Decluttering Fun

Day 5 of the De-Clutter was Medicine Cabinets. To make this more effective, I also cleaned the bathrooms and under the bathroom sink. We started with the kids bathroom and got rid of quite a few things (some in to that "if I ever have a yardsale again pile) and some in the trash. So after we cleaned the bathroom, we did a small project.

Declan and Abigail each picked out stickers and we applied them to small mason jars. In each jar goes their tooth brush, a tube of travel tooth paste (seems like we have a never ending supply of kids' travel tooth paste) and floss in Abi's and the timer in Declan's. Easy peasy lemon squeezy, Abigail would say.

Cleaning out my medicine cabinets and under-the-sink storage was not as much fun, but I did reward myself with a project as well. After a few trips to Hobby Lobby, I finally decorated the big empty space over our bed.

All in all, a good rainy day in the Alwine house!

The first day is always the easiest

Isn't that the truth?! Well, I prepped yesterday and this morning to make the first few days easier on me. I'm working full-time this week and that means quick dinners and pre-packaged lunches are necessary. I am following Our Paleo Life's Whole 30 Meal Plan for Week 1.

The only thing I am not sacrificing is my coffee. Call me names all you want, but I can do Whole 30 while having one cup two cups of coffee with creamer. And I will.

So I had breakfast mid-morning with Abigail. She had grapes with her eggs instead of avocados. I had a good chicken salad for lunch (I was too hungry to take a picture). It had grapes, apples, bacon, and veggies.
I had some sweet potato fries for snack this afternoon.


Dinner was amazing! I had prepped the veggies for the Minestrone Soup the day before and they cooked in the crock pot for about 6 hours before I added the sausage. Which then cooked for another two hours. It smelled so good! Declan had two bowls. Steven and I packed some up for lunch tomorrow as well. Day one of the Whole 30 went well.

Coincidentally, today was de-clutter your fridge day. Luckily I had started his project Saturday when I first went food shopping, because I wouldn't have been able to fit all the produce and meat in my fridge for this week. So, I checked the freezer for things that should be tossed and called it a good day.

I hope tomorrow is just as easy. 

September Reset

I do not think its coincidental that Day 1 of my de-clutter challenge starts with my fridge. It aligns perfectly with my Whole 30 plans for September.

I tried Whole 30 in July of 2013 and I was incredibly successful for 10 days. I felt great, I wasn't hungry, I wasn't snacking, I felt strong and I lost some weight. So, I can only imagine how good 30 days will feel. My lovely husband has agreed to do this with me.

Whole 30 is clean eating at its most basic. No dairy, legumes, sugar, grains, etc. Lots of veggies, fruits, meat. Sort of like Paleo, but the Whole 30 is designed to be a temporary reset, its not meant to be maintainable. The premise behind 30 days is to eliminate all the potentially harmful things from your diet and then slowly add things back in to see how your body handles those groups of food.

So, I found a meal plan online specifically for Whole 30. It is even includes a shopping list. So, off I go to the store. With time to prepare and chop vegetables all weekend, I should be good to go. I'm looking forward to some of the meals.

September DeClutter Challenge

I've never been a clean freak. I've never cared too much for cleaning. A lived in house is a happy house. My house isn't dirty, it just isn't clean. Know what I mean?

Anyway, clutter drives me insane. We've been in this house for almost two years now, and I am feeling the need to pare down and de-clutter. So I found a 30 day de-clutter schedule. I figure 15-30 minutes a day on each of these days will be easy enough to do. And by the end of the month, I'll have less clutter. I hope.

Here is the printable I'm using, if you want to follow along.

I'm starting on September 1, with my fridge. Stay tuned for some updates as I clear out the stuff in my house.

Catching Up

I'm embarrassed I haven't blogged/posted since March. I've been busy, I promise! Not busy enough with running and lifting, but busy.

Since the end of March I've logged 115 miles of running. (That doesn't look too bad, actually.) And some of them at very, very early hours of the morning.

I'm working on hitting 100 miles from June 1 to Sept 1 and I have 5 races scheduled for the fall. I haven't been lifting much at all, as I'm still nursing a hurt shoulder, but I plan to get back into that as well. I am using September as a big reset month for me, which I will tell you about once I figure it all out.

Until then.... I'll just Run. Lift. Rest. and Repeat.

Smolov - Part 1

I declared in February that I wanted to hit 750# for my total of squat, bench press, and deadlift. I started the Smolov Squat program in March to work towards that big number in squats. I completed the first cycle today.

Original 1RM: 185#
Today's 1RM: 205#

Monday I start the second cycle, which is 5 weeks long. I'll squat three times a week, approximately 30 reps each day with an odd formula of weight and reps. But so far, this has worked. I'm excited to see what happens after 5 more weeks!

Race Report: Sentinel Pursuit 8k

I'm in the light purple, in the front of this pack.

I have been in a running rut since the Spartan Race, but I had already signed up for this race, so off I went this morning. The 8k distance is equivalent to
4.97 miles. I ran this race last year and knew the route and was not worried about finishing, but I wanted to go faster than last year. And .... I did!

I started off with a 10:53 first mile and then sailed through the second mile without any walk breaks. (This is HUGE!) I set a personal best on my 5k throughout this race, hitting 35 minutes even. I finished the race in 57:31, over 3 minutes faster than last year. I was very, very pleased.

I really think this was the push I needed to get back in the game. I'm not going to hit 50 miles in February, but I will be trying again in March.

Spartan Sprint

On February 8th, my friends and I set off on our Spartan Sprint Adventure. Wow. Just wow. Really, there is no good way to describe this race. It was fun at times, miserable at times, challenging one minute and discouraging the next. My shoulder held up well, but after the first set of burpees, my shoulder was toast. (30 burpees was the punishment for any missed obstacle.) Luckily, they let me do air squats instead after that first round. This race was just under 5 miles and most of it was climbing up and down a mountain. The obstacles were (to the best of my memory):

• over and then under waist-high walls
• over, under, through taller walls
• over a much taller wall
• over a tilted wall (tilted toward you, of course)
• rope climb - I did burpees
• monkey bars
• pick up a huge cement ball and walk, then 5 burpees, then walk the ball back
• 20# sand bag carry
• low crawl under barbed wire, through mud
• up and over mud hlls with water pits in between
• up and over a cargo net wall
• spear through
• pull a rope up and and down that is weighted with a sandbag
• over another tall wall
• rope climb up and over a wall
• drag a cement block up and over a hill
• jump over fire
• more barbed wire into muddy water
• under a wall that was submerged in water (no way!)
• and finally make it past gladitors with pugil sticks to get my medal.

I'm sure I forgot an obstacle or two, but you get the gist. Luckily, my super athletic and strong husband was with me every step of the way. Sometimes pushing me over a wall, or helping me do the monkey bars, waiting patiently while I finished burpees, etc. I think at times he may have been impressed, but overall he was very patient. I'm glad he was with me, otherwise I may not have finished. But finish we did. 

And then we immediately did the 1/2 mile kids race with our munchkins. Declan and Abigail completed all of their obstacles, and most of them on their own. Over the 1/2 mile, they climbed over a few walls, up and over muddy hills into water pits, climbed under wires, through a tunnel, and over more walls. Abigail was dead last (as the youngest and smallest) and probably the dirtiest, but she wore her mud and her medal proudly. As walked back to our stuff, people we passed were constantly giving them high fives. They were very proud of their accomplishment and I was very, very proud of them.

More pictures will come soon. This was a fun experience, but not one I'm sure I'll repeat. The bumps, bruises, cuts, etc from that race course may be all I need for the rest of my life. 

Declare It Day

February 1st was Declare It Day. A few of my friends participated in this and late last night, I joined in.

So, now my work is cut out for me. I have amazing support on this journey, and just minutes after posting my husband rushed into the living room to say, "You can easily do this!"

My current weight lifting total is 575#.
Deadlift - 255#
Squat - 215#
Bench Press - 105# (this is by far my weakest and has not been attempted in over 4 months due to my shoulder)

I know this is doable, and I've given myself 10 months to get there. I'm (re)starting the Smolov Squat Program this week which is designed to increase my 1 Rep Max in 9 weeks. I hope by that point I'm ready to start using my shoulder again and can ease back into the bench press.

Its not too late to Declare It. Join the group on Facebook.

January Running Recap

I did it! 50 miles in January! Well on my way towards 600 miles this year.

Here's how I did it:

Jan 1 - 3.5 miles
Jan 4 - 8.2 miles
Jan 10 - 2.5 miles
Jan 12 - 7.5 miles
Jan 13 - 1 mile
Jan 18 - 6.2 miles
Jan 22 - 1.5 miles
Jan 24 - 2.5 miles
Jan 25 - 3 miles
Jan 26 - 6.5 miles
Jan 27 - 3.1 miles
Jan 28 - 2.5 miles
Jan 31 - 2 miles

January 2014 - 50 miles

15 miles in 4 days...

No, I'm not crazy, I just had a busy running weekend! I started off Friday morning at 30 miles for the month. My goal, of course is 50 miles for this month and every month this year. I had to get moving!

Friday - 2.5 miles on the treadmill and stationary bicycle at the gym
Saturday - 3 miles walking with my girlfriends on the track
Sunday - 6.5 miles of horribleness around post
Monday - 3.1 miles of interval work at the track.

Brings my month total to 45 miles with 4 days left!

Random: A Saturday Morning with my kids

This morning, my husband had to work. He was up and out the door before the sun rose. I knew, way in advance, that I would not get much accomplished but accepted it. My plan? Wear them out! (So when he came home and I went out the door for book club, they would sleep well.)

Death by burpees as a family one Saturday afternoon.

At 9am, we loaded up soccer balls, a football and our snacks/water and headed off to the track. I was desperately hoping they'd play long enough for my friends and I to get 3 miles of walking in. During this time of walking, the kids played soccer, Abigail held the football for Declan to kick, Declan ran laps and did push-ups and Abigail laid down and almost fell asleep by the goal post.

What better way to spend a Saturday morning? My children had the opportunity to exercise, cleverly disguised as playing, and I was able to as well. Bonus: I was setting an example that working out is a priority. And that whatever our schedule was, we'd find time for it. A lesson I really hope sticks with them.

Sunday morning I'll take off on a long run, and without a doubt, when I come through the door hours later, Abigail will ask how many hundred miles I ran and Declan will want to know if I won. But either way, they know that I took the time to get up, get dressed, and run. And maybe, hopefully someday soon, they will choose exercise as well.

Juicing

I was able to prepare 9 juice recipes this weekend with our juicing pack and Bountiful Baskets order. I made some I knew I'd like and some new ones. This morning, after my "recovery run." I whipped up two recipes. One for now and one for later. Yum!

Kale & Grapefruit
a handful of kale
1 yellow grapefruit (I've discovered pink grapefruit are too tart for juicing)
*makes one serving
** Yes, its green. But it tastes good!

Apple, Kiwi, Orange & Pineapple
2 medium red apples, halved or quartered
4 whole kiwis
2 medium ornages, peeled & halved
1 medium pineapple, quartered
*this says 2 glasses, but I was able to fill a quart mason jar with this. I think the kids will love it

Stay tuned as I try a juice with beets (ack!) later this week.

New Recipes; Eggplant Lasagna

This weekend was full of veggies! My dear husband wrangled my children and picked up our Bountiful Baskets order Saturday morning as well as the juicing pack that I wanted to try. (While I was running a 10k. Isn't he the best?) Then we had dinner with friends last night who did Market on the Move ($10 donation for up to 60lbs of produce). They had a few two many eggplants and squash, so they gave us some as well.

The thing with Market on the Move produce is that it generally needs to be used or prepared quickly. I found a good-looking eggplant lasagna recipe. It was straight Paleo, which is good, but I just couldn't imagine lasagna without cheese.

Here's the recipe (adapted from bigeatstinykitchen.com)
Eggplant Lasagna
1 eggplant
Mozzarella (next time I'd use a ricotta blend, but it was still good.)
olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
10 oz sliced mushrooms (then cut again to make bite-sized pieces)
1T minced garlic (4-6 fresh cloves, minced)
28oz diced tomatoes, undrained
6 oz tomato paste
1T dried oregano
1T dried basil
1T dried parsley
1t dried thyme
salt and pepper

1. Slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch strips, coat with olive oil and cook for 5 minutes on each side at 375, making them tender.
2. Brown the beef, drain, then add onions, mushrooms, and garlic. When onions have cooked, add tomatoes, paste, and spices. Simmer for 5-10 minutes on low.

3. Assemble as follows: start with meat sauce, then eggplant, then cheese. Repeat once and finish with meat.
 
4. Bake for 30 minutes with foil over it at 375, then 10 minutes without foil.
All of these steps can be done in advance. Eggplant, meat sauce, even the assembly.

Meal Prep: Breakfast

Healthy eating can be easy, if you prepare in advance. It starts with meal planning, then shopping, then some preparation. Sometimes I cook in advance, sometimes I cook parts, sometimes I just assemble. This afternoon, I prepared some breakfast ham and egg cups.

Ham & Egg Cups
9 thick slices of ham
6 eggs
cherry tomatoes

1. Spray a muffin tin pan. Place the ham in the tins like you would cupcake liners.

2. Prepare eggs as you would to scramble them. (To keep this paleo, I use water instead of milk.) I also added onion and garlic powder, salt & pepper, sometimes taco seasoning.
3. Pour egg mixture evenly into ham cups.
4. Add one cherry tomato per cup. Or add diced veggies, or cheese, or nothing.

5. Bake at 375 until the egg is set.

I let them cool (and they popped right out of the tin!) and then refrigerated them in Tupperware. They are all ready for a quick pop in the microwave and then breakfast will be served!

Race Report: 26.2 Resolution Run

On January 1st, I set out to run 26.2 miles as a virtual participant in a Resolution Run. I accomplished that distance today, January 18th. Here's how I did it:

Jan 1 - 3.5 miles of long intervals
Jan 4 - 8.2 mile long run = 11.7 miles
Jan 10 - 2.5 miles run/row = 14. miles
Jan 12 - 7.5 mile long run = 21.7 miles
Jan 13 - 1 mile recovery run = 22.7 miles
Jan 18 - 6.2 mile Icebreaker 10k Run = 28.9 miles

This was really pretty fun, it was a great way to guarantee that I was on track to meet my goal of 50 miles in January (and every month). And, this is the great medal I get to add to my collection very shortly.

So, only 21 miles left for January and
I'm on my way!

Race Report: IceBreaker 10k

For the first time in my running career, I ran a race two years in a row. My first 10k ever was the Icebreaker 10k in 2013. I ran it again today. Today I ran with my friend Robin, met a new friend along the way and reconnected with another friend.

This course has a nasty hill that starts at mile 2 and stretches most of that mile. But then its all downhill from there. I went out at a decent pace and was pleased with things until I hit that darned hill! My calves were really tight and I was consistent, but I was slow.

After that, I war practically on cruise control. The last 3 miles felt fine, good even! I finished in 1:25:38 and although it wasn't as fast as last year, I felt way stronger and faster. I walked less and I grumbled less.

I know that I can run faster/more consistently, but my problem is my mid-week runs. I'm just not getting them in. This week won't be such a problem as I'm not working. I've also been toying with a half-marathon in March, and I'm pretty sure I talked some friends into doing it as well. CrossFit Endurance is really helping (even though someone on there scheduled a 12 mile run for this weekend) I know that there speed work and intervals will help as well. A great start to my running year!

January Total to Date: 29 miles

P.S. This completed my 26.2 Resolution Run as well, but I'll blog separately about that one.

CrossFit Total

Simply put the CrossFit Total is a great tool of measurement on strength. It combines the weights on three lifts: strict press, back squat, and deadlift. My box did this as a WOD today and I am so bummed I'm not able to do all of this due to my shoulder. It did, however, get me thinking on some long-term CrossFit Goals.

Currently (and the last time I tested these maxes) I'm at: 525 total.
Strict Press - 65# (its been months and I KNOW with a healthy shoulder I can do more)
Back Squat - 215#
Deadlift - 235#

I'm really hoping to hit 750# this year. I know those are big numbers, but I figure Go Big, or Go Home!

So until I can get back into the real scheme of all things CrossFit, I plan to work my deadlift and back squat in the 5-3-1 method. After a month of that (and some physical therapy) I hope to be on my way to that big number!

Sunday Long Run

Last night I was pondering how long to run on Sunday. I talked to my fabulous sister (with whom I am running the Zooma Half-Marathon in August in Chicago) last night. The conversation went something like this:

Me: I'm debating my run tomorrow.
Maggie: Whether to run, or how long to run?
Me: How long to run, the run itself isn't a question.
Maggie: Yup, I figured.

This morning I logged onto Facebook and saw this picture. It sums up my though process last night.

Really, the question is: HOW FAR TO RUN?

So, after checking CrossFit Endurance's plan for me today. Which was another 10 mile run! And deciding that just wasn't feasible time wise. (After all, that's the whole reason I'm not training for a half right now, it takes up too much time.) I settled on running the 10k route for next weekend. And since it starts less than 1 mile from my house, I ran to the start, ran the 10k route, and ran home. 7.5 miles total. Included in that route is a monstrous hill, Heritage Hill. No, I'm not joking, ask anyone who has huffed up it. But that is in the first 2-3 miles. Then its pretty much all downhill. Negative splits are practically guaranteed.

This week should have a few milestones in it. I'll hit 26.2 miles and earn my medal for a virtual race and I'll hopefully! PR on my 10k this weekend.

January Total: 21.7 miles

Endurance Workout, Friday

After a long hiatus from running (weeks when I work make it difficult to squeeze in time to run), I was back in the gym on Friday morning. Since I am still suffering from tendinitis of both my bicep and my rotator cuff, I'm really limited on what I can do.

A very intriguing endurance WOD came across the CrossFit Endurance website earlier this month, so I dug it up and gave it a shot.

5 Rounds For Time:
400m Run, 500 mRow

I completed 5 rounds in just under 30 minutes and then ran an extra 400m to make it an even 4k.

That workout brought my monthly total to 14.7. Only 11.5 more to hit my first 26.2 mile goal in January!

Paleo Pantry

I went food shopping today for some staples. Because (gasp!) we ran out of eggs. It is virtually impossible for us to get through a breakfast meal without eggs. So, off I went for eggs, milk and chicken nuggets for the kids, orange juice for the husband, and cashews. Really, I was more upset that we were out cashews than anything else. So I bought the biggest container of cashews at the store.

When I came home I had to figure out where to put them. Thank goodness for Tupperware!

Exciting Stuff!

As a slight sidebar, I've been really enjoying writing more about Health & Fitness. Just this week, I've contributed two articles to two online magazines on these topics.

Tabata Times, CrossFit. Meet Running.

Military Spouse Magazine, Healthy Eating in Busy World.

I truly hope to increase the numbers of articles and topics I can write about and the number of people I can influence. If you have any ideas on things you'd like to read about. Please, let me know!

Week 1: Jan 1 through Jan 5

I run my weeks Monday through Sunday, as my long run is usually on Sunday.

January 1: Happy New Year
3.5 miles - 1/2 mile to the track, workout: 400m, 600m, 800m, 600m, 400m, 2x200m with 100m recovery in between each interval. 1/2 mile home

January 2: Paleo Lifestyle Begins
Active rest day. Shopping, meal prep, and cooking a bunch of meals.

January 3: Let the withdrawal symptoms begin.
Ate well, but got slammed with a headache in the mid-afternoon that I couldn't shake until bed. Didn't run, as planned, but didn't give in to the sugar/carb cravings. Lots of water and a delicious dinner of Bacon Crusted Pork Tenderloin, sweet potatoes and broccoli.

January 4: The Long Run
8.2 miles - Set out to run at least 6 miles, but was really hoping for 8. (Mostly because if I hit 8 I'd be done for the weekend, but if I only got 6 in today, I'd have to run again tomorrow.) Enjoyed the run, save for the last mile. Also enjoyed a healthy lunch with my kids at Texas Road House. I resisted the temptation to snag even one of their french fries. And I simply asked the waitress not to bring bread to the table. I had a steak, steamed veggies and sweet potato.

January 5: Recovery Day
No run today, no real exercise, a true Rest Day. Ate really well today, not much snacking, which is how I know my body is adjusting. No headache, good water intake. Even managed to resist the donuts/bagels/apple fritters at church.

5 days down, 11.7 miles ran, and I'm feeling pretty darn good about these decisions.

Paleo and Parenting

I wanted to take a little time to address how my new way of eating is working with my family. My husband is hanging in there and I think, at least, enjoying the food. My kids usually eat whatever we put in front of them. That being said, they are 3 and 5, so they have their moments. I have found a few ways to make their favorite meals friendly to my plans. For example: My kids demolish tacos. So when we have tacos, they can have their shells and I'll have a taco salad, with no cheese.

I have some read some fantastic books on paleo for kids. They are filled with simple ideas, a lot of great paleo snacks and some encouragement. My children are not on any kind of diet, they are not limited in their food choices (within reason) and they can eat as much as is healthy. They still have bread, milk, pasta, etc. But we do make some minor adjustments. As far as pasta, I serve them veggie pasta. They love it! We do organic milk, fruits, veggies (Declan just inhales tomatoes) and they get a well balanced meal. When they are at school or day care they are still getting a well balanced meal and they are perfectly healthy.

I'm doing this for me AND for them. I want them to understand that you have to think about what you put in your body. They have great examples of physical fitness, and now they need to have examples of healthy eating. As parents we have the best opportunity to be an example, and I fully intend to do so. (And to use that as a not-so-gentle reminder on those tough days.)

Rebecca's Paleo Plan for January

You've probably heard that the Paleo lifestyle is meant to emulate what the cavemen ate. That is utterly impossible, as foods have changed, but going back to an unprocessed, simpler way of eating is practical. Meats, veggies, fruits, nuts, healthy fats. (Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. Paleo/Primal works for me, it may not work for you. Decide on your own.) I like the Paleo/Whole 30 way of eating as its simple. I prepare the foods, I stock my house with whole, natural foods and then I eat. No counting calories, no weighing food, just eating when I'm hungry and eating only good food. I did this for 10 days in July and felt great. I wasn't hungry, wasn't snacking, wasn't craving anything.

So I pick my meals, shop, prep, and prepare my crockpot. For me this means:

• no breads, pastas, rice
• no sweets, no regular desserts
• no alcohol
• minimal amounts of dairy

I started a group on Facebook for extra support and to share ideas. I'm really excited about this eating plan. I have the support of my awesome husband and I know I will succeed. My goal is to lose 10 pounds in January. I truly think this can happen if I just stick to it.

2014: The Year of Consistency

I've been running for almost 4 years. I've been lifting and participating in CrossFit for over 6 months. I've dieted most of my adult life. What I have been severely lacking in consistency. I have decided this is the key to my success. So in 2014, I strive to achieve consistency. So, I am kicking off 2014 like so many others, with big plans.

Food
Simply, I am going to eat healthy 90% of the time. Now, I know myself, and if I say 90% of the time from the beginning, I'll fail. So I will not give myself that out. From Jan 2nd to Feb 14th, I will be strictly eating foods that fit in my version of Paleo. I include almond milk, peanut butter, and a tiny bit of cheese in my definition of Paleo.

Running
I love to run. I love to hate to run as well. But I've rediscovered my love for it by simply enjoying it. I am setting a goal of 600 miles this year. (Doubling 2013 miles.) And more specifically, I want to run 50 miles per month. I have several races planned to help me stay in the groove. I'm basically aiming for 12-13 miles per week, with 3-4 runs each week, depending on my work schedule.

Lifting
I have really enjoyed learning about strength training and incorporating CrossFit into my life. As I come back from a shoulder injury, I hope to improve overall in my CrossFit Skills. Specifically, I want to work on doing a pull-up, increase my push-ups and sit-ups, raise my box jump comfortably to 20" and master the ring dip. I want to add at least 25# to each of my 1 rep max. Except for deadlift, where I want to hit 275#. (I'm currently at 245#.)

I know that all three of these things will work hand in hand to make me stronger, faster, and healthier. And that is the ultimate goal for 2014. Follow my journey here as I take the big steps necessary to make my life healthier and happier.

With CrossFit friends at the Bisbee 1000
October 2013