Last Day of Half Marathon Training

Oh jeez guys...today was my last day of half marathon training.  Tomorrow starts my first day of training for the full marathon in January.  I'm looking forward to it but I'm also slightly terrified.  What if I can't finish?  What if my body just like totally gives out? I'm just a little nervous about it all.  Today I had to run 6 miles.  I totally wasn't feeling like it but I decided that I don't get to make excuses.  Uncle John never got to say "I just don't feel like having cancer today" and take a day off. Have to remember why I'm doing this!  I'm standing for him and for my grandmother.  I'm trying to do this in his memory and I can't do that if I give up.  I have to keep going.  So tomorrow marks DAY 1 of 18 weeks of training... here.we.go.

CRAZY

SOOOO I did something a little crazy.  Maybe it's because I was sick yesterday, maybe I just went temporarily insane, or maybe I thought I'd have an easier time raising money for my Stand Up to Cancer team if I ran a FULL marathon.  Maybe to some people that's not crazy...but to me, it is.  100% scary.  I've done a half, and I'm doing another half in November, but really...I'm going to do TWICE that?@?!  At least I'm doing it at the most fun place on earth... DISNEY!!!  I can't wait.  I'm extremely nervous and definitely going to have to be VERY good about sticking to my training schedule but I think I can do it.  I've always wanted to be able to say that I ran a marathon, and I will finally be able to say that (IF I don't pass out/faint etc. on the course...let's hope that doesn't happen!) Anyway, just figured that was worth a blog update!! So instead of 10 more weeks of training, you can look forward to about 20 more weeks of me nonstop actin a fool and running like a maniac... hey, maybe I really will lose some more weight after all!  AND raise some funds for a very very awesome cause!!!

Healthy Bites: Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower!

Latest post to my cooking blog is actually a healthy recipe!  Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower with Dijon Vinaigrette and Pine Nuts... head on over HERE to check out the recipe and see some more pics!

The First Weigh In

Oh hey y'all... today's workout was weaksauce... sorry to be such a let down but I am SO sore from yesterday's run!  I'm stretching more now, because I'm definitely starting to see why it's so important!  I've been drinking tea like it's my job (instead of so much coffee) and really getting into my Herbalife shakes as some of my meal replacements.  My cravings for fast food are pretty much completely gone (although last week I was dying for one of those Chick-fil-a chicken strip salads and so I had one...with ranch...oops... don't judge me, and no I don't hate gay people or support anti-gay groups, I just REALLY wanted that salad...

Anwyay... I had my FIRST weigh in today... I'm going to do weigh-ins every week and then I can watch my progress... I really don't want to say what my starting weight is, but maybe I will once I lose more and feel more comfortable with myself... in the meantime, I will just be posting my weight-loss, or lack there of (hopefully not this), every week so I can hold myself accountable and see how I'm progressing.  This week the weigh in resulted in:

You like how I use a biggest loser pic?  YES I'm obsessed, no I don't care...it's my guilty pleasure... do you see how Bob Harper is like SO happy for me watching the scale??

YES, I lost 3 pounds...THREE...in one week!  Just from cutting out nasty foods and doing my training!  I, for one, am very proud...I think this is the most I've ever lost in one week... hopefully I can keep the momentum going and make myself proud! Who's with me!?!

Blueberry Banana Protein Shake

I used to make this shake in law school ALL the time... It's a huge time saver and it is absolutely fantastic.  Seriously, I wouldn't lie to you... it's really amazing, cheap and totally perfect for people on the go!

Ingredients:

One Scoop or 4 tablespoons of EAS Whey Protein Vanilla (Why do I use this one? Well: 23g of Protein, 130 Cals, 3g of Carbs, 1g of Sugar and it tastes amazing!) You can substitute EAS Whey Protein Chocolate (also pictured) to get a different flavor...both are delicious and the nutrition facts are the same (or basically the same)! (p.s. they all come with a scoop, you may just have to search for it)...This protein is available at Harris Teeter in the Nutrition section.

• 1 Banana + 1 Handful of Blueberries (fresh or frozen)***

• 1/2 Cup of Ice (Optional--if you are going to use ice, I recommend putting that in the blender first and crushing the ice so that your shake doesn't end up being too icy and is more smooth--otherwise it will take awhile to blend to get it smooth and it may still have ice chunks in it).
• 1/2 Cup of Water (obviously the picture isn't necessary but I thought it was cute)

BLEND And VOILA! A yummy meal to take on the go! Power through people on the go!

***Feel free to substitute the blueberries with: strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, or a mixture!! I have tried it multiple ways and it is always delicious and filling!

First Long Run

First long run today!  Sundays are the long run days, according to my plan, and today was the first one.  4 miles.  Not long to some people (*cough* Matt *cough*...who just ran 8 miles) but for me it was really hard.  My legs were still sore from the week's training and I was just feeling sore generally.  Luckily, I had gotten a massage this morning, which worked out SOME of the soreness, but I could tell this would be something I would need again soon, so booked another one two weeks out.  I love love love massages... they work out so much tension that I carry around.  I don't get the nice Swedish ones though...I have to go for the tortuous deep tissue massage...feels like hell when you're doing it, but after, woooo-weee, it feels so much better.  You just have to be sure to drink enough water...something that I have become very conscious about.  I have been drinking a LOT more water.  I've been trying to eat much healthier, with lots of protein (usually from shakes or Greek yogurt) and drinking more tea than coffee... so far so good!  I'm weighing in tomorrow though so we shall see!! I'm too embarrassed to put my starting weight... I'll provide that if I get to my goal weight (along with before and after pictures)... until then, I'll have to stick to just posting pounds lost :)  Hopefully, I will be able to post pounds lost and not pounds gained!  I think with the running combined with the clean eating, though, I should start to see a difference.  Any tips are welcome and I would love to see what works for other people!  I'll post the weigh in tomorrow! eek!! NERVOUS!

I'll be posting a lentils recipe shortly, and I'll let you know when that happens by posting a link...

In the meantime, I'll leave you with this:

Day 3

Hey guys!  Training is going well so far... 3 days in lol, but still!  Today I did 30 min elliptical and then a half mile cool down on the treadmill.  I've gotten back into my FAVORITE workout routine which I did for my last half marathon training... you guessed it, watching the Biggest Loser while training!  I'm even watching the same season as I blogged about during my last half marathon...season 10.  I picked this season because it has one of my favorite contestants ever (close tie with the lovely sisters, Olivia and Hannah!), Ada!  More commonly referred to as "Ada the Terminator".  She is one of the most inspirational people ever to be on this show... I've started the season from the beginning, and I'm only on episode 2, but I really can't wait until she becomes a total freaking beast and runs the marathon!

In other news, Matt signed up for the marathon!  Yes, the FULL marathon... he's cray.  I'm sure he can do it, but if the day comes and the marathon just doesn't seem like it's gonna happen, he's gonna run the half with me... woohoo!!

Also, I've started working on my diet a bit!  Trying to really lose this weight... I did a weigh in at the beginning, complete with measurements, and I took "Before" photos.  I'm WAY too embarrassed to post them now, but if I really do lose weight, I promise to post them with "After" shots.  I've been going to Herbalife a lot and drinking a lot of protein shakes and drinking a lot of tea...drinking Green Tea as we speak!  I love love love tea (not as much as coffee sadly, but hoping to get more adjusted to it!)

If I ever have any good healthy recipes, I'll post them on my cooking blog, and then link them on here.  I think that's pretty much it for now, but I'll just leave you with what my motivating picture is.  It's perfect because the training plan is 12 weeks long and Monday was my Day 1!