Anticipation

In 5 days…

I’ll have completed my first half marathon! I CAN’T STOP THINKING ABOUT IT!  I’ve definitely hit the stage where I’m either so nervous that I’m excited or I’m so excited that I’m nervous .  Whatever the case, when people ask me how I’m feeling about the race, all they get from me are crazed giggles.

I’m also checking out the race site about 5 times a day, although I’m not really sure why.  Today I got my bib number and an email with all the details about the big day.  It all just looks so exciting! The post race party!  The mini massage!  Free energy gels! The medal!

Clearly, I get hyped up over the little things.  What makes me most excited, though, is the fact that Sean gets to be there.  He’s had to work during all of my past races and I’m so happy to have his support.

Right now, I think I’m actually more nervous about the morning before the race than the actual run itself.  There are going to be thousands of people in St. Louis for this event, which means all the participants have to be in their respective starting positions by 6:15 at the latest.  Those are going to be quite the nerve-wracking 45 minutes. Parking is also something that stresses me out.  I’m actually wishing I could stay in a hotel downtown just so I have one less thing to worry about before the race.

So instead of going crazy about things I can’t control, I’m focusing on the run.

This weekend I ran 11 miles – the farthest I’ve ever run.  And it went surprisingly well!  It wasn’t actually painful until it was over and I was walking back to my car.  I kept saying “Ohhhh my gosh, ow. Ow. Oh my gosh….” And I’m sure the people around me thought I was crazy.

Today, my legs are definitely sore, but mainly just when I go to sit down or stand up.  It’s a good thing I have a rolling chair!

I also have two dogs who won’t stay still for a picture.

 

Possibly the best part of the run was stumbling across this:

And when did my long run in Forest Park last week, I ran by the Zoo and got to see the Zebras!

 

Here’s a look at how my training has been going over the last 3 weeks:

Number of miles logged per week: 20-26

My current workout schedule:

Monday: Zumba, 5 mile easy run

Tuesday: Body Pump, Zumba

Wednesday: 4-5 mile tempo run

Thursday: Body Pump, Zumba

Friday: 3 mile speedwork, strength training

Saturday: Zumba, cross-training

Sunday: Long run (10+ miles)

(Actually, that schedule is what I used for the past few weeks.  This week, I’m toning everything down a bit to make sure my legs are fresh and ready to go on Sunday)

#1 Surprising Discovery: I love my long runs way more than the short ones.  The more distance I cover, the more accomplished I feel.  I’ve also noticed that my long runs go like this:

Mile 1: I feel good!  I’m running! Yay!

Mile 2: Wait, I have to run how far?? What if I get tired?  Or even worse, what if I get bored? What if my ankle beaks 8 miles from my car and I have to crawl back or hitchhike with a man who tries to kidnap me and take me to Mexico?

Miles 3-6: This is stupid. Why am I out here?  Dummy.

Mile 7: Stop. Stop. Stop.  Why are my legs still going?  I can’t believe I haven’t given up yet.

Miles 8-end: Woooo!  I LOVE running.  Peace.

See? Once I get over my wall, I’m great.

Stupidest thought while running: “The second half of this run feels so much better than the first.  I wish I could just fast-forward to the second part of the half marathon…but that would make the second half the first half all over again.  Dang it.”

Best apps for running:

Zombies, Run!: I’ve only used this for short runs, but it’s so much fun.  You basically become part of a Zombie story – your job is to outrun the zombies and save the humans!

MapMyRun: I’ve been using this service for years and it’s indispensible to me as a runner.  You can view graphs of your mileage progress, save running routes, view your runs (speed, distance, elevation – the works) online, and get weekly training summaries sent to your email.  I also have a setting which announces each mile marker, so I don’t have to worry about when I need to turn around and head back.

What I want to wear on race day (in my dream world):

Seriously. I want to race in the skirt so badly that I considered donating my plasma.

One one last, unrelated note….vote for me!

I’ve entered a talent search contest for Yoga Journal.  You can vote 5 times per day, and if I win, I can be featured in the magazine! Voting ends on the 17th!

Have a good Monday evening…I’m off to grudgingly spend some painfully boring exciting time with Shakespeare.

 

Raising Funds for 13.1

Happy Sunday!  I’m on Spring Break!

I feel like I should probably be jetting of to a tropical beach, but I’m pretty sure that’s not happening. I’ll be spending a lot of time writing papers and doing homework during break.

And eating chocolate oatmeal in bed while watching 30 Rock.

 

Live Fit Trainer Update

When I last updated on Jamie Eason’s Live Fit Trainer, I had just completed Phase One.  You can read the full post here, but basically, I was feeling strong and really enjoying the workouts.

Now, I’ve finished Phase Two, but to be honest, I haven’t been keeping up 100%  with Phase Three.  I never planned to take a break, but my fitness life has changed a lot in the past month.  When I started the program, I wasn’t teaching any Zumba, and now I’m teaching 6 classes a week.  On top of that, I’m training for the GO! St. Louis Marathon (in only 3 weeks!  Yikes!).  So although I’m still strength training five days a week, I’m not able to devote all of my fitness energy to Live Fit.And really, that suits me just fine: I like to be well-rounded in my workouts.  Here’s my current fitness schedule:

Monday: Zumba

Tuesday: Body Pump (a.m.) and Zumba (p.m.)

Wednesday: Tempo Run (a.m.) and Yoga or misc. gym time (p.m.)

Thursday: Body Pump (a.m.) and two Zumba classes (p.m.)

Friday: Easy run (afternoon) and weight training (p.m.)

Saturday: Zumba (a.m.) and weight training (a.m.)

Sunday: Long run and Yoga

Live Fit requires about an hour of training for 5-6 days per week, and I clearly don’t have much time for that.  That said, I still do Jamie’s workouts whenever I strength train on my own – usually two or three times per week.

Like I said, I’m fine with the change of plans.  After all, I’m still challenging my body and treating it well! As for Phase Two, I didn’t see much physical change (I didn’t expect to, anyway), but I have gotten so much stronger.  I’ve never been able to lift so much!

(iPhone + unwilling brother-as-photographer = really bad photo)

Onto New Challenges…

As I mentioned earlier in this post, I’m running in the GO! St. Louis half marathon next month.  Ever since I got my first taste of racing last year, I new I wanted to run a half and eventually a full marathon. (I’ll probably be okay if I never complete an Ironman)

The GO! St. Louis Halloween 10k was my very first race, and I thought it would be perfect to make GO! STL my first half marathon, too. It’s going to be a huge event (there will also be a 5k, a half marathon relay, a full marathon, and a 2 day health expo) and I would LOVE to be a part of it.

It looks like so much fun!!!!

 

But I need your help.

The entry fee is $90…which is $90 over my budget.  I’ve created a fundraising page here: http://www.crowdrise.com/tayasfirsthalfmarathon, which you can also access through my personal Facebook page as well as the ThisGirlThrives Facebook page.  There, you can donate any amount of money to the cause.  Even a few dollars would be very much appreciated! Plus, while I’m pounding down 13.1 miles of pavement, knowing that I’m being supported by all of you will keep me going strong!

Or….if anyone is interested in racing with me, I would LOVE to have a buddy!

To all who are willing to contribute, thank you SO MUCH in advance, and I hope everyone has a good Sunday!

Recipe: Banana Green Tea Ice Cream

Ah, Thursday.  Here we go again.  Body Pump, School, Work, Zumba times two.  All back to back.  Going, going, going from 4 a.m. until I return home at 9, only to start working on homework. 

The word “Thursday” actually makes me seize up with stress and anticipation.

Most Thursday meals are eaten on the go: a protein bar and fruit on the drive between the gym and school…

(Left to right: Cherry Cobbler Uber Bar, Almond Butter w/ Carob Macrobar, Cranberry Irongirl Bar) The Macrobar is my favorite, the Irongirl bar is my least favorite.  Other usual suspects: Larabars (especially Cashew Cookie and Cappucino), Superfoods Bars, and Two Degrees (especially chocolate banana).

Then there are the bites of lunch squeezed in between Smoothie King customers, goji berries-to-the-face between Zumba classes…all I want for dinner is something quick, nutritious, and soothing.  I’m thinking salad and ice cream.  Such an odd combination, but that’s really all that sounds good.  Lots and lots of greens (and maybe some tofu), and a big bowl of ice cream.  Nutritious? Oh yes. Besides, it’s not like I’m eating full-fat, hormone-filled double chocolate caramel swirl cookie dough ice cream, or anything…

Banana Green Tea Ice Cream

(Makes one serving)

Ice cream base:

- 1 frozen banana, in chunks

- 1/4 c. non-dairy milk

- Stevia or sweetener to taste

Add-ins:

- 1/2 tsp. Maca powder

- 1/4-1/2 tsp. Matcha Green Tea powder

- Dark Chocolate (chips or crumbled bar)

 

1. To make your basic banana soft serve base (I guess you can’t really call it ice cream if there’s no cream, right?), put the banana chunks and the 1/4 c. milk in the food processor.  The smaller the banana chunks, the easier it will be on the processor.

This week I’m using 8th Continent Light Original Soymilk instead of my usual unsweetened Almond Breeze.  Cheaper and just as delicious, and that’s coming from someone who usually doesn’t care much for soymilk.

2. Also add your sweetener, then blend away, stopping to scrape down the sides occasionally, until the bananas are creamy and smooth.

3. All that’s left are the add-ins. 

Maca powder: full of B vitamins, fiber, vitamin C.  It is known to increase energy and stamina, as well as regulate hormones.  It also adds an earthy, robust but subtle flavor to anything from oatmeal to teriyaki sauce.

Matcha green tea powder: Contains 10 times the nutritional benefits of regular green tea, is packed with antioxidants, boosts metabolism, and is a good detoxifier.

Orgainic dark chocolate and banana bites that I got on sale last week and accidentally left in my car.  I put it in the freezer, which resulted in one huge mass of chocolate.  Nothing wrong with that.

Then blend away!

After everything is smooth and creamy, you can either put it in the freezer (which will result in a thicker, more traditional looking ice cream) or eat it right away.  You can probably guess which option I chose.

I want to eat this now.  Ironically, I’m at work, and it’s time to peel bananas.

Green Running Machine

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Is anyone celebrating?

I went for a little run today…

With 2030 other people!  The Cottleville Race for the Helmet 7k is my first race for 2012, and I’m ready to sign up for more! Race adrenaline is the best.

For Cottleville being such a little county, I was surprised to see how many people were there, raring to go at 9 a.m. As of last night, I thought it started at 8 a.m. – I’m so glad I double checked.

The run ended up going really well – I ran 15 seconds faster than I did in the last race!  Even though I didn’t place like I did for the Missouri Masters Run (3 in my age group) and and The Chesterfield Pumpkin Run (1st in my age group and 19 overall), I didn’t mind one bit. The fact that I conquered the hills without a struggle and was able to feel the sun on my shoulders made it a great race. 

Run for the Helmet 7K 2011
Find more Run in St Charles, MO

(This might not load due to the crazy storm we’re having.  Sorry!)

 

Afterward, I grabbed a beer – I drank about a 1/3 of it – a water, a bagel (which turned into lunch), and a clementine. I generally only like beer while I’m in Germany, but it tasted so good after the run!

Then I headed over to the post-race massage table to get my calves worked on…that part was only half enjoyable.  The massages were being done by the therapists who I used to see for Achilles tendinosis and impinged nerves in my hips, only I ended up cancelling my weekly appointments when the bills ran too high. Unfortunately they recognized me, and after pounding on my calves, I was told that I need to start coming back because my Achilles are a lot worse.  Ooops.  Yeah, can they fix me for free, please?

After that, I stayed to help out at the Smoothie King booth, handed out a million smoothie, and hauled a bunch of coolers back to the SK van.  And then I walked two miles back home.   I walked extra fast because I wanted to eat my bagel.

Oh, and since I wanted to be festive, I ate a bunch of this:

No green beer, just kale!

Now I’m off to work at Smoothie King – given the number of coupons we gave out today, I have a feeling we’re going to be swamped.  Maybe – just maybe – the storm will keep business a little less than insane.

For now, I’m counting down the hours until I can come back and make some Irish ice cream.  And, yes, there will be a recipe!

If you are looking for anything festive and vegan to make today, check out:

Katie’s St. Patrick’s Day post recipes: including her Mint Chocolate Cupcakes.

Angela’s Homemade Bailey’s Irish Cream (I really want to make this now)

Averie’s Spinach and Artichoke Dip (vegan and fat free)

All of Mama Pea’s gloriously green recipes, like her Cilantro Jalepeno Hummus.

Out for Good?

 

I don’t know how many times I’ve said/thought this today, but this weather is so BEAUTIFUL! I just had to take my work to the Starbucks patio today, and I almost don’t care that I can barely see my computer screen in the sunlight.  There are worse things.

I’d smile, but there is a lady nearby who thinks I’m weird.

By the way, do you see how huge that coffee is?!! It’s a Trenta and it dwarfs the venti!  Perfect Zumba pregame fuel.

So anyway.

The above breakfast was  from March 3.  Regular oatmeal jazzed up with goji berries, my new love. That was almost 12 days ago, and it was the last time I ate – or stayed the night– at my parents house.

Yep, I’ve moved out.  And aside from dropping by last week to pick up some clothes and a school book and this morning to get some Spring clothes, I haven’t been back since then.  It’s a complicated story, but basically, I was ready to leave and my parents were ready for me to leave.  Tensions were running high, patience was running low.  As much as I love my parents and brothers, living there was having a very negative effect on my daily mood.

Really, I just wanted to be somewhere where I could simply be. 

It wasn’t a rebellion, but a realization that, if I wanted to be happy, I needed to be in a more positive environment.  And since my parents’ house is not a prison, I simply left.

As much as I’d love to get a little apartment in the city (or my own place, period), I’m just not in the right place, financially.  Luckily, my Grandma kindly offered me her guest bedroom, so that’s where I’ve been staying. To be honest, I’m not sure how permanent the situation is (I feel a little like I’m in a limbo with no real home), as a lot of my stuff is still at my parents’ house, but I am so much happier, and even though I’ve only talked to my parents twice since leaving, I’m on much better terms with them.

For now, I’m definitely loving the change.  Aside from the mood boost, staying with Grandma definitely has perks.

Like lots of puppy time!  Technically they aren’t puppies anymore, but they still act like it and my missing socks are proof.  It’s awesome living with hem again – they were originally for my brothers and I and I paid for Liza (the goldendoodle) myself, but mom hates having pets, so Grandma adopted them.

I don’t think she likes to be held.

I also get to spend more time with my Grandma.  She is such a wonderful woman and we’ve always been very close.  She takes care of my Grandpa by herself (he has both physical and mental disabilities from a car accident before I was born) and I’m so glad I can keep her company.

And I’m sharing my juice!  My Grandpa has loved V8 for as long as I can remember, but now I can make it fresh for him (sans preservatives) and he likes it even more!

Yep, lots of juicing is still going on.

Every once in a while, a completely different type of juice is enjoyed while writing papers.

Does wine count as fruit?

One of the really awesome things is that I’m now within walking distance of many of my frequent haunts.  The gym, Walgreens, Smoothie King, Starbucks, the grocery store, a local market…all are 2 miles are closer, which means I’m hoofin’ it!

I run to the gym almost every day now, and it’s so much better than the dreadmill.  It ends up being a little over 3 miles there and back.  Just in time for Spring!

I ran to Body Pump today at the ripe, dark hour of 5 a.m. [Side note: as soon as I told Sean, he made me promise not to run to the gym in the dark again.  Ah well, it was fun while it lasted.]

I got there on time, but the instructor did not.  There we all were, ready to Pump, but we didn’t have a leader!  We refused to give up, having dragged our butts there before the sun could even think about rising.  In the end, we used random music from someone’s iPod and we all sort of taught the class together.  A lot of people wanted me to just teach the class, but as I’m not yet certified in Body Pump, I just led a few songs.  It was a fun glimpse into what I hope will be my future of teaching there!

So, that’s that!  A lot has been happening, but it feels great.  As for the rest of today, I still have two Zumba classes to teach.  Since I’ve already done Body Pump and ran 5k, I’m going to take a few hours to relax, caffeinate, and get caught up on computer chores.

Have a Sunny funny afternoon! (I have no idea what that’s supposed to mean.  Oh well).

Don’t Play with the Hail

That was such a weird night. It began by completely crashing as soon as I got in bed to read.  Even though I was still pumped up from teaching two Zumba classes (so.much.fun.), I was in a blur of mental and physical exhaustion.  I was out within minutes.  I vaguely remember Sean calling me around 11:30, but I was all confused because I thought it was morning…yeah,  that conversation lasted around 2 minutes and I just remember him saying, “Why don’t you get some sleep, and I’ll talk to you in the morning?” 

And then we had a huge hailstorm!  Bad weather never wakes me up at night (Same with Sean- we worry what will happen when we’re married and there’s a tornado warning in the middle of the night), but it was so loud last night! I kept thinking about my poor car.

Evidence:

 

Trevor want to save the hail because he thinks people will pay money to see it.  And now he’s walking around outside in his socks trying to collect all of it.  Mom is not going to be happy.

As I try to block out listen to the yells of “What do you think you’re doing out there?” I’m going to sit back and enjoy my oats:

Coco(a)nut Cherry Oats

1/2 c. oats (I used steel-cut today)

1/4 c. Almond milk

Sprinkling of dried cherries

Splash of coconut extract

1/2-1 T Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa*

Sliced almonds for garnish

{On the stovetop, cook the oats as usual.  Ad the milk, coconut extract and dried cherries as the water cooks down.  Near the end, stir in the cocoa.  Garnish with almonds. Put in headphones so you can’t hear your family}

* Using the dark cocoa powder makes a huge difference.  Not only is it higher in antioxidants than normal cocoa, but it’s richer and much much sweeter.  I can actually eat a spoonful of this stuff without going into bitter overload.

**This picture is slightly inaccurate because I forgot to add the cherries until the end.  Adding them during the cooking process is what makes them such a good addition to the oatmeal because they get all plump and juicy.

Time to start the day!  I’m meeting a friend for coffee, working at Weissman’s (trying on dance costumes is the best kind of work!), and then going to a hot Yoga class!

All Juiced Up

 

Can you believe it’s already March?  Usually I get uncomfortable when time flies like this, but not this time!  I have so much to look forward to…graduation in May, vacation in Florida…I’m already fantasizing about beach outfits!

(Anthropologie)

Back to reality…

So that sleep thing I talked about in my last post?  You know, the brilliant idea that I should actually do all of my Shakespeare reading ahead of time?  Yeah, that completely backfired again, and I ended up getting about 3 1/2 hours of sleep.  Darn that King Henry and Falstaff.  But that’s okay, I feel like I really read it thoroughly (sometimes I feel like I spend more time trying to stay awake than actually reading) and I nailed the quiz we had on it this morning.

I think the only thing that motivated me to get out of bed at 4:30 was the thought of some amazing juice, courtesy of Mr. Lalanne. 

Again, not the best shot, but the only thing I have time for so early in the morning! You can kind of see the juice, right? You can definitely see my ginormous bag this time.

I made a to-die-for fruit juice last night that I simply had to recreate this morning for my pre-workout snack:

 4-7 strawberries

2 handfuls of spinach

1 kiwi

And here’s the really hard part:  put them in the juicer and watch the juice come out.  Seriously, this thing is so easy to use, and it’s relatively quiet, too!  Much quieter than the food processor, at any rate.  And if you couldn’t tell, I LOVE my juicer!  I’m like a little kid – I want to juice every food I get my hands on!  I bought some oranges, grapefruits, and mangoes, too. I can’t wait to experiment.  At some point, I’m going to have to make myself eat solid food.

Although I plan to juice vegetables much more often than fruits, I’ll definitely be making this strawberry-kiwi-spinach juice a lot.  Fresh fruit juice tastes SO much better than the bottled junk with the preservatives and added sugars and acids. I also used it as an experiment:  I always make sure I eat a little something before Body Pump (even though it’s around 5 a.m.) or else I end up uncomfortably hungry during class.  I know a lot of people don’t have an appetite in the mornings, but I sure do!  I wasn’t sure how the juice would tide me over, but I wasn’t hungry at all and I had plenty of energy to lift heavy!  Heavier, too – I finally increased my bicep weight this week.  Squats, chest, triceps, lunges …I’ve improved steadily in those areas, but the biceps took longer to catch up.

After Pump and Shakespeare (and a 15 minute nap!) I worked on homework at Panera:

Thai Chopped Chicken Salad (minus the chicken, wonton strips, and dressing, plus extra lettuce), courtesy of my wonderful boss at Smoothie King!  And yes, I put mustard on my salad sometimes. Weirdo.

It was actually warmer outside than inside, so after working on the laptop for a few hours, I sat outside with coffee while I talked to my Grandma on the phone.  I love her so much!

And now I have a little less than an hour to check off the rest of my to-do list before I teach 2(!) Zumba classes.  Oh, that reminds me: if any non-Lindenwood students (although LU students are more than welcome, too!) are interested in taking Zumba, I’m now teaching on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 pm at St. Louis Self Defense.  I would love to see you there!

On this bright and sunny Thursday, I’ll leave you with one little treat…a little more lighthearted than my last post.  This is what happens when we have too much fun at Smoothie King:

BLOOOOOOD.

Or maybe just blueberry juice??  You’ll never know…hahahaa.