Keeping it up!

I've learned that I do best when I have real motivation, such as a race or event to keep me moving.  Since I am officially out of half marathon training I am making sure that I keep up all of the progress I have made and make even more. 

We are doing a few 5k's within the next few months and then I have a 10k in May.  I am pretty confident in my abilities to do the distance but I need to make sure to keep up my endurance.  My plan right now is to run at least 10 miles a week.  Based on my current schedule I am thinking this will be broken down into 3 small weekly runs (1-2 miles) and a longer weekend run with the BF especially now that the weather is getting better. 

One thing that does keep me motivated is shiny new workout gear.... yes it may sound petty but I love going to the gym when I have new shoes or new workout clothes to sport.  As my reward for the Princess half I decided to get some new running shoes since mine were well past their prime anyway.

 

I am a size 5-5 1/2 so to find shoes is a nightmare but I was lucky enough to be in Grand Rapids and go to Gazelle Sports where they did a bunch of treadmill tests and specialized things in order to make sure I was getting the best shoe for me.  It was also a bonus that they carry most of their shoes down to a size 5 which is not standard for almost any shoe store!

 Now that running can be done just for my cardio I am planning on really concentrating on lifting and getting the rest of my body as toned as my legs have gotten.  Since I haven't concentrated on lifting in a while I am planning on doing these exercises that I found on He and She Eat Clean which is an awesome website with tips and tricks.  I posted 2 of these a bit ago and they added more so I figure I will put them all in one place.

In order to get them all in during the week I plan on doing leg day with chest/tri day on a non running day but with some other cross cardio work, and then do the back/bi and shoulder on my running days.  I also finish up every workout with some abs. 

And just to make sure that I wouldn't get bored I just bought a groupon for a 4 week women's bootcamp which I hope to start as we get closer to summer and the BF and I both bought groupons to a new Crossfit place in the D that we are excited to try.  Hopefully all this will keep me going and get my bikini body in check!

Disney Princess Half Marathon 2013

Wow I can't believe I haven't blogged in 2 weeks! I got super sick before our vacation, then went on vacation, and then tried to catch up.... I need another vacation lol

But the big story of the last 2 weeks....... the DISNEY PRINCESS HALF MARATHON!!! I was so excited for this race, and Disney did not disappoint.

We got into Disneyworld late Friday night so we just went to bed and set our alarms so we could go to the expo first thing in the morning. We got to the expo about 20 minutes after it opened and oh my! Advice for anyone wanting to run a Disney race, go to the expo the first day and go early. Packet/swag bag pick-up was easy but the actual expo was chaos. There is only a small area selling "official" merchandise and the line when we arrived was already about a half hour. When we got to the area so many things had already sold out which was really disappointing but I guess we learned our lesson. We still ended up with some cool jackets but I was sad the Mickey Ear 13.1 stickers were all gone :-(

 

 

After the expo we decided to get some color by the pool and just had a relaxing day.  We knew we would need it because after looking at the race time, bus schedule, and everything else we realized we were going to have a 2:30 am wake up call!  Most weekends I am still up not setting an alarm at 2:30.  We ate dinner at an all you can eat buffet at the Disney Wilderness Lodge and it was the best idea ever.  We were able to carbo load to our hearts content for only $20 a person which is nuts with Disney pricing. 

 

2:30 came way too early but at that point I was just so excited that it didn't even matter.  We got all ready and were out the door at 2:50 am.  It started off chilly so I brought a jacket but quickly ditched it at  the baggage check at the beginning of the race.  We were bused to the pre-race party area and from the moment we got off the busses it was non stop fun.  They had an awesome DJ that kept the music pumping and when you have 28,000 running milling around the energy is high!  The walk from the pre-race area to the start of the course is about a half mile so we decided to head out and get to our corral to warm up.



We had to wait about 30 minutes after we got there for the start but they still had the music pumping and there was so much excitement.  At about 5:20 the race finally started and the moment I had been waiting for began..... FIREWORKS!!  They had the fairy god mother count down the start of the race and then the fireworks started.  I was like a little kid at Christmas!  The best part through is that I though the fireworks would only be for the first wave but to my surprise they did a whole firework display for each wave so even though we started 2 waves back we still got our very own firework show!!!

I have never been and pretty sure will never be as excited as I was to start running 13.1 miles!  The first few miles have a ton of little things to keep you distracted and entertained and like I said Disney really does know now to make even a long stretch of road into something magical.  But when we ran through the magic kingdom gates it really all started to be real.

 

Little did I know we still had about 3 miles until we would be in the park but the excitement was enough to keep me going.  Then finally we reached the part that I couldn't even imagine... the park!  I have never been to Disneyworld but I thought I knew what to expect from Disneyland, I was wrong.  Everything is so much grander and I was so excited when we finally made it into the park.  Pics probably show everything the best!

 



 This was at mile 5-7 so we still had a long way to go but it was seriously one of the coolest things I have ever done.  The rest of the race was kind of a blur and before I knew it we were at epcot and about to finish!  We didn't get any pics of epcot but there are some awesome professional ones that I can't wait to order. 

 

On the actual running side I was shocked at how easy this race was compared to my Detroit half.  I think its because we were constantly distracted and amazed at everything going on around us.  I also stuck to my training a bit more which of course helped HA.  Running with the BF also helped, it was nice to have the constant motivation to make it just a little farther.  Our official end time was 03:04 however that included the stops for photo ops which sometimes had lines, the BF stopped his watch for the photo ops so we were actually able to run the race in under 02:40 which is a ton of time off my first so I was a very happy camper.  My hip still gave me trouble around mile 11 but this time it wasn't unbearable and I was able to run through it all the way to the end.

We followed up the race with an "ice bath" in the swimming pool and wanted to have a few drinks but the fact that it was only 9 am meant we were out of luck.  This was honestly the coolest race and most amazing experience, anyone thinking about doing it should.  The price is a lot compared to most races but Disney makes each penny worth it.  I think I am done with the half marathons for now but I can see myself doing more Disney races in the future!



Yogurt Cupcakes with Cool Whip Frosting

Who doesn't love a tasty cupcake?!? If I am going to bake and eat something then I want it to taste like it should be bad for me.  Pinterest has been flooded with tons of recipes that just mix something like cake mix with diet pop which to me doesn’t really taste like a real cake at all!  My friend Kelli made me these cupcakes a few years ago for my birthday and they are the best low-guilt cupcake's I have found yet.  The other best part is that you can make these any flavor you would like.  I have always made them with some type of berry yogurt but you can experiment with your favorite flavors to mix it up.

The only big note about these is that the "frosting" contains yogurt so they need to be kept in a cool area until they are served so that the yogurt doesn't spoil.  For picnics or outdoor events I always just put my cupcake carrier in a cooler, but in the office I can usually just put them in a cool room and they are fine. 

Yogurt Cupcakes with Cool Whip Frosting

Ingredients

1 pkg. white cake mix (I use betty crocker super moist)

3/4 C water

1/3 C vegetable oil

3 egg whites

2 6oz containers of flavored yogurt (I use the Yoplait Light)

1/2 container Cool Whip thawed

Directions

1) Mix together cake mix, water, oil, egg whites, and 1 container yogurt until completely mixed

2) Pour into 24 lined cupcake tins and bake as directed on the cake mix box

3) To make frosting: Mix together remaining container of yogurt and Cool Whip

4) Once cupcakes are completely cooled frost with the Cool Whip mixture

5) Keep in cool place until ready to serve

6) Enjoy!

*These were made with strawberry yogurt which is my personal favorite but feel free to mix it up*

Can I be done yet?

10 days until the big race and let’s just say I am over it!  My knees, hips, legs, and feet hurt, and I would rather just be going home after work and napping rather than dedicating an hour to running.  Pretty sure the treadmill is what is getting me.... having to stare at the same view at least an hour 5 times a week has gotten old now that I am 8 weeks in.  Having a race is definitely  what keeps me motivated so thank goodness I am signed up for more this spring but I am hoping the mitten state will give me at least some 40 degree days so I can mix up my training. 

Monday I got in 2 miles and a super difficult lift, Tuesday is school so I didn't get a workout in at all, Yesterday I was able to get in 3.5 miles in with a lift, and today I need to do 4 and some ab work to burn some of the calories I know I will be consuming at work!  This weekend I have to get in 10 miles and then next week I can take it fairly easy since it is race week.  I am thinking that I will be able to accomplish my goal of running the entire 13.1 miles this time.  That is the only goal I set for myself so as long as my pace is averaging 11 minutes per mile I will be a happy camper. 

Since I needed some motivation I googled the half marathon and found this picture which gave me goose bumps.... I am a sucker for fireworks and I am pretty sure if they start the race like this again I will cry happy happy tears!!

2 weeks to go!

Yup only 14 days until the Disneyworld Half-Marathon!

Thankfully last Thursday I was able to get in a 4 mile run.  I knew I wouldn't be able to run this weekend so I wanted to get in a solid 4 miles before I left for my trip.  The run went surprisingly well but I am really sad that I wasn't able to run at all this weekend.  This weekend I need to make sure to get in my full 10 mile run that way I will feel a lot more prepared going into the half.  This is what my schedule looks like for the next two weeks:

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun
7	3	4	0	4	3	0	10
8	3	4	0	3	3	0	13.1

Can't believe it's almost here!

In other news I decided that I really need to go through my workout shirts and retire a few.  Most of my shirts are from college which in my head doesn't seem that far away but then reality strikes that my shirt from 2007 is over 5 years old!!!

I can't lift my arms

So apparently going 6 months without really lifting and then starting back up again will make you extremelly sore!  I have been doing these exercises on top of my running schedule and this week decided to up my weights since it was getting easier, and boy am I paying for it today!  It feels awesome to know that I am now working my whole body but I feel like an old lady since my legs, abs, and whole upperbody is so sore when I get out of bed.  But it will all be worth it in 3 weeks when I put on a bikini and actually feel good about it.

We were in Florida the exact same time last year and I realized that I only have one pic ^ of me actually in my bathing suit the whole time.  Now I know that people would be more than happy with that body but I was not.  I knew I wasn't working out or eating the way I should be, and I didn't feel confident or comfortable which is the key.  With all of my hard work I know that I will feel better then ever this year and can't wait to spend a week relaxing on the beach.  Tonight since I am so sore I am going to take it easy, try to get in an easy 3 mile run and then spend some time with my friend the foam roller.

In other news this week and weekend was crazy.  I finally got my new car!  Had a few too many jello shots at my roomies birthday!  Judged a rib cook-off!  Cught up with a old friend that I am happy to have back in my life!  And made some pretty awesome meals that I am excited to share!

Lightened-up Whole Wheat Lasagna

Italian food is my weakness... well let’s be honest any food is my weakness but Italian holds a soft spot in my heart and tummy.  I love any pasta, whether it be plain, stuffed, rolled, layered, you name it I will eat it. Even though I am trying to eat cleaner and lighter lately I don't want to have to deprive myself of my favorite things.  Since the BF is also a Italian lover so I decided to make a lightened up version of our favorite lasagna! In order to lighten it up I used whole wheat lasagna noodles, Italian turkey sausage, part skim ricotta, and added some spinach to bulk it up.  For 1/12th of the pan you will clock in at about 270 calories, 19 grams of protein, and some calcium, fiber, and iron as well.

Lightened-Up Whole Wheat Lasagna

Adapted from Ronzoni

   Ingredients
3 links hot Italian turkey sausage
1 jar (24oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 cup water
1 15oz container part skim ricotta cheese
2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella divided
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1/2 tbs italian seasoning
1/2 package frozen spinach thawed and drained
12 pieces whole wheat lasagna noodles, uncooked

Directions
1) Remove sausage from casing and cook in large skillet until fully cooked, drain any excess fat
2) Add in spaghetti sauce and water and simmer for 5-10 minutes
3) In separate bowl mix together ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, and parmesan cheese with eggs, seasoning, and spinach
4) Place a cup of sauce in the bottom of a 13x9 pan, then place 4 lasagna noodles on top of the sauce, spoon half of the cheese mixture on top of the noodles and spread evenly, then place 2 cups of sauce on top of the cheese, repeat with noodles, cheese, sauce, noodles, then top with remaining sauce and remaining cup of mozzarella cheese
5) Cover with foil and bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes, remove foil then bake for another 10 min
6) Let sit for a few minutes then enjoy!