26.2 miles...The Making of a Marathoner

Wow where do I start!? Just a few days ago I finished a marathon...26.2 miles! Seems so surreal but so amazing all at the same time. Considering where I was 2 years ago, not running at all, it seems crazy to think about how it all came to be. I had a dream, made a goal, found a plan and just went for it. I won't say it was easy, far from that if anything. But all the obstacles, all the hard training days, life stresses and even injuries were so worth the end result. It has made me stronger and has proven to myself and a few others that if you truly want something in life, you have to be brave, believe in yourself, trust God and know that with Him you will have the ability to make it happen.

I will never forget the week I decided to change my status from the half to the full race. Several things happened, but the one thing I remember most vividly is running through the rain one evening and wondering if I really could do this. I was coming into mile 7 of a 10 mile run( my first 10 mile run), my ipod went out (and those who know me well know I have to run with music!), and I look up into the sky and see a rainbow appearing and all of sudden I felt God saying to me, "You can do this Sarah, it won't be easy and there will be hard times ahead, but you can do this." In that moment, I felt God carrying me those last 3 miles, and I believed he would do the same for 26.2....

In the week I decided to do the full, I got some funny looks, and a few comments questioning my sanity! Why in the world would you want to run 26 miles?! I heard that A LOT! lol I began to ask myself why in the world I felt compelled to put myself through the vigorous training that was coming my way. Here it is. I love to run. I am passionate about it. Some like painting, crafts, decorating, party planning, weight lifting and the list could go on. Me, I want to run. What do I want to do when I am stressed, mad, sad, angry, happy, excited or just to pass time? Run. When do I have my best thinking and best prayer time? When I am running! Preferably outside, although I am starting to love the treadmill on these cold rainy days we've had here lately! Running is my thing, and when I am needing a break from the world, from work, and being a wife and mother (which I love dearly!), just give me my running shoes, ipod and the open road and I will be one happy lady. You have to have YOU time and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that! Your family and your sanity will be better for it...

I will post about the race experience soon...

Sugar Free Peppermint Mocha Creamer is here!

For those of us counting carbs this holiday season, here is some yummy low carb creamer with only 2g carbs and 15 calories!

18 week Marathon Training for Newbies Like Myself! I loved this schedule...

Hal Higdon

Here is your Novice 2 training schedule. The below chart tells you what to do for each day for the 18 weeks leading to the marathon.

Marathon Training Schedule: Novice 2

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	Rest	3 m run	5 m pace	3 m run	Rest	8	cross
2	Rest	3 m run	5 m run	3 m run	Rest	9	cross
3	Rest	3 m run	5 m pace	3 m run	Rest	6	cross
4	Rest	3 m run	6 m pace	3 m run	Rest	11	cross
5	Rest	3 m run	6 m run	3 m run	Rest	12	cross
6	Rest	3 m run	6 m pace	3 m run	Rest	9	cross
7	Rest	4 m run	7 m pace	4 m run	Rest	14	cross
8	Rest	4 m run	7 m run	4 m run	Rest	15	cross
9	Rest	4 m run	7 m pace	4 m run	Rest	Rest	Half Mar
10	Rest	4 m run	8 m pace	4 m run	Rest	17	cross
11	Rest	5 m run	8 m run	5 m run	Rest	18	cross
12	Rest	5 m run	8 m pace	5 m run	Rest	13	cross
13	Rest	5 m run	5 m pace	5 m run	Rest	19	cross
14	Rest	5 m run	8 m run	5 m run	Rest	12	cross
15	Rest	5 m run	5 m pace	5 m run	Rest	20	cross
16	Rest	5 m run	4 m pace	5 m run	Rest	12	cross
17	Rest	4 m run	3 m run	4 m run	Rest	8	cross
18	Rest	3 m run	2 m run	Rest	Rest	2 m run	Marathon

White Chicken Chili

Yummy White Chicken Chili! Great for a cool Fall evening meal...

1 Rotisserie Chicken, skin removed and shredded

3 cans of Northern beans or white beans

3 packets of McCormick White Chicken Chili mix

3 cans water

1 small can chopped green chile peppers

1 TBS of minced garlic

dash of chili powder and pepper if desired

Combine all in large soup pot and heat on medium until bubbling.

Top with lowfat cheese and lowfat sour cream!

Muscle Milk Light!

If you are tired of the Advant Edge Shakes (they are a bit watery and nasty I know!), try Muscle Milk Light! Both Chocolate and Vanilla are very good and have a much richer taste with just as much protein, less calories and no sugar!

Post Baby Workout Plan!

Not being able to run during the last third of my pregnancy was terrible! Mainly because that left me only being able to do the same old elliptical every day and I like variety. So needless to say, when I went for my 6 week check up, I was beyond relieved that I was able to get back to running outside again! I will say sticking with the workouts throughout pregnancy made for a much easier time getting back in shape after having Jackson. So even though I couldn't run after 6 months of being pregnant, sticking with the gym kept me in shape, so when I did get the ok to start back I was able to pick up where I left off and stretch my distance pretty quick. So here is my 7 day workout plan that I have followed pretty much every week now since about 5 weeks pp. (Each days workout comes out to roughly 60-70 min per day.)

Sunday: Elliptical 35min Weights 35min
Monday: Run 6 miles and abs
Tuesday: Elliptical and Weights 35min
Wednesday: Run 7-7.5 miles and abs
Thursday: Elliptical 35min and Weights 35min
Friday: Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred Levels 1 and 3 and abs
Saturday: Run 7-8 miles and abs

*I recommend P90x ab ripper x (15min) 3x per wk which ever days or Jillians 6 week to six pack dvd for abs.

What I am loving to eat this week!

So vacation is over and about to start back to work this weekend, after an amazing maternity leave! I have gotten a ton of messages this week from old friends and even strangers asking about what I am eating here lately to get the baby weight off. So I thought I would share a few new things I have been eating to change this up and bit.

This week it is back to phase 1 for me! But I know eating the same thing every day gets old and boring. So this week I am starting my day with my coffee (with sweet and low and reg cream of course), and eating 2 eggs scrambled with 2% cheese, bell pepper and onion, salt and pepper with a turkey sausage patty to go with it. Yum! This will keep me filled up for hours and has less than 300 calories for all of it, even with the coffee.

For lunch this week, I am making turkey and ham roll ups using lean ham and turkey. I take the meat and a piece of the soft laughing cow cheese (garlic and herb), spread the cheese onto the meat, roll up and eat! It is very good. I eat a tomato and cucumber salad with vinaigrette to go with or maybe carrot sticks and celery with a light dressing.

My snack will of course be a low carb yogurt or protein shake.

And lastly dinner. Tonight I am making a spinach salad topped with cucumber, tomato, feta cheese, bacon pieces, a few almonds and steak with my parmesan vinaigrette dressing! So good and so feeling. You can get most of your daily vegetables in just by eating this!.

Dessert might be the new Coldstone Creamery light hot chocolate (from walmart) or a sugar free pudding. The new sweet temptation chocolate mouse is really good too.

These are just a few new suggestions from my original food list. And don't forget if you are just starting the diet or getting back on it after a break, you can expect a headache for a few days! It will subside I promise :)