Whole30 Day 18, Outseason Training, Day 12

So far, 2013 ain't half bad.  The Whole30 plan is going swimmingly.  I have had no real, intended slip-ups, and I feel great...as long as I make sure to replenish carb stores after a workout (e.g., with sweet potatoes or squash).  I like homemade almond milk better than store-bought.  And homemade mayo is easy, as long as the blender does not get too hot and ruin it when it is almost finished.  I have learned that I love spaghetti and butternut squashes, babaganoush, and mashed cauliflower.  Coconut aminos are a nice substitute for soy.  So that's all good, mostly.  I do miss sweets occasionally, but nothing a Turkish fig doesn't cure.

EN's outseason plan is tough, but I am performing better than I hoped I would given the little training and difficulties running over the past 4 months.  I have some shin/calf pain, but my ITB has not acted up.  I did roll last night and will be more consistent about it, because I honestly felt better this morning.

We are thinking about doing the Leadman Olympic in April in Tempe, and I am hoping to be able to get my times down enough to do the Mountain Man Half in August.  We'll see.  There are a few halves after that if I just can't get fast enough, though.

We are doing the Color Run next weekend with the kids, which should be a hoot!  Very excited!

Not much else for now.  Feels nice not to struggle.

Whole30 Day 10!

I'm on Day 10 of the Whole9 Whole30 program, and I have to say, it has not been THAT difficult, thanks to some great resources (e.g., Nom Nom Paleo, It Starts with Food), a great husband, and vacation in the early days when I needed to cook and read and get a feel for what was coming.  Will made paleo shepherd's pie the other night, and I made a yummy chocolate chili this weekend.  Leftovers have bee delicious!  Can't wait to figure out what is coming this weekend...

I started the EN January Outseason on Monday.  Did my bike TT (LTHR pretty pathetic) and my 5K TT this morning (M1:  12:23; M2: 12:23; M3: 12:10--negative split?  Heck, yeah!) in the blustery wind.  I'm feeling so energized that I'm going to the gym right now to bust out a bike workout so I can have a rest day before this weekend's spanking.  So far, I've been able to get out of bed to do what I need to do, so let's keep our fingers crossed that my motivation sticks around.

On a family note, we have entered The Color Run on the 26th with some VIPs...should be a blast! Of course, it will likely be the Color Walk for the kids, but fun nonetheless!

Whole30 Day6

Feeling good.  Went out to dinner with friends last night and it was easier than I hoped it would be. Friends are very understanding ;)  I have also made some interesting things over the past few days, mostly successes with one fail:  mayo.  My first attempt went perfectly, but at the end of the second attempt, everything liquefied...I think the blender got too hot.  I will attempt this feat again today.

I start my outseason training tomorrow, which should be interesting...bike test.  I think my fitness is for sh*t right now, but the only way it gets better is....with training!  I am looking forward to the next test in 8 weeks!

Whole30 Day 3

Well, I am on the 3rd day of Whole30, and so far, no headache, no real cravings.  I'm not sure whether I am grumpy, but I did get very irritated about the stoplights all plotting against me this morning, even though I was early for work.  I feel pretty clear-headed, skin looks okay, but, heck, it's only Day 3, right?!?!?  So far, I've had very delicious food:  eggs with spinach and roasted red peppers for breakfast, chicken salad or leftovers for lunch, and various yum for dinner!  No real desire to snack save 10am yesterday morning, though I drank water and got through it fine.

So, that's Day3 for you.  No workout yesterday.  Might try to bring the fam to the gym today.  Outseason training starts Monday!!!

January 2nd

Dear 2012,

We had sort of a rough relationship.  On the one hand, you really brought out some of the best of me.  Training for and completing the Oceanside HIM was amazing!  My first HIM, my first ocean swim, really, the first challenge I wasn't sure I could take on, and I did it!  So for that, I thank you.

On the other hand, you also brought out the worst of me.  Injury, sloth, gluttony.  The past few months have been awful with respect to exercise and diet.  If you look over the past 3-4 months of posts, which are sparse and desperate, you see a pattern of trying to start something and either a) having an obstacle become "insurmountable" or b) me just plain not following through.  Enough is Enough.  We are done, you and me.  And I am happy to see you go.

So, in order to start 2013 correctly, I have built in a few supports.  I have joined a coaching group to help me train more effectively for the Mountain Man HIM in August.  Because this race is later in the season, I feel like training will be more effective AND I won't have as long to fall off the wagon before I have to decide whether to sign up for IMAZ for 2014.  Also, I have committed to the Whole30 program; actually I've committed to the Whole100, but who's counting?  I feel like I need to get a handle on my diet again, and I've really been flying by the seat of my pants (ever increasing size of pants) since I quit doing Eat to Live.  There were a lot of things I loved about ETL, but my gut HATED me for it, and I feel so much better when I'm eating meat, so I've decided to really give Paleo, and strict Paleo, an earnest attempt.  I'm on Day 2 and feeling better already.  

To better manage injury, I commit to rolling, stretching, and working on core strength more often.  We'll see if I pull this part off, but if I stay consistent with training and eating, I will have a really good head start on health.  

Lastly, I am committed to continuing to get other areas of my life back in order, and keep them that way.  2012, you were not good for me in most arenas.

So long, 2012.  It was the best of times, the worst of times.  But it's over.  Hopefully 2013 will find me more consistent, and thus happier.  It will be evident in my posts (once a week posts would be a good indication that I am on the right track), I'm sure.   

P90X2 Day 4

Completed Total Body workout yesterday morning, which was good...reminiscent of p90X Core Synergystics in some respects, and my abs are sore today.  I enjoyed doing arm weight exercises while balancing, as well, though my balance on the stability ball needs some work!  I think I need to purchase one of those things that I can attach cords to a door, so I can do workouts in hotels, and because our pull-up bar won't fit in any doorways.

Hubby wants to go for a bike ride today, so I'm not sure whether I'll get to Balance and Power later, though I'd really like to do the entire week's workout.  We'll see.  The bike may be chilly!

Only 2 weeks until Ironman AZ for hubby!  Very excited and nervous for him.  And starting to worry a little about keeping the kids entertained for the entire day.  And a little worried about the weather, as it's in the 90s in Phoenix this weekend.  I was hoping they'd be racing in the 60s, or 70s at the most!

P90X2 Day 3

Being in a hotel room, I switched things around a bit and did X2Yoga today, will have to do Total Body and Ab Ripper tomorrow, and won't have a day off on Sunday.  I did run for a few yesterday and felt it in my calves from Plyocide :)  On to X2Yoga...I would agree with other reviewers that I like it better than Yoga X.  It was always difficult for me to commit 90 minutes, and so I would skip many of the balance postures and some of the stretches.  X2Yoga has fewer superfluous moves, and it seems to flow much better.  My glutes hurt!  I don't think I sweated as much as I do with Yoga X, and there is less ab work, but overall, I liked it.