W30 #4 - Relatively Egg Free

[mochuisle]

Just like that, it's Day 20

It's a rainy, dreary day here. I got in a swim this morning - flip turns bother my right glute, but I tend to use my upper body way more than my lower body when I swim, so this might be a nice alternative while my glute is acting up. I had a long afternoon meeting with softball players individually and handing out equipment, then my last bowling night! Thank God our game was moved from 8pm to 6pm, so I'll still get a decent night's sleep. And I'm looking forward to my chiropractor appointment tomorrow! Hopefully Casey will be able to work her magic on my glute/piriformis!!

Breakfast - Acorn Squash w Ground Pork, Peppers & Onions, Spinach Salad

Lunch - Chocolate Chili, Mango, Apple

Dinner - Burger w Egg & Bacon, Lettuce, Tomatoes

[mochuisle]

Another cold afternoon of softball I'm ready for a warm up, please!!

I went to the chiropractor and have strained my glute medius. I'm going to get in a bike-treadmill run workout tomorrow, followed by some serious foam rolling. Thank God vacation is next week - it'll be a yoga stay-cation

Day 21 Log

Breakfast - Acorn Squash w Ground Pork, Peppers & Onions

Lunch - Chocolate Chili w Avocado

Snack - Raisins

Dinner - Mustard Glazed Chicken, Baked Sweet Potato, Garden Salad w Blackberries

[mochuisle]

Yet another cold afternoon of softball, and believe it or not, snow is in the forecast. On April 12th. Uggghhhh!!!!

I did an indoor brick workout this morning - 20:00 on the stationary bike, 20:00 on the treadmill - followed by some serious foam rolling. So good to get in a good workout! And my glute medius is feeling better. YES!

Day 22 Log

Breakfast - Acorn Squash w Ground Pork, Peppers & Onions, Green Salad w Blackberries

Lunch - Chocolate Chili, Mango

Dinner - Slow-Cooker Barbacoa w Avocado, Green Salad, Baked Sweet Potato

[mochuisle]

The miserable weather has gotten to the point that we're getting freezing rain/sleet/hail. Gross! I escaped into the yoga studio this morning, but I'm starting to think I need to take the team south next year....

Day 23 Log

Breakfast - Acorn Squash w Ground Pork, Peppers & Onions

Lunch - Chocolate Chili

Snack - Green Apple w Pecan Butter

Dinner - Slow Cooker Barbacoa w Avocado, Baked Sweet Potato, Green Salad

[mochuisle]

Inside of a week left! One of my colleagues said last week that I can bang out 30 days w my eyes closed now. It takes a little more than that, but he may be right

I am officially on vacation!!! Beside the fact that I'm incredibly excited to have some down time after all the insanity of the last six weeks (half marathon & preseason), I'm psyched to end a W30 at the end of vacation, then head straight into my normal school routine. Every other W30 I've done has finished for an event or a holiday, which has given me excuses to fall far off the wagon.

This time, I finish on Friday, have the weekend, then continue W30 living on Monday. Although I will probably have a cup of coffee w cream & sugar.... I just don't need one every day.

And it also helps that I have a freezer filled w food to get me through the rest of softball season. I still haven't figured out what I'm going to do in May - a true W30, a modified W30 (like I did this month w a weekend off for Easter), or clean during the week and take weekends off. Whichever way, it'll be an accomplishment if I make it through the season without gaining weight or losing ground w my running.

As for running, I did a quick three miles this morning with three friends who are running Boston on Monday. And when I say quick, I mean 10:03 splits. Holy moly!! The fastest 5K I've run in years was 34:00 (10:40 splits) in December. It helps to run with someone whose goal is to finish the Boston Marathon under 3:30 I also stuck around for restorative yoga, which I apparently needed desperately. Two of the next three Saturdays I'm busy, but I need to find another way to get some restorative back in my routine.

Day 24 Log

Breakfast (eaten standing up in the gym while my team warmed up) - Acorn Squash w Ground Pork, Peppers & Onions

Lunch - Green Smoothie (kale, blueberry, banana), AF Hot Dogs

Dinner - Pan-Roasted Swordfish w Peach-Avocado Salsa, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Green Salad w Blueberries

[mochuisle]

Busy for a Sunday - worked at yoga studio in the early am, swam a mile at the pool, went back to the yoga studio for a two-hour arm-balancing clinic - then relaxing in front of the TV, watching the Masters and finishing a great book!

Today's eating felt like summer vacation - trying to fit in meals to fuel multiple workouts while not feeling full for multiple workouts. Good problem to have

Day 25 Log

Breakfast - Eggs w Avocado, Green Salad w Blueberries

Snack #1 - Green Apple w Pecan Butter

Snack #2 - Kielbasa w Onions, Revitalize Juice (carrot, cucumber, kale, lemon, ginger)

Dinner - Pan-Roasted Swordfish w Peach-Avocado Salsa, Roasted Sweet Potatoes

[mochuisle]

This is a late log because yesterday I went to Boston for Marathon Monday.

My sister, one of my girlfriends and I were on the corner of Hereford and Boylston, where the runners turn the last corner toward the finish line. We were searching for friends who were running when we heard the first explosion. It sounded exactly like a cannon, and like so many other spectators, I thought it had something to do with the race or with Patriots Day. When the second explosion went off, we knew something wasn't right. At the same time, we saw a runner charge up the last hill, turn onto Boylston then turn around and run back from where he came. Then we knew something was seriously wrong. At that point, we turned the corner and saw smoke all over Boylston, and a Boston cop started shouting at people to evacuate right away.

We didn't need to be told to evacuate twice. There were way too many people on the sidewalks, so we hurdled a barrier fence so we could walk down the side of the road, and we walked as fast as we could to the Charles River so we could get back to Cambridge. I felt much safer once we crossed the Longfellow Bridge and got out of Boston city proper, but when we reached my sister's apartment, one of my friends called and said they were talking about additional bombs and about closing down Boston and its suburbs, so we took off immediately. As we drove up 93, we saw police vehicle after vehicle flying down 93 toward Boston, and this continued as we moved onto 128 and even onto 95 into NH.

I have a pile of friends who were running yesterday. One was back in his hotel room by the time of the explosion. One withdrew at Mile 13 with an injury and was bused to the medical tent at the finish line. She was in the tent when the bombs went off and witnessed first-hand the amazing medical staff tending to the injured. Two finished the race within 30 minutes of the explosion. And one was between miles 25 and 26 when the course was closed.

I have two students who were in the viewing stands minutes before the explosion. They went to get some food and came back to chaos. When they heard I was in Boston, they texted me to see if we needed an escort out of the city.

During the first two hours of finishers, my sister and I were right at the barrier on Mass Ave and shook hands with the numerous soldiers participating in the marathon for the Wounded Warrior Project. We thanked them for their service as they walked by, having no idea the role many of them would play helping victims at the finish line.

When we decided to move up to Hereford, my girlfriend Sarah ended up on the opposite side of the street from us. She had to walk down Boylston, around the finish area, and back up Boylston to get to us. She walked by both explosion areas literally minutes before the explosions. And all three of us were so thankful not only that Sarah avoided injury, but that she reached us before the attack so we were all together when they evacuated the area.

I don't have a log for yesterday, but will readily admit that I had two tall cold beers with Sarah as soon as we got home.

Needless to say, I'm feeling blessed, but at the same time my heart is going out to the victims and their families. And I'm looking at marathon training plans now - Boston 2014?

[pjena]

I'm so glad you and your friends are ok. What a horrible tragedy!

[CraftyCarnivore]

So glad you're ok. I'm so sorry you had to go thru that.

[Derval]

Sor elieved you are ok, what an awful experience..

[mochuisle]

Thank you for the well wishes and kind thoughts

This has been one long-ass day! After yesterday's chaos, I was exhausted and slept in until 7am. I then did 5 loads of laundry, got out on my bike for the first time this season and did an 8-mile ride, had a leg massage, went to the dentist, went to softball practice, opened the yoga studio, went to dinner, closed the yoga studio, then prepped Pork-Plantain Breakfast Hash for tomorrow. I'm done!

Day 27 Log

Breakfast - 2 eggs, Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Snack - Apple w Cashew Butter

Lunch - AF Hot Dogs, Spinach Salad w Blueberries

Dinner - Lamb Shish Kebabs, Beet Salad w Golden Raisins, Green Salad

[mochuisle]

For a vacation week, this has been pretty busy for me! We had a youth softball clinic from 9-1, which meant I had to work out early. I did a Run for Boston in the early am - a group on Facebook organized this. Awesome idea! Thousands of people all over the world wearing blue & gold and running to support Boston. Sign me up!

On a totally different note, as I started out on my run, one of my friends pulled up next to me in his car. I've worked out with him for years - we work together, too & he's the first good friend I had who went Paleo. We talk food, exercise & sports at lunch every day, so he knows what I've been up to over the last year. Well, he pulled up yesterday to say he was coming out of the gym just as I was running by and he couldn't believe how much my running has improved in a year. As he said, "You're really running now! It took me a minute to recognize you." Coming from a former track coach, I'll take it! Made my day

Day 28 Log

Breakfast - Lamb Shish Kebab, Roast Sweet Potatoes, Spinach Salad w Blueberries

Snack - Apple

Lunch - Pork & Plantain Hash w Hot Sauce & Avocado

Dinner - Spinach Salad w Apples, Walnuts & Chicken

[mochuisle]

I decided to end my Whole 30 - or modified W30 - after today. I'm a day short, but with Easter undoing my true W30, with all of the chaos earlier this week and with plans for breakfast and dinner tomorrow, I'm ready to be done.

I'm working yoga early tomorrow morning, so I'll jump on the scale after class. I definitely feel better than I did a month ago, but I know I haven't lost weight like I did on the other W30s. Then again, in the middle of softball season, I'm just happy not to gain weight. If I can keep things together for the month of May without gaining any weight and while keeping up with my running, I'll be happy

Let you know how things go.....

Day 29 Log

Breakfast - Pork & Plantain Hash w Hot Sauce & Avocado, Spinach Salad w Apricots

Lunch - Banana Smoothie, Chocolate Chili

Snack - Beet Juice

Dinner - AF Hot Dogs, Spinach Salad, Roasted Sweet Potatoes

[mochuisle]

Here's the 411:

In the month I took off between my Whole 45 and the beginning of this loose Whole 30, my body weight went up 10 pounds. No surprise - I was training for, then running, a half marathon and giving my body pretty much anything it wanted.

This W30 was loose in spots: I took Easter weekend off, I had a couple beers on Monday night, and I ended one day shy of my 30 days. And as I said repeatedly through the course of this round, I'll be happy just maintaining during softball season. But, I'd also like to see if I can continue to lose weight if I'm compliant 90% of the time.

When I stepped on the scale this morning, I was pleasantly surprised to see that I took off all of the weight I gained around my half marathon plus two more pounds And my running times have dropped considerable again - my last two runs have averaged in the 10:00/10:10 range, instead of 10:40-11:00 range.

So, I'm going to keep this up for the next few weeks - clean during the week, taking a day off on the weekend. The next four weekends, I have events that will be less enjoyable if I'm on W30, so I'm going to enjoy myself fully. At the same time, I don't want to spin out of control. While this round was FAR from perfect, it may have been exactly what I needed. I have proof positive that I can eat clean most of the time, not necessarily all of the time, and still drop weight. I'd love to drop 7 pounds before the end of school, which would put me 45 pounds lighter than I was a year ago

On a completely separate note, I pray the Boston PD and FBI capture the second bomber soon. I'm starting to feel the stress of what we went through on Monday. My sister is in lockdown in Cambridge and is learning that these guys lived very close to her. Keep her safe, along with all of the responders and all of the people of Boston. I love that dirty water!!