Upcoming Races

Happy Friday!

Now that it's not 100+ degrees out, running season has official started back for me. I enjoy running just to run, but it's also fun to have some upcoming events in place to help motivate me on those days when I'm not feelin' it. 

Here are a few races I have coming up in the next few months. 

September 27 - ROC Race 5K Austin: I am SO excited for this. I joined a group of people on a team and while it's only a 5K, it includes some really fun obstacles very similar to the show Wipeout! I love that show, so I can't wait to try and attempt some of the same things, like the "Wrecking Ball," "Sweeper," and "Jump Balls." I just hope I don't hurt myself...it's my first obstacle race ever. 

November 16 - Rock 'n Roll Vegas Half Marathon: I've only been to Vegas twice and haven't been back in over 4 years, so I'm pumped to go back with my friend Kristen and do a race down the strip. We are staying at the Luxor, but it'll probably start off pretty calm since we have to run a few days after we arrive. Since it's a Rock 'n Roll race, there is always a headliner...and this year it is none other than SNOOOOOOOOP! I would never pay to go see him on my own, but the fact that he'll be performing at the race makes me oddly happy. The race starts at 4pm, so there will be plenty of time afterwards to get our "Vegas" on. 

November 27 - Turkey Trot 5 Miler: My first Turkey Trot ever! I've always wanted to do one but I usually prefer to be lazy the entire day of Thanksgiving. Not this year! My friend Deanna and I registered a few days ago and I'm hoping it'll start a new tradition. I need to brainstorm costume ideas. I definitely won't feel as guilty eating 8000 calories later in the day. 5 miles = unlimited calories, right? 

December 5 - Lights of Love 5K Austin: Deanna invited me to join her in this charity race for the Ronald McDonald House. It's Christmas themed and has beer at the end, so it didn't take much to convince me. 

January 25 - Austin 3M Half Marathon: I completed this race last year and hit my PR (thanks to the downhill nature of this course). I convinced a bunch of my friends to sign up for it with me this year, so it should be a good time! It's a first half marathon for a bunch of them, so I'm really excited to see how they like it...I've warned them that it's pretty addicting. 

AND THE BIG KAHUNA...

June 14 - Rock 'n Roll Liverpool Half Marathon: Yes sirrrr! Liverpool, England. An international race has been on my bucket list for quite a while. After much thought and discussion, Kristen and I bit the bullet and registered for the race and bought our plane tickets. She's doing the full and I'll be doing the half. We are flying into Dublin first to give us a few days to rest, adjust to the time difference and explore a bit, then we will cross the pond over to England and run our little hearts out. We'll spend a few days there and then return to Dublin for a few more days to recoup and drink Guinness and Jameson, naturally.  I believe a few more girlfriends may join (but not run) so it'll be a fun girls trip! 

I'm sure a few others races may pop up in the Spring. I can't wait to get back into running shape and log some more miles. 

Hope everyone has a good weekend! 

Paleo - 2 Week Check-In

I know everyone is dyingggg to know...have I turned into a cave-woman yet? Not really. 

About two weeks ago, I set my September goal and have been attempting to follow an 80/20 Paleo diet. I would say it has turned out to be more like 70/30, but ratios were never really my thing.

I knew going into this goal that I had to be honest and realistic with myself. With it being football season, it can only mean one thing...consuming some adult beverages and eating some Not-So-Paleo meals more often than not. 

During the work week (AKA zero football times), my breakfasts and lunches are 99% Paleo (everything minus some salad dressings here and there). The trouble comes on the weekends and some evenings during the week when I'm actually a social human being. Eating Paleo at home is extremely easy, because I know what to buy and avoid at the grocery store. Dining out or eating at other people's houses on the weekends is a different story. 

I'm not sure if it's because I'm not 100% in it or what, but I really haven't noticed that big of a difference. For the most part, I have cut out certain foods like hummus, quinoa, rice, black beans, sugar, and most refined carbs like bread/pasta...but I don't really feel a change. I never considered the majority of the above foods "bad" in the first place (everything in moderation), so I haven't decided if I would benefit from going Paleo long-term. 

Maybe it's the 20-30% cheats that ruin any chance I have of progress or feelings of change? Thanks pizza. 

I definitely think this is one of the harder diet-related goals I've had this year. Gluten-free wasn't easy, but it gave me more options that Paleo. And Vegetarian was a breeze compared to both of those. 

Two weeks to go! 

In other news, the weather is amazing now and I'm back into my running-after-work routine. Two months until the Vegas Half Marathon!! I gotta break these bad boys in. 

September's Goal: Paleo Diet

I hope everyone had a great Labor Day! It's safe to say Tuesday is the new Monday today.

Now that we've started a new month, it's time for another monthly goal. 

September: Paleo! Otherwise known as "The Caveman Diet."

For those of you who aren't familiar with the Paleo Diet, there is quite a bit of information here. 

But just as a brief overview, the basics of the diet instruct that you only eat the following:
- Lean proteins (such as beef, chicken, fish, eggs, etc. It's important to pick grass-fed vs. grain fed)
- Fruits and Vegetables (natural fruits and nothing deep fried)
- Healthy Fats (nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil, etc.)

It suggests avoiding certain kinds of foods, such as:
- Dairy
- Grains
- Processed Foods & Sugars
- Legumes
- Starches
- Alcohol

For the most part, my diet already fits fairly well into this lineup. But there are a few foods that I do regularly eat that aren't allowed, such as beans (sad face for no hummus), quinoa and rice, and peanut butter (yep, peanuts are actually a legume/bean). 

I'm going to try and be realistic here and know that I won't be able to go 100% Caveman (another month of no alcohol...not gonna happen). So instead of setting myself up for failure, I'm going to approach this with an 80/20 mindset. 80% of my diet will be on the Paleo track, while 20% will most likely be "whoops" incidents. I still view certain beans, grains, and other "off-limits" foods as healthy, but my main goal here is to avoid the processed fake "food" as much as possible, and stick with all-natural, multi-ingredient-free choices. If the name of the food isn't actually the name of the food in it, it's not happening (ex: a banana is a banana...chips are not just chips). 

I've heard a lot of pros and cons regarding this diet, so instead of being confused about it, why not try it myself and see how my body reacts? 

Good news - Bacon is allowed.