WRD

Another late-y mclaterson, argh.

Marathon Training Week 7
Miles Ran: 19
Long Run: 14 miles
Cross-training: Not so much.

Pros: That 14 miler is one of the best runs I've ever had. I even ran the first 13.2 faster than the Tinkerbell half back in January. And I didn't listen to a thing. This is really starting to freak me out, but hey - it's working!
Cons: We are not eating nearly as well as we should. Chips and salsa have been a constant snack. We've let paleo suffer for quick bites here and there. But I have a long holiday break coming up so I'm hoping to get us settled into a nice schedule of cooking, including our own paleo menu based on what we loved from the Paleo Plan and what else I come across as we go along.

Tunes: I continued Shiver on my short run and I've got the new P!nk album to try out.
Talkies: Thanks to political coverage and the like a lot of my shows have actually been off this week, thank goodness. But I am starting to spend more and more of my Sunday's actually watching Football. I am doing so well in my Fantasy League! As I should, since I have the best team name ever - The Honey Boo Boo Badgers.

Favorite Recipe: I think Week 6 of the Paleo Plan might just be the best week ever. We just loved the majority of everything we ate. But my absolute favorite had to be the Cocoa Nib Pork Chops with Butternut Squash. Remember how I said how amazing acorn squash was? Well, Butternut gives it a run for its' money!

WRD

Latest of lates - my bad!

Marathon Training Week 6
Miles Ran: 20
Long Run: 10 miles
Cross-training: Still struggling.

Pros: Actually stuck to the training for the most part this week!
Cons: Been having some ups and downs with food. Still trying to find the right balance of energy providing foods for my runs.

Tunes: It expired, sadly - so now I'm trying out Shiver until I can check It out again.
Talkies: Added in Dexter, Walking Dead, and American Horror Story: Asylum. Seriously, I should write down all of the shows I watch and some point and really take stock of how I spend my free time...

Favorite Recipe: For Week 5 in the Paleo Plan I'm going to have to go with Maple-Walnut Chicken with Roasted Acorn Squash! I did not realize how incredibly delicious acorn squash was. We only just discovered the joys of spaghetti squash this year and now to see what a variety of different squash is out there is just astounding to me, haha. Do yourself a favor and try out a few in your recipes. You will not regret it. Seriously, this didn't even really need the additional honey and coconut oil. I only put in a touch of each because it was already tasting so yum.

WRD

Marathon Training Week 5
Miles Ran: 18
Long Run: 12 miles
Cross-training: Still sucking at this.

Pros: I did the 12 miler. Seriously, I'm just so glad I actually did it. We had a wonderful wedding to attend on Friday with some delish free wine I was not about to say no to. So I indulged and told myself I'd just run Sunday instead of Saturday. But we still kind of indulged on Saturday. So it took me forever to wake up on Sunday and I didn't manage to start my run until after 10am. On a clear, warm, muggy day in Texas. I thought I was going to die. My pace was abysmal. But I did it.
Cons: We're still indulging too much. And I got a sunburn from my run. I swear to goodness - I start hitting all the right spots with my Body Glide and my body still finds some way to punish me. There was not a cloud in the sky, so I got good and toasted.

Tunes: It continues.
Talkies: My normal TV lineup, plus I started watching Nashville. Also watched The Descendants and Audition. Both a little sad, really. I need to find me a good comedy.

Favorite Recipe: I'm going to cheat on this one because we really didn't follow the plan well last week at all. But last night we made Paleo Plan's Lascaux Chicken Waldorf Salad for our lunches today and it is super tasty!

WRD

Marathon Training Week 4
Miles Ran: 17
Long Run: 11 miles
Cross-training: I bravely ate my way into my 30's? No? Ah well. 

Pros: I managed to pull a major binder of a birthday week and still ran 11 miles. The morning OF my birthday party. Not too shabby!
Cons: Well, again - I managed to pull a major binder of a birthday week, haha. 

Tunes: I finished Bossypants and started It! Yes, very different - blame my library for not having many options for free downloads. But I've always wanted to read it. So far so good!
Talkies: We spent the week watching my favorite movies and eating dinner to match. So we saw Lilo & Stitch with sushi, Princess Bride with a Ploughman's, Serenity with Chinese, Aladdin with Indian (yes, a stretch), and The Goonies with pizza. My party was themed after my seven favorite fantasy worlds so we had them playing in the background - Sailormoon, Alice in Wonderland, Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, Neverending Story, Peter Pan, and Harry Potter. Then today we went and saw Looper! Still catching up on my usual tv, too. Geesh.

Favorite Recipe: Nothing I made this week was paleo and I (almost) regret nothing. I did make a Shepherd's Pie - or more accurately a Cottage Pie. So I thought I would share my friend Kendra's paleo version that I hope to attempt in the future myself! (Note, she was inspired by Elana's Pantry.)

WRD

Late again! Can't be helped. Had a big out of town weekend and then I've been busy with lots of birthday type activities and plans as today is my 30th Birthday! (CRAZY.)

Marathon Training Week 3
Miles Ran: 3
Long Run: Became 4 mile walk
Cross-training: Walked through the rainy Dallas Texas State Fair? No? Ah well.

Pros: Got some rest...?
Cons: Strained my neck on Tuesday so I took it easy the rest of the week and then we were in Dallas for the State Fair with some friends on Saturday and it was rainy and there was a group and it was an unfamiliar area so what was supposed to be a 6 mile run turned into a 4 mile walk. But I'm glad, really. It was a very nice walk. :) 

Tunes: More of Tina Fey's Bossypants. Also started listening to the new No Doubt album.
Talkies: So worried about the return of TV, argh. Revenge, Once Upon a Time, Modern Family, New Girl, Castle, Bones, Up All Night, Raising Hope... I'm sucked right back into all of them.

Favorite Recipe: I actually did not love this week in the Paleo Plan Quickstart Guide. It started out so promising, the recipes sounded amazing. But they all kind of fell flat for us. I think I'd like to try the buffalo chicken wing "peanut" sauce on just some regular chicken, maybe that would improve it. But favorite recipe will have to go to Crockpot Pork Loin. 

WRD

I'm not sure I'll ever get these posted on Sunday, but I'll keep trying!

Marathon Training Week 2
Miles Ran: 19
Long Run: 9 miles
Cross-training: Not so much this week.

Pros: Got some unsolicited encouragement on my 9 mile long run Saturday by unwittingly running through a neighborhood 5K. Was kind of awkward getting cheered by middle school cheerleaders and having people try to hand me water, but also very sweet. Though I couldn't help thinking, "I'm actually running 3 times a 5K today, but thanks..."
Cons: Had a few more slips than usual this week thanks to poor planning on our part for lunches. And Friday night seems to get troublesome - we're so ready for our weekend we sometimes just feel too lazy to cook.

Tunes: I decided to try something new this week on my runs - audio books! I downloaded Tina Fey's Bossypants and it is hilarious. But it will only last me another few runs, so I am on the lookout for my next choice.
Talkies: Not much TV beyond football this week. The fella's taken over the living room most nights with Borderlands 2. I did catch a few of the return shows as the new season begins - Happy Endings, Parenthood, The Office. And I'm already into Go On and The New Normal. I'm going to run out of hours, I swear.

Favorite Recipe: We were on week 2 of the Paleo Plan Quickstart Guide and this week wasn't as strong as the week before, so this is actually very easy to answer this time - Coconut Chicken with Zucchini and Squash Saute. (No photo, I'm afraid. We were starving that night and just dug in!)

Methods to My Madness

I've talked a lot about eating philosophies and running theories, but what am I actually up to? Well, let me tell ya. 

I consider myself to be a mix of Primal and Optimal Paleo in terms of how we are trying to eat. Our current Paleo Plan 6 week program doesn't include any dairy, but we allow a bit of cheese and dark chocolate outside of it. We also follow the 80/20 approach right now, with an Off Day on Saturdays - generally so I can get a bagel after my long runs. I'm sorry, but one of my favorite things about running is how bagels and bananas get passed out like candy at races and I just can't give them up completely! Besides, with our stomachs getting smaller and our tolerance getting lower we can't actually go too crazy. But we do enjoy some beer and tortilla chips. Otherwise, we don't eat after 10pm and we mainly drink water or occasionally red wine. And just for full disclosure, I have also been getting a pumpkin latte on Monday's because it's autumn and they're heavenly and I like a boost at the beginning of my work week.

Pumpkin flavored anything doesn't count against me.

I have had just about every brand of shoe out there - Asics, Mizuno, Brooks, Saucony - I never seem to be able to stick with one kind. New models of the same shoe can feel so different. I currently run in a pair of bright blue Nike Pegasus 29 trainers and they feel like running on clouds. I named them Helios - a billion nerd points to anyone who gets that reference. And before you judge, they are named because you name your shoes in Nike+ - an app I adore. I just love having that woman tell me how far I've gone. Plus acheesements and NikeFuel are like crack to a gamer. I've been running to music most of my running life, but I've recently been trying nothing and audio books. My favorite sports bra is the Pocket Bra by Gracie's Gear and my favorite socks are Balega. I discovered both of these at the 2007 WDW Marathon Weekend Expo and against the advice of everyone ever I bought them the day before the race and wore them the first time while running my first marathon. And I felt fantastic afterwards. So. Take from that what you will. I have a FuelBelt that I barely fit into these days, but it is helpful. I like dry weave race shirts and I've really enjoyed my pair of Underarmour running shorts. I am also discovering the joys of calf compression sleeves post workout and I'm interested in trying compression socks for running. (My friend Desiree has recommended CEP.) I believe Body Glide is essential and BioFreeze is like Christmas for your aching muscles - followed closely by a good old fashioned ice bath. 

Nike Pegasus 29 - "Helios"

So that's me in a nutshell! I've also finally decided on my training schedule. It's a hybrid of Hal Higdon and Team in Training, with the intention of doing longer runs during the weekdays if I can but understanding that my schedule may not allow for it. Most folks suggest that your long run should be around 20-30% of your weekly mileage and some of these weeks don't come close to that, but we'll see how it goes.

I will try to actually Crosstrain on R days, but definitely on Sundays after short, easy runs.

WRD

I plan to actually do these on Sunday nights, but as I forgot to start it up this week we're going to have a little belated version. Nothing like starting out late!

Marathon Training Week 1
Miles Ran: 18
Long Run: 8 miles
Cross-training: Mini-WOD of planks, sit ups, push ups, and jump rope. First time in awhile for many of these, ow!

Pros: Did my first run around the downtown lake in years and found it invigorating.
Cons: Succumbed to a few cheats here and there - beer, bread rolls, office cupcakes. Eep!

Tunes: Been trying out running sans music, but did throw a No Doubt powersong in my Wednesday 4 miler. Fella's been rocking out to a Mumford and Sons Pandora station while cooking.
Talkies: Saw Bourne Legacy with friends. Love me some Hawkeye, so I'll forgive the lack of plot. Still trying to educate ourselves on Doctor Who, but somehow managed to just get sucked into Drop Dead Diva. Still not even sure how that happened.

Favorite Recipe: We were on week 2 of the Paleo Plan Quickstart Guide and there were honestly a great amount of tasty recipes - Zucchini and Ground Beef, Chorizo Scrambled Eggs, Grilled Bacon Wrapped Rosemary Chicken. DROOL. But I think I'll have to go with Easy Pork Loin Chops with Pomegranate Lime Sweet Potatoes. (We'd forgotten to pick up the coconut milk and flakes, so I can say this works just as well subbing in almond milk!)

What is Paleo?

My husband and I were first introduced to Paleo about 6 months ago by our Crossfit coaches. At first I was incredulous. This diet seemed odd. Sure, they cut out carbs and sugar, but they ate copious amounts of bacon, they were making tons of Paleo pastries, and they were totally binging on their Cheat Day. Some even had suspicious guidelines like "alcohol is okay as long as it's a clear liquor!". I wasn't so sure how any of them were able to keep the weight off and get so fit eating like this, but to be fair most of them were working out at the box 5-7 days a week. The Paleo portion just made them feel better.

I never thought it would be for me. I love cheese and I love bread. How on earth would I manage? But we had been doing Crossfit for a month and we weren't really losing any serious weight. Which our coaches, rightfully, attributed to our diets. We would leave the box and stop by the Mexican place or grab a pizza and wash it all down with wine and beer. Not every night, but more often than we had a right to if we really wanted to make a serious change. So we decided to give it a try. We followed the basic tenants - meat, veggies, fruit, and nuts. No refined sugar, grains, dairy, legumes, corn, or potatoes. We felt fantastic within mere weeks. The only downside was that we had very limited palettes or cooking skills. We made a few staples (steak, pork chops) and tried a few new things (spaghetti squash, where have you been all my life?!), but it was already getting a little old. Then my husband had his accident and we were out of commission.

But now that he is almost fully recovered we have been building our way back into eating Paleo. And this time, I started with more research. What exactly is Paleo? As soon as you call it the Caveman Diet I think folks get the gist. Eating like our hunter/gatherer ancestors - only the foods they could get and the way they would eat them. But that seems to be interpreted differently by different people. For example, what's Primal? Or why do we hear so many different rules regarding Paleo depending on who you talk to? Looking deeper down the rabbit hole can make it all seem more difficult, when really - like any lifestyle, versus a diet - it just all depends. There are so many variations and the names often get used interchangeably. (Aglaee does a great job of breaking down most of the "real food diets" here.)

Honestly, I feel like it all boils down to one thing - finding what works for you. Do you want your body to feel better, cleaner, and healthier? Seems logical that cutting out artificial food could help in that area. Are you trying to lose some weight? Kind of obvious you will need to cut down on fruit and carbs. I think my friend Kendra broke it down well for me on her blog and between her and my reading and my own initial experience I came to five important conclusions for myself:

• Don't deny yourself. Weigh your options and make a decision based on what you think is more important to you. Do you want that cookie? Okay, you might need to do an extra workout but that's up to you. Denying everything all the time will cause you feelings of resentment and make it all seem more difficult than it is.
• If you decide to eat something less than healthy, move on. One moment of weakness does not mean you're a failure - it just means you're human. I often find that I regret those decisions enough to not make them again.
• Like everything in life, moderation is key. You want to have a cheat day or cheat meal? Fine, but don't go too crazy or your body will pay for it unnecessarily.
• Variety is the spice of life. Try new foods. (Oh hai kale!) Try old foods in new ways. (Pomegranate seeds in mashed sweet potatoes - who'da thunk?!) Discover the joy of spices! My spice rack has tripled in size and I'm loving it.
• The point of these changes is to get your body to burn good fats for energy, instead of carbs. So you're basically retraining your body and training for anything takes time, effort, and perseverance.

At the end of it all, I just want to be eating healthier. For myself, for my family, for any possible future family. Now, if in the meantime I could lose some of my extra, unhealthy weight in the process - that's icing on the Paleo-friendly cake. And certainly an important component to that goal is exercise - but more on that next time! For now I'll leave you with some great Paleo Resources, stolen from around the web:

• Balanced Bites
• Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations
• Fit Bomb's Why I Eat Paleo
• Mark's Daily Apple Primal Living
• PaleOMG
• Paleo Plan Food Guide

And my husband and I have personally been using the Paleo Plan Quickstart Guide and it is phenomenal. I cannot recommend it enough. They really know their stuff and pair their food combinations in unique and delicious ways that work so well together. Plus the shopping lists and food menus make life so much easier for us lazy cooks!

Introductions

Well, you gotta start somewhere! So let's jump in.

My name is Liz. I grew up in North Carolina and moved to Austin, Texas in 2007. I studied English Literature at NC State University and Japanese Language and Culture at Nagoya University. I enjoy acting, video games, and toying around with graphic design. I currently work in Human Resources in the video game industry. And I have always been a lil chubs.

I love food! Food was always used as a way to show love in my family. But only recently have I begun to believe that there can be better ways to love food than to just eating anything that looks, smells, or sounds good in the moment. So about 5 months ago my fella and I attempted Paleo and we started off strong. We went with the one cheat day a week rule and otherwise stayed true. We were also involved with Crossfit at the time. Unfortunately, at the end of June he had a freak ziplining accident that put him out of commission for quite awhile and we fell off the wagon hard. I've tried picking myself back up a few times the past two months, but it just hasn't been sticking as well as it did before. So this blog is my way of holding myself accountable.

Lucky for me, I also love running. Well, mostly. I am pretty lazy, so I don't love it all the time. But once I get out there - and especially once I'm done running - I love how it makes me feel. Strong, empowered, and healthy. I ran my first marathon in 2007 with Team in Training at Walt Disney World. I actually worked in the parks for the Disney College Program in 2002 and I remember driving into work and watching runners go by during races and thinking... "good gracious, these people are crazy." Yet 5 years later, there I was doing it myself. I think my family was a little astounded that I'd actually managed this feat and my older brother, not one to be outdone, insisted we go back the next year and do the Goofy Challenge.

After that I only did a few 5K's here and there, including the inaugural Expedition Everest where my fella and I got engaged. Otherwise I mainly focused on work and wedding planning until January 2012 when I participated in the inaugural Tinkerbell Half-Marathon in Disneyland. Being back at a Disney event was so incredibly motivating and now I have added a big goal to my proverbial Bucket List - to get a medal from every Disney race! Of course, having said that, my brother then insisted we go back for a repeat of the WDW Marathon Weekend for the 5th Anniversary of our Goofy. My Goofy days are over, so I originally planned on sticking just to the Donald (half-marathon) and marking off a new race by doing the 5K Family Fun Run. But then Disney announced their 20th Anniversary Mickey (marathon) Medal and I was a goner. Who could resist such craftsmanship?!

So here I am. Attempting to meld my two worlds into one and see if this is what it takes to get me to the healthy place I want to be. I believe Paleo + Running might be just what I need to shed excess pounds and improve my pace. I am aiming to share my experiences - the successes and the failures - with running and recipes. I also hope to find other folks in the blog-o-sphere like me to share tips, tricks, and support. Thanks for reading!