Goal for 2012: Run the 10K.
Why? It is time to push it. For the past two months since the fall run season concluded, I knew that as scheduled, my training would come to an end; reduction in high intensity cardio would give way to an increase in muscle mass. I am testament that this is true. Not only did I eliminate the weekly 5k run, but I increased the intensity of the runs by raising the incline to 1.5 - 2 points.
As I posted previously, and as I look toward fitness goals for '12, the 10K has to be priority one when I enter the Spring Run Season. I have enjoyed the 5K training protocol. I love the 5K runs. But the training had become mundane, which was why I increased the intensity and fell off the weekly 5K train-run.
Yesterday, I decided to stretch the run out running intervals after 2 miles. I finished with a 4.25 run, with the last 2.25 miles with speed intervals. The goal in yesterday's training was to run an increased speed 2 mile run, but to also build speed and intensity. Typicially this isn't something I do simultaneously. I usually work on distance one day and sprints on the other run days in the week. I am not sure if this is something that I will make a part of my training, but I felt very good on the initial 2 miles and since it was the end of my days workout, I pushed.
The intervals were 1-1, high low, with 2-1 mixes, where 2 was the high. The goal here was to increase my lung capacity. This can't be achieved in one day. It has to be something that is incorporated into my fitness routine. I continue to cross train. But, I want the 10K. In order to get there, I want to feel like running a 10K is possible on any given day of the week. So at the same time, I will use the 5K marker for the speed now. In that regard, 3.2 miles will officially become the fast run. This will not happen over night. Remember, it is a part of the goal to 10K.
What fitness goal are you setting for the new year?
Monday, December 19, 2011
Saturday, December 10, 2011
the scale doesn't tell the whole story
Have you been exercising? Eating small meals throughout the day? Increasing the intensity of your workouts? Waistline is decreasing? Scale number increasing?
Well, you are not alone. You'll want a membership in this group!
Take me for example…
I never ever want to gain weight, fat that is. However, I love the look of my muscles. If they are getting bigger, I can see them without flexing, well they are increasing also in mass. If you are weighing yourself on a scale that does not distinguish fat and water from muscle tissue, then how do you know you are making progress?
It can be a depressing thing.
This is not the first time, nor will it be the last time that I dispel these faulty claims of weight lost through the scale prayer. It just does not lead to healthy thoughts, and therefore leads to unhealthy habits, such as poor eating, and slacking on the workouts. Stress causes weight gain and not the kind you want. Storing fat is the body’s response to stress.
The reason dieters yo-yo (celebrities are famous for it)is due to the low levels of mass building exercises, starvation, and diet pills. When they slack off, weight creeps back. The metabolism has slowed. The first sight of it shows in the waistline.
The waistline tells the story.
If your waistline is increasing, since it is typically the largest storage system for fatty tissue, then you are officially gaining weight. Stop the obsession with the scale. Most people who pray to the scale, suffer unhealthy weight, and gain. If your waistline is decreasing, you are building muscle.
Watch and see.
I have noticed weight gain, muscle increasing. How? My waistline is reducing, despite the size of my gluteus increasing. Yes. All of those lunges and squats have served to increase the size of my buttocks. It appears even bigger than it likely is due to the reduction in my waistline. My clothes were appearing smaller, but now seem to snug around booty. Yes. Something is happening. Now this is not just an increase behind me, but all over. I have used this muscle, the larger one of the body, to illustrate my point.
Do I want to continue the bulk? Hmm...that's a tough question to answer. I would like a leaner look. How do I achieve that? Increase cardio sessions, decrease weight training. Specifically, I have selected to increase the cardio and decrease the number of sets I perform from four to three. In addition, I have dropped the low rep of 8 in the original 15,12, 10, 8 sequence. Losing the eight, I have most of my weight training on the higher (cardio and strength) end.
But like any change, I am monitoring for results. The scale doesn't tell all. The tape measure is my friend.
As for the butt/glute...Lunges and squats are my all-time favorite. I just can't seem to sacrifice them. However, I can increase the cardio that I perform pre and post training.
My best advice? Keep striving for a healthy body through clean eating and exercise. Ditch the scale, pick up the tape measure, and let the clothes and your eyes tell you the progress you are making. If you are planning to use the scale, do so only once every month or once a season. With measurable progress, this number can tell you could signal loss of body fat. This way, as the number increases on the scale, you will have a mental representation of the reduction of your body fat percentage.
Well, you are not alone. You'll want a membership in this group!
Take me for example…
I never ever want to gain weight, fat that is. However, I love the look of my muscles. If they are getting bigger, I can see them without flexing, well they are increasing also in mass. If you are weighing yourself on a scale that does not distinguish fat and water from muscle tissue, then how do you know you are making progress?
It can be a depressing thing.
This is not the first time, nor will it be the last time that I dispel these faulty claims of weight lost through the scale prayer. It just does not lead to healthy thoughts, and therefore leads to unhealthy habits, such as poor eating, and slacking on the workouts. Stress causes weight gain and not the kind you want. Storing fat is the body’s response to stress.
The reason dieters yo-yo (celebrities are famous for it)is due to the low levels of mass building exercises, starvation, and diet pills. When they slack off, weight creeps back. The metabolism has slowed. The first sight of it shows in the waistline.
The waistline tells the story.
If your waistline is increasing, since it is typically the largest storage system for fatty tissue, then you are officially gaining weight. Stop the obsession with the scale. Most people who pray to the scale, suffer unhealthy weight, and gain. If your waistline is decreasing, you are building muscle.
Watch and see.
I have noticed weight gain, muscle increasing. How? My waistline is reducing, despite the size of my gluteus increasing. Yes. All of those lunges and squats have served to increase the size of my buttocks. It appears even bigger than it likely is due to the reduction in my waistline. My clothes were appearing smaller, but now seem to snug around booty. Yes. Something is happening. Now this is not just an increase behind me, but all over. I have used this muscle, the larger one of the body, to illustrate my point.
Do I want to continue the bulk? Hmm...that's a tough question to answer. I would like a leaner look. How do I achieve that? Increase cardio sessions, decrease weight training. Specifically, I have selected to increase the cardio and decrease the number of sets I perform from four to three. In addition, I have dropped the low rep of 8 in the original 15,12, 10, 8 sequence. Losing the eight, I have most of my weight training on the higher (cardio and strength) end.
But like any change, I am monitoring for results. The scale doesn't tell all. The tape measure is my friend.
As for the butt/glute...Lunges and squats are my all-time favorite. I just can't seem to sacrifice them. However, I can increase the cardio that I perform pre and post training.
My best advice? Keep striving for a healthy body through clean eating and exercise. Ditch the scale, pick up the tape measure, and let the clothes and your eyes tell you the progress you are making. If you are planning to use the scale, do so only once every month or once a season. With measurable progress, this number can tell you could signal loss of body fat. This way, as the number increases on the scale, you will have a mental representation of the reduction of your body fat percentage.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Vegetarian Sweet n' Sour Chik'n
Sweet and Sour Vegetarian Chik'n, Vegetable Fried Rice, Vegetable Egg Rolls
MorningStar Farms Chik'n Strips
2 c cold cooked brown rice (day old/refrigerated)
Mixed Vegetables for Stir Fry (I always add sweet corn)
5 T Coconut Oil
Salt, Pepper
1 t fresh chopped garlic
1 c julienne rainbow peppers (red, yellow, green, and orange)
½ c pineapple chunks
1 T soy sauce
---
Sweet and Sour Sauce
1/3 c white or rice wine
4 T brown sugar
1 T ketchup
1 t soy sauce
2 T corn starch
4 t water
---
Tai Pei or any Vegetable egg rolls/deep fried or baked on a cookie sheet in oven.
Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
Fry brown rice in 2 T of coconut oil. Set aside. Brown vegetables in 1 T of coconut oil. Set aside. Brown chik'n strips in 2 T of coconut oil. Set aside. Combine vegetables and rice with salt, pepper, 1 T soy sauce, and garlic. Turn in saucepan, cover with lid and allow to simmer in the oven at 350 degrees.
Mix ingredients for sweet and sour sauce in a saucepot over medium heat. Stir until thickens. Add more more if necessary. When it bubbles, reduce heat.
Plate food, serve!
MorningStar Farms Chik'n Strips
2 c cold cooked brown rice (day old/refrigerated)
Mixed Vegetables for Stir Fry (I always add sweet corn)
5 T Coconut Oil
Salt, Pepper
1 t fresh chopped garlic
1 c julienne rainbow peppers (red, yellow, green, and orange)
½ c pineapple chunks
1 T soy sauce
---
Sweet and Sour Sauce
1/3 c white or rice wine
4 T brown sugar
1 T ketchup
1 t soy sauce
2 T corn starch
4 t water
---
Tai Pei or any Vegetable egg rolls/deep fried or baked on a cookie sheet in oven.
Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
Fry brown rice in 2 T of coconut oil. Set aside. Brown vegetables in 1 T of coconut oil. Set aside. Brown chik'n strips in 2 T of coconut oil. Set aside. Combine vegetables and rice with salt, pepper, 1 T soy sauce, and garlic. Turn in saucepan, cover with lid and allow to simmer in the oven at 350 degrees.
Mix ingredients for sweet and sour sauce in a saucepot over medium heat. Stir until thickens. Add more more if necessary. When it bubbles, reduce heat.
Plate food, serve!
Monday, November 14, 2011
new machine...new project
...now if I could just get my bum to cutting...I would have this beautiful spread on the bed before the first frost!
...few weeks shy of 3 years natural...who cares?
So here it is. Three years natural (almost). I had to use HAIR ONE to control frizz and fly-away hairs. Heat protection gel for blow drying. And Carol's Daughter Mimosa Hair Honey pomade to flat iron. A few magnetic clip rollers...and off to the Baby Shower. It was a lot of work. I don't intend on doing this too often. I prefer my twists. They are no frills! But I thought I'd share.
Deuces!
Saturday, October 22, 2011
a little bit of this...a little bit of that
I'm a fan of 'less is more'. I do love cooking. But after a hard cycle of workouts, I'm ready to eat! I had a taste for Chinese carryout. I'd tried this 'new' spot up the road and found it to be very inexpensive, tasty, and not a very long drive. My favorite dish is the Chinese Vegetables with Vegetable Fried Rice. I don't do beef and if you've followed me for the past few months you know I'm serious about my digestive tract. Now I happened into Whole Foods earlier in the week looking for my Gardein Holiday Stuffed Turkey. It wasn't in, and I was too busy to bother the service desk, so I glanced in the frozen foods section and found VegeUSA Black Pepper Steak...only it's not steak. It's vegetable protein, soy to be exact. I thought to myself...I said "self", you can toss that with some peppers and have your way with it.
And so I did, only I didn't do the sauteing, I picked up a carry out order along with my vegetable fried rice and tossed the veggies with my vegan pepper steak. It was yummy!!! I added an egg roll to the plate and dinner was served.
If you have a hankering for beef loins and have given up meat, there's a healthier option just waiting for you to try! Enjoy~
And so I did, only I didn't do the sauteing, I picked up a carry out order along with my vegetable fried rice and tossed the veggies with my vegan pepper steak. It was yummy!!! I added an egg roll to the plate and dinner was served.
If you have a hankering for beef loins and have given up meat, there's a healthier option just waiting for you to try! Enjoy~
Saturday, October 15, 2011
the day we all opted out of medical insurance
the day that we all opted out of medical insurance
The United States is a highly civilized intelligent community of all types of people. And here we stand, fighting for health care for all persons. Everything is about the comfort zone of the rich and right.
What would happen if you woke up tomorrow and made a decision during this enrollment period to simply opt out? And then you told ten other friends, and they did the same. And then you did this for the next five years. You no longer purchased prescriptions, went into hospitals, or purchased any over-the-counter medicines. And you lived on the principles of the Old Testament. What would happen to their system if you decided that when life happens it happens and when death happens, it happens? That you were no longer worried or begging a professional to extend your dance card?
Imagine...
Yes, I realize that many of us live and breathe on every word that our doctor tells us regarding our health. If they show us a chart, some photos, and scare us enough we are willing to latch onto a prescription that may in fact be doing our entire body’s ecosystem an injustice.
What would happen if you woke up tomorrow and made the decision to take your life into your own hands, and live through the foods you eat and not the medications prescribed to you?
Yes, I realize that some of us ‘can’t’ function without the medications we live on. Imagine the day when the medication that you’ve been prescribed, in order to save your life falls into short supply. Imagine the day when the pharmacological association decides you are no longer worthy to accept this ‘gift’ and have chosen by lot or birth that someone else is far more superior to you, and thus you must get by any way you can.
What would happen? Would you live or would you die instantly? Would you give up, take your own life?
Politicians march to Washington armed with free health care provided to them by the public. They receive the best, and slamming your President’s health care bill simply implies that they do not believe you’re entitled to the same gift you grant them—free public health care. The health care system is dealing your comfort zone away daily, and what are you planning to do about it? It’s a service in high demand, and thus the cost has bankrupted families.
Imagine the day, when you are no longer a chess piece on their board...when the demand for medical care is low…
Tell me, who is in power now? Who controls the market now?
Imagine that…
Imagine the day when someone might just solicit to the public, free health care for a year, ten years, etc. just for enrolling and telling ten others to do the same...
Imagine the day when we all opted out of medical insurance...we could literally wager what we deem is fair and just.
The United States is a highly civilized intelligent community of all types of people. And here we stand, fighting for health care for all persons. Everything is about the comfort zone of the rich and right.
What would happen if you woke up tomorrow and made a decision during this enrollment period to simply opt out? And then you told ten other friends, and they did the same. And then you did this for the next five years. You no longer purchased prescriptions, went into hospitals, or purchased any over-the-counter medicines. And you lived on the principles of the Old Testament. What would happen to their system if you decided that when life happens it happens and when death happens, it happens? That you were no longer worried or begging a professional to extend your dance card?
Imagine...
Yes, I realize that many of us live and breathe on every word that our doctor tells us regarding our health. If they show us a chart, some photos, and scare us enough we are willing to latch onto a prescription that may in fact be doing our entire body’s ecosystem an injustice.
What would happen if you woke up tomorrow and made the decision to take your life into your own hands, and live through the foods you eat and not the medications prescribed to you?
Yes, I realize that some of us ‘can’t’ function without the medications we live on. Imagine the day when the medication that you’ve been prescribed, in order to save your life falls into short supply. Imagine the day when the pharmacological association decides you are no longer worthy to accept this ‘gift’ and have chosen by lot or birth that someone else is far more superior to you, and thus you must get by any way you can.
What would happen? Would you live or would you die instantly? Would you give up, take your own life?
Politicians march to Washington armed with free health care provided to them by the public. They receive the best, and slamming your President’s health care bill simply implies that they do not believe you’re entitled to the same gift you grant them—free public health care. The health care system is dealing your comfort zone away daily, and what are you planning to do about it? It’s a service in high demand, and thus the cost has bankrupted families.
Imagine the day, when you are no longer a chess piece on their board...when the demand for medical care is low…
Tell me, who is in power now? Who controls the market now?
Imagine that…
Imagine the day when someone might just solicit to the public, free health care for a year, ten years, etc. just for enrolling and telling ten others to do the same...
Imagine the day when we all opted out of medical insurance...we could literally wager what we deem is fair and just.
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