The Paddy Melt Challenge

In November I did a one week exercise and nutrition challenge called Thin for Thanksgiving.  It was fun and having accountability is always a good motivator.  I also had great results so when my friend Astrid announced she was holding another free week long challenge called The Paddy Melt, I jumped on board.  One of my cousins is also doing the challenge, so that's been fun.  Monday and Tuesday were hectic, so I didn't make it out to run or to the gym, so it was actually perfect timing.  I did these at home HIIT and Tabata workouts at home.  They are really great fat burners, and although they're not my favorite (I'd rather hit the trails) I know they're a good addition to an overall strong body.  

Monday

Tuesday

Attaining Goals

At the end of last week's challenge we were given an assignment.  The assignment was to write down goals*.  I've already set some goals for myself this year and I think I've been doing a good job at attaining them.  In relation to this challenge I think an immediate goal will be to finish off that last few pounds and get down to 130 pounds.  The some 13 pounds I've already lost this year has me feeling faster and just fantastic all the way around, so that will be my short term goal.  Long term for me is the Antelope Island 100k in October 2014.  This will mean sticking with my current goals, which are as follows:

1. Stay injury free
2. Cross train
3. Weigh 130lbs (I'm 132.2 as of this morning!)
4. Run hills
5. Incorporate speed work
6. Enjoy running

I've written these on paper, and I'll type them up here to share with you all.
Short term goals:
By Christmas 2013 get to 130lbs
Continue ab work at least three times/week

Long term goals:
Run Antelope Island 100k October 2014

My advice, not that you asked for it, is to write down and share your goals.  You'd be surprised how much harder it is to stay in bed when you've told the entire internet you're going to run 62 miles!  Thanks for your work this week, Astrid.  Now to get over this blasted cold and get to some Russian Twists!



*Assignment as written by our coach for the week, Astrid.
"I would like YOU to write down both your long and short term fitness/eating/wellness goals.  Use the SMART guidelines to help formulate your goals.  No goal is too small or too big.  And when I mean write them down, I mean on a piece of paper with a pencil or marker or on a poster board (aka, a dream board). Make it look pretty or keep it simple.  THEN, you need to put it somewhere you will see it every day."
S~ Specific
M~ Measurable
A~ Attainable
R~ Relevant
T~ Time-bound (give yourself specifics for time)

Final Challenge Day

Today I woke up sick with a cold.  It's been coming on for days, but finally hit in full force.  I didn't do any sort of exercise today, but I suppose I was due for a rest day.  We had to post our weight and measurements again today.  I'm pleased with the loss of inches in my waist.  I'm not so pleased about my legs. Like they need to be any skinnier!  I guess I'm going to have to hit the gym this week and lift some heavy weights to build those puppies back up!  I am, however, happy that a couple pounds lost means I'm closer to having visible abdominal muscles.  I think a few more pounds ought to do the trick.

This week was fun.  I think I will continue to incorporate more HIIT training to my regular routine, as well as adding lots of the fun ab work I learned!  Bring on the Russian Twist!

Challenge Day 1
134.4 lbs
Waist at belly button 33"
True Waist 30"
Chest 35"
Mid-thigh 18.5"
Thigh at biggest point 20"
Arms 10.5"

Challenge Day 7- Final Day
133 lbs
Waist at belly button 32"
True Waist 29.5"
Chest 35"
Mid-thigh 18"
Thigh at biggest point 19.5"

I don't think you can really see too much difference.  Maybe a bit more detail in the obliques.  I guess I'll just have to keep at it!

I'd like to say a fat thank you to Astrid Novak for hosting this fun (and free) week long challenge!  I know it was a lot of work for her.  She is an inspiring woman!  Thanks, Astrid!

Challenge Day 6

Pre-hike breakfast:
2 eggs
Herbal tea

Post-hike snack/brunch:
Mashed sweet potato with olive oil
Ground turkey with molasses, sea salt & pepper
Herbal tea

Lunch:
Green salad with tomatoes, avocado, carrot, roasted chicken breast & green onion
Hummus with snap peas

Snack:
Hummus with half an apple

Dinner:
London broil
Roasted squash
Steamed brussel sprouts
Green salad with tomatoes, avocado, artichoke, carrot & green onion
Herbal tea

WOD:
5.7 mile hike 1:52
Plus Plank Workout

Challenge Day 5

Breakfast:

Brown rice grits

Green tea 

Snack:

Two apple slices with sunbutter

Water with NUUN electrolyte tablet

Lunch:

Roasted chicken breast

Spinach salad with balsamic vinegar & olive oil

Snack:

Strawberry applesauce

Green tea

Dinner:

Thin sliced pork chop with organic jellied cranberry sauce

Large salad: green leaf lettuce, tomato, avocado, carrot, green onion

Sweet potato with olive oil & sea salt

WOD:

Each Tabata done four times.

That's right, it's Flex Friday, Bitches!  BAH HA HA

Challenge Day 4

I'm feeling like a million bucks today!  My sore throat is gone, I'm feeling strong and had all my workouts for the day done by 10am!  Life is good!

Breakfast:
Green smoothie with spinach, peach, banana, strawberry, chia seeds, glutamine & fish oil
Green tea

Lunch:
3 eggs, sauteed butternut squash, 1/2 large apple

Snack: 
2 apple slices with sunbutter
Banana

Dinner:
Plain salmon & steamed broccoli
Sunbutter balls (I haven't actually eaten these yet, but as I sit here I'm dreaming of these lovely delights!  So they are as good as consumed because as soon as I'm done here I'm making them!)


120oz water throughout the day

 WOD:
3 mile run plus Ab Challenge & HIIT

So, here is the deal.  I haven't really had to change my diet for the clean eating part of this week's challenge.  The only things I've omitted are: candy (the big one!), rice tortillas, and mayonnaise.  Other than that, I this is how I eat always.  Real food is good!

Breakfast

 Lunch

Challenge Day 3

Today I am sore.  My obliques and glutes are where I'm really feeling it, plus a little bit in my hips.  This is a very good thing!  The main places I need to work on are: hips, glutes, hamstrings, and abs!  Now on to today's dirty details! 

Breakfast:
Ground turkey seasoned with blackstrap molasses, salt & pepper
2 eggs

Herbal tea

Snack:
Green smoothie (spinach, peach, strawberry, banana, glutamine, fish oil)
Herbal tea

Lunch:
1/2 fillet salmon encrusted with pecans & hazelnuts
2 1/2 c sauteed bok choy

Snack:
Date sunflower seed balls

Dinner:
Spinach salad with salmon, olive oil & balsamic vinegar
Herbal tea

96oz water throughout the day

WOD
1 suicide drill
20 squats
1 suicide drill
20 jumpsquats
1 suicide drill
20 low kicks
1 suicide drill
20 high kicks
REST 1 MIN
Jumping jacks 60 sec
Rest 30 sec
Tuck jumps 60 sec
Rest 30 sec
Side jumps
Rest 30 sec
High knees
(wash & repeat 4 times!)

And then, an ab challenge!
30 reverse plank hip ups
15 side plank crunches L
Superman hold 30 sec
20 plank hydraulics
20 sit ups
20 plank jacks
Superman pulse 30 sec
15 side plank crunches R
30 reverse plank hip ups

I did the ab challenge twice.  Once in the morning and once in the evening.  If my abs aren't sore tomorrow I'll eat my shoe!  Well, not really, I'll need that for running.  But, maybe I'll triple it tomorrow if they're not!

Dinner

Challenge Day 2

Breakfast:

2 eggs

Green tea

Running fuel:

3 prunes

1 babyfood- pear, plum, carrot

Snack:

Small banana with Sunbutter & sunflower seeds

Green tea

Lunch:

Pecan & hazelnut encrusted salmon

Dinner:

Chicken & veggie stir fry (broccoli, bok choy, carrots, yellow squash) with brown rice

Snack:

Banana & sunbutter smoothie (banana, sunbutter, ice)

96oz water throughout the day

WOD:

Burpees with push ups 60 sec

Rest 30 sec

Bicycle crunches 60 sec

Rest 30 sec

High Knees 60 sec

Rest 30 sec

Front squat kicks 60 sec

Rest 30 sec

Plank mountain climbers 60 sec

Rest 30 sec

Skaters 60 sec

Rest 30 sec

Side plank crunches (L 30 sec, R 30 sec)

(Rest for 1 min & repeat for a total of 3 times)

Today's WOD was a killer.  Not only did I still have sore glutes from yesterday, but (as you may have already read) Katherine and I did a 5.3 snowy trail run right before.  We were totally wiped out after!  

Snack time!

It was a Tiger Balm kind of a day, for sure!

Happy Birthday Speedy K!

Tomorrow is my (Get a load of this acronym we came up with! B.A.R.F. best adventure running friend!) BARF's 30th birthday!  So, of course we had to have a birthday adventure run to celebrate!  Katherine picked me up right after I took my kids to school and I gave her a bit of a running present and we headed to the mountains!  We went to Millcreek Canyon to run the Pipeline trail.  It was a gorgeous day!  It went back and forth between snowing and sunny and we enjoyed every minute of it!

I made Katherine this visor/birthday hat, but it wouldn't fit over her beanie, so I had to switch it over while she drove.

Aromatherapy bath salts for that hot bath after our snowy run!

Tennis ball to roll the glutes.

Every trail runner needs a bandanna.

Pipeline, here we come!

Katherine got a few birthday wishes from other hikers and runners!

Birthday party, Renee & Katherine style!

Happy Birthday, my wonderful running friend!  Adventures would be much less fun without you!

Then, of course what did we do after, but the WOD from our Thin for Thanksgiving challenge!?  Thirty minutes of HIIT, or high intensity interval training.  Yeah, we were beat after!

5.3 miles 

1:09 

13:01 pace

Plus 30 min HIIT

Challenge Day 1

Breakfast:

1 C brown rice grits

Green tea

Snack:

1 small banana

4T peanut butter

32oz water

Lunch:

Pecan & hazelnut encrusted salmon filet

2 c spinach with balsamic vinegar & olive oil

Snack:

1/4 c sunflower seeds

1/2 c grapes

Green tea

32oz water

Dinner:

1/2 acorn squash

1/3 c rice

3 c spinach with vinegar & olive oil

16oz water

WOD:

Tabata #1

Burpees 20 sec

Rest 10 sec

Jumping jacks 20 sec (as fast as you can)

Rest 10 sec

-Repeat 8 times & then rest 1 min

Tabata #2

Jump Lunges 20 sec

Rest 10 sec

High kicks (please see video below)

Rest 10 sec

-Repeat 8 times & then rest 1 min

Tabata #3

High knees 20 sec

Rest 10 sec

Plank knee twists 20 sec

Rest 10 sec

-Repeat 8 times

DONE!

It took me about 25 minutes to do this whole routine through.  It reminded me of my step aerobics days circa 1994.  It was a fun change up, although it's over so fast that I don't feel like I've done much.  Although, I did get quite out of breath and slightly sweaty and my butt was sore by the end of the jump lunges, so that's good!

We were also required today to post our weight and measurements.  Here are my stats:

Weight 134.4

Chest 35"

True waist 30"

Waist at belly button 33"

Hips 27.5

Thigh at biggest point 20"

Exactly mid-thigh 18.5"

Arm 10.5"

That was no trail run, but it was fun to switch it up!

Lunch.  This was really good!  

There was no body rolling today, but plenty of high kicks!  POW!

Diary Pre-Challenge Day 2

Pre-run:
Banana
Green tea

On the run:
1 squeezy applesauce
2 fruit leather
Handful of dried pineapple
12oz water

Breakfast:
Small purple sweet potato
3 eggs
Green Tea
24oz water with 1 NUUN electrolyte tablet

Lunch:

Chicken salad: 1 large chicken breast, onion, celery, cilantro, grapes, sunflower seeds, mayo
1 spoonful cashew butter

Dinner:
BBQ ribs (homemade with homemade BBQ no-sugar sauce, only honey & molasses)
Spinach salad with strawberry poppy seed dressing
1 1/2 yellow squash
24oz water


WOD
9.23 mile road run

Breakfast

Dinner

Diary Pre-Challenge Day 1

Here's the scoop.  What I ate and my workout for the day!

Breakfast:
Green tea

1/2 cup Brown rice grits

Snack:
4.5 cups green smoothie
Spinach, banana, pineapple, peach, fish oil, glutamine
Green tea

Lunch:
Two eggs on brown rice tortilla with mayonnaise

Snack:
Small apple with sunbutter
Green tea with stevia

Dinner:
Grass fed beef meatballs with spinach and onions
Yellow squash sauteed in olive oil


Plus 64oz of water.

Workout of the day (WOD):
HIIT

Mountain climbers 60 sec

Rest 30 sec

Sumo squat jumps 60 sec

Rest 30 sec

Plank jacks 60 sec

Rest 30 sec

High knees 60 sec

Rest 30 sec

Go through three times, no rest between sets

TABATA

Burpees (no push ups) 20 sec

Rest 10 sec

Tricep dips 20 sec

Rest 10 sec

Hip thrusts 20 sec

Rest 10 sec

High kicks 20 sec

Rest 10 sec

Go through for times, rest 30 sec between each round

Breakfast

Dinner

7 Day Challenge

My friend Astrid, who is a beach body coach, is putting on a virtual seven day challenge called Thin for Thanksgiving.  She will be lending her coaching services for free for one week and in exchange the group agrees to follow her clean eating and workouts for the week.  I'm excited to have this fun challenge for the week and get myself out of my candy corn spiral of death (think: Renee on couch eating bags of candy corn, possibly while moaning).  The challenge starts Monday, however beginning today we are to log everything we eat at drink to share with the group.  I figured, what better place to log all of my food and exercise than here!  Oh, and bonus, Katherine is doing the challenge with me!

Here is Astrid.  On the right, she is pregnant with triplets!  Girlfriend has some killer abs, that I've told her I am quite jealous of!  Hard work pays!

So, you can see why I want to follow her program.  Give me that and some weight lifting and I'll be on my way to buff city!  Don't forget to check out Astrid's website to learn more about her services and her fitness journey.

photo credit: Astrid Novak