Marathon Monday (on a Tuesday) - 4th Edition

I think this dog enjoys mocking me sometimes. I mean...I am supposed to be shaming him and he acts all bored and yawns. 

He's all like 'whatevs Mom. I'll vomit all over your favorite yoga pants and then proceed to rub it into the mattress because I do what I want.'

Well besides cleaning up puppy vomit, I spent the day doing chores because we have been little piggies lately and this place needs a deep cleaning. I was *almost* half way done and then that little guy set me back a few hours with his added mess (by the way...that mound of laundry in the background was what was on the bed that I washed today and was trying to put away).

Have I talked about vomit enough for you yet? Yeah? Good. Let's move on. 

I haven't done any sort of marathon training update in a bit, so I thought that I would fill you in on where I am at with my training, how it is going and whether or not I have pooped myself yet on a long run (hint: I haven't). 

Last week was an 'easy' week meaning that I had four runs total and they were 4, 7, 3.5 and 11 miles in length. Every few weeks is considered an 'easy' week on our plan. Basically the long run for that week is a few miles less than the previous weeks so your body can do a little bit of recovery. In other words, three weeks ago my long run was 13 miles, two weeks ago it was 15 miles, last week it was 11 miles and this upcoming week's long run is 16 miles.

This week is week 8 of the 17 week training plan. I have only missed one run (I think) that I didn't make up the next day so on that front, I am doing WAY better than the last marathon training plan. I think only running four days a week is perfect for me. Giving myself three non-running days a week really makes me happy and seems to push me to actually get out and run. Knowing that once I run I get the next off is a lovely and motivating thought. 

My running time is getting a bit better thanks to the cooler temperatures. I had a few long runs a month ago where I ended up at a 13:00 minute mile pace due to lots of walking and water drinking, but with my 8 mile and 11 mile long run last week where it was 70 degrees out when I ran, I averaged a 10:30 mile. I am curious to see how the 16 mile long run goes this week. I don't expect a 10:30 pace, but am shooting for an 11:30. 

On the weight loss front, I have been hovering between 149 and 150 lbs still. I've been around this for about three weeks now and haven't really noticed any changes in my body. I did get into a bad habit of eating way too much for about two weeks when I was PMSing, so this week I am working on fueling my body, but trying to not overeat. I have set a goal of trying to get to 145 pounds by September 26th (our 4 year wedding anniversary). Hopefully with eating better and this increased mileage, I can get through this weight loss plateau with a healthy 1 pound a week loss.

Also, something that I need to work on is drinking a lot more water. I did great for a few weeks and was consuming over 100 ounces a day, but with the poor eating habits came poor water consumption. I didn't drink enough water yesterday on my 11 mile run and got so insanely dehydrated afterwards. I had to work at one of the boutiques I sell at and actually ended up vomiting (a green smoothie no less!) while working because I had such a bad dehydration headache/nausea. Drink your water kids!!

And that's the last time I talk about vomit in this blog post. Promise!!

I am getting back on track though and am right around 70 ounces for the day. I have to chug some water soon to help me reach my daily quota!

Can I just interject and say that I am so happy that I work from home because when you drink so much water, I love just being able to walk 10 feet to pee. How do you office workers do it? Does everyone just think you have a bladder infection or something? I would be so self-conscious about it and imagine that I would always talk about how much water I drink to my co-workers so they didn't think I was ill or something. 

Back to running...

This week I am running 4 miles on Wednesday, 7 miles on Thursday, 4 miles on Friday, resting on Saturday with my long run of 16 miles being on Sunday. My long runs are usually on Saturday but I didn't do last week's long run until yesterday due to traveling so I am slowly moving my schedule around to get back to Saturday runs.

Along with that running schedule, I plan on adding strength training to my schedule twice this week on my 4 mile run days. I love the Jillian Michaels DVD, 'No More Trouble Zones' and will be doing that 45 minute DVD both days. I am hoping to get a little bit of muscle definition going and if I can handle the two times a week strength training sessions, I am going to add a third one in on one of my rest days. 

So .... that's about it! I was thinking about doing a blog post in a week or two about what I am eating during this training period as a vegan. Just in case you were interested in how the heck I get my calories.

By the way, sorry for the lack of photos in this post. I look pretty bad whenever I am done running, so those sorts of photographs don't happen often, but here is a random photo of me in running clothes with my husband and mother-in-law at the end of June. 

 Kind of related to the post right? 

Have a great night everyone!

~ With Love, Ashlee ~

I'm Hungry

So one of the things that happens when you run a race is that they have professional photographers all over the course taking your photo.

They have nice cameras which really show a lot of details. 

Too much details. 

We got an email from the race photographer on Monday evening with all the photos that we were in. There were a few dozen and we each went to our separate computer and looked at our individual photos.

Our photos were bad. Real bad. Mine were really really bad. So bad that I cried. 

We both came to the hard conclusion that we could stand to lose a few pounds. It really took the wind out of my sails. I mean 36 hours prior I had finished a marathon, but after seeing those photos, I got really bummed out. 

It also just so happened that Monday night when we received the race photos, we were in the middle of watching the documentary 'Forks Over Knives' on Netflix. 

In case you don't know, this movie highlights the importance of having a plant based diet (veganism) using scientific arguments on the health benefits that occur once you remove dairy and meat from your diet. I won't get into the details at all because I am not an expert but I definitely recommend that you watch the movie to learn more about it. 

It is powerful but not 'in your face.'

When I was in fourth grade I became a vegetarian and did so for about five years (minus the occasional bacon indulgence here and there. I had a weakness!). In tenth grade I started eating meat again. Once I hit college, I went vegetarian for about a year and then turned to veganism. I was a vegan for about a year, ate meat for a year, became vegan again for about two years, went vegetarian for two years, then ate meat for the last 1.5 years. 

To say that my relationship with animal products is off/on again is an understatement. 

After watching the movie 'Forks over Knives' with my husband though on Monday, we both came to the conclusion together that we needed to adopt more of a plant based diet. We need to get healthy, lose weight and get control of our future.

We are doing it together and I am excited about that.

We are slowly easing into this. We have some dairy in the house we need to eat still and some meat in the freezer we need to cook. We are planning on doing one meal a week with the meat until we use it all up and basically limit our dairy intake by a lot as we slowly get rid of our cheese/eggs/butter. I am most likely going to go full-on vegan once we use up all the dairy and meat, while my husband will be fairly plant based, but still enjoy the occasional burger :)

We will see how this goes and we are really excited about doing this together (probably me more than him though. He just got a new grill for his birthday two weeks ago and grilling vegetables on it isn't quite the same as grilling meat).

So expect some vegan recipes to come your way during the next few months. I actually did a guest post on Kate's blog last week, Scathingly Brillant, about one of my favorite vegan dishes to make (total coinecende). 

Check out Scathingly Brillant (here) to see how I make a yummy Pakistani Dahl.

All in all, I definitely want to eat some bacon right now.

Marathon - Done

Guys....

I did it. I finished a marathon. 

I got to be honest though, I am having some mixed feelings about the whole experience. I actually haven't blogged in a few days because I just didn't know what to say. I am honestly trying to process the whole thing and have been in a weird funk the past few days while trying to decipher my emotions. 

So here are just some ramblings on the training/race/aftermath (in no particular order)...

1) I really loved having my name printed out on my bib because everyone kept cheering 'Go Ashlee' and 'Keep Smiling Ashlee!' It was hard not to be pleased and be sweet to everyone because they made me feel so good by saying my name. 

2) I need to go purchase new running shoes asap. My feet were actually the first thing to give out on me. I walked more than I would have liked just because the bottoms of my feet became extremely bruised and sore.

3) I am so thankful that I didn't have any stomach issues before/during/after the race. I mean, if we are being honest here....one of the key aspects of long distance running is not trying to poop all over yourself. And hooray!!! I didn't poop on myself!! Hooray!!!

4) I accidentally got herded in the beginning of the race with the individuals who were the walkers of the half-marathon portion. I felt like a speed demon passing all these walkers and slow runners for the first six miles of the race though. There were so many people racing and I was literally the very last one of the runners at the beginning to start that it took me 15 minutes of walking from my pre-race starting point to even cross the starting line. 

5) If you are a race director, you really need to hand out peanut butter pretzels to people during the race. My spirit was so lifted for about ten minutes after eating my three little pretzels. 

6) For a bit I ran next to a man who was 80 years old and was competing in his 100th marathon. That man was incredibly inspiring. (and for the record, I beat him....not by much though). 

7) I wish that I had taken my training more serious before the race. I basically did the bare minimum and I know that I could have gotten a better time if I had put more miles into it during training. 

8) I feel happy and satisfied just knowing that I finished. I needed to walk for some miles and I wish that I could have done it faster, but I did it. I need to remember that and feel good knowing that. 

9) When I finished the race I was soooo happy. Happy to be done. Happy to have actually finished it and I swore to everyone who could hear me at the finish line that 'I shall never do this again. That sucked!' But I am gonna do it again. I already have my eyes set on a marathon in the fall. 

10) I was one of the last ones to finish. My husband finished the race before me and was waiting for me about 100 yards from the finish line. He broke through the race barriers and ran the last 100 yards with me. My lovely mother-in-law took this photo of the two of us approaching the finish line together. I honestly can't look at this photo without tearing up. It is one of my favorite photos ever of us. 

Thank you Diane (my mother-in-law) for visiting us this past weekend and meeting us at various points along the race to cheer us on and encourage us. Your presence was definitely appreciated!

 

High Five For Friday!

My last 'High Five for Friday' was wayyyyy back in May. Like eight months ago May!

Hello, my name is Ashlee and I have been a terrible blogger.

Despite my lack of sharing, I have to say...my life is pretty awesome at the moment. I don't want to jinx it, but I am feeling incredibly blessed and happy as of late. So besides my life being good in general, here are my five things that I am particularly excited about today!

one. 

I just ran 18 motherf*&$%ing miles. Yeah, 18 miles. 

I am feeling pretty darn proud of myself. This was a huge mental hurdle for me and I still can't imagine running what I did today and another 8 miles in a month (the Atlanta Marathon is March 17th)!

source

This is how I felt finishing my run today. Definitely didn't look that fabulous though. 

two. 

Got my birchbox today! And it was a good one too! I don't want to spoil all the fun for any of you still waiting to get yours (hey mom!), but this one was good. No ziploc bags or band-aids this month!

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I did want to show you this awesome nail polish that I got that I am going to try out next week. It's not a color I would normally choose (Wild Cactus), but it is so vibrant and pretty that I have I am willing to get out of my fingernail polish comfort zone and give it a whirl.

three. 

Tomorrow evening the husband and I are attending a fancy dinner and auction for his law school. He has been working hard to get donations for the auction since all the money raised will go to providing scholarships to law students who get an unpaid summer job working with non-profits and in the public sector.

I am excited about this because, I get to put on up in a fancy dress, lift my pinkie while I elegantly sip wine and eat free food.

four. 

The husband and I signed up today for swing dance lessons through our church. This is something that we have talked about for a while and I am so glad we finally were able to commit to it. 

five. 

I am about to go watch three hours of this show and drink wine.

 

source

If you like Kevin Spacey or political thrillers, watch this show. With us being political nerds, this show is right up our alley. 

I hope everyone else is having a fabulous Friday! 

~ With Love, Ashlee ~

Carbo Loading

As most athlete knows, carbo loading before a big race is a way to help your body obtain fuel to temporarily store and burn the next day during your strenous event. 

This past weekend, I went the way of many of great athletes and began to carbo load for my marathon in March. 

Don't say that I am not doing my due diligence with my training plan. 

Friday I was supposed to go to the gym and do my shoulders & abs weight training, plus a three mile run. Instead I went to a pub around 11pm and had a Shirley temple (don't call me Shirley) and some french fries. 

Saturday I was supposed to go on my long run of the week of seven miles and instead I sat in a pizza parlor/sports bar eating a pepperoni pizza and watching the UGA football game. 

Oh and I drank another Shirley temple.

Sunday I was supposed to make up for my mistakes on Friday and Saturday and go on my long run, but instead I went out and ate a cheeseburger (with the world's most delicious bacon. If any of my family members ever visit me in Atlanta, I will take you to numerous places that serve this amazing local bacon), had some more french fries and then we went out for frozen yogurt. 

BTW - if you can't already tell, my husband and I have a budget that we stick to each month with allocated spending in different categories. Like groceries or dining out. As soon as the 1st of the month rolled around and we could dine out at our favorite places again, we did. Now we have to wait until January to experience cheeseburgers and pizza and pub fries again :(

So yeah....my training and diet plan failed miserably Friday, Saturday & Sunday. But still, this morning when I weighed myself, I had lost a few pounds since last week. I really need to work on sticking with my diet better, especially as the holidays approach and I am tempted by treats from the greatest baker and cook ever (hi mom!)

So here is a breakdown of my training plan from last week.

Monday - Weight Trained Legs

Tuesday - Weight Trained Arms/Abs, plus a 3 mile run

Wednesday - Weight Trained Chest/Back, plus a 3 mile run (broke a sub 10 minute mile)

Thursday - Weight Trained Legs

Friday - Rest

Saturday - Rest

Sunday - Rest

So overall, my running plan was way off. I needed to run a total of 16 miles, but only did 6. 

Yesterday I did end up doing my long run of seven miles, so at least the mileage got done, but a few days late. 

One more note: I am so excited to say that my husband is going to be running the Atlanta marathon as well. I am really looking forward to sharing that experience with him.

103 days until the Atlanta Marathon! Here we come!

Only a 1 lb gain!

When it is Thanksgiving weekend and you love gorging as much as I do, I will take any victory. 

This morning when I hopped on the scale after binging all weekend on pie, butter, gravy, butter and high fructose corn syrup, I was delighted to find out that the scale was only showing a 1 lb gain. Hooray!

If I stick to my exercise plan again this week, I should be able to negate my gain and maybe....just maybe drop another lb. 

Maybe.

Today I did all the things that I am supposed to do to be healthy. 

* Woke up and drank some water.

* Had a cup of warm water with lemon. 

* Had oatmeal for breakfast instead of pie (eating pie for breakfast is a wonderful thing and only allowed during the holidays).

* I had some vegetables not covered in cream of mushroom soup or gravy. I even stuck to my allocated calories for the day (as of 8:00pm EST).

* Went to the gym with a million other people to burn off some stuffing calories.

This is a photo of me from Thanksgiving six years ago with the best damn pecan pie I have ever tasted.

Last week I did pretty good exercise wise (it's already been established that I ate a whole bunch of nonsense). I created a running and work-out plan that will hopefully get me to where I need to be to finish the Atlanta Marathon in March. 

For this week, I needed to weight lift five days and ran a total of 14 miles over four days (3/3/3/5 miles). I ended up running three days only because on Friday the day slipped away from me and it got too dark out before I realized I needed to run still.

What I did last week:

Monday - Legs

Tuesday - Arms/Abs plus a three mile run

Wednesday - Chest/Back plus a three mile run

Thursday - Legs

Friday - Shoulders/Abs

Saturday - Rest

Sunday - Five mile long run.

This week is pretty much the same, but with that missed day of running three miles thrown in as well as upping my long run to seven miles. Also, I am going to start counting calories again, so I can actually be sure to shed fat, not just gain muscle.

All in all, I am hoping to get enough of a deficit in my weight over the next few weeks so I can eat as much cake/cookies/frosting/butter as I want over the Christmas week.

111 days until the Atlanta Marathon! Here I come!

 

I may be crazy...

Earlier this month, I had the honor of watching my husband run the Savannah Rock N' Roll marathon. It was awe-inspiring, made me feel incredibly out of shape and lazy and I also got to cringe at some people's outfits (seriously...no one needs to wear a unitard, even if you do have a runner's body). 

My husband trained for this marathon since July. 

While attending law school. 

And being on law review. 

And mock trial. 

He was a bit busy the past few months, but he was so dedicated and worked so hard at being able to cross the finish line. There were quite a few times when he would get home from a full day of studying at 9pm, strap on his headlamp and go running for three hours. 

He is insane.

 

This is him before the race began. Doesn't he look happy?

This is around the 8 mile mark. 

Getting ready to cross the finish line...

And done. 

I can't even begin to describe how incredibly proud I am of him. Of his dedication, perseverance and willpower. I had several people ask me if I was going to run along with him and I told them that I only would if someone was chasing me. 

But...I have changed my mind. 

I think.

I am going to run a marathon. I am pretty sure. Like for real. I think. 

I am scared. 

 via

And then I hear quotes like that....and I think I am a giant wussy.

So I have decided to ....

via

And I hope that I will feel like this most of the time...

So Atlanta Marathon, March 17, 2013....here I come. 

I think.