training | Outrunning Doubt

Days 28 and 29

Posted on November 26, 2014 by kalynsara

So I know I promised that I would not allow life to get in the way. But last week it did. I had some exciting news at work and it sort of threw me for a loop. In such a good way. But it left me in a whirlwind of figuring out how to manage my time. I gave myself the rest of the week to figure it out (and cheat a little. Ok, a lot). But don’t worry, I started yesterday off on the right foot. I gave myself some short-term goals to stick to.

First, I am going to run/walk (but mostly run) 55 miles by Christmas. This may not sound like a lot considering I have 30 days to do this, but remember I am trying to get in better running shape the correct way all while nursing an IT band injury that I have had for over a year. So this goal is going to help keep me motivated, but still allow me to become a better runner.

Second, I am going to go three days a week (until Christmas, then reevaluate) with absolutely no bread, sweets, pasta and chips. This is going to be hard for me. I love all of those things. A lot. And although I have been a lot better about not eating sweets, the no bread thing is really going to get me.

So here goes my recap for days 28 and 29.

Yesterday was an OK day in terms of fitness. I went to a wedding on Saturday night and so I was really feeling bad on Sunday. Yesterday I could definitely feel it in my workout.

I walked 1/4 of a mile and ran 3/4 of a mile (which brings my goal to 1/55). It was slow. And painful. But afterward I did some squats, biceps and triceps reps on the TRX bands (I just learned how to use those things and they are killer). I also did two swinging planks with the bands. Those are hard. I did one for a minute and one for 45 seconds. I stretched and rolled afterward.

For breakfast I ate a bowl of cereal with two handfuls of blueberries. For lunch I had the most incredible salad with romaine, cucumbers, green peppers, onions, tomatoes, artichokes (words cannot express how much I love artichokes) and feta cheese. All with a little bit of ranch dressing. I had two fresh rolls on the side. For snack I had a greek yogurt. For dinner I had a sandwich with rye bread, pepperoni, spicy mustard, ham, swiss cheese and tomato. It was awesome. The tomato was a vine tomato from the Farmer’s Market. Best tomato ever.

Today I did not hit the gym. My day at work was a workout in itself. Trust me on this one. I am exhausted.

For breakfast I had some oatmeal made with a teaspoon of brown sugar, a teaspoon of chia seeds, cinnamon and a splash of vanilla extract. For snack I had a greek yogurt. For lunch I had a huge grilled cheese with a small bowl of tomato basil soup. For dinner I had rice, steamed spinach and a little bit of grilled chicken.

I am planning a really good workout for tomorrow and Thursday. I need to go ahead and work off my calories now.

Days 17 and 18

Posted on November 14, 2014 by kalynsara

Yesterday was blah. I had energy and felt great from eating so healthy on Tuesday, but for some reason I had no motivation to get to the gym. I ended up doing only 20 minutes of Jillian Micheals’ 30 Day Shred Level 1. Does anyone have any tips on how to stay motivated to go to the gym every day? Even thinking about my goals weren’t enough to get me moving. And I am afraid that as it gets colder and colder I am going to find it even harder to get out of bed, get out of my PJs, or even leave my warm home just to hit the gym.

My nutrition wasn’t perfect either. It went something like this:

Breakfast – one cup of oatmeal made with Nutella and chia seeds
Snack – a handful and a half of Cheez-Its
Lunch – two slices of pizza (one with broccoli and one with green peppers and both dipped in a little ranch)
Dinner – leftover grilled chicken, steamed spinach and rice along with a half of a sweet potato and some Farmer’s Market tomatoes with a little organic balsamic vinegar on top

I have no pictures from yesterday, but I will say that I am extremely proud of myself for resisting cupcakes at work. I did not even have a tiny bite. Not even a single taste of frosting. Nothing. It was hard.

Today was a little better. I got a great workout in at the gym.

I did a 1.25 mile run followed by a half mile walk. I did some squats (I doubled up and did some bicep curls with a 5lb weight in each hand), some tricep extensions, three minutes of continuous abs (it hurt) and then this machine (for three sets of 15):

I am not sure what this machine is called, but every time I do it my outer thighs and butt are sore the next day. It is awesome.

My nutrition wasn’t so good today either. I actually feel kinda sick writing it. It went like this:

Breakfast – one cup of oatmeal made with Nutella and chia seeds
Snack – half of a honey greek yogurt
Lunch – an everything bagel with a slice of provolone cheese, two big slices of Farmer’s Market tomato and some oregano
Snack – a few Triscuits dipped in hummus
Dinner – homemade sweet potato and black bean quesadillas. These were actually really good! I used the leftover sweet potatoes from last night (I just baked them last night) and stuck them in a bowl and microwaved it with a teaspoon of organic, unsalted butter. I then mashed them up with a little sea salt and chili powder. I spread it on a flour tortilla and put some grated cheddar cheese and black beans and cooked on the stove until done. We dipped them in organic salsa. I wish I had pictures, but they were so good we devoured them.

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.