Day 3

I am still cold from my run, I think a warm shower will do me well. Today I ran 4 miles. I ran 16 seconds per mile faster than Monday. The first mile I always take it easy. The last 3 I tried to push it. I have to cross train tomorrow, then Friday I will do 6 miles. Saturday I will be doing 11! I have not done anything above 8 miles in a while. I am so excited to run longer. I always enjoy long runs.

DAY 2

Today I ran 6.66 miles at a 10 minute pace. I have been feeling more rested lately. I am not doing double work outs right now. I think my body needed me to slow down. My legs feel fresh and strong.  My partner just found out she is expecting so I will be doing my long runs solo. It will be good to reconnect with my thoughts once again. I love having  Holly with me, but some solo time might be good. 

He is the best little guy to come home to after a run.

1st Day of Training

Today's run consisted of 4 miles. Pace was a little on the slow side, but it is my first day. My average pace was 9:45. I know I will get better with time and training. I don't know if I am shooting too high, but I am hoping to run my marathon at 9:30-10:00 minute pace. Only my time and dedication will tell. I also got a good solid 7 hrs of sleep, they were very much needed. The night before I was up with the baby for about 4 hrs and the night before that I only got 4 hrs. of sleep. I think sleep will be the biggest challenge in my training. I just don't seem to ever be able to sleep a decent amount.The weather was a little bit cold and I ended up wearing my running jacket. I don't know why I opted to wear my jacket, I got hot and sweaty fast. Overall it was a good run, and it is always a plus when you can see the moon and the stars here in Bakersfield.

A run in the country

I had the amazing opportunity of running out in the country, along a canal and a river. The views were breath taking! The run was amazing.

Training Officially Begins

I officially begin marathon training tomorrow. I feel butterflies in my stomach. I am nervous and excited. I feel so blessed to have a strong and healthy body. I am so grateful to have husband who supports me in all I do, without him it would not be possible. I just pray that I will have no injuries. I can't wait for the day I can say I finally did it. Wish me luck! Death Valley Marathon Feb. 1st!

T25 Results

I finished T25 about one week ago. Here are my results: -9.5lbs and -9 inches.

DO THIS NOT THAT & BURN MORE FAT

Carbohydrate Cycling For Weight Loss

• I have been reading a lot about Carb Cycling and wanted to save this on here for future reference. I have also read book writen by Michae Massie title,
Carb Cycling For Rapid Fat Loss: The Solution to Lose Stubborn Fat Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible. The book was interesting.  

Carbohydrate Cycling For Weight Loss 

• By Jeff Gaudette

What Is Carb Cycling?

Simply speaking, carb cycling is a process of alternating between lower-carbohydrate, lower-calorie days and higher-carbohydrate, higher-calorie days. These cycles are usually a couple of days long and are usually based on the days in which you train. Bodybuilders will often use severe carbohydrate and calorie restrictions on their “non-carb” days and load up on their “high-carb” days.

Unfortunately, these extremes won’t be quite as effective for runners because the energy systems required for optimal training are different between bodybuilders and runners. However, we can modify the process to get the benefits we need as runners. First we need to understand the basics of how carb cycling works.

How Carb Cycling Works
To better understand why carb cycling works, it’s important that you understand the role carbohydrates, or lack thereof, play in weight loss.

Mainly, we know that limiting carbohydrate intake lowers insulin levels. Research shows that having low insulin levels accelerates the release of fatty acids and increases fat burning, even during exercise (which is where the idea of running before eating breakfast to burn fat comes from). Considering this information about the role of carbohydrates and insulin, if a runner wants to burn fat and lose weight, he or she would refrain from eating carbohydrates all together.

But we also have to take into consideration the idea of recovery and fuel for optimal performance. Insulin is a very important hormone in the metabolic energy and recovery process. Insulin facilitates the transport of glucose from the blood into the muscle cells, where it can be metabolized to produce energy. Meanwhile, carbohydrates and insulin also stimulate the recovery process by driving critical nutrients, including protein, to damaged muscles. Therefore, it is critical that athletes include carbohydrates in their diet; specifically, before and after workouts, which are the most critical time windows for running performance and recovery.

Carb cycling, when done correctly, facilitates this objective by ensuring that the liver or muscle tissue rapidly absorbs any ingested carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores. If ingested carbohydrates replenish glycogen stores, there won’t be an excess that ends up in fat cells where enzymes convert glucose into fat for storage, thus allowing you to lose weight.

The Effectiveness Of Carb Cycling

Recent research conducted by the Genesis Prevention Center revealed that intermittent, low-carbohydrate diets were superior to the standard, daily calorie-restricted diet and the traditional Mediterranean diet in reducing weight, body fat and insulin resistance. In short, mean reduction in weight and body fat was roughly 4 kilograms (about 9 pounds) with the intermittent approaches compared with 2.4 kilograms (about 5 pounds) with the standard dietary approach. The researchers also found that insulin resistance was reduced by 22 percent with the restricted low-carbohydrate diet compared to 4 percent with the standard Mediterranean diet.

Modifying Carb Cycling For Runners

The issue with traditional carb cycling is that it’s pretty extreme and often difficult to follow. Unlike weightlifters, runners usually train 5-6 days per week. Moreover, weightlifters mostly rely on short, alactic bursts of energy while runners require a fairly constant supply of glycogen. Therefore, a runner can’t severely restrict their calorie and carbohydrate intake without suffering mightily on their runs, which will also bleed into subsequent workouts.

Instead, runners can break down the carb cycle process to better coincide with the continued energy demands of distance running. Rather than approach carb cycling with the all-or-nothing tactic weightlifters implement, runners can employ a carb-cycling methodology that utilizes no-carb, low-carb, and high-carb days that correspond with specific training days. Maintaining this type of carb-cycle approach will enable a runner to specifically target days when carbohydrates and calories are needed for performance and recovery while still allowing for the calorie and carbohydrate deficit needed to lose weight.

How To Implement Carb Cycling

No-Carbohydrate, Low-Calorie Days
These will be the rest or cross-training days in your training schedule. If you run more than five days per week, substitute your easiest run of the week for the off day. You’ll want to target a caloric deficit of about 400 to 600 calories on your low-carbohydrate day.

The no-carbohydrate phase should break down to: 1.2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight, 0.4 grams of fat per pound, and 0.5 grams of carbohydrates per pound. For a 130-pound woman, here is what those numbers would look like:

Protein: 130lb x 1.2 = 156g protein = 624 calories (46% of caloric intake)

Fat: 130lb x 0.4 = 52g fat = 468 calories (34 % caloric intake)

Carbohydrate: 130lb x 0.5 = 65g carbs = 260 calories (19% caloric intake)

Given that an average 130-pound woman burns about 1,900 calories per day, this breakdown would result in a 550-calorie deficit, which will help promote weight loss.

Low-Carbohydrate, Moderate-Calorie Days
Low-carbohydrate days fall on your average training day and are the main driver of carb cycling for running. These days allow you to maintain the energy reserves to run well while giving your muscles fuel for recovery. Low-carbohydrate days should be 3-4 days per week that are standard running days — not your hardest workouts or long runs.

The low-carbohydrate phase should break down to: 1.3 grams of protein per pound, 0.5 grams of fat per pound, and 1.0 grams of carbohydrates per pound. Using the example of the 130-pound woman from before, here is what the numbers would look like:

Protein: 130lb x 1.3 = 169g protein = 676 calories (38% of caloric intake)

Fat: 130lb x 0.5 = 65g fat = 585 calories (33 % caloric intake)

Carbohydrate: 130lb x 1.0 = 130g carbs = 520 calories (23% caloric intake)

While still relatively low in carbohydrates, this breakdown results in roughly the same number of calories burned as calories consumed, which will help fuel you properly for running without putting on weight.

High-Carbohydrate, High-Calorie days
High-carbohydrate days will coincide with your hardest workout days and long runs. Typically, you’ll have two or three of these per week, depending on the intensity of your schedule. The additional calories and carbohydrates should come from complex carbohydrates and be eaten before and after your runs for optimal fueling. The purpose is to replenish the body’s glycogen stores, stimulate an anabolic response through insulin release, and give the mind a break from the moderately restrictive normal phase of the diet. The general idea is to continue to eat a lot of veggies and add to that fruit and naturally unprocessed carbohydrates, and if necessary, a small amount of processed carbohydrates.

The high-carbohydrate phase should break down to: 1.7 grams of protein per pound, 0.5 grams of fat per pound, and 1.0 grams of carbohydrates per pound. For the same 130-pound woman, here is what the numbers would look like:

Protein: 130lb x 1.7 = 221g protein = 884 calories

Fat: 130lb x 0.4 = 52g fat = 468 calories

Carbohydrate: 130lb x 2.5 = 325g carbs = 1300 calories

If you’re struggling to lose weight while maintaining a rigorous training schedule, give carb cycling a try. Like anything with running, it’s not easy and it requires work and planning, but the results will speak for themselves.

Stephanie Nunez Erica I can't express how proud I am of the wonderful human being you are. I feel privileged to know you and to see how far you've come with your health and wellness. I honestly look up to you for all your hard work and dedication, not only to your health and image, but also to your beautiful family. Keep it up because whether you already know this or not you're impacting and positively influencing people left and right. And I'm one of them! 

I cried while reading this sweet comment today. I want to keep it here, so I can remember it when I am feeling weak.

Death Valley Marathon

I have done marathon training in the past, but I never got to run one. It was heartbreaking because I had put so much time and effort into my training, but at the time I was 18 weeks pregnant and decided that the best thing to do was to drop out. I still continued running up until my 31st week of pregnancy, but the marathon just gave me an uneasy feeling. I didn't want something happening that I would regret for the rest of my life. I have since had my cute little baby boy who is almost 5 1/2 months old. I got right back on the road when he was 4 weeks old and my body responded well. I have been running 3-4 days a week and I have been doing a couple of Beachbody programs (Insanity and T25). They have helped get in better shape. I have not reached my pre-pregnancy weight (1lb away). But I have learned that in fitness there is no destination, it just becomes a way of life. I had the silly idea that if I got down to 130-125 I would be happy, that mentality has changed (hallelujah!). I am gaining health, strength and muscle, and most importantly I am happy! I have also learned a long the way that this is a slow process, but with consistency it gives you results. I decided to train for a marathon once again, and if this is my turn things will go well and I will be able to run my first marathon ever on February 1st, 2014. I am nervous, but I have faith that I will do good. The main thing for me will be to not over train and stay away from injuries. I will be following Hal Higndon's Intermediate 1 training plan, the only thing I will be adding to it is hill work. Hill work will be the most challenging part of my training because Bakersfield is flat! I will have to drive to the canyon or do some hills up by Bakersfield College which is a 25 minute drive. I love just putting on my shoes and running out the door or when I meet my partner the drive is only 5 minutes. Phillip is being very supportive of me like always. He said I can do this and that I am ready for this next challenge. I have printed a calendar with all my workouts to keep me on track. I am so excited, I can't wait!

Here is a picture of the the course and elevation: 

 I would like to document my training here, I thought it would be nice to go back some day and read about the feelings and experiences that come with training for my first marathon.

One Small Victory

Today as I was getting ready for church I decided to try on a skirt that had not fit me for a long time. This skirt was made just for me by an awesome girl from our ward (Who is getting married in just a few weeks and I can't tell you how happy I am for her. I attended her bridal shower yesterday and I just got teary eyed thinking about it. She is such a beautiful girl inside and out. She will be such an amazing wife and mother, I know). I had not been able to wear it for a long time and I really like it. Phillip really likes this skirt too. It is the perfect length, comfortable and I love the colors. Well, today it fit! :)