MBFA: Week 1/3

Week-beginning Thoughts:

Well, I had some severe stomach cramps last night around 5pm, was fetal positioning in bed at 7pm, slept until 6am... got up to be "present" during the morning hustle, and then went back to sleep for another two hours. It's 12:30pm now, and I'm working, feeling relatively fine... but maybe not ready for the intensity of MBFA. 

..and now it's 2:30 and I'm thinking about a run. :P 

Monday

Did: nothing

Slept a lot. Worked. Ate more bread in a single day than I have in the past month... Then slept more. 

Tuesday

Did: MBFA Day 1, 6.26mi @ 8:59/mi avg

Attempted to sleep in and recoup from whatever I had Sunday, telling my 10KTuesday buddies to go ahead without me. Body woke up at 4:30 anyways to thunderstorms. I wasn't sure I was in running shape, but wanted to do something, so I started the next level of my Beachbody-on-Demand program, Muscle Burns Fat Advanced (MBFA). 

I liked that the workout followed the same predictable structure as MBF. I dislike that all the workouts are 30-40min instead of 25-35min. You wouldn't think that 5-10min could make a difference, but it does. I considered doing both Day 1 (lower body) and Day 2 (core), but only had time for Day 1 before I had to get to work. 

Day 1 went well. Honestly, the hardest part wasn't the exercises or my lower body, but rather keeping grip on my 20 to 25lb dumbbells for almost the entire workout-- those things get HEAVY. 

I thought about doing Day 2 over lunch, but my teammates messaged me to say they were running 10KT later, due to this morning's storms, so I opted to join them. Things that were weird about that run:

• having to figure out how long it would take me to get there with traffic (there's never traffic at 4:30am...)
• seeing my teammates in DAYLIGHT (I don't think I've done that in over a year with one of them)
• running with people in DAYLIGHT
• having to be aware of cars and other pedestrians
• not being able to hear each other talk due to road noise
• sunlight
• wearing a sports bra and shorts and being hot... despite wearing full tights, underarmour, gloves, and earband two days ago.... 
• trying to figure out how to eat, when to eat, what to eat for a lunch run
• shifting my work hours to accomodate a midday run (i.e. having to log back on after kids are in bed)

Still, it was a good run and I'm glad I went. I would NOT have run without them. Plus, it's always nice to see a faster pace when I run midday, after my body/legs have "woken up", rather than the high 9s I run at 4:30am... 

Wednesday

Did: MBFA Core, MBFA Upper, 5K lunch walk with husband :) 

These workouts are definitely harder than MBF, and I'm loving them. That said, I probably need to be better about cooling down and stretching post-workout. Sitting in a chair for the bulk of the day did not make my hips happy. 

Thursday

Did: 5.08mi @ 9:15/mi avg, MBFA Core

Ugggh. Last night was the worst. I went to bed around 8pm, and was woken at 10:36 by the baby asking for a change. While baby was changed and back asleep within two minutes (I kid you not), I was up with insomnia until almost 3:15am... Ugggghhh. 

Got up before my alarm, couldn't get back to sleep, so I met my teammate for a COLD and WINDY run. Felt better, but still super tired in the morning. Took a brief 30min nap between drop-off and work, and then hit up my MBFA workout at lunch. 

using kids' etch-a-sketch-y tool for my 

AMRAP (as many rounds as possible)

MomLife

Friday

Did: MBF Total Body

Got up at 4am after a MUCH better night of sleep, got my workout in, and got on with my day.

Saturday

Did: 10.17mi @ 9:24/mi avg, 1.5mi bike ride, MBFA Dynamic Stretch, 1mi walk, 30min yoga

I love double digit runs before dawn with my training partner. :) 

Kid wanted to ride bikes at sunrise, so I came home, had a 30min turnaround with oats, eggs, and a wardrobe change. Despite having way more clothes on, I was freezing... and kid was freezing... so we made it 1.5mi and then thawed out in the car. 

Sunday

Did: MBFA Power Ignite, 3.71mi on treadmill @ 9:43/mi avg (2x5min tempo at or under 8:00)

Woke up feeling super tired, and opted out of any morning workouts (partly because of that, partly because of cold rain).  Thought about a tempo run on the 'mill... wasn't sure about it, and decided to postpone until I was feeling confident that it was a good idea. 

Felt better around lunch and did my MBFA with my kiddo, then followed up with a treadmill workout. After a mile, I felt really good, and opted into tempo. Instead of a full ten minutes, though, I did 2x5min with a 5min recovery in-between. 

Solid day. 

Total Weekly Mileage: 25.22mi

Week-ending Thoughts:

• I had a great consult with a Registered Dietician who helped me figure out my actual RMR, talk through what types of foods to eat when, and review my current eating patterns to help me create a plan for what to eat when in order to lose weight or maintain it. I love how she utilized my existing foods, recipes, and habits and just made suggestions on how to modify those instead of a brand-new "here, use this meal plan" fix. 
• I feel really good about what my direction is moving forward, and hope to knock out the first stage of this plan in the first quarter of the year, and then just go into a more intuitive maintenance mode. We still don't have any idea what caused the big bump in weight last year, but at least things are moving in the right direction now? 

MBF: Week 1/3

Week-beginning Thoughts:

All doctor test results came back normal, so they don't have a clue. Great. 

Going into the next three weeks of a new Beachbody-on-Demand program (Muscle Burns Fat) and we'll see how that plus the Ultimate Portion Fix container diet goes. So f---ing irritating. 

Monday

Did: MBF Lower, MBF Core

Got up at 3am with a screaming baby who took an hour to put back down. At that point, why bother attempting to sleep? I doubled up on my MBF workouts today so I could "just" run tomorrow.Awww, yeah. I'm soooore and loving it. It took awhile to get through this morning's workout with the baby struggling to adjust to daylight savings time, but it got done. 

Food

• 1 scoop protein shake, black coffee, 1/2c unsweetened almond milk [1R, 0.5B]
• 1.5oz beef jerky [1R]
• 1 sprouted grain vegan bagel [3Y]
• Flat white from Starbucks (off-book here, but I've been up since 3am and this was my treat to myself) [unsure about container count, maybe 2Y?]
• 1c nonfat plain greek yogurt with 1/2oz blueberries and 1/2oz strawberries [1R, 0.5P]
• 2c spinach/mixed greens with 1/2 roma tomato, 1.5oz sliced ham, 1 hard-boiled egg white, 1/2c baby carrots, 1/2c roasted yellow squash/celery/zucchini mix [3G, 1R]
• 1 medium gala apple [1P]
• 2c spinach [2G], 1/2 tomato + 5 baby carrots [1G], 8oz oven roasted turkey breast [2R]
• Rx bar [2P, 1B] -- really just wanted this and thought it was worth going a liittle over

I had more carrots... but ate them earlier

Total: 1950 eaten (1652 net)

Tuesday

Did: 10KTuesday @ 9:26/mi avg

Whelp, crashed at 7pm last night and got a decent night of sleep before my alarm. Run felt a little hard to start off, but we kept amazingly consistent splits until the last mile, which ended up at 9:18. 

Food

• Banana [1P]
• 1.5oz beef jerky [1R]
• 1 scoop protein shake, black coffee, 1/2c unsweetened almond milk [1R, 0.5B]
• 1/2c whole milk with hot coffee [0.5Y]
• 1c nonfat plain greek yogurt with 1/2oz blueberries and 1/2oz strawberries [1R, 0.5P]
• 2c spinach/mixed greens with 1/2 roma tomato, 1.5oz sliced ham, 1 hard-boiled egg white, 1/2c baby carrots, [2.5G, 1R]
• 1 medium gala apple [1P]
• 1c broccoli, 1 Rx bar [1G, 2P, 0.5B]
• 2c spinach + 5 baby carrots [2G], 3oz 93/7 turkey burger with a little egg, worchestire sauce, and seasoning [1R], 1/2 whole wheat bun [1Y]

Total: 1782 eaten (1295 net)

Just didn't feel very hungry

Wednesday

Did: MBF Week 1 Days 3 (Upper Burn) & 4 (Core)

After a rough MOTN wake-up with the little one (and then self-induced insomnia), my alarm came too early today. Still got it done...

Food

• 1 scoop protein shake, black iced coffee, 4oz unsweetened almond milk [1R, 0.5B]
• 1/2c whole milk with hot coffee [0.5Y]
• 1/2 spinach wrap [0.5Y], 2oz sliced turkey [1R], 1 egg + 3 egg whites [1R] 
• 1c nonfat plain greek yogurt with 1 peanut-butter oat bar, 1/2oz blueberries and 1/2oz strawberries [1R, 1B, 0.5P]
• 2c spinach/mixed greens with 2oz sliced turkey, a few carrots, some broccoli, 2T sunflower seeds [2G, 0.5P, 1O]
• 1c broccoli [1G], 1 apple [1P]
• 2oz ham [0.5R], 1/2c broccoli + 5 carrots [0.5G], 3oz sweet potato [0.5Y], 1/2c corn [1Y]
• 5oz chardonnay + 0.75oz each bourbon cream/chocolate whiskey [2Y]

Total: 1665 eaten (1184 net)

Thursday

Did: 5mi @ 9:07/mi avg

I listened to a podcast this morning, and really enjoyed it. It's been a long time since I've run with an earbud in, but I was solo this morning and wanted to both get a run in AND catch up on yesterday's insane events at the Capitol. 

Food

• 1/3c oats with 2t brown sugar [1Y, 1T]
• 1 scoop protein shake, black iced coffee, 4oz unsweetened almond milk [1R, 0.5T]
• Rx Bar [2P, 0.5B]
• PB Oat Bar [1O]
• 1c roasted squash [1G], 6oz oven roasted turkey [1.5R, 1T],
• 1/3c oats with 2t brown sugar [1Y, 1T]
• 1 spinach wrap [0.5Y]
• 1/2c whole milk with hot coffee [0.5Y]
• 2c spinach + 1c zucchini [3G]
• 1.5oz jerky + 1 spinach wrap [1R, 0.5Y]
• 1/2c whole wheat pasta [1Y]
• 4oz 93/7 ground turkey [1R]
• 1/2c Prego no sugar added marinara [0.5G]
• 1c broccoli [1G]
• 5oz merlot [1Y]

Total: 1798 eaten (1460 net)

Friday

Did: MBF Week 1 Day 5

This was a fun workout. I'm finally settling into the structure of MBF. The MWF workouts go like this:

• Warm-up
• Block 1: asymmetrical weight lifting (first half of move, second half of move, then 4x combo) x 2
• Jump rope cardio burst
• Block 2: symmetrical weight lifting (2-3 exercises, 3x)
• Jump rope cardio burst
• Block 3: different asymmetrical weight lifting (first half of move, second half of move, then 4x combo) x 2
• Jump rope cardio burst
• Block 4: symmetrical weight lifting (2-3 exercises, 3x)
• Jump rope cardio burst
• Cool-down

Knowing the structure helps me stay focused, and I like having a place to write my weights down too. Another perk of this program is that, unlike LIIFT4, there's no real rest period. Your rest is either when you're doing the "other side" of asymmetrical lifts, or the cardio bursts. 

Food

• 1/3c oats with 2t brown sugar [1Y, 1T]
• 1 scoop protein shake, black iced coffee, 4oz unsweetened almond milk [0.5R, 0.5T]
• Rx Bar [2P, 0.5B]
• PB Oat Bar [1O]
• 2c cauliflower [2G], 1 egg + 4 egg whites [1R], spinach wrap [0.5Y], 4oz ground turkey [1R]
• 1/2c whole milk with hot coffee [0.5Y]
• 1c broccoli [1G]
• 1 scoop protein shake, black iced coffee, 4oz unsweetened almond milk [0.5R, 0.5T]
• 5oz chardonnay [1Y]
• 1c roasted squash/zucchini/roma tomato blend [1G], 1.5 slices ham [0.5R]
• 1c grapes [1P]
• 4oz roasted turkey [1R]

Total: 1726 (1601 net)

Saturday

Did: 10.09mi @ 9:26/mi avg , MBF W1D7

My training partner wasn't up for our full route, but I'm pretty proud of the way I still got it done. I planned on running 2.5mi from my house to meet her for a 4.5mi route, then run 2.5+ home for the full 10. That was much more palatable than trying to run 5+ solo on either end all together. Enjoyed the run, though I was also glad I wore what I did to combat the 10mph winds, which were almost constant.

Came home, stretched, and did MBF's Sunday workout, which is more of a dynamic recovery one than Saturday's higher intensity workout, which I'll do tomorrow. 

Food

• Pre-run: Lara Bar [1.5P, 0.5B], In-Run: Honey Stingers [1Y]
• 1 egg + 4 egg whites [1R], spinach+diced tomatoes+diced orange bell pepper [1c total = 1G], 3/4c chopped ham [1R], 1 shredded wheat biscuit [1Y]
• 1/2c whole milk with hot coffee [0.5Y]
• 1/2c oats with 1t brown sugar [1Y, 1T]
• 2c cauliflower w/1/6c shredded cheese [2G, 0.5B]
• 1 1/4c spinach, 4oz ground turkey, 1/4c no sugar added marinara sauce, 1/2c broccoli [2G, 1R]
• 5oz merlot [1Y]
• PB oat bat + 1/2 banana + 1/2c strawberries + 3/4c plain nonfat Greek yogurt [1P, 1R, 1O]

Total 2125 (1858 net)

Sunday

Did: 5.13mi run @ 9:20/mi, 3.25mi stroller walk, MBF W1D6

Got up early and got a nice, cold run in with my teammate before the family got going (well, too much-- little one was up just before I left at 5am).Took little one out for a stroller walk mid-morning, which facilitated a much-needed nap after the early wake-up. Got my MBF workout done with another little helper after lunch. I didn't like today's format-- it was a very repetitive workout, with lots of back-to-back repetitions of the same exercises. Blegh. Finished off with a 10min yoga session. 

Food

• banana [1P]
• 1 scoop protein shake, black iced coffee, 4oz unsweetened almond milk [0.5R, 0.5T]
• PB Oat Bar [1O]
• 1/2c whole milk with hot coffee [0.5Y]
• 2c roasted veggies (yellow squash, zucchini, cauliflower, and roma tomato] [2G]
• 1 blueberry cake donut [2Y?]
• 1 scoop protein shake, black iced coffee, 4oz unsweetened almond milk [0.5R, 0.5]
• spinach wrap [0.5Y], 2 egg whites [0.25R]
• 1/2c strawberries + 1/2c grapes [1P]
• 2c spinach + 1c total mixed celery/carrot/tomato [3G], 1 wheat bun [1Y], 2-4oz salmon burgers [2R], 1/2oz goat cheese [0.5B], 1 ring pineapple [0.5P]
• 5oz merlot [1Y]

Total 2549, Net 1152

Total Weekly Mileage: 26.6mi

Week-ending Thoughts:

• The dietary changes were a bit of a rude awakening this week, but I was able to catch on and get back on the wagon relatively quickly. I'm still struggling to find a good way to track everything (and, consequentially, tracking food in four different places to figure out which works best for me), though. 
• I feel better when I'm lifting too. I was a little worried about starting a seven-day-a-week program, but I really like how I've scheduled it:
• Monday: MBF Days 1 and 2 (lower body and core)
• Tuesday: 10KTuesday (run)
• Wed: MBF Days 3 and 4 (upper body and core)
• Thursday: easy run
• Friday: MWF Day 5 (full body)
• Saturday: long run and MBF Day 7 (stretch)
• Sunday: MBF Day 6 ("every minute on the minute" HIIT)
• I definitely feel like I can keep this up for the next two weeks, which will help me hit one of my 2021 goals (stick to Beachbody diet for three weeks min). 
• I'm not ready to launch into mile training yet (still figuring out a lot of stressful stuff in my non workout-areas of life), but maybe after I finish MBF in two weeks? 

21 Day Fix Extreme: Week 1/3

Week-beginning Thoughts:

I'm looking for something low key for this week, and think I've found it in 21 Day Fix Extreme Real Time. This program gives me a 30min workout every day, which I can choose to add running to or not. I'll also try to get back on the container bandwagon for nutrition. 

Monday

Did: 21DFX Plyo Fix, 1mi @ 8:53/mi avg

I hate plyometrics. Jumping always just feels like a great way to get injured. Especially since my calf feels a little funky today, I took it easy. Proud of myself for making it through a workout I really don't like, though. 

...then I went for a mile run just for funsies. :) It's always amazing to me how much faster I run after a strength workout where I warmed my legs up. 

Nutrition was great today. 

Breakfast: oatmeal, shredded wheat, protein coffee

Snack: graham crackers with strawberries

Lunch: 2 HB eggs, cauliflower/broccoli/zucchini/squash/ground turkey succotash

Snack: apple, lara bar

Snack: triscuits, second coffee 

Dinner: ham, zucchini, squash, celery in lettuce wrap

Tuesday

Did: 21DFX Upper Fix, + 10min HardCORE  10KTuesday @ 9:24/mi avg 

I feel like freaking super mom today. My husband's sick, so that means I've basically been single parenting since 5pm yesterday. I've been to work both days so far this week (in the office, which is its own challenge, especially when it comes to bringing enough food). I couldn't run this morning (partially because I was a little worried about my calf, but mostly because I needed to be on-call as a parent). After getting everything done in the evening, I finally made it out the door around 7:30pm. 

Running in the evening was weird. I kind of enjoyed the solitude, but it was also strange to have other people on the sidewalks, cars at intersections, and, DAYLIGHT. What even IS that? 

I felt physically fine until about 4mi in, and then my legs were a bit tired, and I started to feel my left calf tighten. Of course, I was only two miles from home at that point, so I pushed on... and then stretched out once I got home. 

Pretty proud of this dinner, too! 

Nutrition was a bit of a struggle. I'd only planned ot be in the office until lunch, and then run at lunch and go home afterwards. Instead, I was there the whole day... so I went out at lunch and grabbed some Starbucks for sustenance. Not the best choice, but I tried. 

Breakfast: greek yogurt smoothie and protein coffee

Snack: KIND protein bars

Lunch: Sbucks Tomato Mozarella panini + grande flat white

Dinner: green beams with salmon and veggies

Evening: taco shells, 2 eggs, shredded wheat (post-run)

Wednesday

Did: 21DFX Pilates
Another solo morning with the kids = workout didn't happen until the evening, but that was kind of OK since my older one did it with me :) Love sharing fitness with my family. 

Nutrition was awesome today. I planned, and I executed. 

Breakfast: oatmeal, 2 HB eggs, and green beans (fitting in those veggies/green containers)

Snack: protein coffee, banana, KIND protein bars

Lunch: greek yogurt with strawberries and sunflower seeds

Snack: carrots

DInner: steak lettuce wraps

Evening: banana

Also took a massage stick to my calf and did what I could to destroy the knot. Blergh. 

Thursday

Did: 21DFX Lower Fix, 2mi walk

I don't even remember this day. 

Friday

Did: 21DFX Cardio + 10min HardCORE

Also don't remember this day... I do recall struggling with nutrition though and eating a ton of taco shells in the morning. When I'm sick, my go-to food is always crunchy, salty things, like tortilla chips. Guess we know what this weekend has in store. UGH. 

Also hit my calf hard with massage again. 

Saturday

Did: 21DFX Dirty 30, 6.75mi walk

Got my 21DF workout done first thing with my baby this morning, and then my family opted for a 100min walk instead of our normal 10mi run (since my husband and I are both dealing with calf issues). I feel like I could run, but really want to be as healthy as possible to start Miler Method in another week, so I'm trying to rest, stretch, and roll this thing out.... 

The hardest part for me is modifying my food intake since I'm not burning the same calories I ususally do... I've learned not to eat my normal big breakfast, though, and that helps. If I can make it through the morning without gorging on the kids' animal crackers, I'm generally OK. Today, I was pretty proud of myself for making a salad for lunch (SO MUCH EFFORT when you don't pre-prep!) instead of just making another PB&J. I also did spaghetti squash and tomatoes for a hearty, filling snack later in the day instead of handfuls of animal crackers. Pretty happy with how today turned out. 

Sunday

Did: 4.06mi walk + 21DFX yoga + 0.5mi walk

Another family walk since both my husband and I are still bum, but at least I don't feel the knot in my calf anymore. Hopefully, I'll be good to go for 10KTuesday in a couple days. It's been so weird to take almost a week completely off from running. It was kind of cool, though, to have my kid run his first mile (there was a bit of fast walking, but he was definitely at least jogging for the most part-- so proud). 

Yoga was nice, though it's hard to "focus on the stillness and quiet" when you've got munchkins climbing all over you... 

Total Weekly Mileage: 7.3... Kind of hilarious to go from 70 to 7.3 in barely ten days :P 

Week-ending Thoughts:

• Um, I don't even know...  I'm glad to be doing 21DF and have some sort of "plan" to follow right now.
• I'm a bit worried about my ability to execute the mile training plan in a week, and hope I'll be healed up. 
• Nutrition is tough when I don't plan, but I'm starting to get back into a high-veggies mode. The hardest part is how limiting the green container qualifications are-- like, peas don't count as a veggie, but rather as a carb. If I'm going to have a carb, I'd rather eat some shredded wheat or oats. :P 

Miler Method; Week 6/6

Week-beginning Thoughts:
All the emotions this week... A friend mentioned this pandemic has been going on for 18 weeks here in the states. 18 weeks. That's a long marathon training plan. I'm having a hard time with the fact that I can't control things. I want to feel safe enough to go into the office five days a week, walk down to my boss' office and chat, be social in the break room, go to chorus and sing with my friends, run 10KTuesday again with my teammates, go to the freaking grocery store, browse the library, go on vacation, laugh with friends around the firepit, meet my husband for a mid-day lunch date in a restaurant, talk to people.... 

And that's spilled over into thinking of other things in life that I can't control. Things that are done and decided. Things I can't just make a training plan or a step-by-step "how to make X happen" plan to execute. Because they're things you can't do that for. 

Running has been an incredible coping method for me for the past ten years (and continues to be), but there comes a point where even running can't help. 

Monday

Did: 30min yoga, 5K treadmill walk

This was a bad day for a rest day. Too much life stress.Yoga didn't help. Treadmill walk didn't really help. 

Tuesday

Did: 6.36mi easy @ 9:56/mi avg

Struggle bus of a day and a ran, but got it done. 

Wednesday

Did: 10min WU, 5min tempo/3min rest, 3x30s @ MP, 15min CD = 4.06mi @ 9:58/mi avg

What a short workout! Kind of felt like a bit of a tease with all the short, fast bits. 

Also, fun interface on my new Polar watch's platform:

Thursday

Did: 30min Autumn Calabrese workout, 5K treadmill walk

Rest days are the WORST for my mood and mental well-being. 

Friday

Did: 2mi run with 4x70m-ish strides, 2mi walk

Got my 1-2mi in on the greenway this morning, and threw in a few strides-- not measured or timed, just to stretch my legs-- then walked back to my car. Abs are a bit sore from yesterday's workout. That feels nice. 

Saturday

Did: 1.74mi WU + strides + 1mi Race + 10ish min CD = 4ish mi @ fast

NEW MILE PR

Sunday

Did:10.02mi @ 10:01/mi avg, 6mi bike

Oooh, we had takeout (ribs+cheesecake) last night "in celebration" of my mile PR, and that was NOT the right call. My body is definitely not used to that type of food, and my digestive system rebelled this morning. :P Fortunately, I was able to clear everything out pre-run and enjoy a little more than an hour and a half outside with my family, running. 

..and then I took the little one for a "first bike ride" :) 

Total Weekly Mileage: 26.4 (whoa, is that right? lowest mileage in... awhile!)

Week-ending Thoughts:

• Super content. Super proud. Such a great week of running.
• What's next? Um, the same teammate who did Miler Method with me suggested we do a "10 days of 10 miles" streak. Sounds good. 

The PREP: Summary

Program: Beachbody-on-Demand's The PREP
Structure: 30-40min workouts, 6 days a week, with "strength, hypertrophy, endurance, power, agility, and mobility" exercises, for four weeks
Motivation: wanted to continue strength training after LIIFT4 and this program came recommended by my coach

Execution: did all workouts, though I probably could have gone a little harder on most of them; continued to run ~30mi/week (no real speedwork-- just miles) throughout the program, with long runs of 10mi each Saturday; followed Beachbody Container Program for nutrition

Before and After:

IDK. I didn't really track anything. I really thought I was going to measure myself last weekend, but it's just too much of a bother. lol

Reflections:

Program

• I was a little concerned about going from 4 days a week of strength training to 6, but this didn't end up being a problem
• 30-40min was exactly the right level of commitment for me
• I did not like having to repeat the workouts for a second time, and missed the feeling of "progression" I got with LIIFT4's "real time" setup
• I did not like most of the exercises-- it felt more like a bootcamp style workout than something that would help me build strength and tone up. Some exercises were entirely too easy for me, others were so far beyond my ability that I couldn't find a suitable modifier (like tricep push-ups). I rarely felt sore after the workouts, though I sweated a LOT, and generally felt like I wasn't getting out of the training what I wanted to
• I also wasn't a fan of the explicit language, and opted for the clean version of the workouts, especially since I had my kids around most of the time
• The trainer, Amoila, had an encouraging personality, and I liked his interaction with the crew and camera. I also really liked how much he emphasized nutrition at the end of hte workouts, frequently reminding me that "if you don't stay on your g**d**** nutrition, you just wasted your time". 

Nutrition

• Beachbody-on-Demand's nutrition plan basically involves consuming certain amounts of veggies, fruits, carbs, proteins, and fats each day, all measured via volume-based containers. 
• While it was difficult for me to get on board the Container Nutrition at first, I do think that the forced quantity/quality regimen was worthwhile. I followed Plan C (1800-2100 cal/day), though I ate more on my long run day to ensure I had enough net calories.
• I definitely FELT better following plan 

Results

• Idk. Honestly, I just don't feel like doing much of a write-up on this one, so I'm not going to :P 

Moving On

• Next up: a third time through Miler Method (first time, second time)

THE PREP: Week 1/4

Week-beginning Thoughts:
Alright, let's do this. I've committed to four weeks of a new program, The PREP. Alongside those workouts, I'm planning to continue running 30-35mpw with one day of speedwork. I'm also committing to follow the Beachbody Containers/Portion Fix nutrition plan for four weeks. 

I'm a little nervous about The PREP's workouts, because they seem kind of intense, but I can do anything for four weeks, right? Knowing it's temporary helps. 

I'm not thrilled with the nutrition component either, because it's something new. I've been counting calories for nearly fifteen years, and eating "clean-ish" for about five (off and on). I like to feel confident and in control of what I do, so branching out into a new system is really hard for me. Calories make sense. You weigh things. There's a consistent, factual quantity. I use an accurate database of calories (MyFitnessPal) for my foods. Calories in - calories out (via Garmin HR monitor) = net calories. It's math. It's logical. I like it.

...but I'd like to see a little more change than what I've been doing on my own. So, I'm going to give Beachbody's program a fair chance for four weeks. Instead of in addition to counting calories (because I can't not track them), I'll be choosing my daily foods (both content and quantity) per their color-coded container plan.


Based on my weight, I'd fall into their "Plan A", but I upped myself to "Plan B" since I'm also running 30+ mpw, which means I get the following, daily:

4 x green (1c veggies)
3 x purple (1c fruits)
4 x protein (3/4c meat)
3 x yellow (1/2c carb)
1 x blue (1/3c healthy fats)
1 x orange (2T seeds)
4 x teaspoon (oils)

I didn't meal plan the week out, but I know generally that I'll be doing some sort of shake for breakfast, hard-boiled eggs or egg whites as a snack, and we'll see what else happens. lol. 

Monday

Did: The PREP - Push, 4.01mi @ 9:54/mi avg
Nutrition: felt hungry a lot of the day, but kept myself on-plan
So, The PREP was actually a really enjoyable workout. I feel like it's the right level for me. I was able to do most of the exercises without modification (I started all the push-up segments on my feet, but went to my knees partway). I like having a known number of sets and blocks in each workout, and the 30min time was also helpful. 

After the workout, I did an easy run solo pre-dawn. That felt nice. 

smoothie + fridge-side daily tracker 

Tuesday

Did: The PREP- Legs, 4.25mi + 2.0mi = 6.27mi @ 9:33/mi avg
Nutrition: on-plan :)
I'm never excited for leg day, but I enjoyed the exercises we did today and know I'll be feeling it in my glutes tomorrow. I was definitely hungry post-workout, but wanted to get my run in early and be done with it.

 

About halfway through my run, I realized it was Tuesday. I'd been thrown off since last program had Friday as Leg Day. Oops. On Tuesdays I've been running with my husband at lunch.... 

Today was a bit more of a struggle nutrition-wise. I had an egg white (well, one yolk, four egg whites) omelet with spinach and a bit of shredded wheat. It was gross, and something I'll just have to get accustomed to... :P 

Finished out the day with 2mi on the treadmill during baby's nap... because 10KTuesday isn't optional. ;) 

(I ate more than this today-- just only took pics of a few things to share with my Beachbody accountability group)

Wednesday

Did: 4mi run @ 9:16/mi avg, movie-side stretching
Nutrition: SO. HANGRY.
Yeeeeep. I'm super sore. It's actually nice to feel sore, because I know that means I'm working things that need working. Hammies are sore. Glutes are sore. Even my obliques are sore. Yesssssssssssssss.

Today was another struggle of a day nutrition-wise. 

Breakfast was 3/4c plain greek yogurt with strawberries.
Mid-morning was 1/4c whole milk + 1/4c lowfat chocolate milk in my coffee.
Lunch was super delicious: 2c broccoli with 1/3c shredded cheese and 2 seasoned chicken tenderloins.

...and then it got bad. I was SO hungry all afternoon. 

I had a small box worth of raisins. Still hungry.

I had a stick of turkey jerky. Still hungry.

I went on a 4mi run with my husband (yay), then had a shake of protein powder + spinach + strawberries + ice + cauliflower. Satisfying, but still hungry.

Dinner was a spinach wrap with lettuce, a chicken tenderloin, and some more Greek yogurt. OMG. Still hungry.


I've been tracking calories in MyFitnessPal alongside all my Beachbody container tracking, and knew I've been "light" on net calories these past few days, so I decided to ask for advice in my accountability group. 

Almost instantly, my coach replied back, telling me I should definitely be on Plan C, if not Plan D, with the amount of running I was adding on. 





The extra containers will definitely help. 

Thursday

Did: The PREP- Endurance & Agility, 4.72mi run/walk with double stroller @ 11:24/mi avg
Nutrition: SO great. Very satisfying day :) 
So, I thought today's E&A workout was going to be a lot of HIIT/SAQ drills. It wasn't. Instead, it was 2x through 6-8 fast-paced strength exercises, and then 5 sets of 30s of each of 3 SAQ-ish exercises. For the day after Leg Day, I found this workout pretty leg-intensive. We had a ton of split squats, lunges, etc. The strength stuff was alright, but the SAQ drills felt way too easy for me-- maybe it's because they were running based, and I can run for far longer than 30s at a time without fatigue? 

I had some other distractions during the workout too (family emergencies that resulted in (3) separate 1-2min pauses of the video, and (1) 40min pause), so maybe that played into it. Overall, it just didn't feel as hard as I wanted it to? Guess that's a good thing, because I have speedwork later today.... though I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to make that happen with both kids underfoot. Treadmill? Double stroller intervals? 


...whelp. Speedwork didn't happen. My legs were tired, and I was pushing the double stroller on hills in the sun. Not exactly a recipe for success. Oh, and all I'd eaten this morning was a single smoothie and an ear of corn on the cob. I ran about 2mi, and then got a work phone call, so I ran/walked the rest of the way home. 

Nutrition went pretty well today. I had a bunch of smoothies, just to use up slightly past-prime veggies, which contained:

• protein powder
• spinach
• celery (oddly, this was a really great addition to my smoothie?)
• plain greek yogurt
• a dash of coconut milk, for fluidity
• banana
• frozen blueberries and strawberries

Then had some "real food" for dinner: a double serving of salmon, asparagus, broccoli, lettuce, and a piece of homemade bread. I actually didn't even finish all the salmon.  It's so nice to feel FULL again-- really glad I checked with my coach when something felt "off".

Friday

Did: The Prep- Pull, 5K @ 9:08/mi avg
Nutrition: Stellar
I was a little disappointed in today's workout. "Pull" is really supposed to be the shoulder/upper back day of this workout program, but it's really geared towards people who have a pull-up bar in their house. Don't have one? Oh, that's fine, you can buy one from Beachbody. You just have to mount it to your doorframe... which totally wasn't engineered for that type of load. No thanks. Also, I can't even DO a pull-up, so I'd also need to buy the modifier/assist. Blergh, $$$. 

Instead, I did the kind of lame modifier for those of us without a bar at home, which was just holding weights out at a 90 degree angle in a half curl. 

I followed this up with a pre-dawn 5K, which turned into a bit of a fun progression run, and added on a 4mi walk in the afternoon. 

Food went well today. I didn't eat much in the morning due to wrangling kiddos and working out on the back deck, which meant I had a lot to make up for in the afternoon. :) 

 

Lunch: spaghetti squash, asparagus, ground turkey, orange, and a slice of bread
Dinner: ground turkey + lettuce tacos with asparagus and carrots (and wine)

Saturday

Did: 10.36mi family run (with a last mile pick-up @ 8:09) @ 9:27/mi avg, The PREP: Range and Repair
Nutrition: Solid
Today's run was amazing. I felt SO great throughout the entire duration- so much so that I even wanted to pick up the pace for the last mile. Woooooo. 

I'm actually most proud that we'd planned on a family Starbucks drive-thru post-run, but I turned it down. I'd totally earned it, but it wasn't even that I didn't want to "break my diet". I just literally did not crave/want a flat white at all. For someone who used to want these things daily just a few months ago, this is huge. Go, me. 

matching shirts
fam was thrilled

I switched up The PREP's workouts between Sat and Sun to give me a more recovery/stretch workout today, on long run day. This was a great call. 40min of stretching and flexibility focus was just what I needed. 

 

Sunday

Did: The PREP: Full Body Tempo, 5mi @ 9:43/mi avg with the double stroller
Nutrition: Eh, mostly solid. 
Full Body Tempo wasn't quite what I expected this morning, and that's a good thing. Based on the name, I expected a HIIT workout. Instead, it was mostly weights, with some timing changes an eccentric lifts. I'm down. 

Had a bit of a struggle getting out for the family run. Syncing up family wake-ups, bathroom trips, and fueling is tough when one of your family members is less than a year old, but we finally made it out a couple hours later than desired. I pushed the double for the first half of the run, which was super hard (maybe heat/humidity? maybe just week fatigue?), and was super glad to be done after our 5mi run. 

Nutrition today was kind of hit-or-miss. I wasn't as diligent, and indulged in a double old-fashioned after a stressful morning, but still kept on track with my calories and more-or-less the Beachbody plan. 

bonus: my Garmin tells me my VO2 max is now 50 mm/kg
sweet

Total Weekly Mileage: 35.5 (annual total to-date= 626)

Week-ending Thoughts:

• I'm liking The PREP
• Eating three cups of fruit a day is tough for me, unless I make smoothies
• I'm definitely missing crackers, bread, and cereal
• Only having a 1/3c of "healthy fats" (cheese, nuts, avocado) is pretty tough for me too. I didn't realize how much cheese I ate before? 
• All the changes I made to my diet during LIIFT4 helped. I have zero trouble getting enough protein in. Lots of hard-boiled eggs, protein powder, Greek yogurt, and meat. 
• My favorite veggies are broccoli, asparagus, and green beans
• Oh, and running is still fun too... Is it weird that the 35mpw I'm running is almost "an after-thought"?