Week in Workouts

This week was a pretty decent balance of running with a bit of fun cross training mixed in. Here's a look at what I did.

Monday - Summer Shape Up strength circuit (am), 7 mile group run (pm)

Tuesday - Easy day, 25 min of spinning followed by 20 min strength (Tone it Up) (pm)

Wednesday - 3.75 mile run (am), 30 mile bike ride with Lindsey (pm) Beautiful night and slowly feeling stronger on the bike

Thursday - 6 mile SPEED work on the track (pm), stretched and foam rolled Workout included: 10 min warm up, drills, 1 mile @ tempo pace, 800m @ mile pace, 6 x 400m at 5K pace, 10 min cool down. Youch! The hammies were feeling this workout. 

Friday - Insanity plyometric circuit (37 min of sweaty craziness) + short and easy jog with the dog (am)

Saturday - Bike to and from yoga (6 mi), power yoga, run 1.23 miles looking for the manfriend who was out on a 7 mile run! (am)

More cross training = squatting down and picking a big bucket of strawberries (pm)

Sunday - Woke up before 6 am! Shoved on the shoes and was out the door for 9 miles of pure peacefulness before a day of wedding planning.

Also miraculously had a negative split run where I was seeing a few sub 8 min miles. Random thought of the run: amazing what you can do when you actually believe you can

Days foam rolled: 2/7

While I'm great about fitting in my workouts (because it's a priority to me), I want to get better about getting off my rear at lunch and taking a walk. With things being so busy lately, I've often found myself sitting at my desk through lunch and just eating while working. No bueno. 

The food front: As I'm sure you all have experienced, when life is busy, making healthy and varied meals is challenging. As a result, I needed to mix it up this weekend. Thursday, we tried a new spot, First National Taphouse for beer and pulled pork sliders for him and a prosciutto & cheese melt for her. Friday, we finally got our engagement photos done and grabbed a quick dinner afterward at Turtles - big salad with grilled chicken for her and mac 'n cheese & salad for him.

Saturday, we picked up some fresh cod at the fish market that we used for dinner both yesterday and today. I sauteed a mixture of veggies, onion and black beans to go with the cod. Saturday, we enjoyed the mixture in little corn tacos and Sunday, in salads.

On the wedding front, we're less than 30 days out! Things are getting real, as in, they need to happen now or never. My friend Jenn helped me do some planning today. We spent a few hours talking about my ideas and running around to Michael's, JoAnn Fabrics and Home Depot.

My mindset these days in wedding mode is if I don't have the time to make it and it's something I really want at our wedding, it's totally worth buying. Thank goodness for Etsy and those who craft for a living!

How was your week and weekend?

Wedding: The Bridal Shower

Sunday kicked off the first of the official wedding activities with my bridal shower in Portland. Lindsey and I left Eugene early with coffee in hand to make the trek and catch up on life. She and Sonny are getting married a week after the manfriend and I, so it's always fun to chat about planning (and procrastinating). 

Thanks to Lindsey for snapping the photos. I didn't grab my big camera before leaving the house so these photos aren't the greatest quality from my point & shoot and phone. 

When we arrived, the food was set out, the flowers were being beautifully arranged and the mimosa bar was open!

Jenn put together a rockin' mimosa bar.

Note to self: do this at home on a random Sunday

Sabrina (my brother Kyle's wife) was the hostess with the mostest and made their townhouse look extra cute. They just bought a house in Portland so they will be moving sometime in the next month just a handful of blocks away from their current location.

The spread included pasta salad, cucumber salad, caprese toothpicks, strawberries to dip, bread and cream cheese w/ jam, chocolate cupcakes with raspberry frosting and watermelon + goat cheese.

The ladies

Friends included those from Eugene, my cousin and high school friends

Lindsey, Brendel, Taylor, Jessica & Candice

Jenn and grandma Jean

After eating and chatting, it was time for a little trivia! First off, Jessica asked things of the ladies about me (my first car, my nickname, # of marathons, etc.) and then she had a few questions for me to answer what Pete would have said. 

Luckily, they weren't too tough. 

What does he like most about me? I said "probably my sarcasm" and he said "I like everything about her, but most of all her drive to be successful." 

What do I like most about him? I said "that he's hilarious" and he said pretty much the same thing.

After trivia, it was time for presents. Quite frankly, I think this post should be titled "The Many (unattractive) Faces of Lauren," but that doesn't sound so exciting, does it? 

Lucky for you, I've got many to share...

First, I give you the cheesey face with my bling ring and bride sash. 

Derp, I don't know. Thank you for the dish cloth and check grams!

Eeps, this is my "I'm so excited we finally have good pans to cook on that won't give us cancer"face!

Bah, my mom and Pete's mom unknowingly each bought the SAME exact card for me with their gift of our pots and pans set.

Just a wee bit surprised

Not really sure, but Judy did a lovely job of making my bows into a little bouquet

I must say, opening gifts in front of a room full of people is a bit unnerving, but everyone was incredibly generous. We now don't have room for another item in our house. Boxes, boxes, everywhere! 

Sabrina did an amazing job as party planner! Their house was so cutely decorated and she did a great job at incorporating things I liked. 

I was amazed how quickly the time flew and I still felt like I only managed to have a few conversations with people. I guess it's practice for the big day!

On the running front: Last week was my first week back to running on the regular and I managed to fit in 23 miles. I can already feel my IT bands, knees and hamstring talking to me. This means I owe myself some serious stretch and foam roller time.

It's Getting Hot Out Here*

Hellooooo Friday! I hope you have something relaxing planned this weekend. We have a board meeting so I'll be working late today and then all of Saturday. And Sunday kicks off the first of the wedding celebrations... my bridal shower!

What I'm looking forward to most about our wedding celebrations is having so many of the people we care about in one place. After all, how often does that happen in life?

She's feelin' hot hot hot

You know what says summer to me? Starbucks' half passion, half green tea with one honey. My favorite way to order it.

It's the perfect drink when you want something cool with a little flavor, but don't need the caffeine kick of an iced coffee or Americano. 

Happy National Running Day! I was reminded what it felt like to run early. The body was juuust waking up around mile 2. 

I did in fact get one honk on this run. Hoping that's because they loved my obnoxiously bright outfit. 

Fashion Friday

This is probably the most basic way I've worn this skirt. Often, it's paired with a bright top. But even so, the print and some heels alone are enough. 

Top: Ann Taylor, skirt: Loft, heels: Tahari

Call me a lizard. I've been literally basking in this glorious sun we've been enjoying. Wednesday, I say outside during lunch munching on my pasta salad over spinach.

My favorite summer meal is in fact chilled rainbow pasta w/ diced olives, onion, tomatoes, green pepper, garlic salt, balsamic and olive oil. It's easy to throw together and works great to make large batches at a time.

Last night, I got out of work late and met the run group for a few laps around the track (they were doing a speed workout, I just popped by to say hi as I was late). After a mile or so, I headed out the path for a few more miles on my own.

Somehow, each mile got faster. Seriously, I have no idea why or how. My legs felt tired (thanks to lots of lifting at Lifeforce on Wed) and my whole body was overheated. But with each mile, the Garmin beeped faster - 8:35, 8:23, 8:07, 8:01.

Whatever it is, sometimes you just gotta run with it. {Pun intended}

Your favorite thing about this week? 

The sun tends to bring me a better mood no matter what, so that has been a real blessing. But my favorite thing about this week was catching up with my friend Jenn after Lifeforce on Friday with a few tacos, chips and salad at El Torito. It reminded me that I don't spend enough time just talking and laughing with friends. 

*And by hot I mean high 70s to 80s. Don't forget, it's Oregon after all. 

Running on the Regular

Just like that, two weeks of reset are over! While I kept pretty busy thanks to work and wedding stuff, I wasn't following a rigid plan or pushing too hard on the workouts I fit in.

Things I did well:

• Not freaking out on days I didn't run
• Kept mileage low (13-15 miles both weeks)
• Ran more for the stress relief than the calorie burn
• Enjoyed an activity I rarely make time for - hiking!
• Joined the running group for dinner & beer 
• Found other cardio alternatives to running
• Ate ice cream (cookies 'n cream for him, chocolate for her)

It's rare that I workout with others (unless I'm running with the group) so I was happy that Lindsey and I planned a hike together. It really is the best of both worlds when you get to exercise outdoors AND have a social life. 

I often ditch out on the post speed workout dinner and beer because I'm picky about restaurants, but last Thursday the group was going to The Bier Stein (which I love), so the manfriend and I joined them. Who doesn't love cheesy melty sandwiches with the perfect side salad and a selection of freshly tapped brews at your fingertips??

The Spice of Life

Since my coworker loaned me her month 1 of Insanity videos, I took the opportunity to take them for a spin. Each video lasts about 45-50 minutes, including a warm up, stretch, workout and cool down stretch, but packs a real PUNCH!

Seeing this photo makes me want to clean our dining/workout room. :)

Over the last few weeks, I tried... the Fit Test, Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs, Cardio Power & Resistance and the Plyometric Cardio Circuit. Think lots of jumping (power jumps from a squat, tucking up the knees and slapping the quads), short cardio circuits that get increasingly faster, push up jacks, and ultimately a whole lot of sweat drippage! 

While I would usually tell myself "I'll hop on the bike after this or go for a short run," that 45 minutes of Insanity was often plenty for me. The soreness sets in almost as soon as the workout is over. 

I also managed to hop on the bike a few times for a trainer ride or riding to work, but I didn't get to cruise around the bike path casually like I'd hoped for. I guess that's what summer's for, eh?

Back to Running on the Regular

Monday it was back to running for this sassafras! I warmed up for a mile and then Danielle and I ran at a decent clip ranging from 8:05-8:30 miles in 75 degree heat for the next five. It's crazy what a difference the heat makes. Feels like energy is just being sucked right outta you!

Now I'm planning to pick out a training plan and work backwards from the race date (Chicago Marathon, Oct. 13) to determine my mileage and workouts. 

In addition to simply fitting in the miles, there are two things I want to work hard at this training season: 1. Working on weaknesses (right glute) 2. Foam rolling & stretching. 

Something to try: Exercises to Prevent Common Running Injuries (Runner's World)

Wall press, clam shells and the stability ball bridge are all exercises I've been prescribed in the past by a PT to help build my glute strength. It's nice to have these reminders and see someone else do them. 

Sunday Morning Six

Thanks for all your kind words on my hair and makeup trial! It's definitely helpful to get some feedback, especially on the hair as someone who rarely does anything special with her locks.

Today's post is going to be pretty random, so saddle up!

1. Remember how I was raving about this HUGE $10 organic bag of berries from Costco? Uh, yeah... The Today Show just reported on how that OR berry farm had a Hepatitis A outbreak and the product has been recalled. Glad I just finished that entire bag. #not

Currently seeking: clean, local, organic berries 

2. My laptop is about five years old and needless to say, it's pretty full thanks to thousands of photos. I've backed them up, but hate to delete them so every few weeks I get a message that my startup disk is almost full. I then go through and delete poor quality photos (blurry, ugly, pointless) to clear some space. Anyone else have this same issue?

3. The weather shows 70s and 80s in our future for the next week. Summer is here. Halleluiah! But the rain will be back. After all, this is Oregon. 

Perfect weather for distance running at Hayward Field on Fri night

Men's 10,000m race @ Prefontaine Classic

4. We checked off a few more things from the wedding to do list. I have a few more things I hope to check off today as well!

• Pete bought his shirt, tie and shoes for the wedding. Who knew finding an ivory shirt would be such a hassle? My dress is ivory, so his shirt also needs to be ivory. 
• I had my first dress fitting! Now, it just needs a little hem and it will be good to go. 
• Made reservations for the dog at a local boarder for wedding weekend

5. Yesterday, I ran in maybe 60 degree temps and wanted to take my shirt off. Then I remembered I'd be training for the Chicago Marathon the entire summer...

Abs, it's time to tighten up!

6. I can't get enough of Target's Mossimo vneck tees. At $8 a pop and super comfy, they're hard to pass up. I have about five different colors and picked up a heathered mint green yesterday. 

How is your weekend going so far? Any plans for today? 

I'm debating a run or Insanity video and of course wedding related things. I'm still sore from Friday morning's weight lifting routine, a Best Body Bootcamp workout from last year. Meanwhile, the manfriend is riding 117 miles with his team at the Gran Fondo!! 

Wedding: Hair & Makeup Trial

Hello and happy Tuesday! I hope you got to enjoy an extra day off. My long weekend kicked off late Friday afternoon when I left work to head with my mom over to Bend, OR. 

I had scheduled my hair and makeup trial for this weekend so we decided to go over the night before and enjoy Bend a bit. 

We got into town, booked a hotel on the drive over via Orbitz (saved $40!) and headed to Brother Jon's Ale House for dinner. It's one of my favorite restaurants downtown (often a shorter wait than Deschutes Brewery) and has a great menu + awesome ale options. 

The brown porter was the beer of choice for both of us. I ordered a BLTAvacado and mom had a portobello mushroom sandwich. Both were a-mazing!

Afterward, we opted to walk around a bit to enjoy the city and walk off our food bellies. It was such a pretty night and just chilly enough to wear a warm jacket. 

Love Drake Park

I was kind of infatuated with the bark on this tree (true Oregonian right there). 

The next morning, I woke up around 5:45 am and couldn't go back to sleep. I blame the wedding nightmare I had. So, what do you do when you're awake and in such a beautiful running town? You run of course, in 34 degree temps. 

The Deschutes River trail was just a half mile or so from our hotel.

I just took it easy and enjoyed the scenery, stopping to snap some photos here and there, finishing with 2.5 miles total. After all, I'm still rocking the reset and taking it easy. 

Why not hold chaturanga on the foot bridge??

After a quick change, my mom and I headed to a 7:30 am sweaty, fun yoga class at Groove Yoga. My mom did a great job and enjoyed the class. I love their classes because they are fast paced, warm and have great music that keeps your mind off the sweat dripping poses. 

And now, the makeup trial!

After breakfast and showers, we went to Lemon Drop Salon to see Annie for my makeup. I asked her to do it fairly natural, with browns and coppers for the eye shadow. While it seemed heavy close up, I know for wedding photos that it needs to be a little more dramatic than my normal routine. 

Same makeup, but a little pinker lipstick. Overall, I was happy with how it turned out.

Shortly after, it was time to get the hairs did!

Megan at Blue Star Salon took the few photos I brought from Pinterest for inspiration for some kind of side, semi loose updo. 

Trying to explain what you want without really knowing yourself is kind of tough, but Megan did a nice job. While the curls looked too tight and "put together" at first, I liked how they looked after a few hours of wear. 

After the few hour drive home, it was time for dinner, so the manfriend and I went out for Italian. I snapped another pic of the hair just to see how it had held up after 5+ hours. 

So yeah, we packed a lot into our short 24 hours in Bend! I'm glad we made the trip over now so I have one less thing to worry about in the upcoming weeks.

What was the best part of your weekend? 

Yogic Breathing

Last night, I hopped into bed and immediately was overwhelmed by wedding brain. Basically, the immediate list of things I KNOW I need to do starts streaming through my head.

To calm myself, I started thinking about yoga breathing that makes me so relaxed. Along with that comes a number of phrases various teachers have suggested over the years.

The one I personally love, is something to the effect of...

Breathe in strength (or light or energy),

Breathe out what doesn't serve you. 

Sunrise at the top of Bolan Mt.

This has always resonated well with me and brings a lot of comfort. I like the idea of mentally dumping everything I no longer need that clutters up the important stuff in life. 

Happy Thursday!

Do you have a phrase that serves as your mantra when you're stressed or overwhelmed?

Reset

First off, I know all of our hearts are in Moore, Oklahoma and with all those affected by the tornadoes. I can't even imagine. Natural disasters are terrifying to me as someone who likes to be able to have control over things in life. 

As usual, flowers brought to you by Trader Joe's

After a few weeks of crazy unusual summery weather, we're back to cold and wet here in Eugene. I've already busted out the puffy jacket a few times this week.

Now about that reset...
I'm telling you this because they say announcing things publicly makes us more accountable. Mentally, I've been planning for this, but sometimes doing as I say isn't allllways a reality.

Anyway, my goal for these last two weeks of May is to treat them as reset weeks. Why the reset?

I'm planning to start base building for the Chicago Marathon on June 1st. In order to be ready for this round of marathon training, I want to be mentally and physically fresh and excited for the journey.

I'm going to be exercising for my sanity, and to complete Best Body Bootcamp, but I'm not going to be worried about my mileage, calories burned, feeling sore, etc. What I'm going to focus on is easy. What does this mean?

Easy, short runs. Easy lifting (as part of BBB workouts). No crazy circuit sweat blasting craziness that I love. oops. YOGA. Chilling the heck out. And likely, lots of walking or casual bike riding for my sanity.

Speaking of sanity, two of my coworkers recently started the Insanity workouts and wanted to know what I thought of them, so I had to see what all the fuss was about. Last night I came home and did the fit test (8 intense workouts, each for 1 min straight w/ 1 min rest, as many reps as possible) and the plyometric cardio workout (warm up + cardio circuits + stretch).

I'll try the other workouts before I do a full review, hopefully in a few weeks, but suffice it to say, I was dripping sweat and my arms felt like jello afterward. 

Mind over body
After that bout of Insanity, I suppose I should treat this sort of like taper weeks where I find things to occupy my time and brain. Some of my favorite distractions during taper weeks include reading all the magazines I've neglected, meeting up with a friend, trying a new recipe, doing an at home pedicure, etc.

Luckily, I'm already pretty busy with work and wedding planning, but it's always amazing how choosing a different mindset ("yay, taper time" vs. "here we go, another tough training week") changes how I measure success. So often, I have a mileage goal or workout plan in mind that I want to achieve, but during a rest week, success = the days I'm laying low and sweating less.


What are your favorite taper/easy week distractions? Has anyone else tried Insanity?