Advocare Cleanse for Nursing Moms

I had quite a few requests this week for information on doing an Advocare Cleanse or 24 Day Challenge while nursing. I, myself, did a Challenge 8 weeks after having my youngest. At the time I was guided by numerous resources and Advo coaches on the web about what I could and could not take while nursing. I took the info to my doctor, who was of course reluctant to endorse anything specifically, but agreed with Advocare's official stance on which products should be safe.

Based on that and the info I found on distributor sites, I put together my own 24 Day Challenge. I spent some time putting together a PDF with all the info I used to make it easier for other new moms who might be considering a Challenge!

You can get he PDF below. If you need to purchase the Advocare products, you can go to my website: www.runningwithadvocare.com and click through to my Advocare store.

Let me know if you ever need any help or have questions!


Download the Nursing Mother's 24 Day Challenge Guide!
http://media.wix.com/ugd/8c24b3_e5eccddbe2e347acbd84b8e25f830dbf.pdf

Truth Time

I'm benched.

For like 2 weeks, which, yes, I realize is not really that long.

I have something wrong with my knee, osteoarthritis likely, and I can only RICE. 

And I have a confession; I'm not taking care of myself. My food and beverage intake is horrible. Foods and drinks I haven't ingested in years, fair game. And I'm not really sure how to dig out either. I feel like I'm just jumping from poor choice to poor choice and it sucks. 

I KNOW what I have to do and I just don't want to. SO LAZY!!

But, I'm gonna try again tomorrow because every day is the chance to be better!

After all, I have to be healthy for this guy and his brother!!

Dreadmill

3 miles on the treadmill this morning! Wore my Newtons and it was awesome! It feels so good to get back in the swing of runs.

Ok, quick commercial. The whole loose shorts over spands is the best thing EVER!! Of course, we has this in the 90's, just not as short and stylish. 

Nike has them in lots of colors at the moment.

I started with the Target version to see what I thought and I LOVE them. Freedom of the run short with the coverage of spandex!

Newton Newbie pt 3

Well, persistence pays off! 

I am finally at a place where I am running pain free and having to think less about foot strike. It has not been super easy though! 

This morning, I ran 3 miles with a push it pace! 

10:44 shouldn't be a push it pace but I have run so little that I am a little out of shape! Oh well, we're working on it now!

Today, now that vacation is done, we are starting #FitSummer with the family! I made scratch spaghetti sauce and whole wheat pasta for dinner tonight and did a scratch purée for Owen with blueberries, 2 prunes, spinach and 1/2 a banana. All thanks to my new FOOD PROCESSOR!

We've had a magic bullet for a while, but it's getting old and isn't super efficient. So, I bought a new food processor on sale at Kohls today:

So far it's awesome, and was on sale for $19!

See you tomorrow!

Whoops! Where'd I go?!

Trith is, I went nowhere, and everywhere. I has my crazy busy time of year and just fell off the blogging wagon. 

But...

Tim and I start a cleanse tomorrow, so, see you in the morning!

Newton Newbie pt 2

I took my Newtons out for another short run today and I just continue to be bothered by the lugs hitting each foot in a different place. Like on my right foot, it hits back part of mid foot, the right foot has the lugs hitting the dead center of the ball of my foot.

So, I went it Newtons website for advice: is this normal? How long will it take me to adjust? The answer to both and many other questions? Listen to your body.

Quick, short strife. Mid foot strike. Working on it, coach!!

Speaking of listening to your body's  voice, Wednesday night to celebrate the end OF UIL. My body says clif  bar and wine.

Newton Newbie: Pt 1

This past weekend, Tim and I took the boys to brunch downtown and enjoyed a little photoshoot scouting at a park. That also put us downtown near my fav running stores. Since my Brooks are hitting the 300 mile mark, I figured I'd look for some new one. 

Honestly, if I'd have liked the colors of the new Pures, I may just have bought them and not given it a second thought. But I didn't love the fit right away and figured it might be time for a change.

#hellobetter

I got me a bright shiny pair of Newtons this weekend at Luke's Locker.

What are Newtons? Who is Newton? Why are they weird colored? 

Well. This is the about info from their page:

Bottom line, these are cool people working to make shoes for a more natural running expirience. Newton champions a more natural cadence and form as well. Check out this info graphic from their website:

So today, I did my first run in them. And...it's an adjustment. Not bad, but my stance causes my right foot to point at 2:00, not noon while standing. This means the lugs on my right foot hit in a different place then my left and that's kinda weird. I feel the benefits they're talking about but it wasn't perfect by any stretch this morning. Weird ankle pain on that right side. Not crazy bad just a little sore. I'll run again Tuesday, I'll let you know it goes!

But so far, I think this is a positive change!

In the Long Run: you should want a bad b**ch like this!

As I am now well into my 30s, I'm spending extra time, all the time thinking about ways to become a more bad a** b**ch (BAB for abbreviation sake). Weird isn't it that when I was in my 20s and I could have been a BAB, I was too busy being fat and lazy to do it. But now that I am suburban mother of two, I am daily overcome with the need to be seen as a completely hard core milf. (Language, I know!)

And really, part of my desire to run long distances is so that people look at me and go "she's doing that?! She's a BAB!" And I don't seem to be motivated anymore in my running playlist by pop music and hits of the 80s. Oh no I got I have some DMX or Iggy Azelea or some really really really hard-core Drake or Jay-Z. Beyoncé is about as soft as it gets and  I'm talking Partition, not Single Ladies.

So to sum it up. I'm a BAB and I ran 5 miles with and 11min average. 

And holy mackerel, did I sweat!

Switching it up

Birthday yesterday!! I turned the big 33, which felt exactly the same as my last 4 birthdays. Ben was excited to celebrate, and I was excited my buns-of-steel-ish fit into this jumpsuit even though I would never buy it.

How's running you ask?

First let me say, I think my Garmin is possessed. It's like "this is a 12:45 mile" and I'm like "yo, I can walk that fast homie." So I think it's on crack.

Also, 'cause my cyber friend "Skinny Meg" is running an 11min mile like month after giving birth!!!! You go girl!!! 

I haven't run nearly as much since I am done half marathon training. I miss it but I switched up my schedule to do early morning training and it's difficult to get out and going on the streets at 5:00. I'm shooting for Tuesday/Thursday runs with a 6 mile on Saturdays. That should keep me able to do a 10K on a whim, but be able to fit in weight/cross training.

On a side note, Nat came with me the last 2 mornings to the gym and her hubby gave her a hard time for NOT posting a gym selfie. He said "how can I believe you were really there?!"

There. See, squats and everything!

Weight Training

I've missed y'all!! Recovery from the RnR Half has meant recovery from all things running for a week. "In the long run" will be back this weekend though with a little 6 miler and some birthday fun!

I've spent a lot of this past week doing weights and focusing on toning. When training for the half, I was careful and over cautious about weights as I didn't want to get injured doing something stupid. Now that it's done, my weeks look something like this:

And yes, these are 2-a-days. I'm doing then top squares in the A.M. Mostly at the moment, or all in the morning if I'm up early enough! When the weather hears up, I'll do the run outside early and lift later.

Where do I find my lift workouts? Various places. I have a training plan from a personal trainer I LOVE (follow her on insta @efitmama24) and that gave me a jumping off point. Otherwise, I peruse my saved workouts from Pinterest and mix it up! Social media as a personal trainer. Who'da thought?!

This is my current arm routine, which actually I'm doing daily till UIL.

I write everything in my little notebook. I tried my phone but I just really missed paper! 😊 

Lastly, I turn on a bad bitch like this and WERK!

Questions about lifting? Get a PT for 1 session. They can answer all your questions! Enjoy!

Jen

Quiet Friday workout.

Since I finished my Half last weekend, I've been focused on recovery, but it was also nice not to be focused on "Training" for the first time in 8 months! I took spin on Wednesday (which actually may have been a mistake) and have done more with weights. On Friday I went to the gym to run 2 and warm up. I found this:

A nearly DESERTED cardio floor! Awesome-sauce!!! 👏👏

So I did my quick 2 which felt like forever (have I talked about my hatred of the treadmill?) and then did arms. Holy cow, so sore today!! Not in arms though, in my hamstrings! So weird.

Anyway, I've enjoyed mixing it up and ramping it up! 

Here's my W/O plan at the moment. So far, so good!!

Oh, and the monkey man wearing my medal. I mean, come one. So cute:

Have a great Sunday!!

In the Long Run: Thank you notes for the Dallas RnR Half

Well, I finished and frankly, I did it with FLYING colors!! It was not a PR by my chip time, but my Garmin showed the race was 3.30, so if you do the math to 3.10, it was a PR! Either way, I felt amazing the whole race and ran the most CRAZY negative split!

My gear

Carb loading at Campisi's

Damion found each other at mile 3!

Dan from The Biggest Loser

Tim and I at the post race party!

So proud of Nat for finishing her first!

Garmin!

Medal!!

With the race drifting off into the rear view, I can't forget to be grateful to all the people, places and things that made this Sunday such a success. Thank you...

Mile 1: Dick's Last Resort. (You know why 😘)

Mile 2: The singer from that 80's cover band

Mile 3 -5: Highland Park. Are you kidding me? Worth the race just for those HOUSES!

Mile 6: the Heckler. He told me to run "f*#€%+ing faster." Classy.

Mile 7: People outside a trailer with a stereo. Chariots of Fire was an awesome choice.

Mile 8: the Marine with his combat backpack. Felt honored just to run near him.

Mile 9: inappropriate no-shirt guy. Yeah. Some people should ALWAYS wear a shirt. Like even in the shower.

Mile 10: Gatorade. Literally saved me.

Mile 11: Boot Camp Police Officer, most just keep us safe, this one also motivated!

Mile 12: Double amputee (at the knee) working so hard, unwavering determination. I may have cried, and realized I needed to kick my butt in gear. Cause nothing I'll ever do is as important as what he did for us.

Mile 13: Garmin watch. You helped me see my REAL time and distance!

Time to start training for a full!

In the Long Run: Baby it's COLD Outside!

Why?! Why is it so cold! I live in the south for Pete sake! And it's March; not what I signed up for.

Anyway. I digress.

Today's long run is my last before next week's half. Also, it was the second consecutive bad-weather-run. This week was cold, really cold with high winds. Last week went something like this:

57 degrees. Logic dictates something with a cap sleeve and my compression arm bands. On the bottom I did nike run shorts with compression sleeves. Light weather-proof vest for good measure, there is, after all, a 30% chance of rain. In 4 hours.

Well, the run started great. Feeling good, feeling comfortable. Then, around mile 7.5, the wind shifted and it got chilly, fast! 

No, not just chilly, cold. And you'll recall, I did not say I put on a hat, or gloves. 

And I proceeded to run, what felt like, the fastest 3 miles anyone has ever run. Ever.  But I STILL couldn't outrun the cold. And then it happened;

Rain.

Now I'm soaked and freezing and everyone running by me is giving me that side eye, like, why is she half naked in this weather?!

But there are some upsides to running in freezing rain:

☔️ you don't have to do an ice bath after, because you basically took an ice shower.

☔️people shout at you, much like in a race setting. Of course, they are saying less supportive things like "what's wrong with you?!"

☔️racing the weather creates an instant PR! Seriously! The fastest I have ever run. (But I did pay for that the next day!)

Hopefully your weather is better than what we've been dealing with here!

PS-Scary-run-ninja loves her new Garnin!

Was it worth it?

Um, the answer is yes and no. Was it worth going out "sans-offspring" with the best buds? Absolutely. Was it worth the beer and giant soft pretzels?

Nope! Totally was not!

That is what I have found to be really interesting about my year of eating cleaner. When I make, um let's say "fun" food choices, I always end up feeling nasty for like at least a day. So why do it?

No, not why eat clean, I mean why have "cheat day?" 

Ok, stay with me here. I think it's good to know what you're missing and the consequences that come with that. I don't apply that to my spousal relationship but I can apply it pretty universally to the rest of my life. 

If someone else's job looks better, I look to compare all aspects and inevitably it's a wash. Or another person's financial situation seems more desirable, they are missing out on something to get that. 

Bottom line is there are pros and cons to everything. So if all is weighed equally, you'll find there's just as much that's hard about doing whatever you want (overweight, tired, ill) as there is to doing it well (motivation, moderation, tough choices).

So. Am I glad we hung out with friends, YES! Am I glad I partook of some libations? No. Will I do it again someday?

Yes 😉

In the Long Run: a letter to my Best Friend on the eve of her first Half

NHB,

You're going to finish a half marathon! Congrats! No, I'm not psychic, but I have no trouble picturing you finishing. You have trained for this (not like 

Barney Stinson). 

 

• Barney: I can't move my legs. I've ridden the subway twice, end to end; I've seen where it turns around. Ted, you don't ever wanna see where the subway turns around.

A few things to think about before we go do this thing:

Math is your friend-

Since this is your first Half, it's an automatic PR! Congratulations on your fastest ever 13.1 miles! 

Want more math to make you feel awesome? Check out your mile times! It's highly likely you'll either go out too fast (and have a mile PR) or have lots of adrenaline at the end (and have a PR mile or less). And your chip times shows you how much faster you were than all those other people you finished before. And lastly, you ran exactly 13.1 miles farther than this guy:

You won't be last-

It is very unlikely you'll finish last. As there are around 10,000 people you have a .01% chance of finishing last.

And even if you do finish last, you'll be in the company of this badass:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-10-14/news/chi-chicago-marathon-latest-feat-for-last-finisher-20131014_1_finish-line-america-chicago-marathon-mats

He has MS and finished a MARATHON! We're only doing half that!

Looks don't matter-

Honestly, your race pics will probably be awful. You may get one amazing pic like these:

But it's way more likely they'll be terrible. And really, at least you won't be these guys:

And of course, infamous:

Yikes.

Anyway, have an amazing run, enjoy your race and most importantly, be proud of your accomplishment! I'm proud of you!

Jen

Change is never easy.

Even the thought of change can be daunting. I sit here writing this, not really being able to write anything, but wanting to spill my guts! I suppose enough said would be that nothing stays the same forever. Nothing. Not even good things. And things like marriages only stay the same if you work (hard) at them. And sometimes the changes you want most don't come, and the ones you need come, but much later. I am a big believer that God has a plan, the right plan for me. Sometimes, it's just hard to wait and see!

All this to say, I NEED a run. So bad. It's like a clean slate. Cleanses the palate. It clears the mind and cleans the soul. I may just get up from my office and walk away and go for a run. In fact, I think I will. Bye y'all! 😊

5 miles

Did an easy 5 on a treadmill at the gym today while (for just the second time) Ben went to "Kids Klub" and "worked out." So sweet, I love that he loves to exercise!

So Rock and Roll Half is coming up in a couple weeks, and I am SO pumped. There will be a big expo where I will attempt to NOT buy all the things, and pick up the race packet.

11 miles coming up on Saturday, I'll let you know how it goes!

Photo Dump

Hey y'all! 

Here's some of the good shots from Feb. Competition season is over for work, which means it's run season!! Yay!

Nat and I getting in the miles!

Feelin like a boss after a fast 5!

About 8 months post-baby. Working my way back to size 8!

Vaca with all 3 boys, bubs took this one!

My favorite "Sweaty Band!" It's wishbones, but whatever...

Love my Hal Higdeon training app!

10 Miles!

Something about 10 miles feels more special and different than anything before. I think it's cause you hit double digits. You could run 9.99 and it still wouldn't be as awesome as running 10. Why would you stop at 9.99? Questions I ask myself while running...

Anyway, I tried my new advocare running cocktail before I ran. Spark and Caralyst are normal for me. But I added a little bit Rehydrate to my spark, and O2 gold for the first time. Only took half a dose of O2 since it's new for me, and I LOVED IT!! I need a name for my new running cocktail, I felt like I was flying!