Sleepy mornings

For the last two weeks, I’ve been struggling to get out of bed. I feel so tired when I wake up, I can’t really figure it out. I’m going to bed at a decent hour and should be getting plenty of sleep; anywhere from 6 to 8 hours depending on the night/morning. I do dream pretty wildly, so maybe my dreams are too active and I’m not getting enough quality sleep. I never really use to be a “snooze” button hitter, but I swear this morning I hit snooze every five minutes for a half hour. Yes, I realize I’m not getting any sleep if I’m hitting the snooze every five minutes, but I just don’t want to get out of bed! The worst part is that I know once I’m up and moving around I’m fine but it’s almost like I don’t want to do that. Bizarre! I’ve also become somewhat of a nap taker (when I can); just 20 minutes and I feel rejuvenated.

I finally got up this morning and ate a quick piece of toast with peanut butter and strawberry jam. I forced myself out the door to head to the gym. I’m glad I went because I felt ten times better once I got there. I worked my quads and abs. I know I was getting tired my last set of bench jumps because I actually missed the bench with my left foot/leg and ended up slamming my shin into the side of the bench. Ouch! Haven’t done that before, but it was bound to happen eventually, ha! I regrouped and finished it out. My goal was to step out 20 minutes on the Stairmaster, but only 1 of the 3 were working and that the "one" was being used. So I ended up doing 20 minutes on the Arc Trainer.

Dinner was very light and tasty this evening! I made a salad that included black beans, corn, couple of sliced olives, diced white onion, pieces of rotisserie chicken (got from Costco), sliced apple, feta cheese, topped with a dollop of hummus. D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S! I’ll be eating this salad or a variation of this salad for the next couple of days, plenty of leftovers! Next time I’m going to add a little more onions and some red pepper flakes. Several years ago, my friend Kimberly made a variation of this salad and I really enjoyed it. Not sure what made me think of it, but I’m glad I recreated it!

Argh, picture blurry! (new camera maybe?!)

I just realized today that I have a 5k in about 3-4 weeks. I haven’t been running all that regularly this summer. My goal is to run a faster time than my last 5k in May. I’m going to do some research on some 5k running plans that will help me to increase my pace.

Anybody have any suggestions on what I can do to run faster and survive; recommended training programs or plans that have worked for you?

2nd Bike Ride of the Summer

My friend, Ray, and I went on a bike ride Saturday morning. He has a bike rack, so he came down and picked me up. I have not invested in a bike rack yet, so if I want to ride anywhere other than around my neighborhood I have to wait for my lovely friends to offer to come get me. I got up and had a quick breakfast of toast with peanut butter and strawberry jelly and a side of cottage cheese. I also drank a mug of English Breakfast tea. When Ray arrived, I was all ready with my helmet and camelbak; I was excited to be using my camelbak for the first time!

We headed over to a new trail that has been paved over old railroad tracks. When the whole trail is finished it will be 13 miles one way. They still have to finish paving one small section and that is supposed to be done by this fall. We had a great ride! What I really like about this trail is that most of it is covered by trees. So even though it was hot, we had consistent shade and a constant breeze to keep us cool and refreshed. On our way down we ended up sprinting (riding our bikes as fast as we could) for 1 mile. WOW, that was a workout indeed; my legs were burning, my heart rate was up, and the sweat was pouring! We started at the beginning of the trail and rode until the trail was closed (the section that’s unfinished). We took a quick break and headed back. The ride back doesn’t look hard…but man oh man! It’s a slight incline all the way back. Our legs kept hoping and expecting for the incline to peak, the part where you feel the burn in your legs ease some once you realized you’ve hit the peak and are either on level ground or heading down hill. I kept wondering when it was going to end, lol! However, all whining aside, it was an excellent workout! I really enjoyed myself and it was a nice change for my body.

I believe I filled my camelbak all the way up, but I’m thinking that I might not have because I ended up drinking the whole thing up. It’s 70ml and should last you for about 3 hours. I finished it after the ride, which was good, but I was a bit surprised I drank all the water up. I definitely kept myself hydrated! I think we rode 14-15 miles total. I don’t know how long it took us because I once again forgot my stopwatch. I had a great ride and am looking forward to my next bike ride.

When we got back to my place, I made Ray the Cantaloupe-Banana Green Monster. He liked! It was a great refresher after our ride. When Ray left, I dug into my leftovers from the night before. I enjoyed half a chicken breast marinated in olive oil and a vinaigrette topped with fresh cherry tomatoes, arugula, and shaved parmesan cheese. I also had some leftover grilled mixed vegetables. Very tasty! I ate well during the day because Saturday night I went to a Crab Feast and enjoyed my first Blue Crabs of the season, along with a variety of yummy foods and of course some beer!

There will be no working out today for me. We will be celebrating my mom’s birthday this evening. I might try and do some stretching tonight. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

LARABAR

Yesterday, for the first time I tried a LARABAR. They are all natural fruit and nut bars. I tried the Chocolate Coconut Chew flavor. It had the consistency of a brownie. It’s not as sweet as I’m use too. But I must say that the flavor was light and I enjoyed the whole bar. To me they were filling and kept me satisfied for a good period of time. I ate it for my late afternoon snack, about 1-2 hours before my 5 mile fun. Not sure if there is any correlation, but I had a great run. A lot of times when I try a new energy bar I typically like the first two bites but after that I’m over it. Not this time! I’m actually excited that I like these bars. There are tons of flavors; slowly I’m going to try all the flavors and see which I like best.

I like how Lara, creator of LARABAR, describes her bars on the back of the wrappers:

“We at LARABAR believe that a healthy body, mind and spirit are derived from what you eat – and that food is healthiest and most satisfying in its simplest, most natural state. Made from 100% real food, LARABAR is energy in its purest form. A magical harmony of fruits, nuts and spices. LARABAR harvests the best natural ingredients to lift your vitality and sustain energy with every bite. Simple. Pure. Delicious. Enjoy the energy bar and start humming!”


Workout:
Warm-up: 10 minutes on Arc Trainer
Back and Biceps
Abs
20 minutes on Arc Trainer (Cardio, level 6)

My workout was pretty good today. I started out with my biceps and to warm-up I did two sets of chin-ups using my full body weight. I was able to do ten my first set and five my second set. Typically you should start with the larger muscle group and then move to the smaller muscle group. To change things up and to challenge my muscles I started out with biceps and then moved to back. My back is starting to feel a good sore, so I know it’s worked!

At some point today I noticed my right foot feeling sore. It actually feels as if I have a constant cramp in it. I’ve been stretching it off and on all day. I’m hoping that I can work it out. I might consider walking or biking tomorrow for my cardio. I’ll see how I feel in the morning.

Success!

For the past couple of days, I’ve been struggling with my second post. I had no problem writing it. My problem was with formatting. Oh, the stress I suffered with trying to get the text in my post to appear let alone formatted the way I wanted it. There was some yelling at the computer, whining, and thoughts of quitting (I don’t consider myself a quitter, but can’t deny I don’t think about it on occasion). Luckily, I was alone and nobody had to experience my temper tantrum. LOL!

I spent most of today watching my dear friend’s son play in his baseball tournament. He has become quite the baseball player! When I got home I showered and made myself tilapia and a spinach salad topped with broccoli and clover sprouts as well as this delicious salad:



Thank you Sweaty Hugs for the recommendation!

After dinner, I decided to take another stab at my second post….and what do you know, it was a success!! Phew. My brief and irrational feelings of desperation and despair and thoughts of quitting have vanished.

To celebrate, I treated myself to a glass of Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc and two pieces of peanut brittle (yes Misty, I swiped some this afternoon when nobody was home. I couldn’t resist and thank you!)

Once I get through this learning curve, I know posts (including more than just text) will become easier and way more enjoyable! Patience Brea!