Surviving the Dreadmill

Hi everyone! I hope you had a fabulous weekend and enjoyed the snow a little.

Due to the snow and overall cold weather, I have taken my training inside the past few weeks.  Typically I find running on the treadmill to be sooo boring. The scenery never changes, which make it feel like forever. Also, I find I run a lot slower when I am controlled by the treadmill, so it almost makes me feel like I am taking a step back when I can’t go at my usual speed. I am learning to embrace the treadmill and even starting to enjoy its company. Here are some of the things I do to make the time on the treadmill tick by faster.

Watch a TV show or movie.

When I know I’ll be on the treadmill for longer than 20 minutes I have started to watch what’s available On Demand. Recently, my series has been Rachael vs. Guy’s Celebrity Cook-off which is about 46 minutes long. Perfect for my 4-5 mile runs.

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I get my NSYNC fix on during the show with this guy.

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I’m pulling for him to win (I’m a week behind so don’t tell me if he’s been kicked off), but I digress… Once I start getting into even longer runs, I am going to start watching movies On Demand, since they last about an hour and a half. I like that these shows keep my interest because there are no commercials and I usually forget that I’m running.

Cover the mileage counter.

I always forget to bring a towel to the gym so I cover the mileage counter with my phone.  I drive myself crazy when I watch the mileage slowly tick away, so covering it puts that dreaded number out of your mind.

Listen to a podcast.

Listening to music isn’t usually enough for me. The music doesn’t distract me from what I’m doing. Listening to a podcast is more interactive because you actually have to listen to what is being said. I think this could also work well with a book on tape. I am going to try that next.

Don’t think of the distance in terms of a total amount.

This is the best trick I have. This can apply to inside or outside running.  Rather than dwelling on the fact that you have to run 4 miles, think that you have to run 2 miles twice or 1 mile four times. I like to have milestones in the run to make it seem shorter. At one mile, I’ll think “this is no big deal you’re already a fourth of the way through.” This type of internal motivational conversation is very helpful for me.

Do you have any helpful tips to make working out inside a more enjoyable experience?

So onto this week’s training. I completed week 4 of Hal Higdon’s 10k training plan, which means I’m half way done with my first (of two) training plans! I feel much more confident this week that I will be able to run 13 miles come May. Bring it on, Cox Providence Half Marathon!

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Monday- Sunday’s run was on the treadmill so I wasn’t that sore. Still, I rolled the leggies and did some great stretching. I also did the 100 workout while watching The Bachelor (go Kacie B!). It occurred to me that the perfect substitution for stretch and strength would be yoga. I don’t know why I didn’t do this before! Looks like this Monday I’ll be yogacizing. Here’s the 100 workout that I completed (I did 10 burpees at the end instead of 10 minutes of running.)

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Tuesday-I went into the city after work to take part in the Self Magazine Healthy Food Awards taste testing and was exhausted by the time I got home. I postponed the 3 miles until Wednesday.

Wednesday- We do yoga at work every Wednesday, so instead of 35 minutes of cross, I did an hour of yoga. I’d say that’s a pretty good substitution. I also ran my 3 miles from Tuesday on the treadmill as soon as I got home from work. Two-a-days baby.

Thursday-I busted out 2 miles on the treadmill with ease. I am beginning to love that running is becoming something I enjoy and not just a strenuous chore! I also did Courtney’s build your own bootcamp workout. Here’s what it looks like, except I only did it one time through.

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Friday-A glorious day of rest. It was marvelous to not worry about working out. I saw friends in the city after work and didn’t have to think about running. What a relief

Saturday-For my 50 minutes of cross, I rode the recumbent bike at the gym. I programed it to bring me through different resistances and levels and boy, was it a good workout! I was a tad worried that my legs would feel like bricks for my long run on Sunday, but alas, I was fine. I love my cross training days because I can read my Kindle or magazines while I am getting my sweat on. I tried to do this while running one day but I got pretty nauseous from the bobbing up and down. I wouldn’t recommend it!

Sunday-Nothing like long run Sundays! I am starting to enjoy building my Sundays around when I’m going to run. Today’s run had to be scheduled around the now AFC Champs Pats! I used all of my tricks for running inside and the miles flew by. I also challenged myself to complete the run with negative splits. I ran the first mile at 5.0 mph, the second at 5.2 mph, the third at 5.4 and the fourth at 5.6. Obviously, I was not doing this run for speed, but I’m glad I tried this type of workout. I think it accurately simulates how the race will go. Perfect practice make perfect.

I’m really pleased with how this week went and that I am really getting into the groove of this running thing The next few weeks will be a challenge because we have big events at work. It’s going to be a challenge to fit all of the training in, but I am going to try to make it happen!

Have a great week everyone!

Healthy Every Week Challenge: Breakfast Edition

I’m participating in a Food Network Healthy Eat’s challenge to commit to a different healthy habit for each week in January. The first week’s challenge was to eat breakfast every day. This was a really easy week for me because I don’t think I’ve ever not eaten breakfast. I wake up in the morning starving and sometimes I’m so hungry I feel like I could throw up. Needless to say, breakfast is a necessity for me. I figured I’d take this week’s challenge to post some of my favorite breakfasts. 

I wake up with an extra half hour each morning to prep and eat my breakfast. I need that extra time to ease into the day and feed my hunger beast. I think breakfast is a great way to start the day and it can set the tone for how you eat for the rest of the day.

A smattering of my favorite breakfasts:

Go Lean cereal with Chobani yogurt and chia seeds

Garden vegetable Egg Beaters omelet with red onions and cheddar cheese on Arnold Sandwich Thin (on a Santa plate of course)

Quick cooking oats with toasted walnuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, Crasins and a spoonful of peanut butter

As they say, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You need to break the fast from not eating all night to keep your metabolism revvin’. Here’s what Web MD says about eating breakfast:

According to research, skipping meals, especially breakfast, can actually make weight control more difficult. Breakfast skippers tend to eat more food than usual at the next meal or nibble on high-calorie snacks to stave off hunger. Several studies suggest that people tend to accumulate more body fat when they eat fewer, larger meals than when they eat the same number of calories in smaller, more frequent meals.

So ladies and gents, eat those Wheaties for a slimmer waist line.

Next week’s challenge is about eating whole grains. Since I usually only eat whole grains, I am going to try a new grain or a new preparation on an old favorite. If you want to get involved in the Healthy Every Week Challenge, check out their website here: http://blog.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/2011/12/18/join-us-for-a-healthy-january-challenge/ 

What is your favorite breakfast food? Are you more of a sweet or savory breakfast fan?

So you think you can brown bag?

Hey all! Hope you are having a fabulous day! Today is my last day of work for the week, we get tomorrow off for Labor Day, wahoo

Brown Bag Challenge

So I mentioned the Brown Bag Challenge in yesterday’s post, but I want to explain to you what exactly it is.  The Challenge is an initiative implemented by the Food Network (love!) to encourage people to bring their lunch everyday for the whole month of September.  I gladly accepted the challenge because it will save me a ton of money and force me to eat healthier, which are two of my favorite things!

Every Tuesday, Healthy Eats will post a list of all of the posts from bloggers who are participating in this challenge, so watch out for mine there every Tuesday!

When it comes to packing my lunch, I typically stick to egg salad.  It definitely gets repetitive and it’s not all that filling, so I am searching for lunch suggestions.  I don’t like eating hot food for lunch, so that limits me a bit.  Please submit your favorite lunches in the comment section so I can get some new ideas!

September Goals

I wanted to start another initiative every month.  I am going to outline goals, both personal and professional, at the beginning of each month and then check in at the end of the month to see if I completed them.  If this is something you’re interested in participating in, post your goals in the comments and we can recap together at the end of the month.

Blog goals:

• Switch URL to a customized domain name- I am still figuring out which URL I like best, but stay tuned for that happening soon!
• Create tabs at top of the homepage for easier navigation.
• Complete Brown Bag Challenge!
• Create a Facebook page for Pursuit of Healthiness.

Personal goals:

• Workout at least 3 times a week-I should crush this goal with no problem!
• Lose 5 pounds this month-I am still working off my senior 15, yikes (it wasn’t actually 15, it’s a figure of speech)!
• Fully finish moving into the apartment-We really need to hang all of the pictures and paintings (I’m looking at you, Brace).

I figured I’d start small with this month’s goals; I don’t want to run out by next month! I have plenty more blog goals but they will take patience and more time to achieve.

If you don’t hear from me this weekend, have a great Labor Day weekend! I will be with my three besties, Haley, Sarah, and Meredith, exploring Hoboken, NYC and the Shore! I can’t wait for them to get here Enjoy the sunshine!