The Tuesdays on the Run this week asks "If you could make the perfect race, what would you like to see included? Do you have any deal breakers that would make you avoid signing up for a race? Have you run a race that you would consider "perfect"?"
Must Haves/Deal Breakers:
Closed to traffic. I've run a few races that have been on roads open or partially open to traffic and as a rule I hate them. I'm looking at you Lola's Half Marathon.
The exception is Feet in the Street because you just cannot believe how well done that race is, including traffic management.
Chip timed: When I was picking my last 5K, that was something that I really looked for. This seems to be an issue particularly in the 5K distance. Longer distances are almost always chip timed.
Excellent Race Organization: There's one race organization that's kind of notorious locally as one to be
avoided. They famously cancelled
a full marathon in a way that just screamed "let me take your
money and hang on to it for a while, because we know we don't have
permits for this race".
For me to fork over money, the race organizers have to be legit. Locally, I've enjoyed any Mary Anderson Races or Final Stretch Races. On a larger scale, both TCM and Flying Pig are incredibly well organized.
The "perfect" race:
The closest to perfect I've ever seen was actually the Avondale 5K. It's a very small race, partially open to traffic. It was so crazy well organized, and the police did such a great job of traffic management, I'll run it every year I can. (This race has a special place in my heart because it's where I'm from.)
Honorable mention: When I'm asked to compare TCM and Flying Pig, I put Flying Pig first. TCM seems to have race routes in more affluent areas of town only. Flying Pig routes covers some low income and African American neighborhoods. Everyone gets involved, including schools and neighborhood groups. It's a big city race but all the different groups and course entertainment make it feel like a small town race that belongs to every little neighborhood on the course.
31.10.18
27.10.18
Linkfest: Runner advice, etc.
Runner advice #1 Run like we are lifting you up and carrying you towards your goal. I used this on race day and literally imagined my friends "lifting me up" those hills. I even made a note to myself to remember.
Also, be your own best friend, be kind and supportive of yourself. True story. During a race, I have to be my best cheerleader. Anyone who knows me knows "cheerleader" isn't a word used to describe me.
Do you encounter wildlife on your run? I am totally afraid of bears. What would I do if I was running and I saw one?
Sports related, and life related, but not running related. I never went to any homecoming. Not in high school, college, grad school, or as an alum. Though I'm sure my reasons are different than those mentioned in this article, it's never been for me either.
Do you encounter wildlife on your run? I am totally afraid of bears. What would I do if I was running and I saw one?
Sports related, and life related, but not running related. I never went to any homecoming. Not in high school, college, grad school, or as an alum. Though I'm sure my reasons are different than those mentioned in this article, it's never been for me either.
20.10.18
Gracie's Cupcake Trot 5K
Gracie's Cupcake Trot in Andover, MN.
Registration: Online via IM Athlete. Since it's via IM Athlete, it's fairly predictable and easy.
Packet Pickup: It's a race day pick up. The volunteers are super sweet!
SWAG: Pink bracelet, a hair tie that I did not take, and an adorable shirt. All runners get a free cupcake after the race.
Transportation to and from the race: I drove to the race, got there around 8:45am which was PLENTY of time. Parking was in a lot, totally not a problem.
Volunteers: There was a mix of volunteers. Some people had shirts saying "Gracies...." (Mom, Dad, uncle, etc) and some had normal volunteer shirts. Most of the course marshall volunteers appeared to be teenagers. I want to know how this organization got so many kids to stand out in the cold and clap for me. That alone is wonderful.
Start Line: The start line was in a parking lot. No joke. Also, no timing mats.
Finish: OMG, the last 0.01 miles are up this super steep little "speed bump" thing. Someone was behind me and I was trying so hard not to get passed. I thought I was going to die.
Things to know:
Timing: The website says this is a chip timed race. In real life, it's a gun start and chip finish. There were 65 people in this race, so the gun times and chip times are about the same. Not a big deal. But, it's a distinction a lot of "serious" runners would make.
Start time: This race started 15 minutes late because there was a presentation about the non-profit putting on the race that took a while. I knew at 9:20 when the kids run hadn't started that the race wouldn't go on time. There was a warm space inside (with indoor restrooms with hot water) to wait. It's not a big deal, but it's something that people who come to run a race will notice.
Course Map: There's no Course Map available online. I wish there was. Seeing an elevation profile also would've helped me have a better day. I think some runners would've been curious enough about the course to bring them out just for that. Since it's a certified course, there's got to be a map somewhere right?
Race Recommended For: This is a very small, very low key race. I saw lots of kids and families, including a few moms with strollers. Overall the race was adorable, the volunteers were nice, and I'd do it again if the timing works out.
Fasties: Because it's a small race, you will probably win
People who like to run alone: I got a lot of practice racing the tangents and chasing people. Even though this was a race, it felt like a training run in some ways too, because I was on my own so much.
Families/Kids: There were a lot of kids here; there's also a shorter fun run for kids before the 5K if you have a kid who's too little to go 3 miles
Health conditions: If congenital heart defects have impacted your life/family, these are your people.
If you're normally in the back of the pack; here's my infographic. I was in the top 10 women.
My run:
Start time: Posted as 9:30am for the 5K. In real life, it was 9:45am, which they announced around 9:15am. At least there was a warm place to wait.
Weather: Ask me about the wind and snow. The wind was rough. Snow stopped before the race though.
Wardrobe: Top: Long sleeve shirt; jacket, hat
Bottoms: Brooks running pants, wool socks
Shoes: Merrel Trail Crushers because I wasn't clear if this race was going to be on pavement or not
Route: This course runs around Bunker Hills Regional Park. I mostly ran this race because I wanted to see Bunker Hills and decide if it was worth it to buy an Anoka County Park pass. (If any of these paved trails are plowed in the winter, I absolutely will buy a park pass.) This is a very hilly course. Starts on a road, but mostly on paved trails. In most places there were volunteers to direct runners at turns, but a couple more places could've used a volunteer. I was glad I had a runner ahead of me to follow.
Plan/Goals: I was sort of thinking if I could run under 30 minutes or not. Ultimately the plan was "run by feel" and "run hard". I didn't know if I could do 30 minutes because I didn't know the course or elevation.
Execution: I ran the first mile too fast, but generally did the "run hard" and "run by feel" thing quite well. Around mile 3 I could hear someone behind me so I really poured on the gas at the end. I thought I was going to die. There was no oxygen. I really didn't want to get passed.
Nutrition: LOL. Did I tell you about the cupcake at the end?
Results: 32:45, 3rd in my age group. I don't know if I get an AG award because I left shortly after the race.
From today, I learned: Even in a race where I'm not going to look at my watch, might be a good idea to check my pace in the first quarter mile to make sure I'm not being an idiot. I started the race a bit too fast. I think if I'd been smarter, I could've squeeze out even more in the last mile.
Remember for next time: The first mile is the hardest. Don't be an idiot.
Bonus: Ask me about the cupcake at the end.
My first race of 2018 was super cold and windy, so there's a nice symmetry with the conditions of this race.
Registration: Online via IM Athlete. Since it's via IM Athlete, it's fairly predictable and easy.
Packet Pickup: It's a race day pick up. The volunteers are super sweet!
SWAG: Pink bracelet, a hair tie that I did not take, and an adorable shirt. All runners get a free cupcake after the race.
Transportation to and from the race: I drove to the race, got there around 8:45am which was PLENTY of time. Parking was in a lot, totally not a problem.
Volunteers: There was a mix of volunteers. Some people had shirts saying "Gracies...." (Mom, Dad, uncle, etc) and some had normal volunteer shirts. Most of the course marshall volunteers appeared to be teenagers. I want to know how this organization got so many kids to stand out in the cold and clap for me. That alone is wonderful.
Start Line: The start line was in a parking lot. No joke. Also, no timing mats.
Things to know:
Timing: The website says this is a chip timed race. In real life, it's a gun start and chip finish. There were 65 people in this race, so the gun times and chip times are about the same. Not a big deal. But, it's a distinction a lot of "serious" runners would make.
Start time: This race started 15 minutes late because there was a presentation about the non-profit putting on the race that took a while. I knew at 9:20 when the kids run hadn't started that the race wouldn't go on time. There was a warm space inside (with indoor restrooms with hot water) to wait. It's not a big deal, but it's something that people who come to run a race will notice.
Course Map: There's no Course Map available online. I wish there was. Seeing an elevation profile also would've helped me have a better day. I think some runners would've been curious enough about the course to bring them out just for that. Since it's a certified course, there's got to be a map somewhere right?
Race Recommended For: This is a very small, very low key race. I saw lots of kids and families, including a few moms with strollers. Overall the race was adorable, the volunteers were nice, and I'd do it again if the timing works out.
Fasties: Because it's a small race, you will probably win
People who like to run alone: I got a lot of practice racing the tangents and chasing people. Even though this was a race, it felt like a training run in some ways too, because I was on my own so much.
Families/Kids: There were a lot of kids here; there's also a shorter fun run for kids before the 5K if you have a kid who's too little to go 3 miles
Health conditions: If congenital heart defects have impacted your life/family, these are your people.
If you're normally in the back of the pack; here's my infographic. I was in the top 10 women.
My run:
Start time: Posted as 9:30am for the 5K. In real life, it was 9:45am, which they announced around 9:15am. At least there was a warm place to wait.
Weather: Ask me about the wind and snow. The wind was rough. Snow stopped before the race though.
Bottoms: Brooks running pants, wool socks
Shoes: Merrel Trail Crushers because I wasn't clear if this race was going to be on pavement or not
Plan/Goals: I was sort of thinking if I could run under 30 minutes or not. Ultimately the plan was "run by feel" and "run hard". I didn't know if I could do 30 minutes because I didn't know the course or elevation.
Nutrition: LOL. Did I tell you about the cupcake at the end?
Results: 32:45, 3rd in my age group. I don't know if I get an AG award because I left shortly after the race.
From today, I learned: Even in a race where I'm not going to look at my watch, might be a good idea to check my pace in the first quarter mile to make sure I'm not being an idiot. I started the race a bit too fast. I think if I'd been smarter, I could've squeeze out even more in the last mile.
Remember for next time: The first mile is the hardest. Don't be an idiot.
Bonus: Ask me about the cupcake at the end.
My first race of 2018 was super cold and windy, so there's a nice symmetry with the conditions of this race.
16.10.18
Outrun your... uh-oh
My friends at TCM had a promotion this year called "Outrun yourself" for the 10 Mile and Marathon participants. If you ran the race last year, run the same race this year, and your time is faster, you are automatically qualified for the promotion.
Let me tell you, I think the worst thing in the world would be to win regular first prize. How bummed would I be if I won a freaking marathon entry? I really just want the hat.
13.10.18
Race Photos
TCM offers free race photos for the 5K, 10K, and 10 mile. Last year I couldn't find any pictures of myself from the 5K or the 10 Mile, but I had some from the 10K. This year, I have them from all 3 races.
10K (Saturday): I am dressed like a highlighter!
5K: Not posted because it's like a page from 'Where's Waldo' and I'm in the same outfit. (Perhaps if you gave us the loop course back, things would be less crowded?)
10 Mile, half way point. I legit did not know there was a camera there until I saw someone else 'strike a pose' and then I looked over and saw what it was.
10 Mile Finish. The guy in the gray shirt kind of tried to pass me /cut me off. I was aggravated. Would you have done that to a dude? No? Then you're a jerk for doing it to me. Here's him getting up in my business. (Also kind of like Where's Waldo)
And here's me out kicking him. Hard.
10K (Saturday): I am dressed like a highlighter!
5K: Not posted because it's like a page from 'Where's Waldo' and I'm in the same outfit. (Perhaps if you gave us the loop course back, things would be less crowded?)
10 Mile, half way point. I legit did not know there was a camera there until I saw someone else 'strike a pose' and then I looked over and saw what it was.
10 Mile Finish. The guy in the gray shirt kind of tried to pass me /cut me off. I was aggravated. Would you have done that to a dude? No? Then you're a jerk for doing it to me. Here's him getting up in my business. (Also kind of like Where's Waldo)
And here's me out kicking him. Hard.
12.10.18
Day of the Girl Relay
Plan: Ragnar is having the Day of the Girl challenge to benefit a women's running group in Ethiopia. Y'all know this is my thing, right?
Route: On the Greenway for the most part, and then finish with a walking cool down on the track. It's too cold for this crap. (5.24 miles on the Greenway, 0.47 miles on the track for a cooldown).
Weather: It was 37* and 17mph winds. Running into the wind was not super fun, but running with the wind on the way back was really a blast. (Almost literally.)
Wardrobe: Pants, long sleeve shirt, pull over, compression socks, Merrel shoes. I did not wear gloves and slightly regretted that decision for a minute. Did I tell you about the wind?
Execution: So, I wasn't looking at my watch for a while because my sleeves were pulled up so high. But when I did look at my watch, I was thrilled to see my HR in the low 130s and me just trucking along like always.
From today, I learned: Running into the wind is good practice for not "fighting" the wind. Running with the wind is fun because it just is.
Bonus: So gar over 6,000 miles have been logged. Mine are already recorded.
Route: On the Greenway for the most part, and then finish with a walking cool down on the track. It's too cold for this crap. (5.24 miles on the Greenway, 0.47 miles on the track for a cooldown).
Wardrobe: Pants, long sleeve shirt, pull over, compression socks, Merrel shoes. I did not wear gloves and slightly regretted that decision for a minute. Did I tell you about the wind?
From today, I learned: Running into the wind is good practice for not "fighting" the wind. Running with the wind is fun because it just is.
Bonus: So gar over 6,000 miles have been logged. Mine are already recorded.
10.10.18
TC Loony Challenge Race Review
Registration Online. Register early for the race series. It's popular because it's a guaranteed entry to the 10 Miler.
Packet Pickup: For the series, racers get a 'Saturday' bib that uses 1 number for both races (Take a lesson Flying Pig) and one number for the Sunday Race. The Sunday bib has a little 'Loony Challenge' emblem on the front, and you get back tags for both days. The expo is also the TC Marathon Expo. It has a good mix of vendors, races, and local charities. I picked up a hat while I was there. I looked in the official store but I wasn't wild about anything they had.
SWAG:
Saturday: 10K Medal and shirt; 5K Medal and shirt, one pair of gloves. The 10K medal and 5K medal are the same, which is different from years past, and seems pretty cheap to me. Like, oh, now I have two of this medal. WTF?
Sunday: 10 Mile medal and shirt. Pair of gloves. The shirt is neon. It's definitely one of the uglier shirts I've ever seen. Free beer at the finish for those over 21. This year there were vodka samples too, so that was on point.
Race Series: Vest for the series. Medal for the series. The vest is a pleasant surprise. It's a nice weight, zippered pockets, and even a secret inside zipper. The medal for the series is always one of the prettier medals I get every year.
Transportation to and from the race:
Expo: Bus to/from West 7th, where I'd parked and met a friend for lunch.
Saturday: Bus/Green Line to the races and then Green Line to Dungeon Master's car to get home
Sunday: Bus to the start line; Green Line to a stop where I met Olive and we cheered for the marathon for a while before she took me home.
Start Line:
10K/5K uses a start line next to the finish. This year, no joke, there was a box truck parked on the course , 100ft past the start. It was fenced off and everything. They knew it was going to be staying there. Truck/fencing situation lead to a horrible bottle neck after the start. They should've just fenced off the course to that width from the start for both races. 10K and 5K races are a mass start. The 5K in particular should be a wave start. It is way too crowded with kids seeding themselves incorrectly.
10 Mile start line is in Minneapolis. This year there were 4 corrals, which meant I started around 7:25am. I was to the front of the corral, so I got to see the other corrals going off. That was fun. The 10 Mile start is fun because some of the marathon runners come and cheer at the start line and it's one big park.
Course:
10K: Same as it always has been. Out and back along Summit Ave with a fair amount of climbing.
5K: Reverted to the old (bad?) course after the fantastic changes they made in 2017. The 2017 course was a loop. The old (or current I guess?) course is an out and back with 2 way running along Summit Ave. It is waaay to narrow for the number of people on the course, and for kids who don't get the concept of 'two way traffic'. I watched kids and adults almost run into the elite runners coming 'back' because they were on the wrong side of the street. This is another reason they should do wave starts. It's just better for runner safety. (I do think kids belong in this race and it's a well done race for kids. There are some things the organizers could do to make it safer for all the competitors, especially kids who've never run a race before and don't know the etiquette.)
10 Mile: This course has been the same for a long time (as long as there's not a land slide in the way). The course has a lot of climbing, particularly in the middle. I find it challenging but super fun.
Pace Team:
10K, 5K: No pacers
10 Mile: Well, there's what the website says, and then there's what happened. There are pacers for this race. However, the corral/pacer situation was a total cluster. Last year I ran a 1:54 which put me in Corral D today. (I was 32021, and Corral D started at 32000, so I was close to getting into Corral C). Based on last year's time of 1:54, obviously a good goal would be 1:50 right? The 1:50 (11:00/mile) pacer was in Corral C, so I couldn't run with them. (Ok; sometimes that's how things break down.). Oh, by the way, the 2:00 pacer (12:00/mile) also started in Corral C. I think that person was straight up in the wrong place. I passed her in my last mile and NO ONE was with her. Because really, if you qualify for Corral C, you run faster than a 12:00/mile. A lot of people in Corral D run faster than that. For next year, if the corrals are split at the same paces, they should have a second 1:50 pacer in Corral D. And the 2:00 pacer also needs to start in Corral D where they belong.
Fan Support:
10K, 5K: People do come out for this and stand on Summit. It's not a ton of people but there is some support. The chute into the finish is packed with people, so that's always a blast.
10 Mile: I thought there were more people out than last year. Or maybe I was just paying more attention this year? There's a ton of people downtown, and this year there were a few spots of people along the River Bottoms as well. SE Mpls and into St Paul there were lots of people, and Summit Ave is always crazy. I ran by the free beer at mile 8. I thought it'd just make me sick. Butif it's your cup of tea, it's there. Apparently I also ran by Whiskey shots. That doesn't sound like something I'd pass up.
Finish: All 3 races have the same finish line in St Paul near the Capitol. As a runner, it's the best finish line of any race I've ever done. It is amazing. And then there's what happens just after the finish line.
5K/10K: Finish area is super family friendly and the 'chute' is pretty small. There's medals, water, bananas, and a couple other snacks.
10 Mile: The first part of the finisher chute is pretty standard. Bonus here because they usually have hot broth. Might as well be manna from heaven. Shortly after that things go haywire. The chute is crazy long and winding. It's just walking around, the only other thing there is in there is baggage. Outside the chute are a few other amenities. The changing tent and family reunion area were in a field that was unfortunately pretty soggy this year. In the changing tent a lot of runners stood on their mylar blankets to change and stay out of the mud. After I was warm and dry, there's a beer garden. There's also a PR bell that I couldn't find this year. At some point, I was done walking and looking for it, so that's partly on me.
Race Recommended For:
Race Series: Is great for someone who wants to run a lot over the weekend, but not run the marathon. It's okay for slower/back of the pack runners but not walkers. You need to run a 10K comfortably in 1:25 or less. (Because the 5K starts 1:30 after the 10K.) For me, training for two back to back days of racing was a good challenge for my endurance and my strength.
10K: Fasties, first timers, race walkers, anyone who loves a big race, anyone who wants to try a well supported 10K. There are race walkers and walkers in this race, but not as many as in the 5K.
5K: Fasties, first timers, race walkers, walkers, and kids who are big enough to do a 3 mile race.
10 Miler: Fasties, first timers, race walkers (I have been passed by many race walkers here), anyone who's looking to go up in distance from a 5K or 10K, anyone who wants to increase their speed over a longer race, anyone who likes climbing or hilly races.
Bonus: I put my series results on this report last year, so including it here again.
SWAG:
Saturday: 10K Medal and shirt; 5K Medal and shirt, one pair of gloves. The 10K medal and 5K medal are the same, which is different from years past, and seems pretty cheap to me. Like, oh, now I have two of this medal. WTF?
Sunday: 10 Mile medal and shirt. Pair of gloves. The shirt is neon. It's definitely one of the uglier shirts I've ever seen. Free beer at the finish for those over 21. This year there were vodka samples too, so that was on point.
Race Series: Vest for the series. Medal for the series. The vest is a pleasant surprise. It's a nice weight, zippered pockets, and even a secret inside zipper. The medal for the series is always one of the prettier medals I get every year.
Expo: Bus to/from West 7th, where I'd parked and met a friend for lunch.
Saturday: Bus/Green Line to the races and then Green Line to Dungeon Master's car to get home
Sunday: Bus to the start line; Green Line to a stop where I met Olive and we cheered for the marathon for a while before she took me home.
10K/5K uses a start line next to the finish. This year, no joke, there was a box truck parked on the course , 100ft past the start. It was fenced off and everything. They knew it was going to be staying there. Truck/fencing situation lead to a horrible bottle neck after the start. They should've just fenced off the course to that width from the start for both races. 10K and 5K races are a mass start. The 5K in particular should be a wave start. It is way too crowded with kids seeding themselves incorrectly.
10 Mile start line is in Minneapolis. This year there were 4 corrals, which meant I started around 7:25am. I was to the front of the corral, so I got to see the other corrals going off. That was fun. The 10 Mile start is fun because some of the marathon runners come and cheer at the start line and it's one big park.
10K: Same as it always has been. Out and back along Summit Ave with a fair amount of climbing.
5K: Reverted to the old (bad?) course after the fantastic changes they made in 2017. The 2017 course was a loop. The old (or current I guess?) course is an out and back with 2 way running along Summit Ave. It is waaay to narrow for the number of people on the course, and for kids who don't get the concept of 'two way traffic'. I watched kids and adults almost run into the elite runners coming 'back' because they were on the wrong side of the street. This is another reason they should do wave starts. It's just better for runner safety. (I do think kids belong in this race and it's a well done race for kids. There are some things the organizers could do to make it safer for all the competitors, especially kids who've never run a race before and don't know the etiquette.)
10 Mile: This course has been the same for a long time (as long as there's not a land slide in the way). The course has a lot of climbing, particularly in the middle. I find it challenging but super fun.
Pace Team:
10K, 5K: No pacers
10 Mile: Well, there's what the website says, and then there's what happened. There are pacers for this race. However, the corral/pacer situation was a total cluster. Last year I ran a 1:54 which put me in Corral D today. (I was 32021, and Corral D started at 32000, so I was close to getting into Corral C). Based on last year's time of 1:54, obviously a good goal would be 1:50 right? The 1:50 (11:00/mile) pacer was in Corral C, so I couldn't run with them. (Ok; sometimes that's how things break down.). Oh, by the way, the 2:00 pacer (12:00/mile) also started in Corral C. I think that person was straight up in the wrong place. I passed her in my last mile and NO ONE was with her. Because really, if you qualify for Corral C, you run faster than a 12:00/mile. A lot of people in Corral D run faster than that. For next year, if the corrals are split at the same paces, they should have a second 1:50 pacer in Corral D. And the 2:00 pacer also needs to start in Corral D where they belong.
10K, 5K: People do come out for this and stand on Summit. It's not a ton of people but there is some support. The chute into the finish is packed with people, so that's always a blast.
10 Mile: I thought there were more people out than last year. Or maybe I was just paying more attention this year? There's a ton of people downtown, and this year there were a few spots of people along the River Bottoms as well. SE Mpls and into St Paul there were lots of people, and Summit Ave is always crazy. I ran by the free beer at mile 8. I thought it'd just make me sick. Butif it's your cup of tea, it's there. Apparently I also ran by Whiskey shots. That doesn't sound like something I'd pass up.
5K/10K: Finish area is super family friendly and the 'chute' is pretty small. There's medals, water, bananas, and a couple other snacks.
10 Mile: The first part of the finisher chute is pretty standard. Bonus here because they usually have hot broth. Might as well be manna from heaven. Shortly after that things go haywire. The chute is crazy long and winding. It's just walking around, the only other thing there is in there is baggage. Outside the chute are a few other amenities. The changing tent and family reunion area were in a field that was unfortunately pretty soggy this year. In the changing tent a lot of runners stood on their mylar blankets to change and stay out of the mud. After I was warm and dry, there's a beer garden. There's also a PR bell that I couldn't find this year. At some point, I was done walking and looking for it, so that's partly on me.
Race Series: Is great for someone who wants to run a lot over the weekend, but not run the marathon. It's okay for slower/back of the pack runners but not walkers. You need to run a 10K comfortably in 1:25 or less. (Because the 5K starts 1:30 after the 10K.) For me, training for two back to back days of racing was a good challenge for my endurance and my strength.
10K: Fasties, first timers, race walkers, anyone who loves a big race, anyone who wants to try a well supported 10K. There are race walkers and walkers in this race, but not as many as in the 5K.
5K: Fasties, first timers, race walkers, walkers, and kids who are big enough to do a 3 mile race.
10 Miler: Fasties, first timers, race walkers (I have been passed by many race walkers here), anyone who's looking to go up in distance from a 5K or 10K, anyone who wants to increase their speed over a longer race, anyone who likes climbing or hilly races.
9.10.18
TC 10 Mile Race Report
Start time: 7am for Corral A and the elite men. My corral started around 7:25am.
Weather: 40s, wind around 5mph. It actually felt a bit warmer than yesterday
Wardrobe:
Pre-race: I had on throw away pants, throw away top, and throw away gloves (old pair of socks)
Race: Nike shorts, Illuminite top, fleece head band, compression socks, Skora shoes
Post-race: Wool shirt, sweat shirt, and my new Loony Challenge Vest, Hat, Sweat pants, compression socks, gloves. I should've brought a second layer for my legs becuase I was still cold.
Transportation: I took the 5:40am bus to the race. Post race, I took the Green Line over to Prospect Park, Olive picked me up, and we watched the marathon over in her neck of the woods.
Route: This is the regular TC 10 Mile route. I think they legit had some of the mile markers misplaced. I hit mile 1 early, which should not have happened, and I hit mile 2 super later.
Plan/Goals: My 'scary' goal was to run 1:50. I kind of let that go when I realized the 1:50 pacer was not even going to be in my corral. My A goal was to beat last year's 10 Mile and Loony Challenge times.
My 'plan' was to run a solid pace, and then not look at pace at all during the climbs. On the climbs I used some of the advice from here including that one about 'run like we are lifting you up and carrying you to the finish' which for some reason made me feel lighter on the hills.
Execution: I did not run an 11:00/mile pace, but I did beat last year by almost a full minute. I got a little wild at the start, and paid for it later.
I had a good cadence on the hills, and just suffered up them.
I put my foot down the last mile and cruised on home.
Nutrition: I wound up being very hungry, like I wanted some calories for this run. I had a pre run Avocado (3/4 of one) with salt. I should've had a banana or a Larabar or something too. I wound up taking Gatorade at miles 3.5, 5, and 7 and the calories made me feel a bit better.
Results: 1:52:58 or an 11:18 mile for the 10 Mile. Loony Challenge results are an 11:14 mile, which is a 8 second/mile increase over last year. Over 19+ miles, I'll take it. That increase in speed really hurt. Especially today. Last year Loony Results and 10 Mile results for reference.
From today, I learned: Hard work in training pays off on race day!
Plan for hills.
I think the marathon is going to hurt.
Don't run the first mile too fast.
More calories the second day of a two day series.
SWAG: Long sleeve shirt and a medal. Plus a pair of gloves. And a free beer at the end of the race for those over 21 with an ID.
Remember for next time: Bring a second layer for my legs post race.
The 5:40am bus is actually the 5:36am bus on Sundays.
Bonus: There were vodka samples in the beer tent.
Weather: 40s, wind around 5mph. It actually felt a bit warmer than yesterday
Pre-race: I had on throw away pants, throw away top, and throw away gloves (old pair of socks)
Race: Nike shorts, Illuminite top, fleece head band, compression socks, Skora shoes
Post-race: Wool shirt, sweat shirt, and my new Loony Challenge Vest, Hat, Sweat pants, compression socks, gloves. I should've brought a second layer for my legs becuase I was still cold.
Transportation: I took the 5:40am bus to the race. Post race, I took the Green Line over to Prospect Park, Olive picked me up, and we watched the marathon over in her neck of the woods.
My 'plan' was to run a solid pace, and then not look at pace at all during the climbs. On the climbs I used some of the advice from here including that one about 'run like we are lifting you up and carrying you to the finish' which for some reason made me feel lighter on the hills.
I had a good cadence on the hills, and just suffered up them.
I put my foot down the last mile and cruised on home.
Nutrition: I wound up being very hungry, like I wanted some calories for this run. I had a pre run Avocado (3/4 of one) with salt. I should've had a banana or a Larabar or something too. I wound up taking Gatorade at miles 3.5, 5, and 7 and the calories made me feel a bit better.
Plan for hills.
I think the marathon is going to hurt.
Don't run the first mile too fast.
More calories the second day of a two day series.
SWAG: Long sleeve shirt and a medal. Plus a pair of gloves. And a free beer at the end of the race for those over 21 with an ID.
Remember for next time: Bring a second layer for my legs post race.
The 5:40am bus is actually the 5:36am bus on Sundays.
Bonus: There were vodka samples in the beer tent.
8.10.18
TC 10K and TC 5K Race Report
10K Start time: 7:15am for the 10K, this is the same time as last year.
Weather: Low-mid 40s and windy. I was fine running, but under dressed for the start line.
Wardrobe: Illuminite shirt, arm sleeves, Happy pants, compression socks, Merrel shoes; hat. I looked like a highlighter but I was hard to miss.
Transportation: 5:40am bus to Green Line. Dungeon Master took me home in exchange for a hot, home cooked breakfast. There was a long time between the bus and the train so I practiced my selfie game.
Route: 10K route has been the same every time I've run it.
Plan/Goals: My goal was A) run under 11:20s and B) not do anything stupid.
Execution: Part A: done. Part B: It doesn't feel stupid at the moment, but I also don't believe it.
Nutrition: Pre-race was 3/4 of an avocado, salted. Post race was a banana and some water.
Results: I haven't looked at the results yet. I'll tell you after tomorrow's race.
Update: I'm happy with this.
From today, I learned: Things that went well were staying relaxed on the hill, telling myself I am strong enough for hills, and keeping my cadence high. I got a little aggravated at the start, there was a big bottle neck just after and it was kind of a cluster.
SWAG: 10K has a medal and a gray shirt.
Remember for next time: I spent a lot of time thinking about the camber on Summit Ave. Follow the line dividing the bike lane from traffic.
The Corporate Team Challenge tent is heated, but there is no place to change this year.
Take the bus to Park Ave and walk to the US Bank Stadium stop. (For some reason I legit could not remember this from last year.)
Bonus: LOL. Let me just get back in line to run another race.
5K Start time: 8:45am for the 5K. This start time has changed over the years. The first time I did Loony, it was 90 minutes between races (which is tight but doable), then it went to 2hrs, then 1:45, now we're back down to 90 minutes between races.
Weather: Somehow windier and colder than before the first race. 40s and windy.
Route: The 5K route is back to the original 5K route and I am aggravated and bummed. The 5K route is an out and back, mostly along Summit Ave. It is waaaay too packed to have two way runners there, especially with all the kids in the back of that race. Race organizers should either let us go back to the 2017 route, or have a staggered/corral style start.
Plan/Goals: After the 10K, I adjusted. My first goal was not to get ticked off and knock anyone over in the first mile of the race from it being too crowded. After that, run mostly by feel and have fun. Try to run under 11:20s and most importantly don't do anything stupid.
Execution: It turned out probably to be a good thing that the first mile was the
slowest of any I'd run so far, because I kept some in the tank for
later. I had a great time. I think about 20 people past me in the last 0.1 miles because I was finishing at the pace I'd been running the whole time, not a 'I don't have to run anymore ever after these 100 feet' sprint. It's fine. I still feel like I did what I wanted there.
Nutrition: 5am: Avocado; after 10K: Banana and water; after 5K: hard boiled eggs wrapped in prosciutto. (Because post race nutrition is super important if I have to do this again tomorrow)
Results: I won't look until after the 10Miler tomorrow.
Update: I think things went well.
From today, I learned: Be patient in the first mile of a crowded race. Things will sort themselves out and there will be plenty of room.
SWAG: Well, I got the exact same medal they gave out for the 10K, so now I have two of those. WTF?!? At least the shirt is different. This one is navy.
Remember for next time: That first mile is slow. Be patient.
Caribou Coffee is no longer a sponsor, so there's not a ton of post-race coffee options. Though the Challenge tent did have coffee for its participants.
Bonus: Dungeon Master gave me a ride home. I cooked her breakfast. Or, in my case, Second Breakfast. Congrats to Dungeon Master on completing the 5K race series!
Nutrition: Pre-race was 3/4 of an avocado, salted. Post race was a banana and some water.
Update: I'm happy with this.
From today, I learned: Things that went well were staying relaxed on the hill, telling myself I am strong enough for hills, and keeping my cadence high. I got a little aggravated at the start, there was a big bottle neck just after and it was kind of a cluster.
SWAG: 10K has a medal and a gray shirt.
Remember for next time: I spent a lot of time thinking about the camber on Summit Ave. Follow the line dividing the bike lane from traffic.
The Corporate Team Challenge tent is heated, but there is no place to change this year.
Take the bus to Park Ave and walk to the US Bank Stadium stop. (For some reason I legit could not remember this from last year.)
Bonus: LOL. Let me just get back in line to run another race.
5K Start time: 8:45am for the 5K. This start time has changed over the years. The first time I did Loony, it was 90 minutes between races (which is tight but doable), then it went to 2hrs, then 1:45, now we're back down to 90 minutes between races.
Weather: Somehow windier and colder than before the first race. 40s and windy.
Nutrition: 5am: Avocado; after 10K: Banana and water; after 5K: hard boiled eggs wrapped in prosciutto. (Because post race nutrition is super important if I have to do this again tomorrow)
Update: I think things went well.
From today, I learned: Be patient in the first mile of a crowded race. Things will sort themselves out and there will be plenty of room.
SWAG: Well, I got the exact same medal they gave out for the 10K, so now I have two of those. WTF?!? At least the shirt is different. This one is navy.
Remember for next time: That first mile is slow. Be patient.
Caribou Coffee is no longer a sponsor, so there's not a ton of post-race coffee options. Though the Challenge tent did have coffee for its participants.
7.10.18
Loony Challenge 1 Week To Go
Weekly Miles Planned: Not that many. Just be patient and enjoy the taper.
Actual: 25 run, 2 walked
Long Run Miles Planned: 6-8
Actual:: 6.65 Miles on Sunday morning.
Sunday Planned: 6-10 Miles at MAF, Sunday Kettlebell Workout, Sunday Abs
Actual:
Run: 6.65 Miles at Ft Snelling with a goal of having fun.
Kettlebells: Done, and a minute faster than last week
Abs: Also done.
Bonus 2.5 miles walk with Dungeon Master on the track at the gym.
From today, I learned: Normally I run, walk the last 5-10 minutes of the route back to the gym, and then do my weights/abs workout. Today I ran, cooled down, got in my car and drove to the gym, and then did weights/abs. My weights workout is rep based, and this week I got it done about 1 minute faster than last week, at the same reps and weights.
Monday Planned:6-10 Miles at MAF 1-3 Miles, Plyos
Actual: 1.2 miles in the morning.
From today, I learned: Turn off my watch at the end of the run. I had a slight failure here and realized I'd left it on for about five minutes while I was putting the dishes away.
I'm going back and re-reading my past weeks of training. In the beginning I talked a lot about nutrition as well as work outs, and then I had an unplanned failure in July and took that bullet point out. I'm liking going back and looking at that, and may want to add it back in for Flying Pig training.
Tuesday Planned: 4-6 Miles at MAF, Lift Weights
Actual: 4.66 Miles on the Rum River Trail. I've missed it here.
From today, I learned: This was a fun run. I didn't look at my watch. I practiced having positive thoughts like I'll need Saturday and Sunday. It felt great to be outside and enjoying nature. Fall colors are trying their hardest to come out.
Wednesday Planned: 1 Mile Run
Actual: 1.2 miles in the morning.
From today, I learned: I am legit wondering if 7pm is too early to go to bed. Taper means rest, right? I woke up with a massive headache. Ibuprofen is doing it's job so far though.
Thursday Planned:4-6 Miles at MAF, Lift Weights 1 Mile Run.
Actual: 1.2 Miles in the morning
From today, I learned: Not on my run, but later I learned the Buffalo Montrose trail has been paved. I've run there a time or two or three. It's always been a crushed limestone trail, and then used for snowmobiles in winter. I'm curious with the blacktop now if that'll make a difference for winter use. There's no way they're going to plow that thing all winter long. Right?
Friday Planned: 1 Mile Run
Actual: 1.2 Miles in the morning.
From today, I learned: Last night I swapped my winter and summer clothes. I have too many running clothes. I also have 50 pairs of sweat pants and I don't like many of them at all.
Saturday Planned: 4-6 Miles at MAF, Plyos 10K race, 5K race
Actual: 10K race and 5K race completed
From today, I learned: Trust my body; my body is stronger than my mind today.
Actual: 25 run, 2 walked
Long Run Miles Planned: 6-8
Actual:: 6.65 Miles on Sunday morning.
Actual:
Run: 6.65 Miles at Ft Snelling with a goal of having fun.
Kettlebells: Done, and a minute faster than last week
Abs: Also done.
Bonus 2.5 miles walk with Dungeon Master on the track at the gym.
From today, I learned: Normally I run, walk the last 5-10 minutes of the route back to the gym, and then do my weights/abs workout. Today I ran, cooled down, got in my car and drove to the gym, and then did weights/abs. My weights workout is rep based, and this week I got it done about 1 minute faster than last week, at the same reps and weights.
Monday Planned:
Actual: 1.2 miles in the morning.
From today, I learned: Turn off my watch at the end of the run. I had a slight failure here and realized I'd left it on for about five minutes while I was putting the dishes away.
I'm going back and re-reading my past weeks of training. In the beginning I talked a lot about nutrition as well as work outs, and then I had an unplanned failure in July and took that bullet point out. I'm liking going back and looking at that, and may want to add it back in for Flying Pig training.
Actual: 4.66 Miles on the Rum River Trail. I've missed it here.
From today, I learned: This was a fun run. I didn't look at my watch. I practiced having positive thoughts like I'll need Saturday and Sunday. It felt great to be outside and enjoying nature. Fall colors are trying their hardest to come out.
Wednesday Planned: 1 Mile Run
Actual: 1.2 miles in the morning.
From today, I learned: I am legit wondering if 7pm is too early to go to bed. Taper means rest, right? I woke up with a massive headache. Ibuprofen is doing it's job so far though.
Thursday Planned:
Actual: 1.2 Miles in the morning
From today, I learned: Not on my run, but later I learned the Buffalo Montrose trail has been paved. I've run there a time or two or three. It's always been a crushed limestone trail, and then used for snowmobiles in winter. I'm curious with the blacktop now if that'll make a difference for winter use. There's no way they're going to plow that thing all winter long. Right?
Friday Planned: 1 Mile Run
Actual: 1.2 Miles in the morning.
From today, I learned: Last night I swapped my winter and summer clothes. I have too many running clothes. I also have 50 pairs of sweat pants and I don't like many of them at all.
Actual: 10K race and 5K race completed
From today, I learned: Trust my body; my body is stronger than my mind today.
Whole30 Day 40
Pre workout and post workout meals: Pre-races I had 3/4 of an avocado, salted. Between races I had a banana and water. Post races I had hard boiled eggs wrapped in prosciutto. This is not a day to count calories.
Breakfast: Potatoes, scrambled eggs, bacon, coffee with cream. I cooked for me and Dungeon Master who completed her own race series today.
Lunch: Steak, ranch dressing, carrots.
Snacks: Smoothie of half and half, homemade almond milk, bananas, cocoa powde
Supper: Sauteed apples in butter, pecans, side of cheese.
Exercise: I raced the 10K and 5K of Loony Challenge today.
Shopping: No actually.
Cooking: Yes, breakfast, snack and supper
Dishes?: Yes also.
Thoughts: I did this for race training. I'd started out strong in June, went totally of the rails in July, and needed something strict to get me back on track for the tail end of training.
Adding dairy (no sugar added dairy like half and half and cheeses) was a good decision and made things more sustainable in the long run. It even added the option of a vegetarian meal from time to time.
No alcohol for an extended period of time is always a good idea.
I liked monitoring the carbs for a while. It helped me understand what was going on.
This past week, I added carbs back into my life, but I stuck to carbs I'd been eating in smaller amounts the whole time. So, lots of bananas, apples, potatoes and sweet potatoes. We'll see after tomorrow if that was a wise decision.
Tracking if I did my dishes was also helpful. I hate dishes and I particularly hate getting the grease off tupperware.
The blog posts were actually really helpful for holding myself accountable. They were also good reminders of when I needed to go shopping again, and a reminder that I can always stop by the co-op versus stopping by a restaurant.
Breakfast: Potatoes, scrambled eggs, bacon, coffee with cream. I cooked for me and Dungeon Master who completed her own race series today.
Lunch: Steak, ranch dressing, carrots.
Snacks: Smoothie of half and half, homemade almond milk, bananas, cocoa powde
Supper: Sauteed apples in butter, pecans, side of cheese.
Exercise: I raced the 10K and 5K of Loony Challenge today.
Shopping: No actually.
Cooking: Yes, breakfast, snack and supper
Dishes?: Yes also.
Thoughts: I did this for race training. I'd started out strong in June, went totally of the rails in July, and needed something strict to get me back on track for the tail end of training.
Adding dairy (no sugar added dairy like half and half and cheeses) was a good decision and made things more sustainable in the long run. It even added the option of a vegetarian meal from time to time.
No alcohol for an extended period of time is always a good idea.
I liked monitoring the carbs for a while. It helped me understand what was going on.
This past week, I added carbs back into my life, but I stuck to carbs I'd been eating in smaller amounts the whole time. So, lots of bananas, apples, potatoes and sweet potatoes. We'll see after tomorrow if that was a wise decision.
Tracking if I did my dishes was also helpful. I hate dishes and I particularly hate getting the grease off tupperware.
The blog posts were actually really helpful for holding myself accountable. They were also good reminders of when I needed to go shopping again, and a reminder that I can always stop by the co-op versus stopping by a restaurant.
Whole30 Day 39
Pre workout and post workout meals: Ha ha ha
Breakfast: Eggs, bacon, veggies from last night, chia seed pudding with fruit, coffee with cream
Lunch: Small salad, potato chips, fizzy water
Snacks: 'Shake' with bananas, homemade almond milk, cocoa powder, half and half
Supper: Pork chop with sautteed apples.
Exercise: Run 1 mile in the morning, try not to do too much walking at the expo
Shopping: Not for food. But did I mention the expo?
Cooking: Not really.
Dishes?: Yes. I waited to write this until they were down.
Thoughts: I'm realizing it's only one more day (plus Sunday morning) that I need to keep this going. And then I guess I get to go on a similar but slightly altered path, trying to slim down for a marathon.
Breakfast: Eggs, bacon, veggies from last night, chia seed pudding with fruit, coffee with cream
Lunch: Small salad, potato chips, fizzy water
Snacks: 'Shake' with bananas, homemade almond milk, cocoa powder, half and half
Supper: Pork chop with sautteed apples.
Exercise: Run 1 mile in the morning, try not to do too much walking at the expo
Shopping: Not for food. But did I mention the expo?
Cooking: Not really.
Dishes?: Yes. I waited to write this until they were down.
Thoughts: I'm realizing it's only one more day (plus Sunday morning) that I need to keep this going. And then I guess I get to go on a similar but slightly altered path, trying to slim down for a marathon.
Whole30 Day 38
Pre workout and post workout meals: LOL.
Breakfast: Hard boiled eggs wrapped in prosciutto; coffee with cream
Lunch: Steak with ranch dressing, carrots
Snacks: My post dinner 'snack' was a smoothie of homemade almond milk, half and half, banana, and cocoa powder
Supper: Sauteed mushrooms and green beans with pecans and cashews. A rare vegetarian meal for me.
Exercise: Run 1 mile in the morning.
Shopping: I had to go to the co op for half and half. I realize now I forgot to get more lime juice.
Cooking: Supper and my post supper snack
Dishes?:Probably not? Done.
Thoughts: I'm starting to 'carb load', a term I use here very loosely, for the races. I haven't had a ton of carbs in about a month. I'm adding back in only foods that I've eaten this month, so no rice or bread, but lots of potatoes and bananas and berries and apples.
Breakfast: Hard boiled eggs wrapped in prosciutto; coffee with cream
Lunch: Steak with ranch dressing, carrots
Snacks: My post dinner 'snack' was a smoothie of homemade almond milk, half and half, banana, and cocoa powder
Supper: Sauteed mushrooms and green beans with pecans and cashews. A rare vegetarian meal for me.
Exercise: Run 1 mile in the morning.
Shopping: I had to go to the co op for half and half. I realize now I forgot to get more lime juice.
Cooking: Supper and my post supper snack
Dishes?:
Thoughts: I'm starting to 'carb load', a term I use here very loosely, for the races. I haven't had a ton of carbs in about a month. I'm adding back in only foods that I've eaten this month, so no rice or bread, but lots of potatoes and bananas and berries and apples.
Whole30 Day 37
Pre workout and post workout meals: LOL.
Breakfast: Hard boiled eggs wrapped in prosciutto; coffee with cream
Lunch: Steak with ranch dressing, carrots
Snacks: Latte in the middle of the afternoon, and my first time using ApplePay on my phone. That was pretty slick. Chia seed pudding with berries.
Supper: I'm going to admit that I microwaved a couple pieces of bacon, and then later I made a smoothie of homemade almond milk, bananas, and almond butter.
Exercise: Run 1 mile in the morning.
Shopping: None.
Cooking: None.
Dishes?:Seems unlikely tonight. I am surprised to report that dishes were done tonight.
Thoughts: Ugh.
Breakfast: Hard boiled eggs wrapped in prosciutto; coffee with cream
Lunch: Steak with ranch dressing, carrots
Snacks: Latte in the middle of the afternoon, and my first time using ApplePay on my phone. That was pretty slick. Chia seed pudding with berries.
Supper: I'm going to admit that I microwaved a couple pieces of bacon, and then later I made a smoothie of homemade almond milk, bananas, and almond butter.
Exercise: Run 1 mile in the morning.
Shopping: None.
Cooking: None.
Dishes?:
Thoughts: Ugh.
Whole30 Day 36
Pre workout and post workout meals: None.
Breakfast: Hard boiled eggs in prosciutto; coffee with cream
Lunch: Steak, ranch dressing, carrots, bonus jicama becuase I had one container left over from last week and that stuff doesn't stay good forever.
Snacks: None. I probably would've had a pop after the run except I was freezing and not getting out of my car once I was in it.
Supper: Pork chop, sauteed apples. Mmmmm. It was so good.
Exercise: Run 4+ miles in the afternoon. Because let's be real. I aint getting up early this week.
Shopping: None.
Cooking: I actually made almond milk in addition to the pork chops. I have one left over pork chop for another night this week.
Dishes?: Yes. And after I did call about the dishwasher repair, I never got a call back, so I need to go to plan B.
Thoughts: I'm thinking about what this goal should be for Flying Pig Training. I can't really call it W30 anymore because, though that backbone exists, it's not the real thing. I also know I can't follow a super strict diet the entire 4 mos of training. I tried that this summer and it decidedly did not work. Maybe LCHF? And then have better and better ingredients and fewer 'cheats' as the race approaches? I do know the keeping the blogs of what I ate, how I planned my meals, etc, has been really helpful in keeping me accountable to myself. (And I try to publish them all at once so you can just skip right over them if it's not your thing.)
Breakfast: Hard boiled eggs in prosciutto; coffee with cream
Lunch: Steak, ranch dressing, carrots, bonus jicama becuase I had one container left over from last week and that stuff doesn't stay good forever.
Snacks: None. I probably would've had a pop after the run except I was freezing and not getting out of my car once I was in it.
Supper: Pork chop, sauteed apples. Mmmmm. It was so good.
Exercise: Run 4+ miles in the afternoon. Because let's be real. I aint getting up early this week.
Shopping: None.
Cooking: I actually made almond milk in addition to the pork chops. I have one left over pork chop for another night this week.
Dishes?: Yes. And after I did call about the dishwasher repair, I never got a call back, so I need to go to plan B.
Thoughts: I'm thinking about what this goal should be for Flying Pig Training. I can't really call it W30 anymore because, though that backbone exists, it's not the real thing. I also know I can't follow a super strict diet the entire 4 mos of training. I tried that this summer and it decidedly did not work. Maybe LCHF? And then have better and better ingredients and fewer 'cheats' as the race approaches? I do know the keeping the blogs of what I ate, how I planned my meals, etc, has been really helpful in keeping me accountable to myself. (And I try to publish them all at once so you can just skip right over them if it's not your thing.)
Whole30 Day 35
Pre workout and post workout meals: None
Breakfast: Chia seed pudding, coffee with cream
Lunch: Sautteed greens, bacon, 2 eggs.
Snacks: All of the fizzy water. Watch me hydrate
Supper: Small Punch Salad at Punch Pizza. I totally had the bread.
Exercise: Run 1 mile in the morning.
Shopping: Yes, I went to Costco and got some meat and other stuff (hello Almonds and two year supply of lotion) and I went to the co-op to get all the ingredients I like but don't get or can't find at Costco.
Cooking: A surprising amount actually.
Dishes?: Yes, not only are they done, but they are put away. That's one less thing for the morning.
Thoughts: I told My Pooky Bear and Qat Lady I was re-reading blog posts and came across this one where I had candy right as I was getting my period. That candy was like manna from heaven. That's exactly how I felt about a couple small pieces of bread tonight. I was feeling lousy and now, so much better and so much more full.
Breakfast: Chia seed pudding, coffee with cream
Lunch: Sautteed greens, bacon, 2 eggs.
Snacks: All of the fizzy water. Watch me hydrate
Supper: Small Punch Salad at Punch Pizza. I totally had the bread.
Exercise: Run 1 mile in the morning.
Shopping: Yes, I went to Costco and got some meat and other stuff (hello Almonds and two year supply of lotion) and I went to the co-op to get all the ingredients I like but don't get or can't find at Costco.
Cooking: A surprising amount actually.
- Broiled steak for lunches for the week
- Hard boiled eggs for breakfast for the week
- Currently soaking almonds for all the Almond milk smoothies I'm going to make this week
- Ranch dressing for lunches for the week
- Marinade for all the pork chops I got at Costco, and the pork chops are marinading.
Dishes?: Yes, not only are they done, but they are put away. That's one less thing for the morning.
Thoughts: I told My Pooky Bear and Qat Lady I was re-reading blog posts and came across this one where I had candy right as I was getting my period. That candy was like manna from heaven. That's exactly how I felt about a couple small pieces of bread tonight. I was feeling lousy and now, so much better and so much more full.
Whole30 Day 34
Pre workout and post workout meals: Keto fat bomb before the run, then things kind of went haywire.
Breakfast: First meal was chia seed pudding with raspberries, coffee with cream
Lunch: Eggs, bacon, potatoes
Snacks: Prosciutto roll up with cheese before a walk with Dungeon Master; later Jicama
Supper: Sausage, green beans and mushrooms. Thus ends leftovers that I'd made earlier in the week.
Exercise: Run 6.65 miles, Sunday weights, Sunday abs. Later, bonus walk with the Dungeon Master on the track while it rained.
Shopping: Yes, I went to the Farmer Market and bought all of the bacon.
Cooking: Not really.
Dishes?: Yes, done.
Thoughts: I'm writing this the day after because I was wore out last night. I am legit already planning my post 10-mile meal and celebration options.
Breakfast: First meal was chia seed pudding with raspberries, coffee with cream
Lunch: Eggs, bacon, potatoes
Snacks: Prosciutto roll up with cheese before a walk with Dungeon Master; later Jicama
Supper: Sausage, green beans and mushrooms. Thus ends leftovers that I'd made earlier in the week.
Exercise: Run 6.65 miles, Sunday weights, Sunday abs. Later, bonus walk with the Dungeon Master on the track while it rained.
Shopping: Yes, I went to the Farmer Market and bought all of the bacon.
Cooking: Not really.
Dishes?: Yes, done.
Thoughts: I'm writing this the day after because I was wore out last night. I am legit already planning my post 10-mile meal and celebration options.
Whole30 Day 33
Pre workout and post workout meals: None.
Breakfast: Potatoes, eggs, bacon. I haven't had many eggs this week. Coffee with cream.
Lunch: Sausage with a sauteed apple.
Snacks: None.
Supper: Pork chop (that I've been meaning to eat like all week) green beans, mushrooms. Mmmm.
Exercise: Run 3 miles in the morning. Enjoy the taper!
Shopping: No. I barely left my house today and it was glorious.
Cooking: I made chia seed pudding with the almond milk I'd made earlier in the week, in addition to the coconut milk. So, I had to use cross multiplication to figure out how much chia seeds to use for that amount of liquid. Thanks Algebra!
Dishes?: Yes. Let me tell you about ALL of the cleaning I did today.
Bathroom: Completely cleaned including the floor.
Laundry: Done and folded. Tomorrow may be the winter clothes switch day. I kind of ran out of steam today.
Refrigerator: Emptied, many things tossed in the compost, shelves wiped down, drawers washed out, food neatly organized and lovely.
Freezer: Emptied, a couple things tossed in compost, food neatly organized and lovely.
Dishes: Done a couple different times today.
Thoughts: I should go back and tag all of the posts where I call out high school math as something useful as an adult.
I hate washing tupperware. Have I said that on here before? It's forever greasy. I'm so over it.
Breakfast: Potatoes, eggs, bacon. I haven't had many eggs this week. Coffee with cream.
Lunch: Sausage with a sauteed apple.
Snacks: None.
Supper: Pork chop (that I've been meaning to eat like all week) green beans, mushrooms. Mmmm.
Exercise: Run 3 miles in the morning. Enjoy the taper!
Shopping: No. I barely left my house today and it was glorious.
Dishes?: Yes. Let me tell you about ALL of the cleaning I did today.
Bathroom: Completely cleaned including the floor.
Laundry: Done and folded. Tomorrow may be the winter clothes switch day. I kind of ran out of steam today.
Refrigerator: Emptied, many things tossed in the compost, shelves wiped down, drawers washed out, food neatly organized and lovely.
Freezer: Emptied, a couple things tossed in compost, food neatly organized and lovely.
Dishes: Done a couple different times today.
Thoughts: I should go back and tag all of the posts where I call out high school math as something useful as an adult.
I hate washing tupperware. Have I said that on here before? It's forever greasy. I'm so over it.
Whole30 Day 32
Pre workout and post workout meals: LOL
Breakfast: Chia seed pudding, coffee with cream
Lunch: Steak, cheese, bell peppers, jicama
Snacks: I had a latte (milk, no sugar) after work and it was the best thing ever
Supper: Soup of the day and fries, kombucha to drink. I ate at Tiny Diner with Olive.
Exercise: Run 1 mile in the morning.
Shopping: Yes, I was almost out of butter so I went to the co-op for that, SweeTango apples, and my latte.
Cooking: I'd meant to cook dinner, but hanging out with Olive was way better.
Dishes?: No. I can't get excited about tupperware. Sigh.
Thoughts: I'm at the point in this 'good diet' thing that I just want to be done with everything. Though, in my brain, I'm going to keep this up without a real break for a while. I've got another race in mid-October, and I want to be lean and healthy going into marathon training. We'll see.
Breakfast: Chia seed pudding, coffee with cream
Lunch: Steak, cheese, bell peppers, jicama
Snacks: I had a latte (milk, no sugar) after work and it was the best thing ever
Supper: Soup of the day and fries, kombucha to drink. I ate at Tiny Diner with Olive.
Exercise: Run 1 mile in the morning.
Shopping: Yes, I was almost out of butter so I went to the co-op for that, SweeTango apples, and my latte.
Cooking: I'd meant to cook dinner, but hanging out with Olive was way better.
Dishes?: No. I can't get excited about tupperware. Sigh.
Thoughts: I'm at the point in this 'good diet' thing that I just want to be done with everything. Though, in my brain, I'm going to keep this up without a real break for a while. I've got another race in mid-October, and I want to be lean and healthy going into marathon training. We'll see.
Whole30 Day 31
Pre workout and post workout meals: None.
Breakfast: Chia seed pudding; coffee with cream
Lunch: Steak, swiss cheese, jicama, bell peppers
Snacks: Well, my snacking sort of rolled into supper
Supper: Prosciutto with boursin cheese; artichokes, maybe an extra slide or two of prosciutto
Exercise: Run 4 miles, lift weights in the morning
Shopping: None, and I need butter so that'll have to happen tomorrow
Cooking: Artichokes for supper
Dishes?: Yes. From yesterday and today.
Thoughts: I burned my hand releasing the steam from my pressure cooker. I had a hot pad, but it was improperly placed for where the steam actually went. So that's my second burn of the week. Cooking is dangerous.
Breakfast: Chia seed pudding; coffee with cream
Lunch: Steak, swiss cheese, jicama, bell peppers
Snacks: Well, my snacking sort of rolled into supper
Supper: Prosciutto with boursin cheese; artichokes, maybe an extra slide or two of prosciutto
Exercise: Run 4 miles, lift weights in the morning
Shopping: None, and I need butter so that'll have to happen tomorrow
Cooking: Artichokes for supper
Dishes?: Yes. From yesterday and today.
Thoughts: I burned my hand releasing the steam from my pressure cooker. I had a hot pad, but it was improperly placed for where the steam actually went. So that's my second burn of the week. Cooking is dangerous.
Whole30 Day 30
Pre workout and post workout meals: LOL. No.
Breakfast: Chia seed pudding with berries; coffee with cream
Lunch: Steak, swiss cheese, bell peppers, jicama
Snacks: I had an after dinner snack of prosciutto and cheese
Supper: Sausage and apples sauteed, it was excellent.
Exercise: Run 1 mile in the afternoon.
Shopping: None.
Cooking: Supper technically.
Dishes?: No. Sigh.
Thoughts: I am writing this post a day late. I was sooooo tired yesterday.
Breakfast: Chia seed pudding with berries; coffee with cream
Lunch: Steak, swiss cheese, bell peppers, jicama
Snacks: I had an after dinner snack of prosciutto and cheese
Supper: Sausage and apples sauteed, it was excellent.
Exercise: Run 1 mile in the afternoon.
Shopping: None.
Cooking: Supper technically.
Dishes?: No. Sigh.
Thoughts: I am writing this post a day late. I was sooooo tired yesterday.
Whole30 Day 29
Pre workout and post workout meals: None.
Breakfast: Chia seed pudding, coffee with cream
Lunch: Steak, bell peppers, jicama, swiss cheese.
Snacks: Boursin cheese roll ups (boursin and prosciutto)
Supper: Left over chicken from last night, green beans and mushrooms
Exercise: Run, lift weights in the morning
Shopping: None
Cooking: Not really, even supper was reheated.
Dishes?: Yes
Thoughts: That 'soak your tupperware in vinegar to get ride of the grease' tip is total bullshit. The 'cold water rinses dairy' was a good tip though.
Breakfast: Chia seed pudding, coffee with cream
Lunch: Steak, bell peppers, jicama, swiss cheese.
Snacks: Boursin cheese roll ups (boursin and prosciutto)
Supper: Left over chicken from last night, green beans and mushrooms
Exercise: Run, lift weights in the morning
Shopping: None
Cooking: Not really, even supper was reheated.
Dishes?: Yes
Thoughts: That 'soak your tupperware in vinegar to get ride of the grease' tip is total bullshit. The 'cold water rinses dairy' was a good tip though.
Whole30 Day 28
Pre workout and post workout meals: None.
Breakfast: Coffee with cream. I had kind of an odd eating day.
Lunch: (Also sort of breakfast) Jicama, sausage, eggs
Snacks: None.
Supper: Green Mill - fried green beans and coconut chicken fingers. I am so glad this isn't a real W30.
Exercise: Run 5 miles this morning before breakfast.
Shopping: No actually.
Cooking: Yes, made my flank steak for lunches. I set off the building fire alarm, which is a thing that can happen when I cook steak but I really don't like doing it.
Dishes?: Yes.
Thoughts: I'm doing some research on dishes. The way I cook, everything is always and forever covered in grease.
Breakfast: Coffee with cream. I had kind of an odd eating day.
Lunch: (Also sort of breakfast) Jicama, sausage, eggs
Snacks: None.
Supper: Green Mill - fried green beans and coconut chicken fingers. I am so glad this isn't a real W30.
Exercise: Run 5 miles this morning before breakfast.
Shopping: No actually.
Cooking: Yes, made my flank steak for lunches. I set off the building fire alarm, which is a thing that can happen when I cook steak but I really don't like doing it.
Dishes?: Yes.
Thoughts: I'm doing some research on dishes. The way I cook, everything is always and forever covered in grease.
- Given my current situation, I read tips for handwashing dishes. I learned to use cold water to remove dairy. And they validated my 'baking soda removes all grease' process. Also, 'don't stack dirty dishes in your sink' is a newer part of the process for me. I'm stacking them in a washing bin, but then taking the bin out and filling up the sink for washing right now. I'm not sure if it's better than my old way.
- I also read how to dissolve oil from dishes and I am interested to try the vinegar soak method. In particular this cutting board, which I love, is hard to get grease off, even with baking soda. I have an Ikea cutting board that's equally hard to clean.
- This can be my back up plan for getting oil/grease off plastics and tupperware.
Whole30 Day 27
Pre workout and post workout meals: Keto Fat Bomb before the workout. Post workout was breakfast.
Breakfast: Coffee with all of the cream, eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes
Lunch: Pork chop (small) with green beans and mushrooms
Snacks: None
Supper: Not really a formal supper. A friend who moved to Florida was back in town for a visit, so there was a party. I had a few snacks, but really kept things under control.
Exercise: Long run, weights, abs in the morning.
Shopping: Yes, at the Co op.
Cooking: Yes. I did all of the cooking. Now, if only I could get my cabinets in order. Sigh.
Marinade for flank steak for this week, flank steak for next week (which is now in the freezer), and pork chops.
Cut up veggies and cheese for lunch
Jicama for the week, and as a share dish for the party tonight
Chia seed pudding for the week - I made bigger portions this time (4 servings instead of 6)
Cooked 2 pork chops, tons of green beans and mush rooms, so I have one extra protein serving and 3 extra veggie servings for the week.
Dishes?: I am surprised to say yes to this one. I'd done a few loads of dishes, but really wasn't sure if the pork chop/green bean/mushroom load was going to get done.
Thoughts: Proud of myself for not going nuts at the party. But friends brought homemade bread so I had a couple pieces without even feeling bad. I skipped the cake.
Breakfast: Coffee with all of the cream, eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes
Lunch: Pork chop (small) with green beans and mushrooms
Snacks: None
Supper: Not really a formal supper. A friend who moved to Florida was back in town for a visit, so there was a party. I had a few snacks, but really kept things under control.
Exercise: Long run, weights, abs in the morning.
Shopping: Yes, at the Co op.
Cooking: Yes. I did all of the cooking. Now, if only I could get my cabinets in order. Sigh.
Marinade for flank steak for this week, flank steak for next week (which is now in the freezer), and pork chops.
Cut up veggies and cheese for lunch
Jicama for the week, and as a share dish for the party tonight
Chia seed pudding for the week - I made bigger portions this time (4 servings instead of 6)
Cooked 2 pork chops, tons of green beans and mush rooms, so I have one extra protein serving and 3 extra veggie servings for the week.
Dishes?: I am surprised to say yes to this one. I'd done a few loads of dishes, but really wasn't sure if the pork chop/green bean/mushroom load was going to get done.
Thoughts: Proud of myself for not going nuts at the party. But friends brought homemade bread so I had a couple pieces without even feeling bad. I skipped the cake.
Whole30 Day 26
Pre workout and post workout meals: None really
Breakfast: So, I had this big coffee with lots of cream
Lunch: Potatoes and sweet potatoes from Thursday; eggs, bacon
Snacks: After supper, I had roll ups of prosciutto and boursin cheese
Supper: Sausages, sauteed apples with pecans
Exercise: Run 4 miles in the morning
Shopping: None. I lay on the couch all day.
Cooking: Lunch and supper
Dishes?: Yes, yesterday's and todays are done. Though I haven't found a space for everything I bought at Costco. Maybe that's a project for this week?
Thoughts: Ok; two weeks to go after this. I keep trying to remember that I am NOT going to the Farmer Market tomorrow because Nicollet Open Streets is going to have traffic ten kinds of screwed up and I have enough bacon to make it another week.
Breakfast: So, I had this big coffee with lots of cream
Lunch: Potatoes and sweet potatoes from Thursday; eggs, bacon
Snacks: After supper, I had roll ups of prosciutto and boursin cheese
Supper: Sausages, sauteed apples with pecans
Exercise: Run 4 miles in the morning
Shopping: None. I lay on the couch all day.
Cooking: Lunch and supper
Dishes?: Yes, yesterday's and todays are done. Though I haven't found a space for everything I bought at Costco. Maybe that's a project for this week?
Thoughts: Ok; two weeks to go after this. I keep trying to remember that I am NOT going to the Farmer Market tomorrow because Nicollet Open Streets is going to have traffic ten kinds of screwed up and I have enough bacon to make it another week.
Whole30 Day 25
Pre workout and post workout meals: None really.
Breakfast: Hard boiled eggs wrapped in proscuitto
Lunch: Ham, cheese, carrots, jicama
Snacks: Chia seed pudding with berries
Supper: Pork and green beans from last night
Exercise: Run 5 miles in the morning; it was a great run
Shopping: Costco. I bought a steak, pecans, and winter coat and gloves. I wish I was kidding.
Cooking: Not really.
Dishes?: Also not really.
Thoughts: We're at the point of this program where I like seeing myself in the mirror. I'm so shallow.
Breakfast: Hard boiled eggs wrapped in proscuitto
Lunch: Ham, cheese, carrots, jicama
Snacks: Chia seed pudding with berries
Supper: Pork and green beans from last night
Exercise: Run 5 miles in the morning; it was a great run
Shopping: Costco. I bought a steak, pecans, and winter coat and gloves. I wish I was kidding.
Cooking: Not really.
Dishes?: Also not really.
Thoughts: We're at the point of this program where I like seeing myself in the mirror. I'm so shallow.
Whole30 Day 24
Pre workout and post workout meals: Nothing pre; I had chia seed pudding with a peach after my workout because I knew supper was going to be late.
Breakfast: Hard boiled eggs with prosciutto; coffee with cream
Lunch: Ham, cheese, carrots
Snacks: Just the Chia Seed Pudding
Supper: Pulled pork; sweet potatoes and regular potatoes cubed and baked together; brocolli and dragon green beens steamed and sauteed. I ate with Captain Smiley and Dungeon Master.
Exercise: Run 1.25 miles on the treadmill; lift weights
Shopping: Yes, in a rain storm, to get the non-meat parts of tonight's supper.
Cooking: Did I tell you about supper?
Dishes?: Yes. I need to get my dishwasher fixed. Sigh
Thoughts: I tried to write another post for Day 23. How happy am I we're already at number 24?
Breakfast: Hard boiled eggs with prosciutto; coffee with cream
Lunch: Ham, cheese, carrots
Snacks: Just the Chia Seed Pudding
Supper: Pulled pork; sweet potatoes and regular potatoes cubed and baked together; brocolli and dragon green beens steamed and sauteed. I ate with Captain Smiley and Dungeon Master.
Exercise: Run 1.25 miles on the treadmill; lift weights
Shopping: Yes, in a rain storm, to get the non-meat parts of tonight's supper.
Cooking: Did I tell you about supper?
Dishes?: Yes. I need to get my dishwasher fixed. Sigh
Thoughts: I tried to write another post for Day 23. How happy am I we're already at number 24?
Whole30 Day 23
Pre workout and post workout meals: LOL. Not really.
Breakfast: Hard boiled eggs wrapped in prosciutto; cream and coffee
Lunch: Ham, cheese, carrots
Snacks: Well, not really, but supper was a multiple course affair
Supper: Chia seed pudding and half a peach; the other half of the peach; the jicama I should've had with my lunch; chicken leg and bacon
Exercise: Run 1.16 miles at the gym and walk a couple laps as well
Shopping: Obviously not. Did you see my dinner?
Cooking: Supper technically.
Dishes?: Yes. And there were a lot of them. I wish tupperware washed itself.
Thoughts: I'm both "how is it Day 23 already?" and "when the f*ck am I going to be done with this?" Though, when I see myself in the mirror at the gym, I am enjoying the view.
Breakfast: Hard boiled eggs wrapped in prosciutto; cream and coffee
Lunch: Ham, cheese, carrots
Snacks: Well, not really, but supper was a multiple course affair
Supper: Chia seed pudding and half a peach; the other half of the peach; the jicama I should've had with my lunch; chicken leg and bacon
Exercise: Run 1.16 miles at the gym and walk a couple laps as well
Shopping: Obviously not. Did you see my dinner?
Cooking: Supper technically.
Dishes?: Yes. And there were a lot of them. I wish tupperware washed itself.
Thoughts: I'm both "how is it Day 23 already?" and "when the f*ck am I going to be done with this?" Though, when I see myself in the mirror at the gym, I am enjoying the view.
Whole30 Day 22
Pre workout and post workout meals: Pre workout was a Keto Fat Bomb. It and my stomach finally achieved detente after about an hour of running. Post workout was breakfast.
Breakfast: Hard boiled eggs wrapped in prosciutto; chia seed pudding with berries; cream in my coffee!
Lunch: Ham, cheese, carrots with ranch dressing
Snacks: None really, unless you count what happened after supper
Supper: Pork chop, green beans, mushrooms. And then, frozen whip cream with berries on top. It was legit y'all
Exercise: Morning: Run 10+ miles mostly before the crack of dawn. Afternoon: Lift weights.
Shopping: None
Cooking: None really, even supper was re-heated
Dishes?: Unlikely
Thoughts: I did not sleep well last night ahead of this long run and I am very much looking forward to going to bed tonight. I don't have many dishes today so they can wait.
Breakfast: Hard boiled eggs wrapped in prosciutto; chia seed pudding with berries; cream in my coffee!
Lunch: Ham, cheese, carrots with ranch dressing
Snacks: None really, unless you count what happened after supper
Supper: Pork chop, green beans, mushrooms. And then, frozen whip cream with berries on top. It was legit y'all
Exercise: Morning: Run 10+ miles mostly before the crack of dawn. Afternoon: Lift weights.
Shopping: None
Cooking: None really, even supper was re-heated
Dishes?: Unlikely
Thoughts: I did not sleep well last night ahead of this long run and I am very much looking forward to going to bed tonight. I don't have many dishes today so they can wait.
Whole30 Day 21
Pre workout and post workout meals: 1/2 of a 'fat bomb' before the workout. It did not upset my stomach.
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, Larabar. I know this is an inadequate breakfast, but today is what it is
Lunch: Eggs, bacon, sweet potatoes
Snacks: Not really, though I did sample the cheddar cheese I'll be eating all week
Supper: Pork chop, green beans and mushrooms from last night
Exercise: Short run, weights, elliptical, abs. I was at the gym a long time today.
Shopping: I went to Target and got a new cartridge for my Soda Stream. There had been a supply issue for a while, so I was pleasantly surprised when they actually had one in stock for me.
Cooking: Yes.
Lunch.
Supper - the pork chop was new from tonight.
Lunches for the week
Hard boiled eggs for the next couple of day.
Dishes?: Yes. And I checked my dishwasher. It is still not draining properly.
Thoughts: How are we at Day 21.
I got on the scale again, properly hydrated. It's lower than last week still, but not as crazy low as Sunday. More proof I was ridiculously dehydrated.
Now I'm thinking about how I carry this good way of eating through after the race.
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, Larabar. I know this is an inadequate breakfast, but today is what it is
Lunch: Eggs, bacon, sweet potatoes
Snacks: Not really, though I did sample the cheddar cheese I'll be eating all week
Supper: Pork chop, green beans and mushrooms from last night
Exercise: Short run, weights, elliptical, abs. I was at the gym a long time today.
Shopping: I went to Target and got a new cartridge for my Soda Stream. There had been a supply issue for a while, so I was pleasantly surprised when they actually had one in stock for me.
Cooking: Yes.
Lunch.
Supper - the pork chop was new from tonight.
Lunches for the week
Hard boiled eggs for the next couple of day.
Dishes?: Yes. And I checked my dishwasher. It is still not draining properly.
Thoughts: How are we at Day 21.
I got on the scale again, properly hydrated. It's lower than last week still, but not as crazy low as Sunday. More proof I was ridiculously dehydrated.
Now I'm thinking about how I carry this good way of eating through after the race.
Whole30 Day 20
Pre workout and post workout meals: I tried to have half an avocado before I left. I didn't work out super well.
Breakfast: Chia seed pudding, coffee with cream.
Lunch: Potatoes, eggs, bacon. Mmmmmm.
Snacks: I tried to make this. I legit forgot the sweetener, but wow. Fat bomb is for sure. I had about half of one serving and I was good.
Supper: Steak, green beans, mushrooms.
Exercise: Run a hard workout in the morning. Abandon on the weights and abs.
Shopping: Went to the farmers market and bought my favorite bacon.
Cooking: Yes,
Fruit: I made fruit for my continuing chia seed pudding use.
Fat Bombs: 12 servings is not enough. I think 24 servings of this would've been better. Because wow, all I taste is butter.
Jicama: I use this recipe which I've had since forever. I often leave out the cucumber.
Dishes?: Yes. I finally declared dishes bankruptcy, and then worked myself out of that hole. I am still missing one of my Contigo coffee mugs. This is like, a thing that happens to me. Sometimes I lose one of my mugs. If I see more at Costco, I will purchase them.
Thoughts: Now I'm reading about low carb jicama fries and that seems like I thing I should try.
I'm still considering an air fryer but I don't know where I'd put it in my kitchen. Maybe I have too many coffee mugs?
How is this day 20?
I got on the scale today (also not technically W30) and I'm not sure if the scale was right. The number was a couple pounds lower than I expected.
Breakfast: Chia seed pudding, coffee with cream.
Lunch: Potatoes, eggs, bacon. Mmmmmm.
Snacks: I tried to make this. I legit forgot the sweetener, but wow. Fat bomb is for sure. I had about half of one serving and I was good.
Supper: Steak, green beans, mushrooms.
Exercise: Run a hard workout in the morning. Abandon on the weights and abs.
Shopping: Went to the farmers market and bought my favorite bacon.
Cooking: Yes,
Fruit: I made fruit for my continuing chia seed pudding use.
Fat Bombs: 12 servings is not enough. I think 24 servings of this would've been better. Because wow, all I taste is butter.
Jicama: I use this recipe which I've had since forever. I often leave out the cucumber.
Dishes?: Yes. I finally declared dishes bankruptcy, and then worked myself out of that hole. I am still missing one of my Contigo coffee mugs. This is like, a thing that happens to me. Sometimes I lose one of my mugs. If I see more at Costco, I will purchase them.
Thoughts: Now I'm reading about low carb jicama fries and that seems like I thing I should try.
I'm still considering an air fryer but I don't know where I'd put it in my kitchen. Maybe I have too many coffee mugs?
How is this day 20?
I got on the scale today (also not technically W30) and I'm not sure if the scale was right. The number was a couple pounds lower than I expected.
Whole30 Day 19
Pre workout and post workout meals: None.
Breakfast: Chia seed pudding with fresh raspberries. Coffee with cream
Lunch: Potatoes, eggs, bacon. OMG Potatoes. They did not make me sick like the apples.
Snacks: Chia seed pudding again, with the rest of the raspberries.
Supper: Apple, cheese, pecans.
Exercise: Yes, run 3 grumpy ass miles around Lake Nokomis
Shopping: Yes, I spent ALL of the money and used my quarterly discount at the Co op.
Cooking: That lunch was on point, but otherwise, not really.
Dishes?: No. Did I mention I am captain grumpy pants.
Thoughts: I need to add pecans to my Costco list.
Breakfast: Chia seed pudding with fresh raspberries. Coffee with cream
Lunch: Potatoes, eggs, bacon. OMG Potatoes. They did not make me sick like the apples.
Snacks: Chia seed pudding again, with the rest of the raspberries.
Supper: Apple, cheese, pecans.
Exercise: Yes, run 3 grumpy ass miles around Lake Nokomis
Shopping: Yes, I spent ALL of the money and used my quarterly discount at the Co op.
Cooking: That lunch was on point, but otherwise, not really.
Dishes?: No. Did I mention I am captain grumpy pants.
Thoughts: I need to add pecans to my Costco list.
Whole30 Day 18
Pre workout and post workout meals: None
Breakfast: Hard boiled eggs with prosciutto; coffee
Lunch: Roast beef, cheese, veggies, ranch dressing
Snacks: Cheese wisps, which were not that satisfying, and Chia seed pudding with a peach
Supper: Sauteed apples in butter. This was a mistake. I just felt full and tired after.
Exercise: Woke up early, lifted weights and did a quick run
Shopping: No. Isn't that odd?
Cooking: Supper
Dishes?: No, I went to bed. Those apples destroyed me.
Thoughts: There was some other non-food related stuff going on yesterday that was also giving me a rough time. But man, those apples were like way too many carbs all at once. And they're just apples. I can't imagine what a cookie would've done to me.
Breakfast: Hard boiled eggs with prosciutto; coffee
Lunch: Roast beef, cheese, veggies, ranch dressing
Snacks: Cheese wisps, which were not that satisfying, and Chia seed pudding with a peach
Supper: Sauteed apples in butter. This was a mistake. I just felt full and tired after.
Exercise: Woke up early, lifted weights and did a quick run
Shopping: No. Isn't that odd?
Cooking: Supper
Dishes?: No, I went to bed. Those apples destroyed me.
Thoughts: There was some other non-food related stuff going on yesterday that was also giving me a rough time. But man, those apples were like way too many carbs all at once. And they're just apples. I can't imagine what a cookie would've done to me.
Whole30 Day 17
Pre workout and post workout meals: None
Breakfast: Hard boiled eggs with prosciutto, coffee with cream
Lunch: Roast beef, cheese, veggies, ranch
Snacks: Chia seed pudding with a peach
Supper: Bacon, bell peppers, onions, fried egg over top. This is a lot like last night's dinner.
Exercise: Run 1 mile in the morning.
Shopping: None.
Cooking: Supper and I hard boiled eggs for tomorrow breakfast
Dishes?: Yes, and even earlier than normal tonight
Thoughts: Rest days are nice but the lower calorie thing is hard.
I'm sleeping really well
I've also hit the 'ok; when can I be done with this' phase of this round. Though I want to keep with the program a while longer, and have marathon weight be much lower than my current weight.
I think the thing I miss is just going to restaurants and hanging out with friends eating out.
Breakfast: Hard boiled eggs with prosciutto, coffee with cream
Lunch: Roast beef, cheese, veggies, ranch
Snacks: Chia seed pudding with a peach
Supper: Bacon, bell peppers, onions, fried egg over top. This is a lot like last night's dinner.
Exercise: Run 1 mile in the morning.
Shopping: None.
Cooking: Supper and I hard boiled eggs for tomorrow breakfast
Dishes?: Yes, and even earlier than normal tonight
Thoughts: Rest days are nice but the lower calorie thing is hard.
I'm sleeping really well
I've also hit the 'ok; when can I be done with this' phase of this round. Though I want to keep with the program a while longer, and have marathon weight be much lower than my current weight.
I think the thing I miss is just going to restaurants and hanging out with friends eating out.
Whole30 Day 16
Pre workout and post workout meals: None
Breakfast: Chia seed pudding with a peach, hard boiled eggs and prosciutto
Lunch: Roast beef, cheese, ranch, veggies
Snacks: Apples and Honey for a sweet new year. And good for you if you take the reference.
Supper: Bacon, mean from a chicken leg, onion, bell pepper, all tossed in a bowl
Exercise: Super fun trail run up in Sherburne Co today.
Shopping: None.
Cooking: Supper only.
Dishes?: Yes, from yesterday and today
Thoughts: At least I didn't forget this post like yesterday!
I'm thinking about tomorrow actually, when I will not be working out, so will have to be more 'calorie conscious' Or at least make some decisions about how I will fuel my recovery.
Breakfast: Chia seed pudding with a peach, hard boiled eggs and prosciutto
Lunch: Roast beef, cheese, ranch, veggies
Snacks: Apples and Honey for a sweet new year. And good for you if you take the reference.
Supper: Bacon, mean from a chicken leg, onion, bell pepper, all tossed in a bowl
Exercise: Super fun trail run up in Sherburne Co today.
Shopping: None.
Cooking: Supper only.
Dishes?: Yes, from yesterday and today
Thoughts: At least I didn't forget this post like yesterday!
I'm thinking about tomorrow actually, when I will not be working out, so will have to be more 'calorie conscious' Or at least make some decisions about how I will fuel my recovery.
Whole30 Day 15
Pre workout and post workout meals: None really
Breakfast: Hard boiled eggs and prosciutto
Lunch: Roast beef, cheese, veggies, ranch, apple
Snacks: Frozen whip cream with a peach
Supper: Bacon and the left over chicken from Green Mill
Exercise: Run 5.3 miles in the morning. Lift weights in the afternoon
Shopping: None
Cooking: None really
Dishes?: Nope, and I forgot to write this blog post until the next day too
Thoughts: I'm sure I had some, but I'm writing this a day late. Sigh
Breakfast: Hard boiled eggs and prosciutto
Lunch: Roast beef, cheese, veggies, ranch, apple
Snacks: Frozen whip cream with a peach
Supper: Bacon and the left over chicken from Green Mill
Exercise: Run 5.3 miles in the morning. Lift weights in the afternoon
Shopping: None
Cooking: None really
Dishes?: Nope, and I forgot to write this blog post until the next day too
Thoughts: I'm sure I had some, but I'm writing this a day late. Sigh
Whole30 Day 14
Pre workout and post workout meals: Pre workout was half a salted avocado; post workout was breakfast
Breakfast: Hard boiled eggs wrapped in prosciutto, two cans of La Croix (see: exercise) and coffee with cream
Lunch: No lie here. Sauteed apples with butter and pecans.
Snacks: No. See lunch.
Supper: My Pooky Bear picked to eat at Green Mill tonight. I had some fried green beans, and coconut chicken fingers. I looked at the nutrition ahead of time and decided I don't care that much about those little added ingredients. Whole30 is so easy when you don't do it right at all.
Exercise: Run 7 miles in the morning. It was a wonderful day and a really solid workout.
Shopping: Lunch supplies etc at Seward. I'm realizing now I forgot to get coffee, which is a thing I really needed to get. Le sigh.
Cooking: Lunch today, and I prepped my lunches for the week. I wonder if I can add them to Carb Manager now to calculate my macros. OMG. I need to stop.
Dishes?: No, but they are soaking in the sink and Mom says that's totally legit.
Thoughts: I really regretted those apples for lunch. Looking back, I wish I'd had more protein and less carbs. I was cool on fat because butter and pecans.
Bonus for Carb Manager that I can, in fact, enter tomorrow's lunch tonight. (That's really nice because then I just copy/paste lunches for the whole week.)
Breakfast: Hard boiled eggs wrapped in prosciutto, two cans of La Croix (see: exercise) and coffee with cream
Lunch: No lie here. Sauteed apples with butter and pecans.
Snacks: No. See lunch.
Supper: My Pooky Bear picked to eat at Green Mill tonight. I had some fried green beans, and coconut chicken fingers. I looked at the nutrition ahead of time and decided I don't care that much about those little added ingredients. Whole30 is so easy when you don't do it right at all.
Exercise: Run 7 miles in the morning. It was a wonderful day and a really solid workout.
Shopping: Lunch supplies etc at Seward. I'm realizing now I forgot to get coffee, which is a thing I really needed to get. Le sigh.
Cooking: Lunch today, and I prepped my lunches for the week. I wonder if I can add them to Carb Manager now to calculate my macros. OMG. I need to stop.
Dishes?: No, but they are soaking in the sink and Mom says that's totally legit.
Thoughts: I really regretted those apples for lunch. Looking back, I wish I'd had more protein and less carbs. I was cool on fat because butter and pecans.
Bonus for Carb Manager that I can, in fact, enter tomorrow's lunch tonight. (That's really nice because then I just copy/paste lunches for the whole week.)
Whole30 Day 13
Pre workout and post workout meals: Half a salted avocado before the run; coffee with cream and a Coconut Larabar post run
Breakfast: First breakfast was frozen whipped cream and a cut up peach. (The whipped cream had no sugar.)
Lunch: Next meal was two chicken legs, cut up bell pepper, ranch dressing, and cheese
Snacks: Snack after that was cheese wrapped in prosciutto
Supper: When I finally got hungry again, I had two eggs, sweet potato, and 2 pieces of bacon for super. Believe it or not, this is a slightly smaller portion than my normal 3 eggs.
Exercise: Run 10+ miles this morning, followed by a quick weight workout and abs.
Shopping: I am surprised to tell you that I did not go shopping
Cooking: Breakfast and lunch were pulling stuff out of the fridge. Supper I cooked myself. Currently I'm hard boiling a bunch of eggs for the week.
Also, I made another batch of the sour cream ranch dip. Oooh, maybe if I have chicken this week, I'll have that in my lunch again.
Dishes?: Yes, and I really thought today would be the day I've leave them in the sink.
Thoughts: I spent a lot of time today reading about 'keto fat bombs' and apparently I need to find coconut butter to make the ones I really want, the Keto Paleo Coconut Fat Bombs. Other contenders are Keto Macaroons and sugar free peanut butter fudge.
I paid for my decision to eat that whip cream. It was totally worth it though.
I keep thinking 'this doesn't feel as hard as last time' and then I'm all 'well, maybe if you did it right...' But I like having friends too.
Breakfast: First breakfast was frozen whipped cream and a cut up peach. (The whipped cream had no sugar.)
Lunch: Next meal was two chicken legs, cut up bell pepper, ranch dressing, and cheese
Snacks: Snack after that was cheese wrapped in prosciutto
Supper: When I finally got hungry again, I had two eggs, sweet potato, and 2 pieces of bacon for super. Believe it or not, this is a slightly smaller portion than my normal 3 eggs.
Exercise: Run 10+ miles this morning, followed by a quick weight workout and abs.
Shopping: I am surprised to tell you that I did not go shopping
Cooking: Breakfast and lunch were pulling stuff out of the fridge. Supper I cooked myself. Currently I'm hard boiling a bunch of eggs for the week.
Also, I made another batch of the sour cream ranch dip. Oooh, maybe if I have chicken this week, I'll have that in my lunch again.
Dishes?: Yes, and I really thought today would be the day I've leave them in the sink.
Thoughts: I spent a lot of time today reading about 'keto fat bombs' and apparently I need to find coconut butter to make the ones I really want, the Keto Paleo Coconut Fat Bombs. Other contenders are Keto Macaroons and sugar free peanut butter fudge.
I paid for my decision to eat that whip cream. It was totally worth it though.
I keep thinking 'this doesn't feel as hard as last time' and then I'm all 'well, maybe if you did it right...' But I like having friends too.
Whole30 Day 12
Pre workout and post workout meals: None
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, eggs, kale, bacon
Lunch: Tried this thing called Keto Mug Bread
Snacks: Not really, though supper was in stages
Supper: I made a salad at home. Then Dungeon Master called me and we headed up to Funky Grits. I had the Walleye Cakes. The breading is technically illegal but I wasn't super stressed about such a small amount of any ingredient.
Exercise: Run 3 miles in the morning as Captain Grumpy Pants. Walked a bit around Lake Nokomis with Olive in the afternoon, as we went over to see the monarch festival.
Shopping: Yes, I went to my co-op for baking ingredients which relates to...
Cooking: 'Whip cream' desert; mine has stevia instead of sugar and it's currently in the freezer
Keto mug bread - I was kind of meh on my first try. I did part almond flour and part coconut flour. It may be better with all coconut flour so I'll try that next
Chicken legs - because that was going to be the second part of my dinner before Dungeon Master called
Dishes?: Yes, done. They weren't that bad today, even with all the 'baking'
Thoughts: I really shouldn't be calling this a Whole30 anymore, but I lack a better name for it.
I keep thinking about dropping a lot of weight before marathon training. I keep thinking about cheat meals too though. Sigh
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, eggs, kale, bacon
Lunch: Tried this thing called Keto Mug Bread
Snacks: Not really, though supper was in stages
Supper: I made a salad at home. Then Dungeon Master called me and we headed up to Funky Grits. I had the Walleye Cakes. The breading is technically illegal but I wasn't super stressed about such a small amount of any ingredient.
Exercise: Run 3 miles in the morning as Captain Grumpy Pants. Walked a bit around Lake Nokomis with Olive in the afternoon, as we went over to see the monarch festival.
Shopping: Yes, I went to my co-op for baking ingredients which relates to...
Cooking: 'Whip cream' desert; mine has stevia instead of sugar and it's currently in the freezer
Keto mug bread - I was kind of meh on my first try. I did part almond flour and part coconut flour. It may be better with all coconut flour so I'll try that next
Chicken legs - because that was going to be the second part of my dinner before Dungeon Master called
Dishes?: Yes, done. They weren't that bad today, even with all the 'baking'
Thoughts: I really shouldn't be calling this a Whole30 anymore, but I lack a better name for it.
I keep thinking about dropping a lot of weight before marathon training. I keep thinking about cheat meals too though. Sigh
Whole30 Day 11
Pre workout and post workout meals: None really
Breakfast: Eggs wrapped in prosciutto; chia seed pudding with berries; coffee with cream
Lunch: Steak with rank dressing, veggies, jicama
Snacks: Wound up having pork rinds and cheese after super. It was everything.
Supper: Giant salad with cheese, avocado, sunflower seeds, and homemade dressing
Exercise: Morning: Run 4 miles. Afternoon: Lift weights for not doing it yesterday
Shopping: Stopped by Seward to buy cream to turn into whip cream. Because frozen whip cream is supposed to be the best thing ever. Apparently I need vanilla extract and that's not a thing I have right now, so awesome sauce has to wait another day.
Cooking: Supper. Did I tell you I made my own salad dressing?
Dishes?: Done. I'll be sad when I'm not recording this for the blog. This is the only way my dishes will ever get done I think.
Thoughts: My dishwasher is still broke. I should take care of that. Sigh.
Last year before the race, I read this book called Mind Gym that was really helpful in my mental prep. I thought I'd read it again this year except I can't find it. WTF? I looked for a long time last night, though I didn't tear everything apart. I just kept looking in the same places over and over. I must've put it here right?
Someone told me I can use a french press to get the almond meal out of my almond milk. Is this a real thing? I must try.
Breakfast: Eggs wrapped in prosciutto; chia seed pudding with berries; coffee with cream
Lunch: Steak with rank dressing, veggies, jicama
Snacks: Wound up having pork rinds and cheese after super. It was everything.
Supper: Giant salad with cheese, avocado, sunflower seeds, and homemade dressing
Exercise: Morning: Run 4 miles. Afternoon: Lift weights for not doing it yesterday
Shopping: Stopped by Seward to buy cream to turn into whip cream. Because frozen whip cream is supposed to be the best thing ever. Apparently I need vanilla extract and that's not a thing I have right now, so awesome sauce has to wait another day.
Cooking: Supper. Did I tell you I made my own salad dressing?
Dishes?: Done. I'll be sad when I'm not recording this for the blog. This is the only way my dishes will ever get done I think.
Thoughts: My dishwasher is still broke. I should take care of that. Sigh.
Last year before the race, I read this book called Mind Gym that was really helpful in my mental prep. I thought I'd read it again this year except I can't find it. WTF? I looked for a long time last night, though I didn't tear everything apart. I just kept looking in the same places over and over. I must've put it here right?
Someone told me I can use a french press to get the almond meal out of my almond milk. Is this a real thing? I must try.
Whole30 Day 10
Pre workout and post workout meals: None
Breakfast: Hard boiled eggs wrapped in prosciutto, cream with coffee, chia seed pudding
Lunch: Steak, ranch, veggies, jicama
Snacks: 2 pieces of pork rinds. Wahoo.
Supper: Catfish, breaded in almond flour, then fried, with radish greens and radishes
Exercise: Run 6 miles in the morning
Shopping: Stopped at Seward for catfish.
Cooking: Did I mention supper? Currently I'm hard boiling eggs for tomorrow morning
Dishes?: Done. I actually got up and did them so I could write this blog post y'all.
Thoughts: I can't believe it's day 10 already.
I should really call it something other than Whole30 because my thing is similar but not same.
Still tracking macros. I'm forever over on protein and under on fat. Less meat and more cheese?
This also tracks my calories. And I'm under on calories almost every day if you count the calories I burn from running
Breakfast: Hard boiled eggs wrapped in prosciutto, cream with coffee, chia seed pudding
Lunch: Steak, ranch, veggies, jicama
Snacks: 2 pieces of pork rinds. Wahoo.
Supper: Catfish, breaded in almond flour, then fried, with radish greens and radishes
Exercise: Run 6 miles in the morning
Shopping: Stopped at Seward for catfish.
Cooking: Did I mention supper? Currently I'm hard boiling eggs for tomorrow morning
Dishes?: Done. I actually got up and did them so I could write this blog post y'all.
Thoughts: I can't believe it's day 10 already.
I should really call it something other than Whole30 because my thing is similar but not same.
Still tracking macros. I'm forever over on protein and under on fat. Less meat and more cheese?
This also tracks my calories. And I'm under on calories almost every day if you count the calories I burn from running
Whole30 Day 9
Pre workout and post workout meals: None really.
Breakfast: Chia seed pudding and berries, eggs, bacon, coffee with cream
Lunch: Steak with ranch dip, zucchini, jicama, the cantaloupe is not as good as I'd hoped, so I have a sad there.
Snacks: Bonus chia seed pudding and berries serving after supper
Supper: Pork chop and green beans that I'd cooked on Monday
Exercise: Run 6 miles, lift weights. I'm no longer a total grouch on this one.
Shopping: None
Cooking: I'm hard boiling eggs for breakfast for tomorrow, and I had a hot breakfast today
Dishes?: Yes, and the accountability here is amazing.
Thoughts: I can't believe I'm 9 days in on this. Just straight up having dairy this time around is amazing.
I have not got on the scale recently, but I'm kind of tempted.
I'm still tracking macros and calories with carb manager. Today I didn't have enough net carbs but I had too much protein and just the right amount of fat. This is all learning, so I'm okay not getting things perfect right away.
I've been following a Keto group on facebook for a while (even though I'm not really doing the keto thing truly) and this person just posted asking if anyone else has frozen whip cream for dessert. "It tastes like ice cream" Life is about to change y'all.
Breakfast: Chia seed pudding and berries, eggs, bacon, coffee with cream
Lunch: Steak with ranch dip, zucchini, jicama, the cantaloupe is not as good as I'd hoped, so I have a sad there.
Snacks: Bonus chia seed pudding and berries serving after supper
Supper: Pork chop and green beans that I'd cooked on Monday
Exercise: Run 6 miles, lift weights. I'm no longer a total grouch on this one.
Shopping: None
Cooking: I'm hard boiling eggs for breakfast for tomorrow, and I had a hot breakfast today
Dishes?: Yes, and the accountability here is amazing.
Thoughts: I can't believe I'm 9 days in on this. Just straight up having dairy this time around is amazing.
I have not got on the scale recently, but I'm kind of tempted.
I'm still tracking macros and calories with carb manager. Today I didn't have enough net carbs but I had too much protein and just the right amount of fat. This is all learning, so I'm okay not getting things perfect right away.
I've been following a Keto group on facebook for a while (even though I'm not really doing the keto thing truly) and this person just posted asking if anyone else has frozen whip cream for dessert. "It tastes like ice cream" Life is about to change y'all.
Whole30 Day 8
Pre workout and post workout meals: OMG, no
Breakfast: Hard boiled eggs, prosciutto, chia seed pudding, berries, coffee
Lunch: Steak, jicama, zucchini, ranch dressing, and I did not have the canteloupe (oops)
Snacks: None really
Supper: Went to eat with My Pooky Bear and The Qat Lady. I had a dinner salad. When I got home and was counting my macros/calories, it looked like my calories were legit too low for the day so I had some cheese wisps with dipping sauce.
Exercise: I did run my mile today.
Shopping: None
Cooking: None actually
Dishes?: Nope, but it's only my lunch dishes sitting in the sink so it's all good.
Thoughts: How is this day 8 already?
Right now I have my macros set to 'low carb, high fat' diet which is not keto. I usually don't get a ton of net carbs during the day, though. I'm still thinking about the keto but haven't dropped the hammer yet.
Breakfast: Hard boiled eggs, prosciutto, chia seed pudding, berries, coffee
Lunch: Steak, jicama, zucchini, ranch dressing, and I did not have the canteloupe (oops)
Snacks: None really
Supper: Went to eat with My Pooky Bear and The Qat Lady. I had a dinner salad. When I got home and was counting my macros/calories, it looked like my calories were legit too low for the day so I had some cheese wisps with dipping sauce.
Exercise: I did run my mile today.
Shopping: None
Cooking: None actually
Dishes?: Nope, but it's only my lunch dishes sitting in the sink so it's all good.
Thoughts: How is this day 8 already?
Right now I have my macros set to 'low carb, high fat' diet which is not keto. I usually don't get a ton of net carbs during the day, though. I'm still thinking about the keto but haven't dropped the hammer yet.
Whole30 Day 7
Pre workout and post workout meals: LOL. No.
Breakfast: Coffee, eggs, bacon, little piece of avocado
Lunch: Steak, green beans, jicama, little bit of onion
Snacks: None actually
Supper: Peach sautted in butter with pecans
Exercise: Ran 1 mile. I am so lazy.
Shopping: None. I've barely seen any other human beings today and I'm okay with it.
Cooking: Yeah, lots actually.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Pork chop for later this week (will have left over green beans with that)
Steak for lunches for the week
Jicama for lunches for the week (though that was not my original plan for it)
Cut up veggies
Cantaloupe cut up for the week
Chia seed pudding - portioned differently than I've made it before so we'll see how this goes. (I made a whole can of coconut milk, then used 7th grade algebra to figure out the right portion of chia seeds to add.)
Hard boiled eggs for breakfast tomorrow.
Dishes?: Yes. I think I did them three times today. If dishes happen tomorrow it will be a miracle. (Biggest part of the miracle will be putting away tonight's dishes for sure.)
Thoughts: I started using this thing called 'Carb Manager'. It's big on the Keto group I found on facebook. This is one of those things that's not really 'Whole30'. At the moment I'm doing it in the spirit of information gathering. "When I eat like this, how much protein/fat/carbs am I really eating?" It's got this graph that tells me how many of each macro I "have left" for the day. I'm trying to learn from it. We'll see how long I keep it up.
No joke; I went through my Facebook feed and 'unliked' all of the restaurants and other 'food associated' accounts. I just can't have all that popping up anymore.
Breakfast: Coffee, eggs, bacon, little piece of avocado
Lunch: Steak, green beans, jicama, little bit of onion
Snacks: None actually
Supper: Peach sautted in butter with pecans
Exercise: Ran 1 mile. I am so lazy.
Shopping: None. I've barely seen any other human beings today and I'm okay with it.
Cooking: Yeah, lots actually.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Pork chop for later this week (will have left over green beans with that)
Steak for lunches for the week
Jicama for lunches for the week (though that was not my original plan for it)
Cut up veggies
Cantaloupe cut up for the week
Chia seed pudding - portioned differently than I've made it before so we'll see how this goes. (I made a whole can of coconut milk, then used 7th grade algebra to figure out the right portion of chia seeds to add.)
Hard boiled eggs for breakfast tomorrow.
Dishes?: Yes. I think I did them three times today. If dishes happen tomorrow it will be a miracle. (Biggest part of the miracle will be putting away tonight's dishes for sure.)
Thoughts: I started using this thing called 'Carb Manager'. It's big on the Keto group I found on facebook. This is one of those things that's not really 'Whole30'. At the moment I'm doing it in the spirit of information gathering. "When I eat like this, how much protein/fat/carbs am I really eating?" It's got this graph that tells me how many of each macro I "have left" for the day. I'm trying to learn from it. We'll see how long I keep it up.
No joke; I went through my Facebook feed and 'unliked' all of the restaurants and other 'food associated' accounts. I just can't have all that popping up anymore.
Whole30 Day 6
Pre workout and post workout meals:None, and that was a mistake here.
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, eggs, bacon, avocado
Lunch: Post workout, I had a peach becuase I wanted carbs, and then cheese wisps and ranch dressing. Cheese wisps are yum.
Snacks: None really. Lunch sort of felt like a snack.
Supper: Pulled pork, peaches, blue berries
Exercise: Running, weights, walking, this didn't last as long as you'd think
Shopping: Costco for lunch provisions for the week
Cooking: Not much, breakfast and supper. I guess tomorrow will be the big prep day
Dishes?: Probably not
Thoughts: Too low carb, and not enough to eat before working out, which was a mistake.
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, eggs, bacon, avocado
Lunch: Post workout, I had a peach becuase I wanted carbs, and then cheese wisps and ranch dressing. Cheese wisps are yum.
Snacks: None really. Lunch sort of felt like a snack.
Supper: Pulled pork, peaches, blue berries
Exercise: Running, weights, walking, this didn't last as long as you'd think
Shopping: Costco for lunch provisions for the week
Cooking: Not much, breakfast and supper. I guess tomorrow will be the big prep day
Dishes?: Probably not
Thoughts: Too low carb, and not enough to eat before working out, which was a mistake.
Whole30 Day 5
Pre workout and post workout meals: None. Stick with me here because this is going to be a confusing day.
Breakfast and Lunch: Coffee with cream, eggs, bacon, potatoes
Snacks: Bacon and ranch. The reintroduction of dairy to this has been a game changer. (Like, not a lot of ranch or bacon, just a little)
Supper: I'm typing this at 4pm, but supper is a planned failure. Friends are having a sit down dinner where they cook for everyone and I'm going to enjoy it.
Exercise: Run 3 miles in the morning
Shopping: Visited my friends at the co-op
Cooking: Blunch and my ranch dressing
Dishes?: Doing that next, before I head out. Writing that makes it true right?
Thoughts: The real test is tomorrow. How I climb back on the horse after a planned failure is important. Since August was such a cluster.
Breakfast and Lunch: Coffee with cream, eggs, bacon, potatoes
Snacks: Bacon and ranch. The reintroduction of dairy to this has been a game changer. (Like, not a lot of ranch or bacon, just a little)
Supper: I'm typing this at 4pm, but supper is a planned failure. Friends are having a sit down dinner where they cook for everyone and I'm going to enjoy it.
Exercise: Run 3 miles in the morning
Shopping: Visited my friends at the co-op
Cooking: Blunch and my ranch dressing
Dishes?: Doing that next, before I head out. Writing that makes it true right?
Thoughts: The real test is tomorrow. How I climb back on the horse after a planned failure is important. Since August was such a cluster.
Whole30 Day 4
Pre workout and post workout meals: None
Breakfast: Hard boiled eggs wrapped in prosciutto, coffee with cream
Lunch: Roast beef, cheese, avocado, banana, bell peppers
Snacks: Sunflower seeds, kombucha
Supper: Sautéed apples with Walnuts
Exercise: Run 1 mile in the afternoon
Shopping: None; I would've gone to the co-op if I hadn't found the apples
Cooking: Supper
Dishes?: Probably not, but I did do them yesterday
Thoughts: I'm not keto, but I am 'carb tracking'. I am so looking forward to tomorrow when I can go for a run and then grab some awesome breakfast coffee
Breakfast: Hard boiled eggs wrapped in prosciutto, coffee with cream
Lunch: Roast beef, cheese, avocado, banana, bell peppers
Snacks: Sunflower seeds, kombucha
Supper: Sautéed apples with Walnuts
Exercise: Run 1 mile in the afternoon
Shopping: None; I would've gone to the co-op if I hadn't found the apples
Cooking: Supper
Dishes?: Probably not, but I did do them yesterday
Thoughts: I'm not keto, but I am 'carb tracking'. I am so looking forward to tomorrow when I can go for a run and then grab some awesome breakfast coffee
Whole30 Day 3
Pre workout and post workout meals: Pre was lunch and post was a kombucha and a larabar.
Breakfast: Eggs, bacon, coffee with cream
Lunch: Strawberries have gone bad, so I had roast beef, swiss cheese, bell peppers, and a banana
Snacks: Only my post-run snack
Supper: Artichokes; prosciutto, cheese. And all of the butter. Did I tell you about the butter?
Exercise: Thursday weights, 4 miles run.
Shopping: None actually
Cooking: Breakfast and supper
Dishes?: Breakfast and lunch dishes are done; supper dishes are pending
Thoughts: I have been really tired in the mornings the past couple of days. I don't know why because I'm sleeping better.
I'm tracking my food on LoseIt. Apparently, I'm eating 'a lot' of carbs. Past few days, I've had around half my calories from fat, and then one quarter from protein and one quarter from carbs. I'll keep tracking for now, and if I ever want to go 'real keto' hopefully this information will be useful.
Breakfast: Eggs, bacon, coffee with cream
Lunch: Strawberries have gone bad, so I had roast beef, swiss cheese, bell peppers, and a banana
Snacks: Only my post-run snack
Supper: Artichokes; prosciutto, cheese. And all of the butter. Did I tell you about the butter?
Exercise: Thursday weights, 4 miles run.
Shopping: None actually
Cooking: Breakfast and supper
Dishes?: Breakfast and lunch dishes are done; supper dishes are pending
Thoughts: I have been really tired in the mornings the past couple of days. I don't know why because I'm sleeping better.
I'm tracking my food on LoseIt. Apparently, I'm eating 'a lot' of carbs. Past few days, I've had around half my calories from fat, and then one quarter from protein and one quarter from carbs. I'll keep tracking for now, and if I ever want to go 'real keto' hopefully this information will be useful.
Whole30 Day 2
Pre workout and post workout meals: None.
Breakfast: Hard boiled eggs wrapped in prosciutto, coffee with cream
Lunch: Roast beef, Swiss cheese, veggies, strawberries, banana, avocado
Snacks: Prosciutto and cheese; pumpkin seeds. I was hungry around 3:30 today.
Supper: Carnitas, yellow green beans, sweet potatoes. I ate with Captain Smiley.
Exercise: Had a great run this morning.
Shopping: Stopped by the co-op. I need to be honest with myself about my cream consumption. And I bought more eggs. I eat all of the eggs.
Cooking: Supper tonight was a 'pull it out of the freezer' thing for the most part
Dishes?: I did actually do my dishes. I'm so bad about this, I need to be held accountable.
Thoughts: I'm thinking of skipping the state fair. I finally got the energy to go back and fix my diet. I don't think I can deal with fair food on a stick right now.
Breakfast: Hard boiled eggs wrapped in prosciutto, coffee with cream
Lunch: Roast beef, Swiss cheese, veggies, strawberries, banana, avocado
Snacks: Prosciutto and cheese; pumpkin seeds. I was hungry around 3:30 today.
Supper: Carnitas, yellow green beans, sweet potatoes. I ate with Captain Smiley.
Exercise: Had a great run this morning.
Shopping: Stopped by the co-op. I need to be honest with myself about my cream consumption. And I bought more eggs. I eat all of the eggs.
Cooking: Supper tonight was a 'pull it out of the freezer' thing for the most part
Dishes?: I did actually do my dishes. I'm so bad about this, I need to be held accountable.
Thoughts: I'm thinking of skipping the state fair. I finally got the energy to go back and fix my diet. I don't think I can deal with fair food on a stick right now.
Whole30 - Day 1
Pre workout and post workout meals: Nothing pre, post was lunch.
Breakfast: Eggs, bacon, arugula. Day 1 and I have a veggie with breakfast!
Lunch: Roast beef, baby swiss cheese, bell peppers, strawberries, banana
Snacks: None yet. A Larabar may be in my future though.
Supper: Punch Pizza - Chopped Salad. No bread.
Exercise: Ran 1 mile on the treadmill; lifted weights
Shopping: Nope
Cooking: I'm about to make hard boiled eggs for breakfast tomorrow.
Thoughts:
I'd been doing very well on a W30 like program for most of the summer, with a programmed 'week off' in mid August when I went home. Well, Mom and Dad came up here in mid-July, and I did well sticking with the program for a day or two. And then the wheels completely fell off the wagon. And stayed off the wagon until now. I'm putting myself back together.
Goal is to make my body as strong and lean as possible ahead of Loony Challenge.
I'm saying now this is not a real 'Whole30' I find W30 a good guideline for eating real food and trying to make my body as healthy as possible pre-race, but I've had to make a couple tweaks to make it something I can really live with.
First - no sugar added gum is totally allowed
Second - no sugar added dairy is totally allowed. That means cheese, cream for my coffee, and butter. Plain yogurt and plain keffir are also allowed though I rarely consume them.
Third - apparently I'm allowed to have a diet Pepsi from time to time because that was a thing that happened tonight.
Four - I will eat any bacon I want. I find Paleo bacon gross. The bacon I eat has minimal sugar in the rub, it's fine. I'm not cramming bacon for a sugar fix.
Five - If I want banana pancakes, I will have banana pancakes.
Six - I'm thinking about going "keto" so nutrient tracking is a thing that I'm doing for the moment. Food tracking is also technically illegal on W30.
Seven - I'm thinking of adding a 'did I do the dishes?' question on here. I wonder what value that would add.
Breakfast: Eggs, bacon, arugula. Day 1 and I have a veggie with breakfast!
Lunch: Roast beef, baby swiss cheese, bell peppers, strawberries, banana
Snacks: None yet. A Larabar may be in my future though.
Supper: Punch Pizza - Chopped Salad. No bread.
Exercise: Ran 1 mile on the treadmill; lifted weights
Shopping: Nope
Cooking: I'm about to make hard boiled eggs for breakfast tomorrow.
Thoughts:
I'd been doing very well on a W30 like program for most of the summer, with a programmed 'week off' in mid August when I went home. Well, Mom and Dad came up here in mid-July, and I did well sticking with the program for a day or two. And then the wheels completely fell off the wagon. And stayed off the wagon until now. I'm putting myself back together.
Goal is to make my body as strong and lean as possible ahead of Loony Challenge.
I'm saying now this is not a real 'Whole30' I find W30 a good guideline for eating real food and trying to make my body as healthy as possible pre-race, but I've had to make a couple tweaks to make it something I can really live with.
First - no sugar added gum is totally allowed
Second - no sugar added dairy is totally allowed. That means cheese, cream for my coffee, and butter. Plain yogurt and plain keffir are also allowed though I rarely consume them.
Third - apparently I'm allowed to have a diet Pepsi from time to time because that was a thing that happened tonight.
Four - I will eat any bacon I want. I find Paleo bacon gross. The bacon I eat has minimal sugar in the rub, it's fine. I'm not cramming bacon for a sugar fix.
Five - If I want banana pancakes, I will have banana pancakes.
Six - I'm thinking about going "keto" so nutrient tracking is a thing that I'm doing for the moment. Food tracking is also technically illegal on W30.
Seven - I'm thinking of adding a 'did I do the dishes?' question on here. I wonder what value that would add.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Instagram