Beachbody Ultimate Reset - Week Two in the Books!

Week TWO!! Two thirds done!

So week two was definitely harder than week one for a few reasons.  One, I was not at home, set in my normal routine.  Two, it was the week before Christmas, so there were temptations galore.  Bah Humbug!

Week two started out well.  I was at home, meals were super tasty, easy peasy.  But on Friday, I made the trek down to SoCal to visit the folks for Christmas.  I emailed shopping lists to both my mom and dad so that they could be stocked up for my recipes when I got there.  I am very lucky to have such accommodating and supportive parents…when I arrived at their respective houses, I had everything I needed (well, except more distilled water!  I seriously underestimated how much I would need). 

Getting a little sneak peak of the P90x3 workouts - yoga and pilates were on rotation!

 The drive itself was pretty easy – I ate my lunch before hitting the road, and had Vegan Tropical Strawberry Shakeology for my snack half way through my drive (Thanks Vic!).  No need to stop for any fast food crap – yay!   

Road Trip Snack Time

Once I got to my dad’s, my routine fell back in place pretty easily although I was DEFINITELY jealous of the grilled cheese sandwich he had for dinner one night and the chorizo and eggs he whipped up for the boyfriend…drool!  I realized that I wasn’t actually craving the grilled cheese, but it fell on the night that I had “hearty vegetable miso soup.”  The soup wasn’t bad, it was just pretty boring and the sandwich smelled so good!

Surprisingly good breakfast - definitely a keeper.

 My trip moved on to my mom’s house on Monday and this was where things got really hard.  She had my FAVORITE Christmas cookies on hand, and chocolate fudge that she received from one of her students.  It took all the willpower I could muster not to open the cookie jar every time I walked past. (However I did bring home a Ziploc bag with a few cookies to enjoy on New Year’s Day…cannot wait.)  Plus I had to drink the Detox supplement every day – yuck.  Like the Alkalinize, it went down pretty quickly, but it felt like drinking dirt…glad to be done with that one!

Luckily I saved my Chocolate Vegan Shakeology for my snacks from Monday-Weds (xmas day).  I added peppermint extract so I at least felt like I got to enjoy some Christmas flavor…not quite the same as hot cocoa on Christmas Eve, but it definitely did the trick.

 So here’s the list of things that taunted me during week 2: chorizo and eggs, grilled cheese, Christmas cookies, tamales, huevos rancheros, fudge, wine, peanut butter, nuts.

BUT week two did serve up some pretty tasty meals.  My favorites were sweet potato and roasted red pepper soup, edamame-corn succotash, Mediterranean beets and coconut collard greens, and a surprisingly good brekkie of mashed chickpeas and avocado over steamed spinach.

VERY LAST DETOX PACKET!!! Christmas Eve Dinner of Roasted Corn and Edamame Succotash.

All in all, I got through week two unscathed.  I think there were three main reasons that I was able to stay strong even with all the temptations:

 
1) I noticed the biggest physical change in my body over week two…10.5 lbs. lighter!!!  Not going to lie...SUPER STOKED!!My legs and arms looked thinner and I could tell I was losing some fat around the middle.  No way was I going to ruin this progress!

2) The Reset would be a waste if I didn’t follow through.  The supplements that you get in the package are inventoried specifically for the 21 days.  So I couldn’t just start back over at the beginning.

3) I actually feel differently about food and what I want vs. what I need.  As I see the light at the end of the tunnel, I will treat myself to a small bit of indulgence (it will be New Year’s Eve, you know) BUT I’m definitely not craving anything major.  My habits have definitely changed.

The things I am looking forward to the most at the end of week 3 are working out and just having a bit more freedom in my meals.  During week 2, I did a 22 mile bike ride and a 40 minute run.  The bike ride felt fine, but I was rolling along at a VERY leisurely pace.  The run was my first since my marathon and it felt HARD.  I would definitely classify it more as a jog.  I am definitely ready to take my fitness to the next level once this is done.

Alright – week 3 is in full effect and I can’t wait to see my final results on New Year’s Eve.  2014 will definitely be kicking off to a fresh start and I am more than ready!

#makeithappen

Myultimatereset.com/allig9

Beachbody Ultimate Reset - Thoughts on Week 1

Week one is in the books!  All in all, I feel like I have adjusted to the reset pretty well.  The food has actually been really good and I look forward to each new meal (not because I’m hungry, just because it’s yummy)!  I will definitely be incorporating a number of the meals into my post reset diet.  So far, my main take-away from the reset is becoming hyper aware of my eating habits.  I’ve noticed things that I never realized I did and will definitely take this forward to change my habits after the 21 days are done! 

So with that, here are my thoughts on week one:

• I really do love snacking – and I apparently do it a lot!  On day one, there were so many times throughout the day that I would want to reach for a snack…not necessarily something unhealthy, but just something to munch on.  Mostly out of boredom or convenience.  Definitely didn’t realize how much of a habit that was for me.  They tell you that you can snack (with a designated list) but only if you can’t make it between lunch and dinner.
• It took me a little while to get the timing down, so I did end up having a snack on days 1-3 – small green apple and 12 almonds (because I keep those in my car at all times, and I had to run to the grocery store to get more distilled water so an apple was easy to grab).  The rest of the week, though, I stuck to the designated meal plan and got my supplement timing on point so I didn’t need to reach for a snack.  
• Also, I realized that I taste everything…boyfriend’s dinner, stuff I’m prepping for the next day, rice I make for the dogs.  So many extra calories!  No wonder my weight was staying the same!
• I also love gum – always wanted to be chewing on something, but thus far I have managed not to.
• I am basically a camel…I always drank a ton of water, brining my nalgene bottle around like a baby.  But this just proves it!  This past week, I have been drinking at least 150 oz. of water/day.  I’ve gone through ALL of these bottles of distilled water.  Thank goodness they’re only $1 each ;)
  
• I love making new dressings!  Obviously you can’t just use bottled dressing on the reset, but with all of the gigantic salads on the plan, you can’t just eat them plain!  The dressing recipes have been awfully tasty and I’ve gotten to put my handheld blender to plenty of use.
• Portions in the reset are huge – I had to keep double checking the measurements!  On day 3, I was actually full from the nori roll and the soup, and didn’t feel that I needed the cucumber salad, but I ate it like I was supposed to.  Woke up the next morning feeling great, not full at all.  The meal plan is so well thought out.  Even though you can’t snack between meals, I really don’t need to!  I am fully satisfied from one meal to the next and am never wishing I could have more.

• I am cold – they said to expect that, but seriously, I am COLD!!! Had the heater at 73 on Sunday, and still had on socks, uggs, sweatpants long sleeve shirt AND sweatshirt!
• Alkalinize tastes like grass.  I mean, it is grass, but it really tastes like it.  But it’s a small amount to drink, so I just take it like a shot and it’s done ;)

Stats:
Weight

• Day 1: 134.4
• Day 8: 127.6

Inches lost (total) - 3

So on to week two!  In Phase 2, “you Release the toxic compounds that are clogging your cells and stored within your tissues—like a purifying surge of clear water that flushes away years of impurities.”  The meal plan is strictly fruits, veggies, and healthy grains.  You also add the "Detox" supplement (yuck, but like Alkalinize, goes down quick)  

This week will be a little more difficult because I will be traveling home for the holidays and making the (hopefully) 6 hour drive from SF to LA, then I won’t be on a specific routine like I am while working, BUT I am determined to make this work.  I already sent grocery lists to my parents, and am super lucky they are supportive of this adventure.  I’m not going to lie – doing this over the holiday season sucks – especially because I can’t drink hot cocoa, but I’m lucky enough to have friends with extra Vegan Chocolate Shakeology packets on hand, so I’ll be able to have that as a snack on Christmas Eve and Christmas day to get in the spirit.  Holiday treats be damned!

myultimatereset.com/allig9

Until next week!

#makeithappen

Off-Season Reset

I learned about Beachbody last winter, when my friend Vickie told me that she was going to start the Ultimate Reset in January.  I decided to jump on board and do it with her so I bought the challenge pack (the reset plus shakeology) and planned to start on January 13.  Well, one of the requirements of the reset is no strenuous exercise.  Major bummer – since 2013 was my “year of the triathlon”, my Wildflower training plan was starting that very same week.  There was no way that I could sacrifice 3 weeks of training for what I knew would be a really tough course.

 

I put the box in the garage, vowing to do the reset after tri season ended.  Well, tri season (and marathon season) is over, and I’ve finally stepped up to the challenge!  After watching Vickie’s transformation during the reset (then T25), I was chomping at the bit for the season to end to get started on the reset.

So what is it?  The UR is a 21 day program that basically resets the chemical balance of your body.  It’s not just a cleanse or detox…it also “helps to maximize the energy production within your cells, improve your body’s ability to process fuel from nutrients and micronutrients, and assist every process in your body running more smoothly.”

I generally am a pretty healthy eater, but because of how much training I do, I find it pretty easy to make excuses for bigger portions, unhealthy treats, etc.  Just this past weekend, I used my marathon as a complete excuse to eat everything…literally everything.  Pretty sure I ate about 20 xmas cookies after our book club cookie exchange on Monday!  Not the healthiest choice in the world…  I just really needed something different to make a real dent in the changes I want to see in my body.

True Story :/

I decided to tackle this next challenge so that I can go into the 2014 tri season in the best shape possible, with my body cleansed and craving good stuff (not crap), and as lean as I can.  Like everything in my life, this is a process of trial and error, and I can’t wait to see the results at the end.

Each week has a different focus, and you get a specific meal plan to follow every day.  You also have a “Daily Regimen” of supplements to follow.   The supplements are: mineralize, oxygenize, optimize, alkalinize, detox, and revitalize.  There’s a specific schedule that you have to follow for when you take the supplements vs. when you eat.  Definitely set alarms in my phone for each step on the schedule…otherwise the day just gets away!

Week ONE started yesterday.  According to the program guide, during first week, Phase 1, “you RECLAIM you body, accessing its inner chemistry and preparing for change.  You’ll slowly remove foods such as red meat and dairy, which are known to place stress on the digestive system, from your diet.”  Ok…red meat, I’m fine with eliminating, but DAIRY?  I love cheese, so this will probably be the hardest part for me.  But the meals look delicious and I’m excited to share my journey.

 

Please feel free to ask me any questions as I go through the process, and I’ll be posting updates along the way!  If you want to check it out yourself, head to myultimatereset.com/allig9

 

#makeithappen

CIM Race Recap - Epic way to end the season!

4 years ago, I ran my first marathon.  It rained, I cried, I walked, I got separated from my running buddies, I wanted to stop.  At mile 19, I decided that running a marathon was the stupidest decision I had ever made.  I vowed that I was one and done.  My goal was to finish in under 5 hours, which I did (in 4 hours and 30 minutes)…checked off the bucket list.  Well, I ran a second one later that year.  Slower time, piss poor training plan and race preparation, but I finished.  I planned to run another marathon the next year, but life got in the way, and 3 years passed with no marathon.

But in March of this year, inspired by fellow FNSers who had already signed up, I decided to take another bite at the apple and signed up for the CIM marathon from Folsom to Sacramento.  When I signed up, I had no idea how my first year racing triathlons would go and had no idea that I would have a tri coach.  But I knew that I would be in far better shape than I had ever been, and I had my sights set on not just a PR, but on breaking the 4 hour barrier.

Tri season ended on September 29, leaving me 10 weeks of marathon specific training.  This time, my training plan was wholly in my coach’s hands.  And boy does he know what he’s doing!  I continued to get my training schedule each Sunday, with one day of swimming, 2 biking, and 3-4 running, depending on the week.  Since my training occurred during the triathlon off season, Tuesday track sessions were on a hiatus…which meant that I had to turn to the dreadmill for my speedwork.  Instead of suffering through each session, I started to look forward to my weekly treadmill dates.  

As the weeks went by, the sessions got tougher, but they felt easier each week.  For my long runs on the weekend, instead of running a specified number of miles, I would have a set time to run.  And those long runs were usually on hills…not just a small hill here or there, but serious hills – like 3600 ft. of elevation gain hills!!!  The weeks went by, and my legs kept feeling stronger and stronger.  I became more and more excited for marathon day, and I just felt ready!  I did my best to keep up with trigger pointing, taking ice baths (torture) and took my Proanox Biogenesis every day.  Throughout the training process, I felt awesome, recovered quickly, and definitely got the most out of every workout!

Shake out run and the expo.

Pre-Race sushi feast, and the aptly named (but not at all running related) pre-race movie

Race day arrived on Sunday, December 8.  The warm weather finally snapped and we were treated to a freezing (literally) 30 degree start temperature.  It was so cold that the ground beneath the water tables at the start were covered in ice from the water that spilled!!!   

Oh so cold, Oh so dark!!!

At 7am, the gun went off, and there was no turning back.  I talked to Coach on Friday who laid out my pacing strategy.  I was aiming for a 3:45:00 time, so my goal was to stick with 9 minute miles for the first 10k, then drop the pace from there, really pushing the pace at 20 miles, and leaving everything out there for the last 5k. 

With that strategy, I lined up with the 4 hour pace group in order to keep myself from going out too fast.  The first 5 miles of the course are a bit more rural, with tons of trees lining open fields. It was absolutely gorgeous.  The grass was covered in frost, and trees were crusted in white.  This also meant that there was black ice all over the road, but the race organizers were on top of things and had all of the black ice marked with orange cones…thank goodness!  At about mile 2, I was so happy to be running that I started to choke up!  I’m not a very sappy gal, but something about this run, on this day made me just so thankful.  And I’m pretty sure that I had a smile pasted on my face for the majority of the race :)

During those first few miles, I felt great but had to make sure to pull myself back a number of times to stay on pace.  I knew “coach knows best” and I absolutely trusted his race plan, so I tried to stick as close to it as possible.  The miles clicked by, and I was happy to see that I hit the first 10k with an 8:56/mile average. 

Other runners were definitely entertained by my mom's cowbell action!

I am so incredibly lucky to have supportive parents, and both my mom and dad traveled to NorCal for the race.  Their plan was to cheer at miles 10 and 20 so that they would have enough time to get between their viewing points to make sure that they didn’t miss me.  After passing mile 6, I just counted down 4 more miles till I saw my parents.  I made one pit stop behind the bushes to pee (no GI issues thankfully, just a full bladder), but got right back on track.  At mile 10, my mom had her cowbell ringing like crazy, I handed off my long sleeved shirt, got a huge smile on my face, and just kept trucking along.

Successful water bottle hand off at mile 20- #womenarenotsmallmen, Powered by Osmo Nutrition

The miles seemed to speed by, my pace got faster, my music was perfect.  I snacked on Gu gels every 35-45 minutes, going though 6 packets in total (Salted Caramel, Mint Chocolate and Chocolate Outrage...yummy in my tummy!)  I also decided to carry my fluids - Osmo Active Hydration Women's Formula...superb decision.  I finished one bottle in the first 20 miles, then traded bottles with my mom at mile 20 and finished about 1/2 of the second bottle.  My nutrition definitely felt spot on - no GI issues, and I never felt my energy drop.

Knowing where my parents would be was key and broke up the miles perfectly.  After seeing them at mile 10, the ½ way point came quickly, and then it was just 7 miles till I saw them again!  As my pace dropped, I kept doing mental math (not the easiest thing without paper, and after hours of running), trying to calculate if a Boston Qualifier would be possible.  My realistic goal time was 3:45.00, but I secretly had the goal of eeking out a BQ time.  For me that would mean running 3:35:00 or better (hitting a PR of almost an hour).  As I got to mile 20, I knew that wouldn’t be possible, BUT I was pretty confident that I would at least hit 3:45:00.

The hardest mile was the last – knowing you’re almost there is just so tough!!!  My mantra became “the faster you run, the sooner you’re done!”  With just under a mile left, you hit the numbered streets in Sacramento.  I noticed that I was at 21^st street…and had to run all the way to 8^th street before I could turn left into the finishing chute at the capitol.  Unlike the mile markers along the course which seemed to come out of nowhere, it felt like FOREVER to get through each block!

But I just kept putting one foot in front of the other, and before I knew it, I passed right under the time clock, was wrapped in my foil blanket, and my third marathon finisher’s medal was placed around my neck.  I was absolutely floored with my time of 3:42:06…a 48 minute PR!  While I didn’t hit my secret goal of qualifying for Boston, that has now secured a legitimate and attainable goal on my to-do list!

NEGATIVE SPLIT BABY!

Freezing but so so happy!

I got to celebrate the epic run with brunch at Red Rabbit in Sactown with my parents, my brother/SIL/nephews, and long time family friends.  Couldn’t ask for a better way to end the day.

I couldn’t have run this race without the constant support and amazing training plans from Coach Muddy.  I knew that I was in good hands throughout the tri season, but this was just icing on the cake.  He beyond knows what he’s doing, but it’s his support, encouragement, and belief in his athletes that truly make results like this possible.

And with all that I have put my body through during this training period, there’s no way I could have absorbed all of this training and gotten the most out of my training plan without Proanox Biogenesis.  I never felt residual soreness after a workout, and definitely felt like I was able to reach deeper during each training session, and especially during the race.  If you are training for ANY type of endurance event, you should ABSOLUTELY give Biogenesis a shot…I promise your body will thank you!

Up next is a 3 week off season before training starts for Oceanside 70.3 (and my first round of P90X3!!!).  But if you know me, you know that I can’t just rest on my laurels ;)  Since I’m forbidden from strenuous training for the next few weeks, I’m taking advantage of the next 21 days and starting the Beachbody Ultimate Reset to get lean and mean before 2014.  Stay tuned for my UR journey!