Fueling to Perform

[dextera]

Fuel/Exercise for Thursday, May 10th

Fuel:

-orange
-smoothie: 1 cup mixed berries, 1/2 tbsp. maca
-2 apples
-lara bar
-smoothie: 4 large red chard leaves, banana, 1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts, 1/2 cup mixed berries
-orange
-blended salad: 1/2 cup spinach, baby bok choy, 1/2 avocado
-quinoa with 2 cloves garlic
-lara bar
-smoothie: 1 bunch parsley, 2 bananas, 1 tbsp. sesame seeds
-tofu and alfalfa sprouts in nori rolls

Exercise:

-30 min elliptical trainer
-50 min yoga

*This was a "rest" day off from running. I needed a break, and my legs are feeling better now that I took a day off. The yoga felt great, it's really helping me become more flexible. Sometimes I just want to get out there and run every single day, but to improve and prevent injury I need to understand the importance of "rest" days.

[dextera]

Friday, May 11

Fuel:

-wheatgrass
-2 grapefruits
-rice protein shake
-smoothie: 2 cups red chard, banana, 1/2 cup berries, 1 tbsp flax, 1/2 tbsp maca
-apple
-lara bar
-quinoa with 1 clove of garlic
-smoothie: parsley, 2 bananas
-orange
-lara bar
-Dinner will be a plate of whole wheat pasta or brown rice

Exercise:

-full body weights
-core exercises
-30 min elliptical machine
-After work I'll go for a 3.7 mile run


Goals for This weekend:

Saturday:
-10 mile run. I'd like to aim for a 9 min/mile pace, and complete this run in 1 hour 30 minutes. This might be pushing it, but I'm going to try!

Sunday:
-60 min yoga
-I want to try out the sauna at the gym! I've never used it before.

[dextera]

Weekend Recap

Saturday:

-11 mile run, 1 hour 41 minutes, 9:10 pace
*I'm happy with the results of this run since my goal was to do 10 miles at a 9 min mile pace! This was my first run trying out my new waist pack to hold a water bottle and fuel. I was worried about it being uncomfortable, but it worked great! I also tried some Cliff Shot Bloks for fuel, and I think they helped, especially during the last half.

-30 min yoga/stretching

-20 min sauna
*This was my first time ever trying a sauna, and I loved it! I'm going at least twice a week from now on!


Sunday:

This was going to be a rest day, but I had plenty of energy and wanted to do a medium/light workout.

-20 min on the elliptical machine

-20 min sauna


I'm feeling good this morning, and looking forward to another week of training!

[dextera]

Fuel/Exercise for Monday, May 14

Fuel:

-wheatgrass juice
-rice protein shake
-blackberries
-smoothie: mixed greens, cucumber, banana
-apple
-red pepper
-smoothie: mixed greens, cucumber, banana, flax, sesame seeds, maca, ginger
-black beans
-banana
-2 oranges
-tempah with "gravey"
-peas and baby onions
-too much chocolate!


Exercise:

-full body weights
-core exercises
-30 min elliptical
-40 min run, hills

---

[dextera]

Fuel/Exercise for Tuesday, May 15

Fuel:

-banana
-smoothie: mixed greens, banana, berries, chloryphyll, maca, flax seed, sesame seed
-cucumber
-blended salad: bok choy, 1/2 avocado
-brown rice with red pepper, black olives, onion, sage
-smoothie: mixed greens, banana, apple
-lara bar
-orange
-2 odwalla bars
-corn tamale

*I was so hungry, and it feels like I ate a bunch of crap because of those 2 odwalla bars. Yes, they are vegan, and they are a decent choice if I'm going to eat food in the form of a bar...but I'm trying to say away from that. Need to bring more good, whole foods to work to munch on!


Exercise:

-20 min elliptical
-15 min sauna
-30 min elliptical
-3.4 mile run, 30 min, 8:49 pace

*The weather for this run was really windy! The kind of wind where you feel like you're running in slow motion in mid-air! I pushed through it, and did okay.

[dextera]

Fuel/Exercise for Wednesday, May 16

Fuel:

-smoothie: 1 cup mixed berries, collard greens, lemon
-2 apricots
-1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
-2 apples
-red pepper
-blended salad: 1/2 avocado, bok choy, onion
-cucumber
-rice protein shake
-smoothie: 1 bunch kale, 2 bananas, 1 tbsp flax, 1 tbsp seame seeds, 1 tbsp maca
-lara bar
-2 apricots
-brown rice with thyme
-vegetable barley soup
-coffee cake

*I really could have gone without that coffee cake. Yes, it was vegan, but that doesn't mean I should be eating it! I am going to work harder to cut out all sweets and baked goods.

Exercise:

-full body weights
-core exercises
-5 mile run, 44 min, 8:48 pace
-10 min yoga

*This run was great! I started it feeling a bit stressed, I had a lot on my mind, but after I got going the worried melted away!

[dextera]

Fuel/Exercise for Thursday May 17

Fuel:

-4 apricots
-smoothie: mixed berries, banana
-1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
-6 apricots
-blended salad: 1/2 avocado, bok choy
-smoothie: mixed berries, banana, collard greens
-cucumber
-smoothie: mixed greens, collard greens, 2 bananas, mixed berries, flax, maca, sesame seeds
-lara bar
-green beans
-corn
-pizza: cornmeal crust, pesto sauce, onion, olives, garlic

Exercise:

-30 min elliptical
-3.7 mile run, 33 min, 9:10 pace
-30 min yoga

[dextera]

I signed up for the Napa to Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon on July 15th!! This is just two weeks before the San Francisco Half Marathon on July 29th! I'm so excited!

Two weeks may be cutting it close, but I will be fine. I am going to treat the Napa Half like an intense training run, and the SF Half will still be my main run. I am sure I will do quite well in both though!

My training is going to be at 13 mile long runs 2-3 weeks before the Napa Half anyways, so I will be ready! I figure, why not just go for it! I will have to figure out how I'm going to taper and recover for two races that are so close to eachother.

My goal is to run both of these half marathons in under 2 hours. They will be the second and third half marathons that I've run. My first one last year was the SF Half, and I did it in 2 hours 32 minutes.

One thing that I find amusing is that there is wine tasting after the Napa Half. Um, wine is not what comes to mind as a "recovery drink", but oh well! I'm not really a wine drinker anyways, I'm just there to run!

xcrossposted to runnersX

[Flare]

Hey!
Your "Fuel" always sounds so interesteing. There are things I've never heard about before. It all sound so fresh and healthy. I should learn a lesson from you!

[dextera]

Flare- Thanks for your comment! I try and eat mostly whole fresh foods. Often I'll put things in smoothies to make them easier to eat...especially my dark leafy green veggies. I can't eat an entire bunch of raw kale in one sitting, but I can drink it if it's blended in a blender with 2 bananas!

Thinking of what I eat in terms of "fuel" rather than "food" really helps me stay on track. Everything that goes in my body needs to benefit me in some way, and help me either train or recover.

[dextera]

Fuel/Exercise for May 18

Fuel:

-5 apricots
-apple
-1/2 cup millet
-2 apples
-blended salad: 2 cups shredded cabbage, 1/2 avocado
-red pepper
-rice protein shake
-smoothie: 1 bunch parsley, banana, 1/2 cup mixed berries, 1 tbsp maca
-apple
-1 cup millet
-1 cup peas w/ pearl onions

*Not sure about dinner yet.


Exercise:

-full body weights
-core exercises

*Tonight I am either going for a run, or getting on the elliptical machine. Then afterwards I'm hoping to use the sauna.


I am on a roll with signing up for races! I signed up for Napa this morning, and I think I'm going to do a local race here on Sunday, The Bay to Breakers (12K, 7.46 miles). I wasn't planning on it, I was originally going to do my 12 mile long run this weekend. But, I learned that Brendan Brazier is going to be speaking at the race expo, and I'd love to go see him there! And they have last minute registration at the expo, so I might as well run it!

So, now I just have to regroup, and focus on running 7.46 miles on Sunday (with at least one large hill) as fast as I can. I'm nervous already...I'm going to get an official race time!

I don't know the course, so I don't know how accurate my goal can be, but I'd like to hold less than a 8:50 minute mile, and finish in 1:05. I can do it.

[Flare]

Flare- Thanks for your comment! I try and eat mostly whole fresh foods. Often I'll put things in smoothies to make them easier to eat...especially my dark leafy green veggies. I can't eat an entire bunch of raw kale in one sitting, but I can drink it if it's blended in a blender with 2 bananas!

Dark leafy green veggies in smoothies? And that's good??? I HATE dark leafy green veggies for eating. Maybe it's really better to drink it *lol*
I plan to buy a blender machine at the end of the month when it's employee discount in the shop where my mom works.

[Kryptonite V]

Hey!
Your "Fuel" always sounds so interesteing. There are things I've never heard about before. It all sound so fresh and healthy. I should learn a lesson from you!

My thoughts exactly when i read your log, Dextera!
I was going to say the same thing... Well put, Flare

[dextera]

Thanks Flare and Kryptonite!

Dark leafy green veggies in smoothies? And that's good??? I HATE dark leafy green veggies for eating. Maybe it's really better to drink it *lol*

Well, lets just say it's an aquired taste! At first I made blender drinks with 90% fruits and 10% greens, but as I got used to the taste I just kept adding more greens because that's what my body wanted. Now I'm closer to 70% greens, and 30% fruits.

This weekend I ran the San Francisco Bay to Breakers 12K (7.46 miles)! It was so crowded with people in costumes, people drinking beer, and naked people! The newspaper estimated there to be over 60,000 participants! I was a little frustrated because I wanted to run and it was so packed with people that I had to weave in and out the whole time. Still, it was a lot of fun and I did well. I finished in 1:08, which is an average pace of 9:07. This is the kind of time I was hoping to get, so I'm happy with it. Pictures from the race will be online in a few days, and I'll post some here.

The race expo, the day before, was good also. I was able to see Brendan Brazier speak, which is something I've been wanting to do. There was also a booth for Organic Athlete there, and I signed up for the mailing list. I really want one of those running shirts they have that says "Go Vegan" on the back!

This event was the kick I needed. I'm motivated to sign up for more races!

[dextera]

Fuel/Exercise for Monday May 21

Fuel:

-blackberries
-smoothie: mixed greens, banana, mixed berries, flax, sesame seeds, maca
-apple
-blended salad: 1/2 avocado, bok choy
-rice protein shake
-corn
-green beans
-carrots
-orange
-walnuts
-lara bar
-black beans and corn with 1 tbsp blackstrap molasses
-2 sheets nori seaweed
-handful of pumpkin seeds

Exercise:

-20 min elliptical trainer
-full body weights
-core exercises
-3.7 mile easy run
-20 min yoga

*This "easy" run wasn't so easy! I was a bit sore from Sunday's race. This run was still enjoyable though, but I didn't really pay attention to my time.