17 Day Diet

My final post is up...pretty, pretty please head on over to digitalrunning and vote me to the next digitalrunning columnist!! This has been my most favorite article yet!

so I haven't talked much about my weight since my last post Trying to Win the Battle because truth is, not much as changed. I did see a small dip in the scale but since then zip. nada. zilch.

I'm really torn about whether or not to try this right now.

part of me is so frustrated by the lack of the scale moving and another part of me is like.... your training to PR at your next Half!

and then I realized this is always my problem... I am always attempting to do a gazillion and a half things at once because I fear I'm never doing enough?!

Do I just live with my weight now till the end of the Half and then while in the off season attempt to get this baggage off?!

So I read the first few chapters to acquaint myself with his plan and it's quite similar to the South Beach Diet except that you are allowed to incorporate 2 pieces of fruit into the first Cycle, however, you do have to eat them before 2 PM. Dr. Moreno is a tad more restrictive on the dairy you are allowed to consume...no cow's milk, creamer, etc. for example, but really, nothing too crazy.

You start your day off with a 8 oz of hot lemon water, it supposedly gets your digestive juices flowing, and something I've read in several diet books but never really did. I am drinking my glass now.

Another toughie for me would be, 3 glasses of green tea. Now here I felt he was a tad vague.. I wasn't sure if it was cold or hot. Does it matter if it's flavored?! Overall, I'm not a huge tea drinker so if any of you have any suggestions of a good green tea that doesn't taste like green tea...please share!

I'm still undecided as to what to do... I need to decide what's more important to me right now.

Race or lose weight?

Crim: Festival of the Races

Happy Monday!!!

Yes...I've become one of those people that actually looks forward to Mondays.

I'm coming off a fabulous weekend, and can't wait to recap it all, so let's start with the first half of it.

Rose and I decided to head up a day early to the Crim to do some shopping at an outlet mall a few miles north of Flint, but truth... we didn't find a single thing to purchase. Seriously...a) nothing fit the way I wanted/needed it to fit and b) I wanted outlet prices not normal retail prices. Anyone else experience a hike in outlet prices?

Anywhoo...we finally got to the Expo around 5ish, maybe.

We made our way through the Expo, picked up our packets and tee's, and headed back to the hotel.

Two things:

1. I don't need any more cotton tee's so how about you let me waive $5 so that I don't get one?! I know a lot of races are doing this and I think it's a fab idea!
2. They gave you an option to buy the tech tee for $15.... love it! seriously especially since it's a Brooks shirt.

Thanks to Yelp, we found Luigi's which had amazing reviews, awesome pizza and a full house. Not my typical pre-race meal but I would highly recommend Luigi's to anyone who visits Flint.

The next morning came early, and despite wanting to shuttle from the hotel to the start line, probably about a mile away, the road blocks were already up and we had to hoof it. Thankfully the lovely lady at Holiday Inn told us to cut through the UofM-Flint campus to shave off some mileage. Having taken the long way the previous day, it really did make a difference.

I know plenty of people who drove up the day of the race, but with a 8 oclock start time, and the fact that you needed to find parking, I was glad we stayed the night early.

For it being the 35th Anniversary, it was packed! 

starting line ahead of me

While waiting in the portapotty line,  I even got to chat with the lady who won the race in 1989.

starting line behind me

the worst part for me is always the waiting until the gun goes off and we finally cross the tag pads, but off we were and let me tell me... this was a fast run.

I don't know if it was the newness of the course, race or the massive amounts of people but the time just flew by.

The hills were also somewhat disappointing... seriously, everyone talks about those Bradley Hills, and I haven't done a ton of hill training but seriously, it was nothing to right home about.

Here's a steep one

 The 2 from last weeks 5k were considerably more daunting than any of the ones I ran this past weekend...

Here's another steep one

There was plenty of entertainment and water stops along the course and the only bummer was the lack of Krispy Kreme's... I was hoping to have one, but instead had to eat Skittles.

no joke, this dude was dribbling 3 basketballs while running

So this was my first time trying candy instead of official training fuel, and I have to say I was quite happy with my Skittles choice. After eating training fuel, I typically have dry mouth and need something to wash down the snack but I didn't seem to have that problem with the Skittles, and at $0.79 a pack vs the $1 minimum... I think I'll be sticking to my Skittles!

Anywhoo.. it was a fun run, and one I could see myself doing yearly... it of course helps when your surrounded by fun peeps and get a medal for a training run!

Can you juggle while running?
If not, wish you had a talent you could do while running?

what's in your SPIbelt?

Happy, happy Friday!

I can't believe I just disappeared like that.. I didnt realize how crazy busy Wednesday and Thursday would be.

Girls on the Run season is quickly picking up steam and I'm seriously all over the place (literally..my schedule is packed with ice cream socials, Open Houses, etc.)! It's great but I'm not used to the pace.

I'm heading with Rose up to Flint today... the afternoon is gonna start with some outlet shopping, then packet pick-up and ultimately the race tomorrow.

I'm not racing this one so I'm pretty chill about it all... it's gonna be an awesome training run that will end with a medal! =)

This is what's in my SPIbelt this weekend...

 I'm trying out some new fuel...anyone use candy instead of the expensive beans, gels etc on a regular basis? if so, what's the best kind? I was hoping for some Sour Patch Kids but they didn't have them! 

what's in your SPIbelt?

a whole lotta running

Life has been so busy... I haven't even been able to fill ya'll in all my running goodies....

First things first...

RRCA Coaching Certification Test

Name: Rebecca Mubaraz
Score: 97% PASS








You know what that means....I'M FOR HIRE!!!

Then, NU SHOOOOOZ!!! I'll admit, I do not replace my shoes as often as I should... some say every 300 miles. Others say, you should be running in two pair anyways, and then we have those that say if your running 5-6 days a week, you should be getting new ones every 7-10 weeks. I get new ones every 6 months..

Aren't these shoes super hawt?! I was all set on getting Adidas again but these Asics just felt better. And since I felt ueber guitly about not buying Adidas I bought these shorts...50% off!

Do they look familiar? They should...

I bought these in Chicago back in January

and I think my next purchase is going to be...

The question now is...before or after the marathon?!

I really could use a new flat iron as well...gosh, I miss my old paychecks!!!

What have you bought recently? Or is on your to buy list?
Any recs for socks? I really need some new running ones!

Run the Rails 5K

Happy Monday friends?!

How is everyone? I had a crazy, awesome weekend!

Nate finally got back from a 2 week business trip so I got to spend some quality time with him, and yesterday I ran the Run the Rails 5k.

I know I haven't talked much about my running lately but I promise, there will be lots coming up these next several weeks.

Truth: I have a huge race commitment issue.

I had planned on running this race for 3 weeks and yet the day before the actual race I still hadn't registered. So, after a quick text to see if Rose wanted to run it with me, I was on my way to Ypsi to register for it.

horribly old pic from Rose and I when we first met

Truth: I had mixed feelings about this race.

1. I'd never really raced a 5K before. I've run 3 5K's maybe, and well, none of them were super stellar times, mainly because I was always supporting someone along the way.
2. Since I needed to run a 5K to gauge my possible Half-Marathon time, I put some pressure on myself to do well. I didn't really have an idea of what my time would be but I was hopeful for something close to 30 mins. Sure, a sub 30 would have been fabulous but I wasn't counting on it in a million years.

Recap:
Rose and I got to the race a tad bit early, or you know like 45 minutes early. Despite having looked at last year's age group times and seeing the small list, it didn't register to me that this would actualy be a small race.

After a 5 minute delay, we were off. Does anyone else struggle reading course maps? I always look at them but since I didn't know the area super well, it was foreign to me. Nor did I think of driving it while I was down there on Saturday.

By the time we were out and ready to hit the road, Rose casually mentioned we were running 8:30 something. I minorly freak out in my head, knowing there is no way I can sustain that and if I want to get to my goal of just a shy over 30, I better slow down.

Truth: This was my first race/run where there was almost NO crowd support.

Remember when I volunteered at the Martian Marathon, and there was no crowd support, and most of the run was on an empty road? That's exactly what this felt like. Had it not been for Rose, it truly wouldn't have been half as enjoyable as it was!

Me in Dearborn volunteering for the Martian!

Mile 1, went by fast, according to my RunKeeper we did it in 9:27..uhm...say what?! Mile 1 was also at the ascent of our first hill, minor compared to Hill 2 but still not easy.

As we head down from Hill 1, I see this Huge Hill in the distance and all I hope is that please, please, don't make us go up that. Let there be a turn off before we hit it. It's also around this time, it starts to rain. Not torrential but enough that I wonder why in the hell am I out here?!

Needless to say, there was no turn before it and Rose was kind enough to talk me through it. I probably wouldn't have made it up that hill. Despite knowing Newton's law's, I would have dead stopped on that bad boy, and as we reach 3/4ths of the hill, not only do we hit Mile 2 but, we turn off.

Mile 2, it took me probably a good half mile to recover from that hill. I was beginning to feel a pain in my front calf and all i could think abut was please, please do not let this be a precursor to an injury.

It's also around this time that I begin to realize where we are...we are super close to the car, which also means we are super close to the end!

Its also right around here, that I get my second wind...it's like that juice I drank right before the start is fnally hitting my blood stream and I'm ready to make this run my bitch.

I pick up the pace..chick (<-- new word for me!) an old dude, which I guess isn't really fair right? and pass the finish line at 29:38!!!!

Considering what a tough course this was...BOOOOYYYYAAAAHHHH!!!! I was on a high all day yesterday. Still somewhat in shock about it today.

A sub-30....never in my life time would I have guessed I'd run one.

Overall, it was a fun run. The course was tougher but it was cheap considering we got a sweet Tech tee out of it!

please ignore the drunk look on my face!

Given that I am running The Crim next weekend, I definitely needed a feel good race to get me pumped. I've been warned as to how difficult the Crim is.

Just Dance Summer Party

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Since foregoing Life Time Fitness so that I could actually work a job I enjoy, the one thing I've been seriously missing is my dance classes. Between Hip Hop and Zumba...man I got to shake my bootay at least twice a week.

So, I was pretty stocked when I received the chance to review Just Dance Summer Party for the Wii!

Not that I was getting tired of my other two...but it's always nice to add some variety!

There are 3 options to choose from and I first started out with the Just Sweat and later tried the Just Dance.

Pros:

• Who doesn't like to shake their rump!?
• Good selection of music

Cons:

• I know I had issues with the Kinect but I think I may prefer that over the Wii for a better workout. At one point I was standing there just moving my arms and I was still registering ok-good-perfect marks. Plus I was really annoyed by having to hold the remote.
• Not sure if it's the game or the Wii but the graphics were a little muddled on my high-def tv 

Have you tried it?
Loved it?
Hate it?

pretty, pretty please..

help me become the next guest columnist on digital running!!

I'll beg and plead and oh I don't know... what else do you want me to do?!

Head over here and vote for me PRETTY PRETTY PLEASE!!

Trying to Win the Battle

I'm going to come off sounding like an disordered eater. Heck, I'm even questioning whether or not I am a disordered eater.

Since last Wednesday, I've made a conscious effort to add in roughly 500 calories per day. I've felt alert, had no headaches (I've been getting headaches in the afternoons) and haven't been exhausted by night time. The scale was stable with a minor drop Monday.

Then yesterday, mainly due to lack of planning and  not wanting to go out to eat, I ate light while at work. I got a headache around 3 or 4. Came home had a killer workout, and re-fueled ok. By 9 I was sorta hungry but not really, and majorly exhausted. My mom couldn't believe it as I had slept till 9:30 yesterday morning. I know that yesterday I didn't get my additional calories in, and today the scale was up, again.

So today marks another day where I am consciously making the effort to eat more. Planning more snacks, more frequently.

Im not starving myself, I'm assuming I've been consuming roughly 1,200 - 1,500 calories, and I've now moved my target to 1,700-2,000, which truly boggles my mind, but it's the only thing that seems to be working right now. and let me state, adding those extra 500 cals in healthy food is tough. they just don't pack the same caloric punch like a Snickers does!

Maybe I just need a break from the scale?

Anybody want a house guest?

Exercise Obsessed, yay or nay?

I had this conversation yesterday with my mother...thoughts please?

 

My first reaction was: HELL NO! I don't workout nearly as much as so, and so, and so, and I took 3 or was it 4 rest days last week, and I'm definitely not obsessed like I used to be. I keep my workouts under an hour. The list could go on and on, but yeah, something is off, I too believe I should be stick thin....so what is the problem?!

On that note, I've added 500 additional calories to my day..I'm not gaining any weight and today I actually saw a slight drop in the scale. Maybe, I'll even take pics of the next several days and get your input.

It's just so so frustrating, but I'm not quitting... I'm just keeping on.

not happy

I've seen this trend around the webisphere that if your thinner and trying to lose weight, it can be looked down upon, that your somehow not accepting who you are.

I call bs, at least for the majority of cases. Being accepting of yourself doesn't necessarily mean your at the right body weight for you. To me, it means accepting, that I have a large frame and will never whittle down to an Olson twin.

It was hard for me to post that picture yesterday and had it not already been up somewhere else on  the web, I may have left it off completely. It was glaringly obvious to me how much I dislike my current weight. Although one could argue I don't fit into that previous thin type and girl, and you need to lose weight anyways, it still sucked. A lot.

I don't know whats  going on with the scale. It's not budging, which I guess is a good thing considering how out of control my food intake was for the weekend and that I ate out a lot last week.

I'm setting up my BodyBugg today and trying to find out why I'm not losing weight. I've got an idea but not sure if it's right.

I'm not happy here and it seems that I can't get the scale to move despite all the working out I'm doing.

RRCA Coaching certification

First off, thank you, thank you, thank you so much for helping me get to the next round in the digitrunning guest columnist competition!

I can't believe today is already Tuesday.

Unfortunately, yesterday I had to choose whether to workout or blog before work, and working out won. Given my funk last week, I took an extra day off and missed both a running and strength workout and yet today... I was ready to get back into it and did!

This past weekend was phenomenal. I can't even begin describe how much I enjoyed the Road Runner's Club of America Running Coach certification course. I didn't talk about it a lot beforehand, but given how much I enjoyed coaching my ladies this past Spring and that I am initiating another adult program this Fall, I felt it necessary to educate myself a tad bit more.

Any certification course is usually pricey and add in the fact that I actually had to travel to Minnesota for this particular course, made it even more expensive. 1 perk that I have had to yet experience was that, breakfast and lunch were included both days. I thought that was a nice gesture. Other 2 perks included: incredibly knowledgeable trainers and a plethora of books to take home.

What are the odds of meeting 3 other blogger/twitter-ers?! Especially since we are all from different States!?

 

 

 

Moi, Matt from SiSu-Runner, Adam from TheBoringRunner and Ann from SportyGirlJewelry

Even if your not interested in becoming a Coach but the class comes to your town, I would highly recommend it. I think any runner could benefit from this course

The first day consisted of the Science of Coaching:

1. Physiology
2. Nutrtition
3. Injury Prevention
4. Psychology
5. Coaching Fundamentals

For me (and I'm gonna go out on a limb and say for several others), this portion was a nice  refresher course. If you are studying to become a CPT, you'll learn this info add on the fact tha tI have taken an exercise physiology course... I knew my fair share.

Day 2 was the meat of the course:

1. Training Cycles
2. Training Progressions
3. Race Planning and Recovery

Honestly, I had no clue about training cycles or race planning and recovery but was quite surprised by my knowledge in training progression.

I think they could have made the course a little longer to allow some more downtime since the info we were given was a lot but I understand they are trying to fit it into a weekend so there isn't much flexibility.

My biggest lesson learned this past weekend: I know my ish.. seriously, I doubt myself a lot and think I need more schooling here and more schooling there, but I've got a solid knowledge foundation going on.

Love, hate certification courses?
What's the most favorite thing you've experience at a workshop?
Interested in getting RRCA certified?

Jalapeno Poppers

Can I pretty, pretty, pretty please beg you to head over to digitalrunning and "Like" me in becoming the next guest columnist?! Thank you!!

Happy Friday friends!!!

Please don't tell me I'm the only one excited the week is over? It was hellish, just an off-week for moi. I'm hoping my weekend in MN preparing to become Running Coach certified aligns things.

Several weeks ago, a friend of mine was raving about these stuffed jalapenos she had tasted at another friends so what did I see at Meijer the following day... this jalapeno popper rack complete with corer and recipe.

corer

Lemme tell you, I am a sucker for kitchen tools! I don't have as many as the supply section allows but every now and then, you fall in love and since I cook with jalapenos a decent amount this bad boy has come in so handy! It really cleans the insides out quite nicely.

My only gripe about the stand is that the jalapeno holes are way too small! I mean, if your going to stuff the poppers, they need to be big enough you can fill them but then they are too big to fit into the stand. We ended up tooth-picking them to another, and my girlfriend actually rubber-banded them all together!

The recipe on my packaging called for chopping pancetta and mixing it with cream cheese, and wrapping the jalapeno in prosciutto. It was ok, not as foodgasmic as I had hoped.

Her recipe included: cream cheese, shredded cheddar, sun dried tomatoes, garlic, salt pepper, green onions and then wrapped in bacon.

I haven't made them since the 4th of July because a) they were hot, hot, hot and b) we haven't BBQed since then!

4th of July feast

Do you have this neat jalapeno contraption?
Do you have your own jalapeno recipe you'd like to share?

Have a great weekend everyone!

I'd stay this weight, if...

Round Two of the Digital Running contest is up! Please head over there and Like my article to become the next contributor on Digital Running!

It's one of those weeks where the scales stayed the same, and yet the thought of inputting my calories into MyFitnessPal makes me want to curl up and cry.

So it got me to thinking, I'd proudly wear this weight if I could change 3 things:

1. I want a flat stomach. No 6 pack but not my stomach either. Maybe 1 day I'll post pics of my odd stomach.
2. My triceps would need to become more defined so that my arms would look leaner
3. I could lose some chub rub

What would you "chnage" about yourself, if you could forever weigh what you weigh now?

Truth is, I've felt my body changing he past 2 weeks. I couldn't pinpoint it. I mean I don't notice a huge difference but still there was something going on and my mom confirmed it the other night. She asked me if I had lost weight. I haven't but clearly,  I must look leaner.

So lets get back to above...

1. Would you be ok at the weight your at now if you could change a few small things?
2. Or is that elusive goal number the end all be all?

Personally, I'm getting tired of fighting the fight.

July: a month of change

Pardon the absence...I'm on the brink of major burnout and am trying to lay low so as to not end in a complete and utter funk!

July is usually a very chill month for us, but somehow this one ended up crazy.

Lets do a lil recap, shall we...

First the exciting of news of becoming partially employed

Then we had a quick road trip to Jersey.

We landscaped the front yard...

before

after

and last but not least, after 3 or more years of coach hunting...we finally settled on this one...

Elliott Sofa from Macys

and I love it!!! I'm still working on making the living room look cohesive so I'll show better shots once it's actually complete. It always seems to be a work in progress...

I had to back out of a new opportunity because our basement is being worked on. After the crazy Spring weather and all the floods, we finally had to do something about the state of the basement so I've been holding down the fort while some pump is being put in. I'm sorta bummed out about it but at the same time a tad relieved.. I would have had to drive 2 hours round-trip to be able to partake, and that was just another thing I felt overwhelmed by.


What's the longest its taken you to find furniture you can agree upon?
Any thoughts on what I should do for an area rug?