Sunday, April 27, 2014

Wrapping up April!

I cannot believe April is nearly over!  I thought I would wrap up the week and the month in one post.  I feel like April FINALLY got me back in the swing of things.  I was in a huge funk after the Princess Half, even though I had tried to prepare myself for it.  I think it was actually more weather than anything and now that spring is really here consistently and I'm able to run outside and enjoy the sunshine, I feel like myself again.  

This week was full of activity.  My toe is pretty much better, I'll lose the nail eventually but it doesn't hurt anymore, so that's good.  I ran three times, 4 miles each time and then spent some time looking into strength training.  I've been waffling about this for a while now and trying to find a way to work something into my schedule and found a book that really helped. 

I downloaded The New Rules of Lifting for Women and devoured it pretty quickly.  I have been wanting to work on my strength training but in the past I have used the machines or done programs with lots of repetitions and wanted to try some heavy lifting this time. Heavier weight, less reps.



I liked it and it looks like I will be able to incorporate 2 days a week of this plan in between my running.  They suggest 3 days but say 2 is ok as well. I have to be honest with myself, I want to RUN first and foremost and I just don't see adding three days of lifting in as well, so 2 it is. I did day 1 already and feel pretty good about it, it's been a while since I've done squats! 

A few springy shots of everything starting to bloom, from one of my runs this week.  The Redbuds and Dogwoods are blooming all over the place:



On top of the running, I pulled out and oiled up the chain on my bike and went for a ride yesterday!  It was awesome, I headed back to a trail in my town that I love riding on.  I haven't been back there since the last ride I took because it's a bit isolated and I don't feel comfortable running back there...I figure I'm faster on a bike. ;) 



 THEN, this morning Dallas wanted to ride, so I went for another!  I have such skillz, I even took a selfie while riding!  I think Dallas realized what I was doing though, HAHA, he looks unamused! 


Such a great way to finish off the week!  I'm surprised I'm not more sore after all the activity this week, but I feel fantastic.  

Lastly, after coming home, I tried out a protein powder.  I have never had PP, mostly because I just didn't think I would like it and never wanted to bother spending the money.  I decided that if I was going to try and build some muscle, I should at least give it a try. I'm a vegetarian, so it's probably even more important that I make sure I get extra protein...although, my Fage Greek yogurt has TONS of protein and I think I get a decent amount daily.  

 I mixed 2 scoops of EAS Lean 15 with a cup of almond milk and a small handful of frozen strawberries and blended it up.  


 Uh...YUM!!???!!!  I'm impressed!  This was really yummy.  BTW, I have not been paid, compensated, or contacted by EAS, this was just something I picked up and tried on my own.  As you can see, I could barely stop drinking it to take the shot.  ;)  If you are looking for a protein drink, this one is good. 

So how did your April shape up?  Are you excited for May? Do you use protein powder ever? 

 

21 comments:

  1. Glad to hear things are going well Karen! I've been in kind of a funk too. I blame it on the weather and kind of just giving up after I realized I wasn't going to be running in Big Sur. I kinda was like "what's the point". But now that the weather has been nicer I have been more motivated. I think I need to work on my time management skills too. That might make me more motivated. Thanks for keeping it real and for sharing! Have a great week!

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    1. I go through this funk EVERY late winter/early spring but somehow knowing that doesn't help. LOL. I hope you are feeling better too!

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  2. Yay! Good to hear you are back into the swing of things :) I'm not there yet but I'm working up to more. Seeing everyone's blogs and running posts I'm getting more excited as i ramp up training for goofy 2015. Love the pics of the redbuds and dogwoods. So pretty :) I use protein powder and mine is made with stevia because I have an aversion to lo-cal sweetner. I look forward to your blog posts and pictures. Happy running ! :)

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    1. Thanks Andi! I'm excited for you! I will be following you like a rabid dog (how do rabid dogs follow people?) b/c there is a little part of me that would like to do a marathon...but I'm not ready.

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  3. Love the spring pictures! We are getting hit hard with rain right now with more to come this week. Spring hasn't quite sprung here yet so I'm living vicariously through your pictures! I've been incorporating more weight lifting into my training too. I actually like it a lot; it's a nice workout if I'm not feeling a run.

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    1. Thanks Jewell. We've had quite a bit of rain too, but not like a lot of places with flooding. I'm adjusting to the lifting, but it still isn't my favorite thing to do just yet. LOL

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  4. Luckily toenails grow back:) Good luck with your new lifting program, that sounds like a great thing to combine with running! Beautiful spring pictures too, I love spring!

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    1. Somehow I thought when I lost a toenail, it would be from running...not from being a klutz! LOL

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  5. I use NROLFW too! Some of the exercises make me feel a little goofy at the gym, but I've seen good progress with it - and the interval running [starts in Stage 2] has been great for increasing speed

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    1. I'm still afraid to go to the gym just yet. I'm doing what I can at home (which my body says is enough right now based on how sore I am! LOL) and working on my form. I don't know why I'm so intimidated by it!

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  6. That looks like a really interesting book! I might look into downloading it =)

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    1. It was helpful, although the kindle version seems a little hard to navigate compared to what an ACTUAL book might be like. Flipping back and forth to figure out different things was a bit difficult on my phone (kindle app)

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  7. Is that protein powder whey or vegan? My April hasn't been as active as I'd hoped because of this injury. Hopefully May will be better!!

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    1. It's just whey, I eat dairy still b/c I'm lazy. LOL. I hope you are recovering! Not long now and you'll be in EUROPE!!!!!!! WOOT!

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  8. Your spring looks so bright and gorgeous! I love the biking selfie. :)

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  9. It's so pretty where you live! Glad your toe is better. I'm thinking of doing some strength training, too. I just don't want to spend hours at a gym. Siiiiiiigh

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    1. I don't either. I actually don't feel like I've had to do much and I'm really sore already...so maybe there's something to this heavy lifting? Less reps (less time) works for me!

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  10. Glad to hear you were able to get back into the swing of things and even start adding strength training! Also very glad your toe is doing better.

    Those pictures of all the flowers blooming for spring are just stunning. This is such a gorgeous time of year!!

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  11. Glad to hear the toe is better and awesome pics as usual! Also, you should know I nominated you for a Liebster Award. If you are interested here is the info.http://afatrunner.blogspot.com/2014/04/liebster-award.html

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