For quite some time, I've been working on moving Steph Runs The City to a new site, and it's finally ready to share with you all!
I've had a lot of help from some amazing designers, and I'm very excited about the new site!
You can keep reading at: www.stephrunsthecity.wordpress.com
www.stephrunsthecity.com will soon be directing to the new site as well.
I hope you will continue to follow me on my running journey as I train for the NYC Marathon in November!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Run for Central Park - 4 mile
hello! yes, i know, it's been a while. did you miss me?
i've been working on some updates to the blog, and i'm hoping to launch a new version of the site in the next few weeks. i'm really excited about it, and can't wait to share it. hence, i've been a little mia recently...
anyway, this saturday i ran the run for central park 4 mile race with team for kids! it was kind of fun to do the race with my team members. we met before hand to warm up and stretch, and then headed over to the corals together (although i had to make a beeline for the port-a-potties!). even though i've done lots of shorter races before, it was nice to have the support of the team- i can see how that will be really great for the upcoming half marathon, and definitely for the marathon.
it was a pretty hot morning, and VERY humid out, which i didn't notice so much until the race actually started. the 4 mile course was in central park, and started out on the east side of the park on an uphill, which was gradual but certainly noticeable! i started out pretty strong, but i think it was too fast. after about 2 minutes the heat hit me, and it was NOT fun!
i stuck with it, and the first two miles of the race i completed in just under 7:30 pace. after that i hit a wall and i was struggling - my pace slowed a lot! i think a lot of it was the heat. i grabbed a water cup at the second water station and kept running- i did what coach frank told us to do before the race- pinch the cup and aim for my mouth!
i kept at it, as we crossed over the 106th street transverse onto the west side of the park and into the hills! around mile 3 i saw coach glen on the sidelines. he ran the race too! he's FAST, and he finished the race and came back out to cheer and coach the rest of us! at that point i felt i was really struggling, so it was really nice to see him. he told me to just use my arms to work through the hills, which were almost over, and after that it would be downhill all the way.
at the third water station, i got a cup of water but this time i stopped to walk for a few seconds, and then started up again. i think it helped get me through the last leg of the race, although i really hated that i had to stop.
those hills seemed to go on for quite some time, but finally, FINALLY, i saw the turn onto the 72nd street transverse ahead! the finish line was so close! i sped up as much as i could in the end, and finally crossed the finish line!
my stats for the race were:
Overall Time: 31:31
Average Pace: 7:52
i slowed down kind of a lot in the middle there somewhere. at one point i looked down and my garmin said my pace was 8:15. i was hoping to keep it at 8 or under the whole race, and i actually was hoping to finish closer to 30 minutes.
but, all in all i was still pretty happy with my time! had it not been for the heat, i might have been able to go faster. still this was a pr for me for a 4 mile race :)
we got an update on the race from coach frank, and it turns out that i was the third team for kids female to finish, which i was pretty excited about! my friend and running buddy was the second and she finished the race in 30:15! go lindsey- you rock!
this week we have a long training run in queens- an 11 miler, and the following week we're doing our longest run yet- 14 miles- as part of the NYRR Long Training Run #2. it's nice because leading up to the marathon, new york road runners offers organized long training runs in hte park. they provide water along the course, and it gets you used to running in a group.
14 miles will be the longest i've ever run before!
finally, i want to let you all know about the fundraising happy hour lindsey and i are throwing to raise money for team for kids!
What: Steph and Lindsey's Awesome Happy Hour
When: Wednesday, August 5th, 2009
Where: Madhatter Saloon - 3rd Avenue between 26th and 27th Streets
Why: Help us fight childhood obesity and run the NYC Marathon!
The cost is $15 to attend. All participants will receive a wristband for discounted drinks all night, and a cupon for Miz Mooz shoes!
Join us for a raffle with fabulous prizes, like French Connection clothing, Dragon Bleu Vodka (the coolest new vodka!), gift certificates to Miz Mooz shoes and the Running Company, and a gift pack from Lululemon.
100% of proceeds will go to Team for Kids!
hope to see you there! if you have any thing you'd like to contribut to the raffle, let me know- we're still in search of a few more great prizes!
i've been working on some updates to the blog, and i'm hoping to launch a new version of the site in the next few weeks. i'm really excited about it, and can't wait to share it. hence, i've been a little mia recently...
anyway, this saturday i ran the run for central park 4 mile race with team for kids! it was kind of fun to do the race with my team members. we met before hand to warm up and stretch, and then headed over to the corals together (although i had to make a beeline for the port-a-potties!). even though i've done lots of shorter races before, it was nice to have the support of the team- i can see how that will be really great for the upcoming half marathon, and definitely for the marathon.
it was a pretty hot morning, and VERY humid out, which i didn't notice so much until the race actually started. the 4 mile course was in central park, and started out on the east side of the park on an uphill, which was gradual but certainly noticeable! i started out pretty strong, but i think it was too fast. after about 2 minutes the heat hit me, and it was NOT fun!
i stuck with it, and the first two miles of the race i completed in just under 7:30 pace. after that i hit a wall and i was struggling - my pace slowed a lot! i think a lot of it was the heat. i grabbed a water cup at the second water station and kept running- i did what coach frank told us to do before the race- pinch the cup and aim for my mouth!
i kept at it, as we crossed over the 106th street transverse onto the west side of the park and into the hills! around mile 3 i saw coach glen on the sidelines. he ran the race too! he's FAST, and he finished the race and came back out to cheer and coach the rest of us! at that point i felt i was really struggling, so it was really nice to see him. he told me to just use my arms to work through the hills, which were almost over, and after that it would be downhill all the way.
at the third water station, i got a cup of water but this time i stopped to walk for a few seconds, and then started up again. i think it helped get me through the last leg of the race, although i really hated that i had to stop.
those hills seemed to go on for quite some time, but finally, FINALLY, i saw the turn onto the 72nd street transverse ahead! the finish line was so close! i sped up as much as i could in the end, and finally crossed the finish line!
my stats for the race were:
Overall Time: 31:31
Average Pace: 7:52
i slowed down kind of a lot in the middle there somewhere. at one point i looked down and my garmin said my pace was 8:15. i was hoping to keep it at 8 or under the whole race, and i actually was hoping to finish closer to 30 minutes.
but, all in all i was still pretty happy with my time! had it not been for the heat, i might have been able to go faster. still this was a pr for me for a 4 mile race :)
we got an update on the race from coach frank, and it turns out that i was the third team for kids female to finish, which i was pretty excited about! my friend and running buddy was the second and she finished the race in 30:15! go lindsey- you rock!
this week we have a long training run in queens- an 11 miler, and the following week we're doing our longest run yet- 14 miles- as part of the NYRR Long Training Run #2. it's nice because leading up to the marathon, new york road runners offers organized long training runs in hte park. they provide water along the course, and it gets you used to running in a group.
14 miles will be the longest i've ever run before!
finally, i want to let you all know about the fundraising happy hour lindsey and i are throwing to raise money for team for kids!
What: Steph and Lindsey's Awesome Happy Hour
When: Wednesday, August 5th, 2009
Where: Madhatter Saloon - 3rd Avenue between 26th and 27th Streets
Why: Help us fight childhood obesity and run the NYC Marathon!
The cost is $15 to attend. All participants will receive a wristband for discounted drinks all night, and a cupon for Miz Mooz shoes!
Join us for a raffle with fabulous prizes, like French Connection clothing, Dragon Bleu Vodka (the coolest new vodka!), gift certificates to Miz Mooz shoes and the Running Company, and a gift pack from Lululemon.
100% of proceeds will go to Team for Kids!
hope to see you there! if you have any thing you'd like to contribut to the raffle, let me know- we're still in search of a few more great prizes!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
slushie love
I decided to skip running class on tuesday night because i was feeling pretty tired and had a lot to do at home. i headed to the gym instead and made it a cross training day.
i did:
i did:
- 2 easy miles on the treadmill at level 6.0 - 6.2
- weight machines for legs
- pushups and situps
- free weight exercises for arms
it was nice to get a good weight workout in! i know i always get caught up in doing a lot of cardio, especially when i wasn't running as much and doing more cross training. but a good weight workout can be just as beneficial for building strength and athleticism. i know overall this will help me become a better, faster runner!
after the gym, i headed to the grocery store to pick up a few things, and cooekd up some pasta for dinner.
dinner consisted of:
- whole wheat pasta
- zucchini
- corn
- tomatoes
- mushrooms
- white kidney beans
- garlic
- olive oil
i sauteed the veggies and beans with garlic in some olive oil, cooked the pasta and mixed it all together. i topped it off with some lite mexican blended cheese, and hot sauce!
the dish was good, but i wish i had cooked the veggies in cooking spray instead of olive oil. since i ended up adding hot sauce to the dish, the flavors were a bit confusing. it was still a very satisfying meal!
for desert, the fiance made me a 'slushie.' he mixed frozen papaya, frozen strawberries, water, and a splash of orange peach mango juice in the magic bullet. yum! this was a great, refreshing summer desert. especially if you have a sweet tooth, like me.
unfortunately, after making this, the fiance realized the magic bullet was on the fritz, and was barely able to whip up another one for himself. it looks like it might be the end of our magic bullet :( i have to see if i can dig up the warranty for it- because we're kind of a little obsessed with the thing and it would be pretty bad not to have it anymore.
hopefully we can get a replacement soon! not sure how long i can live without the thing! i need my slushies!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
tuesday is my monday
i love it when my mondays are actually tuesdays! it's always hard to come back from a long weekend, especially after going out of town. but it's nice when you come back and it's already tuesday- it definitely makes the week go by much faster!
i also had half a cup of tea, and a bit later a small cup of coffee with a splash of skim (i ran out of almond milk and haven't had time to go to the store!) and 1 packet of stevia.
someone brought some israeli chocolate back from a trip, and i had a small piece mid-morning.
if it rains, i'll skip class and head to the gym for some cross training and weights.
hope everyone is having a good tuesday!
i have a lot to do this week, but i do feel refreshed after the weekend away. my friend and i are planning a fundraising happy hour to raise money for team for kids, so we have a lot of planning to do this week! if you're in the nyc area, stay tuned for more details about it!
it should be a great event, and we're hoping to have some fun prizes to give away!
it should be a great event, and we're hoping to have some fun prizes to give away!
although i did eat pretty well this weekend, it's always nice to get back into the routine of a healthy eating schedule.
i started my morning off with a nice yogurt bowl! i had 1 individual container of trader joe's organic 0% vanilla greek yogurt with sliced banana and strawberrt, and a small handful of kashi's autumn wheat cereal.
it was very refreshing and filling!
i also had half a cup of tea, and a bit later a small cup of coffee with a splash of skim (i ran out of almond milk and haven't had time to go to the store!) and 1 packet of stevia.
someone brought some israeli chocolate back from a trip, and i had a small piece mid-morning.
since my fridge is pretty bare, for lunch i brought an old classic- pb&j. i made it on 2 slices of trader joe's whole wheat bread, with tj's chunky unsalted peanut butter (about 2 tbsp), and 1 tsp of tj's reduced sugar strawberry jam.
on the side, i had a nectarine and some pumpernickel pretzel sticks.
i feel like i've been snacking way too much recently, and in effort to cut back, i'm trying to make my meals more complete and satisfying, so i stay full for longer.
so far so good- i may have a snack later this afternoo though before my running class! although it's supposed to rain AGAIN! they say scattered thunderstorms this afternoon, so we'll see how it holds up.
if it rains, i'll skip class and head to the gym for some cross training and weights.
hope everyone is having a good tuesday!
virginia is for runners
hello! yesterday i came back from a nice long weekend getaway to virginia. i was there visiting with some close friends from high school, and it was a fantastic trip.
i took the train from nyc down to richmond, which was super easy and relaxing.
i had a late lunch on the train, which was healthy and filling. i grabbed a box of mixed greens with roasted veggies, and hummus and 2 pita points, from a local cafe before getting on the train.
i also had a white peach honest tea. it was good- just a tad sweet, as the bottle said, although surpisingly there was still a good amount of sugar in the drink.
i also snacked on some trail mix during the train ride (not pictured).
for dinner, i had a whole wheat bagel with some peanut butter and a little bit of strawberry jelly.
i arrived in richmond late thursday night, and it was so nice to just hang out and catch up with my friend. on friday morning, we woke up early to go for a run- we did a nice and easy 5 mile run through some of the suburban neighborhoods in richmond's west end.
it was definitely a nice change of pace from city running - it was so quiet and relaxed, and people were so friendly and even said hello to us! that's certainly very different from running on the good ole streets of nyc.
also, i was finally able to get my garmin to work! i figured out how to set it to track a workout for a certain distance, to display the distance, and to display the pace after each mile. i think one of the problems i was having with it before was that in the city, it takes a little bit of time for the gps to kick in because of all of the buildings.
but in virginia, it's wide open spaces so i had no trouble at all! i also played around more with the bezel- it's definitely touch sensitive and i don't think i was really pressing it hard enough before.
anyway, it was nice to finally use and for us to be able to track our distance and pace on our run! i still want to figure out how to track the pace as i'm running in between miles, but i guess i just have to play around with it a little more.
my friend from richmond is running the nyc half with me in august, and it was great for us to be able to go on a run together- we've run some races together in the past, but since we live so far apart we never get to train together :(
i grabbed half of a kind bar before our run.
afterwards, we made smoothies with bananas, frozen berries, fage 0% yogurt, and a little bit of juice. very refreshing! i also had the other half of the kind bar.
then we sat and relaxed by the pool- it was fabulous!
for lunch, we came home and made quite a lovely spread. we had tuna salad, hummus, pita chips, a huge salad with peppers, tomatos, and cucumber, and some fruit. everything was great!
i ate a ton of the salad, some pita chips, hummus, and half of the tuna sandwich. for desert i snacked on the grapes.
after lunch we headed to the store to pick up some things for our trip to va beach on saturday. we went to trader joe's. it was definitely busy, but compared ot the one in nyc the aisles were wide open with lots of space for us to roam around with our cart- it was heavenly! i hate having to rush around and always squeeze past people when i go to the one in the city- it's always so stressful! this was a very delightful shopping experience.
we bought some snacks and wine, and the ingredients to make sangria!
afterwards, we headed over to target and i got some new workout gear. i love the C9 line they have- everything is really comfortable, and also relatively inexpensive, although it can add up quickly if you get a lot, which i usually do since i tend to hoard when i get the chance to go to target!
after hitting the strip malls of suburbia, we came home to relax for a bit before dinner. we watched bride wars, which was cute and funny. it wasn't the best movie ever, and the plot was a bit weak, but it was fun and perfect to watch on vacation. i especially enjoyed it since i'm planning a wedding too!
after the movie we got ready to go to dinner in downtown richmond. the neighborhood is called shocko bottom, and it's a cute area with cobblestone sidewalks and lots of restuarants and bars. we went to an italian tapas restaurant called eurpoa.
the atmosphere was great, and the sangria was yummy! unfortunately i forgot my camera, so there's no pics of the food :(
they brought out rosemary focacia bread to start- it was nice and soft, but the flavor was very slight, and i think it needed a tad more salt.
we ordered the spanish cheese plate as an appetizer, which was great! it came with 4 different types of cheeses, including manchego, which i love (i spent a semester in spain when i was in college!). i'm not sure exactly what the other cheeses were, but they were all delicious! it also came with some toasted bread and roasted red pepper.
it took a long time for our meals to arrive, and by the time they did we were stuffed from the cheese and bread!
we both ordered the shrimp and vegetable risotto. since i was already pretty full, i didn't eat much of mine, and to be honest it wasn't that great. the shrimp was actually really good, but the flavoring of the risotto was a bit off. again, i felt like it needed more salt, and they went way overboard with the pepper. some bites were extremely pepper-y. it was also pretty oily, and they topped it with shredded cheese, which i could have done without.
it was still ok. we both ate a little bit of ours, and saved the rest to take home as leftovers.
we skipped desert, because we had a treat waiting for us at home!
earlier, we stopped at an ice cream shop called maggie moo's, where they sell the best thing ever- ice cream cup cakes! i love ice cream and i love cupcakes, and this combines two of my favorite things- how can you go wrong?
you can't! they were unbelievable. i got the cake batter cupcake, which was yellow cake, cake batter ice cream, a caramel topping, and vanilla icing. totally amazing. the icing was more of whipped cream icing, but becuase it was frozen it was really good, and the caramel topping was actually in the center of the cake.
at first i couldn't taste the caramel, but then i got to the middle and it started oozing out- SO good!
my friend got the chocoalte marshmallow cupcake, which was chocolate cake, chocolate ice cream, fudge icing, and marshmallow topping. hers was also fantastic!
we headed to va beach early saturday morning- more on that later!
i took the train from nyc down to richmond, which was super easy and relaxing.
i had a late lunch on the train, which was healthy and filling. i grabbed a box of mixed greens with roasted veggies, and hummus and 2 pita points, from a local cafe before getting on the train.
i also had a white peach honest tea. it was good- just a tad sweet, as the bottle said, although surpisingly there was still a good amount of sugar in the drink.
i also snacked on some trail mix during the train ride (not pictured).
for dinner, i had a whole wheat bagel with some peanut butter and a little bit of strawberry jelly.
i arrived in richmond late thursday night, and it was so nice to just hang out and catch up with my friend. on friday morning, we woke up early to go for a run- we did a nice and easy 5 mile run through some of the suburban neighborhoods in richmond's west end.
it was definitely a nice change of pace from city running - it was so quiet and relaxed, and people were so friendly and even said hello to us! that's certainly very different from running on the good ole streets of nyc.
also, i was finally able to get my garmin to work! i figured out how to set it to track a workout for a certain distance, to display the distance, and to display the pace after each mile. i think one of the problems i was having with it before was that in the city, it takes a little bit of time for the gps to kick in because of all of the buildings.
but in virginia, it's wide open spaces so i had no trouble at all! i also played around more with the bezel- it's definitely touch sensitive and i don't think i was really pressing it hard enough before.
anyway, it was nice to finally use and for us to be able to track our distance and pace on our run! i still want to figure out how to track the pace as i'm running in between miles, but i guess i just have to play around with it a little more.
my friend from richmond is running the nyc half with me in august, and it was great for us to be able to go on a run together- we've run some races together in the past, but since we live so far apart we never get to train together :(
i grabbed half of a kind bar before our run.
afterwards, we made smoothies with bananas, frozen berries, fage 0% yogurt, and a little bit of juice. very refreshing! i also had the other half of the kind bar.
then we sat and relaxed by the pool- it was fabulous!
for lunch, we came home and made quite a lovely spread. we had tuna salad, hummus, pita chips, a huge salad with peppers, tomatos, and cucumber, and some fruit. everything was great!
i ate a ton of the salad, some pita chips, hummus, and half of the tuna sandwich. for desert i snacked on the grapes.
after lunch we headed to the store to pick up some things for our trip to va beach on saturday. we went to trader joe's. it was definitely busy, but compared ot the one in nyc the aisles were wide open with lots of space for us to roam around with our cart- it was heavenly! i hate having to rush around and always squeeze past people when i go to the one in the city- it's always so stressful! this was a very delightful shopping experience.
we bought some snacks and wine, and the ingredients to make sangria!
afterwards, we headed over to target and i got some new workout gear. i love the C9 line they have- everything is really comfortable, and also relatively inexpensive, although it can add up quickly if you get a lot, which i usually do since i tend to hoard when i get the chance to go to target!
after hitting the strip malls of suburbia, we came home to relax for a bit before dinner. we watched bride wars, which was cute and funny. it wasn't the best movie ever, and the plot was a bit weak, but it was fun and perfect to watch on vacation. i especially enjoyed it since i'm planning a wedding too!
after the movie we got ready to go to dinner in downtown richmond. the neighborhood is called shocko bottom, and it's a cute area with cobblestone sidewalks and lots of restuarants and bars. we went to an italian tapas restaurant called eurpoa.
the atmosphere was great, and the sangria was yummy! unfortunately i forgot my camera, so there's no pics of the food :(
they brought out rosemary focacia bread to start- it was nice and soft, but the flavor was very slight, and i think it needed a tad more salt.
we ordered the spanish cheese plate as an appetizer, which was great! it came with 4 different types of cheeses, including manchego, which i love (i spent a semester in spain when i was in college!). i'm not sure exactly what the other cheeses were, but they were all delicious! it also came with some toasted bread and roasted red pepper.
it took a long time for our meals to arrive, and by the time they did we were stuffed from the cheese and bread!
we both ordered the shrimp and vegetable risotto. since i was already pretty full, i didn't eat much of mine, and to be honest it wasn't that great. the shrimp was actually really good, but the flavoring of the risotto was a bit off. again, i felt like it needed more salt, and they went way overboard with the pepper. some bites were extremely pepper-y. it was also pretty oily, and they topped it with shredded cheese, which i could have done without.
it was still ok. we both ate a little bit of ours, and saved the rest to take home as leftovers.
we skipped desert, because we had a treat waiting for us at home!
earlier, we stopped at an ice cream shop called maggie moo's, where they sell the best thing ever- ice cream cup cakes! i love ice cream and i love cupcakes, and this combines two of my favorite things- how can you go wrong?
you can't! they were unbelievable. i got the cake batter cupcake, which was yellow cake, cake batter ice cream, a caramel topping, and vanilla icing. totally amazing. the icing was more of whipped cream icing, but becuase it was frozen it was really good, and the caramel topping was actually in the center of the cake.
at first i couldn't taste the caramel, but then i got to the middle and it started oozing out- SO good!
my friend got the chocoalte marshmallow cupcake, which was chocolate cake, chocolate ice cream, fudge icing, and marshmallow topping. hers was also fantastic!
we headed to va beach early saturday morning- more on that later!
Monday, June 29, 2009
summer daze
well, it's been a few days since my last post, and in that time it seems summer has finally arrived
i have to say i'm definitely glad to see some sunshine mixed in with the rain, but i'm not too sure how i feel about the temps. still not horrible, but starting to get a little warm and stuffy in the apartment, which makes for some not so great nights of sleep :(
in any case, last week was great workout wise!
i followed my team for kids schedule completely and got in all of my runs! surprisingly, i feel great for doing so much running. my foot isn't bothering me so much, my muscles feel less tight, and i feel less sore in general.
i mentioned in my last post that i think using the stick really helped to loosen up my muscles. i've also been stretching a lot more before and after each run, and icing when i feel i need to.
all in all i'm feeling good, and hoping it stays that way!
this week i've also been doing all of my runs. since i'll be away for july 4th weekend, i'd like to get my "long run" out of the way during the week, so i'll be doing that tomorrow. it's only 7 miles, so not a terrible one to do on my own in the a.m. before work.
actually, this morning i was supposed to do 6.2 miles since I'm not going to team for kids today after work (i have to pack for my trip!). however, i'm having problems with my garmin
:( one of the main reasons i got it was to be able to better and more acurately track my distance (and pace) for times i am running on my own, and not in the park. so, i hadn't really planned out my route ahead of time, although i was running along the east river where i usually run on my own so i'm familiar with the area.
i ran for one hour, as an estimate, 30 minutes out, 30 minutes back. although i'm sure i was going faster than 10 minute miles, so i probably did more than 6.2 miles. however, when i checked www.mapmyrun.com this morning, it said i went 5.4 miles out! i know i didn't go that far, because out and back that would be close to 11 miles.
11 miles in 1:01:28, which was my time, would be sub 7 minute miles!! i was going fast, but not that fast! in any case, i'm guessing i probably did about 7 miles accidentally since i overestimated on the time. i 'm estimating i was running about an 8:45-9 minute per mile pace.
at an 8:45 pace, i would have finished 6.2 miles in a little over 52 minutes, and 7 miles at just over an hour, which is where i was.
so, technically i did my long run today. since the distance isn't that much longer, and i'm also not sure about my accuracy for mileage and pace, i'll probably run the same distance tomorrow.
today before my run, i had half of a kind, macadamia, almond and walnut bar.
afterwards, when i got to work i chowed down on some breakfast. i was pretty hungry, but not starving. this breakfast was filling and satisfying - kashi heart to heart cereal, 1 sliced banana, walnuts and almond milk.
the nuts really help keep me full- i rarely have a morning snack!
i also had an iced coffee!
for lunch, i had an egg salad sandwich, made with 2 eggs and 1 tbsp. miracle whip, on whole wheat bread with lettuce and 2 thick slices of tomato. yum! i love egss and egg salad, although the fiance HATES them! he gets made when i make eggs because he says it stinks up the whole apartment. but they're yummy, and a good source of protein.
i also had a pear.
tonight, i'm packing for my trip, and having dinner with the fiance since he's staying in ny for the weekend. i'm excited to head down to virginia to visit with 2 of my friends from high school. we're going to relax on the beach- i can't wait!
i have to say i'm definitely glad to see some sunshine mixed in with the rain, but i'm not too sure how i feel about the temps. still not horrible, but starting to get a little warm and stuffy in the apartment, which makes for some not so great nights of sleep :(
in any case, last week was great workout wise!
i followed my team for kids schedule completely and got in all of my runs! surprisingly, i feel great for doing so much running. my foot isn't bothering me so much, my muscles feel less tight, and i feel less sore in general.
i mentioned in my last post that i think using the stick really helped to loosen up my muscles. i've also been stretching a lot more before and after each run, and icing when i feel i need to.
all in all i'm feeling good, and hoping it stays that way!
this week i've also been doing all of my runs. since i'll be away for july 4th weekend, i'd like to get my "long run" out of the way during the week, so i'll be doing that tomorrow. it's only 7 miles, so not a terrible one to do on my own in the a.m. before work.
actually, this morning i was supposed to do 6.2 miles since I'm not going to team for kids today after work (i have to pack for my trip!). however, i'm having problems with my garmin
:( one of the main reasons i got it was to be able to better and more acurately track my distance (and pace) for times i am running on my own, and not in the park. so, i hadn't really planned out my route ahead of time, although i was running along the east river where i usually run on my own so i'm familiar with the area.
i ran for one hour, as an estimate, 30 minutes out, 30 minutes back. although i'm sure i was going faster than 10 minute miles, so i probably did more than 6.2 miles. however, when i checked www.mapmyrun.com this morning, it said i went 5.4 miles out! i know i didn't go that far, because out and back that would be close to 11 miles.
11 miles in 1:01:28, which was my time, would be sub 7 minute miles!! i was going fast, but not that fast! in any case, i'm guessing i probably did about 7 miles accidentally since i overestimated on the time. i 'm estimating i was running about an 8:45-9 minute per mile pace.
at an 8:45 pace, i would have finished 6.2 miles in a little over 52 minutes, and 7 miles at just over an hour, which is where i was.
so, technically i did my long run today. since the distance isn't that much longer, and i'm also not sure about my accuracy for mileage and pace, i'll probably run the same distance tomorrow.
today before my run, i had half of a kind, macadamia, almond and walnut bar.
afterwards, when i got to work i chowed down on some breakfast. i was pretty hungry, but not starving. this breakfast was filling and satisfying - kashi heart to heart cereal, 1 sliced banana, walnuts and almond milk.
the nuts really help keep me full- i rarely have a morning snack!
i also had an iced coffee!
for lunch, i had an egg salad sandwich, made with 2 eggs and 1 tbsp. miracle whip, on whole wheat bread with lettuce and 2 thick slices of tomato. yum! i love egss and egg salad, although the fiance HATES them! he gets made when i make eggs because he says it stinks up the whole apartment. but they're yummy, and a good source of protein.
i also had a pear.
tonight, i'm packing for my trip, and having dinner with the fiance since he's staying in ny for the weekend. i'm excited to head down to virginia to visit with 2 of my friends from high school. we're going to relax on the beach- i can't wait!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
interval madness
last tuesday was another crazy killer workout with my nyrr running class.
we did:
2 x 2.4 miles @ 10k pace .5 miles out and back to the location
this workout was pretty tough for me. it was hard, but it was good!
eats
lunch
this pizza burger was delicious!
snack
the cliff bar was a yummy peanut toffee flavor. it was good- i had it in the fridge all day so it was a little hard at first, and very sweet. i realized it had about 20g sugar- which is ridiculous, almost like a candy bar! still, it was filling and satisfying. maybe next time i'll check the ingredients and sugar content more closely though!
dinner
same delicious dinner as last night- i couldn't get enough, and i was craving it all the way home from class!
no desert, i was pooped and after dinner i showered, iced, and tried out my new cool toy- "the stick." this thing was pretty awesome! it's kind of like a foam roller, but more of a massager really. it's a stick with rolling spindles that you use to massage your muscles. you can control the intensity based on how hard you press down.
i thought it really helped! honestly since i've used it (and maybe because i've been stretching more) i've really felt a lot better in terms of the muscle tightness i was experiencing. i've also been icing more, and my foot has been feeling better as well! this makes me happy :)
we did:
this workout was pretty tough for me. it was hard, but it was good!
eats
lunch
- 1 slice trader joe's organic spelt bread
- 1 morningstar farm tomato basil pizza veggie burger
- sliced tomato
- 1 slice yogurt cheese
- some pizza sauce
- strawberries on the side
this pizza burger was delicious!
snack
- 1 kiwi
- 1 cliff bar, eaten in 2 parts, before running class
the cliff bar was a yummy peanut toffee flavor. it was good- i had it in the fridge all day so it was a little hard at first, and very sweet. i realized it had about 20g sugar- which is ridiculous, almost like a candy bar! still, it was filling and satisfying. maybe next time i'll check the ingredients and sugar content more closely though!
dinner
- brown rice
- kidney beans
- broccoli & cauliflower
- salsa
- shredded cheese
- veggie flax tortilla chips
same delicious dinner as last night- i couldn't get enough, and i was craving it all the way home from class!
no desert, i was pooped and after dinner i showered, iced, and tried out my new cool toy- "the stick." this thing was pretty awesome! it's kind of like a foam roller, but more of a massager really. it's a stick with rolling spindles that you use to massage your muscles. you can control the intensity based on how hard you press down.
i thought it really helped! honestly since i've used it (and maybe because i've been stretching more) i've really felt a lot better in terms of the muscle tightness i was experiencing. i've also been icing more, and my foot has been feeling better as well! this makes me happy :)
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
on the road again
i went to a monday team for kids run for the first time last night, and it was great! i feel like it's nice to go during the week because it really pushes me to do a better workout than i might otherwise do on my own- oops!
plus, i still do need to get in a decent amount of mileage even if i don't run every day that the training plan indicates. this week we're moving up to 21 miles, which is a lot for me! even when i was training for my half marathons, i generally limited running to 3 days a week, and usually only with the much longer runs would i approach 20 miles. i found it to be easier on my body.
i'm already feeling all kinds a sore, and i don't want to be too beat up by the time the marathon rolls around!
anyway, i'm hoping the rain holds off for tonight's running class, and tomorrow i get an "easy" day with some strength- a total body conditioning class.
yesterday, i had a little snack before heading off to team for kids:
the kiwi was fabulous- i've had them for a while but they finally just got nice and ripe-yum!
after tfk i stopped at trader joe's on my way home and picked up a few things since i didn't have a chance to go to the grocery store this weekend.
when i got home, i made a great dinner:
honestly- it was delicious (even though the picture isn't great) and i was stuffed! all the veggies really add a lot of volume to the plate and fill you up :)
alright, today i am determined to purchase a foam roller- hopefully they have one at the running store near my office. every day i come home saying how much i wish i had one! it's about time i took the plunge...
hope everyone has a lovely tuesday!
plus, i still do need to get in a decent amount of mileage even if i don't run every day that the training plan indicates. this week we're moving up to 21 miles, which is a lot for me! even when i was training for my half marathons, i generally limited running to 3 days a week, and usually only with the much longer runs would i approach 20 miles. i found it to be easier on my body.
i'm already feeling all kinds a sore, and i don't want to be too beat up by the time the marathon rolls around!
anyway, i'm hoping the rain holds off for tonight's running class, and tomorrow i get an "easy" day with some strength- a total body conditioning class.
yesterday, i had a little snack before heading off to team for kids:
- a handful of kashi cereal
- 1 kiwi
the kiwi was fabulous- i've had them for a while but they finally just got nice and ripe-yum!
after tfk i stopped at trader joe's on my way home and picked up a few things since i didn't have a chance to go to the grocery store this weekend.
when i got home, i made a great dinner:
- brown rice
- kidney beans
- broccoli and cauliflower
- tomato
- salsa
- mexican blend cheese
honestly- it was delicious (even though the picture isn't great) and i was stuffed! all the veggies really add a lot of volume to the plate and fill you up :)
alright, today i am determined to purchase a foam roller- hopefully they have one at the running store near my office. every day i come home saying how much i wish i had one! it's about time i took the plunge...
hope everyone has a lovely tuesday!
Monday, June 22, 2009
monday detox and 50th post!
after a week/weekend of not-so great eating, i'm excited that it's monday! mondays are great for getting back on track. i was actually really excited for my cereal and banana this morning :)
also, i am happy to announce that this makes my 50th post on the blog! i'm so glad i've made it this far :) the blog has definitely transformed, but there's still a lot i'd like to do with it- maybe by the time i reach my 100th post it will be even better!
eats
breakfast
also, i am happy to announce that this makes my 50th post on the blog! i'm so glad i've made it this far :) the blog has definitely transformed, but there's still a lot i'd like to do with it- maybe by the time i reach my 100th post it will be even better!
eats
breakfast
- kashi autumn sunshine cereal
- 1 sliced banana
- almond breeze
- 1 iced coffee with almond breeze and 1 stevia
no pic of the brekkie- i was hungry by the time i got around to eating it and forgot to snap one before i dug in!
lunch
1 6" subway sub with:
- turkey
- cheese
- pickles
- olives
- lettuce
- tomato
- onion
- oregano
- vinegarette
- whole wheat bread
exercise
tonight i'm headed to team for kids! we have runs on saturday, monday and wednesday, but so far i've only been to saturday runs since i have a nyrr class on tues nights, and i've been trying to do less running/more cross training.
but, since i didn't go on saturday, i figured it would be a great way to start my week!
we're doing an easy 4 mile run on the bridle path. i just hope the rain holds off...
happy monday everyone!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
and, i'm back
i know you all missed me :) sorry i've been mia for a while, but things with work and life got a little busy this week. but here i am, and i'm hoping this will be a better week!
exercise
i managed to get in a few decent workouts this week, including a great speed workout at my running class on tuesday night in central park.
we did intervals:
wednesday i got in some strength with a total body conditioning class at the gym, and thursday i took as a rest day, since i did my long run friday.
thursday was also the worst day ever in nyc, weather-wise at least. it was pouring rain all day, and really just blah. i feel like everyone was in a really weird mood because of it, including me!
since thursday was pretty much a bust, friday was the busiest day ever! i still had to fit in my long run since i couldn't make it to team for kids saturday, so i went to the gym after work. i know, i know treadmill running is awful, but it was really the only way i could make it work since i still had some other errands and stuff to do after that.
anyway, it was a bit of a disaster. i was having stomach issues again (more on that later) and i was exhausted from a crazy busy day. i ran at 8:49 minute mile pace, and it wasn't great. well, the first 3 miles about were ok. then i had to stop for a bathroom break, and it was hard to get back into it. i stopped every mile to get off the treadmill for a water break, and i called it a day after 5 miles.
oh well, not every workout is a winner, and not every week is a good week. i'm still glad that i fit in a run, and that i tried to push the pace (aka didn't slown down to 10 minute miles- it's not that long of a run yet that i can justify doing that).
today i may try and head to the gym a little later either for a yoga class, or an elliptical workout and some weights. still trying to keep the running balanced with cross training, especially because to throw another log on the fire, my right hip has now started bothering me :(
boy, i guess this really isn't my week! i hate to be whiney though, so i'm trying to keep a positive outlook.
eats
this week wasn't the best for me food-wise either. when i get super stressed, it usually gets harder for me to eat healthfully, although in reality it's probably when it counts the most to have a healthy diet!
i definitely noticed that this week. i wasn't great about making sure to eat enough fruit and veggies, and i ate a little here and there of things i don't normally, and it really affected me. more bagels, less cereal or oats. more random snacks (i.e. a handful or 2 of m&ms, less fruit). more eating out in general. not enough water throughout the day, more alchohol than usual.
because of this, a lot of days this week my stomach was upset, and i definitely could tell my body was affected by my choices.
still, i feel like it definitely made me aware of how my body does respond to what i put in it, and it made me realize that it's important to listen to my body, which i'm getting better at every day.
i'm still glad i was able to hold up some of my goals for the healthy life month challenge.
areas that are still challenging for me are:
but even so, i haven't had any milk since the start of the challenge except for almond milk. i cut back on soy except for tofu cream cheese, and i have greatly limited my intake of white flour and try to cut back on sugar where i can.
it's all a work in progress :)
alright, hope everyone has a lovely sunday!
exercise
i managed to get in a few decent workouts this week, including a great speed workout at my running class on tuesday night in central park.
we did intervals:
- 1 mile (on the 110th st. hills!)
- 1/2 mile
- 1/2 mile
- 1/4 mile
- 1/4 mile
wednesday i got in some strength with a total body conditioning class at the gym, and thursday i took as a rest day, since i did my long run friday.
thursday was also the worst day ever in nyc, weather-wise at least. it was pouring rain all day, and really just blah. i feel like everyone was in a really weird mood because of it, including me!
since thursday was pretty much a bust, friday was the busiest day ever! i still had to fit in my long run since i couldn't make it to team for kids saturday, so i went to the gym after work. i know, i know treadmill running is awful, but it was really the only way i could make it work since i still had some other errands and stuff to do after that.
anyway, it was a bit of a disaster. i was having stomach issues again (more on that later) and i was exhausted from a crazy busy day. i ran at 8:49 minute mile pace, and it wasn't great. well, the first 3 miles about were ok. then i had to stop for a bathroom break, and it was hard to get back into it. i stopped every mile to get off the treadmill for a water break, and i called it a day after 5 miles.
oh well, not every workout is a winner, and not every week is a good week. i'm still glad that i fit in a run, and that i tried to push the pace (aka didn't slown down to 10 minute miles- it's not that long of a run yet that i can justify doing that).
today i may try and head to the gym a little later either for a yoga class, or an elliptical workout and some weights. still trying to keep the running balanced with cross training, especially because to throw another log on the fire, my right hip has now started bothering me :(
boy, i guess this really isn't my week! i hate to be whiney though, so i'm trying to keep a positive outlook.
eats
this week wasn't the best for me food-wise either. when i get super stressed, it usually gets harder for me to eat healthfully, although in reality it's probably when it counts the most to have a healthy diet!
i definitely noticed that this week. i wasn't great about making sure to eat enough fruit and veggies, and i ate a little here and there of things i don't normally, and it really affected me. more bagels, less cereal or oats. more random snacks (i.e. a handful or 2 of m&ms, less fruit). more eating out in general. not enough water throughout the day, more alchohol than usual.
because of this, a lot of days this week my stomach was upset, and i definitely could tell my body was affected by my choices.
still, i feel like it definitely made me aware of how my body does respond to what i put in it, and it made me realize that it's important to listen to my body, which i'm getting better at every day.
i'm still glad i was able to hold up some of my goals for the healthy life month challenge.
- i still haven't been using any artificial sweetener
- have incorporated much more whole grain into my diet
- have been eating less meat.
areas that are still challenging for me are:
- dairy (i can't help it, i love cheese!)
- soy products
- white flour/sugar.
but even so, i haven't had any milk since the start of the challenge except for almond milk. i cut back on soy except for tofu cream cheese, and i have greatly limited my intake of white flour and try to cut back on sugar where i can.
it's all a work in progress :)
alright, hope everyone has a lovely sunday!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
team for kids
i've mentioned in some previous posts, and you've probably realized by now, that i'm training to run the nyc marathon this year with team for kids.
team for kids is a group of more than 1,300 runners who raise funds to support the youth services arm of new york road runners.
did you know:
team for kids is a group of more than 1,300 runners who raise funds to support the youth services arm of new york road runners.did you know:
- more than 43 percent of new york city children are overweight or obese, putting them at significant risk for early onset of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and other chronic illnesses that undermine quality of life and that, nationally, lead to health-care costs in excess of $100 billion annually?
- student-teacher ratios for physical education in new york city elementary schools are estimated to be 730 to 1, and 2 out of every 5 new york city public schools offer no after-school sports or fitness activities at all.
team for kids helps nyrr deliver running-based fitness programs to 50,000 at-risk school children each week in new york and a handful of other cities. these programs are run by trained volunteers who help kids learn to run, eat well, and achieve fitness and health goals.
(information above provided by team for kids)
please support me and thousands of children in the fight against childhood obesity by
DONATING NOW!
to donate follow the link above and:
- enter my marathon entry number: 347601
- enter my last name: Hirschorn
your support really means a lot, and will help me reach my goal of raising $2500 and running 26.2 miles this november!
Monday, June 15, 2009
steel cut oats and holey donuts!
well, it's monday which means back to my regularly scheduled eating. on weekends i usually tend to indulge a bit more and allow myself some "treats." during the week, for the most part i try to stick to a more balanced diet and tend to plan out more of my meals.
i finally finished all of my trader joe's maple brown sugar oatmeal packets, so for brekkie i decided to try the steel cut oats i bought a few weeks ago. it's a rainy day in nyc (again!) so i figured it was more of an oatmeal day than a cereal day.
breakfast
lunch
mixed greens salad with:
now that i shared some of my healthy eats, please check out danica's holey donut giveaway :) these donuts look amazing, and, the best part is they're lower calorie treats. i reeeallly wish i had one of these for my afternoon snack, but i guess i'll just have to settle for my greek yogurt with strawberries and walnuts...
i finally finished all of my trader joe's maple brown sugar oatmeal packets, so for brekkie i decided to try the steel cut oats i bought a few weeks ago. it's a rainy day in nyc (again!) so i figured it was more of an oatmeal day than a cereal day.
breakfast
- 1/4 c. trader joe's steel cut oats
- about 1/2 c. water
- about 1/2 c. almond breeze
- 1 sliced banana
- 1 large dollop raw almond butter
this was my first time making steel cut oats and since i made them at work i had to use the microwave rather than the stovetop. they took a bit longer to cook than my usual oatmeal, but they still came out pretty good.
after cooking them for a combined total of 5 minutes, i ended up with a heaping bowl of oats :) it was so much that i couldn't even finish it all. i probably ate a little more than half, and then i was stuffed.
they tasted a little more chewy than the oatmeal i'm used to, but overall not too shabby. i will definitely be eating these again, and maybe one of these days if i have time i'll make them the night before on the stove.lunch
mixed greens salad with:
- tomato
- baby corn
- cucumber
- chick peas
- feta
i also had a pear on the side.
now that i shared some of my healthy eats, please check out danica's holey donut giveaway :) these donuts look amazing, and, the best part is they're lower calorie treats. i reeeallly wish i had one of these for my afternoon snack, but i guess i'll just have to settle for my greek yogurt with strawberries and walnuts...
olives and deep water running
i had a great run on saturday with team for kids! we did a 5.5 mile run (about- probably closer to 6 miles with the warm up). i went with the experienced group again, and our average pace was around 8:45 minute miles. although i have to say we did vary the pace quite a bit, jumping around from over 9 minutes, to under 8 minutes.
we finished the run with a strong sprint, which was tough but felt great. all in all a great run. it wasn't hot, but i could definitely feel the humidity towards the end.
then, we did our cool down and stretching, which included some yoga courtesy of one of our members who is a yoga instructor :)
i did get to ask the coach about my foot, and he has a podiatrist he recommended i see. he told me if orthodics would help correct my gait and reduce my pain, then they would be good as long as they're the soft kind. additionally, he said that it's ok if i incorporate more cross training into my workouts, and that if anything that would be a benefit to me.
he also recommended that i look into the deep water running class that nyrr offers, because it's non-impact but still a great "running" workout. i looked into it and the next class i would sign up for starts on july 27th, which is still a month away. that's ok though because in the meantime i still have the nyrr running class on tuesdays.
in the meantime i will try and run 2 days a week with team for kids and do the nyrr class one day, and cross train the rest of the time. i'll keep an eye on how my foot is feeling though, and alter my training accordingly.
unfortunately the 5.5 mile run was the extent of my exercise for the weekend. but maybe it's better that i rested on sunday anyway, since tonight i have another team for kids run after work.
afterward saturday's run i headed over to see my friend's new apartment, and then we went to ess a bagel. i was especially delighted to find that at this location they had tofu olive cream cheese!! i LOVE olives, but they never have tofu olive cc anywhere, so this made my day. i ordered that on a whole wheat bagel, and it was maybe the best thing i've ever eaten. well, i was STARVING by the time we ate, but it certainly rivals my discovery of sabra greek olive hummus, at the least.
anyway, obviously i had tofu, which is not a part of the cleaner life month challenge, but that's ok. i did say at the outset there were certain things i wasn't and didn't want to give up and i am fine with that. i've still been reducing my consumption of the items on the no-no list, and in some cases eliminating them, and i am still very happy with my progress so far.
i'll do another update on the cleaner life month later this week!
sorry there are no pictures of the bagel and olive cc in all its glory , but i didn't bring my camera with me to team for kids, so i couldn't take any pics.
happy monday :)
we finished the run with a strong sprint, which was tough but felt great. all in all a great run. it wasn't hot, but i could definitely feel the humidity towards the end.
then, we did our cool down and stretching, which included some yoga courtesy of one of our members who is a yoga instructor :)
i did get to ask the coach about my foot, and he has a podiatrist he recommended i see. he told me if orthodics would help correct my gait and reduce my pain, then they would be good as long as they're the soft kind. additionally, he said that it's ok if i incorporate more cross training into my workouts, and that if anything that would be a benefit to me.
he also recommended that i look into the deep water running class that nyrr offers, because it's non-impact but still a great "running" workout. i looked into it and the next class i would sign up for starts on july 27th, which is still a month away. that's ok though because in the meantime i still have the nyrr running class on tuesdays.
in the meantime i will try and run 2 days a week with team for kids and do the nyrr class one day, and cross train the rest of the time. i'll keep an eye on how my foot is feeling though, and alter my training accordingly.
unfortunately the 5.5 mile run was the extent of my exercise for the weekend. but maybe it's better that i rested on sunday anyway, since tonight i have another team for kids run after work.
afterward saturday's run i headed over to see my friend's new apartment, and then we went to ess a bagel. i was especially delighted to find that at this location they had tofu olive cream cheese!! i LOVE olives, but they never have tofu olive cc anywhere, so this made my day. i ordered that on a whole wheat bagel, and it was maybe the best thing i've ever eaten. well, i was STARVING by the time we ate, but it certainly rivals my discovery of sabra greek olive hummus, at the least.
anyway, obviously i had tofu, which is not a part of the cleaner life month challenge, but that's ok. i did say at the outset there were certain things i wasn't and didn't want to give up and i am fine with that. i've still been reducing my consumption of the items on the no-no list, and in some cases eliminating them, and i am still very happy with my progress so far.
i'll do another update on the cleaner life month later this week!
sorry there are no pictures of the bagel and olive cc in all its glory , but i didn't bring my camera with me to team for kids, so i couldn't take any pics.
happy monday :)
Saturday, June 13, 2009
designer diggs
check out my new diggs! am i even spelling that right?
anyway, you may have noticed some changes to my blog design. when i started the blog, i just went for it with out doing much research ahead of time about how to really create a blog. i kind of just jumped right in.
so, it's a work in progress as i figure it all out, but i'm making some headway. i also have my own domain name now, which i'm very excited about!
www.stephrunsthecity.com
you'll still be able to get to the blog from the blogspot address, but having my own url is pretty darn cool :)
alright, i hope everyone is enjoying their weekends! more about this morning's tfk run coming soon...
anyway, you may have noticed some changes to my blog design. when i started the blog, i just went for it with out doing much research ahead of time about how to really create a blog. i kind of just jumped right in.
so, it's a work in progress as i figure it all out, but i'm making some headway. i also have my own domain name now, which i'm very excited about!
www.stephrunsthecity.com
alright, i hope everyone is enjoying their weekends! more about this morning's tfk run coming soon...
Friday, June 12, 2009
spin and sushi friday
exercise
my foot has been bothering me all week, probably the result of lots of running in the past few weeks :( going from the half marathon, right into marathon training and the 10k race was a lot.
since sunday's race i've been trying to take it easy - i did a total body conditioning class for some strength training monday, a speed workout tuesday and took wednesday AND thursday off!
today i did some cross training and took a spin class- it was great. i love doing spin because it gets my heart rate up a lot and helps keep up my endurance, but it's less stress on my foot.
i'm enrolled in a nyrr running class right now, and that combined with my team for kids runs makes for a lot of running! but i love love LOVE the nyrr class. i can't say enough great things about it. they're totally killer speed work sessions, but the class helped me improve my performance and increase my speed SO much.
so, because of running class i haven't gone to all of my team for kids runs this week, which is ok. it's still early, and i already have a base that i'm working with.
tomorrow i have a team for kids (tfk) run- we're doing about 5.5 miles. one (of the many) great thing about tfk is that they promote running on soft surfaces, like the bridle path in central park, rather than on pavement. they say this will help the longevity of your running career by putting less stress on your body. i totally agree, and need to pay more attention to this when i run. i'm hoping it will help my foot, too :)
at tfk tomorrow i plan on talking to the coaches about what i can do to prevent my injury from getting worse, and how i may be able to alter the marathon training plan a little bit to incoporate some more cross training and a little less running. i've been reading so many different marathon training plans, i think i'm getting myself confused!
eats
anyway, enough about running. tonight i'm having sushi for dinner and i can't wait! i heart sushi friday :) i may break a cleaner life month rule though and get the sushi with white rice- we'll see.
this morning i was good- i didn't get tofu cream cheese, or regular cheese on my bagel! instead, i got a whole wheat bagel with egg and tomato- filling and delicious- yum!
lunch was the other half of my salad from yesterday- yummm. i think i'm addicted to the sherry shallot vinagarette dressing from just salad...
happy (almost) weekend!
my foot has been bothering me all week, probably the result of lots of running in the past few weeks :( going from the half marathon, right into marathon training and the 10k race was a lot.
since sunday's race i've been trying to take it easy - i did a total body conditioning class for some strength training monday, a speed workout tuesday and took wednesday AND thursday off!
today i did some cross training and took a spin class- it was great. i love doing spin because it gets my heart rate up a lot and helps keep up my endurance, but it's less stress on my foot.
i'm enrolled in a nyrr running class right now, and that combined with my team for kids runs makes for a lot of running! but i love love LOVE the nyrr class. i can't say enough great things about it. they're totally killer speed work sessions, but the class helped me improve my performance and increase my speed SO much.
so, because of running class i haven't gone to all of my team for kids runs this week, which is ok. it's still early, and i already have a base that i'm working with.
tomorrow i have a team for kids (tfk) run- we're doing about 5.5 miles. one (of the many) great thing about tfk is that they promote running on soft surfaces, like the bridle path in central park, rather than on pavement. they say this will help the longevity of your running career by putting less stress on your body. i totally agree, and need to pay more attention to this when i run. i'm hoping it will help my foot, too :)
at tfk tomorrow i plan on talking to the coaches about what i can do to prevent my injury from getting worse, and how i may be able to alter the marathon training plan a little bit to incoporate some more cross training and a little less running. i've been reading so many different marathon training plans, i think i'm getting myself confused!
eats
anyway, enough about running. tonight i'm having sushi for dinner and i can't wait! i heart sushi friday :) i may break a cleaner life month rule though and get the sushi with white rice- we'll see.
this morning i was good- i didn't get tofu cream cheese, or regular cheese on my bagel! instead, i got a whole wheat bagel with egg and tomato- filling and delicious- yum!
lunch was the other half of my salad from yesterday- yummm. i think i'm addicted to the sherry shallot vinagarette dressing from just salad...
happy (almost) weekend!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
challenge check-in and some eats
so, it's friday, and day FIVE of the cleaner life challenge. how have i been doing so far? well, pretty darn good if i do say so myself.
i certainly have been eating some things on the "no-no" list, but overall my choices have been better, and i just feel better in general. i know the challenge has only been happening for 4 days, but i've been trying to slowly make changes over the past weeks, and i have noticed a difference!
someone even commented to me that my face looked thinner and asked if i'd been losing weight :) i am, in fact at my lowest weight since high school, which was, oh, well too many years ago to really say ;)
it's somewhat surprising to me since i haven't been counting calories, or measuring (unless for a specific recipe). in general i've been eating foods that fill me up, that are more nutritious, and i've been listening to my body. eating when i'm hungry, stopping and not finishing if i'm full (shocker!), and also indulging in real treats, on occasion, which leave me more satisfied than the fake stuff.
i've also been eating a whole lot of peanut and almond butter, like a ridiculous amount, like a little less than a jar a week, but i guess that's another story...
anyway, here are some of this week's eats:
monday
breakfast
lunch
dinner
tuesday
breakfast
same as yesterday for brekkie and lunch so i'll spare you the pics of everything but the pear :)
snack
dinner
wednesday
breakfast
this yogurt bowl combo was EXTREMELY filling- i couldn't finish it! i ate probably about 3/4.
lunch
snack
dinner
desert
thursday
breakfast
lunch
snack
this, i'm sure is not part of the cleaner life challenge, but i did say there are some things i wasn't going to give up ;) we went out for a co-worker's last day so i counted it as a treat :)
dinner
what's good:
so far so good, although i am contemplating a bagel with tofu cc toay... ;)
next week i hope to cut back on the dairy and cheese.
does anyone have any exciting plans for the weekend? i have a run with Team for Kids saturday, and the rest of the weekend is up in the air :)
happy friday!
i certainly have been eating some things on the "no-no" list, but overall my choices have been better, and i just feel better in general. i know the challenge has only been happening for 4 days, but i've been trying to slowly make changes over the past weeks, and i have noticed a difference!
someone even commented to me that my face looked thinner and asked if i'd been losing weight :) i am, in fact at my lowest weight since high school, which was, oh, well too many years ago to really say ;)
it's somewhat surprising to me since i haven't been counting calories, or measuring (unless for a specific recipe). in general i've been eating foods that fill me up, that are more nutritious, and i've been listening to my body. eating when i'm hungry, stopping and not finishing if i'm full (shocker!), and also indulging in real treats, on occasion, which leave me more satisfied than the fake stuff.
i've also been eating a whole lot of peanut and almond butter, like a ridiculous amount, like a little less than a jar a week, but i guess that's another story...
anyway, here are some of this week's eats:
monday
breakfast
- nature's path rasin bran with flax cereal
- 1 banana, sliced
- handful of walnuts
- almond breeze
- 1 cup iced coffee with almond breeze and agave syrup
lunch
- salmon salad made with canned salmon, chopped celery and miracle whip
- 1 whole wheat english muffin
- side salad with mixed greens, tomato, cucumber, celery, feta cheese
dinner
- whole wheat cous cous
- chick peas
- roasted assorted veggies including onions, zucchini, squash, eggplant, asparagus
- 2 tbsp sabra greek olive hummus
- fig newman's with pb&co. "the bees knees" peanut butter
tuesday
breakfast
- nature's path rasin bran with flax
- 1 sliced banana
- handful of walnuts
- almond breeze
- 1 iced coffee with almond breeze and 1 packet stevia
- salmon salad with chopped celery
- whole wheat english muffin
- side salad with celery, tomato, cucumbers, feta
- 1 pear
same as yesterday for brekkie and lunch so i'll spare you the pics of everything but the pear :)
snack
- 1 serving trader joe's peanut butter pretzels
- chocolate almond breeze
dinner
- whole wheat cous cous
- chickpeas
- onions, squash, zuchini, asparagus, peppers
wednesday
breakfast
- nature's path blueberry cinnamon optimum cereal
- 1 banana, sliced
- handful walnuts
- 1 container trader joe's organic greek vanilla yogurt, 0%
- 1 cup iced coffee with almond breeze and agave syrup
this yogurt bowl combo was EXTREMELY filling- i couldn't finish it! i ate probably about 3/4.lunch
- salad with mixed greens, chickpeas, dried cranberries, walnuts, feta, cucumber, tomato, celery
snack
- 1 serving peanut butter puffins
- chocoalte almond breeze
dinner
- whole wheat cous cous
- blackbeans
- corn
- tomatoes
- onions
- cheddar cheese
- salsa
desert
- fig newmans with pb & co. "the bees knees" peanut butter
thursday
breakfast
- nature's path blueberry cinnamon optimum cereal
- 1 banana, sliced
- handful raw peacn halves
- almond breeze
- 1 cup iced coffee with almond breeze and 1 packet stevia
lunch
- chopped spinach salad with:
- portabello mushrooms
- hearts of palm
- wheatberries
- blue cheese
- asparagus
- a little bit of sherry shallot dressing on the side
- 1 small piece whole grain bread
- 1 orange
snack
- peanut butter puffins
- 1 and a half bottles of magner's cide - yummmm
this, i'm sure is not part of the cleaner life challenge, but i did say there are some things i wasn't going to give up ;) we went out for a co-worker's last day so i counted it as a treat :)dinner
- whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce
- sprinkle of pecorino romano
- 1 whole wheat english muffin with pat of butter
what's good:
- nut milk instead of skim
- stevia/agave syrup instead of splenda
- no meat
- no soy
- whole wheat grains
- lots of veggies
- beans
- nuts
- organic greek yogurt
- processed foods and snacks like pretzels, cereal, cookies
- not enough fruit
- non-organic cheese/too much cheese
so far so good, although i am contemplating a bagel with tofu cc toay... ;)
next week i hope to cut back on the dairy and cheese.
does anyone have any exciting plans for the weekend? i have a run with Team for Kids saturday, and the rest of the weekend is up in the air :)
happy friday!
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