June-30 Days of Clean

In June, I focused on cleaning up my diet and adding in plenty of morning cardio. As you can see from the photos in this post, I did  a lot of cooking. I'm glad it was cooler in June than now or I would have been very hot cooking all those delicious meals. I had 30 clean eating days and 29 sessions of fasted cardio. While I did not weigh or measure myself over the month, I noticed clothes getting loose, skin clearing up, and energy levels amped up.

Paleo Pizza

Wow! Just 30 days and I did not even go to the extreme of Whole 30 this time. I cut alcohol, most sugars, dairy, and grains. I stopped eating potato/starchy carbs and fruits by 2PM. Due to my knee injury, I did limited intensity for most workouts and focused primarily on upper body lifting. Morning workouts consisted of modified crossfit, swimming, yoga, pilates, and some interval training.

Egg, Sausage, and Vegetable Casserole

Zoodles

Despite the adjustments to my workout schedule, my knee continues to be a pain (literally and figuratively). Luckily, nothing is torn but I definitely have some funky tendinitis, etc. going on in my left knee. The physical therapist was able to pinpoint the cause to a weak core and weak hips. So, the next step is training my body to move in different ways to take pressure off the knee. I'll be in PT most of the summer and opted to switch from crossfit to pilates for a month or two. I'll still swim/yoga/walk in the AM, but since I can't run, squat deeply, or lift heavy weights with my legs, it seemed like I needed to change my emphasis for a bit. I am super bummed because I love crossfit (and running!) and the camaraderie of the gym, but this was the right thing to do in this moment. I earned brownie points with the physical therapist for signing up for pilates! Looking for a studio in the area? Try out Concord Pilates as it has some wonderful instructors.

Keep your eye (and social media feed) open for I Tri Training posts again in the fall as I am signing off the blog for the summer. I am going to focus on healing, enjoying some time with friends and family, and training our new Golden doodle puppy, Penny, who we bring home on July 27th! I'll be on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest, so feel free to continue to follow me through those mediums. I'm also hoping to have a fresh look to the blog in the fall with the help of a fabulous graphic design friend. Enjoy a safe, happy, and fun summer--it is the most wonderful time of the year!

~Laura

Penny at 5 weeks!

9 Days In--Clean Eating Month

Welcome summer--I have missed you! This past weekend I soaked in a hefty dose of Vitamin D while working our yard sale Saturday and during a long walk on Sunday. Mark showed me how to use the John Deere, and I think I will be doing that chore more often!

Clean Eating: I'm 9 days into a clean eating month. I considered the Whole 30, and strict Paleo (which is primarily what I am doing), but I wanted to keep my momentum strong by removing a little bit of the rigidity to avoid a massive failure. In focusing on the clean eating, I am also hoping to alleviate some of the pain in my knee. I'm not sure how much that is helping, but mentally and motivation-wise, I feel better in just over a week! I've not allowed for cheat days this month with the goal of inserting a cheat meals back in again for July. By now, I know what foods bother my stomach (dairy, wheat, fatty meats, deep-fried anything, and sugary drinks), so it is a matter of how much the trade-off is worth to me. Additionally, these foods generally cause weight gain--not an ideal result. I had to say no to pizza, homemade cookies, and wine this weekend, but I felt better after making the choice. This morning, after crossfit, I popped over to Hannaford and grabbed the fixings/crust materials to make my own paleo pizza since I had pizza on the brain.

Workout Regimen: The month of June has been going well for exercise, considering I have a bum knee. I've been waking up early for morning crossfit three times per week (focusing on upper body), practicing yoga at home and a few drop in classes, and I've added in walking and cycling when it fits the schedule. As I knew they would, the morning, fasted cardio sessions have started to coax some weight loss. I know it will be a few months before I see huge results, but I am starting to feel the loosening of clothes, improving energy levels, and comforting sleep patterns. I'm also completing two of the Instagram yoga challenges (Summersplits with @beachyogagirl & MermaidYogis). While I certainly cannot stretch in the way that some of the experienced yogis do, I'm enjoying the postures. They serve as a time out during the workdays. Even though I am not posting the photos (too camera shy for that!), I find the brave yogis posting their photos inspiring. I'll post a recap below which highlights my workouts for June. They are certainly not of my usual intensity and volume, but I've been consistent and that is my main focus for this month. I continue to see my chiropractor and may need to elevate to an orthopedic consult. Although the pain is definitely alleviated by the chiropractic sessions, there is a bit of instability during movements that makes me nervous. Hopefully, it is not serious and will continue to improve with modified workouts.

Bricks: I've completed 8 perfect bricks in June which is awesome! Today marks #60, so now I only have 90 left for my goal of 150 in 2014. If I can carry the June consistency with me through the summer, I'll be done before the challenging holiday season. Part of a brick day is frequency push up completion. I'm staying steady at 5 sets of 15 for 6 days per week. July may bring an addition of one rep per set, but I am comfortable with 450 push ups per week (approximately 10,000 to complete for the remainder of 2014).

Vega Product Review: During the next week, you'll see me tweeting and posting on Instagram for the Vega Sport product I am reviewing. Prior to this product review, I used the pre-workout energizer with sugar, but now I am testing the sugar-free. So far, my body tolerates the sugar-free better with the same positive workout boost. Next week, I'll include a full product review on I Tri Training as a part of the Fuel Your Better campaign.

 

Article of Interest: After having a yard sale this weekend, I found this article on Slate that reaffirmed my decision to get rid of unnecessary items: http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/05/26/the_minimalists_everything_that_remains_is_a_new_memoir_about_living_with.html
I thought I'd share because we can all use a reminder of what is important to each individual.

June Workout Recap:
June 1st- Bike ride
June 2nd- AM xfit & PM walk
June 3rd- AM walk
June 4th- AM xfit
June 5th- AM yoga/pilates and PM bike ride
June 6th- AM xfit
June 7th- AM yoga/pilates & PM walk
June 8th- AM long walk
June 9th- AM xfit and PM TBD


~Laura

50 Bricks & Tennessee Vacation

Alex, Laurie, and Sara. Sibling love!

Last Thursday, I returned from a five day trip to see some of our extended family in Tennessee. My immediate family drove down from Duluth, MN (including my Grandma!) and I flew from New Hampshire to meet them in Knoxville. It was great to catch up, play some cards, and enjoy some warmer weather. The picture above is of my brother, me, and my sister at the nature center in Knoxville.

While in Tennessee, we rented a house in the Tellico Valley area, which was a decent area to try some rehab jog/walks. I did ample stretching, and wore a knee strap to alleviate some of the strain. The first one on Sunday was OK.--pretty slow. I think Alex was bored by my recovery pace, but he stuck with me. I did a longer, 30 minute, session on Monday that felt a little better, but then I had tenderness after the jog. As a result, on Tuesday, I just did a quick 20 minute HIIT workout and skipped jogging. On our last morning there, I did another 30 minute jog/walk and again had the tenderness after. Overall, I am not pleased with where I am at with how my knee feels. During the flight, it was uncomfortable to find a good way to sit that did not irritate it. I'm going to have to find an alternative for awhile as I cannot skip exercise, but running and squatting seem to bug it the most. Cycling, swimming, and yoga seem to be the logical choices, so I anticipate a few changes to my training regimen in June.

In other fitness news, I have been quite active on Pinterest gathering recipes and quick, at-home workouts. I found those workouts to be useful and convenient in Tennessee. I think my family thought I was a bit odd doing jumping jacks, abs, and push ups around the rental house, but it worked for me! Feel free to check those out on my Feel the Burn board. What are your tips to fit in quick workouts on a tight schedule? Also, keep your eyes out for my Vega product review in June.

You'll notice in the title that I mentioned hitting my 50th perfect brick. I hit that benchmark on May 25th (hoping to squeeze in a few more in May), which signals 1/3 of the 150 brick goal I have set for 2014. Preferably, I'd like to hit that before the end of the summer or early fall. For my goal, a perfect brick is morning fasted cardio, frequency pushups and clean eating for the day. June is going to be a big month for bricks as I don't have holidays, travel, special events, etc. weighing me down (literally!). Therefore, I am going to attempt to take full advantage of a month where I have ample opportunity to eat clean and work out consistently. I am ahead of where I was tracking on 2013, so I am optimistic that I can meet my goal.

Workouts for 5/19 - 5/25
Monday- Pinterest workout, 20 minute jog/walk
Tuesday- 20 minute HIIT workout, short walk/sightseeing walk
Wednesday- 30 minute jog/walk and Pinterest workout
Thursday- Rest
Friday- Rest
Saturday- AM xfit
Sunday- AM yoga/pilates and 60 minutes cardio machines

Laura

Listen to Your Body

One of the most difficult tasks for a fitness enthusiast is listening to his/her body. I tend to think getting in the workout is more important than rest, which can be hard on my body. Yesterday, in the spirit of focusing on forward progress, I opted to not participate in the Rock N' Race in Concord, NH. It was disappointing to let down my White Mountain Crossfit team and some of my friends from the gym, but ultimately, my knee was not ready for a 5K. Could I have finished? Sure thing, I've done 5Ks, 10Ks, and half marathons; however, I think I'd rather recover fully and enjoy a summer of running and working out vs. pushing through one race that I've completed in the past.

Last week, I went to the chiropractor and they completed some ART therapy on the muscles around my knee and used the dry needling technique as well. I go to Performance Health in Concord and I have to say they are friendly, professional, and very effective! I have felt improvements each day, but still get irritations from certain movements (particularly squats). So after my Wednesday crossfit workout, while I was not in excruciating pain, I did have some slight pangs in the knee area. It was not worth it to me to have to sit out my favorite season for that one run.

Tomorrow, I leave for a five day vacation in Tennessee. While I am there, I am going to test some slow, short distance run/walk combos to ease back into the runner mode. Hopefully this gradual training, and a week off from my more intense crossfit workouts, will be just what I need to combat whatever junk is festering in my knee. The good news is that it does not seem to be patellar tendinitis. However, they were a bit concerned it could have something to do with my meniscus--hopefully not!

On another note, I am finding that I like the morning crossfit workouts. I feel like I accomplish quite a bit in those early hours and the group that attends those classes is very fun and friendly. I plan to keep those up as often as possible. I did sleep through my alarm one morning this week, but got to the 6PM which was a fine substitute for the day.

Workouts for Week of 5/12:

Monday- AM Xfit, lunch walk, PM yoga and short Pinterest xfit workout at home
Tuesday- Brief Pinterest xfit workout at home
Wednesday- AM walk/ lunch pilates/ PM xfit
Thursday- AM yoga
Friday- TBD but most likely a rest day
Saturday- TBD, planned morning boot camp video
Sunday- TBD, planned run/walk and Pinterest xfit workout in Tennessee

Frequency Set Push ups = 6 days of 5 sets of 15 = 450 push ups for the week
Perfect Bricks for 2014 so far = 49 (almost a 1/3 of the way to 150!)

Laura

Transitions

While I did have good intentions for April, the month seemed to slip by without any major accomplishments in my workout regimen. However, I recently transitioned to a new role at my workplace, which will allow for me to work 75% remote and 25% at the office. For my workout routine, this is HUGE! I can now go to early morning crossfit, pop home for a quick shower, and get to work without the hassle of commuting and dragging all my gear for the day. Honestly, I have been hoping to find a position that would allow for a schedule that accommodates my most productive hours of the day. Wouldn’t it be great if everyone could work when they know they are at their best? I’ll still have two mornings (Tuesday/Thursday) where I have to get into the office, but I head home midday, so I again don’t have to pack my whole house. Since moving to Hopkinton in July, I’ve had to carry 3-4 bags out the door in the morning to facilitate morning gym/shower, midday exercise (which rarely fit in), and then the gym after work. As you can imagine, this was tedious and required so much preparation that I often just opted out of everything for the day. Today marks my first day on the new schedule, so I’m looking forward to a renewed enthusiasm for morning workouts. In turn, this should amp up my energy levels and boost productivity!

On another note, my knee is being difficult this spring. As soon as I started to do some running, the left knee started to hurt. I’ve done some research on it and feel it could be related to weaker quads, poor focus on flexibility over the winter, and sitting at a desk WAY too much over the very long, cold winter. Therefore, it is time to get back into yoga and start taking care of myself. I contacted my favorite yoga instructor, Karen Kenney, and hope to get back into some of her classes in the next week or so. Additionally, I am considering Pilates, but I already have quite a bit on my plate for gym memberships, so I may need to work with what I already have. Ultimately, this means I am going to have to get over the fact that I put on some winter pudge and get into the pool again. Swimming will help the leg strength without irritating my knee. I needed some pool inspiration today and found a blog post from Gluten Free Running Mama called “I’m a VERY self-conscious swimmer!” It is a great post because she takes you through her stream of consciousness while she is attempting to get a swim in. Swimmers can be quirky—especially those that have been consistently in a routine. Since I’ve fallen out of my routine, some of my former confidence morphed into concern over what others will think of me. Oh well, time to get over that and back into the pool for some rehab swim workouts.

Finally, I’ve been making some progress with my pushups again since resetting in January. This week I’m doing sets of 13, so by the end of the week, I’ll have completed nearly 400 pushups. I’m glad to be back on track with this and it should be easy to maintain now that I’ll be in my home office without people looking at me like I have ten heads. Seriously, people have given me some bizarre looks in the hall at work when I drop and do pushups J

In June, you’ll be able to read about a Vega product that I’m testing out here on I Tri Training—stay tuned to #fuelyourbetter!

Check out my sweet office set up! I’ve got a stability ball to work on improving my core and posture. I have to alternate with a chair as it is way harder than expected—maybe I do need to get to Pilates.

 

 

~Laura

Cloudy with a Side of Rain

I basked in the opportunity to sleep in until 5:30 today. I knew that I would complete my workout later in the day, so I slept very well. Today was a rather dreary day; therefore, I had to do my run workout on the treadmill. I have to say the speed intervals were my least favorite workout so far this week! But I did burn 500+ calories--that is a plus I guess!
Tonight I had S2 yoga class at Quest Yoga Studio in Chichester, NH. I LOVE this class! I stretched, restored, and relaxed. The final relaxation pose at the end made the rest of the day disappear and I left feeling so much better than when I arrived. Tomorrow is my rest day and it is nice going into that after completing a great yoga class.

Namaste.