Falling back into running & Housewarming

 

Time is seriously flying by this fall! I can’t believe this weekend is the Detroit Marathon. I will be spectating and cheering on all of the amazing runners. I have been enjoying the beautiful fall colors and great weather and savoring every minute!

I have been running again for the last three weeks and its going really well. I feel like a newbie which is kind of fun. I have accumulated about 15 miles total, with most runs between 2-3 miles. I am planning a 4-5 mile run for this weekend. I am taking it slowly and my achilles feels great!

We had a family housewarming party this weekend and it was a blast. Our home really feels perfect now that we have had everyone we love over. We had a caramel apple station, turkey chilli, and family members brought other appetizers and desserts. It was so special and wonderful for everyone to celebrate our new home with us.

 

What is your favorite fall workout?

Trip to Cleveland

 

I went with Melissa to Cleveland last weekend to visit family. We had a fun weekend relaxing and hanging out. On Saturday we went to a nearby park and had fun running & walking around in the beautiful fall weather. Robert and Melissa ran a few miles before, and then I joined them for a little over 2 miles. I ran 2 miles (x3) last week, and I’m excited to attempt a few 3 milers and work on bringing my speed down slowly this coming week.

My brother-in law Robert ran the Rock N Roll Cleveland Half Marathon on Sunday, so we cheered him on. The weather was better than expected and Robert ran a great race.

I love the sweetest little Eli pictured below.

Anyone else spectating some fall races?

Apple Orchard & Birthdays

 

The weekend before last, we celebrated Melissa’s 30th birthday! We went to an apple orchard and out for a family dinner downtown. It was such a fun and beautiful fall day. I can’t believe Mel is running the Detroit Marathon in less than 2weeks! Amazing way to celebrate a big birthday.

Has anyone else been apple picking yet?

Return to Running & Writing

Today-2 miles-ish

Today was my first run after 6 weeks of injury recovery. I was experiencing running related pain and soreness in my Achilles tendon over the summer, and I finally had the nerve to just take some time off. It was tough at first, but I adapted well to the lack of endorphins. I spent time looking for other things I enjoy doing like working on my new house, cooking, and spending time with friends and family. I would like to say that I spent a lot of time keeping up my strength and cardio fitness, but alas it is not true. I went to the occasional step class, hit the elliptical, and went on a few walks and bike rides. What this means, is that my running is really starting from the ground up. I feel like a new runner and it is challenging!

I plan to run a 3-4 times a week, and focus on solidifying a nice 5k base. Once this is easy, I will build up. Just like a newbie I will be move from 5k to 10k to eventually a half marathon. Here is a picture from my run this morning-sleepy!

And here are a few pictures from recent happenings! Fall candles, sweet potato rounds, library books, classroom, grad school homework, painted furniture, fresh flowers, and a family celebration.

 

See you again soon and enjoy the beautiful fall colors!

 

Coconut Oil

Tuesday-Late afternoon walk

This stuff is everywhere! I made a greek chicken recipe last week and I used coconut oil. It didn’t give off a coconut taste, and was really easy to use.

Here is some sautéed kale, and I used coconut oil in my homemade mac and cheese.

Health Benefits

There are a great many health benefits from coconut oil. Coconut oil can reduce your cholesterol because of the saturated fat called lauric acid.

Also, the oil helps the body use energy more efficiently, which can lead to weight loss and the loss of belly fat.

Coconut oil can boost thyroid function which improves your metabolism and energy levels.

How to Use it

Coconut oil can withstand heat so it is great to cook with and still maintains its nutritional value. For the greek chicken, I just melted the oil and poured it over cubed chicken. It has a solid consistency at room temperature but melts easily. I have also used coconut oil in place of butter or olive oil. I still need to try a dessert with coconut oil! Yum!

Have you tried coconut oil yet!? What about other products like coconut flour?

Weekend

Exercise Update: Lots of walking, biking, and dreaming of running.

Have a great week!

Injury update + meals

Saturday-8.5 miles with Melissa

I hope everyone had a fun and relaxing weekend. Kevin’s family is in town and we have been enjoying games and beach time. I went out for a run with Melissa on Saturday (sorry running group friends!) and it was somewhat successful. I wanted to try to run a bit longer to find out how my recovery is going. Melissa rocked 14 miles! I did a 3 mile run this past week with no pain during or after.

During the 8.5 miles I started to get pretty sore in the last few, and I had some soreness that day and the following. I need to make some decisions about upcoming races and it is really tough for me. I am most likely going to be skipping my favorite Crim 10 mile race in Flint in two weeks. I know the hills would be pretty brutal on my achilles.

As for Detroit Marathon in October, I’m not making any decisions just yet.  I want to see how running feels in the next month. I could always run the 1/2 and be there to cheer Melissa in at the finish. Lot’s of good options.

Roasted vegetable salad w/ shrimp from California Pizza Kitchen

Chicken salad w/ walnuts & cranberries in a kale wrap

Turkey, swiss, & kale roll-up with veggies

Sunday morning coffee & smoothie outside

 

Anyone else on a kale kick?

What seasonal produce are you enjoying?

Guest Post: Crossfit

Here is a post from my girl Melissa about her experience with Crossfit! Enjoy.

I finally did it, I decided to try Crossfit! If you watch any videos or look at any Crossfit pictures online, it is pretty intimidating. The other item that has kept me away is the price, however I decided to splurge! I went to a Crossfit in Ann Arbor, which so far has been a great experience. They have you go through 10 sessions of personal training before they allow you to do class. During these sessions you learn technique so that when you are ready for class you have the correct form.

The first night I walked in there was a class going on, so of course I was checking it out. People were swinging the kettle bell then going over and doing pull ups, needless to say, I was IMPRESSED. The first time you it is your “tryout”.  They make sure that you are committed to the program and are doing it for the right reasons and before I even got to this “tryout” , I had to email them the reason I wanted to come to Crossfit. Which for me, was mostly to push myself harder, I definitely do not work out with weights enough and especially not heavy weights. In a way I was looking for more confidence when using weights and I definitely think I am going to have it by the end. For my tryout I had to do a few things, row, squat, sit up and pushups. It was not anything crazy but I was sweating. I decided that I liked it well enough, I wanted to get better. I signed up for my first personal training session!

So far I have been learning their squat technique, which is a much deeper squat than my normal sit in a chair mid-level squat. My second session was more squats and then learning how to use the bench press bar (without weights).  I learned how to do a dead lift, overheard press and a weighted squat. Literally there was so much to think about, keeping my core tight when doing an overhead press and my back straight but chest up doing a deadlift. Not to mention if my knees were slightly bent, bend or locked. It is defiantly going to take practice for it to become second nature to me.  My third class is tomorrow morning and I am looking forward to building on everything I have learned so far! In a few weeks I will probably be challenging family members to squat contests and arm wrestling!

Has anyone else tried Crossfit? What did you think?

The dreaded first injury

Today-60 min walk

Well friends, the reason I haven’t been writing about running is because I haven’t been running. I pulled my achilles tendon a few weeks back while doing some speed work. I know I pushed myself too hard on those sprints, but I still wonder if this was a one time pushing off the ball of my foot deal or if it was more cumulative.

I have taken 17 days off and got back to running a little this week. I ran twice, 3 miles and 3.5 miles. Both felt pretty good, but left me sore the following day. I am now taking more days off between runs, using icy hot, and massaging the area. This is my short term solution. I am going to try and see how far I can run this Sunday to give me an idea of how I need to change my future race plans.

The long term solution is to take 6-8 weeks off and rest it completely. I’m being honest when I say I will probably wait until the winter to take time off for complete healing. My goal right now is to make sure it doesn’t get worse.

*Walking, super sunny

I have been walking, doing some strength and core, and some biking. It’s not quite the same but it’s helping me feel somewhat normal. Talking to my injury coach Melissa makes everything better too!

In other news, I have been experimenting with adding chicken and turkey back into my diet. I have been eating it daily for a while now, and I haven’t noticed any difference in how I feel. It has been nice to share dinners with Kevin, and have more options at restaurants though.

 

*Spinach salad with chicken and turkey pita with kale chips

I have been loving smoothies lately too!

And crab!

Tell me about any injuries you have faced. How did you get through it?

What are you eating in August?

Blue Water Half Marathon

Today-Elliptical, bike, & strength

Today we are going way back to June 30th! That was the date of the Blue Water Half Marathon in Port Huron. It was the first long distance race in this town in a long time. The best cheerleaders were out on the course too. 😉

Robert, Melissa, and I headed to the race at a compromised hour of the morning. We may or may not have family members that like to show up to races at different time frames. I am just happy to have someone else drive & park. Both were easy!

I wasn’t sure what I expected from this race other than to have fun. The weather is such a huge factor and with the late date in June I knew I would have to be flexible with slowing down. Race morning-it was perfect! Nice and cool and slightly overcast.

I chased and chatted with a few other runners, but mostly ran alone. I was able to pick up my pace in the second half, and especially in the last 3 miles.

 

I finished with a time of 1:57 and improved my time by 15 minutes from a few years back. I forgot how wonderful half marathons are and I would like to make 2014 the year of the half marathon.

It was PR central for all three of us! Many other runners I know had their best times too. It was a fast course despite a lot of turns. The only drawback was a pretty rocky area in the last mile or so. I have heard they are working on some changes for next year!

What do you think makes a good race?