WrenLife

Windows are open!

noreply@blogger.com (Aynsley) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:10:00 +0000

Today is a scheduled rest day and I am taking full advantage of it. My legs need a break from running for a solid week! Last night was the first night this year that I could wear shorts outside to run! I was scheduled to do 3 miles but I finished at 2.8…Mina and I both had out tongues hanging out, ready to go inside. I averaged a pace of just under 10 minutes per mile.

Today the weather is beautiful and the sun is out and everyone in the NE Ohio is buzzing around with smiles on their faces. I know it doesn’t look like Mina is happy but she’s got her eye on a chipmunk!

I opened the windows in the study and next thing I know, she’s sitting there smelling the fresh air! I took her outside for a bit so we could both enjoy it.

For those who are resting today, take it all in! For those who train today, get out there and enjoy a run in the sun!

2 Things

noreply@blogger.com (Aynsley) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:14:00 +0000

1. I ran the scheduled speed training today. I planned to use the nearby high school track since the sun was out, but the snow hasn’t quite melted enough there. I ended up running on the side roads and using my GPS application to measure the .25 (400m) that I needed to run. I did 6 of those intervals and walked about a block or two in between.

2. I just spent the last hour with my friend K setting up my new menu planning system on Plan To Eat. Once you take a look at it you may not believe that I almost gave up on this. But now that I’ve had some time to really play around with the 30 day free trial and input some recipes and paste some from the internet…I’m in LOVE!!!

If you’re like me and hate to grocery shop or want to simply organize the whole meal planning – grocery shopping – ingredient hunt DANC…you should at least try this out. My plan is to use this system to share healthy recipes, plan meals for an entire month and the best thing….(drum-rolling on my desk)….

It takes your plan and delivers an organized shopping list you can print out and take to the store. That alone will save me mucho time!

Alright that’s two things…I’m signing off of this machine and hanging with my husband for the rest of the night!

Warning: this might be a cluster

noreply@blogger.com (Aynsley) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:17:00 +0000

Yesterday I finally did something that resembled ‘strength’ training. It’s been too long since I’ve done any kind of resistance training, other than resisting the urge to stay inside rather than run outside :)

I had one busy day yesterday and loved every minute. I started the morning with some quiet yoga before getting ready for church. After a bunch of meetings and errands I ended up at the gym and did some biking to help my legs recover from Saturday’s 5 miler. I did the 1 mile bike ride at a resistance of 7. After that I did a little bit more stretching and then 1 cycle through the strength circuit. It felt good to lift again and I’m hoping that feeling lingers until my next scheduled strength day.

Of course, I couldn’t leave without hangin in the Jacuzzi and the sauna for a bit. That was a great way to end my workout week!

In other news, I’ve been having a serious case of Spoiled-Runner-itis. Yes, I made that up. I don’t know what else to call that feeling when you are just fed up with your equipment and you know there’s better stuff out there and that’s all you think about on your run. That was me on Saturday:

Mile 1-3 “These earphones are CRAP”! They don’t stay in my ear…and when they do they hurt…and they are so long…and I’m sure there’s something better out there..something more comfortable”

Mile 3-5 “I love this Blackberry and the Slacker Radio app and the RoadRunner GPS app and how they sync together…BUT I hate this arm band. It wasn’t made for this..it was made for my iPod..which I haven’t used in months…I need a new armband”…blah blah blah!

My friend E warned me this would happen. So many people take up running because you can do it anywhere and all you ‘really’ need are shoes. But soon enough you find yourself wanting more comfortable clothes and a better sports bra and water bottle that’s easier to run with and THE LIST GOES ON!!!

Enter the latest item I’m eyeing…maybe a 10 mile goal? :)

It says this comes with an arm band. My problem now is that I’m STUFFING my wide blackberry into this narrow case made for my iPod and when I press the START button on my gps I can’t really start because I have to stand still to get the darn thing in there. We’ll see..of course you’ll know if I get it.

Still on a mission for better earphones :(

The sun is shining so be sure to get our there for a bit and sweat!

A hello to the sun & almost-goodbye to menu planning.

noreply@blogger.com (Aynsley) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 21:49:00 +0000

This morning I met C for our 5 mile long run. It was very cold and windy BUT the sun was out! It felt good to feel the sun on my face after a long winter of running outside under grey skies.

I was able to pull off another long run at a 10min/mile pace! I was happy when it was over but felt OH SO GOOD when I saw the RoadRunner GPS stats on my Blackberry.

I came home and stretched before showering and heading out the door to do a little shopping. My hubby is kind of sick so he’s been ‘veggin’ out all day and sleeping. About an hour ago I had the greatest urge to fall asleep because I was still tired from the run, but I ended up cleaning instead. Now the house smells like Febreeze and wood floor cleaner and I’m still tired :)

I’m on the computer so I might as well do some menu planning. I know I haven’t talked a bunch about this on the blog but my frugal personality kind of backfired lately in terms of the menu plan.

My ‘plan’ was to buy a month’s worth of groceries and once my meal schedule was done I’d try to push it for a few more weeks to really ‘clean out the kitchen’. What happened instead – We were left with a bunch of random ingredients and stuff in the freezer that really just made me scratch my head for a bit before heading out to Chipotle for dinner. Don’t get me wrong, Chipotle was good by it we ended up spending more money and Kevin really missed a home-cooked meal.

Don’t worry, I learned my lesson. Now I’m menu planning for 4 weeks and trying me best to stick to it. Now that I’m consistently getting up around 5:30 in the morning, I’ve got plenty of time to do my dinner-time prep in the morning, which should help hold me accountable for what I’ve planned to actually cook that night. Everyone cross your fingers and let’s see what happens this month :)

Sushi!

noreply@blogger.com (Aynsley) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:04:00 +0000

Yesterday was a very busy day full of work and working out and pizza and friends! That’s could be my very favorite way to spend a day :)

I met C right after work and we took advantage of the sunshine for our scheduled run. I was REALLY short on time so we started running after a quick warm up walk and booked it at a pretty quick pace for about 2 miles. Our plan was to run 2 miles to the gym and then check-in and run our last mile at the gym. Our husbands were there working out so we had a way to get back home. I chose the treadmill for my last mile and C chose the track. I wanted to get the run over with SO bad that I did my last 3rd at a 9:30 pace…there was a moment where I thought my legs would give out and I’d bite the dust right on the treadmill!

I didn’t have time to get my strength work in but I felt really good about the run. The rest of our evening was spent hanging with friends and then coming home to a bit of work and TV before lights out!

I’m currently counting the minutes until I leave the house to join my friend M for a lunch break sushi date! I can’t wait for some hot soup and a fun roll to devour!

Today is a rest day but I’m hoping I find motivation to do some upper body strength work today :| we’ll see.

Up to speed

noreply@blogger.com (Aynsley) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 12:50:00 +0000

I’ve got a TON to do, but I wanted to get up to speed (pun intended) on my workouts the last few days.

Sunday was really supposed to be a stretch/strength/recovery day and I guess it was…kinda. After church Kevin and I joined some friends and local Akron residents for a historical hike that took place on the towpath where I started running a few years back. It was FREEZING and I forgot how cold it can be outside if you aren’t moving around. The hike was a couple hours and the guide explained a lot of the history of the Akron area, the canal system and the the businessmen who built NE Ohio. I guess you could say the hike included a bit of strength work. It definitely wasn’t easy lugging around in my snow boots.

Sunday evening, after my hands thawed out and I was stuffed from a wonderful home cooked meal, I rolled out the mat and did some serious yoga.

Just kidding…I did something more along the lines or pilates-yoga-watching TV-laying on mat-gym class stretching.

Yep..that’s closer :)

The stretching paid off and I felt great last night when I took Mina for my scheduled 3 mile easy run. I didn’t track pace for the run which was kind of nice.

And lastly, this morning I planned to meet up with my friend K and run at her gym, but she bailed. I headed to the gym for a 30 minute Tempo run. Luckily the training plan explains what that is or I’d be lost.

Tempo Runs: This is a continuous run with a buildup in the middle to near 10-K race pace. A Tempo Run of 30 to 45 minutes would begin with 10-15 minutes easy running, build to 15-20 minutes near the middle, then 5-10 minutes easy toward the end. The pace buildup should be gradual, not sudden, with peak speed coming about two-thirds into the workout. Hold that peak only for a minute or two. I consider Tempo Runs to be the "Thinking Runner's Workout." A Tempo Run can be as hard or easy as you want to make it, and it has nothing to do with how long (in time) you run or how far. In fact, the times prescribed for Tempo Runs serve mainly as rough guidelines. Feel free to improvise. Improvisation is the heart of doing a Tempo Run correctly.

My knee hurt a little in the beginning, which I’m blaming mostly on Mina for pulling a bunch on our run last night. Well, that’s if for workouts lately. I’ve really been feeling the urge to mix in some strength training and that’s probably brought on by the minor tinge of guilt I feel for not doing that last week :( We’ll see what happens.

Good luck if you’re running today, or doing crazy yoga moves, or just need a ‘good luck’!

It Works!

noreply@blogger.com (Aynsley) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 13:14:00 +0000

This week was our first week of official training for The Cleveland Half Marathon. Here’s a quick recap, don’t worry I won’t restate the obvious every week.

Monday – I should have done 3 easy miles. I forgot to reference the training plan so I ended up doing 2 miles at a fast pace and my last mile on the track which I didn’t measure.

Tuesday – C and I successfully completed our speed work. I’m still a bit confused as to how I’m supposed to treat these workouts. I need to research the training plan more and figure it out. I’m also hoping I can find an indoor track or a clean outdoor track at a local school I can use.

Wednesday – I was supposed to do strength work. It didn’t happen.

Thursday – It was a rest day where I was going to make up the strength work I didn’t do on Wednesday. That didn’t happen either :(

Friday – The plan had us running 3 miles at our desired race pace. I ran with C a the gym for 2 miles on the track at what felt to be a relatively good pace, and then moved to the treadmill for my last mile at a 10min pace with no incline. I actually sprinted the last quarter mile to get it over with because running inside makes me psychotic. We’re both used to Friday being a rest day in our old training plan so we were a little nervous as to whether this would actually help our long run the next day.

…I guess it worked!

Yesterday was a MILESTONE of SORTS! I ran my 4 mile long run outside and kicked butt!

You see that! I averaged a 9:58 pace! I love running outside. I figured out how to play my Blackberry’s Slacker Radio and manage my RoadRunner GPS just by using the pause/play button at the top of my phone. I was jamming to rock music most of the time which probably helped me keep my pace. RoadRunner GPS also allows you to be alerted not only for distance but for time also. I set an alert for every mile AND for every 10 minutes. That way I could keep a check on my speed throughout the run without having to pull out my phone and actually look at it.

Ok enough for today! I’m going to try and stretch REALLY well today and maybe do a recovery mile or short bike ride at the gym. I also DESPERATELY need to find a new arm band that’s made for a Blackberry. Mine is just cumbersome and too small.

Lastly here’s a shout out to my friend J who ran 12 miles on Saturday in prep for The Cleveland Full Marathon! She rocks!

Flurries!

noreply@blogger.com (Aynsley) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:56:00 +0000

Tonight the weather man is calling for snow, snow and more snow! Today is considered a rest day as far as training but I didn’t do strength work yesterday so I plan to do that tonight in combination with playing in the snow with Mina! She’ll be very excited considering she’s been doing this all day:

She is so adorable! I will also be getting tons of upper body work in while I carry mounds of her hair to the trash can. I’m kidding, but only about the workout. He winter coat is shedding and it’s a hassle to keep up with. I don’t think the groomer used the right shampoo on her last time. I do, however, swear by The Furminator and plan to use that to give her a good brush!

My last post was on Tuesday, but before my first speed workout. C and I met at the gym to ‘race’ together on the indoor track. It started out as a fun workout but then 5:15 hit and everyone and their mother was at the gym and the track just got SO CROWDED! We got the five 400 meter runs out of the way and left asap! We’ve made a note not to try that again during that busy gym time. I’m feeling good and I’m looking forward to running tomorrow and Saturday!

Short Recovery

noreply@blogger.com (Aynsley) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:15:00 +0000

Training for my first half marathon meant running only 4 days a week and really didn’t require much else. I followed a beginner’s training plan and it worked. This time around will be different. The training plan gives me only 1 real rest day on Thursday. Sunday is considered Stretch/Strength/Recovery which means I should being doing something along the lines of a short (1-3 miles) recovery run, serious stretch work and/or some light strength work.

This type of training plan requires a short and successfully recovery between workouts. I know I kind of sound like I know what I’m talking about, but rest assured, I don’t :)

I made a commitment that during my workouts I would push myself. I want to ‘up the anty’ this time around and really challenge my body and my mind and that means pushing a little more when I don’t want to.

Case in point - Workout # 1 on Day 1 of training: It was raining so I met C at the gym. She ran around the track and I ran on the treadmill. Miles 1 and 2 were on a .5 incline at a 10:00 minute per mile pace. From mile 2 to 2.5 I reduced incline to zero and ran at an 11 minute pace. My last half mile I got on the track and ran with C and I didn’t keep track of pace those 4 laps.

I was spent. I was sweating. I was hurting…I was happy.

I planned to workout this morning to complete the assigned speed work but my evening plans start later so I’m going to the gym at 4:45 and C and I will sprint together. In my old training plan, today would be a rest day…or yesterday would’ve been a rest day. But this new plan keeps me kicking until Thursday so we’ll see how my body does.

Anyone else out there workout yesterday? Tell me! Tell me!

Training Day 1

noreply@blogger.com (Aynsley) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:39:00 +0000

July 7, 2009 was my FIRST-EVER ‘Day 1’ of training. That Day 1 was for the Akron Half Marathon I completed last September.

Today is Day 1 of training for the Cleveland Half Marathon which takes place this May. It will be my first race for 2001, and I hoping it won’t be my last. I get to start training while it’s still winter so I’m REALLY excited about experiencing the climate change over the next few months while I’m training.

I’m not focusing on speed, BUT I am hoping to simply run the race faster than my last one. I’m not focusing on strength, even though I hope to continue to tone up my body throughout the process. For those of you who care, or want to train along side WrenLife, the right hand side of the blog has The Plan calendar, with all scheduled runs plotted out for the next few months. Even if you aren’t signed up for a race and you just want to kick-start your running habit again, join us! You can even post a comment to let readers here know how you completed your workout for the day.

Today is a 3 mile run that I plan to do at the gym around 4pm!

Dead Cat

noreply@blogger.com (Aynsley) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 02:22:00 +0000

Friday turned into a rest say since I biked on Thursday. In other news, my 4 mile run outside with C included a dead cat sighting.

That’s right. I said it.

C’s first winter running experience outside of the gym included icy streets, cold lungs, talk of boogers and yes…a dead cat. We were just about to arrive at the 3 mile marker when I looked down and in the snow and ice there it was looking up at me! I jumped so quickly that C thought I had slipped or was injured. She grabbed my right arm while I screamed ‘DEAD CAT’! I know…a thrilling 9am run on a sunny 30 degree morning. I never knew that running could be so relaxing one minute and then turn so tragic the next. :)

I leave you with the dead cat image for the rest of the weekend.

Shoe Love

noreply@blogger.com (Aynsley) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:20:00 +0000

Wow. I can’t believe it’s Thursday already. I know WrenLife has been a bit sporadic with posting. I got new shoes last Friday and started running indoors with them on Saturday!

They are fabulous. It’s been 6 months since I bought my first pair and probably two months too late to be honest. There is little padding left in my old pair and they are SO torn up from running outside in the snow and salt. Still, I wasn’t completely convinced that they were the source of my knee pain. That was right up until I stepped in to Second Sole and tried on a new pair of Asics…oh lovely cushioning and ankle support!!! I walked out with the exact ‘make and model’ of my last pair, just the colors changed. My knees have not hurt since.

Next week is the start of training with C for our next half-marathon. I think it’s neat to think ‘we’re coming off the off-season’ and into ‘racing season’. I don’t really think like that…but it does tend to be a motivator on days when you just can’t pull it together…like today :(

C picked me up at 5:30 which was EARLY to work out. I’ve been getting up that early but easing into my day with coffee and breakfast with Kevin and a quiet devotional. I was late getting ready so I skipped breakfast and coffee! I decided that since I’ll be running solid for the next few months that today I’d simply bike.

I completed 3 miles on the recumbent bike. I finished with some upper body and very minimal abdominal work.

I should have DEFINITELY eaten breakfast AS SOON AS I GOT HOME. Instead I got comfy on my bed and passed out for almost 2 hours. I’m not gonna lie, it felt good. I just devoured some OJ and peanut butter toast and another slice of toast with butter and Passion Fruit Preserves brought back from Lila’s parent’s trip to Hawaii! Speaking of Lila..I’ll leave you with this!

Quiet

noreply@blogger.com (Aynsley) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 03:05:00 +0000

That's right. My brain is finally quiet. It has been running nonstop up until now..this very moment.

I've been working all day and spending the evening on business development and as soon as I'm done typing, I will finally leave my office.

It's bitter-sweet.

Bitter - I'll probably need to relocate to the dining room tomorrow so the site of the four walls of my office don't drive me insane..and it's only Monday! I also DID NOT run 3 miles today like I planned.

Sweet - I got a bunch of planning and brainstorming done and would consider the evening a business success story!

Ok..off to bed.

PS: Lila's parents came to get the puppy today. Mina has been sleeping since the moment the door closed and I expect she will sleep for the next 2 weeks :)

Can I Fit It All In?!

noreply@blogger.com (Aynsley) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:34:00 +0000

Today is one of those days. The last few days I’ve been going to bed SUPER early and It’s been hard for me to wake up. I think the ‘playtime’ with the dogs on top of my running routine has worn me out! I slept in until 7am this morning! It seems SO LATE now that I’ve started to get used to rising and shining at 5:30am.

I’ve got a full day of making phone calls for work. After work, I’m hoping to go buy my running shoes, head to the gym for a 2miler and not be late to a girl’s night thing I’m supposed to be at at 6:30pm. My friend K is hosting this purse party so it should be fun. I already have doubts about making the 2 miler happen, only because I’d rather show up at K’s house looking clean and smelling like shampoo instead of looking worn out and smelling sweaty :)

The puppies are asleep right now. Lila is in her ~~kennel~~ ‘house’ snoring away and Mina is passed out on the sofa in the living room. It’s been a blast watching Lila and we get to keep her for a few more days until her parents come back from their vacation. She’s had a few accidents and definitely DOES NOT like being confined to one room. I think she’s going to be an escape artist when she grows up :) Training a puppy is the worst this time of year with the cold winds and deep snow. Ok enough about the fur family.

Have a great weekend!

Lunges in the street

noreply@blogger.com (Aynsley) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 13:15:00 +0000

Yesterday I had one busy day and it started with shoveling my car out of the snow to get to my mentor meeting. I wondered why my back and abs were sore this weekend and once I started shoveling again yesterday morning I realized it was from the shoveling on Saturday. I just keep thinking that in a few months I won’t even be thinking of shoveling, I’ll be thinking of sweating in the warm spring weather!

The Plan yesterday was to focus on lower body strength. I ended up running out of time to make a trip to the gym so I improvised. Mina and Lila needed to go out for a walk because they’d been cooped up in the house with me all day. Kevin volunteered to take them but he also needed to start shoveling (there’s that blasted word again!) the driveway. I decided I’d complete a dog walking workout so I leashed up the puppies and pulled on my snow boots to get my dog-walk-sweat on!

I did some short sprint-like runs down the street > then I’d find the deepest snow and trudge through that with high knees > then I ended by lunging up hill towards our house. The three of us only needed one loop around the block before we were tired, the dog’s tongues were hanging out and my hips and calves and thighs were aching. It felt good to get the workout in, even if it wasn’t in a gym with weights.

I’ve decided I need to get new shoes here in the next few days. After my 3 mile run on Monday, my knees have just been a little sore. I’ve had my shoes since August and I know I’ll need a new pair before the Cleveland race in May. Training starts Feb. 21 so I should probably get them before then anyway.

I’ll leave you with a few pics of the puppies:

Nothing

noreply@blogger.com (Aynsley) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:55:00 +0000

If you’ve taken a look at my “How I’m Feelin’ The Burn” schedule over there on the right, you’ve noticed that NOTHING has been the theme for the last 4 days. I’m feeling ok with that…really I am. I’ve taken on a lot of new things this week so I was mentally prepared that something would slip. In the midst of settling in to a new 5:30am wake up time, welcoming a puppy to our family for the next week, and continuing to improve my discipline with meal time cooking, I’ve not found a perfect balance for working out. I’m glad I got at least two workouts in earlier on in the week. I did shovel a BAZILLION inches of snow so my abs and back muscles don’t agree that I took much of a break.

The Plan this week is to resume working out and try to fit everything in now that I’ve gotten a handle on things. I have two weeks until my training begins for The Cleveland Half Marathon. I’m hoping to build strength and mileage, but not take things too seriously, to avoid getting burned out.

Enjoy the Superbowl!

Tornado Day 2

noreply@blogger.com (Aynsley) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:29:00 +0000

Today has been an absolute blast so far! I slept in until 6am because Kevin opted for cereal instead of a hot breakfast so we could snuggle :)

The puppies got up bright and early and devoured their food & water just to wake them up enough to start the first wrestling match. They’ve already taken 3 naps and are both currently passed out on the floor.

Here’s a clip to show you what I meant when I mentioned the first floor race track. The kitchen is on the other side of the house where Lila disappears to before she comes back around. I actually waited about 10 minutes until they slowed down enough that I could actually record them!

The dogs took a lot out of me so between ending my work day yesterday, making dinner and starting a business meeting…my workout was the one thing that did not survive. I’m hoping the same thing doesn’t happen today when I try for some upper body work in the living room.

Happy Friday everyone!

Quiet Time

noreply@blogger.com (Aynsley) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:15:00 +0000

That’s where we are at now. Our friend T’s puppy is staying with us for 10 days and this morning when I got up at 5:30am I knew I needed to take Lila (lee-la) out in the snow to tinkle. From that moment until about 8:30 I was living in a …

Dog bowls clanging together! Paws fumbling in the kitchen, water spilling, chasing, yelping, drooling while I made breakfast, chasing around the First Floor Track (a perfect circle between each entry way of the kitchen, dining room and living room)! I LOVED EVERY MINUTE! I’m thinking my mornings will be quite similar when we start having babies.

BUT…

Now it’s quiet time as both puppies are passed out! Lila should be in here…

But they whine when they’re separated..so now they are in here…

oops! The camera flash woke them up :)

My plan is to feed Lila again at 12 then run them like crazy in the front yard! Ok back to quiet time.

Yesterday – Mina and I got in a 3 mile run down State Rd. which was very refreshing but extremely muddy. It’s that time of year!

The Plan: 4:30 pm at the gym for a 3 mile run and hopefully some upper body weight work.

The Menu: We got pizza last night so I’m behind again on the menu. I have some ground turkey I need to cook so maybe I’ll do a meaty pasta bake tonight.

Who Knew?

noreply@blogger.com (Aynsley) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:04:00 +0000

Who knew all you had to do is wake up earlier in the morning if you like to eat. That may not make sense but it will in a few sentences :) I’ve kind of made a decision that of the 5-6 days a week I’m trying to get up early, two of those days will be to go to the gym. Today was the first attempt at this strategy inside of the 28 day challenge I’m doing for February. I’ve gotten up early before and it’s definitely easier when I know C will be at my door to pick me up (she pre-heats the passenger side seat for me)! My plan is to wake up consistently at 5:30am BUT on gym days C has to get there at 5:30 so I needed to wake up at 5:00am today. Here’s the rundown of my ~~binge-eating~~ morning:

5:05: coffee, water, banana with melted peanut butter.

5:30: guzzle water at gym while C and I run 2 miles on the indoor track. (Note to self: Start running outside again…you can run longer and farther when it doesn’t feel like torture)

7:30am: coffee, water, instant oatmeal that was designed to taste like Cinnamon Roll but really tasted like BUTT.

9:00am: water, plain Greek yogurt mixed with raisins and granola.

Now that I’ve typed this out it’s not quite a ‘binge’… but when you are used to waking up at 7, or 8 or sometimes later…it seems like all I’ve done is eat and drink this morning! I’m loving it don’t get me wrong.

So just another perk of getting up early – you can fit more meals in :)

The Plan: I only ran half of what I planned to do. Ugh. Also my left knee hurt a bit at the start. That’s just my luck now that my right knee feels better from last week :( Looks like I may be going to Second Sole to get my next pair…you think these are ready to retire?

The salt and snow sure do a number on these shoes.

The Menu: We were supposed to have Not So Fried Chicken last night but I didn’t marinate the chicken so we’re having it tonight for the first time. Last night we cheated and went to Subway.

Mina says GOOD MORNING!

Rise & Shine!

noreply@blogger.com (Aynsley) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:12:00 +0000

So yesterday I wrote this post about my desire to start waking up early. I tend to be more of a big-picture thinker. That said, this desire to create this habit is less about being able to make coffee for K2 and get some things done before work, and MORE about habitually easing into the day with some quiet time and productivity NOW so that I am more prepared when I start a family and attempt to fit another gazillion things into one 24-hour window. That’s me...I’m a planner :)

If you are a friend or family member reading this…THAT DOES NOT MEAN I’M PLANNING TO START A FAMILY ANY TIME SOON. Mom and Dad will have to settle for Mina the Grand-puppy for now :)

As for getting up early, Day 1 of the 28 day challenge has gone splendidly so far:

Alarm went off at 5:30am > slept for about 3 more minutes > put on slippers and robe > turned coffee pot on > logged on to GirlTalk to sign in to 5 0’ Clock Club > went to bathroom > made breakfast > drank coffee > refilled coffee > said goodbye to k2 > cleaned up kitchen > did devotional, studying ‘capable’ > writing this post then getting ready to start work!

Here’s hoping I’ll be able to continue this successful streak for the next 28 days!

The Plan – stretching and strength today..probably some upper body. I really want to make time for the Jacuzzi later today as well!

The Menu – Not So Fried Chicken from Clean Eating Magazine

Simple Pleasures

noreply@blogger.com (Aynsley) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 23:17:00 +0000

My Friday evening was wonderful. Kevin and I have a recurring business meeting the takes up most of our Friday evening so I only have limited time between the end of my work day and the start of the meeting. In that time I need to cook dinner and get my workout in. The moral of the story is that I made a quick cheesy chicken dinner while sweating through a 20 minute Exercise TV workout. I picked one that focused only on upper body since that’s what I planned for the day: 3 set of 25 reps rotating between Hammer curls, Tricep extensions and Crunches.

Saturday I made Pancakes and guzzled coffee and water before heading to the gym. While I know I like to run outside FAR MORE than running in~~hell~~side, I knew that running outside would distract me from being able to really feel how well my knee was recovering. Even though my calendar had me running 6 miles, I didn’t run enough in the week to support that kind of mileage. I decided I’d be happy if I completed somewhere around 4 miles. The result: I ran 1.5 miles around the indoor track before I ~~got bored~~ went crazy and switched to the treadmill to complete another 2 miles. I was pushing up against the time I planned to meet my friend M at Panera for lunch so I stopped for the day to make time to stretch. While I only ran a total of 3.5 miles, my mileage on the treadmill was all done between a nine and a half & ten and a half minute mile! Speed work there at the end for me baby!

So those were my workouts for the week! One highlight was enjoying a wonderful post-run lunch at Panera! I devoured the new Mediterranean Salmon Salad, which I’m determined to reproduce at home.

This week coming up I’m focusing my effort and discipline on 2 things:

1. The 5 O’ Clock Club 28 Day Challenge!

I found this blog through a friend and just in time to use their February challenge to help me wake up earlier. Waking up early on a regular basis is not a strength of mine but it IS a habit I want to build. I used to make Kevin coffee and breakfast almost every morning and I loved spending time with him before we started our work day. I miss that and so I’m hoping this challenge will get me back there. It may also prepare me for early morning runs as the weather warms up.

If anyone wants to join the challenge, read the link..sign up begins tomorrow morning. I’m shooting for 5:30am!

2. Cooking Dinner

One of my Next Steps that I shared for 2010 was to Fill Thy Tummy With Clean Yummies! I’ve been doing ok but not as well as I’d like. My friend K and I share an ultimate hatred of grocery shopping and she’s organized a way to shop and menu plan FOR A WHOLE MONTH! Naturally that sounded like heaven to me so I menu planned and filled my freezer and made a very short list of things I need to pick up weekly (milk, fresh produce). Week 1 was last week and it didn’t quite go perfectly but it was a great start. Today it only took me 15 minutes at the market to get what I needed and I’m psyched to get cooking.

Anyone out there have a few things they want to focus on this week?

Feelin’ SPICY

noreply@blogger.com (Aynsley) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 03:06:00 +0000

After a day of rest yesterday I woke up with my knee still feeling a little weird. However, I really needed to sweat and feel the high of a great workout so I went to the gym after work and forced myself to spice things up. I really do not like doing cardio at the gym but I needed to feel my knee in action to know how to help it recover. This is what my 1 hour visit to the gym consisted of:

1. 2 lap warm up walk on the indoor track

2. 1 mile bike ride on this new machine my gym has. It was part recumbent bike, part upper body trainer. Felt great once I got in a rhythm.

3. 1 mile run around the track…felt like forever :(

4. 1 mile on the stationary bike

5. 1 mile power walk on the treadmill

…finished with about 10 minutes in the sauna!

My knee felt great the whole time so I think tomorrow I’ll focus on upper body and stick to my planned long run on Saturday.

If you are feeling burned out or feel like you’re getting in workout rut..maybe spicing it up may help! I think I’m going to do this workout at least 1x a month just to do something different.

Slow Like Molasses

noreply@blogger.com (Aynsley) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:04:00 +0000

So today I’ve had a great day! I’ve gotten a lot done and woke up early to get my day started. That’s how yesterday was too.

That was until I took the dog running.

I planned to run 4 miles and didn’t think light dusting of snow was going to make such and impact. What I didn’t think about was the last few days where temps had warmed up enough that everything was wet. Wet sidewalks with a ‘light dusting’ of snow really meant SLICK sidewalks for Mina and I. We completed about 2 miles when I slid a little bit and didn’t notice that I’d hurt my knee. We ran a little further and then I realized I really shouldn’t push it and run the last 2 miles back home and risk getting injured. I’d brought my Blackberry (which I won’t leave without from now on) and quickly called Kevin who came to pick us up. We huddled under a Burger King overhang out of the wind for a few minutes waiting on him.

This morning I woke up feel fine but throughout the day I’ve felt a little sore there in my knee so I decided to just rest and hope for a better day tomorrow. Even though I didn’t work out today, I had a great breakfast in my dining room where I sporadically set up my devotional for the morning!

Mina was a bit confused because I’m never in here during the day. She sat in the office waiting for me to come join her until she finally realized she needed to join me.

I also made the most ROCKIN’ chicken quesadilla for lunch!

The rest of the day consisted of lots of work an and play date for Mina with her dog-boyfriend Jacques and his new little puppy-sister Lila! Lila is a 10 wk old black German Shepherd puppy whom I’ve already volunteered to co-parent! We just finished a wonderful dinner of Lemon Chicken and will probably start a movie any minute! Chow everyone :)

Grooveeeeeee

noreply@blogger.com (Aynsley) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:10:00 +0000

I’m getting in a groove. As you can see I’ve gotten back in the habit of planning out my workouts for the week. I’m posting them on a weekly basis for now until I get into the official race training for The Cleveland Half Marathon. You can check out the schedule on the right hand side that shows you my Good Calendar for running/working out.

My 5 mile run went splendidly on Saturday and my new GPS Blackberry application performed well from what I can tell. My pace really isn’t any faster than my older long runs but I don’t really care that much right now. I’m excited to see how the speed training for the Cleveland race will improve my timing!?

This morning’s workout is already crossed off the list as I knew K2 and I had a very busy evening. We are about to drive up to Cleveland to run an errand and than back to our town for a small group meeting later in the evening. I picked C up for the gym at about 5:30am. She did mainly running and circuit training while I focused most of my time on stretching and doing some upper body weight work and abdominal exercises.

My menu planning calls for Steamed Lemon Fish and Veggies but I’m not so sure that’s gonna happen :( I have a feeling that traffic is going to be miserable and we’re both going to head for take-out. We’ll see.

Later Dudes!

Wine Fixes A Failed Workout

noreply@blogger.com (Aynsley) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:29:00 +0000

Happy Friday everyone! My day has gotten off to a pretty standard start. Before I get into today, let’s address yesterday. How quickly can a planned 3 mile run turn into a short 1.5 mile run with barely any strength training? The answer is VERY QUICKLY!

I ended up getting kind of tied up at the end of the work day then had a bunch of stuff to talk with K2 about before I rushed over to the gym. By the time I got to the gym and found a parking spot I had less than 30 minutes to get everything done before I needed to head over to my friend T’s house for Girls Night In. I jumped on the treadmill and ran a quick mile in about 10 minutes on a .5 incline then I hit a wall. I didn’t eat well for dinner (frozen meal) and it was definitely impacting my performance. Not to mention that I have been so completely spoiled by running outside that I now despise running on the treadmill! Time goes by so slowly and the inside of a gym is the worst scenery ever. Needless to say, I stopped at about 1.5 miles and quickly did some upper body work and lunges with 10lb dumb bells before speeding back home to change clothes. Ugh!

I’m over it now. I’m guessing the red wine and T’s coffee table filled with snacks helped me suppress the feeling of an unproductive workout :) Today I’m hoping to stretch a lot and do some more weight work. I woke up this morning and filled my coffee cup to the brim, adding a bit of this new creamer :)

Then I dove headfirst into a bowl of cereal that may have changed my life it was so good! It actually made me contemplate making my own granola cereal with bananas and almonds :) I kind of sounded like my friend K right then.

Mina was obviously sleepwalking in my office before she laid down with this look on her face…

then down she went! She does love her naps :)

My weekend looks like it may turn into a snowshoeing – laundry - menu planning – church – business development – 5 mile run kind of weekend..but we’ll just have to see!

Enjoy your Friday!!