Food: Here is what on the menu this week! For breakfast, I made some more delicious egg white muffins. These have been great for on the go when I'm running out the door to work. Next time I'm planning on adding cheese and sausage for Joe. At lunch, I have been enjoying Sweet Kale Salad Mix that I snagged from Costco with grilled chicken. I love this mix and it is a great alternative to spinach or romaine. On Sundays, I have started planning and preparing 3-4 recipes for dinner. The other days of the week typically consist of remixing leftovers, grabbing something quick from the freezer or going out to dinner. I like not assigning a certain day to each meal so I don't feel confined to the schedule and can change things up. Also, it's great to already have all the ingredients in the apartment in case Joe gets to help with preparing dinner when I'm stuck at work.
Dinner Recipes
Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake
Fitness: This week marks the fourth week of marathon training. I crazily braved cold temperature in the teens Saturday morning to get in my long run. I met up with my running group at Fleet Feet Raleigh and explored 10 miles of downtown including State's campus and Cameron Village. I am so thankful I was running with a mentor, if not I would have been so lost! We tackled several monstrous hills during our run. By the end of our run, my FitBit determined we climbed the equivalent of 90 flights of stairs. I'm surprised I could sit afterwards!
One thing I am trying to get better about in my workouts is completing them before work. Before our wedding, I worked out in the morning regularly. It was so great to get it out of the way and not have to worry about squeezing it in after work. Now, I rarely exercise before work unless you count climbing the stairs to take Charlie outside. My favorite fitness blog, Tone it Up, emphasizes the importance of a early morning cardio session to help boost your metabolism and get the day started on the right foot. I also found this great graphic that shows additional benefits of morning workouts.
Fitness: This week marks the fourth week of marathon training. I crazily braved cold temperature in the teens Saturday morning to get in my long run. I met up with my running group at Fleet Feet Raleigh and explored 10 miles of downtown including State's campus and Cameron Village. I am so thankful I was running with a mentor, if not I would have been so lost! We tackled several monstrous hills during our run. By the end of our run, my FitBit determined we climbed the equivalent of 90 flights of stairs. I'm surprised I could sit afterwards!
One thing I am trying to get better about in my workouts is completing them before work. Before our wedding, I worked out in the morning regularly. It was so great to get it out of the way and not have to worry about squeezing it in after work. Now, I rarely exercise before work unless you count climbing the stairs to take Charlie outside. My favorite fitness blog, Tone it Up, emphasizes the importance of a early morning cardio session to help boost your metabolism and get the day started on the right foot. I also found this great graphic that shows additional benefits of morning workouts.
My goal is to start getting up early two days a week and hitting the gym before work. If I can't make it to the gym, then I can always work out at home with free weights.
Workouts
Monday: 4 miles w. Arms & Abs Strength Training
Tuesday: Total Body Strength & Hill Workout
Wednesday: Spin Class
Thursday: 5 miles w. Upper Body Strength
Friday: Spin Class w. Legs & Total Body Strength
Saturday: 12 miles
Sunday: Rest Day
Working out before going to the office is one of my top resolutions for 2014! I've had mixed results so far, but I love the sense of accomplishment I feel when I actually go...even if the rest of the day doesn't go so well, at least I did something productive!
ReplyDeleteAll of your meals sound delicious... I would love to work out in the morning but it's so hard to give up the extra bit of sleep! I think if I got in the habit it would be fine it's just making myself do it at first!
ReplyDeleteI'm so impressed! I wish I could get my butt out of bed early two days a week to go to the gym. Or do anything...
ReplyDeleteI'm a new follower, just wanted to say hi and good luck with your marathon training! I ran the City of Oaks half marathon in November and it was beautiful but HILLY! I'm flat-road runner from coastal VA so that was quite an eye-opening experience. Serious props for running those hills, with temps in the teens no less!
ReplyDeleteWhen I run, I have to go before work, which I try to do twice during the week. I always feel so much better on those days. This cold weather sure it making it difficult though!!
ReplyDeleteI'm training for a half marathon right now, and I seriously admire the runners on my team training for a full- go you! I absolutely LOVE running early, minus the fact that I feel like I end up eating way more throughout the day! (Oops- I really should be using those burnt calories for weight loss, not candy!)
ReplyDeleteHey Ashley! I found you thru a comment you left on one of Peach State of Mind's posts. First, awesome name! ;) And, I am trying to get back into working out before work too. Problem is... I am not a morning person. But on those random morning's I do get to the gym I LOVE it!! I also just signed up for my first 5K in May and I am super excited about it. XxOo
ReplyDeleteAshley, Baseball-Diamonds & Hairspray
http://baseballdiamondshairspray.blogspot.com/