Monday, June 25, 2012

Moving North

One half of The Mommy Miles is moving...in 6 days! My family and I are packing up and heading North to Washington. We are very excited about this transition and I can't wait to find some great, new places to run.

As we pack up and I move my little family, I may be a little bit quiet on the blog. Hopefully I can jump back into things quickly and find my stride. I will keep you posted and look forward to sharing my new running adventures!
Katie

Monday, June 18, 2012

12 in 12 in review

I did it. I love the feeling of accomplishing a goal. I've said it before, and I'll say it again...I am not one of those people who heads out for a run just for the heck of it. 

Unless I have a goal, a race, something I am working towards, I have trouble getting motivated. This, oddly, is specific to running. So although I might enjoy a variety of workouts, running is the hardest for me to get done, but also the workout that I feel the most rewarded by completing. Make sense? Anyways. I'd thought I'd take a look back over this last year and the races I completed. Click on the month to go back and read the full recap. And of course...stay tuned as I workout what my next 12 month challenge will be.


1. July 2011, Deschutes Dash 10k Final Time: 1:06:14 (10:40 pace)

2. Aug 2011,Haulin' Aspen 7mi. trail Final Time:1:18:33(11:13 pace)
3. September 2011, Fairhaven 15k  Final Time: 1:39:00 (10:37 pace)


4. October 2011, Girlfriend's Half Marathon Final Time: 2:18:53 (10:36 pace)



5. November 2011, Turkey Trot Not chip timed, Garmin time 43:01 (10:35 pace)

6. December 2011, Virtual race 5k  Garmin Time 28:50 (9:18 pace)



7.January 2012, Virtual Race 5k  Garmin Time 30.55 (9:58 pace)

8. February 2012, Heartbreak 10k  Final Time 1:03:00 (9:40 pace)
NO PICTURE...How did that happen?


9. March 2012, Shamrock 15k   Final Time 1:31(9:50 pace)




10. April 2012,  Bridge to Brews 10k Final Time 1:00:28  (9:44 min pace)

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Detox (Jess)

I have done all sorts of detoxes and cleanses over the years. This was my first 48 hours cleanse, and it was the hardest. As I am working on my 60 days of healthful eating, it seemed like a great time to do a quick cleanse. Since my experience was very similar to Katie's recap here, for this post I will focus on some thoughts I have about the process. By no means am I a doc, I only have my personal experience to go off of.

This last weekend I learned a few crucial lessons on having a successful cleanse. I suffered from not thinking ahead and I came away with some thoughts on preparing your body, calendar, fridge, and family for what is about to happen.

Preparing your body:
It seems simple enough. Follow the recipes, eat the snacks, drink the tea, and whamoo-bamo you'll be feeling like a million bucks. Not so much. It is crazy how much our bodies come to depend on the little indulgences we have throughout our day. I know this cleanse would have felt a whole lot better had I taken the few days before to cut back slowly on my caffeine and keep an eye on my sugar intake. Instead I over indulged on both the days leading up to the cleanse, and paid for it with a headache and foul mood. 

Preparing your calendar:
I cannot stress enough how important it is to give your body rest over the cleanse. Trying to press through and do life as usual is really tough when you are low on energy. I also slept great (thanks to the caffeine break) and appreciated the early bedtime. Cleanses and detoxes are a great way to jump start new habits or get back on track with healthy eating, but make sure your jump start happens at a time where the focus can be on what you are doing for your body. 

Preparing your fridge:
Look ahead at all the recipes. Read up on why you are eating this or that. Think through what that meal time will be like. Unlike Katie, I didn't stick to the meal plans 100%, I used all the same ingredients, but in different ways to make new meals for lunch and breakfast on the second day. The smoothie was great, but it felt more like a breakfast option to me, quinoa wasn't too bad either, but I loved it cold with veges and the lemon/olive oil dressing. I was careful not to add new things but I did want to feel good about what I was eating. Also, Katie noted that the recipes made way more than what we needed, so looking it over before going shopping would have saved us some serious cash. 

Preparing your family:
If being by yourself for 48 hours, focused only on your food and body is not reasonable, welcome to real life. I think all of us struggle, no matter what our family looks like, to carve out time to take care of ourselves. Talking through your plans with your family and either doing it together or having someone who can pick up the slack for your lagging energy is going to make everything easier. Justin worked late on Saturday night and I was cranky and irritable by the time it was bed time for the girls. It was a mommy fail. If I had planned it more carefully, it would have been more enjoyable for everyone. 

Again, these are just my thoughts. Little things I learned along the way this last weekend. I am glad I did it, I always learn a lot when I am being conscious of my food. It is an ongoing journey to be healthy and balanced, I am always grateful for a new challenge and experience that keeps me focused.

Jess

Your thoughts:
Have you tried a cleanse or detox?
What advice would you give?


Wednesday, June 13, 2012

48-Hour Detox recap (Katie)

This past weekend, Jess and I both did Dr. Oz's 48-Hour Weekend Cleanse. I'll share my experience now and Jess will share hers later in the week.

The detox overall was fine, not great, not awful but fine. Saturday morning I made my quinoa breakfast and was surprised by the amount it made, I was pleasantly full which was a great way to start the cleanse. In looking ahead at the plan, I decided to go ahead and pre-make the juice options that were listed.  I could drink these juices anytime and as much as I wanted throughout the weekend so I wanted to have them on hand (a good call). I got through the morning just fine between my quinoa, juices and a mellow morning at home. When my daughter went down for her nap I made my lunch (a yummy smoothie that was by far my favorite meal of the weekend). Once again I looked ahead at the plan and knowing we had plans that evening, decided to go ahead and prepare the dinner and the other snack option (veggies). I spent almost the entire nap time in the kitchen after already spending a long time in the kitchen that morning. I didn't love that but it was nice to have everything already prepared.


After my daughter woke up, I took her on a short walk to the park. By this time my energy was very low and my head was starting to ache. I watched her play at the park for a while then upon my desperate need to use the restroom (I had to pee ALL the time), we walked back home. I was wiped out! I ate an early dinner and was not at all satisfied by the taste or the lack of fullness. But that was the last thing I ate that day as the rules state not to eat after 7pm. One thing it does suggest is a cup of detox tea before bed and I did drink that. It's not my favorite tea but it was nice to sip on something comforting before laying my aching head on my pillow.


I woke up Sunday morning with a throbbing headache. I did not want to get out of bed and knew right away I was going to be tired and worthless all day long. I continued to follow the plan with breakfast and juices for snacks. By lunch my headache was debilitating and I felt very weak. I decided to make a double portion of smoothie for lunch and then I went to bed. I napped for 2 hours and woke up with the same headache. At last I caved and decided I would try a small cup of coffee and an ibuprofen. They worked like a charm! I was peppy, energetic and pain free for about an hour. The coffee soon wore off but luckily the headache did as well. I managed to get through the rest of the day just fine. My dinner did not sound or taste good so I didn't finish my portion but just sipped on more juice and again had my tea before bed (I added a squeeze of lemon which was nice).

Strangely (or maybe not?), though I went to bed feeling hungry and  fatigued, I woke up Monday morning feeling fresh and quite good. I didn't feel hungry, I had no headache and I was happy to get out of bed and start the day. It was a great feeling....and an even better feeling when I got to enjoy a full cup of coffee and some eggs for breakfast! Detoxing is a good thing, it's healthy and keeps your organs clear and functioning properly but oh man, it sure is nice to not feel so restricted after so many "no-no's".  One thing I noticed is that I craved good, healthy foods all day and was not drawn to the junk whatsoever.

Reflections:
-I did a 5 day whole foods detox last year and I struggled way more with this 2 day one.
-While it was clearly challenging, I am glad I did it.
-I will certainly do another detox again but I would like to try a different one.
-Do not underestimate the power of water.
-When detoxing, try to keep your calendar clear so you can have the freedom to lay low.
-I think the detox tea before bed was very important, it def helped "clear" things out.
-The dinner made far too much, definitely halve the recipe (would save $ on groceries, too).
-I love the lunch smoothie so much, I have already had it again since.
-This really opened my eyes to how many foods I randomly pop into my mouth throughout the day.


Monday, June 11, 2012

Training week - June 11th

This week for Jess:
Mon- Nothing (recover from being sick)
Tues- Barre 3
Wed- Run
Thurs-Barre 3
Fri-Walk
Sat-Run
Sun-Barre 3

Reflection on last week:
Do you ever feel like life hits overdrive and you are speeding through it without really experiencing it? That was this week. Wrapping up the end of the year, getting ready to leave the country for the month...yada yada. Not really making an excuse just voicing how difficult it is to achieve balance, my exact goal for last week, in chaos. I'm loving this break from a routine, but know that in a few weeks I'll be ready to buckle down to the checkoff list of a training schedule! I can't wait to share with y'all what's up my sleeve for my next 12 month challenge!

This Week for Katie:
Mon- 20-30 min walk
Tues - Walk or run or workout video
Weds - 3 mile run
Thur-
Fri - 3+ mile run
Sat -
Sun -

This is a busy week for me with 4 different parties, company, babysitting and packing (have I mentioned we are moving to Washington?) so I think this schedule is realistic and doable. We'll see!

Reflection on Last Week:
I finally felt well enough to run later in the week. I ran 2.8 miles on Thursday.
I planned to get in some nice walks during my 48-hour cleanse weekend but my energy was so low that naps trumped exercise. More on that later!

Friday, June 8, 2012

48-Hour Detox

Jess proposed the idea that now would be a good time to do a detox and upon thinking about it, I totally agree. We aren't training for anything in particular and Spring is nearing an end, so why not?! We considered a 5 day and a 10 day cleanse then checked out our schedules and decided that a 2 day cleanse would be better for now.

We are going to do the Dr. Oz 48-Hour Weekend Cleanse and we are going to do it starting TOMORROW!  If you are up for it and can get to the strore today to grab the required groceries, we would love for you to join us on this. 
I did a 5 day cleanse last Spring and I am going to steal a few things from that to add to this one, including skin brushing, drinking detox tea and a 30 minute walk each day. I also plan to take an epsom salt bath to help sweat out the toxins. 


Katie

Thursday, June 7, 2012

June's Race: Wild Canyon Games

For the past three years I have sent my husband on his way to participate in the Wild Canyon Games. He'd come home sunburned, sore, and full of crazy stories. I was a wee bit jealous. So when I had a chance to pull a team together for this year's games, I jumped on it! This also happens to be my last race for my personal 12 in 12 challenge! I went out with a bang!

So what is Wild Canyon Games? Teams of 7, for two full days, of craziness!

Friday night my team and I arrived at Washington Family Ranch in eastern Oregon where the games are held. I had the pleasure of being on the team with 5 other Young Life staff wives , plus one extra friend. No one on the team had participated in the past and we struggled to sleep Friday night, unsure of what lay ahead!

Saturday morning we woke bright and early!Three members of our team participated in a triathlon relay. The others and I were paired off and set loose in the wilderness. We had a fanny pack of emergency supplies, an iphone GPS, and a backpack full of water and snacks. Our mission was to find as many geo caches as we could in four hours. My partner and I ended the four hours with a mad dash to the finish line. We made it across with two minutes to spare. Any later we would have been penalized! Talk about excitement!!!
We were channeling our inner mountain goats...seriously check out these hills!

wild flowers were everywhere. Can you see the small little camp down below?
We found a cache! It's like a giant treasure hunt!


Beautiful views in every direction.



Saturday afternoon was a group challenge. We had to complete seven challenge events as quickly as we could. Check out some of our options here. My job was to the canyon swing, hello butterflies!

Sunday morning we woke up sore. All of us were too tired the night before to be bothered with nerves, we'd slept soundly. Sunday we completed in a seven leg relay. I did the half mile obstacle course.  I was hoping pictures and results would be on the Wild Canyon Games website, but I am having technical difficulties...so more pics to come!
Can you spy me?

Monday, June 4, 2012

Training plans this week!


This week for Jess:  
Focus: Balance
Monday: Restorative Yoga
Tuesday: 3 mile run
Wednesday:Barre 3
Thursday:3 mile run + Barre 3
Friday: Barre 3
Saturday: 4-5 mile run
Sunday: Barre 3

Last week for Jess:
Monday: walk Done
Tuesday: barre 3 Done
Wednesday: 3 mile run Nope
Thursday: yoga Nope
Friday:2 mile run Nope
Sunday:Wild Canyon Games Done.

Reflection:
I had an incredible time at Wild Canyon Games. Today I am pleasantly sore, a good reminder of all the fun I had. This last week I ran zero miles. I don't like that. Clearly, I am a all or nothing kinda girl. Either I am training for something or my mileage is down to nothing. This week the goal is balance!


This week for Katie:
I am recovering from a little sickness, so I am taking the pressure off myself this week to come up with a specific plan. I would like to run ay least twice and I will be happy :)

Last week for Katie:
Mon- rest (done)
Tues - 3 mile run (done)
Wed - walk (done)
Thurs - 2 mile run (done)
Fri - workout video (sick)
Sat - rest (sick)
Sun - Heaven Can Wait 5k (sick)


I was so sad to miss out on this little 5k this week, very disappointing. But these things happen and while I was bummed, I am glad I listened to my body.