August 23, 2013

Marathon Training Week 9 and Friday Favorites

If you missed my post yesterday about being happy NOW not tomorrow, check it out here. Life has been crazy, as I mentioned yesterday so here's a quick training update and some things I've been loving lately!

marathon-training-update

The Road to 26.2 -Marathon Training Week 9

Runs:
Short runs: My training group speedwork session was a longer session of mile repeats with 2 miles back to back in the middle at marathon pace. I was running a little faster than my marathon pace so I need to work on actually keeping a slower, steadier pace so I can get used to that feeling on race day, especially at the beginning. There was some running in a couple Crossfit WODs, and I went to my box's new endurance running group which was essentially some sprint work.  My legs were burning by the end but adding more speedwork could be a good thing for me!

Long Run- This week was 18 miles with the group out at the local reservoir. 18 miles on a Saturday morning, what?! We ran two 9 mile loops which actually was nice because I usually break up mileage in my mind to make the distances seem less daunting. . My feet were a little sore, and I felt really blah around mile 13.  I worked on proactively fueling and pushing myself through it. Luckily, the weather was still cooler and most of the run was shaded by trees. I talked a bunch to people which made the miles go by faster.  I fueled post workout and immediately took a long nap. 

What was awesome last week:  I ate a lot more carbohydrates and protein and more food in general (not snacking, actual thoughtful meals and snacks!) and felt great. My body is loving more fueling food which made a big difference in how I felt throughout this week of training. 

What I need to work on this week: This week I still need to work on getting enough sleep. Repeat of last week but the hardest thing for me to do so I'll try extra hard this week.  Also I need to drink a lot of water on Saturdays, post long run, to fight fatigue and getting crazy HANGRY (hungry+angry if you are unfamiliar with this term!)

Training wise, it was pretty solid, even though my legs definitely felt all the miles. 


Favorite snack: White Chocolate Raspberry Quest Bar
I know Quest bars and I go way back, but I JUST received an order of bars yesterday and finally got to try this new flavor.
quest-nutrition-package
I LOVE getting packages of goodies!
 It tastes amazing. I'm a dark chocolate lover so I wasn't sure how I'd feel about the white chocolate flavor. However, it's not overpowering and there is a ton of flavor from the raspberry part, which tastes like bits of raspberry jam in the bar. 

Favorite food: fresh meats from the farmer's market

My go to meat is boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but I decided to add some pork into the mix this week. I had a recipe for a corn, avocado, and tomato salad that included bacon so I decided to go get the real deal from the farmer's market and impulsively picked up some sage sausage.  The bacon and the salad was phenomenal.  Real deal bacon just tasted much better. Maybe I've just been eating too much turkey bacon, haha. Even better than the bacon was the sage sausage I had for dinner last night-it was phenomenal. Maybe it was just how the boyfriend cooked it up with coconut oil and more fresh sage and onions and greens but it was a phenomenal dinner. 



sage-sausage-bowl

I ate probably a little more than I should because now my tummy is very full before bed, but I couldn't stop going back for more bites. The sausage tasted so fresh and flavorful. 


Favorite accessory: Kate Spade teal bow earrings



kate-spade-earrings
I ordered these beauties when Kate Spade was having an awesome online sale,and they finally arrived this week. They are simple, cute, and one of my favorite colors.  I wish I could afford more Kate Spade goodies!


kate-spade-earrings2
awkward attempt to show them off

Favorite beauty product: 100% Tea tree oil 
tea-tree-oil-fave

I've been using pure tea tree oil  that I picked up at Walmart for a few months now to help keep my nose piercing clean and get rid of a keloid that had been forming (it's working!) after reading about its antibacterial and soothing properties online. I came across the use of tea tree oil for acne and finally tried it. I've been using it directly as a spot treatment by applying some tea tree oil on a cotton swab directly to a pimple and leaving it on overnight.  It reduces the redness and swelling overnight and clears it up my blemishes much faster than over products. I love all-natural alternatives that work well, and to boot, this little bottle cost me less than $10!
  I think if the straight tea tree oil too harsh for your skin, you could try mixing it into some aloe vera or your facial moisturizer!


Do you have any big weekend plans? 

I have to get ready for a class that starts on Monday after a semester off (EEK), run, bake some cookies, and hopefully do some final summery things. I haven't had a s'mores all summer so I might have to make one in my fireplace, just saying. 

7 comments:

  1. Oh my! I love those Kate Spade earrings! I just bought a new Kate Spade cover for my iphone! Love, love, love! Happy Friday! xo

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  2. Those earrings are so cute!! Glad to hear that the fueling is going well. It is amazing the difference better foods make in training and farmers markets are the perfect place to get some delicious eats! Great week of training, especially with the focus on pacing!

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    1. Yes, treating your body right makes it work that much better! Thanks, I'm looking forward to keep getting stronger!

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  3. Tea Tree Oil is magic! I'm glad you found it, your piercing is so cute! (It's my favorite one personally.)

    I hear you on the getting sleep thing too, it's not easy but some of those herbal remedy pills that you can get do help.

    Keep up the awesome miles! :)

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    1. Yes it is magic! I had wanted my nose pierced forever before I finally got it done! I'll try to get some sleep so I can keep up with those early morning runs!

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  4. I too am loving all the farmer's market meals, today we picked up beets and eggplant, although no idea what we're making!

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