"Girls (Who Run the World)" -Beyonce

Yesterday during my gym workout the Women's US soccer team was playing on the TV. Now, I am not all that into soccer, but any time the US has a chance at winning something I like to watch.

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The minute the US won their game (vs. France), Beyonce's "Girls (Who Run the World)" came onto my iPod.

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Thought it was interesting and should definitely be the team's theme song should they win on Sunday.

I don't really know all the words to the song but just the course got me thinking...

Two things:

1) Literally, we RUN the world. Sometimes I think about how many people all over the world are running at the exact moment I am. Thinking about all the places people get to run is amazing. I live in California and although some people might think that is ideal, I miss running in different seasons.

--What's your favorite season to run?
--Send me you favorite picture of the best place you have gotten to run, I'd love to see.

2) I'm not a feminist or anything, but there is just something inspiring when listening to a song about how awesome we women are. (BTW, did you know Beyonce is #9 on the Forbes most powerful people women list???)

Needless to say, I LOVE that song!!

What gets you going during your workout?? A song, a thought, a goal??
Music is definitely my number one during a run!

Once is good, but twice is NICE!!

I am really starting to love working out twice a day. I'll actually be sad when I go back to school and I can only workout once.

Today's workouts:


AM: 20 min stationary bike warm up
        Upper Body Weights: 

• Bench, 
• Dips, 
• Flys, 
• Curls, 
• Lawnmower, 
• Tri-Kickbacks, 
• Assisted Pull Ups,                         
• Timed Sit Ups, 
• Side Tap Crunches

PM: 12 mile Bike Ride

The numbers on the scale may not be moving much but if nothing else, I am becoming more physically fit.

So speaking of my bike ride, the afternoon one was outdoors on a real bike. It's a "mountain" bike I suppose. It's not the best bike but it does alright. What I am curious of, is if there is a noticeable difference in the way a road bike and mountain bike ride.

I know the road bike if going to be lighter and is actually made for the road. But for you cyclists: is there a difference in feeling between a road and mountain bike? Noticeable gear differences? Difference in the power?



The best thing about working out twice a day???
   ***Not feeling guilty about watching the NCIS marathon :)


What cross-training workout do you feel best improves your running abilities??
I would love to do the elliptical but my silly feet go numb within 10 minutes on those machines. I am definitely in a biking phase right now.

"I wanna get chocolate Wasted!!!"

Tuesday's Workout:

3 mile run.
Killer Leg Workout
(Squats, Leg Ext., Leg Curls, Leg Press, Calf Raise, Glute Kicks, Hip Abductions, Hip Adductions)

On Saturday I posted about my recent struggles, see here if you missed it. Since then I have done better and have been "rewarding" myself less often.

However I found that I was still intaking too many little chocolates. They are so tiny, that I found myself reasoning that I could have several. Bad Heather!

Yesterday I made it through the day without any chocolates. I am not one to forbid myself from any one thing for a prolonged time but I HAD to break the chocolate cycle.

The result: Very bad headache ALL evening.

Too bad this doesn't exist!

What do you guys eat to nip your sweet tooth?

For you Texans, how are you surviving the heat? The hubby and I are headed to a wedding in a week and a half in Allen, TX and looking at the weather scares me! I will NOT be running outside!

Just call me "Ms. Hawaiian Tropics"

Yesterday's Workouts:

Ran 3.7 Miles.
25 min Yoga video

I was going to head to the gym with the hubby but a headache kept that from happening. Boo!

Since the hubby works a strange schedule, Sundays and Mondays are his weekend. And well, since I'm a bum, every day is my weekend! Needless to say, we decided to partake in a couple of adult beverages.

He's so sexy! Sorry, I had to brag for a minute. And yes, we did dress up just to drink at home. It was fun!

My mom and I are both subscribers to Bon Apetit magazine which is awesome because we constantly call each other to let the other know how good something was.

Enter Papaya Margaritas. She made them on July 4th and made sure to point my attention to the recipe. They were so good! And hey, they had fresh papaya, so that's kinda healthy right?

What's your favorite magazine to subscribe to besides RW? (I love Bon Apetit and Cooking Light, I love to cook can you tell?)

What's your favorite at home yoga video?

Struggles with the "I deserve it" excuse

This past week without my computer has been horrible. 

I never realized how many programs I use to keep myself accountable. I definitely missed reading and writing blogs, but what I found to be the worst, was my lack of food documentation. I usually use calorie counter and like many things in life, I never realized what I had till it was gone. (Cheezy I know.)

This week my workouts were pretty good. Most days I completed two workouts. What should have been a great thing wasn't because I sabotaged myself with the "I deserve it" excuse.


I found myself thinking, "I worked out twice, I can totally have a piece of chocolate, maybe even two..."(which actually ended up being many more sadly)

Don't worry I don't keep myself from such delicious delights, but I usually only have one piece a day and I track it on my calorie counter. The combo of the "I deserve it" excuse and the lack of documentation led to no accountability and resulted in disaster.





What a terrible mess I am.

There's always next week right?

At least I have my computer back. Yay now I can come back to calorie counting and blogging.

Do you guys struggle with this excuse? How do you cope?
(I like rewards, but a piece of chocolate each time I do something good just isn't going to help drop those pounds.)

computer issues...

I was so excited to return from vacay and tell you all about it. Too bad my computer is acting crazy.

Poor computer needs to visit the dr.

Until then, feel free to email me!

I'm Baaaack! And with a vengeance...

Whew! What a trip. Ammmmaaazing. For those of you who are married, I HIGHLY recommend a long road trip before you start popping out kids. We had so much fun and I wish I could just tell you about everything we did. But I don't want to brag....too much anyways :)

Today's vacation edition is The Grand Canyon:

We spent three days enjoying the sights there.

We hiked two different days. "Hiked" may be a mild overstatement however, as the paths along the rim are relatively flat and paved. We weren't able to go below the rim because we had our puppy with us and dogs aren't allowed. We definitely intend to go back some time and hike down the Kaibab trail.







Our nights were spent playing games and reading around the fire.
It was definitely a change of pace and a very welcomed one.

Pro's and Con's of our G.C. Trip:

Pros:

• We were at the G.C. the first weekend of June which made for good weather. It was high 80's during the day and 30's at night. Both were pleasant even though we were sleeping in a tent.

• Also because our visit was so early in the summer, the park was not crowded. That said, reservations are still highly recommended, (we had them luckily, we stayed at Mather Campground and it was full.) 

Cons:

• Pets not being allowed below the rim sucked(it limits you to the hikes on the paved trail, only about 11 miles total). We knew the rules ahead of time so at least it wasn't a shock. They do have boarding available though FYI.

While at the G.C. we did a really good job of eating healthy. One night having turkey taco salad and the other night we had turkey burgers. We may or may not have had smores :)

So what am I doing now that I am back from my trip?

Not a whole lot. Miscellaneous, boring , grown up stuff like the budget and organizing the house.

But I am working out... twice a day. Heck yes!

Yesterday, I did an easy 3 miles on the TM at the gym. It had been a while since I ran and I was worried about going at it too hard. In the afternoon, I was feeling stir crazy so I took the dog for a nice long walk.

This morning I did a killer arm and back workout that I am already feeling the results from. In a bit I'm going to head out for a 4 mile run. This wind is going to annoy me though.

I have been doing really good watching what I eat. 

Using a program online I have tracked everything I am eating. I decided that, while I am happy with the way I look, I could stand to lose a little weight. My goal is 10 pounds before school starts. That's 8 weeks, so we'll see what happens. 

Okay enough for now. Tomorrow's vacation destination is New Mexico. Ever been there? It was surprisingly beautiful, at least in areas.

What is your favorite National Park you have visited? Any that you really want to visit?

I really want to hit up Utah and visit the Arches, Moab, Zion and Bryce Canyon!

Tips needed: Eating healthy while camping

In case you missed it here, the hubby and I are leaving for a three-week camping road trip tomorrow. Three weeks. In a tent. With food storage in a cooler.

We're crazy, we know!

One thing I am totally looking forward to is running in several different states. New states = New scenery. It also means I'll have the chance to push myself. One place that we are staying is in the Rocky Mountains and is at 13,000 ft. That air is going to be thin!

So while I am looking forward to all the scenery and the many chances to run and hike, I am worried about eating healthy. Sure, I intend to eat a few s'mores but I can't be bad for three weeks straight.

I'm looking for meal tips, specifically for dinner. I don't want to eat pasta the whole time, nor do I want to lack in protein. What do you guys eat while camping that is sorta healthy?

I have been camping plenty of times but we usually ate spaghetti and canned food. That's just not gonna work for three weeks.

So come on people, help me out here. What are your dinner ideas?

On a random note, I ran 9 miles yesterday!! That's 3 weeks in a row that I have been able to increase my mileage heck ya!

Training Advice and a Giveaway

In honor of National Running Day, Self Magazine is running a giveaway.
Head over here for a chance to win, or don't and I'll have a better chance to win :)

National Running Day

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Enter to Win New Running Shoes!: Fit Like Us

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Now for the advice. My first half isn't scheduled until October and as such I am not following a training plan. Do you guys follow a training plan when you are not actually training for a race? Do you schedule what you are going to do in advance?

One thing I also want to focus on is being a morning runner. When school starts back up in the fall I want to be used to running in the morning so that I can run before class. This last semester I found myself either not running because I needed to study or I neglected studying so that I could run. So what are your morning run tips? Do you eat first or drink anything? Run on empty?


Right now I am an afternoon runner. I just have this fear that if I don't have food in me my run will suck. And when I have a bad run, I get discouraged. It's a strange thing. It's like my body is used to running but mentally I am not 100% there yet. I really hope you guys have some tips.

Do you have a goal for the summer?

The Ultimate Camping Adventure

This weekend I was spoiled! I went shopping. And bought a lot of stuff BECAUSE....

The Hubby and I are heading out on a crazy three-week camping trip on Saturday. And by crazy I mean more than 4,000 miles with stops in 7 states!

The thing with being in the military is that we don't live near our families. His family lives in Kansas and mine in Oregon. So instead of flying to visit each family, we decided to make a road trip out of it.

It is going to be awesome! (Remind me that at the end of June) Among the best stops are: The Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Parks.

I am not only excited for the adventure itself, but the fact that I will have new running scenery for 3 weeks. This is just beyond exciting.

That's all for now. Short blog post because I have to take Annie (my xterra) in for some preventative maintenance.

You may all commence telling us how crazy we are now.

What is the craziest trip you ever took?

Ever been to the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone? (I've been to Yellowstone, but I was like 10)

Long Run and a Hangover

My plan today was to run at least 7 miles, with a goal of 8 miles.

I did 8.4 miles! I was slow but I was fighting through 30 MPH+ winds.

Sometime it amazes me what I am capable of when I actually try.

The good news is that I feel much better than I did last week after my LR.  

Using everyone's advice I took gatorade and a GU with me. I was worried about drinking anything while running because I didn't want liquid sloshing around. I was careful to just take sips and didn't have any problems. I took my GU at about an hour and within 5 minutes I felt much better. My head was clearer and I felt I had more energy.

I know this stuff isn't new to most of my readers, but it was eye opening to me. Last week I was so sick I couldn't eat or move around without the feeling of nausea. Today I ate lunch and feel just fine. I might even head to the gym and work my arms.

Might go see the Hangover II tonight... 

The reviews are all over the place. But we'll probably see it anyways. After all it is an excuse to have popcorn.... and I deserve it! 

Will you see The Hangover Part II?

Did you have a breakthrough run that caused you to realize how much you were actually capable of?

I Run so I can Bake

Yesterday as planned I lugged myself over to the track. The whole way there all I could think was negative things...

1. I hate running in circles.
2. I despise running the 800m

But I went there knowing that if I ever want to improve my time, I had to do it.

I was scheduled to do 6x800m with 400m recovery.

I only was able to do 4. My legs started to feel like jello because I had run five miles and done a lower body workout the day before.

But I am proud of my times.

1x800 4:37 (9:14 pace)
2x800 4:34 (9:08 pace)
3x800 4:40 (9:20 pace)
4x800 4:39 (9:18 pace)

My usual runs are about 11:00 pace, 10:30 on a good day. So I think I did good pushing myself. I wasn't sure how much you were supposed to increase you pace by. Any advice?

After my workout I made some delicious spicy coconut shrimp 

with mango salsa and coconut jasmine rice.

Today I am going to attempt to give my legs a break in preparation for my long run on Friday. I think a walk with the dog would help loosen them up.

Also in the plans today:

**Read a book outside in the sun. (I picked up "Born to Run" after hearing how good it is)

**Learn how to make scones.


**Maybe yoga class tonight. I wish it was on the beach like this!


**Find some new music. Any favorites your loving right now? I need some new artists!

Do you bake? What is you favorite pastry to make?
Do you do intervals? 

School is out for the summer!!!!

I took my last final this morning heck yes! Since the final I had today was not important, in my mind summer started yesterday.

So far summer is AWESOME.

I worked out twice yesterday.

5 mile run in the AM (well it was one in the afternoon. I'm working on this morning thing.)

For some reason I really struggled with this run.

Maybe because of this sign...                                                                                Or maybe these trees....





















Either way I was really struggling with my breathing. I felt myself reverting back to my old self and playing mind games. The thoughts kept creeping into my mind that if I kept running I was going to have an asthma attack. I don't know why I started thinking about this again. I haven't had any problems since I started running. It took nearly three miles to calm down and get in a groove. Do you guys ever have a run where you feel like you're fighting with yourself the whole run? Uhh. It was frustrating. Regardless, at least I got in my scheduled five mile run.

Good news, since I have nothing to do all day, I had time to go to the gym with hubby.

That's right folks, workout number two.

Workout went as followed:

15 min bike warm up, 4.2 miles
Kettle Swing/Squat
Smith Squats
Leg Extensions
Calf Raises
Hip Adduction
Hip Abduction
Prone Leg Curl

I did 3 sets of 15 reps of each exercise. I also did 25 Jumping Jacks in between each set of each exercise (that's 300 JJ's!) to keep my heart rate up. My heart rate increases and decreases really easy so to keep it up, I usually incorporate either jumping jacks or jump rope.


Today's plan in to head to the track and do an interval workout.
6x800 m
400 m recovery

I am also headed back to the gym to work on my arms and back today.

Did I mention that I love summer? Nothing to do but workout!

What are your plans this summer?


For those of you with the summer off, do you intend to increase your training?

Race Recap & Beautiful Santa Barbara Hike

Saturday I ran my second race. Yay me! It was a 4 mile run through the town of Goleta (just outside Santa Barbara for you Cali readers.)

This time the hubby and puppy got to come cheer me on. It was exciting to know that I had someone waiting for me at the finish line. During my first race, the hubby was still deployed, so I was lacking a support team.

The race started about 15 minutes late because they were still letting people sign up. Usually this would annoy me, but we had rushed all morning and it gave me some time to calm down.

When the race did start I felt really good. My calf had been bothering me all week, but miraculously it went away when the race started. It was only four miles so there isn't too much to report about. They did have a water station, and although I didn't need water at that point, I took some just to practice the act.

The race was mostly on the road and through the neighborhoods. Some neighbors had their kids out along the race and were cheering us on. It was cool. Made me excited for big races with lots of people on the sidelines.

I finished at about 40:55. I was very proud of that time. My usual pace is around 11:00, so I was expecting 44:00. My goal was 40:00, so I almost made it.

Hubby was there to get some awesome errr funny pictures.

I must work on looking happier when I run.

Puppy Lexie had a lot of fun. Pre-race I turned 

around and my hubby was surrounded by 

20 high-schoolers drooling over the puppy.

After the awards ceremony was over the hubby and I went to Freebirds to get amazing burritos.

 Freebirds is in Isla Vista which is where UCSB is. Needless to say we say a lot of interesting characters.

A lot of drunk/hungover people. It made me happy to know that while these kids were suffering through a hangover, I had already raced and was getting ready to go hike another 6 miles.

One of the creeks

  

The hike was beautiful!! We saw a ponds, creeks, waterfalls, and the best was the view from the top. We could see all of Santa B. including the pier and state street.

The whole day was just pure awesomeness. I was so proud of myself for racing and then hiking. I could easily say that I am in the best shape of my life (cardiovascular wise.) I am already looking for my next race and our next hike.  

Awww.. family photo

                                                                           

What did you do this weekend to be active? 

Do you hike?

Crampy Calves and Race-Day Saturday

Ever since my long run on Tuesday my left calve has been cramping off and on.

I have hydrated, eaten bananas, taken ibuprofen, iced, and illicited numerous massages from the hubby.

Nothing has helped.

I need some help here people...

On a happy note, I have race numero dos tomorrow :)
It's another shorty, only 4 miles BUT it's for cancer and that is all that matters.

Hubby gets to go this time so I'm stoked to have a personal cheerleader at the finish line. The puppy is coming too:)

After the run, we are planning a short hike in Santa Barbara. A run and a hike? Heck yes!

Do you have any races planned this weekend?

Any advice for my cramping calves?