Archives for June 2016

June 30, 2016 By fitnessfatale 9 Comments

Race Registering and Planning

Just because Rock n’ Roll San Diego is behind me doesn’t mean that I’m done half marathon training. Up next on the schedule is the inaugural San Diego Craft Classic Half Marathon on July 17th. I’m really looking forward to this one as I’ve been an ambassador for the event for over six months (use discount code Fitnessfatale for $10 off – prices increase on July 1st!) and I’ve organized a Oiselle Team meet up for this race. Asia is running the race, I also have another good friend running and I know several San Diego bloggers will be out at the event. Hopefully it’ll be a 13.1 mile party that continues at the finish line with plentiful craft beer. I’ve never been one to partake in the post-race free beer partially because it’s not usually craft beer and also because I’m usually hungry and want to go eat a meal ASAP! At the Craft Classic there will not only be craft beer but also delicious gourmet food trucks to solve my hunger problem.

Training for Craft Classic hasn’t been quite as regimented as it was for RnR – Asia and I plan to get in a tempo run a week and at least four runs per week including a long run, but I am not putting a lot of pressuring on training. Race day will be exactly 16 weeks out from the New York Marathon and I want to be sure that I’m excited and motivated to start serious training after giving myself a week to recover after the race. I don’t want to burn out on running by forcing myself to stick to a training plan before then.

I also went on a registration tear lately signing up for races in my home city – Encinitas! First up is the Encinitas Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. Mike and I walked the 5k last year with Siena and decided to make the race an annual family tradition. This year we are going to run the 10k and push Siena in the stroller. Next is the Cardiff Kook race on Super Bowl Sunday. Although I didn’t have the best experience with the 4 mile “kook” distance this year year (no timing for that distance and I wasn’t aware of that), the race directors were incredibly nice when I reached out and refunded my money. Their customer service (plus the 40% off deal they were having) motivated me to sign up again for next years race, this time choosing the 10k (they eliminated the Kook distance). Mike also signed up!

Encinitas half marathon promo code discount code

And a new race that I’m possibly MOST excited about – the inaugural Encinitas Half Marathon!!! The course is basically a combination of all my coastal training routes but it’ll be really fun to run my town in a race setting. The course hits all the sights – Moonlight Beach, Swami’s Beach, the Encinitas Sign, and the Cardiff Kook. I think it may be the easiest I’ve ever signed up for a race since it takes place on March 26, 2017, but I couldn’t help myself – it just looks too fun. If you want to join me, sign up using discount code FITNESSFATALE for 10% off. Sign up now because prices are really low – only $79!

I’m a big planner and training plans are exciting to me! I am still deciding on my New York Marathon training plan and I think I might do Hal Higdon’s Advanced 1 Plan. I plan to drop one run so that I’m only running five days a week. Has anyone else done a Hal Higdon training plan for a full marathon? I used his beginner half marathon plan for my first half. One of the things that drew me to his full plan is that once the mileage gets high, the plan alternates between 20 mile runs and 12 mile long runs on the weekends. I like the idea of having every other Saturday to recover and spend less time away from my family! Plus as of now I don’t have a running buddy for long runs so this means fewer really long runs alone, which I know in the past has caused me to burn out a bit.

Which races do you have on your calendar that you are most excited about?

June 22, 2016 By fitnessfatale 13 Comments

Facing Fears

One of the reasons that I love running so much is that it forces me to face my fears. I set goals and I get at thrill out of pushing myself to achieve them. There’s something so human about the simple act of running. Your senses are alive during a good run – you can hear the blood pounding in your ears, you can feel the wind wiping away the sweat dripping down your face, and you see the world pass by at a pace you don’t normally travel at. Your own two feet can take you places you may never see otherwise, physically, mentally and spiritually.

When it comes to running, I think I’m pretty brave. I’ve set big goals. I’ve achieved a lot of them. I’ve failed at a lot of them. Failing is hard. It hurts, but that pain doesn’t last forever. The pain of collapsing just before the finish line at CIM hurt really, really bad. More mentally than physically. But, it’s in the past. I’ve moved on and accepted that as part of my story. I do a fairly decent job of not thinking about what others may say about me and my running – its my story and I know that the person who head over shoudlers cares most about whether I qualify for Boston or not is myself.

There are other areas of my life that I’m not so brave. One of those areas is putting myself out there as a Beachbody Coach. Sales is definitely not my “thing.” At one point, after I left my Big 4 accounting firm job after college, I thought I may want to pursue a job in sales. Soon after I started a job in recruiting – which is basically sales – and I found it extremely uncomfortable. I slowly got more used to the cold calling, but I knew it just wasn’t for me. I ended up quitting that job and traveling through Southeast Asia for four months. Now THAT was more my style!

The thing I did enjoy about recruiting was that I felt like I was helping people. Even though it was the absolute worst time EVER to be a recruiter (2008), the thing that kept me showing up at work was the notion that I could help people find a job, especially those who had been laid off due to the recession.

Helping people is what drove me to get back into Beachbody Coaching. But what comes hand in hand with helping people is selling products. And that’s something I’m really not fully comfortable with, even though I 100% believe in the products and currently use them and have been using them myself for years.

I fear that people will think I’m inauthentic. I fear that people will get annoyed with my social media posts (and honestly, I’m pretty sure there’s no way around this – someone will always be annoyed with anything anyone posts!). I fear that I’ll get rejected. I fear that people will not want to read my blog because they think I’m pushing products. I fear that people will wonder why the heck I’m doing it – do I really need money that bad? These are all thoughts I’ve had before, during and after I signed up as a coach again.

The truth is, I am doing it for a few reasons. I love helping people. If you’ve met me in person (or have been reading my blog for long enough!), I’m constantly encouraging others to get active and join me in activities that promote a healthy lifestyle. I started a wellness committee at my work and organized a company wide 5k. I had a 5k the day after my wedding and invited all my guests to participate (hungover). I am a little crazy! I love spreading the word about health and fitness and it makes me so happy to hear that something I’ve said or done has influenced someone to make a better choice. And yes, I am interested in making some extra money because I took 3 months of unpaid additional maternity leave and I’ve got a child to feed and put through college one day and day care now (potentially more expensive than college!). I also wonder if maybe Beachbody can give me more freedom and flexibility to spend more time with my family in the future.

So, instead of wondering if I’m the crazy fitness fanatic that people block on Facebook, I’m going to embrace it. I’m going to put myself out there even when I feel uncomfortable doing so. For every person who is turned off, I’ll be reaching that many or more people who will be inspired.

So here we go. I’m scared to hit publish. But I’m going to do it.

What are you scared of? What fears have you faced?

June 17, 2016 By fitnessfatale 8 Comments

Catching Up With a Virtual Coffee Date

This’ll be my first “virtual coffee date.” I’ve had a lot of thoughts tumbling around in my head and they aren’t exactly jiving into any one category. So instead, I’ll just sit down and chat with you just like we were grabbing coffee (by the way, I usually order a soy or almond milk latte or a mocha, what do you get?).

If we were to have coffee together, I’d tell you that…

This week has been emotional. Between the Orlando shooting and the child not much older than Siena who was taken away by a crocodile, my heart broke this week. The mom in me can’t help but put myself in the shoes of that poor mother and my heart breaks for her. The Orlando shooting was terrifying and has really had me reflecting on what our country is turning into. There is too much hate.

I miss Siena every single work day. She is changing and growing so quickly and I feel like I’m missing out on the little moments. I don’t get enough quality time with her and I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching to figure out how to change that.

I’ve had a lot of workout highs lately. I started another 21 Day Fix challenge group this week and I’m doing the original 21 Day Fix (in the past I’ve done Extreme) for the first time (and I’m so sore!). Becoming a Beachbody Coach again was a really great decision. I’ve joined an inspiring group of coaches this time and I’m learning a lot more about the business than last time. But that’s not what makes me happy – it’s helping people. I’ve loved hosting the challenge groups and seeing people make incredible, potentially life long changes in their habits which will make them healthier and happier in the long run.

With just five months to go until the New York Marathon, it’s time to start thinking about training plans. I did some research and got a little overwhelmed and then researched coaches and decided that wasn’t the route I want to go either. Ultimately, my goal for the race is to train well and enjoy the race. As of now I don’t plan to “race” it. I want to run strong, enjoy the day and not be totally ruined from an intense effort so that I can’t enjoy being a tourist in New York afterward. This is my happy, bucket list race. BQ and PR races are still in my future but for now, it’s just time to enjoy running for what it is.

Trump potentially becoming President really frightens me. I’m NOT one to talk politics on my blog, so I won’t go in too deep on this one, but seriously – it scares me that he’s even gotten this far and scares me even more to think of what he could do with control of our country.

I’m counting down the days until I don’t have to pump anymore! I literally am. I made an excel spreadsheet. 65 work days to go!

I’m obsessed with podcasts lately. They have turned my 20-30 minute daily commute into educational, inspiring and/or entertaining moments for myself. My go-tos are Running on Om (favorite), NPR politics, Team Beachbody, Rich Roll and Online Marketing Made Easy with Amy Porterfield. I tend to listen to the more educational ones on the way to work and more entertaining ones on the way home.

You, too, can have a baby this messy if you choose Baby Led Weaning

Siena is doing great with Baby Led Weaning (is anyone interested in a full post on this?) and is now eating three meals and a snack a day. We started sending food to day care about two weeks ago and it seems to be going well so far. It’s not a lot of extra work to send the food – I just prepare a little more for dinner and also make one big thing in advance (such as these oatmeal spinach pancakes or these frittata fingers).

What is new with you? What would you tell me if we went out for coffee? How’s training, how’s parenting, how’s life?

June 14, 2016 By fitnessfatale 16 Comments

Suja RnR San Diego Half Marathon Race Report

The 2016 Suja Rock n’ Roll San Diego Half Marathon was definitely a big race for me. Not only was it my first half marathon postpartum, but it’s also one of my favorite races (RnR SD was my first full marathon in 2011). This year I was not only a Rock n’ Blog ambassador for the third year (use Fitnessfatale for $15 off most 2016 Rock n’ Roll races!), but also a Suja Juice ambassador, so the race was extra special. It seems like the whole city comes out for this race and so many friends and teammates participate. It really feels like my “hometown race” even though it’s an absolute giant with about 33,000 runners.

Beautiful views!

Race weekend kicked off with the VIP welcome reception, which I received an invitation to through my partnership with Suja. Mike and I got a babysitter, got all dressed up and headed to Harbor Island for cocktails and dinner at the spectacular new restaurant, Coasterra. The view of the harbor and downtown was amazing and we had a really good time meeting new people and chatting with old friends. Of course we did some Meb stalking but never found the right opportunity to introduce ourselves and snap a photo.

Saturday morning Asia, Siena and I headed downtown to the expo which is always held at the convention center. Rock n’ Roll is known for their pretty awesome expos and we had a good time exploring and chatting with friends. We spent some time at the Suja booth, gaped at the Brooks mechanical shoe, and of course took our obligatory expo photos.

Mike and I ended up going to a friend’s BBQ that afternoon but left before they started grilling so we could go home and eat my typical pasta pre-race dinner and get ready for the next morning. Asia and I planned to leave Encinitas at 4:15 AM which meant a 3:30 wake-up call to get everything done and pump before we left, so I planned to be in bed before 9 p.m. Luckily I did achieve that goal, but I felt like I spent the entire day running around and didn’t really get a chance to relax.

Race morning went as smoothly as possible – Asia and I left just 5 minutes later than planned, didn’t hit any traffic and parked right near the start in our VIP parking. We arrived at the VIP tent just before 5 a.m. and had over an hour of waiting to do before the start. We chatted with the women at our table (two best friends who have been running together for years and a 21 year old girl who was doing her first full marathon), ate the second half of our breakfast (we both made peanut butter banana sandwiches) and used the restrooms. At 5:45 we met up with some other Oiselle runners for a group photo and to wish each other luck before the race.

Oiselle Teammates!

We started in Corral 5 and ended up crossing the start line about 3 minutes after the gun went off. It was really crowded at first and the pace was slower than expected, but I wasn’t worried about it since my plan was to start out slow and negative split. The race starts in Balboa park and then heads into Hillcrest, where the street is lined with spectators. This is always a fun part of the race because energy is high and the spectators are extra fresh and excited. There were a lot of high fives happening. My favorite sign during this section was “If Trump can run, so can you!” Well played.

As planned, Asia and I were chatting away as we ran, although pretty quickly we were commenting about how warm we felt thanks to the humidity, even though it was gloomy and not necessarily a hot morning. Despite a pace in the low 9 minute mile range, I didn’t feel great during the first few miles of the race. My legs didn’t feel fresh and my breathing was heavier than I would have liked. I ran past a girl who was wearing a backpack that said “High five for power” and I high fived her and said “I need your power already!.” This is similar to what happened to me last time I ran this race, and I ended up having a major second wind and PRing so I tried not to think about it too much. It’s normal for my legs to need a few miles to get with the party and a race isn’t any different. I didn’t do much of a warm-up the morning of the race and I hadn’t run at all since Thursday, so it was expected that my body needed some shaking out to do. Not to mention, the first few miles of the race are a net incline so my legs were also feeling it from the rolling hills.

Corral selfie

Asia and I both acknowledged to each other that we weren’t feeling great, but we agreed that we would stay positive. We made a plan to “dance” at every band that we passed, whether it was a fist pump or some other dancing motion and we stuck to it. A friend once told me to lift both my arms overhead and cheer in a race whenever I was feeling tired and I have used that principle in every race since. It is truly incredible how much control your mind has over how your body feels in a race – every time I ran past a band and cheered and danced I felt an instant boost. I forgot about my tired legs and just celebrated that I was running.

As planned, Asia and I both took our first Gu at mile 4. I started feeling better right around the same time – I’m not sure if it was related, but I suddenly got a boost. My plan was to pick up the pace at mile 5 and it was easy to do so as I had naturally been feeling better and moving quicker. I was really enjoying myself and having a great time and interacting with spectators the best I could. I kept chatting away to Asia and taking in the scenery and spectators. She started to respond less and I could tell she hasn’t gotten the boost that I did.

One of the most memorable parts of the race was the Wear Blue Mile. The first half or so of the mile was lined with photos of fallen soldiers and the second half was lined with members of the community holding American flags. It was a really incredible tribute and I got a bit emotional as I ran through it, thanking the people holding the flags for their service and for their participation in our race.

Around mile 6.5 or so, I laughed out loud and repeated a spectator sign outloud. Suddenly I realized that I wasn’t working as hard as I should be (according to my plan I was supposed to have picked it up to more of a tempo pace) and I started to pick up the pace. At this point Asia got stuck behind another runner and decided to just let me go so that she could slow down her pace. I was on my own from there on out. I was feeling really, really good. I started doing math trying to figure out how I could run sub 1:50 and realized I could do it if I ran around a 7:50-8 min/mile from there on out (kind of forgot about the whole you always run longer than the course thing too). I thought it could be possible given how great I was feeling at that point and the fact that the end of the course has a really nice downhill. Even if I didn’t go sub 1:50, I figured that at least having that goal would be a good way to stay motivated to work hard.

The course was more hilly than I remember and I kept waiting for the downhill portion to start. The excitement I had during mile 7 started fading a bit. I took another Gu at mile 8 and got a little boost but my pace was definitely slowing on the hills. I focused on dancing to the bands, high fiving and thanking spectators and smiling as much as possible.

For those who aren’t from San Diego, the course isn’t exactly what you might imagine. While San Diego has miles and miles of gorgeous coastline, it also has a lot of really interesting neighborhoods, many of which are included in the Rock n’ Roll half marathon. Since I live in North County, I don’t get to spend much time down in these neighborhoods so I enjoyed checking out the restaurants, coffee shops, bars and shops along the way. Another perk is that many of the residents of these communities come out to cheer – this is definitely the most well spectated half marathon in San Diego. Some of the offerings that the people in the community brought to the runners included tequila shots, donuts, Red Vines and beer. I didn’t partake in any of their offerings, but I’m sure many did!

I started not feeling as great around mile 9 and decided to start dedicating miles to people. This is a tip that Asia gave the girl sitting at our table before the race who asked for any marathon advice we had. She told her that when the miles got tough, it was useful to dedicate each one to someone. I decided to dedicate mile 9 to Siena as she starts her 9th month of life!

After I passed the 10 mile mark, I started feeling pretty good again (this mile was dedicated to Mike, particularly for his support for my running). I kept waiting for the epic downhill finish, but it came later than I thought. We passed through Balboa Park, taking a nice steep decline into the park followed by an unexpected incline before the final descent into downtown via Pershing Drive. After we got back on mostly flat ground, my legs started to feel heavy but I got a boost as I passed through the Suja tunnel which was completely overtaken by blasting music and flashing lights. Mile 11 was for Asia for being a great friend and running partner. As I entered downtown, I decided to dedicate Mile 12 to my past life. I lived in downtown San Diego the year after I graduated college and it was a tough year for me – I wasn’t happy and I wasn’t healthy. I have come so far since then in terms of my self-confidence, happiness and health. I am so incredibly thankful for what fitness and running has brought to my life – it changed my world.

Negative split city!

The final mile of the race was the best. I dedicated it to myself, as a mom, who takes time to do what I love. My legs, which had been getting pretty heavy, suddenly felt fresh. I picked up the pace and pushed it to the finish. The final half mile or so was lined with spectators and I raised my arms and cheered at them, which meant in turn that they cheered louder for me! I felt great – I had incredible runner’s high! As I was coming up on the finish I was smiling from ear to ear. I felt so alive and happy to be doing what I love. A girl came up behind me going fast and I decided to pick up the pace and try to keep pace with her and we both sped up, racing each other. We ended up finishing next to each other (and later looking at my watch I realized I ran a 6:30 average for that section!) and congratulated each other after we finished.

With Jen at the finish!

While I was waiting in the finisher chute for Asia to come through, I met Jen from Pretty Little Grub (and congratulated her on her first sub 2 hour half marathon!) who I had been hoping I’d get a chance to meet for the first time at the race. Once Asia came through we saw our friend Amy and then Asia and I headed over to the VIP tent for some Suja juice, breakfast and best of all, a massage!

Give me all the juice!

Meb getting interviewed at the table next to us!

While we waited for our massages, I had an important mission – find somewhere to pump! I brought my pump with me but had forgotten to borrow the battery pack from a friend. I had to find somewhere with a bit of privacy and a plug! Sadly there was no where in the VIP area that would work so I ended up going to the medical tent and asking for help – they directed me to a Kaiser Permanente medical trailer which happened to have a private room that I could use to pump in! It was pretty much amazing and I’m glad I asked. Our car was parked at the start line several miles away and I would have had to forgo all the post-race fun.

Gavin DeGraw!

The fun continued as we headed over to watch Gavin DeGraw perform at the after race concert with our friend Natalie. I was a big fan of Gavin DeGraw in college (which I can’t believe was nearly 10 years ago – eek!!!) so it was fun to see him live! After the show ended we walked to the Hard Rock Cafe which was about 1 mile away for the We Run Social after party for a Suja cocktail and conversation with some new friends. I wasn’t even exactly sure what We Run Social was until that day (here’s a good explanation in case you’re wondering too!) but was happy that we went to the meet-up and met some new people. On our way back to Encinitas we stopped at In n’ Out and I spent the afternoon with Mike and Siena. It was a pretty incredible weekend and I felt so lucky to be a part of the Suja, Rock n’ Blog and Oiselle teams.

Cheers to an amazing race weekend!

Have you ever done a Rock n’ Roll race? What was your favorite race weekend?

June 8, 2016 By fitnessfatale 2 Comments

Dear Siena – 8 Months

Dear Siena,

You continue to change before our eyes! This month we saw a big change in your mental development – you seem to understand what is going on around you much better, are communicating your needs and wants more clearly than ever and you are obviously forming memories. We can tell when you recognize familiar people and you absolutely light up when you see your dad or me after time apart.

Happy Girl

You continue to be extremely happy and smile at everything and everyone. As always, people are telling us all the time that you are so happy and smiley, including your teachers at school and strangers on the street. You continue to be very expressive and definitely let us know when you want something.

Pretty much right after you turned 7 months you began to babble. You started with ba-ba and then progressed to da-da (which made your dad very happy!) and now you’ve started making other sounds including MAMA!!! Clearly these aren’t your real first words since you don’t realize they mean anything, but I was still really happy when you finally said mama. Sometimes we get into babbling conversations and I see you staring at my lips and trying really, really hard to imitate me to make the sounds.

You got your first tooth this month! I thought teeth came in pairs but you got one tooth on the bottom first. You seemed to be fussy after it came in, rather than before. It didn’t affect your sleep that much either which is nice! As for sleep, your’e now consistently sleeping all the way through the night again, from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. For a while you were getting up around 5-5:30 and I’d nurse you before my workout, but lately you’ve been sleeping right through (don’t ask me what changed) so I have to get up and pump a little before I head out the door for my run.

As far as feeding, you eat a lot! Right now you nurse in the morning, get solids in the morning most days, then take 3 bottles at day care (4-6 oz each), get a bottle right when we get home, eat solids for dinner and then nurse again before bed. You are getting much better at feeding yourself and definitely have your favorite foods. You tried some new foods this month, including toast (usually with avocado or hummus), lentil curry, brown rice, cheese (which you love, who doesn’t!?), hamburger, and watermelon. Your favorites are still sweet potato, raspberries and broccoli and a new favorite is cheese. Your dad and I are both shocked that you don’t seem to really like banana, even though we keep trying to give it to you.

I bought you some new toys this month – a new set of squishy colorful blocks and a set of stacking rings which you love to knock over or pound together. You are still army crawling and have become extremely adventurous. At first you would only crawl on the carpet but now you’re not afraid to crawl all over the place. You favorite thing to crawl toward, to our dismay, is cords. We have to watch you closely! You’re also starting to pull yourself up onto our laps or over the side of a chair. You attempt to pull yourself up from a sitting position to standing but haven’t been able to do it quite yet.

You figured out how to move from a sitting position to crawling this month, which means we can’t stick you on your butt and leave you alone for a minute to play. Changing your diaper or changing your clothes has become a wrestling match. As soon as we put you on the changing table you immediately turn over and start grabbing the sides of the table or anything in your reach, including the framed artwork we had above the table (which we now have taken down). We start changing your clothes on the floor quite often and usually you start to crawl away while we are doing it.

We had a lot of fun this month! We celebrated my first Mother’s Day, first with a breakfast and show at your school on Friday and then with a family day in Poway and Temecula on Sunday. We hosted a barbecue and you got to see some of your baby friends who you haven’t seen in a while. You got to spend time with your Nana and Boo and Grandma Christy while your dad and I went on date nights.

With Grandma Christy

With Nana on Mother’s Day

One of your favorite outings is our daily trip to the mailbox. You know which mailbox is ours and you squeal and laugh with delight when I open and shut it or move the red flag up and down. You think it’s pretty much the coolest thing ever. You learned to clap this month and clap your hands excitedly when something makes you happy or you see someone else doing it. Your teacher said that you now sit in circle time at school and clap along to the songs.

Every month gets better and better. I love watching you grow and learn before my eyes. I love when your eyes light up and you smile or giggle when you see me. I love watching you become captivated by your dad as he sings and plays the ukulele for you before bed. I love when you intently watch something – I can see the wheels in your brain turning, trying to figure it out. You’re simply amazing and I am so glad that I’m your mom.

Love,

Your Mama

June 4, 2016 By fitnessfatale Leave a Comment

RnR San Diego Half Marathon Race Goals

Wow look at me – three blog posts in one week!

On Sunday I’ll be running the Rock n’ Roll San Diego Half Marathon. I love this race and I am really looking forward to running it. I can’t believe it’s been 14 months since I ran a half marathon and nearly 2 years since I raced one. My current PR was set at Rock n’ Roll San Diego two years ago (1:40:03 – so close to my goal of sub 1:39:59 or faster). While I don’t expect to PR on Sunday, I do expect to race smart and hard.

Post PR for both Mike and Me and at the 2014 San Diego Rock n’ Roll Half Marathon

When I PRed two years ago, I wore my Garmin but turned off the mile splits and changed the screen to only show time. I wanted to get out of my head and race by feel and it worked. This time I do plan to wear my Garmin the regular way, but given that my training has a been largely on trails, with a stroller or on a treadmill, I don’t have a serious indicator of how fast I can run on pavement in a race. So, the plan will be to run based on feel and hopefully end up with a negative split (the course is set up for this with a nice decline at the end which helps).

I call this method of pacing the “Stoplight” method. It’s basically a mix of a few things I’ve read and it seems way cooler when you give it a flashy title.

Miles 1-5: Green. I will be starting the race with Asia and I plan to talk to her for most of the first five miles. If I can’t talk easily, we’re going too fast.

Miles 6-10: Yellow. I should still be able to get words out, but the pace should now be more of a ‘comfortable hard’ pace, similar (but probably slightly slower) than a long tempo.

Miles 11-13.1: Red. Time to gradually pick up the pace and see what I have, especially at the end. I should not be able to talk.

The real goal for this race is to start out conservatively and finish strong. I don’t want to be in misery for those final miles. I want to feel good and feel like I paced myself right. Easier said than done right? I’m pretty sure this has been my goal for every race I’ve ran, but I usually end up starting too fast because I get caught up in the idea that maybe I can really sustain that faster pace for the entire race and still pick it up at the end. We all know how that story ends.

I’m off to the VIP Reception! Time to start an amazing weekend full of friends and running!

Happy Friday!

How do you try to pace your half marathons? Which pacing method has worked best for you in the past? Worst?

June 3, 2016 By fitnessfatale 10 Comments

21 Day Fix May Challenge Group Results

Feeling strong for Flex Friday last week

My May 21 Day Fix (and Extreme) Challenge Group wrapped up on Sunday and I was blown away with my group’s results. Throughout the three weeks, I was so inspired by this group’s motivation and dedication and absolutely cannot wait to host another group in June. Although I wasn’t able to fit in every 21 Day Fix Extreme workout since I’m trying to juggle doing the program alongside half marathon training and parenting an infant, I definitely got in more workouts and ate healthier over the course of the 21 days thanks to my challenge group. The group shared recipes, workout selfies, status updates (whether it be celebration an accomplishment or talking about how they were struggling) with each other and provided support for the other members of the group via likes and comments. I cannot thank my group enough for their participation – I’m pretty sure that every single person got better results out of the program by being part of our group.

21 Day Fix Challenge Group Results:

Before I get into my own 21 Day Fix Extreme results, I want to share some direct quotes from some of the people in my 21 Day Fix challenge group. The group was split about half and a half doing Extreme and Regular. Not everyone shared before and after photos and I’m not going to post any photos here for privacy reasons.

“Congrats everyone on the results! I lost 7.8 lbs and can see a difference in my body which is amazing! I plan to take a week off and ramp up with another 21 day fix! Most importantly I love my new eating habits!” – Stephanie

“The scale bounced around for me as well. I landed at a 5 lb weight loss. The reason for the bathing suit as my choice of attire in my photos is my ultimate goal is to get to a place where I feel comfortable wearing a bathing suit in public again for vacations we have later this summer. I haven’t worn one in public since my honeymoon 3 1/2 years ago! I want to be focused on fun with my kids and not worried about what I look like. I’ll definitely be joining another challenge! This is hopefully just the beginning!” – Erin (Her before and afters were amazing!!!)

“I loved doing this with you! I lost 2.5lbs. I feel lean and light. through the craziness of moving this entire week I managed to stay on target with my eating even though I missed three workouts. I look forward to doing this again!!” – Gina

“I am super proud of the muscle I have gained and the better runner I have become!! My next goal will to be to lean out 😁 and get in those pre-baby jeans comfortably soon!!” – Rachel (Another great set of before and afters – I saw a huge difference in her photos even though the scale only moved down 1 pound. It’s obvious she gained muscle and lost fat).

“I lost 5.1 lbs and 2.5 inches. My goal was to lose my December vacation bloat and get back on track with healthy eating. I’m starting the maintenance program today and happy to have the knowledge that this program works to help get back on track if needed.” – Wendy (Abs for miles in her after photos).

“I lost 5 pounds! 21 DFX exposed my great weakness: leg day skipping. It was super hard, but fun, to have to deal with all of those squats. It also made me realize that I want to add yoga back to my weekly routine.” – Sean

“My goal was to restart my habits, and I think I did pretty good with that. I lost about 2 pounds. I’d like to join the new challenge too.” – Sarah

“I lost 4.5 inches combined. I’m ok with that; my goals were only to stick workouts and eating. I surprised myself by really liking the program and would for sure consider the next group in June, Nicole. Thanks for hosting us this time!” -Heather

My 21 Day Fix Results

This was my second round of 21 Day Fix Extreme and I am now back to my pre-pregnancy weight range! I wish I had taken some good before photos but failed at that. I’ve been wearing my pre-pregnancy skinny jeans for a few months now but after this round I really felt like I not only got my old body back, I am stronger than I was before! I only lost 1 pound during the last three weeks but I lost another 1/2 inch off my waist and 1/2 inch off my hips. My running pace got faster, I can run up hills easier, I can do all the push-ups in Upper Fix on my toes, and I can hold a plank for over 3 minutes.

Source: http://autumncalabrese.com/contact-autumn

Autumn Calabrese Source

I listened to a great podcast from Team Beachbody this morning – it was an interview with 21 Day Fix creator Autumn Calabrese. Autumn explained that she created 21 Day Fix (regular) not to be a just a 21 day program. It’s meant to be a lifestyle. 21 Day Fix is 21 days because it takes 21 days to break a habit or build a new habit. The program is meant to be repeated and meant to be lived. You aren’t going to magically get the body you want in 21 days – but if you stay consistent and keep doing the workouts and keep up with your nutrition, you’re going to get AND keep the body you want, whether your goal is to look good in a bikini, stay injury free during marathon training, build some muscle so that you can bike or swim faster or just have enough energy that you can keep up with your kids.

Autumn’s words rang really true for me – even though I’m not following the program perfectly, I’m being consistent. My nutrition isn’t perfect but I make mini goals each week of the challenge and I try really hard to stick to them. This past challenge, I challenged myself to avoid dessert for the 21 days. I typically eat a sweet treat 1-2 times a day and over the course of 21 days I had sweets only 3 times. It’s not perfect, but it’s a HUGE improvement (a big thanks to Shakeology for this one because I used it every time the sweet craving was strong!).

I plan to try 21 Day Fix original for my next round and then I’ll incorporate workouts from both programs going forward as I get started with training for the New York Marathon. Strength training is so important in preventing injury and it is essential to have a strong foundation to maintain correct form in those final miles of the marathon. I am sure that 21 Day Fix is going to help me run a great race in November.

WHO IS WITH ME FOR JUNE!? Our group starts June 13th and you’ll need to get started by purchasing the program within the next week if you want to start on time. Bonus: The 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme Challenge Packs are on SALE in June!!! Email me at fitnessfataleblog@gmail.com or comment below if you want more information!

June 1, 2016 By fitnessfatale 4 Comments

Rock n’ Roll San Diego Training Recap – Weeks 9 & 10

Siena loves her Suja (or really, she loves anything that I have in my hands)

It’s race week already! I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. Our weekend was jam packed and really fun. I ran all three days and had three great runs. Finally, running is feeling good again. My legs have gotten so much stronger thanks to 21 Day Fix Extreme and the fact I’ve now been running consistently 4-5 days a week for 10 weeks. For a long time, running in the low/mid 9s still felt hard (not like tempo hard, but not easy) and I’ve finally gotten to the point where it’s a comfortable “easy” running pace. I’m not going to bother recapping my training for race week (the plan is 3 runs between 3-4 miles during the week and a short 1-2 mile shakeout run on Saturday), so this will be my final recap.

As you know, I’ve been working with Suja Juice during my training for Rock n’ Roll San Diego (they are the title sponsor). They have been sending me juice and are giving me VIP access at the race in exchange for talking about their products (click here for a buy one get one free coupon to try the juice yourself!). I’m totally open about my partnership with them and all brands that I’ve worked with. I don’t actually take many offers to work with brands, so when I do, it means that I either really enjoy the product already or am really curious to try it and share with others (plus, it has to be a product that fits my readership). In Suja’s case it was both – I’ve tried their juices a few times and liked them but wanted to try more! So, throughout this recap I’ll also talk about the way that Suja has fueled my training.

Week of May 16-22

A great week of training – this is the week when I felt like everything really clicked. I started to feel like my old self on runs again and I started really to fall back in love with running.

Monday – Upper Fix & 10 Min Hardcore Abs

Tuesday – Easy 5 miles with Allison.

Wednesday – 21 Day Fix Pilates in the morning and 1 hour of yoga at work. I’ve been LOVING these free yoga classes at work. The classes are a perfect mix of strength training and stretching and even though it’s kind of weird to be doing yoga in the middle of my office, I leave feeling so incredibly relaxed! Before yoga, I drank one of my favorite Suja juices – Uber Greens. It’s my favorite way to get in extra greens on days when I feel I’m lacking them.

Suja at work

Thursday – 50 minutes of Treadmill Intervals. This workout felt great. I actually really don’t mind doing speed work on the treadmill. The workout was ( I actually just made this up):

10 min warm-up
2 x 1 min @90% effort w/ 30 sec rest
2 x 2 min @ 90% effort w/ 30 sec rest
2 x 5 min @85% effort w/ 1 min rest
1 x 10 min @ 80% effort w/ 1 min rest
2 x 1 min all out effort (10 MPH is the highest my treadmill goes!) w/ 1 min rest
7 min cool down

Friday – Mike and I took the day off of work and put Siena in daycare so that we could spend a full day togehter, uninterrupted. We got coffee and then headed to Torrey Pines for a 1.5 hour hike. We had brunch and got massages and went to happy hour. It was wonderful!!! I thought about doing 21 Day Fix that morning but decided to sleep in and enjoy the day with Mike.

Saturday – 6 miles easy on the coast.

Probiotic waters are probably my favorite new find thanks to my partnership with Suja.

Sunday – 13.1 miles with my friend Brooke in Mission Bay. I love long runs in Mission Bay – it’s so flat and beautiful! I rarely get down there (it’s about a 25 minute drive) but when I do, I never regret the time in the car.

Mission Bay Long Run with Brooke.

After the run, I happily drank a Suja smoothie on the drive home that I brought in a cooler. The smoothies are perfect for post-workout because they have slightly higher sugar content. Right after a hard workout, your body needs that sugar to recover so it’s perfect. I rarely want solid food right after a hard workout too so this is a great way for me to get in calories during the ideal recovery window of 30 minute post exercise. Once I get home and shower, I’ll go get a bigger meal to recharge.

Weekly Totals:

29.5 miles run
1.5 hours hiking
2 hours strength training

Week of May 23-29

This week was awesome because I got in ALL five of my runs with friends! Seriously if training could be like this every week I’d be happy. I didn’t do as many 21 Day Fix workouts as planned, but as I’ve said this whole time – half marathon training and family comes first.

Monday – Upper Fix and 10 Min Hardcore Abs

Tuesday – 5 mile run with 2.5 mile tempo. My legs were still tired from the previous weekend’s long run but Asia and I got out and did this together. It was hard but I’m glad we did it!

Wednesday – Easy 5 miles with Allison.

Thursday – Hill Repeats with Asia. We did the same workout as before – 1 mile warm-up and 30 minutes of 50 second hill repeats + recovery and a cool-down to 5 miles total.

Friday – Lower Fix and 10 Min Hardcore Abs. I always forget how HARD and amazing Lower Fix is. I was dripped in sweat and felt SO strong afterward. I love this one!

Flex Friday after 21 Day Fix Lower Fix

Saturday – 5 easy miles on the coast with Allison. Despite sore legs from Lower Fix, I felt really good on this run!

Planking with Allison post run (for a 21 Day Fix challenge)

Sunday – 8.5 mile long run with Asia on the coast. Another great run with a great friend. In the afternoon Mike and I did 21 Day Fix Yoga (and he loved it!).

Last training run – yahoo!!!

Weekly Totals:

30 miles of running
Strength Training: 2 hours

That’s a wrap. I’m happy with my training. I feel good going into this race. I hope to write a post later this week with my race strategy – but in a nut shell, I have NO idea how fast I can run so I’m going to go by feel. It won’t be a PR but it may be faster than I originally thought. Either way, I am really looking forward to RACING again!

Do you drink Suja juice? Anyone else running Rock n’ Roll San Diego on Sunday!? Ever run a race where you have no idea how fast you can run it!?