Milestones

This week I hit a milestone of 200,000 miles on my Honda Civic which I purchased new in 2003. In 10 and a half years, I have traveled up and down New England and the Mid-Atlantic. Most of the miles were from work commutes from NH to MA, but I also tacked a lot of miles visiting Mark up at Vermont Law while he was studying there. In the wake of this milestone, it seemed useful to reflect on some of my major workout milestones since it was not until about ten years ago that I started to seriously train and workout beyond some brief phases in college. During my senior year of college I dabbled briefly in lifting with machines and some light free weights, so it is hard to believe at 32 that I am more fit than I was at 21.

Highlights from 2004- 2013:

5 Half Marathons with a PR of 1:58:33 at Half at Hampton in 2012
6 Recorded (but several not listed in Athlinks) 5Ks with PR of 26:37 at Concord Rock N'Race in 2012
3 10Ks
7 Snowshoe Races
2 Olympic distance triathlon
4 Sprint distance triathlons
1 Half Ironman

Crossfit Gains from 2011-2013

Deadlift 130lbs --> 215lbs
Military Press 45lbs -->85lbs
Back Squat 90lbs --> 150lbs
Front Squat 65lbs --> 105lbs
Split Jerk 55lbs --> 100lbs
Power Clean 65lbs --> 95lbs
Push Press 55lbs --> 100lbs
Bench Press 67.5lbs -->105lbs


Being a Type A and an overachiever, I tend to think anything less than perfect is not good enough. Consequently, this past year has been a challenge because I focused on certain areas in my life more than others. We had a tremendous loss in our family, and I became a homeowner. Despite all of these changes, I still made huge gains in terms of my strength and conditioning. Last year, I hurt myself deadlifting and stopped doing that for about 6 months, yet now I am up to 215lbs for my one rep and am looking to top that in the next 4 week cycle. So, instead of reprimanding myself for failing at my 150 perfect bricks and nutrition, I think I should acknowledge that it has been a successful year in many ways. The failures are just opportunities to crush goals next year. I did hit #100 for perfect bricks in November and will focus on trying to clean up a bit on food for December before doing a Whole 30 reset in January.

Last weekend I participated in a partner workout(Erica and I pictured below) as a fundraiser for the Movember foundation. It is rewarding to give back while getting your butt kicked! I am so proud to belong to a crossfit gym committed to the clients and philanthropic causes.

Chipping Away

The last two weeks have been fairly uneventful. I have just been chipping away at my goal of 150 bricks for 2013. I think it may not be obtainable at this point more by choice than by possibility. I have been able to consistently get 5-6 perfect bricks in per week; however, to hit by December it really needs to be 7 days a week. Could I do this? Yes, I have the ability to and I have before. Do I really want to spend the holiday season trying to be completely regimented? Not so much. I'm going to continue to focus on clean eating during the week along with the fasted cardio. I missed one workout this past week because I was just too tired to wake up. It happens--I am human. I'll get as close as possible to the goal because it can't hurt to continue to try--those are still days of progress. Next year, I'm starting earlier and stronger so it is not a mad scramble at the end to hit the goal.

Week of October 21- October 27
Monday- AM Yoga/Boot Camp / PM Xfit
Tuesday- AM Spin / PM xfit
Wednesday- AM Boot Camp
Thursday- AM Elliptical / PM Xfit
Friday- AM Yoga/Boot Camp / PM xfit
Saturday- AM Walk
Sunday- Rest

* 6 Perfect Bricks
* 5 sets of 20 pushups for 6 days

Week of October 28- November 3rd
Monday- AM Yoga/Boot Camp & PM xfit
Tuesday- PM Xfit
Wednesday- AM Yoga/Boot Camp & PM Xfit
Thursday- AM Boot Camp/Pilates
Friday- PM Xfit
Saturday- Rest
Sunday- Rest

*3 Perfect Bricks
* 5 sets of 20 pushups for 6 days

Mid-October Progress

The week of October 14th was a solid week for my fall workout goals. I was able to squeeze in 5 perfect bricks and 6 days of workouts. I had to do 4 days in a row at crossfit due to plans on Friday night. By Thursday I was pretty exhausted and welcomed a lighter Friday and a rest day on Sunday. However, I picked up Saturday night at the restaurant which means I'm working all weekend. Though I voluntarily do this, I can be hard on the body. I will try to squeeze in a nap this afternoon before heading into work. The highlight of the week was the Helen Meets Grace Barbells for Boobs fundraiser at our crossfit gym. It was great to see so many people pushing their physical limits for a great cause!

Workouts 10/14- 10/20

Monday- AM yoga/boot camp & PM Xfit
Tuesday- AM Spin / PM Xfit
Wednesday- AM yoga/boot camp/ PM xfit
Thursday- AM Walk/ PM xfit
Friday- AM yoga/boot camp
Saturday- Helen Meets Grace crossfit workout
Sunday- Rest

*Pushups 5 sets of 20 for 6 days
* 5 perfect bricks for 86 in 2013

Barbells for Boobs

This Saturday, October 19th, I'll be participating in the Barbells for Boobs event at White Mountain Crossfit! The workout is Helen Meets Grace which will be a challenge, but certainly for a worthy cause.

If you have an interest in donating to our team, please click Here.

Thank you!

~Laura

Recovery Week

Last week was all about recovering from the half marathon. I took 3 full rest days on Monday, Thursday, and Sunday. Thursday was not an intentional rest, but I came down with a cold and just could not bring myself to go to the gym. It is OK though as a bit of extra rest can't hurt after Smuttynose.

Coincidentally, it also was the deload week in my new strength training program. I am following the 5-3-1 Wendler plan in 4 week cycles--so far, I've enjoyed the plan. It focuses on 4 lifts: military press, deadlift, bench press, and back squat. In addition, I do many sets of "accessory" movements such as banded chins, dumbell lifts, abs, etc. Finally, I still do a conditioning element but it is usually a bit shorter because my primary focus is lifting. In the first four weeks, I have seen some positive changes, but the main thing is that I am enjoying the program so I feel motivated to go to the gym.

Also, I continue to get in about 4 fasted cardio workouts a week but that volume needs to go up. I'm shooting for 5-6 days this week if possible. 2 of those workouts will be morning spin classes. Walks are harder to bring myself to do as the temps drop--I REALLY dislike the cold. I am probably the wimpiest midwesterner ever! The one thing I like about fall/winter though is TEA. I am a huge fan of all things tea (loose leaf, bags, decaf, caffeinated, chai, etc). It is such a calming ritual to sip on a cup of tea. I enjoy reading Corinne's blog (especially when she talks about tea!) as she has such a peaceful view of life in general. I love her use of words to describe settings.

Finally, I've been focusing on cooking more appealing and healthy meal options. I am well aware that my food intake continues to be the area most in need of improvement. Today, I spent much of the day preparing a variety of paleo foods for the week. By 1:30PM I made spinach quiche, roasted savory sweet potato, roasted summer squash/zucchini, apple cinnamon pork loin with gravy, fajita chicken bake, and roasted lemon pepper chicken legs. With the protein taken care of, it should be easy to whip up a few veggie sides during the evenings after the gym. I also have some carrots, nuts, and other paleo snacks to get me through the day. This week, my supply of Vega Pre-Workout energy drink will run out...I'm going to try to phase this out for awhile as I tend to rely on it as a caffeine type substitute far too frequently. It also has too much natural sugar, which I'd like to cut down on over the next few months. I did grab some tea to fill in, but that should be a better substitute.

Week of October 7th- October 13th

Monday- Rest
Tuesday- AM Spin/ PM Xfit
Wednesday- AM Walk / PM Xfit
Thursday- Rest
Friday- AM Yoga/Boot Camp / PM Xfit
Saturday- AM Walk
Sunday- Rest

*Pushups 5X 20 for 6 days
*4 Perfect Bricks

Smuttynose Half Marathon Recap

My race season has officially come to an end for 2013 with the completion of the Smuttynose Half Marathon today. It was a light season with a few 5Ks, the Seacoast Century bike ride and of course the half marathon. As I have discussed a bit in some of my other blog entries, I found it a challenge to find the time to balance training for the century and the half marathon. Ultimately, I did a very abbreviated version of Hal Higdon's intermediate training program paired with cycling and crossfit. I was curious to see how my results this time would compare to my 1:58 at the Half at Hampton (same course just colder!)in February of 2012. I was optimistic given some decent training runs throughout the summer and fall, but knew I did not do a ton of prep miles during the week.

In the beginning of the race, everything was a bit hectic. I thought I gave myself enough time, but got stuck in some serious traffic trying to get into Hampton Beach for the race start. I grabbed my bib at about 7:40 and went straight to the porta potties to get a spot in line...this of course is always the slowest process in any race. I then had to jet back to my car to get rid of my warmer clothes (the wind was gusting very heavily at this point), luckily, with the large crowds, I did not miss the start (I just got stuck in a slower wave in the beginning). My Runkeeper app was a bit delayed but I finally got that working and set Pandora up for some tunes.

Overall, the first 6 miles felt very good. I was keeping the pace below 9 min miles and fueling at the appropriate times. Somewhere around mile 8 or 9 my Pandora stopped working which definitely caused me to lose some serious speed and momentum. I find the music really pushes me along. In retrospect, this was the point in the run where I lost the opportunity to PR. I was shooting for under 1:58, but without my music to pace, I lost valuable minutes. This combined with possibly being over aggressive in my early miles put me behind my goal. When I heard Runkeeper chip in that I was over 9 min miles, my morale started to slip. Then, I saw this super ripped girl chugging past me just doing tiny shuffle steps and really swinging her arms fast. I thought, hmmm, she seems to be pushing forward, I'll try her strategy. Sure enough, I began to pass people in front of me. Unfortunately, I had lost too many minutes during the Pandora debacle, but at least I finished with my second fastest time to date. Around mile 12, my friend from crossfit, Chandler, helped me push through the final stretch as he had just parted with his sister, Alaka, who was continuing on for the full marathon. It was great to have someone I knew at the end, but even with his help, I did have a feeling it was not going to be a PR day.

I was glad to finally finish though because that was when the rain/wind really started to pick up. I don't think it has rained for almost 3 weeks, but today it rained. It is not so bad when running but makes the after party not so enjoyable. I was thrilled to get a chance to meet up with my friend from college, Colleen. I often turn to her blog Live Free and Run for running inspiration. I knew I'd see her at the finish but not during the run! She and her husband were toughing out the bad weather to enjoy a cool beer after the race. It was so great to catch up and talk shop about running and teaching. Hopefully I can get down to DC for a race at some point--I'm sure it will be much warmer than this run was!

In the end, I'm glad I dragged myself out of bed this morning for the half marathon, but am disappointed that I did not PR after having a strong start. Nonetheless, I was not nearly as disciplined in my training regimen and I probably was 5-10lbs heavier compared to February 2012 when I was getting in wedding shape. 2:02.25 is not too shabby for a 32 year old who only had time for runs on the weekend--I guess I'll have to settle for the satisfaction of getting in a tough workout when I otherwise might have been sleeping or vegging in the apartment on this rainy October Sunday.

Week of September 30th- October 6th

Monday- AM Yoga/Boot Camp & PM Crossfit
Tuesday- AM Walk & PM Crossfit
Wednesday- AM Yoga/Boot Camp & Lunch Jog
Thursday- PM Crossfit
Friday- AM Yoga/Boot Camp
Saturday- Rest
Sunday- Smuttynose Half Marathon

*5 sets of 20 pushups for 6 days
*4 perfect bricks for a total of 77

Colleen & I post race. I think I have about 3 layers on. Poor Colleen, she needed more warm clothes! Though I paired my warm clothes with flip flops which was not the best choice.

Fuel Review: Gourmet Grassfed

One of the main challenges in maintaining a healthy diet is to have snacks that are just as accesible as junk food snacks (chips, soda, cookies, granola bars, etc). I struggled to find easy protein options as I could only tolerate so much chicken and eggs. I hit the jackpot when I decided to try the Grassfed Gourmet jerky that was recommended on the Whole 9 website. Gourmet Grassfed uses quality grassfed meat and has a vision that focuses on sustainability and freedom of food choice. You can read all about their vision on their website. However, the best part, in my opinion, is the ease of grabbing a pre-packaged snack and having it there for a quick refuel after crossfit or a snack to get my through my morning if I need a little extra energy. The company recently paired with Whole 9 to promote some exciting new flavors such as Smokey Apple BBQ and Ginger Terikayi. I brought one in for a co-worker who eats mainly Paleo and he was blown away by the flavor of this jerky. The downside...you have to order it online and it is relatively expensive (though most beef jerky is). It is a price I am willing to pay for high quality and convenient food options for those hectic days where I just need something in a pinch!

What are your favorite healthy and easy snacks? I'd love to hear your thoughts :)

Week of September 23rd- September 29th

Monday- PM Crossfit
Tuesday- AM Spin / Lunch Jog & Walk / PM Crossfit
Wednesday- AM Walk / Lunch Jog & Walk
Thursday- AM Yoga & Boot Camp / PM Crossfit
Friday- AM Spin / PM Crossfit
Saturday- Rest
Sunday- 10 mile run (10:48 pace)

*Pushups 5 sets of 20 for 6 days
*4 Perfect Bricks = 73 bricks for 2013 so far

Seacoast Century Ride Complete!

After a summer of limited training for the Seacoast Century, I was uncertain how it would go. In fact, until about Thursday, we did not even know if it would happen because Melissa and I were not interested in riding 100 miles in the rain. Luckily the weather for Saturday shifted in our favor and we tried to get psyched for a long ride.

The Seacoast Century is not a race, it is a bike ride meant to be enjoyed. You can go at your own pace, but there are certain times the gates/rest areas are available. After getting up bright and early at a little after four, I headed over to Melissa's and we carpooled to Hampton Beach together. Our intention was to get on the road around 7 but it ended up being just before 8. I had very little idea of what to expect from this event as it was my first. We knew it was flat and also knew we definitely wanted to finish in under 10 hours. There was a bit of confusion as to how to start out because you could go two directions. We opted to head into Massachusetts first and then loop back past the beaches and over the bridge to Maine. We had a slight thorn in our ride early when we were told there had been an accident on the bridge that we were originally supposed to go back over into NH. We hastily turned around and followed a large group of cyclists who routed us through Seabrook to eventually loop back to the beach areas. We had no idea how serious the accident was until later in the day (I'm glad we did not or it may have caused us to call it a day right then). I'll follow up on that in a bit after the recap because it was a very tragic day for the event as a whole.

The crazy thing about this ride is the only guidance you have is to follow little orange arrows painted on the roads. However, with the detour, we had to rely on just following others--definitely not my usual planner style! Once we got back onto the regular route I was relieved. A few other mishaps included my chain falling off (not unusual), and a quick stop near the Rye rotary which caused Melissa to bump into me and take a small spill. Thankfully it was just an elbow scrape and we continued on our way. Melissa pushed us at a strong pace for the first 50 or so miles. We felt good going into the rest area in Maine. There we treated ourselves to PB sandwiches, cookies, and plenty of water. After fueling up, stretching a little, and a bathroom break, we hopped back onto the bikes bound for Nubble Point Lighthouse past York Harbor. This part of the ride had more hills than the previous flat stretches. I was pleased that the time spent on hills in New Hampshire over the summer paid off. It was a bit funny how groups would race past us on the flats but then slowed to near stops on some inclines. It actually got a bit annoying after awhile because it is much harder to pass on a hill than a flat. There was a thick stretch of fog in York that made the ride a bit unpleasant in that section. By the time we got to Nubble, we were definitely ready to head back to NH.

The journey back through Maine was definitely more taxing than the trip in. We again hit up the rest stop--this time for a longer stretch as our necks were really bothering both of us. It was exciting to know we were well past the halfway point, but your body definitely starts to feel it more after mile 70 :) The route back through Portsmouth was a bit precarious as we had to go through some small, narrow New England streets with a fair amount of traffic and a festival going on. My favorite part of the ride was the short stretch through Newcastle (my dream town!) and then we began to make the much more ardous ride up the beaches again. This time the wind was definitely against us and it seemed as though those last 15 miles would take forever! I'm not going to sugar coat that my training buddy Melissa got quite cranky in this stretch. I thought she might deck any group of cyclists who tried to pass us without giving the proper "on your left" shout ;) I write this in jest, but we were so ready to get off our bikes!

We hit our 100 miles slightly before the Hampton Beach Park due to the detour. Our finishing time was 7 hours and 18 minutes which seemed very respectable given our training (or lack of). I'm not sure if I'll do another one, but it is certainly something to check off by bucket list!

I wanted to end this blog post with a reminder to drivers to share the road. I recognize that not all cyclists obey the rules of the road, but far more drivers seem to have little concern with making room for those who are out enjoying a ride. I can say this from my experiences as a commuter and as a cyclist. I have been nearly knocked off the road several times despite the fact that my friend and I always move to single file in narrow spaces. Unfortunately, this year, there was a tragic accident during the century. Although the details are not confirmed, it would seem that a driver tried to get around some cyclists and slammed into another group across the way. It was so sad to hear that these two ladies just out for a ride had their lives ended due to careless driving. There may or may not have been texting involved, but it is so important that people pay attention while driving. I don't condone cyclists riding side by side in busy stretches impeding traffic--it is annoying and unsafe. However, even when I have followed the rules of the road, I've found myself in dangerous situations. These cyclists are friends, parents, and people setting an example of healthy fitness habits--you can wait a few extra minutes for an opportunity to pass.

Week of September 16th- September 22nd

Monday- AM Yoga/Mini Boot Camp / PM xfit
Tuesday- AM Spin / PM xfit (Brick #67)
Wednesday- AM Walk / Lunch Walk/Run (Brick #68)
Thursday- Xfit
Friday- AM Yoga/ Mini Boot Camp (Brick #69)
Saturday- Seacoast Century (100 mile ride)
Sunday- Rest Day

*Pushups 5 sets of 20 for 6 days and 3 perfect bricks*

Stacking Bricks One By One

Last week was a solid training and lifestyle choice week for me. Monday was the lightest training day for me as I was coming off a long run over the weekend. Also, we had our housewarming party and one year anniversary! I can't believe it has been a year since Mark and I exchanged vows. I've said it in previous posts throughout the years that he is the reason I started triathlons and a more active lifestyle. As a testament to that mutual interest in being active and healthy we followed the cake eating ritual with a 7 mile walk around our new town.

Here's to many more years of fit and fun living!

In terms of perfect bricks, it was one of the more noteworthy weeks that I have had in awhile. I felt very healthy and strong going into the weekend. Due to that hard work, I did not feel guilty about a cheat meal after running 12 miles on Saturday! I squeaked in 4 morning workouts which I had been struggling with throughout the summer. Additionally, I met with my coach at WMCF and he put me on a new workout plan that tailors to what challenges/interests/motivates me to show up on a consistent basis. Much of it is reminiscent of some of my early training so I've enjoyed getting my A@# kicked in the last several sessions. In fact, as I blog tonight, I am thinking about how tired I am from spinning in the AM, deadlifting, doing multiple sets of good mornings, and a finishing with a kettlebell conditioning workout.

Week of September 9th- September 15th:

*Week 7 of century training
*Week 9 of half marathon training

Monday- 30 minute light jog
Tuesday- Yoga/Mini Boot Camp/ PM Xfit (#63)
Wednesday- AM Walk/ PM Bike Ride (#64)
Thursday- AM Walk / PM Xfit (#65)
Friday- AM Yoga/Mini Boot Camp / PM Xfit (#66)
Saturday- 12 mile run
Sunday 25 mile bike ride

5 sets of 20 frequency pushups for 6 days
66 perfect bricks to date (still have quite a few to reach 150 before the end of 2013!)

#WHITEMOUNTAINSTRONG Results

As promised in my previous blog entry, I am including my side by side lifts/workouts to compare my progress over a period of 6 weeks during the challenge at our local crossfit gym. I attended class consistently and continued with my frequency pushups; however, I could have stuck to the clean eating far more. I'm sure that would have pushed my to some even better results. I'd been in a food slump/coma for much of the summer when I saw Sara over at House Bella wrote a great entry on Why She Eats Paleo. I know I was one of the people she had originally spoken to about going that direction with her food choices, so her affirmation of its effectiveness (not to mention amazingly delicious looking food) resonated with me. I am only back to a few days of clean/paleo eating, but I do feel those benefits already. Sara, as usual, you are an inspiration. I can't wait to hear how her marathon goes while following the paleo lifestyle!

Challenge Results-

Week 1 (July 22- July 26th) & Week 6 (August 26th- August 30th)

Back Squat 1RM = 125lbs
Back Squat = 140lbs
"The Chief" 17 rounds
"The Chief" 18 rounds

Bench Press = 95lbs
Bench Press = 105lbs
500m row 2:06
500m row 2:03

Power Clean = 90lbs
Power Clean = 95lbs
"Helen" 11:24
"Helen" 10:41

Push Press = 90lbs
Push Press = 100lbs
1 Mile Run 8:14
1 Mile Run 7:54
2 mins max pushups 40
2 min max pushups 57

Deadlift = 200lbs
Deadlift = 205lbs
"Fran" 6:05
"Fran" 5:36

*A note that many of these workouts were not Rx, but I did the same modifications for comparison*

Last week was a bit of a recovery week after pushing myself to the limits during testing week. I may have been a bit too lax in my training, but hopefully my upcoming races will not suffer due to the pause.

Workouts for Week of September 2nd - September 8th

Monday- Rest
Tuesday- Rest
Wednesday- Short Jog/walk at lunch
Thursday- Rest
Friday- AM Spin/ PM Xfit (Brick #62)
Saturday- 10 mile run
Sunday- 2 Hour Walk

Pushups 5 X 25 for 6 days

August Conclusion

As I knew it would, the remainder of August flew by. Here it is September 2nd and I am recapping the final two weeks of what is usually a fun but busy time. We spent our vacation at Squam Lake for a week and then it was back to work. During the vacation (Mark's family rents a house on Squam every summer), I was able to squeeze in a few long bike rides (we lapped Squam Lake) that incorporated some brutal hills. One morning I completed a yoga session on the dock with the sunrise which prompted me to begin doing more sessions of yoga at home (I needed it badly!). I returned to Concord for a few crossfit sessions in order to keep up progress for the WMCSF challenge. We enjoyed beautiful weather the whole week and spent plenty of time out on the boats. It is always sad when the week comes to a close, but it is something to look forward to for the next year.

Not only did I return to the grind of work the last week of August, but also we had testing for our 6 week challenge. I was not sure how the testing would go. I made it to 3 sessions of crossfit for all but one week during the challenge. My food choices during the first week and last week were clean; however, I had a 3 week time frame where I just did not focus on nutrition. My body felt the wrath of those choices, but that was not enough to push me back on the right track for the month. However, testing went well and I made some progress towards my goals of kipped pull ups and improved double unders. I'll add in the side by side comparison of lifts later this week (my workout log is at the gym), but I was psyched by how much I went up on some of my lifts. The highlight of the week was benching 105lbs. My major goal with the bench press is to be able to bench my own body weight--so with a few lbs shaved off and a few more added onto the lift, I should get there ;) Also, we did our mile time trial run and I was able to complete that in 7:54. This may have been my first mile under 8 minutes, so that was super awesome! We have not yet gotten the announcement of who won the challenge (I don't have any grand illusions that I did), but I consider it a success. I'm very glad that we had something to focus on during the summer. I can't imagine how things would have gone if I did not have the support of my gym. Though it was by no means my best summer in terms of exercise and life choices, it was not a failure. I progressed on lifts and crushed some long run times. As far as the other things to improve (morning cardio and clean eating), I know what to do--I just need to be ready to make those things a priority in the fall.

Week of August 19th- August 25th

Monday- Crossfit
Tuesday- AM yoga/Kayaking
Wednesday- 41 mile bike ride
Thursday- Yardwork/ Crossfit
Friday- Rest
Saturday- 10K Run
Sunday- 20 mile bike ride

Pushups 5 sets of 23 for 6 days

Week of August 26th- September 1st

Crossfit testing week

Monday- AM Yoga/Short Cardio Boot Camp / PM Crossfit- Brick #60
Tuesday- Crossfit
Wednesday- Crossfit
Thursday- AM Yoga/Short Cardio Boot Camp/ PM Crossfit- Brick #61
Friday- Crossfit
Saturday- Rest
Sunday- 9 mile run

5 sets of 24 pushups for 6 days

The Week Before Vacation

Last week, I powered through my work week knowing that by 4:00PM on Friday, I'd be on vacation for a week! In my years as a teacher, I often had several weeks off (though not when I was nannying and certainly much less than most people assume teachers have), but with my advising job, I have to plan my vacation carefully. I had a week in June and a week in August planned ahead. Also, I took all Fridays and a few other days in July off. However, with the house purchase/move and my grandfather's funeral, most of July was not quite a vacation. A week at Squam Lake with the Beaudoins was exactly what I needed to relax and focus more on training. I was consistent with my crossfit workouts and pushups last week but again found the idea of getting up early for cardio daunting. I made it to one morning spin workout on Friday, which felt fantastic btw!, but forgot necessary clothing items for work and had to drive back to Hopkinton and then to Manchester for work. Not living in Concord has posed some serious inconveniences; although I am usually very organized, the lack of a routine in my every day life has thrown me into a tizzy many days. I am hoping this will all stabilize soon and I'll find a routine/schedule that is consistent and effective. Mark and I finished off the week with a 35 mile bike ride around Squam Lake which was difficult, but made me believe the century ride is obtainable in September! The highlight of my training this week was my 8 mile run on Saturday. I had a fast (compared to my normal runs) run of 9:33 pace. I attribute part of this to actually resting my legs a bit on Friday afternoon/evening and part to the obscenely delicious Ruben sandwich that I had on Friday night at Kathleen's Cottage in Bristol where we saw one of our favorite music duos--Tina and Her Pony! I am kidding about the sandwich, but it was a great run! I've found several running routes in Hopkinton that I enjoy so that is important as we start to settle into the new home.

Week of 8/12 Workout Summary:

Monday- Crossfit
Tuesday- Rest
Wednesday- Crossfit
Thursday- Crossfit
Friday- AM Spin Class
Saturday- 8 mile run (9:33 average pace!)
Sunday- 35 mile bike ride

*Pushups 5 sets of 22 X 6 days*

I also want to congratulate the triathletes that participated in the Timberman Triathlon in Gilford, NH this past weekend. That is a very challenging course and it takes serious dedication to complete events like Timberman.

#WHITEMOUNTAINSTRONG Challenge Test Week

Well, I started this post as a draft the week right after I did testing for the WMCF challenge; however, I was sidetracked by home ownership (so exhausting!) and being busy training. Getting our kitchen floors redone definitely hindered my ability to eat like a champion the last few weeks, but I am hopeful that some of my workouts have kept me out of a total relapse of bad habits. I feel strong during runs and at the gym. On August 8th, I improved my 5K pace from a 5K I ran in May by a minute, so that was a solid improvement. After assessing the dark/dangerous options for running before work and the exhaustion of bricking too many runs in a day, I have opted to focus on 2-3 days of running per week with one being a long run. This is more manageable. I also had to incorporate spinning instead of biking outside due to the dark mornings. It makes me sad when the fall approaches :(

Anyway, here are the results of Week 1 Testing (I'll do the side by side at the end of the challenge in a few weeks)

Lifts:
Back Squat = 125lbs
Bench = 95lbs
Power Clean = 90lbs
Push Press = 90lbs
Deadlift = 200lbs

Fit Test Results:
"The Chief" = 17 rounds @ 65lbs
1 Mile Run = 8:14
"Helen" = 11:24
2 Mins Pushups = 40 pushups
500 M Row = 2:06
"Fran" = 6:05 @ 65lbs

In addition to testing and running, I started training for the Seacoast Century so I've been busy! I was able to squeeze in a few perfect bricks (6) in three weeks. This something I am going to have to focus on if I want to hit my goal of 150 bricks for the 2013 year. I need 91 more perfect bricks which seems daunting considering I had hit 150 by August of last year!

Week of July 22nd - July 28th Workouts (Week 1 WMCF Challenge, Week 2 Half Marathon)

Monday- AM Walk/ PM Xfit (Brick #54)
Tuesday- AM Run/Walk/ PM Xfit (Brick #55)
Wednesday- Xfit in the PM
Thursday- AM Run/ PM Xfit (Brick #56)
Friday- AM Run/ PM Xfit (Brick #57)
Saturday- Rest day (Moving Day!)
Sunday- 7 mile Run

*Pushups 5 sets of 20 for 6 days*

Week of July 29th- August 4th Workouts (1st Week Century, Week 3 Half Marathon, Week 2 WMCF)

Monday- AM Xfit
Tuesday- 1 Hour Bike Ride
Wednesday- PM Xfit
Thursday- AM Treadmill track workout / Afternoon run (Brick #58)
Friday- AM Spin Class/ PM Xfit (Brick #59)
Saturday- 20 mile Bike Ride
Sunday- 5K Practice Race

*Pushups 5 sets of 20 for 6 days*

Week of August 5th- August 11th Workouts ( Week 4 Half Marathon, Week 2 Century, Week 3 WMCF)

Monday- AM Stretch / PM Xfit
Tuesday- PM Track Workout (cross country trails)
Wednesday- PM Xfit
Thursday- 5K Cigna Road Race
Friday- PM Xfit
Saturday- 28 mile Bike Ride
Sunday- 7 mile run

*Pushups 5 sets of 20 for 6 days*

I'll recap on this current week over the weekend or next week during my vacation week! Looking forward to some relaxation, rides, and sun!

Half Marathon Training Week 1 Recap

Per my previous entry, I am dedicating more time to training and blogging. For the Smuttynose Half Marathon (which is on October 6th), I am using Hal Higdon's Intermediate 12 week training plan as a guideline for my run workouts. I might have to adjust by adding a few miles on run days to take a necessary rest day. Additionally, I will be balancing the WMCFStrong 6 week challenge and a century ride 8 week plan. I know it is a lot but usually I am more effective when my time is filled. In week 1, I had limited time due to travel for the funeral in Minnesota and our house closing on Wednesday. Therefore, I had to get creative and doubled up on some workouts over a few days. Today I had to finish all remaining workouts for the week so I ended up running 4 miles early in the morning followed by a 41 mile bike ride. This was my longest ride in awhile, but it was generally a flatter ride so that made it manageable. My workout buddy, Melissa, and I tackled the ride at 7:30 to avoid the heat. It seems we do have some relief from what has been a very humid and uncomfortable week. I am soooo excited it will be in the 60s tomorrow morning as those are great running temps.

Half Marathon Week 1 Wrap Up:

Monday- 4 mile run in MN
Tuesday- Rest (travel day)
Wednesday- Early morning run, Shuttle Sprints @ crossfit in evening, conditioning/strength evening
Thursday- Rest
Friday-Crossfit in AM
Saturday- 4 mile run + crossfit conditioning workout
Sunday- 4 mile run followed by 41 mile bike ride

Total Run Miles = 16
Pushups 6 days of 5 sets of 20

Defining Moments

July has tested me. I turned 32, I bought a house (and am in the process of moving), and my grandfather passed away. All these things happened in a two week time frame. To say I hit my limit for stress would be putting it mildly. So even with all of my progress last year, in terms of improving lifestyle choices, my current situations pushed me out of my positive habits and I slipped right back into the comfort zone. And why not? I've had about 20 years of bad habits compared to a little over a year of making healthy and informed decisions. Add into the equation a heat wave for the summer season and it has been a recipe for disaster. It is too hot to cook healthy foods at my apartment, I am living half in the new house and half in the apartment, and since the passing of my Grandpa, all I've been wanting is comfort food and beverage. No I have not become a recluse hiding in my room with a bag of chips, but compared to the lifestyle I had been leading for the past year, I have been indulgent.

Therefore, I have to choose if I will let these situations in my life define me. I have to make a decision to get out of bed for early morning cardio sessions. Once the heat spell passes and we are settled in the new home, we have a killer kitchen for cooking delicious paleo foods. In theory, it sounds so easy, but to put it to daily practice after lapsing for many weeks--well, it is a challenge.

Luckily, I belong to a gym that presents us with challenges at different times throughout the year. Starting Monday, I'll be spending 6 weeks working towards the goal of #WhiteMountainStrong! If you follow my blog, you may remember that in the spring of 2012, I won the transformation challenge for women at our gym. Though it was only a year ago, I do feel that I am in a completely different mindset. Last year, I was working towards a bride body. This year, I am battling with home ownership and the loss of the greatest male role model in my life. I'll need all the support I can get from my friends and workout buddies. I signed up for a half marathon and a century bike ride, but even with those goals--sometimes it helps to be surrounded by people who are also working for a common goal.

I owe it to the man our family lost last week to work towards my maximum potential. My Grandpa was a WWII paratrooper veteran who married his high school sweetheart and worked without complaint at a paper mill for 42 years. He and my Grandma celebrated their 67th year of marriage in January while my Grandpa was battling his final stage of Alzheimer's disease. Despite the fact that he has been mentally gone for years, to lose his physical being was devastating. The things that I remember about him were his vibrant, youthful nature. He smiled often and put everyone else around him first. I know he would want me to be healthy, active, and enjoying life. So that is what I must do...

*In memory of Morrie Kane who passed away July 10, 2013 at the age of 91*

Gear Review: Women's UA Fly-By Stretch Tank Top

Recently, I purchased the Under Armour Women's Fly-By Stretch Tank Top and was thrilled with the versatility and comfort of it. I wore it to track practice, crossfit, and as a casual top for everyday activities. I'm sure I could also wear it for cycling as long as I had alternative storage for tubes and cell phone. During the hot 90 degree days we have been having lately, I found myself defaulting to this top often. I just bought it in two more colors and can't wait for those to arrive!

A Little Bit of Inspiration

I have been slacking in my blog posting again. I got a bit sidetracked by house hunting and working more at the restaurant on the weekends. Luckily, those things are calming down a bit and I wanted to share a blog post by my friend Sara over at House Bella. Her post is a reflection on her first half marathon. When she first told me she was training for the run, I knew she'd not only finish but she would do extremely well! Sara has embraced the Paleo lifestyle and is generally a fit and athletic young woman. I'm still finding out more about her strategies for success with the See Jane Run 13.1, but in the meantime, enjoy her review. Go Sara!!!

For a bit of added motivation, I finally committed to some fall events. The summer is going to be too much with moving and settling into our first home, but I wanted a goal for the fall. So for the fall I selected:

1. Seacoast Century Bike Ride

2. Smuttynose Half Marathon

I ran the Smuttynose course in February of 2012 so I'd like to beat my time for that race, but I'll need to step up the training as that was a fast run for me. My friend Heather has signed up for that race with me so I am giving her a shout out as an extra motivator. I believe my husband and my friend Melissa will be joining for the Seacoast Century ride which should be an enjoyable day of riding. I'll start posting training weeks as the events get closer. I'm still trying to find the best plans to mesh with my crossfit training as that is an integral part of my fitness.

Here are a few other blogs that I follow for inspiration/motivation:

Live Free and Run

Irongirl & Ultrarunning Boy

White Mountain Crossfit

What blogs do you read for inspiration? Please share :)

Whole 30 Take Two

In mid-April, I began another round of the Whole 30. This was something that I did last year just before my bridal shower to reset and focus on real foods. Take two was easier than the first round. However, I did find myself going a bit heavy on portions of nuts, fruits, and protein. I defaulted to some of my easy favorite recipes including breakfast egg cups, paleo spinach quiche, a detoxinista soup, and kale/mushroom stir fry.

Whole 30 can be challenge in terms of finding prep time to buy the groceries and cook the meals. But it is not something you can do well without the planning. I tried to brainstorm ideas during the week of relatively easy dishes to make on the weekend. I also needed to make sure the portions were enough to feed my husband. He did not do the Whole 30 but definitely ate most of the foods I cooked. We shopped on Saturdays if possible and cooked on Sunday/Monday. I also kept nuts, olives, pickles, and nitrate-free meats to snack on (did that a bit too often!)

In terms of exercise, the first week or two was difficult at crossfit as my body went through the detox stage. But after it leveled out, I felt incredibly strong and was able to Rx on some workouts. I picked back up with fasted morning cardio which I think had the most impact for weight loss and definition. I added in a 30 day squat challenge that I found on Pinterest and alternated between abs/chin ups during the week. And as I have done since last year, I continue to do 5 sets of 20 pushups six days per week. Recently, I returned to the GSRT track workouts to improve my running as that is an area that has been neglected over the past year. I have a desire to sign up for a triathlon this summer but house hunting on the weekend has made longer training challenging to fit into the schedule. Maybe I'll be able to squeeze one in fairly soon!

At the end of this Whole 30 (which ended up being 31 due to a road race on day 31), I feel clear-headed, fit, and healthy. The biggest challenge I faced this time was an allergic reaction to outdoor pollen. I've not had pollen allergies in years, but with dry weather on the east coast, my allergies flared up in May. I had to give in and take some allergy medicine and night time medicine to sleep. I was bummed about this because one contained high fructose corn syrup which is obviously not Whole 30 approved--nonetheless, I needed to sleep and it was a small amount.

The end results of the Whole 30 physically: 6lbs lost and over three inches gone. My clothes are fitting much better again. Emotionally and mentally, it seems highly beneficial to do this if you can make it through the first few weeks. I was able think more clearly and had more positive reactions to situations. It was easier to fall asleep and wake up during this time as well.

Therefore, I guess the question is not when will I do another Whole 30 but rather how can I make this a part of my daily routine? It is almost impossible to go to social events while strictly following Whole 30 (it can be done though!) so it seems keeping a short "cheat" window may make it easier to abide by the basic principles during the week. Knowing how much better I feel should be motivation to keep plugging away at the daily routine.

And so it begins...

2013 has not exactly started in the way I had hoped. I had high ambitions of jumping right into perfect bricks and participating in more snowshoe races. Although I have not been completely sedentary, I am disappointed in how the year is panning out. Nonetheless, now that I am into the second month of the year, I feel that I am getting my act together, finally!

The month of January was actually not a total wash--I completed 13 perfect brick days and participated in one snowshoe race in Hollis. The snowshoe race with my friend Alaka was enjoyable. Could I have put more effort into a faster pace? Sure, but it was really more about getting outside and having some fun! I had plans to complete at least 3-4 more snowshoe races but was derailed by our honeymoon in Jamaica and another back muscle injury.

Jamaica was fabulous and I'd return in a heartbeat! Mark and I did moderate cardio and lifting while we were there. I continued with my frequency pushups throughout that trip. Also, we participated in a variety of water sports including snorkeling, kayaking, paddle boarding, swimming, and jogging on the white sand beach. Despite a fairly active trip, I indulged heavily in delicious foods and beverages. And this was ok. After all, I had worked out in order to enjoy our trip. However, I had plans to jump right back into my routine/food plan as soon as we returned from our trip. But unfortunately, my body had other plans...

About three days prior to Jamaica, I strained a muscle somewhere in the right side of my back. I ignored it and figured I'd be easier on it during the vacation. I felt some pains during the trip but didn't push it to the extreme so I was able to function normally.

Upon returning from our trip, I went to crossfit on Monday. I'm not exactly sure if it was the overhead press or kettlebell swings that pushed the injury over the edge, but I was in a lot of pain that evening. The next day, after sitting at my desk for an extended period of time, I stood up and felt a stabbing pain that made it difficult to move and breathe. It seemed I had pushed my body to its limits and it was time to see the chiropractor. This is also meant some serious forced rest. Unfortunately, when I am not active, it is very difficult to maintain healthy habits due to boredom.I ended up taking a total of 8 days off with just a few low-impact elliptical sessions mixed in. My food choices during this rest period were awful. I still drank my gallon of water every day and had a decent breakfast but that was where my healthy habits stopped. I ate a lot of carbs/sweets during the afternoon and evening hours. I did not cut carbs at 2PM and had wine in the evenings. The result was irritability in mood, difficulty sleeping, and of course, some weight gain.

Last week, after 5 sessions with the chiropractor, I finally felt almost one hundred percent better. I went to three sessions of crossfit, completed four sessions of fasted cardio, and made much better food choices. It was so easy to fall into a pattern of poor habits and a much bigger challenge to dig myself out. I also started running on the treadmill again which helped me feel like I was making substantial progress.

Even though I started 2013 a bit slow, I still have plans to make this a great year for physical fitness. The next steps to meeting this goal are committing to some races and getting involved in some of the crossfit open sessions at White Mountain Crossfit in March! Additionally, I will plan to blog weekly as it holds me accountable. Finally, I will look to the people and blogs that inspire me: Ignite the Fire, Irongirl & Ultrarunning Boy, Live Free & Run,, Weaving in the Ends, House Bella , and of course White Mountain Crossfit..

Week of February 11th Workouts:

Monday- AM Elliptical/ afternoon xfit
Tuesday- AM run
Wednesday- PM xfit
Thursday- AM elliptical/ afternoon xfit
Friday- AM run
Saturday- rest
Sunday- afternoon run

* 6 days of frequency pushups 5 sets of 20