Super FIT links…and why summer is awesome

PART 1

Guess what? I’ve got links for you. Lots and lots and lots of links.

Ok. Not really. Just three this week.
Cut me some slack. I was finishing my online class this week and training for a marathon. (That’s so going to be my excuse for everything the next 18 weeks. Especially when I want sweets.)

  1. Several weeks ago I mentioned how excited I was about the Reve women’s team<< who would be riding the Tour de France route one day ahead of the men. Did I also mention that only one of the six women is a pro<< athlete? Man would I love to be on the team right now. I dream big, so of course I see myself doing that in, oh, the next five years. Well, no matter my dreams, their dreams are starting TODAY<<. And if you’d like to follow along with their journey, one of the riders, Heidi Swift, will be blogging every night over at Peloton—her column is ‘Swift’<<
This is definitely a HUGE motivation for me. I have always been a huge bike rider-now turned cyclist-and one of my ‘bucket list’ ideas is to cycle across the country (Europe too… but hey, someday). These gals though, they are my heroines!

 

2. So, are you drinking water?  Cause I am.

This is my second bottle of the day, on top of a few glasses. I’m proud of myself. I won’t lie.
Plus, when I ran this morning at 6 am it was already about 80 degrees outside, and I sweated out a monsoon.
Not as much as the double monsoon last night when I jogged—yeah  11 min/mile jogged practically—by the bank on my way to C25k. The screen read 100 degrees at 7:30 at night.

I. Love. It.

But, in all seriousness, if you are working out in heat like this, you have got to hydrate. You don’t need to be passing clean out like I did right after we moved to the Texas a couple of years ago.

If you ask, I’ll tell you the story. If you don’t ask, then you get to wonder.
But, there was a great refresher course in my current issue of runners world by Dimity McDowell.

Conveniently, The New Rules of Hydration: What and When to Drink for Peak Performance can be found online just for you.<<

I’m stoked too. I mean, I already down a cup of coffee before I run, I’ve started to ease my way into the whole sports-drink-while-running (so far it just ends up on my hands and shirt), and I’ve got the chocolate milk recovery down pat. Who knew I was such a rule follower. And to think I was just some running genius coming up with these things on my own.

Really though. Drink water and electrolytes if you’re headed out in this heat. You need them. Bad.
And next week, I’ll talk a little but more about hydration. (Or my used-to-be-lack-thereof) if anyone asks.

3. Finally. Ice Cream.

We all know that’s pretty much the main reason why summer is awesome. Right?
Wrong.

Well…in my book anyway. (Sorry Wonder Woman! I’m trying!)  Sure, I like ice cream like the rest of ‘em, but 'I’m trying to go all healthy here people. Plus, I’m not about to let it screw up my colon and/or marathon training.
I’m slowly, slowly, slooooowly learning that too much sugar+milk is not a good thing for me.
Ok, so maybe I know this I just don’t want  to except this.

Enter this goodness<<.
I might have become slightly addicted to Pinterest all for the sheer bliss of the yogurt creations I can dabble with.

Like this one by Girl Gone Healthy

Who knew you could freeze regular yogurt<< and it’d be just as delicious as ice cream?
Don’t answer that. You’ll make me feel silly.

I haven’t tried the cookie & cream fro cho, but I’m going too. It is Music Man’s favorite flavor after all.
But I did have this for lunch every day this week

Vanilla greek yogurt, fresh peaches, a drizzle of honey, and granola.
And you know… my sweet tooth was satisfied!

Plus there was dinner’s desert

Vanilla yogurt, a banana sliced slipped in the middle, and a dollop of Nutella.
And yes, there are a few missing…but only two!
It’s a slightly adapted version of this<<

Frozen yogurt… you really aren’t like ice cream… and yet… you are.

But for now, you have become my summer lovin’  (had me a blast…. summer lovin’ happened so fast)

Tell me the reference and you win my heart.

 

That’s it people. It’s Friday. Stop working. Read some articles. Go sit by the pool. Plan a pizza party.

Enjoy.

Passing the Baton:   So, if I seriously cycle across country, how do I convince Music Man to come with me? Favorite way to hydrate? Water? Lemonade? Some crazy sports drink that I don’t know about? And finally…. FroYo creations? I need them.

______________
Seek Peace. Choose Joy.

Fitness Links for your weekend reading. (To keep your mind off of race nerves)

Short and to the point today because it’s been a frazzling week, I’ve got race packing to do, and then it’s time to hit the road!

 

1. It’s obviously important to live a non-sedentary life to help stave off heart disease and diabetes, but a new study has shown a that movement helps keep after dinner blood sugar spikes at bay.

2. Who knew that ferrets could help prove the runner’s high?

3. Positive thoughts people.  That’s what keeps us going. Which is why, despite the rain tomorrow forecasted for my race., I am still going to PR. The rain will make me run faster.

4. But the million dollar question is when do we lose our ability to only think positively? Forget how other people would react and channel your inner child. Say “I’m awesome” [I as in you]. Brag on yourself for a bit. I guarantee it will help push you through that race/run/workout.  Maybe that should be my mantra for tomorrow morning.

5. But speaking of awesome, you must check out this gal. In under four years, she went from Wall Street woman to Olympic hopeful. She’s one of the world’s fastest women cyclists. She’s definitely heroine worthy in my book.

 

Expect a full race recap eventually.
Have a good Friday!

 

Passing the Baton: What are you reading this week? Any good articles/tips for me?

Fitness Links for reading

Welcome to Friday!
I seemed to disappear from my blog this week, but it's been an off week around here. I got my training runs in this week and feel great, but work has been busy! So, I've actually been busy working instead of writing.
However, I did find time to get some good reading for your weekend. Here goes:

source

1. One of my biggest weaknesses with my training is my core workout. Well, not so much my entire core because I've been working on my hips, glutes, and back due to my injury, but my abs. Oh how I hate ab work. But really, I just need to suck it up, buckle down, and get busy. So, I found this, and I think I'm going to give it a try. First of all, I really like this article because it's not just all "sexy abs in six minutes" or some crazy fitness trend of the moment. Fitness magazine takes the time to explain the ab muscles, and there was a lot of research involved in this workout. Plus, it's yoga. Which I've been reading about forever how yoga is such a good core strengthener. Especially for runners. I'm not a dieter, so I probably won't try that, but I'm thinking I might take up incorporating this workout into my strength routine.

Fitness Links Friday

Check it.

When I'm bored at work, I often peruse Publisher's Weekly, the news, and health websites.

I can't help it. I get really bored, really easily. And I like to read. Don't tell my boss.

So I thought, why not share some of this good 'ole stuff with you guys? That way you know some of the things I talk about are actually legit.

(I have no idea where this cool/gangsta voice is coming from, but, just roll with it with me.)

So here's to what I'm calling Fitness Links Fridays.

1. First up are these AWESOME ladies over in Portland and California who are going to be riding the entire Tour de France route before the actual race. In fact, they'll be riding each stage one day before the men because we all know the race is a male-only kind of gig. Oh, you didn't know? Well, now that I've told you, go out there and cheer on these women cause they aren't doing it race style. They'll be riding without closed off roads, cheering crowds, or other racers to draft off of.
Hard. Core.