Starting over. Again...

I am having to start over. It is a hard and humbling feeling for sure. Today I did 30 mins of Cathe's Afterburn dvd and it left me totally exhausted. This is going to be hard, very hard. I have lost so much physical fitness it is ridiculous. I know it sounds funny saying this as I just finished a marathon 2 weeks ago but in terms of my strength training and overall fitness levels, well, they are horrible! I feel so weighted down when doing jump squats and push ups and the burpees nearly killed me!

It reminds me of when I was so heavy back in Russia and I was just getting going losing my weight. It is a bizarre feeling. Despite everything, I am back to square one. Today's goal was to get in 30 mins of Cathe and I am very proud to say, I did it!! My husband reached his goal as well.  He did P90X Legs and Back. So proud of him. It was fun working out together too. Something I miss greatly.

So in the spirt of starting over, here is my plan for this next week.  I have to make this work....

Get in at least 30 mins EVERY DAY! Walk outside, walk on the treadmill, Cathe, Circuit training....something, anything just move for 30 mins a day, even if it is just pilates or yoga.

I am also going to start taking pics of my food again. It always helped motivate me so much. I do not know why I am in this slump but something has to change. It is crazy....

I have my marathon blog nearly ready. I have just been busy with some fun family activities and we have started decorating for Christmas!! I need to get a few marathon blogs up soon with pics, especially for those of you not on FB. I will aim to do it this week.

I am off to take my greens!

Earth to Jen. You are in a challenge...

Ever since the marathon I feel as if I have hit a brick wall. My motivation to workout is a big ZERO!! People always email me how do I say motivated and I think I am going to have to go back and read my own emails to people in order to gain perspective and motivation this time around. I do not know if it is because I have trained so long and my body needs a break but I just feel BLAH! Now, do not get me wrong, I am as happy as can be. In fact, I am sleeping well and I feel better than when I was in training but my motivation to pick up the dumbbells currently sitting next to me....well, it is gone.

That is all for today. Just an update on how lazy I have been post marathon!! I am going to try and start over today and get in some much needed pushups....hope I do not fall on my face! :)

Just know if you are out there and you are struggling to find motivation to make it happen, remember it happens to all of us! Regardless where you are in your journey, there will be days when it seems impossible, but try and take it one day at a time. Set small goals and if you fail, just renew your mind to start over again, but never stop!

I need to read this over and over. I guess need to heed my own advice :)

Press on friends....

A new challenge is here!! It starts today....

I am in need of another challenge! I cannot run for another few weeks as you are supposed to rest one day for every mile you run after a marathon! So, that means 26 days of NO running!! I have realized I am addicted to running and fitness and when I do not workout, I feel crazy! No, not really but I feel the effects of not getting a workout in and so I need to set new goals and work on a challenge this month.

I am excited because in 26 days we leave for a short vacation to London and then to Bath to see the famous Christmas market held there each year. Knowing that soon, I will be in London, one of the best places to eat Indian food, which is a personal favorite of mine, I need to make sure and be extra strict this month with my diet!! My long runs are over so I need to back away from the carbs, up my protein and watch my calories. I cannot workout this month like other as I am recovering from the race so I MUST make sure  I do not eat like a race horse when I am not racing!! :) There will be a time for scones, tea and definitely some curry but not now.

My challenge is incredibility simple! I hope to reach my goals before we leave November 28th....

Nutrition goals....

1. Be sure and get in my Sunwarrior, VM Green and Earth daily!
2. LACV 128 oz daily -  1 lemon mixed with apple cider vinegar in a gallon of water.
3. Flax bread only in the mornings and only ONE piece per day.
4. Log calories on Spark and post on Blog/FB

Fitness goals....

1. Push ups - 1000 military push ups before 11/28
2. Squats - 4000 squats - sumo, jump squats, etc....before 11/28
3. Burpees - 1000 reps before 11/28
4. Pull ups - assisted or negative - 100 reps before 11/28

I have NOT been strength training the final weeks leading up to the marathon so the fitness goals are huge for me! I cannot tell you the last time I did a pull up....oh mercy!

So, in order to make these goals happen, I have to start somewhere. And that begins now. Here is my plan for the week......

Friday - Yoga, easy stretching along with some pushups
Saturday - walk on the treadmill, easy 30 mins along with ST circuit
Sunday - Yoga and PT exercises
Monday - ST circuit
Tuesday - Walking on the tread - 30 mins
Wednesday - ST circuit
Thursday - Walking on the tread - 30 mins
Friday - Yoga/Rest

My Marathon splits....

I am in the middle of writing a LONG blog about the marathon but I wanted to post my splits on here for those of you who are not on FB or the daily mile.

It was an amazing day for me!! I have so many photos to share and details of the race to post probably sometime this weekend or Monday.

From my Garmin....26.55 miles - 4:46.13...10:46 Avg Pace


Mile 1 - 10:20
Mile 2 - 10:11
Mile 3 - 10:30
Mile 4 - 10:04
Mile 5 - 10:16
Mile 6 - 10:30
Mile 7- 10:33
Mile 8-  9:49
Mile 9 - 10:05
Mile 10 - 10:25
Mile 11- 10:21
Mile 12 - 11:00
Mile 13 - 10:59

I reached the half way mark at 2:17 which was exactly my time in training to finish in 4:34....but after mile 13 it started to go downhill in terms of my speed. I began to see people on the sides of the road stretching their calves and many people walking who were so fit and should have been near the finish. I started to worry and I think it got to me.

Mile 14 - 10:52
Mile 15 - 10:39
Mile 16 - 11:15
Mile 17 - 10:44
Mile 18 - 10:49
Mile 19 - 11:26
Mile 20 - 11:38
Mile 21 - 11:47
Mile 22 - 10:52
Mile 23 - 11:15
Mile 24 - 11:50
Mile 25 - 11:37
Mile 26 - 11:04
The last .55 - 5:10

Looking back on these it is obvious when I really started walking and slowing down my running. I have to be honest, I am a bit sad seeing these. I wish they were faster like in my training. I trained to finish around 4:34 and while my goal was to always come in under 5 hours, a part of me was dreaming for a 4:30 - 4:45 finish....I was so close.

My journey to 26.2 miles!

A Tribute to a few special people in my life who have helped me get to where I today. May I make you all proud. 

I have finally made it to the final days before my first marathon. I find myself reflecting back on my journey, and I am proud of how far I have come but I find myself realizing that I have a long road ahead of me. I have goals and dreams before me but I know that in time, with discipline and a great deal of patience, anything is possible with God leading the way!

My journey to this marathon started well before most of you may think. As a child growing up my parents started running, and I remember going to races to watch my Dad run. I was so very proud! My aunt was, and is, an elite accomplished runner, and her influence spread throughout the family and inspired us all to take up running and lead healthier lives. My Mom and I ran the Susan G. Komen 5k together when I was in middle school. Once in high school I was on the track and cross country team. I was inspired and motivated by my family to continue running which eventually lead to my first triathlon at the age of 15.

                                One of my triathlons I did while in high school 

You must remember that my weight gain did not begin until I was in my 20's. My whole life I was fit and active and running was just another part of our life.  When I was 15 years old my Dad signed up for his first marathon, the Dallas White Rock Marathon. He trained and trained along side my Mom who would go out with him on his long runs, and she would ride her bike beside him cheering him on. They would tell me stories of how she would even sing to him! I remember the example it set for me of how a marriage should be: one spouse supporting the other with their dreams. It was a beautiful thing.  However, the night before the marathon my Mom became very sick and my Dad--after all of his training--could not leave her side. He missed the race.


I have no doubt it was hard for my Dad after so many months of training. But his love and devotion for my Mom far outweighed any desire to race. How could he run his first marathon and not have his bride, his best friend there with him? I always admired my Dad for making my Mom a priority, and the love he showed that day is something I will never forget. Nevertheless, I do not think I fully understood his decision until now.

Daddy, you may not have been able to finish your marathon but you just know that when I cross that line, you will be in my heart and I will make you proud! You have always been such an amazing example to me and for the many, many times you and Mom have encouraged me along this long journey, I thank you. Thank you for always believing in me and knowing that even though I lost my way, I would make it back to the girl you once knew, and I would be living the life God has in store for me. 

A few memories from our family races growing up...

I have no idea what I was thinking with the shorts and the big sunglasses....oh my! Don't you love old photos from the late 80's and 90's!! But it was an amazing memory running with my Mom! 

I have been training for some time now, and I can honestly say that marathon training is more than long runs, speed work and fueling properly. It is an emotional journey--one that requires a commitment you must make with all your heart and one that will directly affects those close to you. When you are exhausted, drained or injured it affects everyone. Your spouse has an important role to play. They can either lift you up and motivate you more than anyone else could or marathon training can take a toll of them as well. For me, I am blessed in that this training has only brought my husband and I closer together in ways we never could have imagined. 

In 2010, we were blessed with our little girl, and once again my life and this new journey I was on was changed forever. My running and workouts changed in the best possible way. I went from morning runs to running on the treadmill during her naps and running with her in the BOB stroller. When I look back at my weight loss after having my girl, they are some of the best memories I have in terms of the entire weight loss journey. We spent so many days together out on the trails sharing special moments while I was getting back into shape. In many ways, she was my training partner leading up to this marathon. She was my running buddy--something I will always hold dear in my heart. I feel as if we did this together. I cannot wait to tell her stories of our runs together and how her Daddy made my marathon training so very special for me.  Someday, who knows, maybe we will be cheering her on as she races towards the finish line! 

One of my runs with my girl in 2011 while I was losing my baby weight and making incredible memories as a new Mom! It was one of the happiest times of my life. 

A snowy run with my girl during our first winter here in Norway. 

The journey which lead me to where I am today was not an easy one. It was a hard journey with many heartaches, but my husband stood by me the entire time. While I felt embarrassed and so ashamed with myself, he always lifted my spirits and continued to make me feel so very loved. In his eyes, I was perfect. True, he did not see just how much weight I was gaining. Maybe he should have been tougher on me, but it is not in his spirit to do so. This devotion and love for me continued when I began my weight loss journey in 2006.  

I remember every day when he would come back from the office and could not wait to read my fitness blog and hear about what my workouts were for the day! He would get so excited seeing if I increased my weights or rep count when began focusing on strength training. He used to help me with my push ups, stretching after a workout or sometimes standing next to the treadmill cheering for me as I was doing sprint intervals. Consistently year after year, he was there. How does someone give so much of themselves? It was truly beautiful, and it was one of the biggest reasons I have succeeded with my weight loss the way that I have.  

My husband never seemed to lose faith in me. I remember sitting on the couch in Russia and signing up for what would be my first triathlon in years!! We were moving back to the US and I had not swam or biked in forever. I had lost about 70 lbs at that point, and I was bound and determined to get back to triathlons. Even though I did not even own a bike, I signed up and he was so very proud of me. He surprised me months later with a scrapbook that he made me for all my triathlon bibs and memories. Again, he showed me that my dreams, my goals are his as well. His heart is so invested in my journey it has truly become his own! 

Just as my father recognized my mother's love and devotion for him during his training. I too understand just how much this race means to my husband. When I struggle, he struggles with me. When I cross that finish, he will be with me in my heart just as if he was running beside me cheering me on all the way. I will never forget the countless long runs we had together during this training. My husband would drive to various mile markers, his homemade signs in hand and would be jumping around cheering like a mad man. Only true love can make someone do such things!

I am crossing this finish line for many, many reasons. But I could not have made it to this point without the support and dedication from you, my precious husband, Micah. You’re my everything. I run this race for you. I will try my best to make you so very proud of me and with every step you will be right there with me. I cannot thank you enough for the many early mornings you helped me get ready for my long runs. The countless times I cried and cried knowing we had to cancel another race due to injury. The days and nights I poured my heart out to you telling you my dreams and how I wanted to be more, I wanted to do more and yet I did not know how. You raised me up when I was down and you pushed me forward in my darkest hours.  

Thank you my love for ALWAYS being there for me, in all things.  I dedicate this race, this journey and this moment to you.  Forever, I will thank God for bringing you into my life. 

Here are some memories from a few of my runs during marathon training! 

Seeing my girl at the end of my first 16 mile run! She was holding the sign that she made with my husband for me and my heart broke seeing her standing there cheering me on saying Mommy! Mommy! I will never, ever forget this moment...

                                             Tears of joy holding my girl...

                                           During one of my 20 mile runs 

                                               Finishing my 18 miler!! 

My husband made these signs and had them on the side of the road exactly at the 10, 18 and 20 mile mark!! I cried so hard when I realized what they were as I was running past them! I was in shock. It was an incredible memory. He made everything so very special for me. 

Here I am finishing my first 20 miler!!! My husband had all the signs lined up for me like a little finish line with him cheering me on through the finish! 

                                    Happy as can be after my first 20 mile run! 

                       The sign and balloons I came home to after my last 20 miler! 

What an amazing journey this has become! I cannot wait to see what God has in store for me next! One thing I do know is that I can reach any dream, as long as I have my eyes fixed on Christ. 

The last 20 miler before the race!!!

I cannot believe that I have almost made it to the end of my marathon training! Tomorrow is my last long run before I begin my taper for my first marathon which is Monday, October 29th!

I am running 20 miles tomorrow, nice and steady. Not too fast and not too slow! I just need to get in those last few miles before giving my body a MUCH needed recovery so that I can come back strong on race day. I have said this before but my goals for the race are simply to finish STRONG! I want to sprint through that finish line with a smile on my face and a knee that is not in too much pain. I have to be able to run again shortly after the marathon as I have another race coming up in March and I must get back to strength training and my HIIT that I was doing prior to marathon training. I was by far the leanest and most fit during this time NOT during my marathon training. Hard to believe I know but my body just responded to strength training far more than long distance running.

I have a massive marathon training blog that I have to write, once promised weeks ago! I will be posting photos from 5 or 6 of my long runs and I look forward to sharing some pre-race blogs that are very dear to my heart.

I hope to report back tomorrow that I had a successful 20 miler! Maybe not as fast as last weeks but a success in terms of covering the distance without injury. Right now, this is MOST important. I have to make it to the race healthy!! Too many of my marathons have been canceled due to injury.......not this time!!!

Here I go....my last 20 miler....wish me luck!

Schedule for this week 10/1 - 10/7

My fitness goals for this week are to stay healthy and make sure to get my foam rolling in on my knee. As far as my nutrition, I need to keep tracking my calories so that I do not overeat while training and I hope to lose another pound this week IF possible. They are sticking to me like glue these days.....

Here is my schedule for this week -

Monday - 16 mile run/walk with a 1 mile cool down - DONE! AP 10:22
Tuesday - Rest but make sure to get in at least 30 mins of Yoga X along with my PT work
Wednesday - Short ST circuit along with my PT work and foam rolling.
Thursday - 6 mile run
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - 20 miler!!

Setting new goals for this next week...

Well after my VERY short strength training session a few days ago, my legs are still so very sore from my sumo squats. It is sad really. It just goes to show how OUT OF SHAPE I have become. It sounds bizarre but I have not been strength training and I am sorry, going out running is different then a sumo squat. You are using different muscles with a squat....I need to be doing these more obviously.  Well the point of saying all of this is that I am going to slightly change my plan for the next few days, not by much but I am just trying to listen to my body. I do find it strange I am not recovering as fast as I used to but then again I have a host of weird things going on with my body right now. Still trying to figure out what is going on. I did find an online training site called ME....Metabolic Effect that has various programs and I am thinking about starting one of them that deals with weight loss and female or hormonal issues. My endocrinologist visit is not for a few weeks so as of now I just have to be patient and do what I can.

The past few days have been good in terms of my caloric intake. I am aiming around 1300 - 1350 daily and so far it is going well although my weight loss is not what I hoped for. I just need to be PATIENT!

Back to the change of plan. Here is my new schedule for the next few days. Like anything in life, this too can change :)

Wednesday - ST upper body and core along with a 5 mile easy run/walk
Thursday - Yoga Max
Friday - ST upper body and core along with a 5 mile easy run/walk
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - Rest - My husband is FINALLY coming home today!!!!!!
Monday - 16 mile run.....wish me luck on this one! My first long run in 2 weeks.
Tuesday - ST upper body and core
Wednesday - Run/walk 4 miles
Thursday - Rest
Friday - Rest
Saturday - 20 miler!!!
Sunday - Rest, Rest, Rest, Rest, Rest and Rest!!! :)

Daily Results. 9/23

Crazy short blog tonight, I am super tired! I have not been sleeping the past few nights and it is catching up with me.

No workout for today although we went to Melshei and walked and hiked the trails for about 45 mins to an hour which burned calories but I am not counting it towards miles or my caloric burn. It was just a good day of fun with my girl exploring and trying to collect more pine cones!

Tomorrow is ST with a 4 to 6 mile run/walk. My knee is hurting a bit from today but I am sure with ice and rest it will be fine for tomorrow. Icing as we speak...

Total calories consumed today - 1,343
Calories burned - did not log but I was active

Have a blessed night!

Daily Results. 9/22. Priceless memories with my girl....

I cannot tell you just how much I loved my time with my baby girl today. I normally blog about things like this on our family blog but I just had to share what a beautiful day it was for me.

This morning we were outside playing at the playground area which is next to our house. After we had played for awhile, I asked her if she wanted to go see the trees behind us and if she wanted to go exploring!! We headed up the hill behind our house to go to the lookout area just above our house. It is a steep, but short climb. She charged up the hill and after some time I asked if she wanted to take a break. She did not stop. Instead she began running up the hill. She was NOT stopping! I have to admit, I was very proud. We made it to the top and as we were exploring the rocks and pine cones, she proceeded to lay down and it was then I realized just how tired the hike made her. After a short break she was ready to go again! We went into the trees and found a fort! She called it the Daddy fort!! We also found some amazing red mushrooms that looked like something out of Alice and Wonderland! I have never seen mushrooms like this, it was really special getting to see all of this with her.

We walked and talked about all that we were seeing and it was in this moment I realized that most Saturday mornings I am out on a long run and I do not get to have this time with my girl. Yes, I am with her every day but today was special. It was our Mommy and Kayla exploring day!! My husband is in the US for this week so it was special to have made these memories together and it helps me feel less lonely when he is gone. I cannot wait to take my husband to the Daddy fort when he gets home. I know Kayla will be ready to go exploring again. At one point we came up to a dead end if you will and there was a large rock. I said, "what are we going to do?" "How are we going to get over the rock?" Without prompting, she began to try and climb over the rock!!!! That is MY girl. She is one determined little girl and I was so proud to see a fighting spirit in her today.

After we collected as many pine cones as we could carry, we headed home and it was not until the end she wanted to be carried.  We made it home...our pine cones and sticks in hand (she had a small little stick to match the one I was carrying ) and my heart was filled with such joy. Sometimes I can be in such a hurry to teach her everything. ABC's, 123's, colors, shapes etc....but for today, it was about being together and making memories. On the way home we were singing and laughing and my world felt complete.....almost.  The man who usually holds my other hand was missing. I felt it to my core. Things are just not the same when we are not together as a family. I think this is the biggest blessing of all.

So my day was just about as perfect as can be. I wish she could stay little forever. My buddy.....my little buddy and me.

Here are some memories from our day together.....

                                                     My girl in the Daddy Tent!

                                                              Exploring the forest.

                                                         Resting on a rock at the top

Overlooking Kayla's play area and harbor of Sandnes down below. I love living up here. The views are amazing!! I wish I could have played here when I was a child. She is blessed.

These are some of the crazy, awesome mushrooms we found. I did not let her touch them though....was not sure what they were, but they look great.

                                           On our way up to the top from the playground


And now my workout results. Far less important than the above!


Total calories burned - 640
Total calories consumed - 1,585

Morning workout - 5km on the tread - 29 mins with a short set of ST in between.
Bosu ball push ups - 50 reps
Bicep curl to shoulder press using a 33 lb weighted plate with squats - 50 reps

Afternoon workout - 2 km walk/run on the tread as a warmup - 16 mins
Bicep curls to shoulder press with squats - 50 reps with 10 lb Db's
Wood chops holding a 22 lb weighted plate
Standard military push ups - 50 reps
Assisted pull ups - 3 sets of 5 reps

                                              Post workout...sweaty and happy as can be!!

Goals for today and beyond.

I HAVE to get back strength training as soon as possible...that means TODAY!! After the cruise my shoulder injury caused me to become so sedentary when it came to lifting weights. I hate it. I miss it. I need it. I feel soft and squishy :) Marathon training is good, do not get me wrong but I am not as lean as I was just 2 months ago. So, in the spirit of moving forward, I am adding in a great deal of strength training to the rest of my training and if it slows me down on my long runs....fine.  I am ok with this.  I would rather be sore from strength training and have to run slower than to just sit around and do nothing from now until the marathon. I need to start back strength training slowly so that I do not get injured so if my workouts do not look like much, I assure you they will in due time!

I am also stepping back on the scale. Yes, I said it. The dreaded "S" word that so many do not want to recognize. I tried to stay away but I am sorry, it just does not work for me. When I am not tracking my weight, it is simple.....it goes UP! When I am weighing in often, I eat better, I workout stronger and I see results. The scale goes up and down GREATLY every day but when you track it and see progress, it motivates me. I never thought that marathon training would lead to weight gain for me but it has!!! Now, yes, I have some other hormonal...or thyroid or adrenal issues going on which adds to the problem but it is simple. I am eating more now to fuel my runs and the scale has gone up a few lbs in the past few months. No more. I am getting back on track. That is my mission. So before the end of the year, I want to be where I was the same time last year. It will mean a year of no weight loss but I can say I have gained a great deal of strength and endurance since moving here. My measurements are close to what they were last year.  My hips, arms and waist are slightly higher.

So I can sit here and talk about how I want to change or I can start today and do my best to get back, I choose starting NOW and doing all I can to make a change. My long term goal is to be back to where I was by my 13th wedding anniversary which is December 21st!!!!! It starts now......

So today's goals are as follows....

1. Complete ST planned
2. Walk/Run 4 miles
3. Log foods and stay on track with my water intake

Strength Training for today. Simple, fast but it is a start. Now, this is my plan....I will post results today in my daily results blog.

1. Wood chops with sumo squat using a weighted plate - 50 reps
2. Push ups - Standard military 50 reps
3. TRX back rows - 50 reps
4. KB swings - 50 reps
5. Standing side crunch with pull down using a MB or weighted plate - 50 reps for each side
6. Functional rotations with sumo squats - 100 reps
7. Plank row - 50 reps
8. Push ups - Diamond - 50 reps
9. Triple with sumo squat - Front raise to bicep curl with shoulder press - 50 reps
10. Assisted pull ups - 5 sets of 5 reps

Daily Results. 9/21

My results from yesterday....

4.5 mile walk today on the trails. Nothing fast but the hills along with pushing the stroller gave me a fantastic challenge!

Meals for today....

Water - 158 oz
M1 - Oats, strawberries, almonds and flax along with scrambled eggs with spinach, mushrooms and ground chicken
M2 - 1 peach, 1/2 piece of bread with turkey
M3 - rice cake with natural PB
M4 - 2 more peaches....sorry but they are SO good, they are small though :)
M5 - Mixed greens with cottage cheese and ground antelope, with more of the egg mix from this morning.
M6 - rice cake with natural PB

Today is my ST circuit along with a run...or walk depending on how my knee feels.

Here are some photos from our walk.

Daily results...

My run went well today. I walked for the first few minutes then started running slowly, building my speed throughout the run. I ended up with a total of 6.5 km at a 10:33 AP. I will take it for now. 39 days until the marathon!!!

Here are my foods for the day.

Water - 160 oz
M1 - 1/4 cup oats, one piece of spelt bread with 2 eggs and a latte.
M2 - rice cake with natural PB
M3 - 1/2 apple and recovery drink....Energy Lab Nutrition Armor.
M4 - a few bites of Spelt pasta....about 1/4 cup penne with marinara sauce. Grilled chicken over mixed greens with avocado, slivered almonds and blue cheese with balsamic dressing. One piece of bread with a couple of pieces of turkey, mustard and more avocado.
M5 - Greek yogurt with apple and flaxseeds.

Getting back on track.

I have not worked out since my 20 miler on Saturday. So much has been going on. My little girl and my husband have not been feeling well and I am afraid I am starting to feel sick myself. I am also battling this knee and foot issue which has been a huge struggle for me the past few days. It is a hard time for me right now. I feel very worn down......still, and while I have days where my energy is higher, for the most part, I am not back to my normal energetic self. I need to set a plan and some goals for the next few days. It is key for me....

My fitness plan for the next 14 days. 

Thursday - Yoga along with an easy 4 mile walk/run just to see how my knee and foot are doing. I have to make sure I take this week SLOW as I do not want a stress fracture or to injure my knee further. It is screaming at me to STOP so I really NEED to be smart....

Friday - 4 mile walk/run 

Saturday - ST circuit 

Sunday - 6 mile run...super slow or walk in needed 

Monday - Yoga and ST circuit 

Tuesday - 4 mile run/walk 

Wednesday - ST circuit 

Thursday - 4 mile run/walk 

Friday - 6 mile run 

Saturday - Rest 

Sunday - Rest 

Monday - 16 mile run 

Tuesday - Rest 

Wednesday - Rest  

 I will be back to logging my foods tomorrow. I will try and take a few food pics as well, that always helps me to stay on track. I just need to do all the things I know work right now as I am in this never ending slump.....it will pass, when I do not know, hopefully SOON!!! I just miss my energy. I seem to have misplaced it somewhere :) 

It will pass. It will pass. It will pass.......

9/11 Results...

Today is a hard day for me. I am not feeling well and I am definitely not my energetic, happy self. The stormy and dark weather is not helping either.

My leg, more specifically my knee is really hurting and I am trying to decide what I should do this week in terms of my workouts. I have a feeling that I should play it safe and REST!! I will wait until tomorrow to see....

I will say that even though I am having a hard time today, I have a little ray of sunshine here with me who is just the sweetest little best friend ever!! She and I are having fun watching the Andy Williams Christmas Specials on DVD. I figured with the stormy weather I might as well break out the Christmas movies and a cup of tea :)

Anyways, here is my nutrition for the day. Most of it pre-logged on Spark as I will not be online as much today.

Wishing everyone a blessed day!!

M1 - Chia seeds, apple, flaxseeds, kefir and almonds and an AMAZING skim latte!!
M2 - Rice cake and PB
M3 - 4 egg whites
M4 - Protein shake with strawberries
M5 - Grapefruit
M6 - Another protein shake with water
M7 - Chicken breast and kale sautéed with eggplant and peppers with a side of cucumber and tomatoes

9/10 Results...

Nutrition for today - Pre-logged evening meals...

M1 - Tuna and egg salad over greens. Espresso with Skim milk
M2 - Rice cake with Natural PB
M3 - Apple, greek yogurt and almonds.
M4 - Ground turkey with kale, peppers and mushrooms. Another latte with skim milk
M5 - Protein shake with strawberries and almond milk.  1 large grapefruit
M6 - Another protein shake.....IF needed or rice cake with PB and you can be sure there will be a small but amazing piece of dark chocolate consumed as well

Workout for today - Yoga and rest. My leg is still sore from my treadmill fall and the 18 miler on Saturday so I am taking a few days to just relax and let my body heal. 

I am blogging about my marathon training today and I will have the blog up sometime tomorrow with photos from my various runs. I am running behind on my postings as I seem to be so busy these days. I like it, more activities for Kayla and I....more amazing memories to be made!

9/5 Results.

An interesting day to say the least. Lets start with the humiliating run at the gym. To make a long story short, I was switching treadmills and I jumped on a treadmill that was running, and running rather fast...I was too tired to even notice, then I was thrown off. I picked myself back up and began to run only to drop my phone and I came so close to falling off of the treadmill AGAIN. It was a crazy morning.

I am ok, not seriously injured. My knee is scraped, bruised, and banged up a bit but it is my shin that is worrying me. It was fine, I just thought it was bruised but as more time passes, it is swollen and hurting. The ice and meds seem to be helping so I am hoping for the best. Overall,  I am fine....it could have been worse.

My nutrition was good today though I did treat myself to that some more dark chocolate!! After the fall.....I needed it!! :)

Anyways, here is a review of my crazy but wonderful day.......

Fitness - 6 mile run on tread. Time - aprox 58 mins....but off a bit due to the fall.

Nutrition -

M1 - About 1/4 cup of oats with 1/4 cup of yogurt.
M2 - A few cashews
M3 - Natural peanut butter with a rice cake
M4 - Protein shake with almond milk, strawberries, banana, chia seeds and kale
M5 - Dark chocolate!!! Just a couple of small pieces with a latte I made with skim milk
M6 - A small amount of salmon with kale and avocado
M7 - Grilled chicken and another rice cake with PB along with 1/2 piece of muesli bread....I know, not what I normally eat on a non-long run day but it was a treat!! It was a small amount though.

9/4 Results.

I am posting a bit early today as I have a great deal of things to get done later on and my little girl is sleeping now so I am trying to get all my online stuff done before she gets up and we head out to the store.  I have pre-logged my foods for tonight and if I sneak an extra piece of dark chocolate in after dinner, I will be sure to let you know tomorrow! :)

Workout - Core work and an easy walk

Walk on tread - 25 mins, just an easy pace to stretch my legs and clear my head.
Core - about 45 mins of core work with pilates. I am feeling it in my lower back which tells me I need to do more....

Nutrition -

M1 - Natural PB on a rice cake, Greek yogurt with flaxseeds, coffee with skim milk
M2 - A small cup of scrambled eggs, quorn and kale with hot sauce
M3- Red kale, grilled salmon, avocado and balsamic dressing
M4- Natural PB on a rice cake
M5 - Greek yogurt with almonds and homemade applesauce

Pre-logged....

M6 - Protein shake with strawberries, spinach and kale with a side of grilled salmon and veggies
M7 - 88% dark chocolate :) A piece....or two!


Tomorrow morning I am heading to the gym for a 6 mile run along with ST.  Hope everyone has a fantastic day and you reach all your goals.

Back on track...at least I hope so.

There are about a million things I want to share in this post but I really and truly do not know where to start. This is both a time of great achievements for myself and a time of struggle. I am running better than ever before despite my knee issues and yet at the same time I am constantly battling something that is going on with my body....what it is, we still do not know. I have days where my energy is high and my mood is normal and then there are days where I feel as if I am walking through mud and I have no motivation to continue on. This is the harsh reality I am facing right now. I feel as if there is no balance. I feel as if I am letting so many people down and I am not allowed to struggle or somehow I am not allowed to be going through this. It is hard....

I have changed a few things in my diet that seem to be helping with my overall energy and so I am hoping that things will start looking up. Saturday I had one of the best runs ever. It was my 16 miler....which I am going to write a another blog about it all...with details, but needless to say, I did very well and I felt amazing ( finished 2:44 with a big smile).....and ALL DAY, my energy was on fire, far more than the days before. It was as if I was a changed person.

I am taking a few blends for my Thyroid and my Adrenals along with trying to eat certain foods that will help boost my Serotonin levels. I hope this helps....something seems to be working though today has been quite hard. Very hard in fact. I guess it is just barrier that I am going to have to bust through, but I am not giving up!

For today, I wanted to list my training for this week along with my meals for today. I HAVE to get back tracking as it is key for me and now that I am dealing with this energy issue, we need to see what is working and what I need to change. Below are my main nutrient goals.....

1. Make sure I have a good source of protein with each meal.
2. For my marathon training - make sure I am fueling properly 2 days prior to my long runs.....this last week I had great success with adding in fruits as my main carb source ( bananas, blueberries, apple and pineapple) along with a good amount of nuts.
3. Make sure I am drinking at least 3 to 4 L of water
4. Log foods on DailyBurn site along with here to increase accountability

Workouts for this week -

Monday - Yoga and PT work
Tuesday - Incline walk on the tread with cross training either on bike or elliptical along with core work
Wednesday - 6 miles steady and light ST
Thursday - Yoga and PT work
Friday - Rest
Saturday - 18 miler - goal time is less than 3:15...I would be so happy with this! We will see what happens :)

Meals for today 9/3 - I pre-logged my evening meals...

M1 - Turkey and kale meatloaf......crazy I know but I was craving it ;) Espresso with skim milk and dark chocolate :) It was one of those days......
M2 - Scrambled eggs with Quorn and spinach
M3 - protein shake with 1/2 apple
M4 - Bell peppers and cucumber
M5 - Grilled salmon with a protein shake
M6 - Yogurt with flaxseeds and almonds

Tired but pressing on....

I have long blogged in some time. I have been more active on FB than here and it is my goal to get back to posting more. I need it. I need increased accountability and motivation about now. Things have been hard as of late with my training and overall program. As far as my home life, I could not be more blessed. My little girl is doing very well and meeting new friends, my husband is rocking his P90X workouts and doing very well with his cycling. Then there is my own journey....it is STUCK.

After coming back from the cruise, we started another challenge and I was doing well until my shoulder injury. I was unable to lift for a few weeks and it started to drive me crazy! I realized just how much I loved lifting and my circuit routines. A couple of weeks ago I started to notice I felt tired, weak and I did not have the spark that I used to. As the days progressed so did the overall feeling of fatigue. To make a long story short, we are looking into why I am feeling this way. We think it is my Thyroid, Adrenals or something along those lines. I feel confident that all will workout....

Moving on to my marathon training. I have my first 16 miler tomorrow!! I am excited about the challenge and I am hoping that I will be able to finish strong and my knee will do well. It is my goal to keep my pace steady and slow finishing around 3 hours....which would be just shy of an 11 mm. IF I can do this and STILL have my knee feeling good, I will be over the moon!!!!

Wish me luck....

Still going strong.

I have not posted a blog in forever. So much is going on right now, and that is a good thing! My marathon training is going well. I completed my first 14 miler on Saturday and I was more than happy with my pace and overall performance. My AP was a 10:20 which I was happy with because my knee held on strong and I am in no pain today. I NEED to get through this training healthy and I need to do all I can to keep my knee uninjured as I am already looking at a few marathons for 2013!!

Here is a photo of me running my 14 miler on Saturday, it was so beautiful. I will post along blog regarding my run with more photos later today.

My schedule for this next week is pretty light compared to normal. My training plan has me taking it easy on my runs this week. Then coming back next week hard with speed work and a 16 miler on Saturday. I cannot wait. I am still not strength training as my shoulder is finally starting to feel somewhat normal after the injury which occurred a few weeks ago.

My focus this week is on getting in my runs, logging my calories, making sure I stretch and do my PT exercises along with my foam rolling for my ITB.

On the home front my little girl has a special week planned. We are taking her to a few new playgroups and we are so excited about her meeting new little friends and learning new things each week! I ordered a new curriculum for she and I to use when at home for this year. It is for ages 2 - 3 and contains lesson plans and fun play activities. It excites me to be apart of her learning experience as of now. I know that in due time I may have to send her to the International school here, or wherever we are living but for now, I am savoring each and every second with my girl. She is growing up so fast!!
We have so much fun together during the day, it pains me to think about the day I have to send her away....even if it is for a few hours.

I hope all of you have a blessed day and you reach all of your goals!!!

Challenge Results - Day 3

I did well yesterday. I failed to blog so below are my results. I am adding in another goal for the month. It is to complete 100 negative pull ups. I was discussing my pull up challenge on my FB page and it was mentioned that negative pull ups can help me get stronger and are good for training and therefore I am adding them in my program. I did 3 yesterday and found them to be quiet a challenge. Here is an example for those wondering what exactly these are.



Today will be an easy 4 miles on the tread and a quick ST circuit. There are only 5 exercises and you complete the circuit 5 times! Great fun and fast....

Circuit ST goal for today.......yet to be completed :) Will post results later today. Wish me luck.

1. Assisted Pull ups - 5 reps
2. Negative Pull ups - 2 reps
3. Kettle bell swings - 50 reps with a 25 lb KB
4. Push ups - 20 reps ( diamond, spiderman and close grip on the bosu ball)
5. Cross body mountain climbers - 50 reps

Challenge totals so far.......

Miles - 12.29/100
Pull ups Assisted - 48/500
Negative pull ups - 3/100
Push ups - 275/2,000

8/8 Fitness results - 5.26 mile trail walk with the stroller and hills - 1:22. 15:35 AP
Pull ups - 3 negative

Nutrition results -

M1 - Kefir with apple and milled flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds and walnuts
M2 - Rice cake with natural PB
M3 - Spinach and salmon salad
M4 - Protein shake with grilled turkey breast with ratatouille
M5 - More of the kefir mix from this morning

Weekly schedule -

Monday - Easy walk - DONE!
Tuesday - 5 mile run and ST - DONE!
Wednesday - Walk with hills - DONE!
Thursday - 4 mile run and ST
Friday - REST
Saturday - 12 mile run
Sunday - ST only

Challenge Results - Day 2

Challenge totals so far -

Miles - 7.03/100
Push ups - 275/2,000
Pull ups assisted - 48/200

Marathon Training Schedule...

I stated this the other day in my challenge blog but it is worth repeating, this marathon is going to be SLOW. The goal is to make it across the finish line without injury to my knee and to be able to sign up for another race and COMPLETE the race without backing out as I have so many times because of my knee issues.  I am so tired of training for races and not being smart with my runs and as a result, I do not even get to race. So, if the plan has me running/walking, then that is what I am going to do. I am going to start off aiming for a 13 mm AP with my long runs and see how my knee does. If all is well, I can increase my pace somewhat but not much. The next marathon can be about speed, but this one is about FINALLY making it across the finish line for my first 26.2. I have completed 6 HM's and 6 triathlons in addition to countless road races ( 5k's, 10k's etc...) I want more than anything to make this goal and to finish strong, meaning not injured. I want to be able to run a good recovery run a few days post marathon and for my knee to be happy. So, if you see me posting crazy fast times, far off of what I am supposed to be doing, feel free to yell at me....I will understand :)

This weeks schedule.....

Monday - Easy walk - DONE
Tuesday - 5 mile walk/run and ST - DONE
Wednesday - Easy walk or bike
Thursday - 4 mile walk/run with drills and ST
Friday - Rest
Saturday - 12 miles run/walk @13mm
Sunday - ST and easy walk

Now for today's challenge results -

Nutrition  -

M1 - Kefir, milled flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, almonds and apple
M2 - Whey protein shake with 1/2 banana and skim milk. GF rice cake with natural PB
M3- Spring mix with ground chicken, peppers, cucumber and 1 grapefruit
M4 - Grilled chicken breast with spinach, egg and avocado, 1/2 a protein shake
M5 - More of the Kefir mix from this morning

Fitness -

5.03 mile run/walk on the tread - 58:08 mins, 11:33 AP

Short ST set -

Alternating bicep curls - 3 sets of 12 reps with 30 lb Db's - I reached my goal :) BUT the last few reps of set 3 my form was not as good as I would like. I was swaying back, so I need to improve on this but I am so very excited to see what I was finally able to get those 3 sets in using 30 lb Db's. It was a goal of mine and I reached it....on day 2!! Yea!

Two arm bicep curls - 3 sets of 15 reps with 20 lb Db's
Bent over rows with a 59 lb BB- Set 1 - 10 reps, Set 2 - 5 reps......totally spent. I could not do more.
Shoulder press with sumo squat - 3 sets of 15 reps with 20 lb Db's
Pull up Close grip - 3 sets of 5 assisted
Pull up Wide grip - 3 sets of 5 assisted
Diamond Pushup - 50 reps
Close grip push up - 50 reps
Spiderman - 50 reps
Solider plank push - 50 reps

Challenge results - Day 1

It was not the bombastic start to my challenge that I wanted but I am still proud I worked hard. Today was rainy and cold and it zapped ALL of my energy out...which is pretty hard to do :) I went for a great 31 min walk, mostly hill work pushing my baby girl in the BOB and then I did my pull ups and push ups for the day but to be honest, all day I felt as if I was hit by a truck. I called my husband and he feels the same way so maybe we are fighting off a bug or something or maybe it is just delayed exhaustion from the trip. Coming home to clouds and rain after being in the warm Mediterranean does not help either.

I started off today motivated and ready to work hard. Now, I feel tired but still motivated. I am watching the Olympics as I write this and I feel incredibly bad for saying I feel tired. After what? They are doing all of these amazing things and I am tired from a walk and some pull ups? Goodness. Some days you just feel off a bit and this is one of them... BUT, I can tell you this, even though I feel worn down, I got out there and I did something. I did what I could. I feel so very blessed to have my health and even if it is just the bare minimum, I wanted to strive for my best today.

Now for the pull ups. I tried today and it was miserable. I did 1.5 from a hanging position, totally unassisted then I did 2 sets of 5 followed by another set of 8 this evening. I tried another one unassisted but I only made it half way. This is going to be a VERY hard challenge for me. But that is the point, to truly REACH and to strive for something that scares you, pushes you harder and where you feel uncomfortable but you know you are pressing on and it will be worth it.

Challenge totals - August 6th - August 31st

Day 1 - Miles - 2
Assisted pull ups - 18 reps/200
Unassisted pull ups - 1.5 then another .5......do I get to count that as 2?? :) No....
Push ups - 75 reps/500
Diamond - 25
Spiderman - 25
Close grip bosu ball - 25

Nutrition - I did well today.....

M1 - Egg and spinach scramble with ground turkey
M2 - 1 apple
M3 - Natural PB on a GF rice cake
M4 - more of the spinach/egg mix from this morning along with 1 grapefruit
M5 - Whey protein shake with berries and banana
M6 - Salmon burgers over spring mix with avocado and EVOO/Balsamic mix
M7 - Kefir, apple, flax and almonds

Now I am off to bed hoping that I will wake up with TONS of energy ready to take the day by storm.

Back from vacation and ready for another challenge!!

I will post all the fun details regarding our vacation in the next blog but first I wanted to discuss the upcoming challenge which starts tomorrow. We are currently going through almost 3,000 photos from over 10 locations. This includes our stay along the French coast before the cruise, all of the countries from the cruise itself, then our post cruise stay throughout Provence. There are so many photos to go through, it will take some time, but are a few memories of our trip. We have the most amazing time together. More photos to come soon....

Here we are in Italy, visiting the island of Capri. We hired a boat to take us around the island and it ended up being a highlight of the cruise, it was such a beautiful island. I cannot wait to return someday.

Together in Corsica on the first day of our cruise. 

This was taken in Cassis, France while on a boat tour of the lovely limestone cliffs around the area. We loved the little town, one of our favorites along the French coast.

The waterfront along Marseille where I ran. It was a great base to stay prior to the cruise

Along the coast of France. The beach was beautiful but cold!  

On our balcony doing pushups with a little extra weight added on! She loves to climb on top of me while I do my push ups....I love it!

One of the little beaches off of Cassis.

Heading out to dinner one night of the cruise.


Now onto the challenge before us!!

We are excited about this next challenge as my husband and I both reached a new level of fitness during the last challenge and it continues to bring us closer together the more we train together and both strive for new goals. I love training together, he really inspires me. My husbands main goal in addition to his ST program is his cycling. His goal for this month is to complete 250 miles which includes a few rides during the week to and from work along with his longer rides on the weekends. He will also be adding in more hill training so that he can meet his goal for this year which is completing a very long climb we recently found near by. It is a very aggressive goal for him and I am excited to do all I can to help him reach it. What a day that will be!!

This challenge will start Monday and go throughout the month of August. We have each set personal goals and as always I will post my daily results on the blog along with my Spark and FB page. This month for me involves striving for a gain in my overall strength. I am focusing on pull ups, pushups and to increase my bicep curls.

Here are the details regarding the new challenge. It is simple, straight forward and I look forward waking up each morning ready to reach these goals!!

August 6th - August 31st Goals....

1. Strength training - Bicep curls.

Complete 3 sets of 12 reps for my alternating bicep curls WITH good form using 30 lb Db's. As of now I can do one set of 10 or 12, then a second set of 8 or so but the third set I burn out and I start to sway back and my form is totally off. I want to work hard to really get in each rep in fully and strong. For me, at this time, the 30 lb Db's give me a great challenge.

2. Pull ups.

Complete 5 consecutive unassisted pull ups by the end of the challenge. Currently I can do 1 to 2 pull ups from a hanging start but I cannot do any more without assistance. For me the hardest part is getting going from the start without using momentum. This is a HUGE challenge for me. To help me increase my pull ups I will be focusing on various back exercises including assisted pull ups, TRX exercises and bent over rows.  It is my goal to complete 200 assisted (and some unassisted) pull ups during the course of the challenge. That 50 reps per week.

3. Push ups.

Have you ever seen a challenge of mine that did not contain a push up goal? I LOVE them! Here is the problem. The standard military pushup that was once so very hard for me has become something I thrive on doing and therefore I have developed a great deal of muscular endurance and I can do quite a few. This is a good thing but it is not moving me forward with my fitness goals. So for this month I still have a goal to do 2,000 reps for the month BUT they will not include a standard military push up. Instead I will be focusing on variations that are more of a challenge for me. They are as follows......

500 reps of each type for the month -
Spiderman Push ups - Alternating knees to elbows
Solider Plank - One arm and one leg raised after each rep
Bosu Ball Close grip
Diamond push ups

4. Running.

I am currently in the middle of my marathon training and while everything was going well prior to the cruise, I did get a bit off track while I was gone. I got in several runs and a few fantastic HIIT sessions on the treadmill but my long runs where non existent. So I have to get back on track. Most of you know my history with running. I love it more than anything but my right knee has been giving me trouble for years. I am taking the advice of my PT and doctors and I am going to take it SLOW and train smart to hopefully help me finish strong and not injured. My goal for this next race is to finish before the cut off.....I am dead serious and to finish without injuring my knee further so that I can continue to race and do what I love. My training is a run/walk program and I will be aiming for a 13 mm during my long runs and a 12 mm marathon pace. As I said, it will be a slow race but the goal is not time but completing my first marathon after having to bow out of several races due to injury. The race is October 29th, in Dublin and I am truly excited BUT I need to really and truly train properly and not pull a typical "Jen training method" where I go out and run fast because I feel motivated. I MUST stick to the paces set for me and the mileage planned for me. If I want to run for a lifetime, this is what I must do.

5. Nutrition - Bye bye oats, breads and the things I love.

For this challenge we are saying goodbye to oats and breads....basically we are going Gluten free. We will still eat quinoa, brown rice, wild rice and GF rice cakes but the rest will be removed for now. I am also focusing on my macros this month. I am aiming for a higher protein, low carb percentage but the main focus is on increasing my healthy fats through eating more nuts, avocados etc...as a fuel source. I am currently reading a few books on athletic nutrition and I am learning a great deal.

It is also a goal of mine to continue my water consumption each day....about 4 to 5 liters along with my VM green and earth powders.

You may have noticed that for this month I do not have one single goal dealing with weight loss, inches loss, BF% etc. This month is about improving strength and reaching new goals. I am happy where I am right now and feel blessed to have reached the weight loss goals I have so far. It is now time to move on and focus on new things!

I am ready. I can do this.