Cross Training

First, to respond to my comments on the 15k: I find it so interesting that ya'll feel like it's easier to run faster outside than inside!  Even with the 0.5-1.0% incline, I think it's so much easier to run fast on the treadmill than it is to run fast outside.  I would love to have a phone with GPS or a Garmin to help me track my pace while I'm running outdoors, but for now all I have is my stopwatch!
Right now, we are trying to do most all of our tempo runs outside and all of our speed work workouts inside: the tempo runs are challenging but we are able to push ourselves to stay on pace outdoors - I'm not sure how successful we would be at attempting to hold a 9:18-9:00 pace outside without a Garmin/GPS/track to help us know how on target we are.

Anyway, today's post is about CROSS TRAINING! Woot! For most of the past year, my cross training has been spotty at best.  I might say I'll go to spin class regularly (because spin class is my first true love in exercise), but in the spring 2011 semester I probably went a total of 3 times max.  I talk big game about wanting to get stronger and lift weights, but until recently, my strength training record was worse than my spin class attendance!

After the half, I decided to get serious about cross-training, both with non-running forms of cardio and with strength training.  For strength, we are going to the gym weight room Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings.  I did a looot of research, looking at programs from Women's Health, one of my favorite bloggers the Fitnessista, and other random websites, and combined things I liked to create my own routines.  I have various workouts for legs (e.g. squats, lunches, calf raises, etc.), my core (crunches, planks, etc.), and arms (tricep dips, hammer curls, chest press, etc.).  I'm only really on week three right now, so its definitely still a work in progress!

I also wanted to do some non-running cardio.  I really like the Wednesday evening spin teacher at my school's gym, so I decided to commit to going every Wednesday evening to her class.  Two weeks ago was amazing and INTENSE, perhaps the most intense class I've gone to ever!  She's awesome.  I also found a friend or two to go with me to help keep up my motivation.

My last cardio add-on is to do Jillian Michael's Banish Fat Boost Metabolism once per week, probably on Fridays.  I did the video for the first time in a while two weeks ago, and I really liked it!  When I first got it about 2 years ago, it was nearly impossible for me to get through.  So, I was really excited that I didn't need to pause the DVD in order to make it through.  I definitely worked up a sweat and felt like I got a good workout, but it isn't impossible anymore.  There are a few moves that I dislike - they don't feel hard, so much as awkward/uncomfortable, so when they come up I either modify them or do jumping jacks / jog in place instead.  Anyway, this is a nice way to get in some cardio without going to the gym, and my goal is to do it every Friday.

So, if you've been paying attention, you'll see that my workout schedule each week is:

• Mondays: 2 mile run + strength
• Tuesdays: 3-5 mile run
• Wednesdays: strength + spin class
• Thursdays: speedwork
• Fridays: strength + Jillian's cardio DVD
• Saturdays: long run
• Sundays: REST!

Ambitious? Yes.  Intense? Yes.  Doable? I think so!  I'm pretty excited about it.  I've definitely learned that my mood and productivity is much better when I exercise regularly, so I think this is a good plan.

back in action.

Yes, I realize I was out of commission for less than 48 hours.  Whatever, I'M BACK, and I'm sure you are excited about it.  So, the first thing I did when I got home from work today was COOK!

First, since I wasn't starving, I threw together lunch for tomorrow:

Hello, Asian Pork Salad.  Looking at the recipe,  I was really excited to make this... but after having a small taste, I'm not sure sure.   The dressing is so, so spicy!  It has "Chili puree with garlic" - which I had to use last week and couldn't find at Kroeger... so I just substitute chili puree and chopped up garlic.  This week I went to Harris Teeter and found a bottle of this:

Which may or may not be what Betty & Co. meant.  A google search for chili puree with garlic comes up with a bottle of that and similar things, so I think it's what I'm supposed to use.  And it's SPICY.  This is coming from a girl who likes spicy food.  Anyway, I'll let you know tomorrow how it actually tastes.

After whipping together my Friday lunch salad, I moved onto dinner: Chicken with Carrots and Mushrooms.  This is a very basic recipe, which is nice, although I was skeptical: do carrots and mushrooms really go together?  The answer: they go together just fine - although I wouldn't say they are my favorite combination.  This recipe was a solid meal.  My favorite part was the sauce, which tasted like a nice, light gravy.  The chicken was also good, although as per usual I could have cooked the chicken for less time and it might have been even better.  One day, I will learn to cook a chicken breast in a pan without letting it get dry.

Other than that, I'm feeling good about my run this morning, and the plan is to do some strength training with NMTZ tomorrow.  Then we have a long run on Saturday.  Tonight's plan: white wine and chocolate with a friend!  Nothing beats a glass of cold white wine on a hot summer day.  What are your favorite summertime beverages?

a mediocre meal day

While I didn't wake up particularly early today, I did get some strength training in!  I did the last 3 circuits of Jillian Michaels No More Trouble Zones, which are mostly core-focused.  I knew I didn't have it in me to do the whole DVD today (it's so hard!), so I just chose a few circuits and then did some extra leg exercises after.  Tomorrow, M and I are going for a long run - we have a 5 mile route plan and will do intervals, should take us about an hour.  I'm hoping it won't be too hot or humid and that we'll be able to make it through without me collapsing, haha.

Today for lunch, I made Rigatoni with Artichokes.  This recipe was pretty decent, and I haven't had artichokes in a long time so I was excited to eat them!  The recipe has you sprinkle bread crumbs and parsley on the top, which I thought was kind of strange, but it actually made it tasty.  Oh, and I used penne instead of rigatoni, but who has the money to buy 27 different types of pasta just so I make everything by the book?

Then, for dinner I had Vegetable Kung Pao.  I was surprised how the sauce for this is made - it's basically just water, sugar, and cornstarch.  I guess I'm not well-versed on my Chinese cuisine, but I think of Kung Pao as having a brown sauce, with soy sauce or teriyaki or something similar.  The main 'flavor' ingredient here was the chili puree with garlic.  Unfortunately, I could not find chili puree with garlic ANYWHERE.  So I ended up getting diced chilis from the Mexican food section and adding garlic.  So, of course I have no idea... if I had found the right thing maybe it would have tasted completely different?  Anyway, the dish was surprisingly sweet - possibly because I don't have real sugar and used Splenda.  Other than that, it was ... decent?  I won't lie, after I ate half of it, I put some soy sauce on it to make it more flavorful.

Otherwise it was okay.  I didn't miss having meat in there as much as a I thought... but I also just finished eating about 4 minutes ago, so it's too soon to tell if my tummy missed it!  The recipe does have peanuts, so you get protein, but I think I would have liked it better with some chicken.  That's alright though, only one more day of Pescatarian week!  I can't believe how quickly it went by, and how I didn't really miss meat all that much.  I don't know if If could handle no meat or fish, though!

So, after two medicore meals today and and a few others that were just "fine" this week, I need to find some "WOW!" meals to make this week.  Stay tuned!

double recipe dinner!

Today, I had my meatloaf for lunch, and I have to say it was pretty good!  It was a pretty basic meatloaf; when I was growing up my dad always added onions and various veggies, whereas this recipe was just some sauces, bread crumbs, and meat basically.  I definitely will have to try more creative ways to make meatloaf in the future, but this was a tasty start!

Then, tonight for dinner on the menu we had snapper with sauteed tomato pepper sauce.  The recipe called for "red snapper, cod, or other medium-firm fish", and I couldn't find red snapper so we went for cod.  The cod was actually REALLY good, and I'm excited to eat it some time soon again.  However, I suck at cooking cod.  As in, it totally fell apart in the pan.  First, since the tilapia yesterday stuck to the pan, I tried to move it around more to keep it from sticking.  That sort of helped at first, but then not so much.  Then, when I went to flip it, it totally fell into pieces.  So instead of having a nice pretty fillet, I had a messy chunk of fish.  Luckily for me, it still tasted really good, and I think I cooked it for the right amount of time at least.  The tomato pepper sauce was fine, but I'm not sure I did it quite the way Betty intended.  It wasn't much of a sauce; it was more vegetables with a little bit of liquid.  Maybe I was supposed to chop up the vegetables much smaller"  It says "chopped" for the tomatoes and peppers; "sliced" for onions.  Anyway, it still tasted pretty good - ESPECIALLY the fish!

I think it needs more herbs/spices next time, but other than that, I'd make this again for sure!  However, the whole recipe was only 140 calories, so I knew I needed something else.  I had a recipe planned to make tonight for lunch tomorrow, but as it turns out I have lunch plans!  So, I instead made another recipe, Pasta with Dijon-Tomato Sauce.  OH MY GOSH THIS WAS YUMMY.  Except for when I was overly enthusiastic about eating it and ended up burning my tongue.  Anyway, it had sun-dried tomatoes which I'm obsessed with, and as one might guess, Dijon mustard, among other things.  Just typing about it makes me want to go make some more!!  It was supposed to be made with bow-tie pasta, which I didn't have, so I used some alternative noodles (it's not like they taste all that different, right?).  Anyway, it might not look pretty, but oh my gosh I want some more right now!

It's topped with Parmesan cheese,. and the only thing I'll say is that more cheese might have made it even better.  But I'm also the girl who thinks cheese goes well on everything.  On the fitness end, I totally failed today - I was going to do my Jillian Michaels strength training DVD this afternoon, but it didn't happen - maybe tomorrow I'll do some of it after I run with M. I was home doing work til about 6pm, when I dozed off for 45 minutes before making dinner, and then I had to run errands before watching the season finale of Glee with some friends!  Fellow Glee fans, what did you think of the finale?  I was super excited with how much singing there was!  I wasn't surprised to see that Quinn had her baby, and generally I liked the way it all turned out!  But, there wasn't really a cliff hanger for next season, so I wonder what will happen with various story lines!

So my "errands" today = going to Home Depot and buying herbs to grow at home!  Recipes always suggest fresh herbs, but they are expensive and I'm afraid they'll go bad before I can use them, so I'm always using stuff out of the jar.  I'm sure fresh tastes better, so I now own oregano, basil, parsley, and culantro (which is apparently like cilantro).  I definitely do NOT have a green thumb, so I hope I don't kill my new plants!  While I was there, I couldn't help but buying a small potted Jade and a small potted Cactus was well - they are hard to kill and I wanted some plants for my apartment (although I might take one to the office).

As a sports fan, I must shout out to the National's newest pitcher Stephen Strasburg - 14 strikeouts in his debut, a team record!  I'm so excited for him and for DC!  In some very upsetting news, the Celtics just lost Game 3.  I didn't get to watch the whole game tonight because of Glee, but BOO!  Hopefully Thursday goes much better for my boys in Boston!