Outside > Inside

After an excellent week, I thought I'd top the week off with a nice longer training walk!  More than anything, I really wanted to test out my foot to see if it would still hurt on long walks.  Since my foot started bothering me last Thursday, I rested on Friday and Saturday.  I then did Ripped in 30 both Sunday and Monday with no pain.  Then, finally, I was back to the gym to walk!  5 miles Tuesday and 4.75 miles (and a 75 min yoga class) on Thursday.  All in all - I think my foot is definitely getting better!  I had very little pain this week.  I have been thinking that some of the issue was walking on the indoor track, which puts pressure on one foot during your entire walk as you are constantly going in a circle (7 laps to a mile) and the treadmill.  Indoor walks just don't agree with my feet! 

Plus, let's face it, the gym is awful.  It is always so hot and stuffy and there are too many people around!  I love to get out in the fresh air!  So, since this morning was bright, sunny, and fairly warm so I thought I'd go check out the park! 

Beautifully sunny winter day turned cloudy...
(sorry for bad photo quality - I only had my cell with me.)

I was so happy to see that the path around the park was both plowed and salted!  I don't know if I have ever been so excited to see a cleared walkway!  I set out to do 4 or 5 miles but decided to seize the fresh air and sunny weather and do a longer training walk.  I have been stuck inside way too much lately!

So....8.5 miles in 1 hour, 57 minutes!  Much better than my last 8-miler, which was around 1 hour, 56 mins.  While I'm not super concerned about my half marathon time, I would be super happy if I could finish at the pace I walked at today (4.36 mph - about 13 mins, 45s).  I can do faster (one of my miles today was around 12 mins, 30s) but I don't want to worry about burning out early on in the half so I'm attempting to learn pacing.

Tomorrow is cross training!

For the Veggie Lovers

It's that time of year when really, really good and fresh produce is getting harder to find and more expensive.  I had to go to three stores to find kale this week.  It was well worth it to eat this last night.  Drum roll please................................................................

Winter Veggie Heaven

In the giant skillet:  2 big chopped kale leaves, leftover butternut squash (baked with smoked paprika, s, and p), handful of sliced portabella mushrooms, sliced small white onion, 1/2 cup cooked blackeye peas, 1 tsp garlic oil, 1/2 cup water.  Cook for 20 mins or until kale is cooked to your liking.  Enjoy the giant plate of food as this serves one for only 288 calories!

I love meals like this - healthy, full of nutrients, and so colorful and pretty!  Hm...I see this in my future for lunch today!

Short Term 2012 Goals Revisited

Afternoon ya'll!  I woke up to a mess of cat toys everywhere in my apartment.  Literally.  In the bed, on the stairs, in the bathroom.  There was even one in the sink.  I live in a loft and my cat must have dropped it down from upstairs.  I piled a bunch of them up and now she's hanging out in her pile of toys...evidently making sure they are all still there and unharmed.

Since my 5-week "break" between the fall and spring semester comes to an end tomorrow, I thought that this afternoon would be a great time to revist my short term 2012 goals and add some updates on my long term goals as well.

Short Term:

1. Read From Fatigued to Fantastic:  Done!  I finished this a few weeks ago and found this to be a very useful book for those with Chronic Fatigue or Fibromyalgia.  Originally my pain management doctor told me to read this and come in with some ideas about treatment methods I'd like to try but after when I did this, he basically shot down every option I asked about.  He only wanted me on hard-core Fibro drugs.  I am not up for that.  I have been attempting to control my fibro sans prescription medications as those drugs are scary!  With incorporating some of the more holistic and natural treatment methods from this book, I am only having one or two bad flair-up days every couple of weeks. 
2. Work out 5-6 days a week:  I did well with this for the most part.  I had given myself a goal to hit 100 miles walking over the 5-weeks (average of 20 miles per week).  I met this easily (had 107.5 miles by this past Thursday) and worked out 5 days a week for the first four weeks.  During my walk on Thursday, I developed pain in the outer metatarsals of my right foot and was forced to rest up yesterday.  I am still undecided if I am going to workout yet today. 
• My lesson:  I need to incorporate cross training into my half marathon training plan.  I was thinking about this early into my workout on Thursday as I want to avoid injuries (obviously) and...well, it was too little too late. 
• Note:  I think (hope) this is an overuse injury.  Between Tuesday at 4pm and Thursday at 8:30am (40.5 hours), I walked 17 very fast miles (+ 3 miles to and from the gym/work at a slower pace because of icy sidewalks).  Stupid, silly mistake that could have easily been avoided!  Rookie mistake not to be repeated.
3. "Work" (i.e. do something productive) 3-5 hours per day:  Heh, yeah.  I tried.  I kept getting distracted.  Some days were great and very productive, others...not so much.
4. Cook good food:  Yes!  Been all over this one.
5. &    6.  Make food planning easier:  I did not finish this and hope to do so this within the next two weeks.  It's turning out to be harder than I thought!

A few notes on my 2012 Long Term Goals:

Trying a new recipe every week:  This has been going well.  We are three weeks in and I've tried several new recipes:  Tomato Bisque, Black Bean Soup, Frozen Yogurts, Blackeye Pea Stir Fry.  Ha - the funny thing is that I created three of these so I don't know if they technically count but I'm counting them since they are brand new.  I'm currently searching for a crock pot chicken recipe to try tomorrow.

Half Marathon:  I have chosen a half marathon and plan to sign up as soon as my foot is good to go again!  I don't want to sign up too soon and find that my foot issue is more serious than I think it is.  I have been working on creating my own training plan since my current fitness level would start me about 1/2 way through most walking training plans.  I'll post this when I get it done.  Lots of cross training and rest days will be built in!  I'm very excited about this and plan to complete the training and actual race by myself as I want to prove to myself that I can motivate and push myself to this level of fitness.

Here's something funny for your entertainment:  I've actually had people laugh at me when I mention that I plan to walk a half marathon (including a doctor).  Not because they don't think I can do it, because they think it's super easy.  Some of these people I have cheered on in the past when they wanted to run a race or accomplish other goals. 

Here's the deal: 

1. I cannot run on a regular basis.  When I do, I cannot walk for days.  My hips and knees just can't handle it (likely because I've been overweight for so long).  Funny enough, this pain is worse now than it was 78 pounds ago!
2. If these people think it's so easy, I'd like to see them try to train and then walk 13.1 miles at a good pace.  Not strolling.  I'm in this to meet my own goals and potential.  I do not plan on walking at a leisurely 3.5 mph pace.  Of course, my first goal is to just finish the race, but I would also like to do my best.
3. If I weren't so afraid of hurting other people's feelings, I likely would have told them to back off.  I don't care if you are the fittest person on planet earth.  We each have our own goals and no matter what they are, they are valid and should be supported by others who care about us.
4. I have had a lot of support from my family and friends and to them, I am so grateful!

Stay warm out there!  I'm glad I'm not shoveling the 6-7" of snow we got yesterday!