This past weekend I used the crockpot for the first time ever. I made crockpot fajitas (well the meat went in the crockpot) for my family when they were in town and it turned out great! And even better yet… They were super healthy!
Month: February 2014
Making the Jump, 13.1 to 26.2
I have quite a few friends who are thinking they are about ready to make the jump from 13.1 to 26.2 and I have received numerous questions from them so I wanted to answer those questions in one place for all of you…
1. Can I do it [complete 26.2miles]?
Yes you can! If you put your mind to it and the miles of training in, you most certainly can get across that finish line.
2. Should I run all 26.2miles before race day?
No, it isn’t necessary. Most people will train to about 20-22miles. I personally like to go to 22.
3. Do you have any training plans you like to use?
I do not have a specific one I like to use but the general format I like to follow is:
- Monday — Cross Train (swim or bike) & Strength Training (generally all bodyweight exercises)
- Tuesday — Mid Distance Run (4-8mile range)
- Wednesday — Long Mid Distance Run (6-10mile range)
- Thursday — Speed Work or Hills (3-5mile range)
- Friday — Short Run (2-4mile range)
- Saturday — Long Run (13-22mile range)
- Sunday — Short (1-2miles) or Off Day
- Have a plan. Know what you are going to do for your warm-up. Know when you are going to take fuel. Have three goals (best case, content with, and worst case).
- Have fun. You are joining part of the 2% of the population just by starting the race. Have fun with it and allow your plan to be flexible.
- Don’t start out too hard. They will normally line you up in a corral, be realistic based on your goals and start with the group you want to finish with. Things can change throughout the race but its a good idea to start with those who are going to go your goal pace. (I pick, the I’m content goal for my starting place).
- Break up the race. I like to think of it as I am running 2miles 13times. There are generally water stations every 2miles so that is a good mental break before you start your next 2mile rep.
- Walk through the water stations. This is about 10-15seconds of pure bliss. I have found by doing this my hamstrings and hips last a lot longer before they start to get tight during the race.
- Talk to those around you. People will have great stories and hey, you never know, you may just get hit on (During my 2nd marathon I had a guy that I was going back and forth with passing each other just after we had both “hit the wall”, and at one point he comes up to me and says “you’re beautiful”…trust me I got a little pep in my step at that point. Maybe it’ll happen to you or you can be that inspiration to someone else).
Whole30 Challenge…
Failed. This Sunday morning I came to the conclusion that the Whole30 Challenge was not the healthiest option for me. As you read in last weeks update I was struggling with low energy and headaches as well as some digestive issues, while at the completion of week 2, the same issues were still present. I was constantly low on energy, was still waking up with throbbing headaches and my digestive system was completely twisted and causing some extreme discomfort. I think a lot of the digestive issues came from the large quantities of protein I was consuming as well as the large amounts of fiber from all the fruits and vegetables. The headaches and low energy I believe are on account of the great amount of training that I am doing as I prepare for my next half ironman. Most of my headaches felt like they were a result of low blood sugar. Even though I “failed”, I want to share what I have learned during my experience, as this still may be a great route for you to try:
1. The cravings for “bad” foods did decrease. Be patient through the first couple days, no doubt it is tough. Keep in mind, you aren’t a dog. You can say no to food.
2. I thought it was a great kick start towards getting back on track to eating healthy. Because what you can eat is laid out so clearly it made it easy to choose what to eat and stay on track.
3. You must like eggs and sweet potatoes to complete the challenge. These will be your staples.
4. Guacamole tastes great on just about anything.
5. If you are trying to lose weight, I can see how this would be very a beneficial way to start. Fruits and vegetables do not have nearly as many calories as other forms of carbohydrates making it so you can still eat quite a bit.
6. If you are doing a good bit of exercise, especially high volumes of cardio, it may be beneficial to make slight adjustments to the plan and add some form of a grain carbohydrate to help keep your glycogen stores up.
7. Be prepared to do a lot of cooking. Fruits and vegetables will not keep you full as long as you are accustomed to with your more traditional snack options.
8. It is a great opportunity to learn to read the ingredients list on packaged foods. It will defiantly be an eye opener to the large quantities of sugar and crazy number of chemicals present in the foods we are eating on a regular basis.
9. It got me to eat a lot more protein. Although this wasn’t ideal for my digestive system, it was beneficial to my muscle recovery.
10. I tried and enjoyed quite a few new foods. When you venture from your typical way of eating you get the opportunity to try quite a bit more and this was a fun way to experiment in the kitchen.
For those of you who have done it, what did you learn? And for those of you who are considering it, what questions do you have?
Take care and have a great Monday!
Posture
Since I have been working in an office setting… At a desk, staring at a computer screen daily for the last couple weeks, I have noticed my posture has already started to lack. After noticing my own was lacking, I took a look around and guess what I saw?! All of us in the office looked exactly the same way, hunched over. This is a terrible way to sit, it creates a tight chest, creating more rounded shoulder, a tight neck that is pushing our heads down and forward, and weakens our back muscles. None of this sounds good, so this got me thinking about how I could potentially change my posture while in the office. Here are the ideas that I came up with…
Things I’m Loving Tuesday
Back again for another edition of Things I’m loving Tuesday…

Whole30 Week 1
A week ago today I started the Whole30 Challenge. For those of you who aren’t familiar, it is a 30 day cleanse of processed foods, added sugars, leguems, grains, dairy, and alcohol. AKA anything super delicious… Don’t even think about it!!
Whole30 Update
I’m STARVING!!!! I love all that I am eating I just feel like I can’t get enough food in me. Day one, I consumed less than 1,000 calories and I felt like I ate all day. Day two I did much better, getting to 1,900 calories, thanks to the addition of smoothies, but still I feel like I am never full. I know I am an avid exerciser so I am sure that has a little something to do with constantly being hungry… so I want to know if anyone else who maybe started off with this, “I’m Starving” issue was able to turn the tables to feeling full while remaining on the plan? Any and all suggestions/comments welcome!!
On a positive though, I am sleeping better and generally feel more refreshed when I wake up in the morning 🙂
Here is what my first two days on the Whole30 plan consisted of:
DAY 1:
Breakfast: Hardboiled egg and berries
Lunch: Almonds (probably not the most substantial lunch ever)
Dinner: Spaghetti Squash, Broccoli, Chicken, and a Clementine
Snacks: Hardboiled egg, and an apple with almond butter
DAY 2:
Breakfast: Hardboiled egg, berries, and a kale, orange, mango, and strawberry smoothie
Lunch: Sweet Potato and kale chips
Dinner: Salmon, kale chips, and half an avocado
Snacks: Apple Pie Lara Bar, almonds, banana and apple in almond butter, and another smoothie just like I had at breakfast
Whole30 Challenge…
Accepted!! Starting on Monday, my good friend and training partner, Kimberly and I will be embarking on a 30 day challenge of no processed foods. The challenge is to eat only whole foods for thirty days in a row. This means no dairy, grains, alcohol, legumes, or anything with added sugar. Calories are not restricted only the foods we eat are.
Daily Odd Compliments
Earlier today as I was looking through Pinterest and I found this thing called Daily Odd Compliments. They kind of remind me of goofy/cheesy pick up lines. So today’s post is in honor of some of my favorites that I came across. I hope you enjoy and maybe even giggle about them a little as I did.
Things I’m Loving Tuesday
Back again for another round of Things I’m Loving Tuesday. This weeks addition will be a little different as it will be all the apps that I am loving.