Slim Down

A lot of the blogs I read are diet/fitness related, and they always have really insightful tips about healthy eating and exercise.

Here? Not so much.

I say eat what you want and if you're not happy with your body...well, I can't help you. I'm not an expert in anything health related and I don't act like I am.

I am however an expert in Jurassic Park quotes, but that may not help you do anything. Ever.

But I have discovered a great way to lose weight quickly! Just follow these easy steps:

1) Take LSAT.
2) Apply to law school.
3) Get in to law school.
4) Go to class.
5) Take both research final + Torts midterm + turn in first memo (EVER) in span of five days.

AND CHA-CHING! You'll drop weight like a prize fighter.

Seriously, my mileage has dropped to below 10 miles a week (far below it...try like, 4 miles) and I've managed to lose weight by stressing out.

I know I'm just losing muscle that took me a year and hundreds of miles to accumulate, so I'm not exactly jazzed about it.

BUT I feel a comeback coming...

Still talking about gels...

I went to the Trail Store for the first time to pick up some Endurolytes and Recoverite for the big day...loved that place!

I'm still trying to get a handle on how many gels/blox I should put away during the marathon.

Here's a sampling of opinions on the matter:
- 1 per hour
- 1 at mile 6, 12, 18 and 24 (or 5, 10, 15, 20, 24)
- 1 every 12 minutes (the Lance Armstrong method)

I've got an iron stomach when it comes to gels, but I think that 1 every 12 minutes would make me throw up fo' sho'.

No matter what schedule I settle on, there's no way I can carry all of this stuff with me. My SPI belt is handy, but if you load it down too much it bounces (and looks like a fanny pack).

I guess I'll just have to rely on my pit crew (Hubs, Mom and Dad) to hook me up during the race.

Speaking of which, I'm still looking for an Official Hair Braider to join my crew. Must have experience with unruly hair. Let me know.

Tapering

I ran 8 miles on Saturday and then 4 miles on Sunday.

I'm really starting to like this taper thing!

Now the nerves are starting to kick in...5+ hours is a long time to do anything, let alone run through the West Virginia mountains.

I'm planning on walking through each (and EVERY) water stop to give my legs a break. There will be 25 water stations (approx. 1 every mile) so when things get crazy I can tell myself: "Only 10-12 minutes of running and then a little break."

I have a feeling that will become my race mantra.

***

I'm still undecided on race fuel...I like Shot Blox (tasty, easy to carry) but I get a bigger "boost" from PowerBar Gels.

I also get disgusting jam hands after I eat one, which drives me crazy.

And what should I do about my salt intake/anti-cramping measures? Grab some packets from Wendy's for mile 20, or spring for the Endurolytes?

Here are some Endurolyte facts from the Hammer Nutrition website:

Application:
Use prior to, during, and after workouts to satisfy the body's electrolyte requirements with maximum precision.

Mixing / Usage:
Instructions: Use as needed but primarily when:

1. Exercise lasts for more than 2 hours, regardless of temperature or humidity.

2. Exercise lasts less than 2 hours and:
- Temperature is above 80 degrees and/or 70% humidityor
- Temperature and humidity is 10 degrees or more above what you are accustomed to

1-3 capsules 30-60 minutes prior to exercise

1-6 capsules each hour during exercise

1-3 capsules after exercise

Ugh. Running and math.

But considering I took the time to blog about it, I'm probably going to invest in some Endurolytes.

Carb-o-licious

The only thing that stands between me and my vacation is my 16 miler tomorrow morning.

Time to load up on the carbs!

BB's Pre-Training Run Meals:

Approved:
- Baked Spaghetti
-Fajitas

Banned:
- Quesadillas
- Pizza

I've got some serious decisions to make about dinner.

Also, I never realized how hard it was to incorporate more protein into my diet...goodness. But Hubs is a protein shake wizard, so he's helping me figure it all out.

Some e cards

You'll find me on Duval Street...protein shake in hand...

As of 5pm tomorrow afternoon I will be on VACATION.

Hubs, Cuz, CuzHubs (I need to give them new nicknames) and myself booked a 5-day Carnival cruise that departs from Mobile on Monday.

We were supposed to stop in Cozumel and Calica. BUT that pesky SWINE FLU flared up and now we are being rerouted...

Key West and Freeport, here we come!

We are all pretty hyped for this...Hubs especially. This will be a Parrot Head pilgrimage for the Hubster.

I'm headin' South 'fore my dream shrinks!

Don't ask me how I plan to get my mileage in on the cruise...I have good intentions to get up early and get the runs in, but...

You know how it goes on vacation.

***

Last night I ran 8 sloggy, sweaty miles after work. When I got home I grabbed an EAS Protein Shakes and chugged away.

And for the first time in weeks, I had no post-work out pain in my shin/calf.

I stupidly asked Hubs if he thought a lack of post-run protein was making my shin splints worse...he said he thought so, and something about how he had been telling me that all along...

Additionally, he said I probably don't consume enough protein in general.

Sigh...and I thought I'd be one of those runners whose mileage would change while their diet stayed the same.

Chicken nuggets have a lot of protein in them, right?

Warning: Non-Food Blogger Blogging About Food

Although I skipped the gym before work (I am so lazy) I did knock out my workout during my lunch hour.

Going to the gym after work is not an option because it's LOST night...and if I started to blog about Lost, it would be all I talked about. For a fun Lost blog, check out Dispatches from the Island. And yes, that is the real Jorge Garcia (aka Hurley)!

And because it's Lost night, I wanted to get my prep for dinner out of the way...

Join me on my tofu journey! It kind of looks like cheese:



I LOVE Indian food, but I rarely eat it. This is a mango curry marinade with just the right amount of heat:

Thanks to some helpful vegetarians (via Google) I learned the art of pressing tofu...it's under those fancy plates:

And then I bagged the tofu and added the marinade. Each bag = one serving:


So I'll be frying this up later for dinner and fueling up for Lost. It's going to be a good one too!

Tofu and Tempo

I went to the grocery last night to stock up on some healthy ingredients for some new healthy recipes I'm trying. Running begets the inevitable shift to healthy eating, I guess.

Last night I tried the Baby Spinach Omelette...it was soooo good and really filling. I'm going to press and marinate some tofu in preparation for dinner. That should be an adventure. There is a real chance my kitchen will smell like mango-curry tofu for several weeks.

Tonight is tempo run night!

I always enjoy tempo runs because the time seems to fly by-- isn't the strange? If I pay attention to the minutes ticking by on a run, they go by faster.

The Free Meal Blues

Operation Fit-in-Bikini is really losing it's charm...dieting is no fun.

I'm currently on a calorie cycling schedule which keeps me pretty satisfied. There are no built in "free days" (entire days when I suspend calorie counting and just go hog wild), and I think this is for the best.

I thought it would be prudent to have at least one "free meal." Metabolically, it's nice to keep your body guessing: switch up your caloric intake to jump start more weight loss...and after all, doing the same thing and expecting different results is the definition of insanity.

Oh, I switched it up alright:

- Friday: Favorite Mexican restaurant = chip binge.
- Saturday: Quiznos (not so bad), homemade chili (not so good) and chocolate cake (very bad)
- Sunday: KFC buffet at a birthday party (no explanation needed)

Granted, I had a deficit to make up after Saturday's run, but methinks I overdid it.

Now I'm back on the wagon.

So...soy.

Lately I've felt really blah in terms of my diet, and I can only attribute this feeling to the lack of delicious cheeseburgers and McNuggets in my life.

But instead of giving in, I splurged on SOY, including meatless "burger" and "chick'n" products at Kroger.

I know how this sounds...and I have no intention of giving up beef, chicken or any other kind of animal flesh. But DANG this soy crap is actually pretty good!

I'm not big on the flavor of the food as much as the texture and these soy things (I have to use air quotes if I call them burgers) are very similar to real meats. And they are very low cal. Ole'!

Hubs thinks I'm crazy. He's just mad because I wouldn't share my "chick'n" with him.

Hi, my name is BB and I'm a big redneck

Nice to meet you.

I just returned from a Daytona 500 party where we bet on everything from the overall winner to the occurrence of caution flags. We also played Nascar Keno, which was such a success that we are already planning the next party for the race Sunday.

And if you care, my babydaddy did not win.

Anyway, while at Walmart on the hunt for the perfect Nascar shirt (read: I am a redneck) I found this:

...which I will be wearing in the Kentucky Derby Mini Marathon in April.

Hubs is all "No! You can't wear that! You're going to meet my coworkers!" (his boss is running the race also) and I'm all "But everyone loves Homer!"

And yes, it's cotton and cheap and will make me miserable during the actual race BUT I care more about irony than comfort.

Even with a wiiiiiild Nascar party with wiiiiiiild Nascar snacks, I didn't blow my daily calorie total by that much. Operation Fit-in-Bikini is in full effect: 11 weeks 'til Mexico!

True Life: I think I have the flu.

So here I am, stuck at home, too sick to stop the dog from eating Walter the Houseplant.

Anysicky, here are some random headlines from a medicated mind...

Mother Nature Hates Kentucky

• We had another windstorm last night (the second one six months)...we kept power but lost the hardware on our fence gates.
• I stepped in dog poo trying to assess the damage on the fence.
• I clogged our toliet trying to clean my shoes...too many paper towels.

File this under "I Can't Believe that Actually Worked"

• I hit the dreaded diet plateau...I stepped up the exercise and dropped the caloric intake. The scaled didn't budge...
• I tried a calorie cycling schedule (different day totals through the week with the same weekly total) and WHAT DO YA KNOW it worked! I'm through!

That's all...sleepy time.

Stay the course, young woman

AMAZING progress in the "diet" department. I'm sorry I doubted you Diet-Gods, but I hope this continues. Even after I destroyed a plate of cheese grits yesterday, I still managed to end up on top.

Weekly Wrap Up:

Monday: 5 mi elipitical + weight training
Tuesday: 3 mi
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: 3 mi + weight training
Friday: 5x400 at 5k pace
Saturday: 3 mi
Sunday: 5 mi

Runnin' Song of the Week: "Rock Me In" -- Britney! Britney! BRIT-BRIT!!!

Gym Pet Peeve of the Week: Getting my treadmill Deebo'd.

Hubs' Inspirational Thought of the Week: "Just get your water beforehand." (On avoiding treadmill theft)

The gauntlet has been thrown down...

...and it smells like fajitas!

After the honeymoon, Hubs and I conceded to the fact that we would have to wait many, many years to have a vacation like that one. And then we conceded to the fact that ANY vacation would be hard to come by until I graduate from law school and make a dent in paying back my loans.

Well, that line of thought lasted about seven months, because we booked a Mexican cruise this morning. We just couldn't stop ourselves. It's snowing outside, and I get to go on a cruise in May. YESSSSSSSSSSS.

Now race-training will merge with bathing-suit training-- this certainly ups the stakes. I'm not going to ever be a "competitive" runner, but I will have to squeeze into a bikini in a few short months. That means hitting the gym more (often two times a day) and really sticking to the stupid non-diet diet. But, aaaaaaaaaaah Mexico. Ay ay ay!

Training schedule for tonight:

• 3 miles
• Weight training: legs, core (boo bathing-suit training)

AY AY AY!

The "D" Word

Trying a new "diet" that's not really a diet. I don't do diets. For six months leading up to the wedding I just tried to be reasonable with what I ate. I lost ten lbs., and then promptly regained it and then some in the 6 weeks after the honeymoon thanks to my LSAT study regime (no running, just logic games and chocolate).

I decided to take a cue from Hubs. He knows exactly how to fuel his body for his very manly form of exercise (weightlifting, light cardio, more weightlifting, perfecting the Ahhhhnold accent followed by strenuous weightlifting).

So with his help I am now keeping close tabs on what I eat, and trying to balance it 50%-25%-25% (carbs, protein, fat). So far, so good. I'm not as hungry as I usually am and I'm not burnt out either...maybe I'm on to something!

In other news, I can't wait for Spring. Hell, I can't wait for the temperature to creep above 30 degrees. My winter-running attire makes me look like a homeless person.