Week 1 Marathon Training Successfully COMPLETED

I have now officially started my 16 week marathon training program 15 weeks left if were getting technical.  I feel healthy now since my couple week fight with bronchitis earlier this month, with only a residual cough. The past week consisted of 4 runs (totaling 15 miles), of which only one was outdoors.  The frigid temperatures and the wind chills are going to make the treadmill my best friend for the next few weeks, unfortunately.  Besides my runs, I did three intense WODs at Crossfit Fast Factory, giving my legs a run for their money. One of the WODs was "Karen" (150 wall balls).  Boy, did that get spicy fast!  Somewhere in there I also managed to get out snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.

In other news, I went to an appointment at Great Steps Orthotics & Prosthetics to have my orthotics adjusted for the increased running mileage. In the past, they have been sufficient for up to the half marathon distance, but quite painful at the end. My provider reassured me the orthotics would work for additional mileage and he removed some of the hard material in the arch to make them more comfortable!  I will need to check back with him about halfway through my training to ensure they are doing the job and to make any changes. Woohoo!  I'm pumped about the options for my orthotics and my providers willingness to work with me.  I see another pair of Asics Nimbus will be in my future!

I also tried a new recipe from www.paleomg.com and thought it was worth a share. I am not usually a huge fan of pork chops but these were delicious with a twist!
 

Roasted Grape and Onion Pork Chops

    Prep time 
 5 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 pork chops
• 2 cups red, seedless grapes
• 1 medium red onion, sliced
• 2 tablespoons Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil – 1 tablespoon melted
• 1 tablespoon crushed rosemary
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat you oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place your grapes and sliced onions on a baking sheet, drizzle 1 tablespoon of melted coconut oil over the top and mix to coat the onions and grapes.
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes of until the grapes burst. Be careful to not burn them. I did. Fail.
4. When your grapes are almost done cooking, heat up a large skillet over medium heat and add your remaining tablespoon of coconut oil.
5. Season both sides of your pork chops with salt, pepper, and rosemary.
6. When pan is hot, add your pork chops and cook on both sides for 5-8 minutes (depending on the thickness of your pork chops) or until completely cooked through.
7. There should be no pink inside your pork chop.
8. When grapes are done roasting, remove from oven and let cool for a couple minutes.
9. Top your pork chops off with grapes and onions then SERVE!
10. Delish!



I have quite the culinary skills!  ;)



 

And I will leave you with this thought that I ran across the past week no pun intended!

The Granite Games: Putting Crossfit On The Map In St. Cloud, MN

The past weekend I had the opportunity to volunteer at The Granite Games in St. Cloud, MN. The crossfit competition attracted over 500 athletes from around the United States.  Twenty of the individuals have participated in the "CrossFit Games", which you may have seen on ESPN at one point or another. WOW, talk about being able to witness some amazing talent and strength!  It was rather humbling watching athletes from the scaled division all the way up to the elite perform the intense WODs. My volunteer position allowed me a front row seat to see all the action!

Ready to spring into action!

You are probably wondering what my job was for the day.  Well, I was on the "WOD Setup Team."  My day consisted of arriving at 6:15 AM on Sunday and being briefed on the details of the two WODs that were to be undertaken on the final day. The event kept my team very busy and on our toes. The first WOD consisted of toes to bar, back squats, and deadlifts.  Between each heat we had a few minutes to run out and wipe off all the equipment in order to keep the schedule on track. There were also four divisions- elite, as RX, scaled, and team.  In between each division we were required to roll out different weights and properly set up the bars!  Every eight minutes we sprung into action to prepare for the next heat and/or division. The first WOD took us all through the morning and into the early afternoon. 

Elite females tackling the first WOD on Sunday.

Next up were the finals!  This WOD consisted of a 500 m row, wall balls, chest to bar pull-ups, ground to overhead, pistols, burpee box jump overs, single arm overhead kettlebell squats, heavy cleans, and shoulder to overheads!  Yes, that is all!  These heats took a little longer and had a 20 minute time cap. Setup became even more interesting as all the bar work caused many athletes to tear open their hands and bleed. Our team was busy wiping up blood, disinfecting equipment, and even picking up the occasional piece of skin.  After tear down and cleanup, my volunteer day ended at about 9 PM. 

The finals!

Our WOD setup team was amazing and worked together well!  We lifted a lot of weight ourselves no additional workout needed for me that day to setup and provide a class act for the athletes competing. I was able to watch friends from my home box, Crossfit Fast Factory, compete along with friends from Crossfit Mendota and Crossfit 701!  I don't have the crossfit competition itch yet, but it may happen one day. 

Checkout more details and results of the event at: www.thegranitegames.com