Come what...May....

I can't believe it's May already!

I worked all weekend, so it was nothing special. I went to the gym on Saturday, and it went pretty well. Did 90 minutes of cardio at a pretty high intensity, then three circuits of upper-body strength training. I worked from 1 to 10, and it wasn't anything too exciting. My eating schedule was pretty normal for a closing workday--Clif Bar + Shakeology for breakfast/pre-workout meal, GNC Lean Shake + coconut water for post workout snack, I think I ate a bunch of berries before going to work, tofurkey sandwich for lunch, a salad and an orange for dinner, Chobani + apple for a snack, then I came home and had my usual nut butter on Ezekiel cinnamon raisin toast.

Sunday, I took a rest day. I had Kashi U cereal mixed with Kashi 7-Grain Puffs in almond milk, with strawberries and blackberries on top, and Shakeology with chia seeds. I was super full...not even hungry for another 5 hours or so. haha. Work went well, but I hate working Sundays. It's usually the rudest people that are out :(. I had a Chobani around 1, and then had lunch around 3:30--a tofurkey sandwich with an apple and some pretzels. After work, I went home, then ate way too much Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread with Almond Espresso Butter. haha. For dinner, I had a HUGE salad, with a crumbled black bean burger, tons of veggies, and some berries mixed in as well. I was so full! Later that night, my parents brought home cake from the best bakery ever...so, naturally I had to have a piece. And theeeen, I had my nut butter on toast before bed. Hey, I'm carbo-loading for the marathon, give me a break.

Monday, I went to the gym before work, and it wasn't the best gym session I've had. For some reason, my bum was more sore than usual--not sure why! I did 90 minutes of cardio, but at a lower intensity. I then did 3 circuits of strength training afterward. After I stretched it out and everything, it felt better, but...I've had better days, I guess?

I worked from 2 to 10, and it wasn't too bad. I went to the chiropractor on my break, and he says that I'm progressing really well, and the marathon shouldn't be a problem! So happy to keep getting this good news. Meals were pretty standard--only deviation was a Cedarlane egg white omelet for dinner with an orange. So good.

Today, I worked from 10-5. It's so nice to have a morning shift. haha. I took another rest day, so I had my usual cereal breakfast. I had an Apple Cinnamon Chobani around 12:30, then I ate my lunch around 2:30 (tofurkey sandwich and an apple). I went to the store after work, and I grabbed a bunch of berries--LOVE this season. Watermelon season is soooo sooon :)))). I also bought Burgatory for dinner. Sooooooo worth it. Their veggie burger is out of this world. I subbed a side salad instead of the chips. I also ate a bunch of veggies/jicama dipped in ricotta cheese. Random, I know.


I watched some playoff hockey (Devils v Flyers)--nothing beats playoff hockey, Man. I also bought some tennis balls, because I wanted to see if I could loosen some muscles in my glutes/butt. SUCH a great idea. I feel so much better! Who knew the best relief could come from a $1 purcase? haha. I also bought a pretty UA tank, but disregard that ;).

I also caught up with "Girls" and "Mad Men." I swear, I NEVER watch TV shows live anymore. Gotta catch up with "Game of Thrones," and I'll be all set!

When I'm done icing my butt, it's off to bed I go! Tomorrow's plans include an AM workout, work from 2-10, and a chiropractor visit on my lunch break.

Marathon is in 5 sleeps. Crazy exciting! After marathon training, I need to find something else to occupy my time. haha. I think I'm going to focus on toning/strength a little more. I'm also planning on doing some charity-related running things. Nothing big, after the marathon. I'm not going to run another longer race until September (Montour Trail 1/2 Marathon--a good one to PR in. haha).

Hope you're all enjoying the May weather!

Survey stolen from Sweet Tooth, Sweet Life!

Coke or Pepsi?

I don't drink "pop" anymore--haven't for years. Diet Coke is better than Diet Pepsi, but Pepsi is better than Coke.

Lemonade or fruit punch?

Lemonade!

Caramel apple or cotton candy?

Caramel apples have so much more flavor to them--and more nutritional value.

Butterfinger or Snickers?

Snickers. Definitely.

Pudding or Jello?

Pudding. Can't eat jello, because I'm a vegetarian :(.

Turkey or chicken?

...really? Rude.

American or Provolone cheese?

American has NO flava. Provo fo lyfe.

Crackers or cookies?

Crackers don't stand a chance.

Pretzels or chips?

Pretzels are my crack.

Mexican food or Japanese food?

Mexican.

Chinese food or Italian food?

Italian! Although, Chinese sauces can be soooo good...but super salty.

Ice cream or cookies?

Ice cream, usually...depends on the cookie.

Pasta or pizza?

PASTA. Especially with my soy meatballs.

Soda or juice?

Not a big drinker of either, but probably juice. Cranberry-grape.

Chocolate bars or chocolate truffles?

Hmmmmmm. The Twin Cakes Bakery chocolate truffles are SUPER good.

Apples or bananas?

Eat them both equally. Apples are more filling, but bananas are easier to digest before running. Eh, I'm torn. Strawberry-banana. haha

Salad or soup?

Salad

Cauliflower or broccoli?

Yiiiikes. I love them BOTH so much fresh! I honestly don't know.

Onion rings or french fries?

SWEET potato fries :).

Blizzard or McFlurry?

Haven't had either in yeeeears. Probably a Blizzard, though. Dairy Queen ice cream definitely has more possibilities.

Fried or poached eggs?

I usually eat scrambled, but either fried or poached are good.

Crepes or pancakes?

Pancakes are more filling!

Hash browns or roasted potatoes?

hash broooowns.

Oatmeal or cereal?

Oatmeal, unless it's Kashi U. Yummmmm.

I'll add a few of my own questions!

Bagel or toast?

I'm really digging Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin Toast right now...however, bagels make the best breakfast 

Peanut butter or jelly?

Why did I even make this a question. PB PB PB PB!

Peanut butter or Almond butter?

Hmmmm...I'm going to have to say almond butter, because the flavor is still somewhat novel to me. 

Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner?

Breakfaaaaast.

Almond milk, Soy milk, or cow's milk?

I pretty much exclusively drink almond milk, but I sometimes eat ice cream or eat baked goods that have cow's milk in them.

Getting Down to the Wire!

I can't believe it has been almost a week since I have updated! Probably because my life is boring, and I pretty much do the same thing everyday. haha Sooooooooo, where did I leave off? Sunday was a lame day. LAME. I didn't run or workout, because I had to go to work early. People weren't the nicest, and the day was LONG. The Pens lost, and it was really sad :(. I didn't want to be at work, but I'm glad that I wasn't at home, watching the game...because I'd probably go apeshit. haha. There's always next year, boys < 333.

I drowned my sorrows in garlic knots and mushroom/pepper pizza. Not worth it. I felt gross. haha. I also had an egg and cheese sandwich that a co-worker brought in when we opened, because she is a dear. It wasn't as good as Panera's, but it was still good.

After work, I had to go to my grandmother's to celebrate my cousin's birthday. All I had for dinner was some salad, and a little vegetarian stuffing, along with a tofurkey sandwich I had brought. For dessert, I had some tres leche cake. So. freaking. good. It looked like baby vomit, but it tasted like heaven.

I came home and had my nut butter cinnamon raisin Ezekiel bread, because I'm a carb-ass.

Monday, I was going to go to the gym, but I rested again. Hips/glutes still weren't feeling good. Blegh.

I think work sucked? I don't really remember. I went to the chiropractor at 4:15 on my break, and he said that it's progressing well. Whew, thank God.

Tuesday, I had off. I went to the gym, and it went pretty well. The total body trainer/arc trainer are my best friends right now. I do 90 minutes total on those, then I did strength training for 20 minutes or so. Was a bit pooped, but that's how it should be! Afterward, I got some Cinnamon Raisin Walnut bread at Loafer's. So yummy. I went home, and had to have a piece right away! I also ate a banana with one of the new nut butters I received--Vanilla Espresso Almond Butter. Oh.My.God. The best one out of the bunch! I did a bunch of cleaning on Tuesday afternoon--living room and my bathroom were tackled. The bathroom was grooooss. Stupid mildew. Felt much better when it was all done, though! I then took a shower in my clean bathtub :). I also washed my sheets and a bunch of clothes. Always nice to have clean sheets.

For dinner, I had a tofurkey sandwich and a kale salad. I also had my nut butters on bread for an evening snack.

I was also off on Wednesday. Did another gym session, only no strength training circuit. For my post-workout snack, I had some vanilla Chobani with the espresso almond butter (YUM) and some blackberries. It was so good!

 I went to the Mario Lemieux Foundation Office to get my Team Lemieux swag for the Pittsburgh Marathon. It had me so excited! I went to the chiropractor afterward, so he could beat up my pelvis ;). Then, I went on a girl's date with my good friend, Laynie! We went to Burgatory, and I had a veggie burger with gouda cheese, spinach, roasted tomatoes, onion marmalade, and a garlic rub. Sooooo good! I had it with a side salad that is really unique, for a burger joint--it had roasted tomatoes, sunflower seeds, and some really good balsamic dressing. Afterward, we walked around a bit.  We decided to go to a Pirates game on May 12,  because a bunch of our friends are going. It's going to be fun!

When I got home, I ate a KIND bar, because I was curious to see how they taste...pretty good! And their NUVAL scores are pretty high as well. I ate a salad later that night, but I wasn't too hungry, so I didn't finish it.

Thursday, I went to the gym in the morning, then I worked from 1 to 10. Our system was down, which made everything annoying pretty much, but it happens. I had a tofurkey sandwich for lunch, then I had a Kashi frozen entree for dinner--the Spinach Artichoke Pasta. For a frozen entree, it's pretty dang good! I also ate an orange with it.

Later on that night, I had a passion fruit Chobani, and some pretzels. I am obsessed with pretzels--it's a bad thing.

When I got home later that night, I had my nut butter on bread, and I also had a piece of Bubba's Walnut Bread. Putting that in front of me is basically like giving crack to an addict. So. Good.

Today (Friday), I was off again! So, I went to the gym in the morning, did my usual total body/arc trainer routine, showered, then I went grocery shopping. Got a BUNCH of stuff. I always buy a ton of Clif Bars and Chobani. Oh well. haha. Once I got home, I had a banana with some espresso almond butter, and a piece of the cinnamon raisin walnut bread. A little while later, I saw that there were some leftovers from dinner this past week. My mom made pasta with mushrooms, mascarpone cheese, olive oil, and I can't remember the rest--all I can remember is that it was really good. haha. I threw some blueberries and corn in it, and all was good in the world.

 I had a chiropractor appointment later on, and when I got home, I decided to try out some of the Kashi U that I bought, because it looked tasty. I put some in 2% Chobani with some blackberries. Sooooo good!

I then decided to take my big dumb-dumb, Ozzie, for a walk. I love him to death, but he's got to be one of the most unintelligent canines on the face of this earth. haha. It was nice to be out in the gorgeous weather, though :).

So, the marathon is a week from Sunday! So excited, but I'm also really nervous that my injury will act up :(. My chiro told me to go on a "test run" within the next few days to try it out. I'm super scared about it! What if it acts up?! AH. This is the course this year--it is currently my desktop background :)  :

  

Well, thank God it's taper time, is all I have to say. Tonight, I'm probably eating a salad while catching up on Grey's--my life is super-exciting.

I work aaaaalll weekend--I actually don't have a day off until next Friday. I will be going to the Marathon Expo that day! OOOOH, and Meb Keflezighi will be there! Super excited for that. I'm also volunteering at the Kids Event the next morning. It's early, but I think it'll be so much fun :).

Alright, I hope I've bored you sufficiently enough. haha. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Awkward Tan Lines.

Soooooooo, let's see...

I woke up on Friday morning, and my butt felt pretty okay. I took (probably too many) Advil, ate my usual pre-run breakfast of a Clif Bar and Shakeology with chia seeds, did my dynamic stretching, and headed on my way.

It was already warm, and my stride was fairly uncomfortable from the get-go. My chiropractor said that I could run, but I probably(/definitely) took it to extremes. The hills were the easiest (yeah, I said it), the flats were fairly uncomfortable, and the downhills were pretty terrible. My breathing was fine, and I could have definitely gone longer, had this nagging pain not been around. I stopped at mile 15 (...yep. ONE pooping mile short), because  the pain was pretty unbearable. I was having stomach issues too--I think it was due to dehydration. I didn't take any GUs, because I didn't want the tummy issues to escalate any further, and it's not like I was blazing through my miles. haha. I was going way slower than usual, but I did 15, and that's all that matters. I got major sun too. I came home, limped to the refrigerator, drank 4584805 gallons of water, ate some berries (KILL those free radicals!), drank my GNC Lean Shake, and showered/got ready for the Pens game! I iced my butt, and it helped a little, but not much.

I'm officially on taper time!



At the chiropractor's office, he spent a little extra time with me. He said I'll definitely be sore, but my condition isn't any worse than it was. THANK GOD. He also said I'm still on track to run the marathon on May 6! He put me on this electrical muscle stimulation machine, where he literally placed nodes on my butt. haha. It was weird, but I'll do anything at this point to recover!

On the way to the game, I took an Aleve with my tofurkey sandwich. Totally necessary. haha. I also drank a bottle of water, because I still felt super dehydrated. When I peed, it was the color of apple juice. Definitely not okay. haha.

The Penguins game was AMAZING. AMAZING. The crowd was crazy, and the Pens definitely fed off of it. I'm REALLY hoping for a Game 7! I can't watch Game 6 (I work :[), but I believe in those boys < 333. The limping walk home was totally worth it. haha. I snacked on a pineapple Chobani during the first intermission and an apple during the second intermission. I also drank another bottle of water and had a coconut water as well. Gotta replenish those electrolytes!

I got home around 11:45, ate my almond sunflower butter with another new PB flavor I received--peanut butter pretzel. Oh my gosh, so good. I caught up on e-mails and didn't go to sleep until near 1:30. I was super tired. haha

I woke up this morning feeling SO sore. It's been a while since I've been this sore. Yikes. I got ready to pick up my Team Lemieux marathon packet, while eating my breakfast of Shakeology and cereal with TONS of fruit :).

I JUST missed the event, so I have to pick up my packet sometime this week :(. I went to Target, and tried on a bunch of clothes. I really this shirt that I bought--only $18!














I also bought two tanks that are kinda colorblocks--a gray/yellow one and a red/maroonish one, and I bought a black maxi dress with tan stripes on the bottom--so cute!

After that, we went to Loafer's, because I heard they were having an Orange Chocolate Chip loaf on special today. SO.WORTH.IT. I also bought their Almond Butter, because it is quite frankly the best almond butter I have ever tasted...and there's only one ingredient. So good.

Finally, I went grocery shipping and bought a TON of stuff. Mostly veggies, soy, greek yogurt, and my Ezekiel Bread. Nothing really special today.

I came home, ate a piece of my bread (once again...SO WORTH IT), and then made my lunch: a tofurkey sandwich with some avocado on it. I also snacked on an apple a little while later, while catching up on e-mails and such.

I've been icing and stretching and all of that hulabaloo. It's better now than it was this morning. I'm hoping it's much better by Monday, because I want to do some cardio + strength training before work. I'm definitely going to minimize the amount of running I do in the next two weeks, to optimize the healing time of my SI joint. If I have to do my "long run" of 8 miles this week on the arc/total body trainers, I will most definitely do it...plus, I'll get some strength training done in the process!

Not much going on tonight--just gonna sit at home and rest. Tomorrow, I work, and then I'm heading to my grandmother's to celebrate my cousin's birthday. Monday, I'm hoping for an AM gym session then I work, then Tuesday, I'm hoping for some gym time and hopefully a Pens Game 7?!

Alright, I've babbled enough. I'm outta here! Enjoy the weekend, even if the weather is yucky. haha

The Final Countdown...

Today turned out to be a pretty decent day! I woke up feeling refreshed--I slept pretty well!

I had my usual "rest day" breakfast of cereal, almond milk, chia seeds, almonds, a banana, and Shakeology. I was super full for almost 5 hours after that. haha. My planned rest day was today, but it feels weird having so many rest days this week (four so far :/). I'm trying to heal as much as possible, though, to save my butt for tomorrow's long run.

I worked from 9-5, and work flew by today! I had a snack of Blood Orange Chobani, and then ate lunch a little later (tofurkey sandwich), while I read some of my Trail issue of Runner's World.

After work, I had some errands to run, so ate an orange while doing them. I went grocery shopping for a few things, and I bought a new lipstick! I never wear makeup (only mascara occasionally), and I've never worn lipstick seriously really, so this was a change. Your thoughts?

Someone baked brownies for us, so I ate one...or two. haha. They were "heart healthy," whatever.

For dinner, I had a stuffed pepper, to which I added some blackberries and blueberries. It tasted really good, don't judge me.

Caaaaarbs.

I've been icing my butt a ton and doing some yoga/dynamic stretches. I think it's helping! I've also been catching up on "Game of Thrones." Oh, Drago...have me any time.

Right now, I'm eating my cinnamon raisin bread with sunflower/almond butter and peanut butter. Always so good.

Tomorrow, I'm planning a 16-miler--my last long run before the taper! I'm nervous about my butt, but we'll see how that goes. I'll pray a lot. haha. Afterward, I'll refuel and get ready for the Pens game. It's do or die, boys! There will be a chiro masochism session in between. Good times.

This weekend, I'm meeting the rest of the runners for Team Lemieux! Super exciting :). I'm also hoping for a Game 6 somewhere in there ;).

Alright, I'm outta here!

Blah blah blah.

Trying to recall the past couple days' events...

Tuesday morning, I ate the usual pre-gym breakfast of a Clif Bar and Shakeology with chia seeds. Always satisfying.

I wanted to do 3 miles on the treadmill, but I could only do 1. My right glute was screeeeeaming. Lame. I did one mile, then did 1.5 miles on both the total body trainer and the arc trainer. I then did a couple circuits of strength training--ONLY upper body, no lower body--I'm not totally stupid. haha.

I walked to work after showering and washing my hair for the first time in like 4 days--man, it felt good ;).

Work was meh. My butt hurt pretty much the whole night. Depressing. haha. I scheduled an appointment with my chiropractor a day early, because I was freaking out.

I refueled with a coconut water and a GNC Lean Shake. Later on, i had an apple, because I couldn't wait for lunch. For lunch, I had a Get Go salad, which had so many random veggies with some egg on it as well. Later on for dinner, I ate my daily tofurkey sandwich. Soooo gooood.

For a snack, I had a Chobani (passion fruit, I think? Can't remember). When I got home from work at 10, I had my usual cinnamon raisin bread with peanut butter, but I received a nut butter bundle from Open Sky--I used the sunflower/almond butter combo with chocolate. Soooooooooo good.

This morning, I wanted to run, but I obviously decided against it. My glute definitely felt better, but it wasn't near 100%. I ate my usual cereal + Shakeology breakfast, then headed to work.

I ate a honey-flavored Chobani around noon, an orange around 1, then ate a Mojo bar around 2:30. I ate my usual tofurkey sandwich around 4 (I eat a lot, get used to it).

I went to the chiropractor, expecting him to tell me to drop out of the marathon...but, he didn't! He said my pelvis was just a bit misaligned, but he could fix me! I was overjoyed. I feel so much better even after one session! I've been icing like a mofo, like he told me. haha. I see him again on Friday. He made a very valid point, that I broke in my news shoes too early for a 20-miler. Probably true. I guess I'll use my old Sauconys for one last long go--she can afford those miles :).

I came home, took out the trash, and iced intermittently, while catching up on e-mails and such. I also ate way too many Sarris chocolate balls. Sooooooooooo good. haha.

For dinner, I had a kale salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, blueberries, blackberries, avocado, and topped with a pepper stuffed with chickpeas, rice, and black beans. Ooooh, and I put some roasted potatoes on top, in case I didn't get enough carbs. haha.

I watched the Penguins game, and it was AWESOME. Played an entire 60 minutes, and they DESTROYED the Flyers. It was beautiful to watch. My favorite player ever (Marc-Andre Fleury, the goalie), finished strong, and it was so nice to see him smile :). Can't wait for Game 5 on Friday, boys!

I then ate some cinnamon bread with peanut butter and sunflower/almond butter. Yuuummmm.

Tomorrow is yet another rest day, then I'm hoping I'm well enough to run 16 miles on Friday. It'll be my last long run before the taper. Ah, sweet taper.

Speaking of the marathon, I've raise almost $700 for the Mario Lemieux Foundation. Cancer can suck it. If you want to donate, www.active.com/donate/marioski . Dooooooooo it!

Time for bed! Goodnight, everyone :).

A coworker sent that to me. She was hesitant, because she thought it might be offensive toward me (I've been a vegetarian for 8 years or so). I just laughed. Hard.

Welp, let's recap since Saturday...

I worked 2-10 on Saturday, and it wasn't too bad, actually. My eats? I had a tofurkey sandwich not long after getting to work, a Cedarlane egg white omelet for dinner, and a Chobani later on that night. Once I got home, I had my usual Cinnamon Raisin Bread with almond and peanut butter. Soooo good.

Sunday, I planned to get up early and run. My body wasn't having it, so I listened. With less than a month to go until the marathon, no way in hell I'm rebelling against my body. haha.

For breakfast, I had my usual Kashi 7-Grain Puffs with Kellogs Pure Protein, almond milk, banana, chia seeds, almonds, and Shakeology. Always so satisfying.

I worked from 10-7, and it wasn't too bad. The only bad thing was the Penguins game. BLAH. I'm not going to get into it, because the first period alone took almost an hour to play. Ridiculous. Basically, the Pens looked so out of character and barbaric...and it was embarrassing. I'm hoping they get their shit together for Game 4 on Wednesday, because it's "do or die" time! I believe in them :). I was in a bad mood the rest of the day, though. Whoops. haha.

I had a vanilla Chobani, and I brought a Greek salad, but we ended up ordering a mushroom pizza. I ate my pieces way too quickly, along with too many garlic knots, and I thought I was going to vomit. We were busy, so I wanted to hurry. I felt icky the rest of the day. Booooo.

After work, I went to Grandmother's, and I was in a terrible mood, so I went for a walk by myself through Oakmont. I felt better afterward. I ate a tofurkey sandwich and apple on the walk. I also had a little of her salad beforehand. Once I got back, I had a piece of her Texas Sheet Cake, because you can't NOT have her cake. haha. I also had a piece of garlic bread, because carbs are addictive. I came home and had a few Sarris chocolate eggs (ugh, stop eating sugar, Kelly), and my usual bread with nut butter. So much food. haha. Oh well.

I also wrote a Penguins' Game 3 recap for my friend's sports blog. It was a sort of catharsis, I guess--I felt better after writing it. Still pissed, but it's just a game. I just have a competitive streak in me, what can I say? haha.

Today, I planned to run instead, but I had a terrible night's sleep, and my glutes were still sore. Not pushing it! So, I had my non-run day breakfast of cereal and Shakeology.

At work, I ate a pineapple Chobani for a midmorning snack, a tofurkey sandwich for lunch, and an apple for my afternoon snack. After work, I went to the chiropractor, and then headed home.

For dinner, I had a HUGE Greek salad with some added kale, tomatoes, chickpeas, and fresh broccoli. I also added blackberries, which nicely complemented the feta. Yummmmmm.

I am now enjoying my bread with almond and peanut butter while watching "Game of Thrones." I'm re-watching the first season because I forget who some of the people are, and I'm super confused in Season 2. haha.

It's been a while since I've had two rest days in a row, but I think it was necessary--I probably shouldn't have gone to the gym the day after my 20-miler on Friday, but it is what it is. I'm planning to go to the gym tomorrow morning, so we'll see how that goes!

My workout schedule this week:

Sunday: rest

Monday: rest

Tuesday: gym for cardio + strength

Wednesday: AM run

Thursday: rest

Friday: long run (16 miles--last long run before the big day!)

Saturday: AM recovery run or AM gym session

The Boston Marathon was today. Kinda jealous of those running it, but I hope there weren't any major medical issues with the unusual heat wave!

Back to "Game of Thrones" ;).