Health & Fitness in December

For the month of December, I took a break from all running.  I won a FitBit through a drawing at work so I decided to start it on December 1 and track my steps for the entire month.  I didn't do anything outside my regular activities (ie going to work, social events, etc.) for this month so these numbers are a true baseline for me.  And I was stunned at the end of the first week when I hadn't managed to hit the daily goal of 10,000 steps one single time. 

Dec 1 - 5,793 steps

Dec 2 - 6,442 steps

Dec 3 - 5,181 steps

Dec 4 - 9,349 steps

Dec 5 - 2,823 steps

Dec 6 - 7,379 steps

Dec 7 - 8,195 steps

I managed a pretty good streak to start the next seven days and managed to get fairly close to my goal on each of the other days.  A simple one or two mile walk work have easily pushed me over my goal on each of those days.

*Dec 8 - 12,198 steps!!!!*

*Dec 9 - 11,543 steps!!!!*

*Dec 10 - 10,354 steps!!!!*

Dec 11 - 7,136 steps

Dec 12 - 8,407 steps

Dec 13 - 7,911 steps

Dec 14 - 7,923 steps

Then, a cold/sore throat struck and I was even more sedentary than usual.  Ugh!!  I rarely feel crummy, but when I do it is no fun at all.

Dec 15 - 5,593 steps

Dec 16 - 5,949 steps

Dec 17 - 5,201 steps

Dec 18 - 6,153 steps

Dec 19 - 3,728 steps

Dec 20 - 7,711 steps

Dec 21 - 3,523 steps

I flew to Kentucky on the 21st where I spent most of my time in a car for several days straight and hit my lowest numbers of steps for the whole month.  I sure did enjoy all that time with my family though!!

Dec 22 - 3,665 steps

Dec 23 - 3,770 steps

Dec 24 - 3,164 steps

Dec 25 - 1,887 steps

Dec 26 - 3,014 steps

Dec 27 - 3,761 steps

I made a bit of a surge the last few days of December even managing to hit my goal one last time before another holiday was upon me.

Dec 28 - 8,877 steps

Dec 29 - 5,981 steps

*Dec 30 - 10,713 steps!!!!*

Dec 31 - 5,466 steps

Overall, I learned from this month that it is crucial to my health and fitness that I make a concerted effort each day to exercise in some form.  Maybe one day it is a run and others it is a walk.  Or perhaps I decide to spend time going through a workout video.  Whatever way I choose to do it, I learned from tracking my steps with the FitBit this month that it is extremely important to be much more active than I anticipated!

How was your December??

Andrea :)

Health & Fitness in November

This month started strong with the running of my second NYC Marathon, but then it held some much needed rest!  I needed it desperately after the marathon.  However, I didn't want all of the efforts to get in running shape to disappear after the big race so I made the choice to sign up for a short 4-miler at the end of November.

I started back at the beginning the week before the 4-mile God's Love We Deliver run with one solitary mile.  I ran the entire mile...and it felt good.  Two days later, I ran a couple solid miles.  Still felt good.  Another two days, I gave it my all for three miles.  A bit more difficult for me to not take any breaks, but I did it.  I was ready!  My plan worked well because I ran for the entire time during the 4-mile race...finishing with my best time all year - 11:52 per mile!

Nov 16 - 1 mile run on treadmill

Nov 18 - 2 mile run on treadmill

Nov 20 - 3 mile run on treadmill

I gave myself another break for the Thanksgiving holiday, but I know I've got to get back to it for December.  I began tracking my daily steps with my new FitBit starting on December 1 so it will be interesting to see how I do with step counts all month!  I don't have any races on the books for the next couple of months so it will be more important than ever that I make time for the gym!

What are you favorite winter workouts?

 
Andrea :)

Health & Fitness in October

In September, I didn't manage to prioritize my fitness goals properly so I promised myself I would do better in October.  I am happy to report - I met that goal!

Not only did I complete a half marathon, but I also hit all my training runs.  I did modify when needed, but I was thrilled to be able to mark each and every one off my calendar!

As you are reading this, I am running my second NYC Marathon!  I shared my goals with you on Friday.  Most importantly, no matter what happens out there on those 26.2 miles I plan to be smiling at the finish line!  Thankfully, we are set to have beautiful weather!  I look forward to sharing my journey with you soon!!

Andrea :)

Rock 'n' Roll...Oh, no!!

I finished the race!  The tech shirt is great!  The medal is massive!

That is the extent of my positive feelings toward the extremely disorganized inaugural Rock 'n' Roll Brooklyn Half.  The communication from sign-up to race day was non-existent.  No email reminder the week of the race to outline expo details for packet pick-up.  No easy to navigate packet pick-up for that matter.  And...nearly an hour delay at the start line on race day.

But let me back up two days.  It's Thursday.  The race has a 7am start time on Saturday morning.  I go for one last short 5 mile run to give me some confidence headed into race day.  And, I trip...and fall - hard!  It hurt.  Really hurt.  Being a mile away from my apartment, I had no other choice but to run/walk home.  So I did.  And then I cried.

Chris helped me get the gash on my arm cleaned out and doctored up.  I alternated between ice and compression for my badly bruised knee.  It was not a good look a mere 36 hours to the start line.  Not to mention that this half was only on my schedule as a training run for the NYC Marathon...only three weeks away at that point in time.

The night before the race my knee felt better.  Not great, but better.  I felt like I could move forward with the race.  I would have to alternate between running and walking more than I originally planned, but I could make it.  I would be ok.  I set the alarm for 5am and went to sleep.

As usual, everything took me longer than expected when I woke.  It didn't help that I wanted to ice one last time before I headed out.  I arrived at the start line about 15 minutes after 7am.  Guess it worked to my advantage that my corral didn't officially begin the race until a few minutes shy of 8am.  Fortunately, I found my friend, Rachel, in the crowd of people! 

The race itself was a challenge for me.  I'd like to think it wouldn't have been so trying if I hadn't somewhat injured myself, but in all honesty it likely would have still been tough.  This round of marathon training has taught me that long distance races are simply not in my future.  It's too difficult on my body and time at this point in life.  That's a story for another day though.

I managed to keep a pretty consistent pace throughout the race.  I anticipated being around 13:30 per mile, but instead I clocked an average of 14 minute miles for a final time of 3:03:27.  It was certainly my slowest half marathon, but I felt proud that I pushed through and finished the race.  I felt EVERY single step of this one.  It was not easy by any stretch of the imagination.  Perseverance was the name of the game for me in this race.  I'm happy I stuck with it even though I felt like giving up more than once along the way.

I'm not sure if I will ever challenge myself with this distance again, but it certainly won't be any time soon.  Except, of course, when I double it next weekend for my second NYC Marathon.  But seriously, then I'm all about that 10k course for the foreseeable future!

Andrea :)

Health & Fitness in September

Honestly, this past month has been a major struggle on the marathon training end.  The month began with a long weekend visit as we hosted my out-of-town parents.  Straying from my routine for those five days wasn't so bad.  I could have recovered from that small deviance easily.  However, the day after my parents left, Chris and I boarded a plane for our west coast adventure.  We did manage a couple of days of significant hiking and walking the steep terrain of California, but I didn't run once during our 10 day journey.

September 1 - 4 mile run

September 3 - 5 mile run

September 10 - 2 mile run; 6 mile bike

September 22 - 4 mile run

September 24 - 7 mile run 

September 26 - 16 mile bike

September 29 - 5 mile run

So...you can imagine my trepidation when I returned on September 21 with only a handful of short runs under my belt for the whole month.  I expected to be in real trouble.  And maybe I am, but I also think the rest gave my legs a much needed break.  I felt strong in those first two runs after the trip.  I am working hard to attempt to return to a reasonable level of endurance in the long runs.  My true test will come next weekend when I try my hand...or rather legs...at the Brooklyn Rock-n-Roll Half I'm signed up to run.  It is sure to give me an indication of how this marathon will pan out since I'm just under a month away now!

Here's hoping for a quality October in the training department!

Andrea :)

Health & Fitness in August

I'm one month into marathon training.  It's going well.  It started off rough though.  Really rough.  But after a month, I'm good.  Well...as good as I could have hoped at this point! Surprisingly, I stuck with my schedule of running (sometimes in more of a walk/run pattern) four days a week.  It was great in the beginning.  I felt like it really helped me to get back into the swing of things.  However, as the month progressed and my body got used to running those short(er) runs during the week, it started to feel a little repetitive to run back-to-back on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Given that and a number of other reasons, I decided to make a switch for September.  I am going to cut back to three runs per week.  As the mileage increases both during the week and on the weekend long run, I want to ensure I give myself a proper amount of time to recover between runs.  We'll also be gone for a portion of the month and I know it won't be realistic to keep up with all the runs then so I am attempting to keep things somewhat attainable.

My only other update to the schedule is the addition of a half marathon the second weekend in October.  Originally, that was scheduled to be my final long run (20 miles), but after further reflection I think a timed race at that point will be more beneficial for me.  Mostly, I feel it will give me a realistic idea on my pace for the marathon itself.  Either way, I am looking forward to the challenge/test!

Andrea :)

My Training Plan for 2015 NYC Marathon

The 2015 NYC Marathon is on November 1 this year - just three short months away!  I searched several different online plans and developed something that I hope works for me.  I know from my previous experience running this marathon that ultimately just finishing the race is my number one goal.  Of course, I'd like to improve on my time, but at the end of all this preparation I really just want to have a fun day running through all five boroughs of NYC!

As you can see from my plan, I'll be attempting to run four times a week.  I will probably use Sunday as a rest day especially as the mileage increases throughout September and October.  The other two days, I hope to incorporate cross-training either via 30-minute workout DVDs or bike/elliptical and weights.  It all seems pretty overwhelming at this point, but I am hopeful that once I lock into a routine (and the weather cools a bit) that it will start to feel like a natural progression from week to week.

In the end, I know from my training experience last time that much of this type of distance race can be mental.  Knowing that I have done it before will certainly work on my side.  I also know that if I don't make every single run or if I need to cut some of the long run short that it will be fine.  I want to enjoy this training experience as much as possible so I may need to make tweaks over the next few weeks to adjust and I'm ok with that.  One thing I am hoping to incorporate into my runs (particularly the longer ones) are audio books.  I'm quite curious to see how that goes since I've mostly run with music in the past!

Do you have any marathon training tips for me?

Andrea :)

Health & Fitness in July

July was a bit of a rest month for me.  Mostly due to our crammed travel schedule having us away nearly half the month on various trips.  I did stick with the daily challenge for everyday this month except my birthday weekend!) and managed a few low intensity workouts mid-month.  This daily challenge was by far the most difficult one I have completed.  I felt the burn often!

Tomorrow, I will be posting my training plan for the NYC Marathon so running will be back to top priority in August and the coming months.  I am looking forward to getting it back on the schedule so that must mean the July break was a good thing for me...at least mentally.

Andrea :)

Health & Fitness in June

Since my workout strategy for May was a success, I decided to complete a similar total body challenge each day in June.  The challenge this month was more intense, but I felt much stronger as each day passed.  Toward the end of the month, my brother and his family came to visit and I was gone on a work trip, but I managed to work in a handful of two-a-days in order to fully complete the challenge.  Here's what the rest of June looked like for me...

June 1-6

Mon - Rest
Tues - Rest
Wed - 5 mile run
Thurs - Rest
Fri -5 mile run

Sat - Rest

June 7-13

Sun - Rest
Mon -12 mile stationary bike
Tues - 3.1 mile run

Wed - Yoga

Thurs - 3.1 mile run

Fri - Rest

Sat - Oakley New York Mini 10k - I SET A PR!!

June 14-20

Sun - Rest
Mon - Bootcamp

Tues - Rest

Wed - 10 mile stationary bike

Thurs - Rest

Fri - Rest

Sat - 7 mile walk all over NYC

June 21-27

Sun - Rest
Mon - Rest

Tues - Rest

Wed - Work Travel

Thurs - Work Travel

Fri - Work Travel

Sat - Rest

June 28-30

Sun - Rest
Mon - Bootcamp

Tues - 10 mile stationary bike

Going into July, I feel ready to get back on the running train.  And I have a new daily challenge to keep me on my toes as well.  We do have quite a bit of traveling going on though so I am just going to do my best to make the most of this month! 

Andrea :)

Health & Fitness in May

In May, I decided to challenge myself with two quick ab centered workouts each day.  I had been struggling with my running and thought maybe this would help as much as anything else I'd tried.  I'm happy to report that I completed every single one of the ab and squat challenges in May.  And it did make a significant difference with I started running again toward the middle of the month.

May 1-3

Fri - 6 mile stationary bike

Sat - 5 mile stationary bike

Sun - Yoga

May 4-10

Mon - Bootcamp

Tues - Rest

Wed -6 mile stationary bike

Thurs -Rest

Fri - Cardio Fix Workout

Sat - Rest

Sun - 10 mile stationary bike

May 11-17

Mon - Bootcamp

Tues - Rest

Wed - Rest

Thurs - yoga

Fri - Rest

Sat - Dirty 30 Workout

Sun - 8 mile stationary bike

May 18-24

Mon - 1 mile run

Tues - Rest

Wed - 1.5 mile run

Thurs - Rest

Fri - 2 mile run

Sat - Rest

Sun - Rest

May 25-31

Mon - 3 mile run

Tues - Rest

Wed - Rest

Thurs - 3 mile run

Fri - Out of Town

Sat - Out of Town

Sun - Out of Town

I didn't record my meals as closely as I had in previous months, but I took my lunch to work almost everyday.  This has been helpful in not only being able to control portion sizes, but also in providing myself with healthy options.  We also have not eaten out much this month choosing instead to try new, healthy recipes at home.

Andrea :)

Health & Fitness in April

April started off strong as I ramped up to my half marathon mid-month.  I trailed off a bit after that, but I am planning to challenge myself throughout May with daily ab and squat workouts.  I also signed up for a 10k in mid-June so I want to work on improving my stamina and speed for that race.  Here's a look back at April...

April 1-5

Wed - OFF

Thurs -1 mile run; 4 mile elliptical (my knees were hurting badly...thinking a shoe change is in order)

Fri - OFF

Sat - 2 mile walk; 8 mile run (still had some knee pain on inclines with additional shin issues...set to change out shoes next week)

Sun - EASTER!!

Healthy Meals: started packing lunch to help keep portions consistent

April 6-12

Mon -Bootcamp

Tues - 6 miles on elliptical

Wed -Yoga

Thurs - Cardio Fix Workout

Fri - OFF

Sat - 8 mile run outside - best I have felt in a LONG time

Sun - OFF

Healthy Meals: continued packing lunches...mostly using leftovers

April 13-19
Mon - Bootcamp
Tues -OFF
Wed -OFF
Thurs -Cardio Fix Workout
Fri - Celebrated Five Years!
Sat -12 mile stationary bike
Sun -More Half Marathon - recap HERE!!
Healthy Meals: continued with the packed leftovers for lunch

April 20-26
Mon -Yoga
Tues - Deep Tissue Massage
Wed - Rest
Thurs - OFF - traveling for work
Fri - OFF - traveling for work
Sat - Wedding Fun in Albany 
Sun - OFF 
Healthy Meals:  Ate lots of veggies this week!

April 27-30
Mon - Bootcamp
Tues - OFF
Wed - OFF
Thurs - OFF
Healthy Meals: Didn't do so well on meals this week...need to reload on fruit and veggies at the grocery this weekend!

The last couple of weeks, I really took some time to relax and rest.  I know I have to get back after it in May though. Finally, the weather is cooperating, and I have lots of great plans for a successful month ahead!

Andrea :)

Health & Fitness in March

Happy Easter!!!  

Hope you all have a wonderful day celebrating the resurrection of our Lord!!

Picking up where I left off in February, here goes my health and fitness breakdown for March.  Overall, I made some progress, but still have a long way to go!  Determined to get there though!

March 1-8

Sun - did not run as intended (snowstorm delayed us getting back from Albany)

Mon - Bootcamp

Tues - 4 mile run (limited walking)

Wed - OFF

Thurs - 4 mile run (best I've felt so far in this journey)

Fri - OFF

Sat/Sun - did not run as intended (delayed flight back from Pitt)

Healthy Meals: worked on smaller portions particularly at dinner

Taken from Manhattan's east side after running across Queensboro Bridge...

March 9-15

Mon - Bootcamp

Tues - 4 mile run (a small amount of walking)

Wed - OFF

Thurs - 2 mile run, 4 mile elliptical, 6 mile bike (needed a break from running on the treadmill...this crazy March weather has been killing me!!)

Fri - OFF

Sat/Sun - 8 mile run (outside...finally!!!)

Healthy Meals: salad for lunch three times this week

March 16-22

Mon - Bootcamp

Tues - 3.5 mile run (back on the treadmill)

Wed - OFF

Thurs - 6 mile run

Fri - OFF

Sat/Sun - Gone to Dallas for Tarra and Evan's wedding

Healthy Meals: salad for lunch three times this week plus healthy (veggies, nuts) snacks

Taken on my run in Central Park...

March 23-31

Mon - Bootcamp was cancelled :(

Tues - 4 mile run OUTSIDE!!

Wed - OFF

Thurs - 2 mile walk and 8 mile bike

Fri - OFF

Sat/Sun - 12 mile run (including some walking...in Central Park)

Mon/Tues - out of town for work

Healthy Meals: conscious effort to portion out both lunch and dinner

Here's to an exciting April...including my half marathon mid-month!!

Andrea :)

Health & Fitness in February

Goal #2

Focus on my health and nutrition.  I'm no spring chicken anymore.  Consequently, what I put into my body matters...a lot.  I am determined to work on creating more balanced meals.  And, of course, exercising on a consistent basis.  My plan is to use this blog to keep me in check.  I want to recap each month with my progress in this area.

I skipped January because to be honest I was gone for half the month working Pro Bowl and Super Bowl.  That time never proves conducive to anything else besides working.  I did do a bit of exercising with workout videos prior to my departure in mid-January, but nothing noteworthy.

To begin February, I signed up for a spring half-marathon.  Along with signing up for it, I put together a training plan that would begin February 3 upon my return from Arizona.

I had not run at all since my last NYRR race in November so I knew that getting back into the swing of things was going to be a challenge.  I started off with short distances using a run/walk method.  Overall, I tried to eat smaller portions and began incorporating spinach salads for lunch a couple times a week.  I didn't do a very good job with documenting food choices each week though.  I'll work on improving my record keeping going forward.

February 2-8

Mon - Traveling back from Arizona

Tues - 3 miles (run/walk method)

Wed - OFF

Thurs - 2 miles (run/walk method)

Fri - OFF

Sat - too sore to run (supposed to run 3 miles)

Sun - 4 miles (run/walk method)

The first week was rough!  I was extremely sore.  And I began to seriously hate the treadmill.  I was dreading week two...

February 9-15

Mon - Bootcamp

Tues - 3 miles (run/walk method)

Wed - OFF

Thurs - 1 mile run/walk + bike for 30 min (supposed to run 3 miles)

Fri - OFF

Sat - did not run

Sun - did not run

I was hurting.  Getting back into running...via the treadmill in the dead of winter...was not going so well.  I was beginning to wonder if I had made a huge mistake signing up for the half marathon.  And to rub salt in the wound even more I had to decide whether or not to pay the entry fee for the NYC Marathon by the end of this week.  I was really not wanting to sign up.  I was doubting if I could do it, but after a pep talk from Chris I decided this was mind over matter...and he reminded me that I had already done all the qualifying work last year, too.  I was in.

February 16-22

Mon - Bootcamp was cancelled so OFF

Tues - 3 miles (run/walk method)

Wed - OFF

Thurs - 3 miles (run/walk method)

Fri - OFF

Sat/Sun - 6 miles (run 1 mile, elliptical machine for 40 minutes, run 1.5 miles)

Week three went better.  I made a decision to adjust my running plan to accommodate for the horrid treadmill.  I removed one run from the week - essentially giving me one extra rest day.  I started to feel the difference in the runs, too.  I was gaining momentum and being able to run for longer stretches at a time.  Still taking a few walk breaks, but working hard to maintain the runs even if my pace was a bit slower for those longer runs.

February 23-28

Monday - Bootcamp

Tuesday - 4 miles (very limited walking)

Wednesday - OFF

Thursday - 3 miles (supposed to be 5 miles, but upset stomach got in the way)

Friday - OFF

Saturday - Traveling

The last week of February started off strong.  Bootcamp was a killer, but in the best possible way.  And my Tuesday run felt great!  I ran nearly the entire time.  Unfortunately some stomach issues thwarted my plans on Thursday, but I didn't entirely give up.  I also made a decision to incorporate daily abdominal workouts into my March schedule.  Excited about that as well as the long run I'm planning to bust out today!

Do you use a workout or running schedule?  

Have any tips?

Andrea :)

The Four Week Fit Challenge - Recap

I am excited to join Erin and Kristin for this recap link-up! 

Overall, this challenge was a success for me.  It gave me goals to focus on and strive toward.  I felt like I well surpassed my expectations for this challenge in two of the categories, but I didn't really do super well on the other one.  I guess two out of three is progress though!  Gives me something to continue to work on going forward!

Here is a recap of my progress on my three goals:

1) Go for a 2-6 mile run AT LEAST three times a week.  Racing season is back so I want to make sure I am properly preparing for a number of shorter (10k or less) races I have on the horizon.

This was my failure.  I think I managed one run each week.  I had a 10k race in the middle of the month which went surprisingly well for me considering I just wasn't feeling it from pretty much the start.  Otherwise, my month was just jam packed and super busy.  I know that isn't a great excuse, but I just haven't felt like running much lately.  I have a full race calendar in June though so hopefully I can find my grove again soon.

2) Complete each of the following 30-day challenges for arms, abs, and lunges.

Done. Done. And Done.  I could not have been any more proud of myself for sticking in there with these workouts.  There was only two days that I had to push it over into the next one, but I did double duty those two days to ensure I got all 30 workouts in!  These were not easy...especially toward the end, but I can totally tell a difference in my arm strength for sure.  I am going to research some additional options for similar, but new challenges for next month.

3) Track my eating habits on My Fitness Pal.  I have done this in the past and it really helped me to think about what I ate before I ate it.  It's time to dust off that helpful app again! 

Done. I tracked everything I ate for the whole month!  I had a few terrible days, but also a few great ones.  Going to try to keep this one up as well.

Looking forward to seeing all of your recaps today!  I just know you all did great! 

Andrea :)

The Four Week Fit Challenge - Goals

I am excited to join Erin and Kristin for this great challenge and link-up! 

Here are my three goals:

1) Go for a 2-6 mile run AT LEAST three times a week.  Racing season is back so I want to make sure I am properly preparing for a number of shorter (10k or less) races I have on the horizon.

2) Complete each of the following 30-day challenges for arms, abs, and lunges.

3) Track my eating habits on My Fitness Pal.  I have done this in the past and it really helped me to think about what I ate before I ate it.  It's time to dust off that helpful app again! 

Looking forward to seeing all of your goals as well as linking up at the end of May to report on how my successes throughout the month! 

Andrea :)