A Case of the Runs

Back at the beginning of the year, I made a hasty list of goals for the year, and now that we're approximately half-way through (already!)... it's time for my progress update. Retirement - save for : Now that things are more secure in the employment realm, this has officially begun!  (On the bright side, I had an account at a previous job that has been stagnant since I left it, so now I just have one that will get my bi-weekly contributions.) PR : Not yet, but I did run my best marathon since 2009 this year (twice!) and did my first long relay ... However, I'm actually setting PRs in other athletic realms that I will elaborate upon later in the year (not to build suspense but to ensure I don't put it out there and then fail publicly). Publish (or attempt to publish) something (academic) -- In progress, though "attempt" is in the verbiage, so thank goodness.  This recently got revived, and I have to say that the memory of ever writing a dissertation has

I was finally able to find Vega Sports bars lying around!  I always see the powders everywhere, but even though I saw other bloggers eating these Vega bars, I had yet to see one in any store. Protein-Bar: Vibrancy Bar: Quite frankly, I didn't like the Sport bar at all... I took it to a Dodger game and ended up giving up on it after maybe a quarter of it (the bar, not the game).  This resulted in some unplanned popcorn consumption -- the caramel, sugar-y kind, mind you. ;) The issue I had was the taste of spirulina , which I don't like.  I've always believed I have a sensitive palate, but I can't imagine anyone finding that taste pleasurable at any level.  To me, it tastes worse than whey protein.  The Vibrancy bar was definitely edible, being somewhat tamer on the taste.   Both bars are a little high on the caloric side, so for now, I'd rather eat CLIF Buidler's bars, which taste much better (probably due to higher sugar... oh well),

Well, at the point that this post comes up, I can declare that I only have two weeks left of this program.  I still am amazed how I've been able to not quit! Week 7 Reflections : I had to do a little modifying this week, because in spite of my best intentions, I must move my rest day to Monday or Tuesday.  Given that next Monday's workout is supposed to be a nasty Fit Test (25 min) + Max Interval Circuit (59 min) combo, I elected to do a little shuffling to make it work without killing me.  Well, prolonging my precious rest day will probably kill me, but oh well. Monday - Max Cardio Conditioning Tuesday - Max Interval Circuit Wednesday - Max Interval Pylo modifications Thursday - Core Cardio & Balance (originally Saturday) Friday - Max Cardio Conditioning & Cardio Abs, then Max Recovery (originally Thursday)... whew! Saturday - Fit Test #4 (originally Monday) Sunday - Max Interval Circuit (originally Monday) Monday - Max Interval Plyo (ori

I pretty much stick to Sunwarrior Protein Powder for my liquid protein needs, but I like to stay informed about other choices without breaking the bank. Whole Foods is pretty nifty in that they offer sample-sized bags of protein powders for sale -- you know, so you can try it before you get a big can of something that tastes darn awful.  Of course I don't buy every little packet I see.  At $2-$3+ a pop, it can add up easily.  So I tried to pick ones that didn't rely on soy or spirulina as their main ingredient, because I can't stand the taste of those things in excess. So it came down to Jay Robb's egg white protein and Vega One. Nutritional comparison: definitely more protein bang for my buck in the Jay Robb.  Of course, vegans wouldn't be able to select this option. Taste-wise, Jay Robb's was actually really good for a protein drink (I had it at room temp, but I'm sure it'd be great cold).  I may explore using this brand in the f

Oh, MyFitnessPal ... how I love thee. I started using this site back in November when I set a weight-loss goal .  I can't remember if I started an account on this FREE site before this point, but this was my first real go at it. I lasted a week.  In fact, I might have lasted until Friday afternoon. Things got tricky when I went home, as I didn't always have (or want) access to a computer to keep logging everything in there.  Then, months and some goal regression later, I finally got a connected mobile device.  While this is probably exaggerating, I was probably the last person in my generation to get a cell phone... and almost the same thing has happened for web-enabled phones. Anyway, I started tracking regularly, and then it became second nature. from myfitnesspal.com (works on Android, Blackerry, iPhone/iPad) Nowadays, I think my body just doesn't want to lose weight, yet I've still been tracking because I do want to make sure I don't undereat and

Guess who decided to join my insane antics? At the end of the second week of the program, "The Ukrainian" and I were on a weekend trip with his family.  Determined to not skip a workout, I brought the necessary disc and prayed that the laptop we brought would not give out because the charger had been left behind. Two people doing Insanity in a small room (that doesn't sound right, but keep reading) was a strange sight.  Since I knew the moves, I went off to a corner and let "The Ukrainian" take the front-of-the-laptop space.  Thirty-eight minutes later, we were drenched, and I believe a seed was planted (this continues to sound wrong, agh!). Over the next few weeks, "The Ukrainian" voluntarily popped in that same disc (Pure Cardio) a couple of times.  Then, as I was finishing the first month, he said he was going to do the program.  Wow... I was never able to get him to do any of the other videos  I've done, so there must be something sp

This was my first time making seitan.  Seitan is intimidating.  I always thought it sounded like something my parents call people when they are upset and assumed it was really difficult/lengthy to make, but no, it's actually pretty easy. Seitan isn't for everyone.  Some people can't stand the texture at all, or the fact that -- heck -- it's not meat, duh.  And it's DEFINITELY not for gluten-intolerant/free people, because it is practically a ball of gluten. But if you are inclined to try this, it makes 11 "strips" and contains 5 g protein per strip, so why not? As a note, I don't eat a lot of this fake meat stuff, but once in a while, it's actually pretty good in itself without thinking about what I'm substituting. Homemade Chik'n Seitan inspired by the recipe on the back of the Bob's Red Mill package and conglomerate of online resources makes about 11 "strips"; ~5 min prep, ~60 min cooking Ingredients : - for the

Yep, another post on Insanity.  Thankfully, there are only (!) nine weeks in the program. If you've missed them, here are my previous posts: Month/Phase 1 Week 1 - Secret Insanity Week 2 - Can't Stick to Any Diet Week 3 - How Hard is It? Week 4 - Running versus Insanity Week 5 Reflections: I spent the week recovering. Recovering from the marathon , and, coincidentally, it was the Recovery Week of the Insanity program. Doing these workouts post-marathon was no joke, even if it was "recovery."  I was still dripping sweat by the end... how does that happen?!  I actually found that (carefully) following the Recovery Week helped with the stiffness, but I had to fight both my body and creeping doubts about my ability to safely continue.  Let's just say there were squat hops, high vertical jumps, and other post-marathon no-nos embedded in there, but as I mentioned, if you're doing it right, most of your energy should come from the core, anyway, and l

UPDATE: 6/21/12 -- This giveaway is closed, and the winner is #43, Jacqueline!!  I will contact you, but if you miss it, please e-mail me! ------ I'd like to credit in advance "The Ukrainian" who helped me stage some photos for this post. =) Perhaps because I don't dress well when working out, I was offered the opportunity to try some fun pieces from the Rebecca Michaels summer collection. Since I complained about my issues with headbands staying on my head, I also got to try their Violet Love headbands.  "The Ukrainian" didn't hesitate in throwing one on, and I think he said he looks like Rambo in it. Anyway, I'll start with my experience with the headbands .  They are very soft and actually look SUPER cute on!  They also cover a large portion of the top of your head, so those little fly-aways don't come drooping down.  Or is that just me?  My hair is normally cut in layers, so I do experience this quite a bit. Unfortun

Since I started running long distances, the frequency that I wear heels, along with the height of said heels, has definitely taken a plunge. As a person who works in an office building with a pretty solid dress code, this is kind of an impasse.  I need to look professional, but I also need to be able to walk.  It doesn't help that even without heels, I have foot issues . I had a chance to try some high-heel inserts from Dr. Scholl's .  I've seen these products around but wasn't sure if they worked. These inserts peel back from a clear sheet of paper and adhere to the bottom of your shoes.  So I put mine in a pair of heels that I regularly wear to work. In my hand, it feels cushion-y... gel-like, and pretty durable overall.  It is clearly marked with placement cues ("heel," "left," etc.) and sticks securely. In my shoe, however, I found that it supports my foot in the wrong places and actually crams part of my feet in such a way that

My Garmin 405  didn't come with a heart rate monitor strap, so besides the fact that I barely scratch the surface when it comes to the watch's abilities, I've also never tapped into heart-rate monitoring. However, when "The Ukrainian" bought his Garmin 305 , it was not only a bargain ( Best Buy sale!), but it also came with the HRM attachment. Fortunately the ANT+Sport technology it uses means it's also compatible with my relatively newer Garmin, but the battery had long run out, so we kind of just ignored it.... until now. Not knowing how intense my Insanity workouts really were, I tracked them as "vigorous calisthenics" on MyFitnessPal  (I should really get to doing a review on this app/site).  However, by using a heart rate monitor, I discovered that this was robbing me some of the true burn for each workout.  No wonder I've been hungry a lot... but then again, I was hungry a lot before Insanity and before tracking my intake and