Outrunning Doubt

Day 11

Posted on November 7, 2014 by kalynsara

What a day. I am exhausted. Today was one of those days that I got so much done, but still have a to-do list a mile long. I managed to get in a killer workout today. I took an hour long cadio sculpt class. It was rough. Especially after my toning class yesterday. The instructor called me out a few times.

I am still loving my headband.

After class I got on a treadmill and ran a mile at a 10 minute pace and walked a slow quarter mile. It felt really good to sweat and push myself after such an intense class. Also, I had no knee pain! I am excited to get another mile in on Saturday (tomorrow is my rest day).

For breakfast I had some old fashioned oats cooked with a little Nutella. For lunch I had a mint chocolate Luna Bar while I was doing our grocery shopping followed by an apple with PB. For dinner I had leftover spaghetti, a piece of garlic bread and a side salad. Snacks included some hummus with thin pretzels and a cheese stick. As always plenty of water. On a typical day I do not drink anything aside from water. I don’t even drink coffee.

My goal for tomorrow is to be a lot more healthy than I was today. I am planning something fun for tomorrow’s breakfast and I cannot wait to see how it turns out.

Days Nine and Ten

Posted on November 6, 2014 by kalynsara

Tuesday was a fun day. I slept in a little bit and felt too lazy to get to the gym so I did this workout video at home. It is a great video and she has all three levels on YouTube for free. YouTube has some other great videos that I have done in the past (and will share later). They are perfect for anyone that doesn’t want to pay for a gym membership or is just feeling to lazy to get to the gym. Back when I used to live in NYC, I did YouTube videos a lot in the winter because it was always way too cold (in my opinion) to get to the gym before and after work. For this particular video I use a yoga mat that I bought at Target and some weights I bought on Amazon for around $15.

Nutrition was pretty good (aside from the tremendous amount of candy that I ate). I had organic cereal with organic milk and two handfuls of blueberries for breakfast.

For lunch I had a salad with spinach, mixed field greens, red onions, tomatoes and cucumers and a little ranch dressing. I also had two freshly baked rolls. For dinner I had half of a salad and half of a pizza from Brixx Pizza. Like I said before, if y’all only knew the amount of Halloween candy I ate it would completely blow your mind. I had a banana for a snack and drank a ton of water throughout the day.

Today was much better in terms of candy. I had none and it is officially out of our house. Phew. For breakfast I had organic cereal with organic milk, a handful of blueberries and a banana. For lunch I had an organic bean and cheese burrito, hummus with thin pretzels and a pumpkin greek yogurt. It was OK. I am not a huge fan of pumpkin flavored things, though. I thought the Limited Batch Watermelon this past summer was incredible.

For dinner I had spaghetti with steamed green beans and garlic bread on the side. Just one cheese stick for a snack today. And as I look back I wish I had incorporated a little more protein and veggies into my day. I think that is going to be a constant struggle for me this next year.

My fitness included a toning class, a half mile walk around the indoor track and two miles on the stationary bike. I stretched and rolled for a bit. My knee has actually been bothering me today and I cannot figure out why. It better be better tomorrow because I have an intense day planned for fitness.

Day Eight

Posted on November 4, 2014 by kalynsara

Day one of my second week was a long one. I woke up early to get my pup walked and to get ready for work. I had a busy day at work and then had a business meeting after work. I was tired. I wanted to have a rest day, but I knew that I needed to push myself to get to the gym. I went and now I feel so much better for going (and so much more excited to get in bed!).

The gym was an easy one tonight. I walked for a half mile on the indoor track and then ran for a half mile at a 5:00 minute pace. I was expecting to go faster, but the gym was unusually busy tonight so the indoor track was pretty crowded. I think the weather finally getting cold and the fact that it gets dark at 5:30 pm may have had something to do with it. I stretched and then did two different leg machines and some free weights for about 15 minutes. No knee pain and my run felt pretty good.

I stopped by Target on my way home from work and got a new sports bra. These are my absolute favorite sports bras (I think I own about five of them) and I don’t know what I will do if they ever stop making them. I also got a new workout headband. The headband is incredible. It stayed in place for my entire workout and kept all of the hair out of my face. And it is super inexpensive.

My nutrition was great today! For breakfast I had cereal with organic milk. I never drink the leftover milk. For lunch I had a Which Wich veggie sandwich. I always get a small tomato and avocado on wheat. I have them “skinny my which” (they just take the extra bread out of the middle). Then I add hummus, provolone cheese, spinach and pickles. I skipped out on the chips and a chocolate chip cookie because I had a fun-size pack of Skittles and two Starburst out of the Halloween candy bin. For dinner I had grilled chicken, steamed green beans and rice. For a snack I had a cheese stick and a small slice of homemade banana bread. Not too shabby for a Monday. Tomorrow I need to step it up in the fruit department.

Day Seven

Posted on November 3, 2014 by kalynsara

Who watched the NYC Marathon today? I did! It is my absolute favorite sporting event to watch (other than the Summer Olympics every four years). It amazes me how fast the elite marathoners are and how effortless they make marathon running look. It is also incredibly inspiring as a runner to watch them and learn from their form and fueling. I read this article the other day and wanted to share because Meb is pretty awesome. And he came in 4th place today! Not too bad considering the conditions (although I was really hoping he would win it for the Americans).

I had a great day in terms of fitness and nutrition. For fitness I took it outdoors with my husband and pup.

I did a 1.6 mile walk around this beautiful lake and then jogged for a half of a mile. My pace was five minutes and it felt really good. I am thinking later this week I will tackle a one mile run. It is so hard to not keep running when I feel so great (like today), but I know that I really need to focus on getting my IT band loose and getting my knee better. It didn’t help that I had beautiful scenery! After our walk/run, I stretched, rolled and did 50 full sit-ups.

For breakfast I had one cup of cooked old fashion oats made with a teaspoon of Nutella and two handfuls of blueberries. For lunch I had an organic bean and cheese burrito with carrots on the side. Snacks included a string cheese, a greek yogurt and a slice of homemade banana bread. For dinner I had grilled chicken, rice and steamed spinach. I have resisted the urge to eat Halloween candy all day and I am pretty proud of myself!

I am excited for this next week to see how much I can push myself in terms of training and nutrition. I am off to cuddle up on the couch and enjoy the rest of my Sunday night.

Days Five and Six

Posted on November 2, 2014 by kalynsara

Friday: Happy Halloween! I had an amazing day at the gym. I started the day off with a toning class and I pushed myself to complete every single rep of everything we did. I am sore today. I even skipped the “treat” at the end of class (a piece of candy).

After class I went to the indoor track and walked a mile and then ran a half mile in 4:40 with no knee pain! I know I am not out of the woods yet (and probably will never be the rest of my life), but I was extremely excited that I could go that fast (for me that is fast) right after having such terrible knee pain last weekend on just a slow 10k.

I then used this torture device. This thing is so much more intense than a regular foam roller. I was almost crying when I did my IT band on both sides.

By the way, Gap Fit is the best workout gear I have ever worn. I am a huge fan. HUGE.

My nutrition was terrible. Cereal for breakfast. Leftover tortellini and a few Triscuit crackers with PB on them for lunch. A small pack of Life Saver Gummies (from the candy bowl I had ready to pass out to Trick-Or-Treaters). Some plain popcorn. A snack size Butterfinger (Ugh, Halloween Candy!). Two slices of Mellow Mushroom pizza. Lots of water. And a Mich Ultra. Terrible. I feel terrible even typing it out. Barely any protein and absolutely no fruits and vegetables. 😦

Today was a little better for nutrition, but still not great. For breakfast I had eggs, half a bisquit with a little gravy and a small slice of homemade banana bread. For lunch I had a sandwich with spicy mustard, tomato and turkey on fresh bread. I had apple slices with PB on the side. By the way, White Chocolate Wonderful PB is the most incredible invention ever. I am so happy my sister introduced us! I did have two small packs of Life Saver Gummies. The Halloween candy will be gone tomorrow for good. For dinner I had a bowl of organic soup (chicken and dumplings with carrots and celery) and a grilled cheese. I plan on tomorrow being a lot (and I mean a LOT) better.

As for fitness I went to the gym and did a mile walk and a half mile run around the indoor track. I then did a tricep, back extension and ab machine for three sets of 10 on each. I then streched and rolled (with a regular foam roller) for about 10 minutes.

Day Four

Posted on October 31, 2014 by kalynsara

My Grandpop is pretty badass. He is a Retired Sergeant Major United States Marine Corps. He has been a runner since his 30s and a marathoner since his 50s (I may be a little off on his ages). He has run marathons all over the country including the Boston! He has run the Marine Corps Marathon almost every single year excluding a few times when he was deployed and this past weekend when he had the flu. Did I mention he is 88 years old? Yea…he is quite the inspiration. I would kill to have a running career like his. Here he is running the Olympic Torch. Yes…that is a real picture.

Well he called me today. He told me how proud he is of me. He told me that it takes courage, hard work and determination to be a runner and that what happened this past weekend is just one race in my running career. He made me promise him that I will never, ever give up at running. He made me promise that I will continue to train and work hard and run marathons. I promised him. I intend to keep that promise.

I took today as my rest day. I have been congested for over a week and last night I was having chest pain and had to take NyQuil to get to sleep. So I thought it was best to take this morning off from any training and just get some house work done. Tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday it will be on. Body…be prepared.

My nutrition was a little good and a little bad. I had cereal for breakfast. I know, again. For lunch I had an incredible salad with spring mix, carrots, red onions, cucumbers and tomatoes. I put a little bit of ranch dressing on it and then had two freshly baked rolls on the side. For dinner I had tortellini lightly tossed in organic butter and freshly grated parmesan cheese. For snacks I had a greek yogurt, hummus with thin pretzels and two Starburst. I regret eating the Starburst. I really did not need them as bad as I wanted them.

I am getting so excited to watch the NYC Marathon this weekend!

Day Three

Posted on October 30, 2014 by kalynsara

Today was a good day. I ran into my friend that ran the Marine Corps Marathon this past weekend. It was her first full marathon and she trained like a beast. Her training paid off and although she was nervous, she ended up beating her goal time and getting negative splits throughout a lot of the race. Who does that?! I am so proud of her and so inspired by her. Talking with her today gave me so much motivation to really work hard at what I want this next year.

This morning I walked my pup then went to the gym and walked one fast mile around the indoor track. After my walk I took a toning class followed by 15 minutes of stretching. It was amazing. Exactly what I needed. I may even attempt to run a half mile tomorrow on top of my walk. Hopefully my knee is ready for it.

My nutrition was not the best. I had cereal for breakfast (again). I was too busy to pack my lunch before work so I went to Moe’s. I had a taco salad with rice, black beans, romaine lettuce, pico de gallo, a pinch of cheese, guacamole and cucumbers. I also had some chips and salsa and was proud of myself that I skipped the queso.

For dinner I ate a small sandwich of spicy mustard, turkey, muenster cheese, oregano and it was all on freshly baked bread. My only snack today was a banana with no peanut butter. I probably should have had a few more vegetables and a tad bit more protein. All in all it wasn’t too bad.

I am excited to attempt a short run tomorrow!

Day Two

Posted on October 29, 2014 by kalynsara

Boring day in terms of fitness. Just a brisk one-mile walk around my neighborhood with my favorite pup followed by some stretching and rolling. I needed to get back into the swing of things. You know…unpack, laundry, grocery store, work, cleaning, cooking dinner. I know life is going to get in the way a lot this next year so I need to stay focused and not let it interfere with my goals and training. I am hoping my knee is up for a little more strength training tomorrow.

I did eat fairly healthy today (which is also pretty boring)! I had cereal for breakfast (OK, not that healthy, but I did use organic milk). For lunch I had a greek yogurt, carrots, an apple, and hummus with thin pretzels. My snacks included a chai tea, a banana with crunchy peanut butter and about seven Skittles. For dinner I had organic grilled chicken, steamed spinach and basmati rice. And plenty of water throughout the day…60 oz and counting.

Happy Tuesday!

Day One

Posted on October 28, 2014 by kalynsara

Yesterday was D-day. For me at least. It was my third attempt at running the Marine Corps Marathon. My first attempt I finished. Barely. I mean barely. It took me well over six hours. The second year I was diagnosed with asthma. I had a major asthma attack around mile 17 and ended the marathon in the back of an ambulance. This year I started having a nose bleed and knee pain at mile three. I pushed myself to at least complete the 10K. Then I quit. I quit because I knew that my training was not good enough to get me through. I knew that I had slacked off and my body didn’t deserve to take a beating for what my mind did. So I woke up this morning and decided to never make another excuse. I am excited to journal my year of training for the 40th Marine Corps Marathon in 2015. To reflect every week and push myself harder every day. To get in to the best shape of my life so that I can destroy any doubt in my mind that I am not a marathoner. To prove it to myself and to make my Grandpop proud. Needless to say, I took today off from any physical activity. So, for now…pictures from this past weekend.