Run Run Run...

My workout today was broken into 2 parts. 

I started at the gym on the bike and rode for 4.75 miles.  I rode intervals on level 8.  I like intervals because you ride hard for a minute or so and then the intensity lets up for a bit so your legs can rest until the intensity goes back up.

After the bike I hit the weights.  I did light weights today because I was going running as soon as I left the gym.  I focused on abs and my calves. 

I grabbed a 10 pound round weight and the core abs ball and got to work.  I did 4 sets of 25. Each time I came forward with the sit up, I straightened my arms. When I sat back, I brought the weight back to my chest.  I hope that makes sense. 

core abs ball

I love this calf machine.  I use it every time I go to the gym.  I honestly have no idea how many reps I did today but usually I just go until I can't anymore.  I set the weight at 100lbs and go for it.  This machine makes me a happy girl! Love the results I achieve from using it.  It builds great running muscles!



horizontal calf machine

I also spent some time on the leg press machine. 

Then, I headed to Shelby Farms.  Today was gorgeous and 63 degrees.  There was no way I was running on the 'mill today. 

I walked briskly for 5 minutes and then took off.  I felt really strong throughout my run.

I got a cramp at mile 2...grrr...I hate cramps!  I learned the best trick from my hubs about getting rid of running cramps.  When you exhale, make sure you exhale all your breath before you breathe in again.  Take a normal breath in and exhale out completely again.  Repeat a few times and it amazingly takes care of my cramps every time!  I sometimes have to repeat the breathing exercise a few times but it always works in the end!

When I got rid of the cramp the rest of the run was pretty easy. 

My average pace was 9:59 min/mile and I ran 3.20 in 31:37. 

Recap:

Feb 21,2012

Location: Park
Distance:  3.20
Time: 31:37
cross-training: weights; bike 4.75 (15 min)

Peanut Butter Fudge

Today's recipe is healthy in NO way, but it's one of my favorite treats!  I found it on Pinterest a while ago and have made it a few times.  It's so simple to make and only takes 5 minutes.  The only hard part is waiting the 1hr. it has to chill in the fridge!

Peanut Butter Fudge

Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

 16oz. confectioners' sugar

Directions:

Line a 7x11 baking dish with parchment paper.

Combine butter and peanut butter in a saucepan and melt.  Stir well and add vanilla.  Remove from heat and stir in confectioners' sugar until evenly combined. (It becomes difficult to stir and loose it's sheen).

Transfer to the prepared pan and spread evenly. Place an additional piece of parchment paper directly onto the surface of the fudge. Press down and place in the fridge until set.  About an hour.

 melt the butter over low heat

Confectioners Sugar 2 Lb. bag. I simply fold it in half and cut it down the middle.  Instant 1 Lb measurement!

perfect amount

the best Peanut Butter on earth!

press fudge down in pan

top with parchment paper and press down

enjoy!

Shelby Farms

This morning I decided to try a super speedy workout at home before my run.  I saw it on Pinterest and thought it looked like a great 4 minute workout. 
You work hard for 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest. Trust me this gets your heart rate up quick!

 20 seconds - squat thrust
10 seconds - rest
20 seconds - mountain climbers
10 seconds - rest
20 seconds - high knees
10 seconds - rest
20 seconds - jumping jacks

You do this sequence 2x and you're done! Simple and fast!

Click here to give it a try!


Today I got to run outside and that made me a very happy girl!  I ran at Shelby Farms and enjoyed the beautiful sunshine.  The wind at times was pretty cold, but I powered through!  I ran 3.1 in 30 min. :)  There is a little gazebo that I passed during my cool down walk  & decided to jump in there and do my stretches. The gazebo was made by boy scouts and they laid out the Code of Honor in stepping stones.  As I was leaving I snapped a quick picture of my shadow and the word "cheerful" - Kinda summed it all up!

Recap:

Feb 19,2012

Route: Shelby Farms
Distance: 3.1
Time: 30 minutes
Notes: Felt Amazing!

Bike and Run

I had another great workout this morning.  I began on the bike and rode a super tough hill setting called Mt. Kilimanjaro.  I rode on level 10 for 10 min and covered 3.3 miles.  I was totally sweaty and very warmed up when I finished! I'm loving starting my workouts on the bike!
I moved to the 'mill and walked with an incline of 4 and speed of 4 for .30 miles.  When it read .30 I upped the speed to 5.5 and ran for 2.5 miles.  I slowly increased the incline throughout my run.  I started the run at 1 and ended at 4.  It was a challenge towards the end, but I made it and it felt great.  I spend the rest of my time working on my abs and legs. 

Recap -

Feb. 17, 2012

Run: 'mill 2.5/ incline 1-4
time: 26 min.
cross-training: bike 3.3m hard hills/level 10; abs/calves (weights)
notes: increased incline every 1/2 mile or so - felt great

Check in tomorrow for another workout and Crock pot Enchiladas!!!

Great day at the gym!!!

My routine the past several weeks has been to drop off Brock, my 4 yr. old son, at school and head straight to the gym.  Most mornings my mom comes to work out with me! I am so proud of her and how hard she is working! 

This mornings work out went fantastic!  I just love the energy of the gym and seeing people work to be the best physically they can be. 

Today I started on the bike.  I find I hurt less while running if I do some sort of cross-training before I jump on the 'mill.  I rode "hills" on level 7 for 10 minutes.  Man, this really gets the heart rate up and legs nice and warm.  I covered 3.3 miles.  As soon as I finished with the bike, I immediately went to the 'mill.  I ALWAYS walk before I run.  It is so important to make 100% sure my muscles are completely warmed up.  I walk anywhere from .20 miles to .30 miles.  Today I walked .30 on and incline of 3 and speed of 4.0.  As .30 approached, I lowered the incline to .05 and set the pace at 5.5.  Everything I have read about running says you should train slower than you want to race.  Also, you should be able to have a conversation while running and not totally out of breath.  If you are then slow down a bit.  You are less prone to injury if you train slow.  And you all know I don't want to go down the injury path anytime soon!!!  I slowly increased the incline during my run.  The highest I reached was an incline of 3 and when I reached it I started to slowly come down.  My speed stayed the same until the last half mile and I slowly increased it to 6.5 at the end.  I read yesterday that it is best to keep your stride short rather than long when you sprint at the end.  Again, you are less likely to injure your muscles or joints that way.  I normally would have lengthened my stride quite a bit but today I kept it short and it felt good!  When I finished my run, I walked for roughly .30 miles.  I ran 2.2 today and was so happy that I had no knee pain!  It is so hard for me to keep the mileage down, but I figure if I can slowly build up while cross-training, I'll be stronger in the long run. I committed 25 minutes to weight training after my run.  Including abs, legs, and arms. 

My ultimate running goal for this year is to run in the St. Jude Half Marathon this coming December.  Last year I was able to walk in the St. Jude 5k race and I had just been cleared by my doctor the day before of my hip injury.  I was on cloud 9 and so beyond happy to be able to participate in the race I had originally planned on running before my injury.  I plan on competing in several 5ks and maybe a 10k or two before then.  I get so excited when I think of running the half.  I watched my sis last year run it and it was beyond motivating! I am so proud of her for reaching that goal!!!! We plan to run it together this year, along with some friends and my hubs!!! CANNOT WAIT!!! SO, I want to train right - slow and steady -

Recap of today...

Feb. 15, 2012

'mill - 2.2m run/incline from .05-3

cross-training- bike - 3.3m/ hills ; weights

notes - run felt strong! slowly increased incline and had a nice kick to the finish.  Kept strides short :)

Happy Valentine's - Pasta & Cross-Training

Happy Valentines Day

My hubs is so sweet to me! I woke up to a delicious breakfast, a box of chocolates, a card, and the Braking Dawn movie!

He knows me so well!  

bacon, scrambled eggs, pancakes, and coffee!

notice the title on the card...To MY Queen!!! Oh yeah!

I wore my running shoes and work out clothes to breakfast so I would have no excuse an hour after I finished eating to hit the gym. 

Here's what I accomplished:

Feb 14, 2012

I rode the bike hard for 20 minutes on hills.  I covered 6 miles. 

weights: arms, abs, legs

I finished up hitting the stair climber for 5 minutes on level 7.  I climbed 380 stairs! Whew, that is one tough machine to conquer!

Notes: I felt good and strong today. Was worn out when I left!  Yippee! That means progress!

I found this website today.  It explains how important stretching is for runners.

Check it out here!

ready to hit the gym

When I got home I had a little less that an hour to prepare lunch and eat before the hubs had to go to work.  Here's what I made!

 Penne Pasta with Spinach and Bacon

Ingredients:

12 oz. Penne Pasta

1 Tbsp. EVOO - extra virgin olive oil

6 slices pre-cooked bacon (I used leftovers from this morning's bfast)

5 or so cloves fresh minced garlic

2 14 oz. cans Hunt's diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning

1 bag fresh spinach

1 tsp. crushed red peppers (optional)

salt/pepper to taste

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning ( a mix of basil, oregano, parsley)

Chopped bacon...resist the urge to eat it all now!

 beautiful fresh spinach

 Spices and EVOO

Directions:

Place a large pot with water on the stove and turn heat on high.  Add salt generously to the water.  Otherwise your pasta will taste like nothing! Once boiling, cook your pasta.  Don't overcook! Follow cooking instructions on package.  Meanwhile, heat EVOO in a large saucepan and sautee' your chopped garlic for 2 minutes.  Add cooked and chopped bacon to the garlic.  Sautee' another couple of minutes.  Be careful not to burn the garlic!  Add 2 cans of tomatoes, crushed red, salt/pepper, onion powder, and Italian seasoning.  Mix well. Let simmer while pasta is cooking.  When you have 2-3 minutes left in pasta cooking time, add spinach to the tomato mixture and stir well. Drain pasta and transfer to tomato mixture.  Let simmer another minute or until heated through and well Incorporated.  That's all there is to it.  I served it with garlic toast :)  garnish with a little Parmesan. Enjoy!!!

Here it is! Penne Pasta with Spinach and Bacon!

Sorry for the blurry pictures! Next time I'll pull out my Cannon and use it instead of my iPhone!

Spiced Tea

As a southern girl I grew up drinking hot spiced tea.  It is my favorite hot beverage, coffee is a close second! This is the recipe my grandmother and mom always used.  I highly encourage you to mix up a batch and enjoy...while watching the Bachelor...at least what I'm doing ;)

Spiced Tea

1 Jar Tang (small)

2 Quarts lemonade mix (fill top to second line)

1 Jar or 1 Oz. Instant tea

2 cups Sugar

1 tsp. cloves

1 tsp. cinnamon

Mix well and store in air tight container

Running/Work Out Journal

I recently bought a running training journal.  I was so happy when it finally came in the mail so I could start using it right away.  I received it on Tuesday Jan 30th and logged my first entry the next day.

 

I'll be posting my workouts regularly! Here are my workouts the past few weeks.

Jan 31, 2011

Route: Shelby farms Patriot Lake

Distance: 2.88

Time: 27:49

Notes: first 2 miles felt great.  Left knee started hurting and had to stop :( Time to replace shoes!!!

Ever since my injury I approach running pain totally different.  Before, I may have ignored the pain and kept running, but now I know better.  I hated to stop, but knew it was the best thing to do. 

My shoes were approaching a year old so I figured the knee pain may be associated with them wearing down.  I went to Fleet Feet the next day and bought my new pair. I stuck with the Brooks Defyance series and bought the updated model,  Brooks Defyance 5.  I was shocked with how different they felt compared to my old ones. The support system had definitely worn down and had I continued to run with them an injury would have surely followed!

Brooks Defyance 5

I took the next 2 days off to rest my knee.  I iced it several times a day and wore a brace. 

Feb. 4, 2012

Location: Gym

Cross Training: Bike 5 miles, elliptical 1.5 miles, walked 1 mile on 'mill (treadmill) on high incline.  Weights: arms and abs

Feb. 6, 2012

Location: Gym/'Mill

Distance: 1 mile/ run

Time: 11 minutes

Notes: 1st run in new shoes Felt good - no knee pain!!!

Cross-training: 5 miles on bike; weights

Feb. 7, 2012

Location: Home

Today I worked out at home.  I did tons of crunches, planks, squats (with 8 lb dumbbell in each hand, leg lifts, arm curls (with dumbbells), jumping jacks

Feb. 8, 2012

Location: Gym/ 'Mill

Distance: 1.1 miles/run

Time: 11 minutes

Notes: bike and weights before run.  Felt great - no pain :)

cross-training: 6 miles on bike; weights

Feb. 9, 2012

Rest Day

Feb. 10, 2012

Location: Gym/'Mill

Distance: 1.5 Miles/Run

Time 15 minutes

Notes: bike and weights before run again. Felt good

Cross-training: 6 miles on bike; weights

Feb 11 & 12

Rest Days

We had a super busy weekend. Daniel and I attended the Passionate Love Conference at Bellevue on Saturday.  It was fantastic.  We learned valuable information on how to maintain a Christ-centered marriage! We also had a fun birthday party to attend and a full morning of church on Sunday.  We had a blessed weekend!

Feb 13, 2012

Location: Gym/'Mill

Distance: 2 miles

Time: 22 minutes

Cross-training: Elliptical 1.5 miles. I really tried to watch my heart rate and stay within my age range limit.  You burn more calories that way :) ; weights

Also, today is my niece's 10th birthday!!! Love you Madison Mackenzie Cooley!!!

Madi is the cutie in the middle of my 2 sweeties, Emma and Brock

Pork Tenderloin w/ an Apricot Honey BBQ Glaze

Pork Tenderloin

with an apricot honey BBQ glaze

A few weeks ago Kroger had Pork Tenderloin on Manager's Special for $7 for 3LBS.  Not having a clue how to prepare it, but feeling adventurous, I bought it.  One of my favorite J Alexanders dishes is their grilled pork tenderloin with a delicious glaze.  I set out to mimic the famous dish.  It was AMAZING!!! All four of us devoured it and most got seconds! I served it with cheesy garlic mashed potatoes and biscuits with honey.

Tenderloin Rub

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1/2 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Tenderloin Glaze



1.5 cups Apricot Jam

1/2 cup BBQ sauce

1/2 cup Honey

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon coriander



Directions



Mix all ingredients for the Rub in a bowl and stir well.  Rub generously over Tenderloin.  Cover and Refrigerate for 1 hr. to 24 hrs.  We only had time to let it hang out an hour and the results were delish.

While your pork is marinating, go ahead and prepare the glaze.  If you are letting it marinate overnight then make your glaze just before putting it on the grill the next day.  To make the glaze, simply add all above ingredients to a sauce pan and stir well on med/low heat. 

Next up: Grill the tenderloin.  You want to grill it until it has roughly 10 min left of cooking to be done because it will go in the oven.  Pull it off the grill and don't touch it.  Meaning, don't cut into it or you will release all the yummy juices inside!  After 10 minutes of the meat "resting", you may cut it into portion sizes.  Cut at an angle and against the grain.  Transfer the pork into a casserole dish and lather with your Glaze.  Place in a 350 oven uncovered and bake until pork is cooked through and no pink is visible.  

Enjoy!!!

I'm BACK!!!

After a 10 month break from the blogging world, I decided it was time to come back.  I'm not even sure why I took a break, but that's not what's important. I'm just happy to say that, while on my blog break, I still cooked deliciously healthy meals and worked out!  I did, however, take a 4 month break (Sept 5th - Dec 28th) due to a stress fracture that happened while running.

Here's what happend:
It was the perfect day to run.  Sun was behind the clouds, temps were upper 60s, there was a light breeze, and I was with my family.  It was Labor Day and the hubs and I decided to head to Shelby Farms for a run.  I laced up my shoes, walked my 5 min. warm up and off we went.  I felt amazing.  Seriously the best I think I'd ever felt on a run. The hubs and I ran side by side at a comfortable 10 min mile pace for about 2.5 miles.  The run was feeling so effortless that I decided to run ahead and see if I could run 5 miles. Up until this point the farthest I'd run was 3.5.  Ignoring all the advice I'd received in the weeks before, I went for it.  The advice came from the Women's Running Group in Memphis.  We met once a week and ran together.  It was a lot of fun getting to run with some great friends and my sister each week.  As I approached mile 4 I was floating on clouds, seriously it was awesome. I was smiling and waving at everyone I passed feeling so proud of myself.  Well, I knew that I needed to slow down my pace because I just kept getting faster and faster.  Somehow, I couldn't.  At mile 4.5 my right hip began hurting out of nowhere.  Ignoring it, I continued to run.  I was hurting with every step, but saw the 5 mile goal in site, so decided to keep going.  I'm extreamly competitive with myself and was pretty determined not to give up.  At this point the rest of my body still felt great and I was frustrated with my dumb hip.  Nonetheless, I kept trucking it.  Well, I was at mile 4.98 when I all but fell to the ground in pain.  I was thinking, what muscle did I pull? I certainly wish it had been a pulled muscle. Little did I know.  So, I pulled myself off the ground, stretched, and began making my way to my family.  Each step hurt worse than the one before and I was almost in tears by the time I walked the mile to reach them.  I continued to stretch and the pain just got worse.  Over the next few days, the pain did not ease. Of course me being me, didn't change my schedule. I still washed the car, cleaned the house, bathed the dog and kids, cooked, etc. It wasn't until a full 2 weeks later I decided to go to the doctor.  Thinking it was nothing serious, I went to see my general doc.  They did an XRay and it showed nothing.  He gave me a cortozone shot and sent me on my way.  I continued my normal daily schedule and working in the nursery at church.  One particular Thursday morning I was in awful pain.  I told my boss the situation and how my entire thigh and butt were numb after walking about 50 feet.  I stood in the hallway balling my eyes out because the pain was so severe. She was so supportive and told me I should see an Orthopedic doctor.  You would think I would have thought of that myself, but since my general doctor said I was fine....well, I believed him.  NEVER AGAIN. I made an appointment for the next day with an Ortho Sports Med Doc.  They did an XRay as well and it was clear.  He put me on crutches for 2 weeks and wanted me to stay off of it as much as I could.  Well, those that know me know that he needed to be much more specific and say NO weight on it at all! Ha, I'm so hard headed and wish I had taken those 2 weeks on the crutches seriously.  Needless to say, I didn't. I was probably on them about 50% of the time.  I found it super difficult to do everything while using them.  Went back to see him when the 2 weeks were up and told him the pain was still there.  Well, of course it was...I hadn't followed the rules!  He ordered an MRI for the following week. I knew at that moment it must be serious and didn't put any weight on it the next 4 days.  That 4th day was the MRI.  I was pretty nervous, but got through it ok.  Waiting on the results was hard.  I just wanted to know what was wrong.  I got the call the following Tuesday that I wasn't expecting.  He told me that I had a non-displaced femoral neck stress fracture.  A WHAT??!! He explained it to me and told me not to put ANY weight on it at all.  I was pretty determined at this point to get better, so I complied.  The next 5 weeks were super hard emotionally and physically. I swear I have never cried so much in my life.  The hardest part was the time before I was diagnosed.  I say that because I was in such pain with no explaination.  I had thoughts like....will I ever walk normally again and will I ever run again?? I had to pray that the Lord would get me through this tough time. I had to rely on Him to get me through every day.  I learned to do what I had to do.  My mom was amazing.  She helped 3 to 4 days a week with cooking, cleaning, laundry and the kids.  I couldn't have made it without her and the hubs help. I had another MRI 6 weeks later.  I was so beyond thrilled when it came back clean.  I was so grateful to be able to do things normally again.  I tell you what, I learned some valuable lessons during those 4 months.  I learned to listen to my body & always get a second opinion from the doctors.  I learned just how valuable my legs are. I know this sounds silly, but when you think you may never walk normally again you realize just how important each leg is.  I also learned not to take anything for granted and just how faithful God is to me personally.  It seemed like everytime I turned on KLOVE the perfect song for ME was playing. It was always just what I needed to get me throught the next moments! The Lord brought me through it and I'm so happy to be on the other side!

In the next posts I'll get back to posting recipes as well as my daily workout schedule!

Thanks for reading. God bless!!!