Injury Update: So Far So Good

I ran 7 miles yesterday, and I'm pretty excited about it.

I had 10 on the plan for that day before I got hurt last month.  Since then I've reworked my plan.  Those last two miles were tough- my legs felt heavier than they should have.  I cut back on Camp Gladiator workouts in order to give my body time to recover.  My new adjusted plan is to just finish this race.  I don't see myself getting a PR after how yesterday's run felt.  Usually I don't feel that heaviness until mile 10.  I still have three long runs left, though.  I just wish I could be more active (it would help to shed these extra holiday pounds) in order to build up more speed.  I feel like I'm not getting the speed workouts I need now.

After yesterday's 7, I soaked in Epsom salts.  I didn't ice it because it's chilly in my house, but it feels great.  I didn't feel any soreness at work today. 

Now, I have mountain cedar allergies bothering me.  I took the day off of working out because the medicine I take makes me feel so sleepy and dehydrated.  I figured a workout in this state wouldn't be good for me.  We will see how tomorrow goes.  I will probably need a workout since there is another event using our rehearsal space for one act play and I will be confined to my black box.  It's difficult to rehearse this play without our stage. 

I usually bring a 64oz water bottle to work and fill it up again by the end of the school day.  I got down the road this morning and realized I didn't grab it.  I stopped at the gas station near school and found a gallon of electrolyte water so I grabbed it.  I finished half of it, and I'm about to drink more.  How much water do you drink a day?  Does it leave you satisfied or do you feel symptoms of dehydration?

Have a great week!
Cheers,
Kasey

Weekly Recaps

One month ago, I posted with my health goals.  I'm in a private health group with friends on Facebook and I found myself adding weekly updates every Sunday night based on my 3 goals, so I will share them below.  I find that ending a week on Sunday keeps me accountable over the weekend, especially if I need to weigh in.  I'm going to buy a scale today, but in the past I've found that weighing in on Monday morning at the end of my week definitely keeps me on track over the weekend.  It's so difficult to keep up with healthy habits when you've had a tough week and just want to drink all the wine and eat all the food and lay on the couch watching true crime murder shows on Netflix. 

 But, when I know my week isn't over, I can keep up with the end of my week's goals.  Now, having said this, balance is okay, so if I don't track my food on Saturday, I don't beat myself up about it.  I also don't just shove food into my mouth, either.  My Garmin watch keeps me going, too.  My average step count today is 8,319.  I want to increase my average, so every day I try to beat it.  I try to "Beat Yesterday", which happens to be Garmin's tag line.  Even on Saturday and Sunday I try to get up and do stuff so my average increases or doesn't fall too much and then I have to work extra hard during the work week. 

Here's what I've posted in the Facebook group:

Week 1:

1. Track my food intake and hit calorie goal ✔️
2. Be more active; went to CG and went past my step goal ✔️
3. Get more sleep. Fell asleep before 11 last night and ready for bed now (9:15!) ✔️

Started last week, but it feels good to get back into my routine. I think my students can tell I'm feeling better, too!

Week 2:

1. Tracked food 6/7 days. Stayed at goal 6/7 days!
2. Active (outside of work) 4/7 days. 3 CG workouts and one run. Need to run more! It felt great tonight.
3. Hit sleep goal 4/7 days. I stayed up too late a couple of nights and really felt it at work the next day. Slept a lot this weekend!

Victory: I tried on some pants that were snug when school started and they fit now! Woohoo! I also haven't had an alcoholic beverage since August 28th, which I know is helping me stay on track on weekends and my sleep patterns more regular.

Ready for another week!

Week 3:

1. Logged food and stayed at calorie goal 5/7 days. Chose a healthier meal at Chuy's, even after a crazy work day.
2. Active 5/7 days. Goal achieved! I need two rest days in my week to keep up energy and it was difficult. I fell asleep on the couch when I got home from work on Wednesday!
3. Got enough sleep only 3/7 days. I didn't take melatonin and it's hard to fall asleep early when my husband doesn't get home from work until almost 10, when I need to be asleep. Still working on it, though!

Victory: I wore pants I didn't fit into in August!

Week 4:

1. Tracked and stayed at calorie goal 6/7 days. Yay!!!
2. Active 5/7 days with a long run today. Yay!!
3. Got enough sleep 4/7 days. :( I sleep in on weekends but it's still hard for me to fall asleep at a decent time during the week.

Victory: ran my longest run since April and timed a pretty good mile!

Week 5 ends tomorrow night for me, so I'm not adding another update yet.  After looking back on these updates, I can see that I'm achieving goals and feeling better.  It really helps to go back and see how good sticking to my goals makes me feel.  I'm two weeks away from opening night of our musical, and I've been so exhausted from trying to teach 7 classes and get the show ready.  This week I didn't work out as much because I hit my step goal at work, but I knew I needed to stay on track nutritionally and that has kept me going.  I don't want to go back to coming home and eating everything and sitting around.  I know that does not make me feel good; it makes me feel like I have less and less energy while my body packs on the extra fat from energy I didn't use.

I know my body, and I know staying healthy and making it happy is hard.  Keeping this little record of my weeks has definitely helped.  I challenge you to try it!

Cheers,

Kasey

Getting Rid of Summer

Hello, all!

It seems that I have put myself on yet another diet. However, this time, I'm seeing this as a way to shed the incredibly crappy summer I've had and start over. I've got a new job on the horizon (hopefully!) and new PRs to run at races this coming winter. Time to get back at it! Want to know what I'm doing? I'm simply counting calories (auuuuuuggggggghhhh!) and working out 4-5 times a week. I know this works; the Biggest Loser contestants to do it on a much larger scale (pun intended) but I don't need to lose as much as them. Most diets these days make you eat crazy things when it's all about calorie intake and output. I've been making sure I stay around 1200 calories consumed per day (one day a week I treat myself to 1400!) and getting on the treadmill after school. I pack a gym back that morning and have it with me in the car on the way home. I know that if I go straight home I will not want to go back out that door! (And I just discovered that the newest and final season of "Friday Night Lights" is on Netflix!) I've been doing this for one week and already I've lost two pounds! I want to see how many I can shoot for by Christmas. 15-20 would be nice and would put my BMI far into the healthy range instead of straddling the overweight line. I already sleep better at night and have more energy to teach those kindergartners when I sub!

Here's a recipe that I want to share with y'all. Just a little somethin' that I cooked up out of my own brain! Enjoy and leave feedback! :)


Kasey's White Wine Stewed Tomato Spaghetti (Linguine)
Serves 1 (sometimes with leftovers!)

This is a favorite of mine to make during the week. It takes some time (boil the noodles, stew the tomatoes) but it's worth the wait!

1 cup tomatoes (I've used cherry, off the vine, and roma)
1 serving (2.5 oz) whole wheat linguine or spaghetti noodles
1/2 tbsp EVOO (shout out to Rachel Ray!)
lemon juice to taste
1/4 glass of white wine (or less, depending on your taste- less calories, too.)
1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella
fresh basil to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Set one large pot of water on high to boil.
Cut up tomatoes to desired size (I usually half the cherries and quarter the romas) and place in a medium pan with EVOO on medium high heat. (Sometimes I add mushrooms here, too. Low calorie!) Boil pasta according to the package. When tomatoes reach heat, add salt, pepper, lemon juice, and white wine. Stew for 10-15 minutes. (or less if you like the raw taste of tomatoes in your pasta dish). Remove from heat. Strain noodles. Chop up basil, sprinkle in tomato mixture. Serve on top of noodles. Add cheese and serve!

Calories: 350 (388 with mushrooms)

New Fav: Power Foods

I blogged a few days ago about the cookbook "Power Foods" by Whole Living magazine. I tried the Lemon Chicken with Corn Salsa recipe and we all fell in love. Since then, I've tried a few other recipes and found them to be a success, as well. I am so excited about this book that it's ridiculous. It's making me see food from a natural point of view, as we should. Our crazy/busy lives today made convenience a priority over health. It's a sad thing to realize, but we've taken food for granted and have neglected to give our bodies what they need to function properly. When I was shopping for a few of these recipes and my regular weekly foods, I began to notice that most of my list was in the produce section. I went down a few aisles in the rest of the store but only for natural grains and dairy. There are complete aisles that I didn't even need to pass through, including the snack, soda, and boxed dinners aisles. I never noticed just how much processed food we have become used to consuming. I encourage you to find more natural foods to incorporate in your diet and pencil in your calendars time to plan meals. Natural foods expire. If something has been in your kitchen for over two weeks, it's probably not healthy for you.
I've broadened my breakfast horizons with this cookbook, as well. There is a great recipe for Fresh Muesli with Applies and Greek Yogurt. I tried it out this afternoon and it is delicious! I've never tried greek yogurt, but since there is no sugar, you can add anything you want to it. The oats and almonds were toasted in the oven for a bit and put in a container to store for the week. Another great breakfast option is a slice of toasted whole grain bread (I use Nature's Own 12 Grain) with goat cheese, smashed raspberries, and a drizzle of honey. I also bought some chocolate almond milk and put it in my coffee on some days (less fat, more vitamin E).
Runner's World magazine did a small feature on ginger root a few months back (maybe even last summer) and featured a simple recipe for ginger tea.

Ginger Tea
Set a pot of water to boil. Meanwhile, cut a small chunk off a fresh ginger root. Peel and slice in half. When water is at a boil, drop in ginger. Let boil for 5-7 minutes, until water is infused with the ginger. Put a drizzle of honey into a mug. Pour in tea. Enjoy! With the leftover tea, I like to let it cool, pour it into a water bottle, and refrigerate. When I'm ready to drink it, I add some sugar, shake, and drink! :)