Category: Thoughts

Road Safey

Now that spring is in the air and many runners and bikers are leaving the gym to hit the roads it is important to keep in mind safety. Here are somethings to keep in mind as not only a runner or biker but also a driver. 

1. This first one is for runners and bikers… TAKE THE HEADPHONES OUT!!! You need to be able to hear what’s going on around you especially if you are in a semi dark or high traffic area. If you must wear them, only wear one and keep the volume low.  
2. Bikers, wear your helmet and buckle it too. Sounds silly to have to say but I see all too frequently bikers without helmets. Remember, it could save your life. 
3. Runners, although we all know the asphalt is softer and better on our joints, get on the sidewalk and stop playing chicken with the cars. 
4. Runners, even on the sidewalk, run facing on coming traffic. You want to be able to see if someone is coming right towards you. 
5. DRIVERS, share the road with bikers. A person on a bike has just as much right to use the road as you do in your car. Also, bikes aren’t allowed on the sidewalk so please don’t yell “get on the sidewalk” to us. 
6. DRIVERS, you must have 3ft of clearance to pass a biker by law. Please don’t clip us with your mirror. Also, please don’t pass if going around a curve, you need to be able to see on-coming traffic to avoid swerving into the biker that you are passing. 
7. Bikers and runners, if it is going to be dark at any point in your run, wear light colored clothing and reflectors. 
8. Bikers, do not ride on the yellow line. Ride 6in to a foot inside the line. This will hopefully make you more visible to drivers and less likely for them to push you off the road. 
9. Bikers and runners, use the buddy system (especially on a bike, 2 people are much more visible than a single rider)! Although this isn’t always possible to have someone out there with you, always let someone know your exact route. If possible, also bring your cell phone. 
10. Always have ID on you. A RoadID wrist band is a great way to carry this. Incase of an emergency this can save you life. 
11. DRIVERS, watch for runners in cross walks. They have the right of way. 
12. Runners, cross at cross walks and make sure the drivers that are looking to turn right see you. Don’t cross until they acknowledge you. 
13. RUNNERS, BIKERS, & DRIVERS… pay attention and look out for one another. This is the best way for us all to remain safe out there. 
I hope you enjoy the start of this warm weather and happy SAFE running and biking! 

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!

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!! 

Update: 
Days 1&2 were pretty rough, I was always starving. I couldn’t seem to eat enough calories. Day 3, I noticed my energy was up but eating so many fruits and veggies defiantly caught up to my digestive system if you know what I mean… Day 4&5, a lot better. I started to get the hang of eating a lot more protein. Day 6&7, rough again. I had a long run on day 6 and a long bike on day 7 (10miles on day 6 and 2hrs on the bike on day 7). This is when my lack of carbohydrates caught up to me. My run was good but I did notice I was getting a headache and a slightly dizzy feeling by the end, like my blood sugar was low. Day 7, my legs felt like lead, my head ached, and I had zero energy. I ate 2 Lara Bars (190 calories each) before beginning and I was only able to make it to 20min before calling it quits so I could eat some more and potentially recover a little more from my previous days run….
…because of this issue and the amount of training that I am doing I will be adding some whole grains to my diet for the coming week to see if that makes a difference. From what I have read, many other triathletes had to alter the plan as well to be able to maintain their training appropriately. Even though I hate to make alterations to the challenge.. Fingers crossed it works!
What I’m Missing Most: 
Tortilla chips and cheese. I didn’t realize how much I loved each of these until I could no longer have them. 
Best Meals So Far: 
Valentines Day Dinner: zucchini pasta, shrimp and scallops and some kind of other squash. It was delicious and all thanks to my Valentine 😉 

Mushroom stuffed with ground turkey and guacamole and a side of clementine. 

What I’ve Learned So Far: 
You must like eggs, sweet potatoes, and avocado to survive the challenge. These are the staples to my diet. 
A few more thoughts to close out week 1…For as tough as this “diet plan” is to follow, I am enjoying mixing it up and trying some new things. It is also forcing me to cook more often which isn’t always a bad thing either. Hopefully I will learn a couple more good dishes for you to try as well. I’ll be back again next Monday for week two update. 

Happy Monday Y’all! 

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. 

The point of this “diet” plan is to help aid curbing those cravings for “bad” foods. Also it has been noted by past participants that their energy levels have increased, feelings of being less bloated, weight loss, less frequent headaches, and better sleep. We will see what happens to the two of us through the process.  
But for now, we are in the planning stages using this as our guideline for the weeks ahead: 
Do any of you have recommendations for recipes based on this list? All suggestions are welcome!! 
I will be sure to keep you updated weekly as to my progress and if this sounds like something you are interested in or would like more information about check out the website listed below. 

http://whole30.com
**Please note I say “diet” in quotes as I do not believe in dieting, I believe in lifestyle changes. This although is temporary, it will hopefully envoke some lifestyle changes in my eating patterns long term. Also note “bad” is in quotes. There are no such thing as “bad” foods. There are just foods that are “better choices” and there are foods that should only be consumed be in moderation.**

Top 5 Dates

After going out on a date last night, it got me thinking a little about some of the best dates I’ve ever been on and/or dates that I think would be really fun.  Here are my top 5 picks: 

1. Stating with my date from last night; dinner and bowling. Dinner allowed for some quality get to know each other time then bowling allowed us to interact and be a little competitive. It was fun getting to see his goofy side. Here is a picture from the bowling evening… 

2. Going to a sporting event. This can be a little expensive but if you pay attention there are almost always ways of getting cheap tickets. I’ve been lucky enough to score some great tickets to Hurricans games lately. 

3. Cooking dinner together followed by a movie. Cheap date… Always nice when dating on a budget. And who knows, you may learn he can cook 😉 
4. Going to a local park. Again, it is cheap. You can pack a picnic and a frisbee or just go for a walk. 
5. Dinner and game night with another couple. I’ve never actually done this but I think it could be a lot of fun with the right couple. 
What are some of your favorite dates? 

Liar Liar…

…Pants on Fire!! That’s what I have to say to all those people who say the last semester of college is great and you’re going to have so much fun!!

The truth behind your last semester of college is that it is as stressful if not more stressful than your first. This is because there is this big UNKNOWN of what is to come after graduation. The last semester is full of trying to get through classes you are no longer interested in (senioritis) and applying for jobs so you can enter the big, scary REAL WORLD!! Now don’t get me wrong, I am excited to become apart of this big, scary real world, just the path to get there is quite daunting and exhausting.

Today’s post will help give some clarity to all those who are asking daily as to what my path to entering that big scary place is…

Long Term Goal: 

Get a real, big girl job in a career that I am passionate about. Now I am sure many of you are laughing at that sentences and thinking “ha!…good luck.” and I can’t say I blame you. I have defiantly realized that it is much easier said than done but I am determined to find it. On that note, if any of you have experience in finding that “perfect” career, I am all ears and would love some advice. All I do know is that I want a career where I am up and moving in a fast paced environment and helping others. The two areas that (I think) interest me most are nursing and corporate wellness.

Where I am now: 

Currently I am doing all that I can to pass genetics (send prayers my way please…Final is the 9th). This is one of my last three classes that I need to graduate. Beyond getting through school I am applying for nearly every health/wellness job in Raleigh and Charlotte.

At this moment I have two part time job interviews lined up in Charlotte. One is as a Personal Trainer at a YMCA (12/11) and the other is as a Group Fitness Instructor at LA Fitness (12/5). Aside from those two positions, I have Personal Training applications in at another Y and LA Fitness in Charlotte and at a Life Time Fitness in Raleigh. I have also applied for several “Wellness” positions within Rex Healthcare and Healthtrax in Raleigh. In addition to both of those I have applied to two temporary (1year positions) at the Interfaith Food Shuttle in Raleigh. Both of these positions are nutrition education coordinator positions.

I have to admit, I never thought I would be applying for part time / temporary positions coming out of college, but like everyone says, your first job isn’t usually the perfect job or your last job. Wish me luck and send lots of prayers as I have a lot coming in these next couple weeks!

Since this post was a little on the stressful side and totally off from the Holiday Cheer that is going around I thought everyone could use a good laugh to end their night….

This is my boyfriend and I at the annual Christmas party dressed exactly the same, both of us in his clothes!!  He had convinced me that everyone wore tacky sweaters and it would be funny (I had never been to the party before) but turns out he lied…everyone else was dressed super cute and sexy! It was a night that couldn’t end fast enough for me but is funny to look back on now 😉

Third Times a Charm

After some thought I decided to give it a go at blogging again. In the past I have deleted it because I either got bored with what I was writing or I was a bit unsure about the fact that others could read about my life. All that being said I am ready to start fresh, again.  
Right now I am in my last semester at NC State University, I will be graduating with a BS in Nutrition. With that I am in the market for a job. On top of that I am in the final count down to running my 4th marathon. 
This blog will hopefully keep you entertained as I take you through some of the ins and outs of my life but also give you some helpful tips on nutrition, health, and fitness. 
Lets get started 🙂