Get it in!

Many people struggle to get their workout in.  With the crazy lives we all lead, this is understandable, but in reality time is no excuse for a sedentary lifestyle.  There are plenty of ways to fit in physical activity-- sometimes you just need to get creative!  Here are a couple of ways I've found.

Work out in the morning!  I always feel energized post-workout, and running in the morning always gives me focus the rest of the day.  Plus, then I don't have to worry about scheduling time later!  It's easy for me to wake up a bit earlier, I just go to bed at a decent hour the night before.  My trick is to set my alarm for 15 minutes before I actually want to get up so I can afford to hit snooze once.

If you just aren't a morning person (and many people aren't), schedule a time during the day or night that is expressly for a workout.  Make it like a coffee date, and keep it!  If you plan ahead, you are much more likely to go through with it.

If you absolutely don't have time to set aside for a workout, fit workouts into your daily activities.  This is actually much easier than it sounds; you don't have to walk on a treadmill while at the office, but you can do little things throughout the day to get fit and strong!  Ideas:

1. Take the stairs.  Even if it's just one flight, it makes a difference.  Bonus points if you go up and down a couple of times during your lunch break!
2. Ditch the shopping cart.  When I get groceries, I try to carry the bags out to my car, holding the bags away from my body to work my shoulders.  
3. Keep light weights accessible.  If you're watching TV, on the phone, etc. pick up a weight and do some bicep curls or shoulder presses.  This is actually incredibly effective for me!
4. Replace your chair with a stability ball for a tighter core and better posture.
5. In stead of sitting at Starbucks with your coffee, take it on a walk.  
6. Make date night active!  Rock climbing is such a fun activity, as well as skating, dance classes, and many other active options.  
7. Think of it all as a workout!  In a study on the caloric burn of cleaning, maids who were told their activity would burn calories ended up burning more than those that were not. 

Good luck with all your fitness endeavors!  Comment with any other suggestions!

Back in action!

Many months and miles later, I am back!  During the hectic summer and even more insane cross country season, I fell out of the habit of blogging.  However, I am returning with a purpose: to train for and document my first half marathon!  Registered for the Twin Cities Half on June second, I have begun my training and am embracing it with zeal.

My cross country coach volunteered to give me a training plan if I were to try the half.  As an elite athlete and an outstanding coach, his direction is a once in a lifetime opportunity to really compete in a longer race.  I am now following his training plan daily, and will hopefully document workouts here!

In addition, I have been considering running this half for charity.  I want to see if friends and family would want to donate money to an incredible organization, Opportunity International, based on either my miles logged in training or performance in the race.  But before I explore that, I need to get in the swing of training again!  Thus, my weekend consisted of a lot of running.

As the sun peeked itself over the frosty treetops, I set out for my first long run two days ago.  Long runs are my one true love; I could set a pace and keep it indefinitely, traversing hill and dale until some other commitment draws me back home.  With the snow and ice of the past couple months, coupled with the necessity of Nordic training, I was unable to run anything longer than 6 miles since December.  But, with the watery sunlight on my back and my icy breath puncturing the air before me, I fell right back into my old rhythm.  Surprisingly, I was able to maintain an 8:10 pace for 8 miles, clocking in at just over 65 minuted of running.  I didn't even notice the miles disappearing beneath my feet-- the entire run was a blur of pavement, hills, and houses, and I loved every minute of it.

Then, yesterday, I completed my first progression run.  I was only supposed to run about 6 miles, picking up the pace to a 7:20-7:40 in the last few miles, but excitement got the best of me and I ended up going a grand total of 8 in less than 63 minutes.  Not bad for my first real workout, but I am planning to tone down the volume to avoid the inevitable injuries of doing too much too quickly.

Finally, to recover, I have some delicious Moroccan Lentil Soup.  This high-protein, carbohydrate-rich soup is perfect for fueling my long runs.  Here's the recipe, and a picture!  I added a can of tomatoes to it as well!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 2 cups chopped carrots
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 6 cups vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 3 cups chopped cauliflower (about 1/2 medium)
• 1 3/4 cups lentils
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 cups chopped fresh spinach or one 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

PREPARATION

1. Heat oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat; add onions and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon and pepper; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Add broth, water, cauliflower, lentils, tomatoes and tomato paste; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender but not mushy, 45 to 55 minutes. Stir in spinach and cook until wilted, 5 minutes.
3. Just before serving, stir in cilantro and lemon juice.