My First 5K: Week Four: Heat Wave
My training for the Color Run continues on. I will say that I haven’t run outside again this week, but not because I was too…
My First 5K: Week Three
I talked last week about running outside for the first time in my 5K training, and how difficult I thought it was versus the treadmill. Now I feel like I’ve scared myself from running outside again! This week, it was all treadmill. I am such a chicken, and super embarrassed to admit that I’ve intimidated myself on running outdoors. I know I have to get outside again this week though. There’s no way around it! One thing I noticed this week was giving myself an okay to take a breather when running. I had a twenty minute run planned, and each time I’ve ran I’ve told myself no breaks – no stopping, no getting a drink of water, just running. But on Saturday when I was running, I got to about fifteen minutes in and just needed to stop. I had a side cramp and my breathing was not so hot. I stopped for about forty seconds, just catching my breath and trying not to feel too down on myself for the break. I started running again, and to my surprise – I felt ten times better. I finished the rest of the run with no desire for a break. So when I run again this week, if I feel like I need to take a quick breath, I will give myself one. The difference that forty second break made was a huge one for me.
Here is what my workout schedule looked like this week. The bolded items are what I would normally do, and my new running schedule is added on.
Monday: Walk 3 minutes, run 12 minutes, walk 3 minutes, 30 minute yoga DVD
Tuesday: Walk 15 minutes, 10 sit-ups, Shape magazine workout – 15 minutes, Zumba DVD – 15 minutes
Wednesday: Walk 4 minutes, run 16 minutes, walk 4 minutes
Thursday: Walk 15 minutes, 15 sit-ups, 60 minute elliptical
Friday: Day Off
Saturday: Walk 5 minutes, run 20 minutes, walk 5 minutes
Sunday: Day Off
My First 5K: Week Two
This past week has been week number two in my training schedule for the upcoming 5K I signed up for. The schedule is getting a…
My First 5K: The Color Run
I am excited to share the news that I have signed up for my first 5K run! I love fitness and exercise, but I have never entered any kind of run, race, relay, etc., excerpt for the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure, but I usually end up walking that. So my girlfriend and I decided to start expanding our comfort zones, and our first 5K will be in October of this year. The one we are currently signed up for is called The Color Run, and basically – you run, and get pain thrown on you. That’s right – paint. You get a plain white T with registration, and by the end of the race, you’re just covered in paint. Oh boy. But I’m excited to do this, and hopefully we can work our way up to more 5Ks, maybe 10K or even…a half or full marathon one day. The lovely Sara from CLP just told me the other day that she has done many runs in the past, and is going to attempt a full marathon soon. That is so awesome!
Sometimes I feel a bit silly getting so excited over a 5K, especially when I talk to people who have done plenty of them. But it’s my first one, my first real time at running ( I don’t run – ever) so I decided to take it a step further and blog about my experience. Since part of CLP is dedicated to Health & Fitness, I figured this would fit right in. I’ll share my training schedule that was done up for me, how I’m trying to get healthier as a whole for the run (mainly watching my diet more carefully) and just my thoughts on being scared I’m not going to be able to run the three miles. If anyone has run before and has any tips, or will be running soon, feel free to join the conversation! I would love to hear from you
So for Week 1, which was June 11-17, it started off with baby steps. This is good for me, because I am not joking when I said I didn’t run. My workouts are yoga, Pilates, Zumba, kickboxing, walking on an incline on the treadmill, elliptical or stationery bike. Do you see running in there? I don’t play any sports, period, and never go for “fun runs.” (If there is such a thing.) The last time I remember running at all was senior year of high school for a warm-up in gym class, and I was always the last out of the locker room. How is it that I love fitness but hate running? Don’t know, but that’s me.
So my schedule looked like this:
Monday: Walk 3 minutes, run 5 minutes, walk 2 minutes
Tuesday: Walk 5 minutes
Wednesday: Walk 4 minutes, run 8 minutes, walk 4 minutes
Thursday: Walk 10 minutes
Friday: Off
Saturday: Walk 5 minutes, run 10 minutes, walk 5 minutes
Sunday: Off
Now, that does seem like a fairly easy workout schedule, but keep in my mind I already create monthly workout’s for myself, so really, my schedule looked like this:
Monday: Walk 3 minutes, run 5 minutes, walk 2 minutes, 60 minute elliptical
Tuesday: Walk 5 minutes, Kettleball workout – 20 minutes, Billy Blanks 50 minute Tae Bo DVD
Wednesday: Walk 4 minutes, run 8 minutes, walk 4 minutes, 60 minute treadmill walk, incline
Thursday: Walk 10 minutes, Kettleball workout – 20 minutes, Yoga DVD – 30 minutes
Friday: Off – Kettleball workout – 20 minutes
Saturday: Walk 5 minutes, run 10 minutes, walk 5 minutes
Sunday: Off Pilates DVD, abs – 20 minutes
For my diet, I don’t eat the best, but I have made some changes. I switched my sugary breakfast cereal to Special K Fruit and Yogurt cereal, and changed my snacks to Ranch Wheat Thins. I am cutting back on fast food, and am down to one soda per week. I like using this 5K – and an upcoming friend’s wedding – as motivation to really get healthy. So let the training begin!
Ranch vs. Caesar- Which to Choose?
The past few months I have become a big fan of salads. Coming from the girl who used to gag on lettuce, this is a…
Reebok Women’s EasyTone Reeinspire Toning Shoe
I’m not a big fan of tennis shoes, I prefer heels or wedges, flip-flops in the summer, but with all these new toning shoes coming out, I decided to give them a try. I walk all over the hospital during the day at my full-time job, so I knew I could get some use on the shoes. The pair I decided on was the Reebok Women’s EasyTone Reeinspire Toning Shoe. There are balance pods on the shoes that will make you feel off balance when you walk. It has been compared to feel like you are walking in sand. Since you are off balance, you will tone your calves, hamstrings, and gluteus- even when just standing still. With the Reeinspire line, there is also foam cushioning that will reduce the pounding your feet endure on a daily basis, even if you are just walking. I will say these shoes are extremely comfortable. I haven’t had any problems with rubbing or blisters. I don’t know if I have seen any real toning results. I have been wearing my shoes at least five days a week for the past four weeks now, and I haven’t seen or felt any real differences in my lower body. But they are good shoes, they feel good and there is a wide variety of colors and style to choose from. Reebok has made toning shoes for both walking and running, so you can choose your shoe by which lifestyle you lead, and I think that is nice. The balance pods really threw me off balance the first day I wore them, but after that I barely noticed that my shoes felt different from regular tennis shoes. But I haven’t had any problems yet with the pods wearing down or popping, which some reviews had said. Overall, I am little disappointed that I haven’t seen any results, but I will continue wearing the shoes in hopes that maybe I just need some more time.
[Rating: 3.5]
Health Report: Tips on Calcium
Who doesn’t get enough calcium? I will sheepishly raise my hand. I can’t tell you how many times my doctors have told me that I need more calcium in my diet. And no, the milk in my Froot Loops does not count. I have always taken their advice with a grain of salt, but as I’m getting older and more aware of my health choices, I realize that I need to consume more calcium. In May’s edition of Better Homes and Gardens, they had a full article on the importance of calcium for women. Did you know that women under fifty need 1,000 mg a day, older women need 1,200 mg. When reading that, I didn’t know exactly what my daily consumption was, but I could bet it wasn’t anywhere close. Reading through the article, I was pleased to see that BH&G offered five tips and tricks to hitting your mark.
1. Low-fat diary delivers more. This example was used: 8 ounces of whole-milk yogurt has about 274 mg of calcium, while an equal amount of low-fat yogurt has about 400 mg.
2. Don’t just reach for the milk. What do you think of right away when someone says you need calcium- milk. But this isn’t your only option. BH&G suggest dry roasted almonds, green leafy vegetables, canned salmon, and even sardines as alternatives.
3. Absorption depends on D. Vitamin D regulates calcium in the small intestine, so it is important that you are getting enough of this. Skin makes vitamin D in response to sunlight, but you can also get this vital vitamin through foods such as fortified milk or even sockeye salmon- or take a supplement.
4. Divide big doses. I learned something new with this tip- the body can’t handle too much calcium at once. BH&G says 500 mg or so at one time is enough. Something to keep in mind.
5. Dose and pill size aren’t synonymous. Be sure to check all labels thoroughly to know how much supplement is in each tablet. This goes for all pills and supplements.
I felt that I really took a lot away from this great article in Better Homes and Gardens. Not only did it reiterate the fact that calcium is much needed in the body, but the tips and advice that was given was easy to understand and better- easy to do. I’m happy to report that since reading the article, I have been drinking more milk (I’ve found I really enjoy milk with pasta dishes- who would have guessed?) started eating more yogurt, and even found out that I can tolerate spinach. Do you have tips of your own that you use to get enough calcium?
Research and facts retrieved from : Better Homes and Gardens, May 2011
Breast Cancer Awareness
Breast cancer is a subject that is close to me, and each year I like to do something to bring awareness to the disease, which is the most common cancer among women in the US. This year, I knew I wanted to use my blog as some sort “platform,” but I wasn’t sure the best way to go about it. So, I’m doing this post to announce some of my ideas, and if anyone has any more, please suggest them! Or if anyone wants to team up together, holler at me! I’m open to any and all suggestions.
My first thought is tied with the Chick Lit Challenge that I host. For every review that is submitted for the challenge, I will donate $1 to the Susan G. Komen organization. Second, I will have a donation button up on Chick Lit Plus from early September to the end of October, and all donations that I receive will also go directly to the Susan G. Komen organization. These are two ideas that are pretty set in stone for me.
Another idea I was thinking about was doing some sort of contest, where women can submit articles to be published on Chick Lit Plus. The subjects could range from how breast cancer has affected you, to what you do to help find the cure. One story could be chosen each week and featured on CLP, and the ones who get chosen could win a prize- maybe a book? If anyone wants to donate any sort of prizes to this, that would fantastic! Again, this is just an idea, not one I have decided on for sure, and I am hoping to get some feedback from all you lovelies that take the time to read my blog. If you have any other suggestions or comments, feel free to leave them below, or email me at Samantha@ChickLitPlus.com . Thanks everyone, hopefully this will be great and we can make it a yearly tradition!
Guest Post on Health and Diet by Amanda Kidd
Foods to burn fat before a good night’s sleep Weight loss regimes succeed only when combined with balanced diet and regular exercise. The notion that…
