Race Fueling

I did my first ever ten mile run the past Saturday.  Around mile six, I could feel my stomach growling!  I was not sure what to eat for breakfast before the run.  I wanted to eat something to fuel the run, but not to much that it would upset my stomach.  I decided on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  I decided against my usually morning coffee because I did not want to much in my stomach.  It seems like the PB&J was not enough. I chose PB&J because it had a good mix of carbs, protein and fat.  I had several gel packs in my SPI, but could not take one of them during my run.  I did take one right before, but while running I did not feel up for a gel.  I have been thinking about what to eat during a run that would be portable enough to put into my SPIbelt to fuel my next long run.  So far, I got:

Luna Bar

Banana

Granola bar

Do you have any other ideas?  What do you carry with you to fuel your long runs?  What do you eat before a long race?

A dream is a wish…

--Amy

***Congrats to Kim, who won the Shakeology Giveaway!  If you are interested in Shakeology and did not win, please e-mail me with your shipping address (amysmith7@comcast.net) and I can get a sample right out to you!

***Blogorama starts in 2 weeks!  I have a great giveaway lined up for you.  There will be 200 blogs linked, all doing giveaways valued at $75+. 

Meet ups?

Ok ladies…we are about a month and a week from the Disney Princess Half Marathon!  As any Disney regular knows, it time to finalize your ADR’s (advanced dining reservations.)  If you are not a Disney regular, I will fill you in on something very important—if you plan to eat at the sit down restaurants or character meals of your choice, at the times you would like, you must make reservations 180 days in advance.  I have mine all planned out.  Do you? (If you need any help with this, please facebook me!  I am a fountain of Disney knowledge!)

Since it’s almost reservation time, I wanted to ask you all—would you be interested in getting together for dinner while we are in Disney?  We could do it the evening before the race or race day after the race.  I am up for anything!  What do you think?  Any ideas of a place to meet up?  My favorite place and the place I plan to hit for dinner the night before the race is ‘Ohana.  Cost does not really matter to me, as we will be on the dining plan. Is price a concern for anyone? We could also meet for lunch the day before.  I was thinking about Wolfgang Puck’s Express in Downtown Disney.  That way, we don’t need a reservation, and it’s one of the cheaper places to eat. 

I can’t wait to meet everyone in person!  I have learned so much from you already, I can’t wait to see where the next six months brings us all.  E-mail me or comment below with your idea! 

A drea is a wish...

--Amy

P.S.  How do you like my new banner?

Have you entered my Shakeology giveaway yet??? Only a few more days!

The Blogorama is coming up in just 3 weeks!  I hope you all win some great prizes!

Wondering what all this talk of Shakeology is about?

I have been talking about my new Beach Body venture and Shakeology on Facebook, but it is because I BELIEVE in the message, to help people achieve their goals, and lead healthy, fulfilling lives.

One of the Beach Body products I use and believe in is Shakeology. To put it simply, this is the most delicious shake I’ve ever had. It comes in two flavors: chocolate and greenberry. To be honest, I haven’t thought about trying greenberry, because I love the chocolate so much.  Shakeology is so much more than desert in a cup.

Shakeology is made of 70 natural ingredients found all over the world. Shakeology includes whey protein isolate, an easily absorbable source of high-quality protein that's ideal for building and maintaining lean muscle mass. It also helps keep your blood sugar steady, reducing hunger and junk food cravings. Essential amino acids, found in protein, help the body repair muscle tissue and heal wounds; support the brain to promote calmness and alertness; and reduce hunger pangs. The whey protein in Shakeology provides a highly bioavailable source of essential amino acids.

Shakeology’s benefits include:

·         23 Vitamins and Minerals

·         Get a wide range of essential nutrients

·         Protein and Essential Amino Acids

·         Help build and repair muscles

·         Reduce hunger and food cravings

·         Help keep blood sugar steady

·         Support brain function to help promote alert thinking and reduce anxiety

·         Promote healthy skin, hair, and nails

·         Prebiotics and Digestive Enzymes

·         Aid digestion

·         Help boost the immune system

·         Increase absorption of nutrients

·         Antioxidants and Phytonutrients

·         Get rid of harmful free radicals

·         Help decrease inflammation

·         Help boost your immune system

·         Potentially decrease the risk of degenerative diseases

·         May even increase longevity

Most of us don't get the complete range of essential vitamins and minerals in our daily diets. Some important vitamins, such as vitamin C and the B vitamins are water-soluble, meaning they're flushed out of your body after a short time and need to be replenished regularly. Others, like vitamin E, can be difficult to get enough of in food. Shakeology provides all these nutrients in an easy-to-take, easily absorbable form, so you never have to worry about dietary deficiencies and you’re sure to get your necessary vitamins every day. My favorite part of Shakeology—I lost three pounds in the first week I used it!

What does it cost? There are two options. If someone would like to buy Shakeology monthly retail, the cost would be $4 a day. This isn’t bad if you're going to replace it with your morning Dunkin Donuts/Starbucks/fast food breakfast stops. In fact, this is a fantastic opportunity to jump start your health! The other option would be to join the Beach Body team (message me for details and assistance!) and pay just $3 a day, or make a profit from selling it yourself and helping others get their fitness on the right track.

If you like what you have heard but are still not sure, please remember that Shakeology has a bottom of the bag guarentee!  That's right--you can get all the benefits of Shakeology for 30 days.  If you are not 100% thrilled with the results, you can send back an EMPTY bag and get you money back.  Don't forget to order Shakeology on automatic delivery!  You will always get free shipping and the first two months you will get some awesome gifts--think FREE workouts....

So now that you have heard all the great stuff about Shakeology, here is a great offer I have for you!  I am giving away a three day supply to one of my blog readers.  Here are the rules:

1.) You must be a "follower" my blog. (Click to the left)

2.) Watch the vido at the top of this page.

3.) Then go to My Beach Body page and click on join.  You will be taken to a new screen.  Click on  the "free membership" box.  (or, if you join as a Club level member, I’ll throw in 2 more packets!) Fill in your info--you are now a Team Beach Body member!

4.) Then leave a comment below telling me you entered the contest and how many entries you get.

5.) For a bonus entry, share this blog post with your Facebook friends.  (Click the link to the right)

Contest ends August 28th, 2011!

Good luck to everyone!

A dream is a wish…

--Amy

What do you eat?

The other day, a friend I and were discussing losing weight and our training plans.  I was telling her that I have lost about 30 pounds since the beginning of the year.  She told me she had not lost much and then said “Amy, what do you eat?” 

That got me thinking.  Am I eating the right things to lose weight, but also eating enough to have energy to train and recover properly?   I looked over my food journal and discovered some very interesting thing. It seems I eat mostly the same things every day.  I am not sure if this is good or bad, but I am very much a creature of habit.  I like having things planned out.  This is what I repeatedly found in my food journal:

Oatmeal

Brown rice

Fresh veggie

Salad

Chicken

Shrimp

Yogurt

Almonds

Luna Bars

Fresh Fruit

Shakeology

I eat a packet of oatmeal every morning, usually the sugar free kind.  I tend to eat smaller meals throughout the day, so having quick, healthy snacks is very important.  For snacks my go to’s are yogurt, almonds, fresh fruit, Luna Bars, and Shakeology.  Right now, I am really hooked on Chobani Greek yogurt.  I love how thick and creamy it is.  The 100 calorie packs of almonds are also super convenient.  It is very easy to over eat nuts, but the 100 calorie packs prevent that.  We always have fresh fruit at my house, usually apples, bananas and whatever is on sale that week. The fiber is fresh fruit is filling, while the sweetness is satisfying.  Luna Bars are also a great option.  They make you feel like you are cheating, but with about 180 you can’t go wrong.  My new favorite is Shakeology!  I drink it almost every day when I get home from the gym.  It has protein for muscle recovery, plus it has a whole days’ worth of vitamins, so no need to take a multivitamin.  The best part is that is tastes like a Hershey’s chocolate milkshake.

 For lunch and dinner, my go to’s are usually salad with chicken or a stir-fry.  I love to just through a lot of ingredients, whatever I have in my fridge, into a pan and see how it turns out.  I usually start with chicken or shrimp and then choose a sauce.  My favorites are teriyaki or Italian dressing.  I let the chicken or shrimp cook, and then add my fresh veggies.  Some of my favorites are broccoli, carrots, snap peas and squash.   I usually add a bit more sauce with the veggies.  I cook in chicken broth to add a bit of flavor and usually add some garlic.  To finish up, I sometimes I add some brown rice.  Everyone in the family loves my stir-fries and I love that it is healthy for everyone. 

What do you think of my list?  What do you eat?  Do you have any pointer on how to eat better? 

A dream is a wish….

--Amy

Don’t forget to enter my Luna Bar giveaway!

I’m a Beach Body Coach!

Hello everyone!  I wanted to let everyone know that I am now a Beach Body Coach!  If you are interested some great workouts like Turbo Fire, P90X or Insanity—let me know.  We also have some great nutritional items, like the amazing Shakeology.

I decided to become a Coach because I believe in the products and I use them.  Now don’t worry!  I promise I will not bug you about Beach Body products all the time! I find it really annoying too!  I may from time to time do a workout review and product giveaway, but the focus of my blog will stay the same.  My goal is for all of us to cross the finish line at the Disney Princess Half Marathon! 

If you have any questions about any Beach Body products, don’t hesitate to ask!  I am here to help.  Please consider signing up for a FREE membership at www.teambeachbody.com and request me as your coach (amysmith7). 

Here is a link to my page:  http://www.teambeachbody.com/amysmith7

Enough about that, I had another great run tonight!  I ran 3.1 miles in 36:35.  That is a pace under 12 minutes per mile!  My goal now is to slowly add miles while keeping this pace. 

How is your training going?  Are you where you want to be?  What are you doing to improve?

A dream is a wish…

--Amy

***I have some great giveaways coming up!  Stay tuned!