Update #7 - 30 Day Challenge - Week 5

Jungle Run 2013 - Always Finish with a SMILE!

It was a painful 13.1 miles yet peaceful  That is how I can describe my first 1/2 Marathon of 2013.

The nagging ankle injuries I've sustained from years of soccer was the only barrier I faced on Sunday. Even though most of the race I felt pain, there was also peace in my run. When I reached the 10k mark I knew I still had another six miles to go so I decided not push to hard because at one point when I tried to run faster, as my heel hit the pavement the pain became to great.  Besides, this race wasn't about a PR on my time, but about finishing.  It was about meditating, prayer and feeling the presence of Christ. 

Two days later my ankle is still quite sore, swollen and warm to touch.  Plyometric type exercises have always put a an enormous amount of stress on my ankle and I knew that running on it, already feeling sore and tender could possibly result in what I'm dealing with these last few days.

The course was awesome.  I loved the variety of scenery.  From the city streets, to a park setting as we traveled on the path of Vasona Park, to a dirt roads on Los Gatos Creek Trail. To my surprise there were several small elevation climbs that went unnoticeable until it was time to begin running down them.  Overall, it was an awesome run, mostly because the time seemed to fly by.  I kept my focus on the beauty of my surroundings and my ability to keep moving through the pain.

With one week of insanity to go in this 30 Day Challenge, I'm excited to share that I have completed several goals over these last few weeks.

1. I've completed three weeks of insanity.  I opted to skip my Sunday workout because I had the half marathon run.  I also chose to skip Monday and Tuesday's workout to give my ankle additional rest and am hoping it will feel good enough to do a workout today.

2.  I completed a 3-Day Media Fast.  This gave me time to reflect and grow closer to Christ.

3.  I completed my 14-Day morning and evening readings with God.

4.   I continue to read my S.H.A.P.E. book and am finding how to narrow down my gifts so that I can better serve my creator and others!

5.  I saw small results in my FIT Test and measurement analysis. I will do another FIT Test on 7/29 with results and photo's posted.  I will also continue the insanity program for another 5 weeks after this challenge is finished.

6.  I FINISHED a half marathon as I ran 98% of the way. I stopped once to use the restroom and walked on one part of a tanbark path that I found to be unstable for my ankle. It was a great course with a few hills and gradual climbs along a very scenic path.

I hope that during the last few days of this 30-Day Challenge - Nutrition & Workout Plan you will do something out of your comfort zone or be inspired to start something new.  It doesn't have to be anything radical, just take a step forward!


In the end, through it all, I continue to find myself smiling and with that I have a sense of fulfillment with God by my side.  In Him and through Him, I can do anything under any circumstance, smile and find joy in it.  He was my running partner and he never left my side.  That is where my peace came from on Sunday's run....In Him!♥

Smile....Always! ♥

Update #5 - 30 Day Challenge - Week 3

Week 2 was a BUST. What I thought was fatigue from my weekend soccer tournament turned out to be a bug that kept me on the sidelines all week with a sight fever, stuffy sinuses and body aches.  Even though I felt better Friday, I decided to rest until my 10k race on Sunday.

The last time I laced up my running shoes to actually - RUN - was April 7th which was my last 10k (6.2 miles).  Sunday marked my second 10k of the year and to my surprise I didn't do so bad.  My official finish time was 1:02:19.  According to my Garmin I think the course was a bit short of 6.2 as it recorded a total distance of 5.92.  Regardless, this was an encouraging accomplishment for me as I ran non-stop for 62 minutes. Additionally, it was done pain free, cramp free and I found joy in every stride as I listened to my praise music, prayed and enjoyed my surroundings the entire way!

Running with my Loves at The SJ Sharks Fitness Faceoff 2013 ~ June 30, 2013

Listening to my body and allowing it to get the necessary rest it needed to recover and heal itself did me good.  The day after my race I had very little soreness.

During the past week I found myself frustrated.  I felt awful but also knew the commitment I had made not only to myself but others in this challenge. BUT - I didn't beat myself up.  I resigned to the fact that this week went as it should.  I found a very encouraging post on Facebook Saturday night from Fitness Coach,  Angela Zapien of Pink Ladies Boot Camp, who didn't meet her running goal for the month of June and she had such a positive attitde about it and that attitude helped me get out of the mental rut I put myself in.  After reading her post, I dusted myself off and started fresh!

As we enter week three of this challenge, week two will be a RE-DO for me.  I didn't workout Monday and started week two of insanity yesterday.  I will post results, measurements and pictures on next week's blog. Week two's nutrition and workout log has been updated with nutrition results and as workouts are not completed I write the word "NONE" in those fields.  I will be adding an additional week on the log and it will go through week five. If you are interested in seeing the log, it can be located on the below link:

30 Day CHALLENGE - Nutrition & Workout Log

Stay Encouraged.  Don't lose Focus. Don't lose Hope. Remain Positive.

We all encounter obstacles and usually those obstacles make us want to give up more than keep going. Love yourself by moving forward. Don't fall back into old behaviors and habits.  When that little voice says quit, find someone to help you stay on track!  For me, this Blog has been my accountability partner.  Change is difficult and I'm still struggling.  Nutrition is probably harder than the workouts and although my nutrition isn't as strict as it has been in the past, it has improved greatly from what I had been eating over the last 6 months.  It's difficult to wean your body off foods that can be addictive.

Remember, give yourself grace.  Any challenge will be difficult but don't be so hard on yourself that you want to quit.

GOALS ~ As I begin week week three I've made a couple of goals. (1) To PR my 2013 race results on my next 10k race, which will be at the end of this month.  I'll be participating in my first Wharf to Wharf race on July 28th.  Time to Beat - 00:59:59.077.  This means in addition to my Insanity schedule, I need log in some running miles. (2) For the next two weeks (part of a commitment in my bible study), I will wake up 20 minutes earlier each day to spend one on one time with God. 

As I continue to transform my mind, I get a much different feeling of joy in my workouts.  Before my workouts were about ME which led to very prideful behavior. Today I'm studying on how to remove those prideful behaviors and feelings since it consumed me more than I wanted to admit. I look forward to the next week as God continues to work in my life and as I find a new purpose, joy and peace in sharing this journey with others.

Keep your eyes forward and don't look back at the past.  Let go of the old life and embrace the new you. 

Set Goals. Make Plans. JUST DO IT!

Update #4 - 30 Day Challenge - Week 2

Seven Days COMPLETE!

It's been a rough seven days. My first workout and diet change began on Monday, even though my public post challenge began Wednesday. I've completed the first week of Insanity and Monday began week two. 

My body was ridiculously sore four days after starting my first workout!  I had initially planned to do AM workouts in addition to my PM workouts but, the little voice from my trainer echoed in my head, "Listen to your body", so I made the decision to allow my body to recover and repair by resting and getting the sleep I needed. The biggest struggle I've encountered as week one has ended have been the cravings for sweets (Frozen Yogurt with those yummy toppings) and the other foods I've allowed myself to indulge in over the last several months (bread, chips, french fries, burgers loaded with cheese, pancakes - you get the picture).

In addition to my Insanity workouts this past week, I've also logged in soccer time as I participated in a co-ed soccer tournament in Santa Cruz over the weekend. Soccer has always been my first love when it comes to sports, followed by Triathlons. Between 2011 and 2012 I've completed several different triathlon distance races (Half Iron, Olympic, Sprint). In 2012 I completed my first full distance Ironman triathlon with Team in Training.  You can read about that adventure on my "I am IronTy" blog. 

As week two begins you may find it easier planning/adjusting your meals and workouts if necessary.  If you need an extra rest day or two, TAKE IT! This was necessary for me as I took Monday and Tuesday off, especially after seven straight days of workouts. As the weeks progress you will know what does and does not work. Additionally, you will learn to know when your body needs rest. One day this past week I came home from work and slept for two hours before I did my workout. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!

Two adjustments I will make this week is (1) drink more water and (2) after workouts, have a protein shake.  Water helps your muscles recover and grow. Engaging muscles that have not been used in quite some time, lack of water and a the intake of a proper recovery drink after each workout I'm sure contributed to my extra soreness.

An additional hicup I encoutered this week was a similar feeling I encountered during my Ironman training. During Ironman training weekends workouts were extremely steneous and when Monday's rolled around I found myself insanely hungry which can lead to poor eating choices, overindulging with junk food or eating whatever you want because you think you deserve it. After all you worked your buns off, right? Wrong! That mentality is a sure way to defeat all your hard work.

This last weekend I played three soccer games on Saturday and one Sunday morning and then did an insanity workout Sunday evening.  So as Monday came around it seemed like no matter how much I ate, I was still hungry.  The obstacle I faced was just wanting to eat whatever I saw in front of me.  I consumed 400 more calories over my daily goal.  Because I've stayed below my goal all week I allowed myself to eat, not junk food, although I did treat myself to a couple caramel wafers. You have to be smart in your decisions and get right back on track if you slip up or allow yourself a cheat. Be kind to yourself and give yourself a little grace. 

As I continue this challenge I've also began reading, S.H.A.P.E. ~ Finding and fulfilling your unique purpose for life.  Working out my body and eating healthy will do me no good if I do not also workout my mind and heart, filling it with God's presence. Below are a couple passages from the book that stuck in my head ~

When we let trends guide our life, we simply are living to fit into the current styles of the world. When we let others tell us what we should be doing, we are living to please them and win their approval.  However, when we let God's truth define our Kingdom Purpose, submitting to his authority and desiring to please only him, we are able to lead a life of lasting significance, fulfillment and Kingdom impact.

You were not created to conform. You were not created to compare. You were not created to compete. You were not created to compromise. You were created to contribute to God's kingdom and make a significance difference with your life. You were created to JUST BE YOU!

Accepting who we are can be difficult, but if we can accept who we are in Christ it becomes easier.  He formed us to be exactly how we are, with the silly quirks and with the little imperfections we see in ourselves.  Through this challenge I only hope to inspire people to seek something outside of themselves and draw the strength of Christ toward them to give them the desire and will to become the SHAPE He intended you to be!

As we embark on week two, I  encourage you to do what is comfortable, but also challenge yourself to get out of your comfort zone.  Don't push to the point of injury, but push yourself to feel a little pain.

Next week I will have an update of my progress which will include measurements and photos.  Monday will mark day 15 of Insanity and I will do the Fit Test again, comparing results.

You can view my 30 Day CHALLENGE - Nutrition & Workout Plan by clicking the link. 

As week one is completed, I'm excited to report that I logged 459 minutes of workout time and found mental and physical strength in the body God has blessed me with.  As I sweat, feel pain, breath hard I thank Him for my life and giving me another day to glorify Him! Onward Week Two! 

And if you haven't started ...... Start Today!  A week behind is better than another week not started!