WW Weekly Recap: Week 16

Week 16

Yeah, I had to go back and count. I had no idea what week last week was/this week is but now I do.

I can’t believe it has almost been 4 months since I re-joined WW. Even with the post ACL/antibiotics/injury/wedding mayhem gain I am still over 10 pounds down from where I started. I am 12.2 pounds down to be exact. I will call that a win!

Oh, sorry- horse before the cart. I am at a total of 12.2 lbs down because I gained a whopping 0.4 lbs this week. LOL. Yeah, we’ll just call that ‘staying the same’. And for a week of very little activity and eating so/so I am 1000000% ok with ‘staying the same’.

I would like to get back into losing again but really, I just want to get back into my healthy habits that keep me sane. I am pretty good with meal planning/cooking/packing lunches – even during the crazy busy times. Yeah, sometimes I eat out more than I would prefer and sometimes I drink more than I should but those are not my norm. The norm is still packing breakfast and lunch M-F, eating dinner at home S-Th and then some meals out on the weekend and this week is no different. Smoothies for breakfast, apples and bananas for morning snacks, soup for lunches, edamame for afternoon snack and some awesome meals planned from JL Goes Vegan’s pressure cooker cookbook. Oh and can’t forget, dark chocolate and tea at night.

This week I am looking to get in some more activity though. I plan on getting in two runs during the week (plus I have a HM on Sunday), two days of Cize and then a long bike ride on Saturday- if the weather cooperates. I also brought one of my bikes to work with me to keep in my office. This way I can go for rides during my lunch break and even to/from meetings. Hopefully I can get into the habit of getting a few daytime rides in every week.

I also am still balancing school, work, and life also which means it can’t always be about my training schedule or my preferred meal options. I need to make sure I still have time for schoolwork, self-care and relationship care <<< that’s a thing right? I mean, it should be even if no one actually calls it that.

I decided though that I want to get back into the habit of posting weekly goals with my update. I like the added focus to my plans but also I like being able to tailor them around the weekly events in my life. Monthly goals, sometimes, are just too long to plan for. A week at a time tends to be much more my speed. So here they are, some goals for week 17:

Monday 11/2 through Sunday 11/8

100,000 steps 

Track every day

30 minutes of movement 5 days/week

Some form of self-care (reading, bubble bath, stretching/meditation) at least twice

Finish homework before the weekend

Stick to Sunday-Friday meal plan

Ok, that’s about all I have for today. I will definitely be checking in with you next week for an update and it will hopefully include a happy recounting of my half marathon J

Love and hugs,

Dacia

xoxoxox

August Recap, Week 1 HM Training Plan and a Video

August was really my first full month consistently running and using cycling and my personal training sessions for cross training. It was a really great month and I am excited to report that I logged over 167 miles, over 70 of which came from running.  I ended the last week of the month strong and hit my goal of logging 20 running miles AND I also rode for over 50 miles last week. It was pretty awesome, especially since most of them were logged out on the Townies with E. We are really enjoying our new bikes and it is great to have someone to ride with on the weekends again.  To me, cycling is very social and is something I always preferred to do with others. Running, well I can go either way. I enjoy company when I can get it but since I have almost always run alone I am pretty used to it being just me out there.

September 1^st marked the first day of my half marathon training plan so I made sure to wake up early yesterday to log some miles.  I think I have mentioned this before but this go around I am using a ten week training plan from Runner’s World to help me train up for a sub 2:30 half marathon.  Most anyone who runs has probably heard the adage that you have to run slow to get faster and this plan really focuses on that- building a good aerobic base by running slow and monitoring your heart rate as a measure of the intensity. Having a strong aerobic base is very important in order to be able to run more efficiently and also to help your body burn fat for fuel instead of sugars. It helps keep you feeling strong over a long period of time. This was something I really tried to focus on my first go around of training but (stupidly) I ended up more concerned about my pace than my intensity and which ultimately I believe led to my injury and my struggles to get faster.  Seeing that RW focused on the slow run was really what sold this program for me.

This week and next, and for the most part almost all my runs not at half marathon pace (11:27 min/mile), are at a very slow, easy pace.  And I like that. Last Saturday I did a 7 mile run and I tried to maintain the recommended pace from the training plan (this is my week 2 long run) and I am happy to report I maintained a 12:42 pace (12:47 was the goal) and my average heart rate was 141 bpm, just one over my goal of 140 bpm.

This week my training plan is as follows:

Monday – 3 miles @ 12:47 min/mile pace (completed at a 12:42 pace with an average heart rate of 116 bpm and a MAX of 140 bpm – BOOM!)

Wednesday – 4 miles @ 12:47 min/mile pace

Thursday – 3 miles @ 12:47 min/mile pace

Saturday – 5 miles @ @ 12:47 min/mile pace

In addition to the running I also have two personal training sessions (one was yesterday, the other Wednesday), a gym date Tuesday afternoon, Friday morning spin session and hopefully a bike ride on Sunday as part of my active recovery.

Next week I am off to Seattle and even though this means training super early before each day’s conference session I am beyond excited to run in cold weather. The high’s out there right now are about 10 degrees cooler than the temps I am used to seeing each morning when I wake up. We have been in the 90s for weeks with the heat index hitting triple digits most days so I don’t know how my body will handle a high of 70, and temps in the 50s when I wake up. Pretty sure I will be in heaven. Yay for no humidity! J

Also, I log everything over on my Garmin Connect so if you have an account you should add me…I still can’t figure out how to find people on that site yet. I have only had an account for two years; you think I would know by now. I switched over to the Vivofit from the fitbit (I love it sooooooo much better) so you can follow me there, too, if you are also a Vivofit person.  And of course tracking and logging most days on MFP ~ dacia1978.

Well, folks. It’s that time again. I hope that I can write about things other than training schedules and of course apologize for the really intermittent posting lately but it is what it is. One day, I hope to have something more interesting to talk about. Until then, this is what I got.

Oh, and in case you haven’t seen this E and I made a short video as a response to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge using our minis. I hope you find it as goofy and silly as we did. It was so fun to make this- I definitely see more Lego movies in our future.

 

Love and hugs,

Dacia

xoxoxoxoxoxox

4, 3, 2, 1...10,000

Alternate titles for this post:

Variety is the Spice of Life… a bit too cliché

Yoga Saved My Life… a bit too dramatic

So I opted for 4, 3, 2, 1…10,000

Which is exactly what I did last week- activity wise

4 yoga classes~ 3 hot yoga classes, one dynamic yoga class

3 runs~14 miles

2 boot camp classes~ 9 trillion squats and far too many burpees

And 1 session on my spin bike~ one hour and about 22 miles of insane pyramids

Plus at least 10,000 steps every day from walking.

*On days when I run I still try to get in 10,000 walking steps in addition to whatever steps logged in my workout.

                Monday- 10,297

                Tuesday- 25,618

                Wednesday- 21,289

                Thursday- 17, 402

                Friday- 12,838

                Saturday- 16,575

                Sunday- 11,208

In case you were wondering that’s 115,227 steps. I figure that about 25K of those steps came from running so about 90K, give or take, is from walking. Woo hoo! That’s still an average of over 10K walking steps a day!

Last week I really tried to focus on a few things; the basics I have been working on- tracking and getting more movement in during the day, limiting processed foods, and getting in a healthy mix of activities and man did I have a great week! It’s been two weeks since I started to incorporate yoga back into my routine and it really has it made a huge difference! Now I am going to explain why and you may think it sounds like a bunch of hooey, and that’s cool, but for me I think it is totally legit.

1)      Yoga provides balance. It grounds me. It’s calming focus on body, mind and spirit is the yin to my normal, hectic yang of a life. I have been so caught up in just making it through every day that I was starting to get easily overwhelmed. I have noticed a huge change just in the past 2 weeks; I am much more relaxed, much more centered and much more at peace with the craziness around me.

2)      Yoga gives me a focus. I am not sure about you but I certainly don’t set an intention for any other activity I do. Like I don’t set a focus on clarity or healing or peace during boot camp or a run. I just go out and run or finish the class and that is it. For me, those types of activities are all about the aerobic, and sometimes anaerobic, and strengthening benefits. But with yoga I can focus my energy during my practice on an intention which helps take me from my physical body to my spiritual body. Although I do sometimes focus on intentions that are related to my physical body, like an intention on healing, but you get my point.

3)      The more I nourish my soul the more I am nourishing my body. I am about to get all hippie on you here but this is honestly how I feel.  My body is happy. Between the yoga and the fact that I am really working on limiting processed foods I just feel so much more satisfied. I am not thinking about food all the time. I eat when I am hungry (still of course following my hunger cues) and I eat nutrient dense foods so I feel satisfied and that is great. That’s what should be happening. But the times in between the food- well yoga is really helping to bring back a calmness and clarity that shuts up my monkey mind, especially my often times food obsessed monkey mind. And that is so amazing.

Now don’t get me wrong, I still love all the other active areas of my life and I don’t plan on giving them up. They provide me with so much enjoyment on top of the health benefits it would be silly to let them go. But after seeing/feeling the changes that have occurred in my life just in the past two weeks well it probably goes without saying that yoga is here to stay J

And it’s about time! Yeah, I’m totally kicking myself for waiting so long after the move to find a new place to practice but that’s water under the bridge, right? Better late than never!

For this week-I have a pretty similar plan to last week’s.

5 yoga classes- 2 hot yoga classes, 1 dynamic yoga class, 1 kundalini class and 1 aerial yoga class- this time I am going to ask my instructor to take some pictures for me during aerial to share with you. It is such a cool way to do yoga!

3 runs

2 boot camp classes (hopefully, I may have a conflict tomorrow evening)

1 spin bike session (already completed this morning. Woot!)

And my daily goal of 10,000 walking steps

I am also testing out a new recipe this week: Simple Farro& Bean Stew. I actually cooked it yesterday and it is sitting in my fridge waiting to be eaten for dinner tonight. I am pretty excited- it smelled fantastic while it was cooking.

Are you trying anything new this week? Maybe a new food or recipe?

Do you like to practice yoga? Do you think it is important to find balance within the various activities you do?

This is my 100th Blog Post!!!

After I published yesterday’s post I noticed that it was my 99^th. Realizing that the next one I wrote would be my 100^th I thought maybe I should write something different/special for this milestone. I decided to ask out on the RRR Facebook page for ideas or topics people would like me to write about. My friend Jess came up with a great idea- 100 ways my life is different now than before I was Run. Ride. Repeat.

I loved this idea and immediately knew that this was what I wanted to do for my 100^th post! So here it goes, my list of 100 ways my life is different now since Run. Ride. Repeat. was born on 8/24/2012.

1.       I moved from San Antonio to Pensacola

2.       I moved before then too, from on post in SA to an apartment also in SA

3.       I became a Naval Officer’s wife.

4.       I completed my first half marathon- Rock n’ Roll San Antonio- second half marathon- 3M Austin- and third half marathon- Gulf Coast Half

5.       I learned how to swim properly, RE: with my face actually in the water, not holding my nose

6.       I have jumped into the deep end of a pool without holding my nose (this actually happened last night) for the first time ever

7.       I wore a bikini for the first time as an adult

8.       I wore a dress to work (that wasn’t part of a uniform) and now I actually wear dresses a few times a week, maybe even more often than pants

9.       I kayaked for the first time in a river

10.   And then for the first time in the bay

11.   I paddle boarded

12.   I did yoga on said paddle board

13.   I participated in my first ever trail race (UWF Bunny Dash 5K)

14.   I started attending barre classes (first in SA, now again in Pensacola) which was intimidating as hell at first

15.   I attending the wedding of my youngest cousin

16.   I learned my uncle has cancer

17.   I learned my mom has cancer

18.   I started a new job at a university, and not as a student

19.   I started taking grad classes towards a specialist degree

20.   I attended the annual Mullet Toss at/in? Flor-bama

21.   I visited Portland for the first time

22.   I attended a blogging conference

23.   Where I made some of the most amazing connections

24.   And ate some of the most amazing foods, drank some of the best beers, laughed until it hurt, cried a few times, and left with some of my most favorite memories I will cherish always

25.   I’ve made new friends

26.   I’ve watched some leave (downside of military life)

27.   I’ve left some amazing friends behind (see #24)

28.   I drove through, and visited since, Alabama for the first time

29.   I drove to a different state to run a race (also Alabama- we live very close to there)

30.   I ran my first sub-10 minute mile

31.   I ran a 5K at a sub-10 minute mile pace (30:26)

32.   I ran in below freezing temps

33.   I ran up the ramp I saw pictured in Runner’s World magazine and swore I would go there when I was in Portland

34.   I rode my bike wearing my running UA leggings over my bike shorts because I was so cold

35.   I ran in NJ, alongside a vineyard

36.   I learned what it feels like to spend Christmas without Paul or my family

37.   Same with New Year’s

38.   And my birthday

39.   And our wedding anniversary

40.   Had my first all vegan Thanksgiving dinner thanks to some wonderful friends back in SA

41.   I made my first vegan pumpkin pie

42.   And vegan whipped cream (using coconut milk)

43.   I saw some bands for the first time ever like the Black Keys

44.   And Florence + the Machine

45.   And the Alabama Shakes

46.   And Band of Skulls

47.   I bought a spin bike

48.   I bought a tri suit

49.   I ate a donut shaped like a penis…well, technically I only ate part of it

50.   I was able to celebrate the engagement of two of my favorite people, C+M, in person

51.   And celebrate J+A’s engagement over the phone

52.   I visited the Naval Base in Newport, Rhode Island

53.   I watched my husband graduate from OCS

54.   I toured Fenway

55.   I drank blueberry beer in Boston and celebrated with so many amazing people

56.   I visited the U.S.S. Constitution

57.   I started geocaching

58.   I’ve swam in the Pensacola bay

59.   I’ve drank lots and lots of Pensacola Bay Brewery beer

60.   I drank beard beer (at Rogue)

61.   And probably 100 other beers I’ve never had before

62.   I attended a pub crawl, like a real one – organized by a social group- where I met one of my best friends.

63.   I went to a Blue Wahoos baseball game

64.   I’ve eaten a vegan grilled cheese from the Pensacola food trucks, ironically I cannot say the same for Portland

65.   I took a jump fitness class (trampoline)

66.   I participated in a boot camp class held outside

67.   I saw a naked woman on a street corner

68.   I visited/traversed the 17^th St bridge (aka graffiti bridge)

69.   I started a team for trivia night

70.   I realized that reading all of the books and seeing all of the movies did not make me a Harry Potter expert

71.   I bought a vitamix

72.   I started making my own almond milk

73.   And sometimes rice milk

74.   And almond butter

75.   And all sorts of flours and cornmeal and whatnot

76.   I made my own chutney

77.   And I made Aloo Gobi for the first time too

78.   I biked through some crazy sandy trails, which took me forever to figure out how to navigate

79.   I rode the Pensacola observation (Ferris) wheel which is no longer in Pensacola

80.   I visited my friends in their new home in Daytona

81.   And attended a wedding of two complete strangers

82.   I went to Gallery night (three times now)

83.   And the Pensacola Symphony (twice)

84.   I rode the Blackwater trail

85.   And ran on it too

86.   I played with bubbles in a fountain

87.   I bought my first, second and third pairs of Brooks running shoes

88.   I ran in a torrential downpour, in a white shirt nonetheless

89.   I ran on a bunch of trails- nothing like I had ever seen in SA

90.   I broke up with my Garmin

91.   I got rid of cable (of course, it’s back now since Paul lives with me)

92.   I took my first ice bath

93.   I went to acupuncture for the first time

94.   I drank homemade chai tea

95.   I attended a vegan cooking class, twice

96.   I stopped chewing gum

97.   I started watching the West Wing

98.   I dropped a couple sizes (from 10 to 6)

99.   And broke away from weighing myself daily

100.                        ….and lastly….I wrote 100 blog posts!

Triathlon Training- Week 5 Recap

Sorry for the mid-week, delayed recap. I’ve been busy and sadly that means blogging is one of the first things to get bumped. BUT, I’m here now- ready to recap week 5! Can you believe I am just 15 days out from my first triathlon? I can’t believe it!  I should note that if Mom’s surgery is scheduled for that same week I will obviously miss the tri in order to be home with her. I’m still training like I will be here but I won’t be sad if I miss it- family first!

Week 5 Plan:

Monday- strength training

Tuesday- bike 30, strength training

Wednesday- run 40

Thursday – swim 30, run 25

Friday- rest

Saturday – run 50

Sunday – swim 30, run 45


Total planned for week 5: two strength sessions, 160 minutes running, 30 minutes biking, 60 minutes swimming

Week 5 Actual:

Monday- barre class

Tuesday- AM: run 40 mins PM: barre class,30 min swim class  

Wednesday- bike 52 mins

Thursday - AM: run 34 min PM: barre class,30 min swim class  

Friday- rest

Saturday - run 50, barre class, reformer session

Sunday - unplanned rest day

Totals for week 5; four strength sessions, 124 min running, 52 min biking, 60 minutes swimming

+2 strength sessions, +22 minutes biking, -36 minutes running

Yay! I’m getting closer to meeting all my training goals. This week I was only off by 36 minutes of running. Not too bad. My least favorite aunt (flo) came to visit me this weekend so Sunday and Monday I was pretty much out of commission. I think this week’s training schedule might be a little under too but such is life, right? I just keep putting one foot in front of the other and just try to do my best.

So, what’s in store for week 6? I’m glad you asked J

Week 6 Plan:

 
Monday- strength training

Tuesday- swim 15 mins, run 40 mins

Wednesday- bike 40 min, run 15

Thursday – run 40 mins, strength

Friday- rest

Saturday - run 5 miles

Sunday - swim 30, bike 60

 
BUT- don't forget, I am also starting my half marathon training. Actually, I messed up and last week was my first week. I only got in three runs instead of the four planned but I’m pretty sure I’ll survive. It’s only the first week. For this week I have four runs on the schedule; an easy-paced 2 miler, an interval workout for speed work, a hill run, and a 5 miler as my long run. I already added the 5 milers onto my schedule for Saturday and will just use the three other run days listed on the tri schedule to do my half marathon training plan runs. Does that make sense? If not, it should next week when I list what I actually did.

 
Total planned for week 5: two strength sessions, 95 minutes plus 5 miles (not for time) running, 100 minutes biking, 45 minutes swimming

 

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for the Spartan Race entry. The entry period ends tomorrow and a winner will be announced Friday!

I am pretty sure I took this photo from someone's Facebook page. I thought it was awesome.