How To Fit Fitness In

I am a mother of two young children, one school aged and the other is home with me. So I understand the complexities of trying to get fit while tending to the often demanding needs of others. In a former life, before children,I had very demanding litigation jobs which also left little time for extracurriculars like hitting the gym. I can totally empathize with the dilemma of trying to justify working out when the demands of work and family are insurmountable.

It is with that understanding, that I urge you to make time for fitness. If you try to "find" time it will not happen. There are 24 hours in a day, a chunk of that you are sleeping and the other chunk of that you are working. What are you doing with the rest of your day?

Do this experiment, break your day into 10 minute increments beginning from when you wake up until  you go to sleep at night.  Keep a log and jot down what you did in each of those 10 minutes segments. You will be amazed at how much time you wasted checking email and Facebook and hanging out at Starbucks. I love being connected but it can really derail your day and suck up major amounts of time.

Once you identify some pockets of time that you could workout, schedule your workouts. I write mine down in my Lily Pulitzer Planner and also enter them in my iPhone. Just the acting of scheduling the workouts affirms your commitment to getting fit. I don't work out every day, there are some days that are just too packed with activities and trying to get in a workout would just be too stressful. On these days, I don't feel like a slacker because I have planned to take the day off. Conversely, I don't struggle with getting back on track because I have my next workout scheduled.

If you haven't worked out in a while or are trying to find the right workout for you, start by picking up some fitness and health magazines. They are a low cost way to get the inside track on new fitness trends. Another great way to sample a variety of fitness options is through sites like Groupon and Living Social. They often offer month long gym memberships and packages to fitness classes that are a far below market value.

Sometimes working out at home is a great option, you can fit it in early in the morning before anyone is stirring or late at night after everything is quiet. I am working on a more detailed post about working out at home and will have that up for you is weekend.

How do you make time to workout? 

My kids "making" the time for fitness at Dick's Sporting Goods

Armenian White Bean Salad

This is a classic Armenian recipe for bean salad that is cooked and served either at room temperature or cold.  The tastes develop much better if it is made a day before and refrigerated before serving.  I like to make this for lunch or as a side dish to chicken or fish.

Since I am not really exercising this week, I am trying to eat as clean as possible.  This is what I am having for dinner. 

Armenian White Bean Salad

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

1 Can of Cannellini Beans

1 Onion, Sliced

1 Tomato, Diced

1 Cup Carrots, Diced

1 Green Bell Pepper, Diced

Juice of 1 Lemon 

Salt to Taste

1) Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet, add onion and saute until the onion is translucent.

Sauteed Onions

2) Add carrots and pepper, about ten minutes.

Onions with Carrots and Peppers

3) Add tomatoes, cook ten minutes longer.

4) Add the beans, lemon juice and salt.

Completed Salad

5) Transfer to serving bowl, cover and chill. 

How I Achieved My Shiny New PR

Despite the fact that my legs scream in pain every time I try to sit down or walk down the stairs or bend over to pick something up, I am walking on air. As I mentioned in an earlier blog post I had a goal to beat my previous half marathon time of 2:24:14.  It wasn't entirely a pie in the sky idea, since February I have been working on increasing my speed and leg strength by doing speed intervals, hill training and plyometric training.

Since I am not a professional athlete and have two small children, my training wasn't always to the letter.  I think this is why I had some anxiety about beating my previous time.  I also lack experience so I wasn't sure just how much I could reasonably expect to bring my time down in matter of 4 months. 

After my last half marathon I did a 60 day program called Les Mills Combat.  It is mostly a kickboxing type workout but it has two workouts called Power HIIT and Plyo HIIT.  These two workouts were amazing and I incorporated them into my training for the OC Half after reading about the benefits of plyometric training to long distance running.  The gist of the article is that jumping improves balance, power, strength and flexibility. Here is the link to read more about the benefits of plyometrics:

http://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/why-should-distance-runner-do-plyometrics

Sometimes I ran short on time and combined my long run with a hill workout.  I studied the course map and knew that a relatively significant hill would be around 10 miles into my race.  When I did my long training runs I purposefully saved a couple of hills to do at the very end of my runs when I was tired so it would simulate race conditions.  I made a conscious decision to make my training harder than my actual race so that on race day it would feel easier.  

It worked, my first three miles were significantly faster than any of my other long runs.  There were a lot of downhills that I took full advantage of and let gravity do its work.  I was worried that with the downhills being at the beginning of the race that I would go out way too fast and lose steam as the hill approached.  I had set my Garmin to keep my splits every 1/4 mile, so it was easier for me to check my pace and readjust if I was going too fast.  

When I got to the 11 mile marker and looked at my Garmin I knew that I would be able get a PR. At that point I almost decided to ease up a bit and then I thought of all the encouragement I had received from my friends while I was training and I pushed as hard as I could.  Looking at my Garmin and knowing that I had taken almost seven minutes off my time was incredible.  I got a shiny new medal and a shiny new PR of 2:17:44.

I'm taking this week off to recover, just some gentle stretching and yoga.  I've already made plans to try some new workouts now that I am off a training cycle, looking forward to incorporating Les Mills PUMP and Spin into my routine.  

What do you do once you achieve a goal?  Do you take some time off or do you set new goals for yourself?

OC Half Race Review

I ran my second half marathon yesterday at the OC Half Marathon, in Orange County, California. The race starts in Newport Beach and winds its way through Corona Del Mar and ends up in Costa Mesa at the Orange County Fair Grounds. An estimated 20,000 runners participated in the various running events.

Since it is a point to point course, I was instructed to park at the finish and take a shuttle to the starting line. I was told to take the 5:30 am shuttle. I only live 10 minutes from the finish but I ended up sitting in traffic for about 45 minutes. Parking was plentiful but the shuttle scene was a little crazy. There were lots of lines and little in the way of volunteers to help you find your way. I hopped in a line and waited about 10 minutes for a bus. There was still more traffic heading to the start because of some people elected to be dropped off there. I hustled to the start right just as my wave was going.

It was kind of nice to be rushed to start because I didn't have time to think, I just went with the crowd. The course has a lot of gentle rolling hills so you could see the thousands of people running ahead of you. It was nice to experience being part of a surge and you could feel the momentum of all those individuals collectively running. A lot of runners had messages for Boston on themselves which was emotional and uplifting at the same time. Even some of the sports photographers were wearing Red Sox hats. There were also a lot of people running as part of charity teams and that was inspiring too, it really does restore your faith in humanity to watch a marathon.

The course itself is really breathtaking, lots of ocean views and million dollar properties. People were outside cheering and that added to the excitement.  Gretchen, from Real Houswives of Orange County, was out cheering at mile 3. She was very casual and out by herself without a single camera guy in sight. Maybe Slade was running?

The only major bummer of the race was at the Mile 4 water stop, no water.  It was chaotic and I didn't want to waste time waiting for water to show up so I moved on.  The rest of the water stops seemed reasonably stocked, but I do recall one only having Gatorade left.  I made the executive decision to drink whatever was available and avoid hitting another stop without any beverages.

I had a lot of fun running this race, it was nice to have a lot of downhills to coast on and I managed to PR by almost 7 minutes.  The finish line was a little blah, they were really rushing you through and the food and water weren't easily available.  Once you got past the finish line and into the after party area things were better, for starters free beer, tacos and massages.

There was a live band and lots of people were enjoying the music and free Dos Equis. Wahoo's Tacos are a sponsor so they provided the tacos. Massage Envy was also there providing massages to the runners and they were really efficient at getting you through the line and onto the massage table.  Thankfully, the party was really fun because trying to get in your car and leave was not.

I did not intend to stay at the party, but my car was blocked in and lines of traffic were snaked around the parking lot.  I changed into my sweats and headed back into the party but would've preferred to go home and have breakfast with my family. Even after an hour and half I still had to wait to get my car out and sit in another 20 minutes of traffic before I could leave the parking lot.

I plan on doing this race again because the course was gorgeous and fun.  The after party was also pretty choice. The organizers said that they are looking into ways to fix the problems that occurred yesterday and overall for a race that large the problems weren't too major.

What are your determining factors in whether to run a race again? 

Happy Cinco De Mayo

Clothes, Clothes, Clothes

This week was busy, lots of driving, play dates and running errands.  Yesterday, I picked up the kids after school and took them to the race expo to pick up my chip and bib.  The expo is held at the OC Fairgrounds.  It was around 90 degrees and the wait time was approximately 20 minutes until you entered the building, lucky for my kids they were selling shaved ice. I know the syrup in the shaved iced is filled with dyes, but sometimes you have to weigh other health concerns like dehydration. 

My little runners were thoroughly disappointed that it wasn't an actual race for them and that they would not be racing this weekend.  I already have two little races scheduled for them in the coming weeks so it will be all about them soon enough.  My daughter also instructed me to win the race so I can give her my medal on Sunday. I think they have caught the racing bug. 

When I got home I picked out my race clothes and pinned on my number.  I find myself increasingly nervous as the clock ticks down to race day, so I do as much as possible in the days before.  

I selected a gray Athleta sleeveless tank,  I get really hot when I run so the less fabric the better. I like the cut of the tank and it  does a great job of wicking sweat and keeping you dry. I bought this one in the winter, but they have a similar one here:

http://athleta.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=46712&vid=1&pid=581613032

My kids then picked out my running skirt,  this is from Lululemon and I LOVE it.  It looks cute and functions surprisingly well.  It has shorts underneath with little grippy things that keep them from riding up. It also has two pockets for gels and a zippered pocket in the back.  It can also function as a tennis skirt and has a ball pocket.  Here is a link to the skirt:

http://shop.lululemon.com/products/clothes-accessories/women-skirts-and-dresses/Run-Pace-Setter-Skirt-Tall?cc=9861&skuId=3476645&catId=women-skirts-and-dresses

The sports bra is Moving Comfort.  They have tons of great styles and colors.  Ladies, do yourself a favor and buy yourself a quality sports bra. It is probably equally as important as buying good quality sneakers.  Sierra Trading Post often has closeouts and you can score some amazing deals.  Here is a link:

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/moving-comfort-vixen-sports-bra-high-impact-racerback-for-women~p~4114p/?utm_source=GooglePLAs&utm_medium=PaidShopping&utm_term=Moving_Comfort_Vixen_Sports_Bra_-_High_Impact_Racerback_For_Women&utm_campaign=PCGOOGLEP3&codes-processed=true

The socks are ProCompression.  Initially I ran in low trainers, but after reading about some of the supposed gains made by recreational runners wearing compressions socks on their runs I decided to give it a try.  It may be placebo effect, but I feel like my legs have more energy when I wear them and the support is unbelievable. I actually sometimes rock them around the house since I rarely sit down. ProCompression is a local company and when I purchased the blue color they gave a donation to Autism Speaks. Here is the link:

http://www.procompression.com/marathon-baby-blue/

The sneakers are Mizuno Wave Inspire 9s.  When I embarked on 1/2 marathon training last October, I went to RoadRunner Sports and had them do a gait analysis.  I learned that I overpronate, have a high arch and a narrow foot.  After trying on several brands and styles, these were the best fit.  The best advice I was given as a new runner was to go to a running store and have my shoes fitted. They really have the experience to put you in the best shoe and often have really good return policies if you find the shoe doesn't work for you.  Here is a link to the Mizunos:

http://www.roadrunnersports.com/rrs/products/MIZ759/?cc=ORSL

Lastly, I was in desperate need of a visor because it has gotten very sunny and bright in the OC over the past month.  I found this one by Brooks and I like the message and the color.  Here is a link:

http://www.brooksrunning.com/Run-Happy-Visor/280218,default,pd.html?mr:trackingCode=FA889756-1061-E211-ACC7-001B2163195C&mr:referralID=NA&mr:adType=pla&mr:ad=15511948466&mr:keyword=&mr:match=&mr:filter=42520929746&src=pgooaw_pla&gclid=CP3Tt5Lb_LYCFQFp4Aodfl8AQw

Truthfully, I am not the fastest runner on the course and likely never will be.  I do, however, think we can all take something away from the speedsters in terms of fashion and function.  Sometimes just looking the part gives you confidence to push beyond your comfort zone and set a new PR.  

Where do you shop for your exercise clothes? Are you brand loyal, head to toe, or do you mix it up?

2 Parts Excitement, 1 Part Anxiety - Countdown to Race Day

My second half marathon is days away and I have been delaying writing about my race goals due to my increasing anxiety. It's easy to distract yourself with the fun stuff, putting your outfit together and planning what to eat.  The really daunting part is identifying your goals for the race.  Once your goals are out there for the world to see, it is scary if you don't actually achieve them.

I would love to say that I am the easy breezy non-competive type.  I am not, I am type A to the core.  On a positive note, which makes me somewhat likable to others, is that I am only competitive with myself.  Lucky for me I have my own personal time to beat of 2:24:19.  I have my speedier sister in law to thank for that time, since she pushed me more than I would have if I plodded along by myself.  

This time however, I am running by myself.  This is freeing and scary at the same time.  I can set my own pace, but there is no one there to talk to or help me push past my comfort zone.  I am going to have to rely on myself to get through those 13.1 miles.  So it is out there, I want to beat my time.

I read a lot, one of my favorite running blogs is Another Mother Runner written by Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea.  In one of their blog posts they talk about identifying multiple goals for your races.  I like this idea because even if you don't meet your first one, you can revise your game plan and try to achieve the other goals.

So my other goals for this race are to finish and to have fun.  A wise friend of my mine once said "if it isn't fun, don't do it." I think once you realize that a time goal has slipped through your fingers the only thing left to do is suck it up, have fun and cross the finish line with a smile instead of a scowl.  This is important for your mental well being as well as vanity, who wants a sullen looking race photo.

Now, that I've got the goals out there, I can focus on the fun stuff again.

DO YOU GET ANXIOUS BEFORE A RACE? HOW DO YOU MANAGE IT?

Red Wine Risotto

Due to crazy and unpredictable work schedules, I need to make dinners that sit and reheat well.  I made this last night so that we could all enjoy a nice meal even if we all ate it at different times. 

Red Wine Risotto

1 Cup Arborio Rice

2 T. Butter

1 Shallot, finely chopped

4 oz. Red Wine, ***ask the salesperson for a recommendation, don't use really cheap wine

4 Cups Chicken Stock, heated

1 Bunch Asparagus, woody ends removed

Shaved Grano Padano Parmesan,  you may substitute another cheese if you like.

The Ingredients

Butter and shallots.

Rice and shallot mixture.

1) Melt butter in a heavy saucepan or enameled dutch oven, I used my Le Crueset dutch oven.

2) Add shallots, and sauté until soft (this only takes about one minute).

3) Add asparagus.

4) Add 1 cup rice to shallot mixture and stir rice until well coated, rice will become translucent.

5) Add the wine and cook until evaporated.

6) Stir in 1 cup of hot chicken stock and simmer gently.

Risotto with asparagus and cheese. 

7) When stock has been absorbed, add another cup, and continue in this way through the 18-20 minutes of cooking.

8) Stir in cheese, this is usually done to taste.  I serve the cheese along side it and everyone can add to their own liking.