Blue Mound State Park Weekend Backpacking Trip!

Today officially marks my 8th day of my Round 3 Whole30! Yay! The best part about doing these back-to-back is I don't have the tiredness/crankiness that is usually associated with the first week.  Since ya know, my body isn't withdrawing much from regular sugar consumption.  I'm running on 6 hours of sleep and I'm actually doing better than I expected.

I've been pretty diligent about my workout routine as well! My goal is to be more active, at least 30 minutes a day, and if I get a hard workout in that will burn some calories, THE BETTER!  My run on the treatmill yesterday (it's too hot/humid for me to be running outside at 4pm) went really well too.  I was running a lot faster than I had been just a few months ago and I kept the incline higher than I did a few months ago as well.  I'm not sure if it's because I'm 25 lbs lighter, my diet has changed, or a combination of both.  Either way, I was feeling pretty darn good about myself as I was sweating like a pig afterward ;)  I'm looking forward to some cross-training at home after work.

Now for the original topic at hand, my backpacking trip this weekend! Since I started working my big girl job, I've felt very disconnected with nature and real camping.  I used to go on a backpacking trip every year since I started, and that has been put to the wayside for other things.  I am going on a backpacking trip in October with my significant other, but I just cannot wait that long.  As a young person, I don't have much PTO, so I decided a weekend trip would fit my needs for now.

I am really excited to go to Blue Mound State Park!  Not only is it part of the Driftless Area of Wisconsin, but their hiking looks fantastic.  Their trails have hilariously pun-ny geology names such as "Holy Schist", "Basalt & Pepper", and "Gneiss & Smooth" that is just the icing on the cake for me.  Although I love backpacking, that does create a predicament for me since I am mid-Whole30.  Usual meals consist of things such as oatmeal, noodles, and rice.

So I took to the internet!  I was extremely delighted to find the blog, Backcountry Paleo - AIP and paleo sustenance for the adventurous life, which was a lifesaver!  I am so excited to try making some of her dehydrated meals when I have more time.  Until then, I bought some Paleo Meals To Go for dinner and came up with a simple breakfast/lunch routine that I think can work for two days:

Breakfast

·         Pickled eggs

·         Nuts (almonds/pistachios)

·         Freeze dried fruit (Aldi)

·         Freeze-dried veggies

·         Coffee/tea

Lunch/Snacks

·         Tuna

·         Nuts

·         Dehydrated fruit

·         Freeze-dried veggies

Dinner

PaleoMeals To Go (Summit Savory Chicken & Beef Stew)

I'm looking forward to a beautiful weekend in nature to relax and hike!

Whole30 - Lap 3

Gee, one day I'll be more consistent about posting...

Well folks, I finished my second Whole30 on July 5th and I think it went relatively well for my second round (and let me tell you, that celebratory glass of merlot I had last night, was amaze-balls)!  I was pretty concerned after reading some postings that the second Whole30 can actually be more difficult than the first!  I even made it through 4th of July without a slip-up which I shocked even myself on.  I do have to agree, it was difficult since much of the "newness" is gone on the second time around and I was quite frustrated that I wasn't seeing the same results I saw with the first.

The first round, I lost 20 lbs.  Oh ya, I was feeling AMAZING.  After this second one, I only lost 5.  I'm only 5 lbs away from my goal weight for August!  BUT the Whole30 program reminds everyone that there's plenty of Non-Scale Victories (NSV) that occur as a result of eating this way.  For example, my skin continued to stay relatively in control, even though I still have hormone issues from my birth control.  I have more energy, despite my hypo-thyroid.  I went down a pant/dress size and my clothes just fit better in general.  My mood and confidence seemed to be more under control than they were pre-Whole30.  I even started biking to/from work at the end of my second round which helped improve my mood even more!  Overall, I have plenty to be thankful for.  It's not what you see on the scale that defines you, right?

I have been rolling the idea around in my brain regarding the goals I have for this third round.  Now that I have a routine that works for me and my busy schedule, I decided to be more proactive about my workout schedule.  I always found that working out really pushed my body to the next level of toning up.  The endorphin's don't hurt either!  I have a mud run coming up August 13th that I'd like to be in better shape for (even though it's not really a competitive race) and I start training for my second half marathon August 22nd.  All the more reason to get my butt going in order to see how this lifestyle really affects my performance!

Doing some more research into the premise of Whole30, part of the goal is to change your body from a carb-fueled system to a fat-fueled system.  Carbs, from my understanding, are easily burned and fats are slowly burned.  Which is why many runners and athletes carb up before a big race or event!  Fat-fueled workouts can actually benefit athletes in the long run.  While carbs give athletes that "bolt" of energy after their pre-workout snack, fat-fueling your body will actually allow you to workout/perform LONGER. As one would imagine, a longer/slower burn seems to make more sense for someone who wants to run half-full marathons, am I right?

From my understanding, the transition isn't easy, but I'm hoping after two previous rounds of eating this way, my body won't be so jolted by this change.  Whole30 recommends a pre and post workout on top of your three regular meals.  Pre-workout should consist of a protein/fat and post-workout should be a protein/carb.

My intended meals are as follows:
Pre-WO: 1 hard boiled egg & 1-2 scoops of a nut butter (almond or sunbutter)
Post-WO: 1/2 sliced chicken breast & 1/2 baked sweet potato
M1, M1, M3: as usual, unless my body needs something tweaked

I can not express enough how much I love this new lifestyle change.  This is the most free I've felt eating in a long time!

Camping Prep!

For those who know me... you know I am a freak about planning.  Planning a vacation, camping trip, trip to the zoo, backpacking... whatever.  You best believe I have a list made, usually written out, way before anyone else.

The whole idea behind me starting and stopping my Whole30 was to be finished before Memorial Day weekend.  Why you may ask?  Because it is tradition in my (camping)family to camp Friday-Monday, live by a campfire, and drink/eat copious amounts of alcohol/food all the while.  Not Whole30 compliant.  BUT I was thinking that I didn't really want to ruin all of the hard work I put in for the past month, so I decided I wanted to eat Whole30 and drink as "responsibly" as possible.

A lot of the meal plan ideas I read on Pinterest were rubbish... because people consider staying in a RV with a stove/water camping. I'll fight you bro, it's not. End of story. BUT car camping isn't really roughing it either, so I found a middle-ground that may work for others that want to enjoy the great outdoors without having the guilt of heavy foods.

Keep in mind that the ingredients I will be using are all Whole30 approved (aka the ranch, mayo, bacon, etc) except the vodka.  Also, some of these foods aren't exactly in the spirit of Whole30 per say (sweet potato chips).

Day 1 (1/2 travel day)
Meal 1 - Hard boiled egg, banana
Meal 2 - Leftovers
Meal 3 - Bacon wrapped asparagus, hot dogs

Day 2 
Meal 1 - Twice baked breakfast sweet potatoes, banana
Meal 2 - Taco meat in lettuce boats, sunbutter+apple, carrots
Meal 3 - Chicken avocado burgers, roasted veggies in foil

Day 3
Meal 1 - Whole30 Breakfast bake, banana
Meal 2 - Cold cut lettuce boat with ranch, potluck broccoli salad, sunbutter+apple
Meal 3 - Grilled Mediterranean Chicken foil packs

Day 4 (1/2 travel day)
Meal 1 - Whole30 Breakfast bake, banana
Meal 2 - Cold cut lettuce boat with ranch, sunbutter+apple, potluck broccoli salad
Meal 3 - Leftovers

Snacks
- Almonds, pistachios
- Sliced veggies (carrots, peppers, cherry tomatoes)
- Red pepper dip (for the veggies)
- Sweet potato chips
Condiments
- Ketchup
- BBQ
- Mayo
- Ranch
- Sunbutter
Drinks
- Water
- Homemade bloody mary mix
- Seltzer water
- Lemons
- Vodka

I think the trick to eating delicious foods with limited resources in camp is to prep-prep-prep! Notice there are some items highlighted in orange and some in red.  Things in orange will be prepped the day before I leave and the stuff in red will be prepped the weekend before I leave and will be frozen/vacuum sealed.  Told ya I'm a freak ;)

There were a few other snacks I was thinking of such as Apple Cookies and Ultimate Dill Tuna Salad Bites.

So this is my start to healthy camping!  I have also been on the lookout on Pinterest for good meals to dehydrate and vacuum seal for my backpacking trip in October!  Those too, will be Whole30 meals :)

Happy trails!

My Whole30 Journey Thus Far (Day 21)

It feels like it's been EONS since I've posted on my blog... I mean, it's probably been about two years at the very least.  I have been busy starting my career post-graduation and figuring out what post-college life is really all about.  It's about working... and proving that you're an asset... and all the corporate BS you hear/read about... BUT the nuggets of feeling like you're making a difference and doing what you love make it all worth it!

The weirdest thing is I feel like I have more free time since graduating, but the hours I have available aren't "primo" for working out (aka ass-crack of dawn or when I'm starving for dinner after work).  So, I fell into quite a bit of a slump. And by slump, I mean I got back to the weight I was before I started working out.  Five years of hard work.  50 lbs gained.  Toned muscle un-sculpted.  Pretty much one of the worst feelings EVER.

I had gained about 20 lbs back within the first year after graduating, but I was still running quite a bit and hitting the gym.  Was eating not so healthy and drinking quite a bit, so that is probably the reason there.  And then I got assigned to a three month project in northern Wisconsin for work.  To those unfamiliar, northern Wisconsin is NOT known for their health food.  They are known for beer, cheese, fried fish, and ice cream.  So three months in that junk-food haven, although surrounded by beautiful forest and lake, got me to where I was April 2016.  Just over 200 lbs and hating it.

Don't get me wrong, be big and beautiful the way you are, but that's just not a healthy weight for my body type.  My left hip and knees were starting to bother me again, I was getting winded easier, and running felt like I was pushing through Jello.  I feel comfortable when I can hike the way I want to, run the way I like, and do my usual kick-assery out in the field for work.  Which lead me to the Whole30...

The program is based off of eating more natural foods that fuel your body and help you develop a better relationship with food.  If I have a bad day at work, that time of month, bored... I can plow down half a bag of tortilla chips with salsa or a pint of Ben and Jerry's and have terrible guilt for the next 24 hours.  NOT a healthy relationship... that's called a binge eating disorder folks.  The Whole30 is just this:

"...short-term nutritional reset, designed to help you put an end to unhealthy cravings and habits, restore a healthy metabolism, heal your digestive tract, and balance your immune system"

The premise is to eat real foods and not eat/do the following:

• Added sugar of any kind, real or artificial
• Alcohol
• Grains
• Legumes
• Dairy
• Carrageenan, MSG, or sulfites
• Re-created junk foods with "approved" ingredients
• STEP ON THE SCALE OR TAKE BODY MEASUREMENTS DURING

The last rule is what really turned me onto the program.  It leads us to walk away from this obsession that many of us, myself included, have with the quantitative aspects of our bodies and instead focus on what's inside and how you feel.  They also have had people testify that their Hashimoto's Thyroiditis has improved and their hormone levels have gone back to normal thanks to changing their lifestyle!  What I would give to be medication free!

Again, this is only technically a 30 day reset, but the idea is to use what you learned from the program and re-introduce foods you've cut out slowly to see how your body reacts.  For me, I could see myself continuing to eat paleo and drinking a glass of wine every once in awhile post-Whole30.  Definitely the occasional coconut milk ice cream for the summer months.  Ya know, the important stuff ;) The beauty of the program is it doesn't need to be JUST 30 days.  If you're still having a tough time with food, you can make it a Whole60 or Whole90 if you REALLY are committed.  Or you've had a few bad months and need to get back on track? Do another Whole30 to reset yourself!  The food has been AMAZING, even my non-Whole30er significant other likes it!  

The reason why I started blogging again is because I FINALLY have re-cooped my energy from starting this new lifestyle and I have started running/working out again starting this past Monday (May 16th)!  I am currently on Day 21, which is about the time they say you start getting your energy back.

I have the Dirty Girl Mud Run coming up August 13th and I want to be able to really have fun with it!  After that, I begin training for my second half marathon August 28th!  I have lots of things to look forward to, and I want to keep track of my progress on here as best as I can.  I'm thinking recipe/photo posting, personal progress/workout updates... neat geology stuff... ya know, the important things in life.

Maybe if I am feeling a little discouraged later down the road, I can look back at these posts and see WHY I am working my tail off once again!

Happy trails!

(Some of my favorite meals thus far...Sorry most of these don't have provided recipes.  They were in the Whole30 Cookbook which is copyrighted)

Paleo Breakfast Muffins for work breakfasts

Pork Chops with Spiced Applesauce - Day 1


Shepherd's Pie - Day 12

Slow Cooker Pot Roast - Day 13

Stuffed Peppers - Day 20

Muggy summer runnin'

As promised, I will be sharing my initial measurements going into my half marathon training for the second time.  From head to toe, drum roll please...

Neck = 13.25"

Upper arms = 11.5"

Chest = 38.75"

Upper rib cage = 35"

Waist = 33.5"

Hips = 41.5"

Thighs = 25.75"

Calves = 16"

Weight = 167.6 lb

Size = 8-10

I'm far from Sir-Mix-A-Lot's dream lady, but whatever.

Thanks to my mom for helping me awkwardly take all of these measurements!  Some things I'm hoping to improve upon are shrinking my arms, thighs, and hips since these appear to be the least toned.  I know the last time I was training, I was down to 150 lbs, but really, I'm trying not to focus on the weight, but rather how fit I feel and toning of my body (which I hope that's how EVERYONE feels about fitness).  Muscle weighs more than fat anyway folks!

Today was my first legitimate Saturday run which consisted of 3 miles.   Since I've been sporadically running this distance with my "regular" workout routine prior to this, I wasn't terribly worried about it.  I was hoping to increase my speed to under a 11 min/mile, but unfortunately my body had other plans in mind.  I went to the Madison farmers market earlier this morning and was not patient enough to wait for my "ultra healthy" blackberry scone to digest a bit more before tackling the run.  

I had a side stitch for the first mile and a half, but once I conquered my breathing strategy, I was able to finish strong enough to cut off a minute off my original pace.

I'm actually rather proud that my boyfriend and I had to go out to eat before a party tonight, and I stuck to my guns and got the chicken cashew salad with fat free raspberry vinaigrette.  I think focusing on the little accomplishments is what's important.  Looking forward to a night of drinking and running a 4 mile hangover cure Sunday morning.  I'm hoping to try a new healthy recipe this next week and post how it goes.  Stay tuned!

Getting the running gears greased up

Since I last blogged I've been a bit of a lazy bum unfortunately.  Apparently there's been a summer cold going around and I just had to catch it.  Seriously, wtf.

Today I finally felt up to par enough to get back on my training schedule and keep up with my race preparation.  I was at a bit of a time crunch since I wanted to put in an extra hour at work (to make up for taking sick time on Tuesday) and I had a newbie dinner with an executive of my company at 6pm.  Instead of skipping my workout and pigging out on free and yummy food, I decided to push myself and run the fastest 5K I could.

The result?  I ran with an 11:36 minute/mile, which wasn't my fastest, but was still challenging after a few days of sickness.  I actually ran faster (11:03) the previous Friday in Lodi with more hills, not on a treadmill, which I thought was strange.

I decided to take a picture of my sweaty self before madly dashing to dinner, so here ya go:

Cotton makes workouts look WAY more impressive/sweaty.

I also decided to finally mark up the ol' calendar with my training regimen.  I'm a bit further along than I "should" be according to "The Non Runner's Marathon Guide For Women", but I'm viewing this as a good thing; allowing me to focus on speed the second time around.  Tomorrow is a rest day (which I might cross train for since I skipped so many days earlier this week) and I have a 3 mile run on Saturday.  Hopefully I can push for under an 11 min/mile!

I'm hoping to take some measurements before my next blog and record those so I can let the cyber world know my physiological changes as well as my physical accomplishments during this journey.  So... don't judge ;)

Back on the bandwagon!

Well hello again my digital brothas and sistas!

Long time no see!  I have been looking at my last postings, and I realized I have not posted since the beginning of my final year in college.  A LOT has changed since then, but one thing apparently hasn't... my will to run and tell the world-wide-web about it.

I did indeed graduate from UW-Madison with my geological/geophysics & geoscience degree in May 2014 AND found myself a big girl job.  After hours upon hours of resume sending and mostly digital rejection, I got a position as an environmental scientist with Ayres Associates in Madison, WI.  I am lucky enough to work with engineers and geologists and it's pretty neat using my 6 years of knowledge I've acquired.  I have a wonderful new boyfriend that I adore and am currently looking at apartments closer to work that I can afford with all the college debt I now owe.

Anyway, now that I'm in the grown up world, it will be a different experience training for ANOTHER half marathon in October :)  My first half marathon went splendid if I do say so myself.  I did acquire the good ol' runners toe on my left foot which I am STILL covering with nail polish for the summer flip-flop months.  The half marathon was challenging, but it was rewarding and it didn't scare me away!  I ran the whole way (even up the hills) and got a time of 2:36:45 which is an 11:58 minute mile on average.  My boyfriend at the time got a sweet action shot of me finishing up the race and I still have a smile on my face!

Tyranena Half Barrel Run: Nov. 2nd, 2013

My plan the second time around is to improve my time a bit since I've dropped a few pounds and inches since then and have more free time now that I'm not studying every waking second.  Ayres Associates is participating in a run in Eau Claire, WI October 19th and I've been upping the mileage on my runs for the past few weeks now.  The original plan after Tyranena was to do the Madison Marathon in November, but with the new demands in my life, such as a new career, that got pushed to the back burner for now.

This training may prove to be a bit more difficult than last time since I did start smoking for a few months before graduation up until recently.  It wasn't until I was running 3 miles on the treadmill a couple weeks ago and feeling AWFUL that I thought "why the HELL am I still doing this to myself again?! I ran 13 of these babies a few months ago with no major problems!"  So from then on, I quit and I'm upping my goals.

This time around, I look forward to posting more frequently, posting pictures of my newer diet (but that's not to say that I don't eat fast food sometimes with my naturally high-metabolized boyfriend), posting my physical results if any, and my goals/accomplishments as I go through this process once again. 

I guess I decided to start this blog again to not only document my progress for my self benefit, but that I may also inspire someone to look at their own life and decide to make some changes too.  I'm just an average 20-something that likes to party and have a social life, but also aspires to kick butt in her new dream job and stay healthy in the process.  I have seen many of my old college/high school friends struggle with their fitness as they move on to this new chapter in their life, and I just hope those people realize that they can do what I'm doing or find their own way of adapting.