Sunday, June 29, 2014

6/18

Monday - Body Pump

Tuesday - 3 mile run 

Wednesday - 5 mile run 

Thursday - 3 mile run 

Friday - rest

Saturday - 9 mile run 

Sunday - 5 mile run 

What a busy week it was all in part to moving into a new place. I technically didn't "rest" on Friday as I spent the majority of the day carrying boxes and furniture up stairs. I'm more than happy to be in my new living space but man, moving is just one of the worst. things. ever!!

On a completely different note, I hate feet. Always have, always will. If you put your foot in my face to  be funny I will punch you in your face to even things out. When it comes to my own feet, I have noticed that they have taken quite the beating due to running 5 days a week. What better way to make them pretty again (for a little while at least) then to treat myself to a pedicure. Nothing, that's what. 



P.S. How do you treat yourself? 


Friday, June 27, 2014

Three-Day Cleanse

When my friend asked me to do a 3-day cleanse with her, I figured I would give it a whirl. I’ve read testimonials from people that have done one, and their “added energy” and “absent sugar cravings” always made me question and wonder if they were getting paid to make these comments or if they were true. The only way for me to find out was to try one myself and I knew if I had Taylor suffering through it also, we could get through the 3 days without punching someone, surrendering in a tub of ice cream or fainting before noon. #buddysystem

So - much - chicken/turkey/tilapia  (Hi Santa!)

Meals for one day

Before I give you a breakdown of how the past 72 hours went, let me preface this by saying I’m not gullible. There are many people who do a cleanse to lose weight and I want to give those people an eye roll (let me remind you I grew up with three brothers so I've had it mastered since age 4). I am at a healthy weight for my body type so did not agree to do this to shed pounds. More than likely you will lose weight because hello you are drinking juice, cutting your calories exponentially, or eating low-carb foods. Keep in mind the second you go back to “regular” eating you will gain the weight lost right back. #reality

Here are the 6 meals that I ate everyday for 3 days. The only thing that changed each day were the steamed veggies. Throughout the cleanse I had broccoli, brussel sprouts, green beans, and yellow squash. 


Meal 1: 
1/2 C oatmeal
2 egg whites
1 tsp. coconut oil


Meal 2:
3/4 C chicken
1/2 C yam


Meal 3:
3/4 C tilapia
1 C steamed broccoli


Meal 4: 
3/4 C chicken
1 C steamed brussel sprouts
1 tsp. coconut oil


Meal 5: 
3/4 C tilapia
1 C steamed brussel sprouts
1 tsp. coconut oil


 Meal 6:
3/4 C turkey
1 C steamed green beans
1 tsp. coconut oil




What I liked:
  • never felt starved or deprived from food
  • overall felt "lighter" - lost 2.4 lbs
  • not as bloated
  • my stomach issues subsided 
  • meals were pre-made and pre-planned which helped me stay on track 
  • discovered I LOVE steamed yellow squash and yam with cinnamon sprinkled on top!
  • was eating food every 2-3 hours (I could never survive a juice cleanseI need grub!)


What I didn't like:
  • tired and exhausted (to the point of wanting to go to bed at 5pm) by day 2
  • not eating carbs made running with little to no energy very, very miserable
  • craved the slightest sugar - a strawberry, a grape, anything! 
  • low-blood sugar symptoms kicked in on day 2 and 3 so I snuck in a spoonful of peanut butter to prevent any fainting episodes 
  •  was drinking water 24/7 which meant I was in the bathroom quite often 
  • Coconut Oil - oh my! I had to plug my nose when "eating" it. Not for me! 
  • Temptations:
K enjoyed fro-yo while I enjoyed…water.

K wanted to walk through the candy store so I did…reminding myself that I don't even like chocolate.

When doing a cleanse, don't pick up a food magazine that has an entire 2-page spread on ice cream.




It wasn't as terrible as I thought but I'm not sure I would it again. Who knows, though, I always love a good challenge! To end on a humorous note, K made this to sum up how she felt having to deal with me through it all. 





P.S. Have you done a cleanse? If so, did you like/hate it? Comment below!





Sunday, June 22, 2014

5/18

Monday - Body Pump & Yoga

Tuesday - 3 mile run

Wednesday - 6 mile run

Thursday - 3 mile run

Friday - rest

Saturday - 6 mile run

Sunday - 12 mile run


Saturday, June 21, 2014

Love Does


While reading a book, have you ever wanted to be doing something else at the same time because the words evoke and stir something that make you want to jump into action yet you are torn because you don't want to stop reading? And sometimes, you don’t. You keep going and keep turning the pages only to hope the pages never run out. And sometimes, all the time, they do.

“I used to think being a believer was enough, but now I know Jesus wants us to participate, no matter what condition we’re in.”

Love Does by Bob Goff is that kind of book. Word after word, chapter after chapter, the more I read the more I learned and the more I wanted to do. I no longer wanted to be stationary and I looked forward to the next challenge that was set forth because I knew the outcome would sweep up the pieces I had broken along the way.

“I used to think I could shape the circumstances around me, but now I know Jesus uses circumstances to shape me."

I finished the book in two days. I opened it up while laying poolside and in the morning while K was brushing her teeth. Any opportunity I had to finish “one more chapter”, I did. I wish the book was 1,000+ pages longer because Bob Goff is simply an amazing storyteller and author and man. 

“I used to think I needed to record stories, but now I know I just need to engage them.”

There were many teaching points made and to sum them up in one word: do.

When you “do” more, you love more. You move more, you share more, you listen more, you talk more, you laugh more, you give more. The list is endless. Over the course of the two days, I put his teaching points into action and found myself living my life instead of watching it.

“I used to think the words spoken about us describe who we are, but now I know they shape who we are.”

An example of this happened last Wednesday morning as we were sitting in the driveway. I sat there, sipping my coffee and looking at who knows what every social media app on my phone, when K grabbed her hula hoop from the garage. She laughed as it kept dropping to the ground seconds after she started balancing and spinning it on her hips.

"I used to want to fix people, but now I just want to be with them."

Minutes later she asked me to join. I said no and being the persistent nine year old that she is, she asked again. It’s as though Bob was standing next to her with his arms crossed and a stern look on his face, hinting that I should do what she was inviting me to. I put my phone down and grabbed the sparkly pink plastic circle and gave it a whirl.

"I used to think God was good some of the time, but now I know He's good all the time."

I can't tell you how in those moments, my inner child came alive and then some. I belly laughed like the best of them and the smile on K's face was the cherry on top. I don't want to look back in my rearview mirror and see myself sitting on the driveway and I don't want K to remember me that way, either. 

LOVE doES. 

Monday, June 16, 2014

How Did the Camel Loose One Hump?

Before I tell you how yesterday was *thee worst run of my entire life, here is a look at week 4 workouts:

Monday - Bodypump

Tuesday - 6 mile run

Wednesday - 3 mile run

Thursday - 3 mile run

Friday - Pilates

Saturday - 6 mile run 

Sunday - 11 mile run 

When my dad was here a couple weeks ago, we made a trip to Runners Roost as I had been eyeing the Camelbak Arc Series Run Belt. My runner friends have raved about it so I figured if I was going to do this Marathon training thing the smart way, I might as well stay hydrated along the way!



I run in the morning (hello pretty sunrise errday!) so I never feel the need to use my belt since temps never pass 65 degrees when I'm out, but yesterday I decided to give it a try and form my own consensus. Which was that I….HATED IT. 

The entire first mile was spent adjusting the belt as I was huffing and puffing and swearing as to why the dang thing wasn't staying in place. Then, not only one but both water bottles flung out and landed smack in the center of a mud pile. Lovely. By mid-run the belt had found a comfortable place around my waist and no longer was riding up or falling down. Then the dreaded "my legs feel like a million pounds" feeling set in and to be quite honest, I got frustrated and the negative thoughts flowed in my head like a crashing river dam. 

When this happens I try everything to flip the switch and cheer myself on. I repeat quotes, I think about why I'm training and I've gotten pretty spectacular at counting by three's. Just like that I had reached mile 9 - hallelujah! -  and I reached for a swig of water. Slight problem…one of the water bottles was gone! Oy! 

In conclusion, I'm returning the belt. Not only because I have one missing "hump" from the Camelback, but I felt like I growing two small growths on either side of my body and I just wasn't comfortable.

Back to the drawing board of how I can stay hydrated - what do you recommend? 



Sunday, June 15, 2014

A Different Meaning

Father’s Day never meant anything more than a day set aside to tell my dad I loved him followed by handing over a Hallmark card saying the same thing. I never felt the tug of my heartstrings or the urge to never leave his side on “his” day and I despised those friends that did because it was a summer day and we had things to do, like swing at the park and have a lemonade stand.

He didn’t believe I was a girl until I was placed in my mom’s hands and the doctor announced that I, just like the ultrasound said, was in fact a girl. Can you blame him, though? I mean after three sons what are the chances that he would have a child dressed in pink with pigtails.

Like my brothers, I was in many activities throughout the years yet the presence of my dad was rarely there. Hockey games came before dance performances and after a while I was use to my mom being the only one staring back at me in the front row. He was a busy man juggling patients in the office, surgery in the OR, and being on-call one weekend a month. Us kids knew that when his pager went off, it meant that he would soon be making a phone call and turning on his car to head to the hospital. 

When the time came to send me off to college, I was like any other freshman who couldn’t wait to be on their journey to full independence. Those years were a time of transition and growth and for me and my dad's relationship, the growth meant that we only grew farther apart.

---

I will never forget saying goodbye to my parents after their first visit to Denver. As we pulled up to the airport and suitcases were taken out of the car, my dad spoke words to me that to this day still give me goose bumps.


"Care, I want you to know how proud I am of you and the life you have made for yourself in Denver. I love you, daughter."

For some of you, your dad may tell you things like this on the daily but for me, these words spoke volumes and I finally felt that tug on my heartstrings and the urge to never let go of our embrace because I didn't want him to leave my side.

Recently, my dad came to visit me and I had hands down the best weekend with him. Like, ever. We ran together, drank wine together, enjoyed a concert together; I shared my struggles and homesickness and he shared advice and comfort. We meshed that weekend in a way that has never happened and I am thankful that our relationship is now how I’ve always yearned it to be since way back when.





If it weren’t for you, dad, I wouldn’t shock people when I tell them I love mowing the lawn and pulling weeds. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t love getting dirt under my fingernails. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t know how to throw a spiral and have kids at church camp ask if I’m on the football team.

If it weren’t for you, dad, I wouldn’t know that love exists even when I don’t see it.

I love you Papa Stav <3



Monday, June 9, 2014

Fill Me Up


My Monday work schedule changed which left the afternoon wide open. I had already checked off most everything on my list of things to get done so what's a girl to do when it's sunny and 70? Jump in the car and have no clue the final destination of course!

Normally when I go to a new place in Colorado, I use my phone to assist with getting me there, but this time I legit just buckled up and started driving west, surely knowing I would hit some beauty as I was getting closer to the mountains.

First stop: Golden.


I drove through downtown until these flowers caught my eye...



You can't make this stuff up, folks. 


After twenty minutes of walking the trail along the river, I hopped back in the car (again having not a single clue where I was going) and behold stopping point #2...





Mountain selfie because I was by my-selfie!


I thought I was acclimated to the altitude until I was ten minutes into my hike and was out of breath. I decided to hit the road and find one more spot to stop at before heading home. Stop #3 was a hike that is on the way to Red Rocks Amphitheater that I've driven by a handful of times but never stopped to explore.






This place always strikes me with awe when I least expect it but very much need it. Oh Colorado, how I am so thankful for the things you fill me up with; happiness, blessings, and the reminders that I'm exactly where I should and want and need to be!

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Marathon Training Update

Week 3 looked a little something like this…

Monday - Lift, 4 mile walk

Tuesday - Step & Strength, 3 mile run

Wednesday - 5 mile run

Thursday - 3 mile run

Friday - 30 min. ab sequence

Saturday - 5 mile run

Sunday - 6.5 mile run

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Tuesday Tell All

Truth is…

I always leave a sip of coffee left in my cup.

Truth is…

I'm a woman who hates brownies. 

Truth is…

I go by "Care" more than "Carrie". 

Truth is…

my toe nail polish is chipping and I am actually stressed about it. 

Truth is…

there was a sub instructor for my class at the gym this morning and based on how sore I am already, it's a safe bet she is related to Jillian Michaels.

Truth is…

I wish I was joking when I say I'm playing fetch with a cat right now. 

Truth is…

I call my mom every day at 2:45pm.

Truth is…


my hair is in a braid and I feel like I'm 5 years old. 




Monday, June 2, 2014

Go-To Grub & Week 2 Workouts

Marathon Training Week 2

Monday - Bolder Boulder 10K Race

Tuesday - Step & Strength, 3 mile run

Wednesday - 5 mile run

Thursday - 3 mile run

Friday - rest

Saturday - 5 mile run

Sunday - 9 mile run, 3 mile walk

My dad came to visit this weekend so joined me on Saturday morning for a run around the park. The weather couldn't have been more perfect and although I beat him in time and mileage, it's clear that he beat me in sweat! 


While most of my runs are in the morning and breakfast follows soon after, there are days where I wait until the afternoon to run which means I need a snack after to refuel and hold me over until dinner. My current go-to grub is one serving of almonds, an apple, and a big cup of ice cold H2O. 





P.S. What is your go-to grub after a workout?