"Breakfast for Lunch"

When I was in elementary school we had a day every few weeks that the cafeteria served "Breakfast for Lunch." I don't remember what they actually served (french toast? pancakes?) but I remember loving it. I still absolutely love breakfast food. Tonight in the spirit of "Breakfast for Lunch" I decided to have breakfast for dinner! One of my breakfast items was an English muffin with almond butter. I became a fan of almond butter a bit over a year ago. I discovered it like I found basically all my food choices- trying to find something my stomach actually likes. I've always been a massive peanut butter fan and almond butter is definitely a fun and yummy change. I usually buy it at Whole Foods, but I got a free sample of a different kind of almond butter called Barneys. It's yummy and it comes in nice 90 calorie packets so it's really easy to take it anywhere and watch your portions.

If you are interested in trying almond butter, you can go to the website and look up the retail locations near you, or order it online. A few weeks ago they were offering free samples, so maybe they will again soon. Yum. http://www.barneybutter.com/

Today was supposed to be my swimming day but it did not work out schedule wise. I was supposed to get up at 5 and go to the pool, but I was exhausted because I could not sleep last night. By the time I was done with work and tutoring, there was no more lap swim at the Y. So I decided to go biking instead. I took a bike ride to the center because I needed to go the bank and the library. When I came out of the library I had a backpack stuffed with kids books and it suddenly looked like it was going to start pouring at any minute. Needless to say, I biked home a LOT faster. Oddly, I don't think it ever started raining so maybe that was just God's way of telling me I am a really slow biker and I need to pick it up!

Baby We Were Born to Run...

It was back to running this morning for me. It was a little rough but I think it was a combination of the absolute BOREDOM of the treadmill and the fact that it was really hot in my house. I felt a little sick by the end of what should've been a really simple 2 mile run...but that's okay, sometimes runs just don't quite work out the way you want them to.
On Wednesday nights I usually go to my parents house for dinner so this week I decided that since it's less than 4 miles away, I would rollerblade there. It was a great idea and a lot of fun. I talked to Katie on the phone the whole way there and listened to my ipod the whole way home. The only problem was my ever dreaded hill I live on. I was going to just hope my brake would work well and rollerblade straight down it but in the process I decide going barrelling into the busiest street in my town probably wasn't the best idea. The problem with rollerblading is, you can't just stop and walk. So I had to take off my rollerblades and walk down the hill in my socks- RIDICULOUS! When we bought our house I was concerned about living up in the hills because of the winter roads...turns out my car can handle it fine, it's me who cannot! However, I did discover that although I cannot run or bike up the hill- I CAN rollerblade up it, yay! (thank goodness because if I had to walk in my socks again I would've really not been happy).
My first official 5K race is in two days! I'm so excited. Even though I have gotten a bit distracted by my triathlon training, this 5k training has been something I've been working on since February and I'm 100 percent confident in my ability to do it. However, I would like some new good running music on my IPOD and I need your help! What is your all time BEST song to run/workout to?

Please Don't Rollerblade in Spandex!!!

It was back to work this week so it’s been crazy busy. I came back to find that my darling kiddos did not get out their energy over the break and instead came back more energized than ever. It’s going to be a long two months… I did start tutoring a new girl yesterday, and she is adorable. She is so enthusiastic and works so hard, but reading does NOT come easily to her. Hopefully I can change that ☺
Meanwhile training is still going on. I am aiming to run tomorrow morning (just a quick 2 mile on the treadmill) so I have been resting the knee as much as possible. Yesterday was supposed to be a strength day but I couldn’t see bike riding in the 90 degrees today so I switched and went for a bike ride last night. Some likes and dislikes from my ride:

Likes:
1. The SERIOUS biker (as in fancy bike, real biking attire etc) STRUGGLING up my hill- good at least I’m not the only one (okay fine so he was actually making it up the hill unlike me).
2. The fact that my move across town now means that my bike ride begins uphill and ends downhill (minus the insane hill that my house is on but we’ve already established, I have to walk up that).
3. Random teenagers in the center chanting “You can do it! ALMOST THERE” (must be what it feels like to run the marathon).
4. Biking, like swimming, is MUCH easier the second time around. Thank God!

Dislikes:
1. My butt still hurts. When is this going to go away?
2. Bugs flying into my mouth, ew. I don’t remember this every happening while rollerblading?
3. I am going to preface this with the fact that I am not an endless fan of men in spandex but I tolerate it on bikers. However, men should NOT, I repeat NOT, wear spandex while rollerblading. Period.

This morning I took a class at the Y called “Yoga for Athletes” (haha I know, a bit of stretch like the “student” thing but maybe after the triathlon I can be considered an athlete). I was in a serious yoga phase last summer and went twice a week to a great hot yoga place near me. However, back to regular gym yoga made me so so so bored!!! Please let my knee stop hurting- I am missing the SHRED!!! I want Jillian yelling at me, no more yoga teachers telling me to listen for my breath and adjusting my alignment!

Weekend Wrap Up

I can't believe vacation is over tomorrow. It always goes by wayyyy too fast! Yesterday was my best friend's bridal shower. It was perfect- the weather, the food, the flowers, everything. It was a complete testament to the love that all these wonderful women in her life have for her. It's quite well deserved I have to say, because this girl does more for other people than anyone I have ever met. It was nice to have everyone do something for her for once! This is a picture of me and the beautiful bride (and her crazy bow bouquet). I am on the right.

In other news my training has been going okay. On Friday I ran 4.5 miles, a personal best! My knee was really bothering me after and Eric convinced me that it could have been from swimming. Go figure that I have been running and doing insane Jillian Michaels videos for the past 3 months and I hurt myself SWIMMING, c'mon! I took the day off yesterday because I was busy with the shower- and plus I figured maybe I could help out my knee. I was supposed to run this morning but my knee still hurt so I went for a bike ride instead. My thoughts on bike riding were similar to my thoughts on swimming the first time. I think I made it like 5 miles in the 30 minutes. Also I couldn't even think about making it up the hill that I live on, I had to stop and walk my bike, pathetic! We had a memorial mass for my grandfather a few hours after my bike ride and all I could think was, "can we please stop standing up and sitting down because my butt hurts!!!" Appropriate, I know.
I also joined the Y today so that I can do some swimming training (and probably enjoy some other exercise machines and classes). I was supposed to do 20 minutes of swimming today so I was determined to swim the whole time even if I had to do the side stroke. I counted my first 23 laps (since thats how long the triathlon is) and I was able to do all 23 without stopping. I did do a few breast stroke laps but that is okay. I still had about 8 minutes left when I got through the 23 laps, so I did a mixture of mostly breast stroke but a bit of freestyle too. I felt a lot better swimming today than I did on Thursday. Although swimming is fun, it kind of reminds me a bit of running a on treadmill or biking on the stationary bike- it gets old fast. It's going to be hard for me mentally to get through the 30 minute sessions, but hopefully when it gets easier physically- it will also get easier mentally.

Training Schedule

Kelly's Favorite Things

In my quest to be healthy, I have found some really awesome things that I hope may help others. So here is my list of favorite things:

Couch to 5K
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

This running plan is designed to get beginning runners up off the couch and running a 5k! I was not actually on the couch before beginning this program (I always worked out 5-6 days a week) but I was NOT a runner. Besides being a fabulous plan with exactly the right amount of challenge, it is also different than other running plans I have seen because it does not ever say "Run 6 miles, easy." Now I realize they mean not to sprint just to run easy, but there is something ridiculous to me about "Run 6 miles" and "easy" being together in one sentence :)

Map My Run
http://www.mapmyrun.com/

If you are a runner, I bet you have been like me, driving aimlessly until your trip odometer says the number of miles you want to run that day. Then because it is such a pain to figure it out again you just stay with the same path rather than get in your car and drive around again to figure out a new 3 mile route! Enter: the new best invention, Map My Run! All you have to do is enter your town and then map your running route right on your computer. It will tell you exactly how far you already went or are going to go on your run. This will be endlessly helpful to me because I plan to do a lot of biking on the bike trial- and lets be honest I don't think the cops would appreciate the excuse that I am training for a triathlon when I tried to explain why I was driving a car down the bike trail!

30 day Shred
Okay I admit it, I am not consistent about weight training. Cardio I do, but weight training I do not do. This amazing 25 minute work out (do not be fooled by the 25 minutes) has finally got me incorporating weights in my work outs. Jillian does a 3 minute strength, 2 minute cardio and 1 minute abs circuit and has 3 different levels. But let me tell you, by Level 3 you will not know if you are doing cardio, strength or abs when you are doing jumping jacks with weights in your hands! If you want an awesome workout that is only 25 minutes (including warm up and cool down) get this! You can also find it On Demand if you have Comcast or Verizon Fios.

Trader Joe's Harvest Grain Mix
This is my new food obsession. It is made of Israeli Cous Cous, Orzo, Baby Garbanzo Beans and Red Quinoa. Sounds way to healthy to be good? Think again- it's like rice but a tiny bit crunchier, even Eric who never likes my crazy health foods has been stealing my left overs of this! I add some fish (I use tuna or haddock but I'm guessing any fish would work), veges and teriyaki sauce and I have dinner. Since Trader Joe's is pretty much the best grocery store ever, it's not shocking that they would make something so yummy!


Running Skirts
There is no use in trying to pretend that I am not girly- I admit it now. So when I read a blog about running skirts, I ran to the nearest TJ Max to try one. I LOVE IT. Now I know there is really no point in me trying to look cute while running since my face gets BRIGHT red and my hair gets insanely frizzy. However, they are not just cute- they are quite functional. Spandex are very practical when running, but I am not a huge fan of wearing tight shorts so this is the perfect compromise. I have spandex to keep my legs from rubbing but then I have a nice skirt over it so it's not so "hi look at my butt" as regular spandex. What could be better?!

Training: Day 1

One of the scariest things about a Sprint Triathlon for me is the logistics. How am I getting my bathing suit off and biking/running clothes on (do you even do that?)? Where are my running shoes? Where is my bike? Where do I put my bike when I am done with it? However, once I started thinking about the training I realized that the logistics of the race day are the least of my current problems. Running I can do. Biking, I can hopefully do. Sure my bike is a thirteen-year-old mountain bike that seems to be having a problem with the brakes at the moment, but that can be resolved, right? One piece of equipment I am REALLY missing is a pool. Considering that my biggest concern about the triathlon is swimming, this is a really large problem. So this morning I woke up and started trying to find pools. The only ones in my area are the Boston Sports Club and YMCA so I called them to find out about summer student memberships (yeah I know, a bit of a stretch but TECHNICALLY speaking I am still a part time student for another month or so). In typical BSC fashion, they are charging an extra $50 for the 3 month membership (I used to work there so I will say- they do have a really nice gym) so I think I will go with the Y. I am hoping that by some stroke of luck, the student membership will involve any Y location so that I can use the one at the Cape as well. Joining is on my list of “To Do’s” for the beginning of next week.
Speaking of the Cape YMCA- it was the lucky location for my first day of training. I was a total gym rookie having been working out at home for the past two years. I forgot about the whole “lock” idea and, spoiled by Boston Sports Club, didn’t realize I needed to bring my own towel. Also, I haven’t been swimming since I got engaged and I forgot about the ring so basically my entire swimming time was spent with my eyes glued like a hawk to my back pack which I positioned RIGHT next to the lane I was swimming in…oops.
My conversation with myself while swimming went something like this.
Lap 1: “Hmm, maybe I should just run a marathon…”
Lap 4: “How many laps did I have to swim for my lifeguard certification? It must not have been 23 because there is no way I am getting there…”
Lap 9: “This sprint triathlon is probably a really bad idea”
Lap 13: “Didn’t I use to be on a swim team? So what if it was barely a legit team and I never won a single race, I USED to be able to swim!”
Lap 14: “Are those people sitting near my backpack? Please don’t steal my ring, I PROMISE I will remember to leave it at home now!”
Lap 16: "Did I seriously just pay $10 to torture myself?"
Lap 23: “I can’t wait to bike…”
So it could’ve gone better. But it could have gone worse. I made it to Lap 23. I had to take a serious break around Lap 10 but that can be fixed. I also concluded that all of my bike training will be done outside because the exercise bike is kind of like a slow form of torture for me. Even with reading my book and listening to music I was still SO bored. Gotta get that bike fixed.

In other news, Eric dragged me onto the golf course this afternoon (kicking and screaming of course). I did like this course though because when we asked if there was a dress code they said, “No high heels” (c’mon! way to ruin my outfit plans!). Plus it was a Par 3, which is my favorite. I actually pared a few holes, yay me! I told Eric my new found golfing strength. Maybe I should do a golf competition instead of a triathlon...

I need YOU to keep me on track!

Here it is: I have officially taken the plunge into the self indulgent world of blogging! I have resisted this for awhile (and by resisted, I mean started blogs but just never told people about them haha) but I have to admit I LOVE reading other people's blogs, so maybe you'll love reading mine. Then again, maybe you won't...but hopefully you will anyway because I have decided to take on a new challenge and I am going to need old friends and new friends to keep me on track.
The challenge is: A Sprint Triathlon. Before you think I have COMPLETELY lost my mind, let me inform you that a sprint triathlon is nothing like a real one (well except that you do swim, bike and run) but there are no marathons involved, thank goodness! The particular sprint I am hoping to do is 1/3 mile swim, 9 mile bike, 3.1 mile run. I THINK I can do each of these components individually, however I am positive that I can not do them all together- but I WILL be able to- by July 19th to be exact.
I have wanted to do one of these ever since I worked at an after school program during college. My boss there did one every summer and she tried to convince me to do one with her the summer after my senior year, but Eric and I were too busy taking the most ridiculous trip to Europe ever so I couldn't do it. Ever since then I have always looked up when they are and thought about doing one but never took the plunge and signed up. I think I even listed how I wanted to do this in my 25 random things post on facebook. However two things have made today the day I'm going to start training and just do it.
#1- As of February, I could run for about five minutes before I would get tired and walk. Sometimes I started up again but there was never consistent running. I decided to do the Couch to 5K plan (http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml). I am happy to say that I can now run 4 miles (on a good day, but still) and I am going to run my first 5k next Saturday (May 2nd)! Knowing that I was able to train for this gives me the confidence I need to take on the Sprint challenge.
#2- I admit it- Marathon Monday totally motivated me. I can't think of a time I've been more impressed by two people than I was by Kristen and Jon on Monday. If they can get up and run 26.2 miles after their past few weeks (or year!) then I should be able to handle a simple sprint triathlon!

So now I am hoping that you guys will help me by keeping me on track. I'll post about my training, and hopefully some other entertaining things along the way (don't want to bore you guys). You can comment and yell at me if I don't do what I'm supposed to do :) And when it's all over I can start on my next goal... to publish a book! (just kidding...well at least not this year).