a lady runner, or because I’m a bigger lady runner, or if she was saying it to everyone that passed, or maybe I looked like death at that point and she sensed I needed a little motivation, but it touched me so much.

My Garmin recorded the distance as 4.92 miles, and my time as 1:05:51.  My official time (gun time, no chips) was 1:06:22.  I came in 62nd out of 87 overall, and 7th out of 12 in my age group.  That’s almost the top half!  I was really happy with how I did in my first trail race, and very pleased with how the race went.  Every time I began to worry that I might be off course, I passed one of the pink flags that reassured me I was going the right way.  I definitely hope to participate in many more races put on by Coastal Trail Runs.

(The photographer got a shot of me at the finish line, but it is AWFUL.  I was trying out a new sports bra, and let’s just say it wasn’t holding up its end of the bargain.  Also, I looked like death, as I do at the end of most races…)

After finishing, I grabbed a handful of peanut butter filled pretzels and some water.  My original plan was to find a trail and do an out and back to make up the remaining three miles, but at that point in time I wanted nothing more to do with hills for the rest of the day.  So, I decided to drive to the marina (my usual weekend spot, almost a 30 minute drive from where I was), eating a gel on the way.  I headed out for three more miles, and immediately felt some pain on the outside of my left leg, above the knee.  After a half mile, I stopped to stretch and check it out; I couldn’t decide if it was the kind of pain you can run through, or the kind that’s telling you to stop.  I decided to keep going, telling myself I could turn around after a mile if I needed to.  The pain subsided a bit, and I ended up going 3.1 miles, a 5K, since the earlier distance was 4.9.  I knew that I probably shouldn’t have pushed to go the whole distance, but I really didn’t want to skip from 7 miles right to 9 for my long runs.

The next morning, my leg was SO SORE.  It hurt to walk, and it hurt really badly to walk downhill or downstairs.  It felt like muscular pain, and I knew all I could really do was rest and ice and wait to see.  The next day it felt substantially better, and I could walk with little pain.  Lesson learned:  take it easy on those downhills!  I think it was the steep one between 2.75 and 3 miles that did me in.

Here’s the rest of what went down that week:

half marathon training week six
Monday – rest
Tuesday – ran 2 miles
Wednesday – ran 3.5 miles
Thursday –rest
Friday – ran 3 miles
Saturday- rest
Sunday – ran 8 miles

Mileage total for the week – 16.5

Looking back, it seems I skipped all cross training this week, but at least got all my runs in.  Not sure why that happened…

Wednesday, 5/30/12

breakfast – smoothie (strawberries, raspberries, 2 Tbs hemp seeds, 1 Tbs ground flax, cinnamon, 1/2 tsp maple syrup)
AM snack – unsweetened applesauce, coffee with vanilla coconut creamer
lunch – broiled tofu and roasted cabbage over brown rice with dulse flakes & 1 tsp sesame seeds, small chocolate chip cookie
PM snack – salad (leaf lettuce, carrots, bac’uns, tahini dressing), apple
PM snack 2 – 2 dates
PM snack 3 – chocolate sacha inchi blueberry energy bar
dinner – eggplant wrap with spicy tahini sauce, sugar snap peas

exercise – ran 3.5 miles (42 minutes), walked 10 minutes

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  8
activity points used:  4

Thursday, 5/31/12

breakfast – smoothie (blueberries, banana, almond milk, kale, chocolate hemp protein powder)
AM snack – strawberries, 6 walnuts, coffee with vanilla coconut creamer
lunch – Annie Chun’s Teriyaki Noodle Bowl, sugar snap peas
PM snack – carrot & celery sticks with 4 Tbs hummus
dinner – 16 tortilla chips, salad with pinto beans, tomato, avocado & salsa, 18 oz red wine

daily points used:  28
activity points used:  23

Friday, 6/1/12

breakfast – smoothie (blueberries, banana, almond milk, 1 Tbs ground flax, chocolate hemp protein powder, 1 Tbs carob powder, kale)
AM snack – strawberries, 12 almonds, coffee with vanilla coconut creamer
lunch – tofu fresh spring rolls with peanut sauce, a few bites of stir-fried tofu & veggies with brown rice
PM snack – peach
dinner – rest of the stir-fried tofu & veggies with brown rice, small chocolate chip cookie, 12 oz MGD 64, 12 oz light beer, 8 oz red wine

exercise – ran 3 miles (35 minutes), walked 10 minutes

daily points used:  28
activity points used:  8
weekly points used:  10

Saturday, 6/2/12

breakfast – half a sesame seed sprouted wheat bagel with 2 Tbs better than cream cheese, coffee with hazelnut coconut creamer
AM snack – cherries
AM snack 2 – Chocolate Chip Cherry Tort Larabar
late lunch/early dinner – side salad (baby greens, sunflower seeds, carrot, lemon vinaigrette), tempeh reuben on rye with sauerkraut, Thousand Island & Daiya, sweet potato fries with ketchup
evening – smoothie (strawberries, orange, banana, almond milk), 12 oz red wine

daily points used:  28
weekly points used:  14

Sunday, 6/3/12

breakfast – half a sesame seed sprouted wheat bagel with 2 Tbs better than cream cheese, iced soy latte
between runs – 5 peanut butter filled pretzels, Vega Raspberry Endurance Gel
post run – banana, Vega Recovery Accelerator
lunch – spicy garlic eggplant with 1 cup white rice
dinner – Gardein asada burrito with rice, beans, lettuce, salsa & guacamole, peach, 12 oz red wine

exercise – ran 8 miles (one hour 42 minutes), walked 20 minutes

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  17
weekly points used:  23

Half Marathon Training Week 5 – May 2012 LMJS 4th Sunday 10K

half marathon training week five
Monday – 55 minutes kickboxing
Tuesday – ran 2 miles
Wednesday – ran 3 miles
Thursday –BodyPump (60 minutes weight lifting)
Friday – rest
Saturday- rest
Sunday – ran 7 miles

Mileage total for the week – 12

This was a pretty good week for exercise.  We had a substitute instructor for kickboxing Monday night, and to be honest I didn’t enjoy the class.  The usual TurboKick instructors put together routines and combinations that keep it really interesting; this guy just had us do one move over and over and over.  Granted, it was a good workout and I was sweating like mad by the end, but if it’s not fun I’m a lot less likely to go to class.  I hope they find someone good to take it over permanently soon.

Tuesday I was sore, so I took it easy on the 2 mile run.  I ended up with an average pace of 11:24 though, which is pretty good for me, so it must not’ve been that easy.  Wednesday’s run was a bit of a struggle – I felt like I was either pushing or pulling back on my pace the whole time, I just couldn’t settle in.

I had a run scheduled for Friday, but I spent half the work day packing up our office (we’re moving tomorrow), and by the time we got home I was exhausted.  I decided to rest in order to be well-prepared for a 10K on Sunday.

I had 7 miles on the calendar for Sunday, and I planned to run the LMJS Fourth Sunday Run 10K and just keep going a little after the finish line.  7 miles pushes into the distance where I feel like I need to take in some fuel during the run, so I wore my ifitness belt and carried water and a Vega Sport endurance gel.  I also took my iPhone and listened to music, since I was running alone.

My goals for the 10K were:
A)  Finish.
B)  Keep my pace around or under a 12 minute mile, and set a personal record.
C)  Don’t make an ass out of myself (this is also a general life goal)…

Miles 1 and 2 went well, right around an average of 12:00/mile.  I took a brief walking and water break at the beginning of the third mile.  I didn’t necessarily need to stop, but thought it was a good strategy to get through.  The fourth mile was uneventful, I fell into a good pace and got a little boost from passing the 10K halfway point (the course goes twice around Lake Merritt).  At the beginning of the fifth mile, I walked for a bit to take the energy gel. I’ve never eaten a gel before, and I was actually impressed with the orange zest flavor.  It tasted like a mixture of dates and applesauce (even though there was no apple in it), with a nice citrusey flavor.  I absolutely felt a surge of energy, my fifth mile only took 11:30, which is a fantastic pace for me, especially that far in to a long run.  Entering the sixth mile I checked my watch and saw that I could PR, so I decided to give the end of the 10K everything I had, then treat the remaining .8 miles as a cool down.  Approaching the finish line, my Garmin read 1:14:30 when it crossed 6.2 miles.  My official time for the race, however, was 1:15:37.  I was the last 10K runner to finish, but that really doesn’t bother me.  I know I’m slow!  At least I only got lapped by a few of the 15K runners.  The official time is 40 seconds faster than my previous 10K time, so I met my goal of setting a personal record.

As I crossed the finish line, I kept running and accepted a finisher’s ribbon from a volunteer.  She said “still going strong” and as I ran away another volunteer yelled “one more mile!”.  That made me feel so great!  I ran really easy until I reached 7 miles (the blister on the inside of my left heel was really bad by this point), and I was impressed to find that I still had energy to burn at the end.  My total time was 1:24:02, for a perfect average pace of 12:00.  Considering this was the farthest I’ve ever run so far, I was extremely happy with how it went.  Now, to keep building mileage until I reach 13.1!

Food-wise, I wasn’t even close to my goal for this week, which was to leave half of my activity points unused.  In reality, I ate them all and then went even further over my limit.

Totals for 5/23/12 – 5/29/12

Daily points used:  196/196
Weekly points used:  94/49
Activity points earned:  33
Activity points used:  33
Points left on the table:  -45

My resolve was not as strong this week as I had intended.  I know what my nemeses are:  red wine and tortilla chips.  I had much too much of both.  I thought the three day weekend might do me in, but that wasn’t really it.  I just made too many poor choices, and didn’t exercise self control as much as I would’ve liked.  I need to get to the grocery store ASAP to stock up on fruits and veggies to make those choices easier for myself.

Friday, 5/25/12

breakfast – smoothie (banana, raspberries, hemp seeds, ground flax, carob powder, spinach, almond milk)
AM snack – strawberries, 12 almonds, coffee with vanilla coconut creamer
lunch – chickpea flour cake with peppery tempeh-mushroom filling, stir fry with black bean garlic sauce (cabbage, carrot, celery, bell pepper, kelp noodles)
PM snack – salad (romaine, carrot, celery, bacon flavored chips, 1 tsp sunflower seeds, 1 Tbs goddess dressing)
dinner – jerk tofu with vegetables, rice & peas, cabbage salad, fried plantains
after dinner – 18 oz red wine, dinner roll

daily points used:  28
activity points used:  13
weekly points used:  16

Saturday, 5/26/12

breakfast – banana with 1 Tbs almond butter, coffee with almond milk
AM snack – multigrain pretzel braids
lunch @ baseball game – seitan hot dog on wheat hot dog bun with grilled onions, ketchup, mustard and relish, 1/2 oz dill pickle potato chips, grilled asparagus, grilled portobello, 4 oz wine
PM snack – broccoli, carrots & cucumber with 1/4 cup hummus, 16 oz light beer
dinner – Amy’s California burger on wheat hamburger bun with Daiya Jack, pickles, grilled asparagus
after dinner – three small chocolate chip cookies, 14 oz red wine

daily points used:  28
weekly points used:  30

Sunday, 5/27/12

breakfast – sprouted grains English muffin with 1 Tbs almond butter, coffee with almond milk
pre-run – Vega Pre-Workout Energizer drink
during run – Vega Endurance Gel
post-run – smoothie (banana, raspberries, sprouted chia powder, maca powder, coconut water, spinach)
post-run 2 – chocolate Vega Performance Protein in almond milk
PM snack – multigrain pretzel braids
dinner – vegetarian chili with avocado, Daiya Jack and tortilla chips
after dinner – chocolate chip cookie, 12 oz red wine

exercise – ran 7 miles (84 minutes), walked 10 minutes

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  16
weekly points used:  3
non-existent points used:  17

Monday, 5/28/12

breakfast – grits with nutritional yeast
AM snack – multigrain pretzel braids
lunch @ baseball game – vegan Italian sausage on a bun with grilled onions & peppers,  ketchup, mustard & relish, garlic fries with ketchup, 16 oz light beer
dinner – vegetarian chili with tortilla chips, chocolate chip cookie, 10 oz red wine

daily points used:  28
non-existent points used:  25

Tuesday, 5/29/12

breakfast – smoothie (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, pomegranate juice, plant fusion protein powder)
AM snack – cherries, 12 almonds, coffee with vanilla coconut creamer
lunch – vegetarian chili with tortilla chips, orange
PM snack – carrot & celery sticks with 1/4 cup sun-dried tomato basil hummus
PM snack 2 – chocolate chip cookie
dinner – broiled tofu and roasted cabbage over brown rice with dulse flakes & 1 tsp sesame seeds

exercise – ran 2 miles (24 minutes), walked 10 minutes

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  5
non-existent points used:  3

Catching Up – Half Marathon Training Weeks 1-4

I cannot believe I went almost a month without posting!  It’s like a downward spiral…the longer I go without posting, the longer I know it’ll take me to post, and then I put off posting longer, and…you know.  I want to get back to what I intended this blog to be, writing shorter posts every day or two.

On May 2nd, I weighed in at 149 pounds, and I was super-duper stoked.  It was the first time I was in the 140’s in a very long time.  But then the next three weigh ins went 150.6 – 151.4 – 152.6.  Obviously I’m going in the wrong direction!  I know why:  I’ve been too lax with my diet.  My birthday was May 15th, so I took it a little easy that week, and didn’t track that Saturday when we went to the LA Vegan Beer & Food Festival (which was awesome, by the way).  My plan was to get right back on track the next week, and what I learned is that it’s not so easy to get right back into good habits after going off the rails a little.  I’ve been re-focusing the past few days and think I’m in a good head space again.  My goal this week is to leave half of the activity points I earn un-used, to get the scale moving the right way again.

What has been going pretty well is my half marathon training.  I’m now in week five, and the race is just over seven weeks away!

half marathon training week one
Monday – 1 hour walking
Tuesday – ran 2 miles, walked 45 minutes
Wednesday – ran 3 miles
Thursday – 38 minutes yoga
Friday – ran 2 miles
Saturday- rest
Sunday – ran 4 miles

Mileage total for the week – 11

This week went pretty much as planned.  I was having a lot of hip pain about one mile into every run, so I focused on stabilizing my left foot to see if that would help.  I found that by doing that I was really tightening my glutes, so some of the discomfort moved to my glutes rather than the hip.  Regardless, I think it did help to focus on my stride, since my left foot has always been less stable than my right.

half marathon training week two
Monday – 45 minutes kickboxing
Tuesday – ran 2 miles
Wednesday – ran 3 miles
Thursday –BodyPump (60 minutes weight lifting)
Friday – ran 3 miles
Saturday- rest
Sunday – ran 5 miles

Mileage total for the week – 13

This week was fairly uneventful too.  I was tired and sore most days but powered through, and continued to focus on stabilizing my left foot while running.  Just over a mile into the long run on Sunday I felt some pain in a place I never have, the lower portion of my left calf.  I stopped twice to stretch it and felt better, and now I incorporate a lower calf stretch into my regular post-run stretching routine.

half marathon training week three
Monday – 50 minutes kickboxing
Tuesday – ran 2 miles, walked 30 minutes
Wednesday – rest
Thursday –rest
Friday – rest
Saturday- rest
Sunday – rest

Mileage total for the week – 2

I got waaaay sidetracked this week, which was the same week I did poorly with my diet.  Wednesday I had some errands to run after work, and was too tired and hungry by the time I was done.  Thursday we went to a baseball game after work.  Friday, I was just too tired, and we were packing to go out of town.  Saturday we drove down to LA, and Sunday we drove back.  So, I missed FOUR workouts.  I did really well with the scheduled rest day though!

While we were in LA, we went to a preppy-themed boat party for Dave’s sister’s birthday.  While this outfit isn’t something I would usually put together, I thought it was pretty cute.

half marathon training week four
Monday – ran 6 miles (make-up for the missed run from the day before)
Tuesday – ran 2 miles
Wednesday – rest
Thursday –rest
Friday – ran 3 miles
Saturday- rest
Sunday – ran 4 miles

Mileage total for the week – 15

This week was better, but still not perfect.  I made up for the missed long run after work on Monday.  Tuesday was my birthday, so I took the day off and did my two miles in the morning.  I was really sore from the six miler still, so that may not have been the best idea, but I wanted to get all the miles in.  I had an upset stomach that night that was still with me the next day, so I worked fro home and skipped my scheduled run.  I went back to work Thursday, but was still a little weak.  By Friday I was back to business, and my “long” run on Sunday was only four miles because it was supposed to be a cut back week.  I wore my iFitness race belt for the first time to test it out, which went pretty well.  It did ride up a bit, but I didn’t feel it bounce at all, and it was nice to have the water with me on a hot day.  Maybe I’ll write a longer review once I’ve worn it a few more times.

Wednesday, 5/23/12

breakfast – smoothie (banana, pineapple, plant fusion protein powder, almond milk)
AM snack – strawberries, 12 almonds, coffee with soy creamer
lunch – chickpea flour cake with peppery tempeh-mushroom filling, stir fry with black bean garlic sauce (cabbage, carrot, celery, bell pepper, kelp noodles)
PM snack – spicy lentil salad over baby chard & bok choy
dinner – 5 pcs mushroom roll, 5 pcs avocado roll, large sushi roll with fried tofu, carrot, inari & seaweed salad

exercise – ran 3 miles (36 minutes), walked 10 minutes

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  7
activity points used:  10

Chinese-ish meal with tons of veggies

Thursday, 5/24/12

breakfast – carrot cake Larabar, banana
AM snack – apple, pear, coffee with soy creamer
lunch – fajita salad (lettuce, zucchini, corn, black beans, onion, chipotle salsa, avocado, Daiya Jack)
PM snack – spicy lentil salad over romaine lettuce
PM snack 2 – chocolate sacha inchi blueberry energy bar
dinner – smoothie (pineapple, banana, carrot, orange juice, plant fusion protein powder, coconut butter, chlorella, rolled oats, blackstrap molasses, maca powder), 6 oz red wine

exercise – BodyPump (60 minutes weight lifting), 15 minutes elliptical

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  5
activity points used:  2
weekly points used:  8

Black bean-zucchini-corn fajita salad. I really like the new Daiya Jack-style wedge!

Base Building Week 4 – Injury & a 5K PR

My fourth and last week of base building training started out normally, but my legs were really beginning to feel the effects of running four times a week, especially my left hip, which was in pain starting a mile in to every run.  I took an Advil before the three-miler on Wednesday, and told myself to just get through it at any pace and I could have the next day off (from running, at least).  When I woke up Thursday morning my shoulders felt funny, and upon stretching I felt an intensely sharp pain in my right shoulder.  Moving my shoulder at all in any direction hurt badly.  I did a bit of Googling and figured out that I probably had a pinched nerve, called in sick to work, and rested on the couch all day.  I alternated between icing and heating my shoulder, which seemed to ease the pain, and I obviously missed my workout that day.  On Friday I still felt some discomfort and had a limited range of motion, but I felt well enough to go to work.  I skipped my scheduled workout again.

Saturdays are rest days, which I was grateful for, so I rested in hopes of being well enough to run the next day.  I had signed up for the Lake Merritt Joggers and Striders Fourth Sunday Run to celebrate finishing the base building phase, and I really wanted to run it since my friend Megan was going, and I thought I could set a 5K personal record.  When I woke up Sunday morning, I had my full range of motion back with no pain, so I ran!  My legs felt well rested since I had taken three days off, and I kept up a pretty good pace (for me, at least).  My first goal was to beat my previous PR, which wasn’t difficult since I’m now in much better shape, and my secondary goal was to keep my overall page under 12 minutes per mile.  I did both – I came in at 37:18, beating my previous PR by almost a full minute, and with an average pace of 11:48 per mile.  The second mile was actually the slowest (I can see mile splits now that I have a fancy-pants Garmin Forerunner), which is great because it means I saved plenty of gas for the end of the race.

I still don’t know what was wrong with my shoulder, maybe I just slept on it funny?  My body has a interesting way of telling me when to take it easy…like when I had Bell’s Palsy a few years ago…

base building week four
Monday – 45 minutes elliptical
Tuesday – ran 2.5 miles
Wednesday – ran 3 miles
Thursday – rest
Friday – rest
Saturday- rest
Sunday – ran 5K (3.1 miles)

Mileage total for the week – 8.6

Friday, 4/20/12

breakfast – smoothie (banana, blueberries, 2 Tbs rolled oats, hemp protein powder, 1 date, spinach, almond milk)
AM snack – orange Emergen-C, apple, 6 almonds, coffee with vanilla soy creamer
lunch – Indonesian Vegetable & Tofu Scramble, chile-lime roasted sweet potatoes
PM snack – 5 cups plain popcorn
dinner – Barbecue Pinto Beans & Portobello, coleslaw pasta salad, chocolate chip cookie, 12 oz MGD 64, 12 oz light beer, 6 oz red wine

daily points used:  28
weekly points used:  17

Saturday, 4/21/12

breakfast – smoothie (banana, strawberries, mango, kiwi, rolled oats, orange juice, Vega One, spinach), coffee with hazelnut coconut creamer
lunch – salad (leaf lettuce, broccoli, carrots, bell pepper, 1/2 cup chickpeas, 2 Tbs goddess dressing, bacon flavored chips)
dinner/baseball game – buffalo tofu sandwich on a wheat bun with lettuce, tomato and Sanctuary dressing, carrot & celery sticks, 1 oz ruffles potato chips, 12 oz MGD 64, 36 oz light beer, 6 oz red wine

daily points used:  28
weekly points used:  22

Sunday, 4/22/12

breakfast – half a sprouted wheat English muffin with 1 Tbs each almond butter with roasted flaxseeds & blueberry preserves, iced coffee with soymilk
AM snack – smoothie (banana, cherries, hemp protein powder, sprouted chia powder, maca powder, pomegranate juice)
lunch – chickpea salad (red onion, celery, relish, reduced fat Vegenaise) on a low carb tortilla with lettuce & tomato, carrot sticks
PM snack – cantaloupe, multigrain pretzel nuggets
dinner – baked beans, coleslaw pasta salad, 10oz red wine

daily points used:  28
weekly points used:  6
non-existent points used:  4

Weigh In’s and Base Building Weeks 2 & 3

Wow, I have a lot to report on.  I genuinely intend to blog almost every day, but after work, exercise, stretching, showering, cooking dinner, eating and chores, all I want to do is zone out on the couch until bed time.  It is now that I’m realizing exactly what kind of time commitment I signed up for when I decided to train for a half marathon!

First, let me catch up on the ever-important weigh in’s.  I weighed in on April 4th at 151.8, up 1.7 pounds from the week before.  I went four points over my limit the week before, so I thought I might gain a bit, but 1.7 pounds seemed like a bit much.  It was just after my first week of base building, so I suppose it’s possible my body was adjusting.  The next week I overindulged a bit over the weekend and went nine points over my limit, so I didn’t expect much of a good result.  I weighed in that Wednesday at 152 even, up .2 pounds from the week before, and I was okay with that since it was a fair result of how I did that week.

Totals for 4/12/12 – 4/18/12

Daily points used:  196/196
Weekly points used:  48/49
Activity points earned:  42
Activity points used:  42
Points left on the table:  1

I weighed in yesterday at 150.2, down 1.8 pounds from last week.  I worked really hard last week to stay within my points, so I was very pleased!  I’m going to keep at it this week in hopes to break into the 140’s.  My current goal is 147.4, which will be 15% lost, and that feels like it’s now within my reach.

I’ve completed the second and third weeks of base building, which leaves just one more week until I start the for reals half marathon training plan.  I haven’t been very good at taking notes after the runs, so I sadly don’t have much detail to report about how I felt during the second and third weeks.  Gonna get better about writing a bit down so that I can go into the details here.

base building week two
Monday – 45 minutes walking
Tuesday – ran 2 miles
Wednesday – ran 2.5 miles
Thursday – BodyPump (strength)
Friday – ran 2 miles
Saturday- rest
Sunday – ran 3 miles

I went to the gym that Monday night to take the TurboKick class, but the substitute instructor never showed up!  By the time I left all the cardio machines were being used, so I came home and just walked 45 minutes on the treadmill.  I was really looking forward to getting my heart rate up for a great workout, so it was quite frustrating.  My running mileage total for the week was 9.5.

base building week three
Monday – TurboKick (kickboxing class)
Tuesday – rest
Wednesday – ran 3 miles
Thursday – BodyPump (strength)
Friday – ran 2 miles
Saturday- ran 2 miles
Sunday – ran 3 miles

After TurboKick this week with the regular instructor, I discovered a pretty nasty blood blister underneath my right big toe.  Some Googling told me it can happen after kickboxing so I wasn’t too worried.  It was still tender the next day, so I felt it was best to skip my run and let it heal.  Sad, my first missed run of training!  I decided to do the run on Saturday, my normal rest day, to make up for the miles.  This may or may not have been a good idea, as my legs have started to feel a little over-used, my left hip in particular, which I’ve had trouble with before.  I didn’t want to give up miles this soon in the plan though; I ran 10 miles total this week.

Here’s two weeks worth of food diary; read if you like, or just scroll through for the pictures!

Wednesday, 4/4/12

breakfast – smoothie (banana, blueberries, hemp protein powder, chlorella, 1 tsp omega oil, almond milk)
AM snack – salad (romaine, red cabbage, green pepper, buckwheat sprouts, creamy hemp dressing)
lunch – Tropical Quinoa & Black Beans with steamed kale & pumpkin seeds
PM snack – 12 almonds with 1 Tbs raisins
dinner – socca with herbed white beans & Daiya mozzarella, balsamic roasted carrots & radicchio
after dinner – 12 oz MGD 64, 24 light beer, multigrain pretzel twists

exercise – walked 10 minutes, ran 2.5 miles (29 minutes)

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  6
activity points used:  13

Thursday, 4/5/12

breakfast – smoothie (banana, cherries, pomegranate juice, hemp protein powder, chia seeds)
AM snack – salad (romaine, red cabbage, green pepper, buckwheat sprouts, creamy hemp dressing)
lunch – Tropical Quinoa & Black Beans with steamed kale & pumpkin seeds
PM snack – 16 almonds, strawberries
pre-workout snack – 2 dates
dinner – socca with herbed white beans & Daiya mozzarella, balsamic roasted carrots & radicchio
dessert – Dandies marshmallows

exercise – 10 minutes elliptical, BodyPump (60 minutes strength)

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  5
activity points used:  8

Friday, 4/6/12

pre-workout snack – half a Cherry Pie Larabar
breakfast – smoothie (banana, peanut butter, cocoa powder, wheatgrass powder, almond milk)
AM snack – cucumber slices with creamy hemp dressing
lunch – Tropical Quinoa & Black Beans with steamed kale & pumpkin seeds
PM snack – apple, second half of the Cherry Pie Larabar
dinner – 24 tortilla chips with salsa, burrito (rice, refried beans, lettuce, pico, guacamole), 12 oz MGD 64, 50 oz light beer, 4 oz red wine

exercise – ran 2 miles (24 minutes)

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  4
activity points used:  12
weekly points used:  21

Saturday, 4/7/12

breakfast – 2 flax plus waffles with 1 tsp blueberry agave, coffee with vanilla coconut creamer
lunch – salad (lettuce, shredded carrot, corn, red bell pepper, edamame, sesame seeds, buckwheat sprouts, goddess dressing, bacon flavored chips)
dinner (tailgating & baseball game) – seitan hot dog on a French hoagie roll with ketchup, spicy mustard and relish, strawberries, broccoli with Sanctuary dressing, 12 oz MGD 64, 12 oz beer, 36 oz light beer
after dinner – Peanut Butter Puffins, 10 oz red wine

daily points used:  28
weekly points used:  28

Homemade seitan hot dog!  Recipe here.  I liked them a lot but would change the seasonings next time, just to suit my preferences.

Sunday, 4/8/12

breakfast – smoothie (banana, strawberries, kiwi, orange, pineapple juice, coconut water, spinach, Vega One)
post-workout snack – Vanilla Vega Sport Performance Protein in almond milk
lunch – seitan hot dog with chili beans and Daiya mozzarella, one piece 21 whole grains bread, sugar snap peas
dinner – vegetable barley soup, sandwich (rye bread, smoked tofu, lettuce, tomato, pickles, alfalfa sprouts, dijon), 8 oz red wine

exercise – walked 10 minutes, ran 3 miles (34 minutes)

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  7
non-existent points used:  9

Oh Daiya Mozzarella, how I love thee.

Monday, 4/9/12

breakfast – smoothie (banana, strawberries, kiwi, almond milk, hemp protein powder, spinach, flax)
AM snack – apple, spirulina energy bar, coffee with vanilla soy creamer
lunch – black bean & tofu enchiladas (frozen meal)
PM snack – salad (romaine, cucumber, red bell pepper, creamy hemp dressing)
pre-workout snack – banana fig cinnamon energy bar
dinner – roasted asparagus soup, potato, black bean & corn hash

exercise – walked 30 minutes, TurboKick (50 minutes kickboxing)

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  11

Roasted Asparagus Soup, recipe from Quick Fix Vegan

banana fig cinnamon energy bar, recipe from Thrive Fitness

Tuesday, 4/10/12

breakfast – smoothie (banana, cherries, dates, pomegranate juice, hemp protein powder, flax, spinach)
AM snack – strawberries, 6 walnuts, coffee with vanilla soy creamer
lunch – roasted asparagus soup, potato, black bean & corn hash
PM snack – carrot sticks & cucumber spears with Sanctuary dressing
dinner – grilled Daiya mozzarella sandwich on 21 whole grains bread, tomato-miso soup with leeks

daily points used:  27

grilled Daiya mozzarella sandwich, tomato-miso soup with leeks

Wednesday, 4/11/12

breakfast – smoothie (banana, mango, kiwi, hemp protein powder, chia seeds, almond milk)
AM snack – 12 almonds, apple, coffee with vanilla soy creamer
lunch – grilled Daiya mozzarella sandwich on 21 whole grains bread, tomato-miso soup with leeks
PM snack – salad (romaine, shredded carrot, broccoli, alfalfa sprouts, sanctuary dressing)
pre-workout snack – banana fig cinnamon energy bar
pre-workout snack 2 (my run got delayed) – 2 dates
dinner – roasted asparagus soup, potato, black bean & corn hash

exercise – walked 10 minutes, ran 3 miles (35 minutes)

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  7
activity points used:  3

Thursday, 4/12/12

breakfast – smoothie (banana, cantaloupe, 2 dates, soy yogurt, orange juice, Vega One)
AM snack – apple, 6 walnuts, coffee with vanilla soy creamer
lunch – lentil soup, hummus with pita, roasted red peppers and artichoke hearts
PM snack – banana fig cinnamon energy bar
dinner – 6 tortilla chips, burrito (rice, beans, lettuce, cilantro, salsa, guacamole), 12 oz red wine

exercise – 15 minutes stationary bike, BodyPump (60 minutes strength)

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  5
activity points used:  24

Friday, 4/13/12

breakfast – smoothie (banana, blueberries, chocolate hazelnut butter, 1/2 tsp blueberry agave, alfalfa sprouts, almond milk)
AM snack – cantaloupe, 6 cashews, coffee with vanilla soy creamer
lunch – roasted asparagus soup, potato, black bean & corn hash
PM snack – salad (romaine, shredded carrot, broccoli, alfalfa sprouts, sunflower seeds, sanctuary dressing)
pre-workout snack – banana fig cinnamon energy bar
dinner – avocado roll, mushroom roll, veggie roll with inari and seaweed salad, 2 oz vodka with coconut water & lime juice, 14 oz red wine

exercise – walked 40 minutes, ran 2 miles (24 minutes)

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  7
activity points used:  15
weekly points used:  10

Saturday, 4/14/12

breakfast – french toast with strawberry sauce & 1 tsp maple syrup, kiwi, coffee with vanilla coconut creamer
post-workout snack – smoothie (banana, strawberries, blackberries, hemp protein powder, maca powder, almond milk)
lunch – low carb tortilla with spinach artichoke hummus, meatless meatballs, romaine, alfalfa sprouts & pickles
PM snack – spelt pretzels, 2 prunes
dinner – fried rice, steamed veggies & Szechuan eggplant, 24 oz light beer, 24 oz MGD 64

exercise – walked 10 minutes, ran 2 miles (23 minutes)

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  5
weekly points used:  21

French Toast recipe from Peas & Thank You

Sunday, 4/15/12

breakfast – bran flakes cereal with 2 Tbs raisins & almond  milk, coffee with vanilla coconut creamer
post-workout snack – smoothie (banana, espresso powder, Chocolate Vega Sport Performance Protein, almond milk)
lunch – Barbecue Pinto Beans & Portobello, coleslaw pasta salad
dinner – fried rice, steamed veggies & Szechuan eggplant
after dinner – spelt pretzels, 10 oz red wine

exercise – walked 10 minutes, ran 3 miles (35 minutes)

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  7
weekly points used:  15

Barbecue Pinto Beans & Portobello recipe from Quick Fix Vegan

Monday, 4/16/12

breakfast – smoothie (banana, mango, hemp protein powder, orange juice, spinach, flax)
AM snack – apple, 12 almonds, orange Emergen-C, coffee with vanilla soy creamer
lunch – Barbecue Pinto Beans & Portobello, coleslaw pasta salad
PM snack – salad (romaine, shredded carrot, cucumber, alfalfa sprouts, sanctuary dressing)
pre-workout snack – banana fig cinnamon energy bar
dinner – tofu & broccoli in black bean sauce
after dinner snack – dill pickle, spelt pretzels

exercise – 45 minutes elliptical

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  5

Tuesday, 4/17/12

breakfast – smoothie (banana, peaches, almond milk, Vega One)
AM snack – strawberries, 6 cashews, orange Emergen-C, coffee with vanilla soy creamer
lunch – tofu & broccoli in black bean sauce, one slice 21 whole grains bread
PM snack – salad (romaine, shredded carrot, cucumber, alfalfa sprouts, pumpkin seeds, bacon flavored chips, sanctuary dressing)
pre-workout snack – banana fig cinnamon energy bar
dinner – Indonesian Vegetable & Tofu Scramble, chile-lime roasted sweet potatoes

exercise – walked 10 minutes, ran 2.5 miles (29 minutes)

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  6
weekly points used:  2

Indonesian Vegetable & Tofu Scramble recipe from Quick Fix Vegan, with chile-lime roasted sweet potatoes

Wednesday, 4/18/12

breakfast – smoothie (banana, strawberries, mango, orange juice, hemp protein powder, flax, sprouted chia powder)
AM snack – apple, 12 almonds, coffee with vanilla soy creamer
lunch – Indonesian Vegetable & Tofu Scramble, chile-lime roasted sweet potatoes
PM snack – cucumber spears with sanctuary dressing
dinner – Barbecue Pinto Beans & Portobello, coleslaw pasta salad
after-dinner snack – low carb tortilla with spinach artichoke hummus & alfalfa sprouts

exercise – walked 10 minutes, ran 3 miles (36 minutes)

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  7
activity points used:  5

Thursday, 4/19/12

breakfast – English muffin with 2 Tbs almond butter with roasted flax seeds & blueberry preserves
lunch – Indonesian Vegetable & Tofu Scramble in a low carb tortilla, chile-lime roasted sweet potatoes, 1/2 cup orange juice
PM snack – strawberries
dinner – 8 tortilla chips with salsa, burrito (rice, refried beans, lettuce, pico, guacamole, hot sauce), 10 oz red wine

daily points used:  28
activity points used:  18
weekly points used:  4

Tuesday Totals & Base Building Week 1

I weighed in last Wednesday at 150.1, down 1.1 pounds from the week before, and down .2 pounds from two weeks prior.  I wasn’t expecting to lose after another weekend of indulging a little too much, so that was a pleasant surprise!

This week was tricky.  I’ve bumped up my exercise and am trying to use the extra activity points to fuel my workouts, and am trying out a new food plan.  We also had a three day weekend, which for me equals an extra day of being a little more lax than usual with my eating.  I didn’t do horribly, but my numbers didn’t exactly match up and I came out on the negative side.

I had a plan to get in the positive by tonight, which involved going to a kickboxing class yesterday at the gym, but the instructor never showed up and the class was canceled.  I was not pleased.  By the time I walked out all the cardio machines were taken, so I came home and walked on the treadmill for a bit.  I lost out on about five activity points, but mostly I was really looking forward to really getting my heart pumping.

Totals for 3/28/12 – 4/3/12

Daily points used:  196/196
Weekly points used:  53/49
Activity points earned:  34
Activity points used:  34
Points left on the table:  -4

Sunday concluded the first week of my base building plan, and I am proud to report that I completed all of the scheduled workouts.  It looked like this:

Monday – 45 minutes elliptical
Tuesday – ran 2 miles
Wednesday – ran 2 miles
Thursday – BodyPump (strength)
Friday – ran 2 miles + 40 minutes tennis
Saturday- rest
Sunday – ran 3 miles

That’s nine miles total for the week.  Doesn’t seem like much, but it’ll only go up from here!  I had just a little bit of discomfort in my left hip and knee, but nothing that held me back, and I’m icing and stretching proactively.

Wednesday, 3/28/12

breakfast – smoothie (banana, strawberries, Vega One, almond milk, turnip greens)
AM snack – apple, 6 walnuts, coffee with vanilla coconut creamer
lunch – slow cooker minestrone with lima beans & swiss chard
PM snack – salad (romaine, red cabbage, orange bell pepper, slivered almonds, creamy hemp dressing)
PM snack 2 – 2 dates
dinner – kale salad with avocado, blood orange & chipotle-ginger tempeh, one slice 21 whole grains bread with 1 Tbs spinach artichoke hummus, 6 oz red wine

exercise – ran 2 miles (24 minutes), walked 10 minutes

daily points used:  28
weekly points used:  8
activity points earned:  5

Thursday, 3/29/12

breakfast – smoothie (banana, cherries, hemp protein powder, lime, 1 tsp walnut oil, chia seeds, turnip greens)
AM snack – apple, 12 almonds, coffee with vanilla coconut creamer
lunch – smoky split pea soup
PM snack – salad (romaine, shredded carrot, beets, edamame, creamy hemp dressing)
dinner – slow cooker minestrone, 12 oz beer
after dinner – 2 Bavarian pretzels, 2 mandarins, 4 oz red wine

exercise – BodyPump

daily points used:  28
weekly points used:  10
activity points earned:  5

Friday, 3/30/12

breakfast – almond butter & blueberry preserves sandwich on 2 slices 21 whole grains toast
AM snack – smoothie (coconut water, banana, strawberries, blackberries, Vega One, wheatgrass powder, 2 dates)
post-workout snack – smoothie (banana, cherries, almond milk, chocolate hazelnut butter, maca powder, cocoa powder)
dinner & evening – 5 slices veggie pizza with Daiya mozzarella, coffee with almond milk & 1 oz whiskey, 12 oz light beer, 16 oz red wine, 2 servings reduced fat potato chips

exercise – 40 minutes tennis, ran 2 miles (24 minutes), walked 10 minutes

daily points used:  28
weekly points used:  31
activity points earned:  9
activity points used:  11

Saturday, 3/31/12

(slept through breakfast)
lunch – 3 slices veggie pizza with Daiya mozzarella, coffee with vanilla soy creamer
PM snack – apple, multigrain pretzel twists
dinner – whole wheat spaghetti with “meat” sauce (smart ground soy crumbles), nutritional yeast and steamed broccoli, 14 oz red wine

daily points used:  28
activity points used:  11

Sunday, 4/1/12

breakfast – grits with 1 tsp Earth Balance
AM snack – smoothie (coconut water, blueberries, lemon, 2 dates, sprouted chia powder, buckwheat sprouts), coconut with vanilla soy creamer
post-workout snack – smoothie (banana, cherries, almond milk, maca powder, cocoa powder, turnip greens)
lunch – slow cooker minestrone
PM snack – veggie sushi roll
dinner – whole wheat spaghetti with “meat” sauce (smart ground soy crumbles), nutritional yeast and steamed broccoli, 8 oz red wine

exercise – ran 3 miles (35 minutes), walked 10 minutes

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  7
activity points used:  12
non-existent points used:  3

Monday, 4/2/12

breakfast – smoothie (banana, peaches, Vega One, rolled oats, chlorella, almond milk)
AM snack – strawberries, 6 walnuts, coffee with vanilla soy creamer
lunch – whole wheat spaghetti with “meat” sauce (smart ground soy crumbles), nutritional yeast and steamed broccoli
PM snack – salad (romaine, red cabbage, orange bell pepper, buckwheat sprouts, creamy hemp dressing)
PM snack 2 – 2 dates
dinner – socca with herbed white beans & Daiya mozzarella, balsamic roasted carrots & radicchio

exercise – walked 45 minutes

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  3
non-existent points used:  1

Tuesday, 4/3/12

breakfast – smoothie (banana, strawberries, pineapple juice, hemp protein powder, ground flax, turnip greens)
AM snack – apple, 12 almonds, coffee with vanilla soy creamer
lunch – socca with herbed white beans & Daiya mozzarella, balsamic roasted carrots & radicchio
PM snack – salad (romaine, red cabbage, bell pepper, buckwheat sprouts, creamy hemp dressing)
dinner – Tropical Quinoa & Black Beans with steamed kale & pumpkin seeds
after-dinner snack – multigrain pretzel twists

exercise – ran 2 miles (24 minutes), walked 10 minutes

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  5

Half Marathon Training Plan

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it before, but I’m registered for the Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon on July 15th.  The farthest I’ve ever run is 6.2 miles during the Bay Breeze 10K, so I know I need a serious training plan to get up to 13.1!  Yesterday started the “base building” portion of my training plan, which will last four weeks and get me used to running four times a week.  I’ll work up to 11 miles total in the fourth week, and then keep increasing from there as I begin the actual half marathon training plan.

I’m not going to post the exact training plan, because I lifted it from No Meat Athlete’s Half Marathon Roadmap, which I would encourage you to purchase if you’re interested!  I’ve read through it multiple times now, and plan to continue consulting it throughout my training.  Here is the basic weekly pattern:

Monday – cross training (kickboxing, elliptical, yoga, or whatever else I feel like)
Tuesday – easy run
Wednesday – easy run
Thursday – BodyPump (strength)
Friday – easy run
Saturday – rest
Sunday – long run

I stretch after every exercise session, and plan to foam roll my muscles once or twice a week.  I’ve also been icing my left hip after running, as it’s still giving me a bit of trouble.

So, this is what I’ll be up to for the next 16 weeks.  It sounds crazy to say that!  It’s going to be quite a time commitment, so I’ll be trying even harder than normal to stay organized and balance work/sleep/exercise/life.  I have a new eating plan to complement my training, which I’ll post about soon.

Now, to catch up a bit.  I’m not going to post my daily eats for the last two weeks because it would take forever, but here are the results.

Totals for 3/14/12 – 3/20/12

Daily points used:  196/196
Weekly points used:  114/49
Activity points earned:  12
Activity points used:  12
Points left on the table:  -65

I went waaaaay over my points this week, mostly due to St. Patrick’s Day.  We had a few friends over for a small gathering and planned to keep the menu simple, but of course that is not within my power, so I made a big meal including corned beef seitan and cabbage, colcannon potato puffs, soda bread, lots of beer, Jameison AND homemade vegan Bailey’s.  It was a super fun day, but I did not feel so well the day after.  I also didn’t exercise very much that week.

I weighed in that Wednesday at 151.2, up .9 pounds from the week before.  I honestly wasn’t upset about it, as I was hoping to keep any weight gain to under one pound for the week.  However…I think this week is going to result in another small gain, because we spent the weekend in Reno.  I didn’t do that horribly (less horribly that the previous week), but I went way over the points limit again.  I had packed up my running gear with the intent to run along the river on Saturday, but we were up really late on Friday and so the run didn’t happen.  After the drive home Sunday I was so tired that it was all I could do to get to the grocery store and make sure I had some fresh food in the fridge!  As I mentioned above though, my training plan started yesterday and I returned to clean eating and exercise, so I’m hoping any gain I see tomorrow will be very small.

Totals for 3/21/12 – 3/27/12

Daily points used:  196/196
Weekly points used:  108/49
Activity points earned:  24
Activity points used:  24
Points left on the table:  -59

Monday, 3/26/12

breakfast – smoothie (banana, frozen cherries, 2 Tbs cocoa powder, 1 Tbs chia seeds, 2 Tbs hemp protein powder, soy milk, 1 date, turnip greens)
AM snack – strawberries, 12 almonds, coffee with hazelnut coconut creamer
lunch – tofu & broccoli in black bean sauce
PM snack – carrot & celery sticks with 3 Tbs spinach artichoke hummus
dinner – massaged kale salad with avocado, blood orange & chipotle-ginger tempeh, one slice 21 grains bread

exercise – 45 minutes elliptical

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  6
non-existent points used:  2

massaged kale salad with avocado, blood orange & chipotle-ginger tempeh

Tuesday, 3/27/12

breakfast – smoothie (banana, frozen raspberries, Vega One, 1/2 cup pomegranate juice)
AM snack – strawberries, 12 almonds, coffee with hazelnut coconut creamer
lunch – massaged kale salad with avocado, blood orange & chipotle-ginger tempeh, one slice 21 grains bread
PM snack – salad (romaine, shredded red cabbage, orange bell pepper, 2 Tbs creamy hemp dressing)
pre-run snack – 2 dates
dinner – slow cooker minestrone

exercise – ran 2 miles (25 minutes), walked 10 minutes

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  5
non-existent points used:  1

Slow Cooker Minestrone, based on this recipe with leeks, yellow and green squash, lima beans, green beans, swiss chard and quinoa pasta.

Weigh Ins and Workout Woes

The weekend after the 10K, I ran three miles out at the marina.  I’m used to feeling a little discomfort on the outside of my left hip, but during that run I felt some pain in the front, around my hip flexor.  It was only there for a few minutes before it went away, but it was enough pain in a new place to be noticeable.  The next day, I went to a TurboKick class, which I was very excited about.  I loved the high intensity class, but started feeling the same pain about ten minutes in.  After the class my hip was very sore, and I was having some sharp radiating pain as well, to the extent that I had a hard time falling asleep that night.  I went on WebMD’s symptom checker (which is a lot better than it used to be), and self-diagnosed that I probably had tendonitis or bursitis.  Either way, I needed to rest my leg, which was sad news considering it was supposed to be my “fun” exercise time in between 10K and half marathon training.

I laid off exercise for four whole days, then went on an easy two and a half mile run to test the waters.  There was some definite discomfort in my hip, but no pain during or after the run.  I was out of town for the next few days, and didn’t get to run again until last Thursday.  There was just a little bit of discomfort and no residual pain, so I’m taking it as a good sign!  I’m stretching and icing and rolling and doing all the things you’re supposed to do to keep your muscles and tendons happy, so I’m hoping that going into the start of my running plan in two weeks, it won’t be a problem.  There are still a few activities I want to do before going back to lots of running – cycling class, BodyPump and tennis, to name a few.

Totals for 2/22/12 – 2/28/12

Daily points used:  195/196
Weekly points used:  49/49
Activity points earned:  22
Activity points used:  20
Points left on the table:  3

Staying within my points limit really worked.  On February 29th I weighed in at 153.8, down 1.4 pounds from the previous week.  That weekend though, I went out of town for five days which threw a little wrench in the works.  I flew to central Florida on Friday, first to visit my family and attend my sister-in-law’s baby shower.  Then I went south to Miami Beach for two days and nights at a work-related conference.  I actually didn’t track my food during the trip, mostly because I was just too busy.  I meant to track from memory upon getting home, but I was tired, then I was lazy, and it never happened.  I’m quite certain I went over my points limit, I just don’t know how much.

I actually ate really well during my trip.  Mom takes care of me when I visit, stocking soy milk, Earth Balance, fruits, veggies, hummus and Tofurky.  She even made me overnight oats for breakfast!  The conference was at a pretty swanky hotel that put really nice food out for the buffets.  There was usually enough to fill my plate, including a salad at every meal, and I only had to ask for a special meal twice when there wasn’t quite enough.

Upon returning, I weighed in at 154.4, up .6 pounds from the week before.  I was honestly pretty happy that I only gained .6 pounds after five days away from home.  My goal for this last week was to stay within my points limit and get back down to where I was the week before.

Totals for 3/7/12 – 3/13/12

Daily points used:  193/196
Weekly points used:  53/49
Activity points earned:  20
Activity points used:  20
Points left on the table:  -1

Close but no cigar, but…I weighed in at 150.3, down4.1 pounds!  I’m not quite sure how it happened, but I’m not going to argue.  I guess sometimes your body is just ready to drop some weight.

Wednesday, 3/7/12

breakfast – grits with nutritional yeast
lunch – quinoa tortilla soup (leek, jalapeno, carrot, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, corn tortilla strips, radish, plain soy yogurt, hot sauce)
snack – smoothie (banana, strawberries, kiwi, hemp protein powder, almond milk)
dinner – Pasta con Broccoli with chickpeas, salad (spinach, Dijon mustard, rice vinegar, dried cherries)
after dinner – 3/4 cup peanut butter puffins, 10 oz red wine

daily points used:  28
weekly points used:  10

quinoa tortilla soup, made from what I could find in the kitchen

Pasta con Broccoli with chickpeas, from Appetite for Reduction

Thursday, 3/8/12

breakfast – half an English muffin with 1 Tbs each almond butter and blueberry preserves
AM snack – strawberries, a pear, coffee with vanilla soy creamer
lunch – Pasta con Broccoli with chickpeas, salad (spinach, Dijon mustard, rice vinegar, dried cherries)
PM snack – 8 walnuts with 1 Tbs raisins
dinner – three medium slices pizza with zucchini, pineapple & red pepper flakes
after dinner – 12 oz MGD 64, 12 oz light beer

exercise – ran 2.5 miles (30 minutes), walked 10 minutes

daily points used:  28
weekly points used:  9
activity points earned:  6

Friday, 3/9/12

breakfast – half an English muffin with 1 Tbs each almond butter with roasted flax & blueberry preserves
AM snack – pear, banana, coffee with vanilla soy creamer
lunch – three medium slices pizza with zucchini, pineapple, bacon flavored chips & red pepper flakes
PM snack – carrot & celery sticks, two dill pickles
dinner at the Vegan Happy Hour potluck – small portions pasta & potato salad, tamale with 2 Tbs guacamole & hot sauce, 4 tortilla chips, seitan cha siu bao, bbq tofu, one slice bread with cashew cheese, berries with cashew cream, mini cinnamon roll, dark & stormy cake ball, Oreo truffle, 16 oz beer, 12 oz light beer, 12 oz MGD 64

exercise – walked 50 minutes

daily points used:  28
weekly points used:  30
activity points earned:  3

Saturday, 3/10/12

breakfast – raw apple pie oatmeal
AM snack – banana, coffee with almond milk
AM snack 2 – 9 pcs veggie sushi
lunch – two medium slices pizza with zucchini, pineapple, bacon flavored chips & red pepper flakes
dinner – bbq tofu, grilled asparagus, grilled mushrooms with white wine & herbs, grilled potatoes with poblano
after dinner – 18 oz red wine, 2 oz pretzels

daily points used:  28
activity points used:  20
non-existent points used:  2

Raw Apple Pie Oatmeal – recipe here

Sunday, 3/11/12

breakfast – raw apple pie oatmeal
AM snack – orange, coffee with almond milk
lunch – Ethiopian Millet, Mushroom Tibs & Ye’abesha Gomen
PM snack – smoothie (banana, strawberries, spinach, Vega One, a date)
dinner – Pasta con Broccoli with Chickpeas, salad (lettuce, carrot, celery, bacon flavored chips. fat-free balsamic vinaigrette)
after dinner – 1 oz spelt pretzels

exercise – 50 minutes elliptical

daily points used:  28
non-existent points used:  2
activity points earned:  4

Ethiopian Millet, Mushroom Tibs & Ye-abesha Gomen, recipes from Appetite for Reduction

Monday, 3/12/12

breakfast – grilled asparagus, grilled mushrooms with white wine & herbs, grilled potatoes with poblano
AM snack – apple, coffee with vanilla soy creamer
lunch – Ethiopian Millet, Mushroom Tibs, Ye-abesha Gomen, salad (lettuce, carrot, celery, bacon flavored chips, goddess dressing)
PM snack – plain soy yogurt with strawberries
dinner – grits with refried beans, salsa & pickled jalapeno, steamed broccoli with nutritional yeast

exercise – ran 2.5 miles (30 min), walked 12 minutes

daily points used:  26
activity points earned:  6

Grits and refried beans, quickest dinner ever!

Tuesday, 3/13/12

breakfast – half an English muffin with 1 Tbs each almond butter with roasted flax & blueberry preserves
AM snack – strawberries, orange Emergen-C, coffee with almond milk
lunch – grits with refried beans, salsa & pickled jalapeno, steamed broccoli with nutritional yeast
PM snack – peanut butter puffins
PM snack 2 – apple, decaf soy latte
dinner – Ethiopian Millet, Mushroom Tibs, Ye’abesha Gomen
dessert – warm banana pudding (banana, arrowroot, almond milk, 1/2 tsp maple syrup, one small Biscoff cookie)

exercise – walked 20 minutes

daily points used:  27
activity points earned:  1

Wednesday, 3/14/12

breakfast – half an English muffin with 1 Tbs each roasted flax & blueberry preserves
AM snack – apple, coffee with almond milk
lunch – Ethiopian Millet, Mushroom Tibs, Ye’abesha Gomen, sunflower seeds
PM snack – 8 walnuts, 1 Tbs raisins
dinner – seitan philly on a roll with peppers & onions, french fries with 2 Tbs ketchup, 32 oz beer, 12 oz light beer

daily points used:  28
weekly points used:  27

Thursday, 3/15/12

breakfast – peanut butter puffins with almond milk
AM snack – strawberries, coffee with almond milk
lunch – Candle Cafe Tofu Spinach Ravioli frozen entree, salad (spinach, fat-free balsamic vinaigrette)
PM snack – strawberry coconut Greek yogurt
PM snack 2 – 2 dates
dinner – Kidney Bean & Sweet Potato Jamba Stew
dessert – banana with 2 tsp chocolate hazelnut butter

exercise – 60 minutes BodyPump, 10 minutes elliptical

daily points used:  28
weekly points used:  1
activity points earned:  5

Kidney Bean & Sweet Potato Jamba Stew, adapted from Appetite for Reduction