Claire: It's Saturday?!

OK I've been acting and thinking like today has been Friday, and then it hits me today is Saturday. Where has the weekend gone???

Food: oatmeal w/pb, light peach yogurt, 2 cantaloupe slices, glass of soymilk, 1/3 of my grande skinny iced latte, a pbj sandwich, 3 eggs, baby carrots, and another serving of pb. (I eat a lot of pb don't I?)
Calories: 1417
Vitamin: yes- need to buy more
Water: Stopped counting this...
Exercise: play day also known as Fartleck- yes, it sounds funny. I went to the local HS did a lap around their field trail (1mi), did some sprints on the track while walking the whole track after each sprint (1.25 mi), and walked/ran home (3.8 mi+).

OK, I said I'd give a weight loss update today and here it is- the previous weeks my weight has been fluctuating which is fairly normal, albeit annoying. But as of this week, I've officially lost 10 lbs total now!!!! YAY!!!! I'm stronger, a little faster and feel better. I'm definitely a recreational runner but I want to become a Runner, an Athlete, a Marathoner, and one day a Triathlete.

This quote is pretty sweet:

"Workouts are like brushing my teeth; I don't think about it, I just do it. The decision has already been made."
-Patti Sue Plumer, U.S. Olympian

Claire: Getting Stronger

It's pretty cool when you finally start noticing some more changes. Like my arms- there's more definition and less "wiggle,"and my legs- definition and more endurance. I'm finally able to inhale through my nose while running, (weird comment right?). I was trained as a swimmer and we inhale through our mouths, exhale through our noses- it just doesn't work the other way around ya know? This week I've been really trying to work on my breathing and I can do it now! Also my weight has been pretty steady- not much loss, but no gains either!!

Food: oatmeal w/pb, green beans, apple sauce, Subway Veggie Patty Sandwich w/pepper jack cheese, apple, light strawberry yogurt, pb, 2 eggs.
Calories: 1440
Protein: 65 g
Exercise: 4 sets of 15: elevated lunges, stationary lunges, jump squats, ball press, torso twists, and reverse crunches. 4 sets of 20: body squats, regular lunges and hip thrusts. I also did some planks, my first two I could hold for a whole minute, the following two around 50 seconds.

Claire: Bring it On!!

Yesterday I set a goal to run 5 miles today. Why? Because I've been lacking on my running lately. And I blew that goal outta the water!! I ran 6 miles!!!! I did 2 laps of the Big Hill trail- or 4 lengths, plus ran the long way home again and holyshmoly I did it! Weird fact: for 2+ miles I had "It's a Hard Knock Life" stuck in my head. You know, the song from Little Orphan Annie the musical? Yeah, weird. I've noticed that I like running better without a music player too. Odd right?

Food:Oatmeal w/2tbsp pb, Veggie Patty Subway sandwich (9-grain whole wheat bread, lettuce, olives, jalapenos, pickles, spinach, banana peppers, mustard, and pepper), a light peach yogurt, baby carrots, a pbj sandwich.
Calories: 1399! (back on track baby!)
Water: stopped counting this lately..
Vitamin: Yeppums
Exercise: walked .6 miles, ran 6 miles, stretched afterwards too.

Claire: Day 25

It blows my mind that it's almost been an entire month.

Food: oatmeal w/2tbsp pb, soymilk, carrots, apple sauce, 2 eggs, green beans, lasagna Florentine, soymilk, another serving of green beans, 2 slices of bread, 2 tbsp pb and a tbsp of strawberry jelly.
Calories: 1575- I'm going to stick with 1500-1600 calories and see how it goes for the next couple weeks.
Protein: 68 grams- met this goal!
Water: unknown.. need more
Vitamin: yes sir!!
Exercise: 4 set of 15 reps- front raise, lateral raise, bent over fly, Arnold/should press, full curls, hammer curls, kickbacks w/palms facing me and palms forward, and chair dips. Followed this all up with a .6 mile walk and a 3.4 miles run.

I started out feeling really lazy and thought about skipping my run today. Then the rain stopped earlier this evening after my strength training. I decided to go on the trail I normally avoid because there's this HUGE hill and for some reason it was the trail I chose to take. BTW I beat that hill! And took the long way home to make the run last longer. WOOT!

Adventures in P-town and Why Running Wasn't A Good Idea

Had to do a drug test for my new job today and they sent me to the wrong location! So one of my friends and I having a new destination and direction to boot scurried around P-town searching for this clinic. Ok one of my favorite comedies is "The Hang Over," and we must have made like a couple hundred references to that movie while looking for this place! We also decided that she should date this one guy who kind of talks like Elmer Fudd, just so I could have a never-ending supply of jokes, sarcastic remarks and laughs! (Really, we're not that bad!)

After that escapade was finished, I had to take a nap. I haven't needed one since I've started working out regularly and eating better, this should have been a hint that my body isn't ok today. Some how I ignored that red flag and decided to push myself to go for a run after my nap. Yeah after my warm-up and like half-way through the first length of the trail my body decided to revolt. Body was not happy. Decided to walk after the first length, and jogged like half the way back to the trail head. Hopefully I'm not getting sick. I better not be getting sick!!

Food: life cereal w/soymilk, light strawberry yogurt, eggo waffle w/almond butter and apple slices w/almond butter, baby carrots, tortilla w/refried beans and a little cheddar cheese, a light peach yogurt and more life cereal w/soymilk.
Calories: 1247
Water: 12-14 glasses
Vitamin: check!
Exercise: ran/walked 3.6 miles

1st 5k Race of the Year!

Getting up at 6:30 am isn't my thing, but in anticipation of my 7am alarm my body woke up! (Funny how that happens) Today is my first 5k race- ever! Trying to maneuver quietly around the house while making breakfast and trying to find my missing running shoes should earn me some serious points. Finally, I hear a knock on the front door, Laila is here to pick me up.

Why does it always have to rain when I'm about to go running? Just wondering.

We arrive at Ester Shore Park and it's still drizzling. A beautiful Washington morning! lol! I get my registration packet and shiver while waiting for things to begin. Laila, being a traitor to the PNW has brought an umbrella! ;) Every time one of us moves I almost lose an eye to the murderous umbrella, lol! I still crack up thinking out it! A lady with a speaker headset is trying to get people to join in some early morning group exercises and sadly, no one is joining in. She's just bouncing around by herself to some really energetic music. Finally the call is in, time to go to the starting line.

They use an air horn to signal the start, but it doesn't work! Hahaha! We just all kind of go, "oh we should probably get moving." The path we're on curves around, going under the 1-5 bridge into Portland and slides past the Columbia River. The 10k runners continue to run alongside the river and we 5ks turn to the left and head on a steep path up and over rd 500. We continue heading to Fort Vancouver and curve as we head to Officers Row. We take a right and circle back the way we came. Two fit looking women my age are ahead of me. On the climb back over rd 500 I catch up to them. I pass them running downhill. Coming back along the river we are at the same pace. Keeping pace with these two made it a little easier to keep me from slowing down. 500 feet from the finish line I pick up my pace, breaking away from the two women. I dig deep and sprint to the finish.

Legs are wobbly, face is probably red, and I made a 30 minute 20 second time according to one of the volunteers! Heck yes! I made an average of a 9:40 mile! That's like a two minute or more drop from my last event in November!!!

Must celebrate this occasion! Both of us get a hair cut, enjoy fresh bagels, and have a fashion show at a local store while trying on clothes (did I mention I lost about 1 or 2 pant sizes?) and I find a pair of sweet Levi's for half of the normal price.

Today is a very good, sweet kind of day.

C: D 10

Ok, more excitement on this end! Today I jogged and partially ran 4.4 miles!!!

Running/jogging for me is more about pushing my self mentally. My body is capable but I'm not always willing. Sometimes it's just a struggle believing that I can. I know that may sounds strange to some people, but I've been told for so long, even told by myself, that I can't do things that I don't always try, I don't take the risk because I can't. Well today, the last 2.2 miles I kept repeating this mantra (I guess it's a mantra) "Who has mental strength? I have mental strength!" It worked with my jogging cadence too! I know it sounds rather cheese, but the last 1.1 mile was the best mile I've ever run so far. I was grinning from ear-to-ear, because I was proving that I am mentally stronger than I was before.

So this isn't just about being physically stronger, but stronger mentally, emotionally, and even spiritually. It's about becoming healthier.

Food: light chocolate soymilk, oatmeal, banana, Tall Iced Skinny Carmel Latter, non-fat refried beans, baby carrots, diced peaches, celery, an egg, cornbread (had way too much of it!), and lots of green beans.
Calories: 1491- this is on the higher side of my calorie allowance!
Vitamin: yep
Water: 12 glasses
Exercise: jog/ran 4.4 miles, walked 1.2 miles. Did some stretching, and I want to make stretching a habit.

Fun project: working on building some inspiration boards for my room, will post some pics when I'm finished with them!

C: Week 2! D 1

Got a little pink today while jogging! Make a fantastic discovery too- this whole time I've thought I've been going about half the distance I actually am for my jogs and walks! The google maps, walking feature is a-m-a-z-i-n-g!

This coming Saturday I have my first every 5k! Woot! All of my jogging and walking is to train for this event, and I've been terribly worried because I've been thinking "I've barely jogged a mile and a half, how am I gonna go for 3.1 miles???" Thank goodness for new information! So as of today I have jogged a full 5k! YAY! So no more worries about being able to go the distance on Saturday.

Food: instant oatmeal w/milled flaxseed, a glass of chocoloate soymilk, a med. banana after my jog, 2 eggs on top of 2 slices of toast with minimal butter on each piece. A tall iced skinny latte, one light strawberry yogurt, a glass of vanilla soymilk mixed w/1 tbsp of almond butter, and 2.5 tbsp of almond butter as a snack.
Calories: 1385
Water: didn't count it, I want to I just forget to...
Vitamin: yep!
Exercise: jogged 3.6 miles, walked 1.2?

I loved today! I did my 5k distance, and (yes there's more!) I got a call for a job interview come this Thursday morning!!! (In celebration, my dad bought me a Starbucks- hence the Tall Skinny Iced Latte!) Wish me luck!