Green Smoothie Challenge - Ready to Rawk!

I am not quite sure that I am ready for this as I am not a big smoothie fan, but I am jumping in this April and doing a 30 day Green Smoothie Challenge. Today I did the initial prep work for week one. Tomorrow after running I will grab one of these packages and give it a try. Let's see how it goes!

SBBC By The Numbers - Second Week!

March 18-24, 2013

Monday

45 minutes running (3.1 miles + 8 strides)
Water
Freggies
Total Points:  6.5

Tuesday
60 minutes running
15 minutes stretching - Girls on the Run
5 minutes weight training - arms
Water
Freggies
Total Points: 10

Wednesday
Water
Freggies
Total Points: 2


Thursday
75 minutes running (NS workout - a fun first!)
20 minutes run/walk - Girls on the Run
Water
Freggies
Total Points: 11.5


Friday
Water
Freggies
Total Points: 2

Saturday
2:13:43 minutes running - 11.5 miles
Water
Freggies
Total Points: 15


Sunday
Water
Freggies
Total Points: 2


Total Points for week:  49

Recap: Well, I met my point goal.  I didn't get in the strength/core training that I would like but our family schedule has been out of control and it is all I can do at the end of the day to feed my family before falling into bed when we finally get home!  That should let up next week.

My Saturday long run was horrible - I was supposed to do 14 but I was just so tired.  We were also running a complicated route with KAR and I ended up sticking with a new running friend named Donna.  Not sure if actually running with a buddy was helpful or not - the time went faster but I think she was pushing me to go a pace that might not have been the best for me considering how run down I already was.  I am going to try to be more aware of my pace and hopefully I'll be better rested for the 13 miles scheduled next Saturday.

Goals for week 4 - Stick in the 45-50 point range.  Complete my scheduled long run on Saturday, and get in 2-3 short strength workouts.  Also try out my new blender in advance of the 30 day green smoothie challenge which I am starting on April 1st!

SBBC By The Numbers - Second Week!

March 11-17, 2013

Monday

45 minutes running
15 minutes strength training
Water
Freggies
Total Points:  8

Tuesday
56 minutes running
15 minutes running - Girls on the Run
Water
Freggies
Total Points:  9

Wednesday
Water
Freggies
Total Points:  2


Thursday
20 minutes run/walk - Girls on the Run
20 minutes strength training
Water
Freggies
Total Points:  6


Friday
46 minutes running
Water
Freggies
Total Points:  6.5

Saturday
Water
Freggies
Total Points:  2


Sunday
Water
Freggies
Total Points:  2


Total Points for week:  35.5

Recap:  I missed the mark on my goal for points this week, mostly because I had to go on a retreat Friday/Saturday for the Conference Youth that I lead and by the time I got home I had hit the wall.  The whole week was tough schedule wise - I'm not sure I was ever home before 7 o'clock and then there was still dinner and everything to deal with.  Just very, very tiring.  Missed getting in the 13 mile long run that I had actually hoped to split between Saturday and Sunday.  Oh well - back on the wagon for Monday morning and hopefully I'll hit my target this week!

Goals for week 3 - Trying for that 45 points again, and I'm going to start using that new Ninja blender I purchased this morning to try some green smoothie recipes in advance of the 30 day green smoothie challenge I'm embarking upon in April.  That should be interesting!  I also have a goal of losing 5 pounds between March 14th and April 14th (the bigger goal is 20 pounds by my 41st birthday on July 14th), so I'll keep working towards that as well.

Return to Above and Beyond!

On Saturday I returned to my Above and Beyond training group after staying away for several weeks due to the nasty weather, the Princess Half and being sick.  We were back out at the Kalamazoo YMCA today which means one thing - HILLS.  Thankfully they weren't the monster ones this time, but there were still lots of them.  I just took it slow and worked on my mental game (that's all it really is, right?) and somehow or another, even though I had given myself permission to walk a few of them, I never needed too.  I was dead tired by the end, but so excited!  This little screen shot just doesn't tell the story, but it was still so exciting!

SBBC By The Numbers - First Week!

March 4 - 10, 2013

Monday

40 minutes running
Water
Freggies
Total Points:  6

Tuesday
10 minutes stretching (Girls on the Run)
Water
Freggies
Total Points:  3

Wednesday
60 minutes running
Water
Freggies
Total Points:  8

Thursday
Water
Freggies
Total Points:  2

Friday
45 minutes running
Water
Freggies
Total Points:  6.5

Saturday
1:46:33 minutes running (10 miles)
Water
Freggies
Total Points:  12.5

Sunday
Water
Total Points:  1

Total Points for week:  39

Goals for week 2 - 40 to 45 points
Get thoughts on meal planning/daily calorie usage out of head and onto paper!

Keeping it fresh

I feel like this is shaping up to be a week of new beginnings, which is great because it is helping to keep this crazy thing called running fresh for me.  Immediately following the Princess Half Marathon last month (week) I was kind of dreading the fact that I didn't really have time for a break in my training - that 25k in Grand Rapids is just 9-1/2 weeks away at this point, and I have never run more than that half marathon distance.

Then I woke up to run last Thursday (supposed to be my first run back) and found I had the flu.  I was totally freaked out because that meant I went over a week without running!

Monday morning I was happy to get up and get back at it with a nice, easy 3 mile run on relatively fresh legs.  :)  New beginning #1!

Yesterday was the first day of the new Girls on the Run season for Maggie and I.  This has got to be my favorite sign of spring (and one of my favorite volunteer opportunities because as an Assistant Coach I can sit back and just have fun interacting with the girls).  We didn't get any running time in during the team meeting, but I am so excited to log some extra miles in on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons over the next three months.  New beginning #2!

This morning I made the decision to commit to the "Half Marathon - Own It" plan from the book Train Like a Mother by Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell.  Jumped into week 5 of the plan and had a great interval run on the treadmill.  This is going to be a tough plan to follow, but I'm excited about stepping up my game and feeling prepared for that 25k (the plan includes long runs of 14 and 15 miles, so that should be good).  New beginning #3!

I also stopped at Meijer this morning and purchased a heart rate monitor (a cheapy version that was 20% off the marked price) so I can try my hand at heart rate running.  Excited to try something different and see if it helps improve my running.  New beginning #4!

 

 

Oh, and I should have mentioned at the beginning that the Spring Booty Buster Challenge sponsored by Run to the Finish started on Monday, so that will be another motivator.  New beginning #5!

 

And finally, I'm starting to implement some of the things that I learned from the book Racing Weight.  More on that in another post.  But new beginning #6!

 

And it is only Wednesday....

 

5 by the 5th

Got in the third installment of 5 by the 5th today by running a 5k in 34:30 on the treadmill this morning. Hopefully that info will "stick" when I go to record it on the group spreadsheet (the last two months I have completed the miles but when I have gone back into the spreadsheet later my stats have mysteriously disappeared)!

I was especially happy this morning as I haven't run since the Princess half a week ago. Meant to get in some miles last Thursday but ended up with the flu instead.

Now time to start preparing for the 25k in Grand Rapids on May 11th.  I also need to decide on a couple of year end half marathons.  So many choices...