paleoironmom

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Week 4 of marathon and half marathon training — July 4, 2015

Week 4 of marathon and half marathon training

This is the last week of  the optional “pre-training” phase.  Starting next week, I will begin to incopertae the heart rate monitor into training so if you haven’t determined your max heart rate, please do so this week.  Also, start wearing your monitor this week just to get an idea of what your heart rate during your runs is. This will help you adjust once I post the different zones of training.

Week 4 of training (17 weeks until race day)

Monday: Max heart rate workout: (Optional) (or a 45 min easy run)
Easy 15 min warm up
find a hill 200-300 m long. Sprint up and jog back down and repeat 5 times. Your highest heart rate will be very close to max heart rate (MHR)
cool down 10 min
Tuesday: 45-60 min of easy cross training ( I will do a 45 min bike ride followed by a 15 min brick run)

Wednesday: 45 min easy run

Thursday: 45 min easy run

Friday: 45-60 min of cross training

Sat: 80 min easy run

Sunday: off Continue reading

week 2 and 3 of marathon and half marathon training — June 21, 2015

week 2 and 3 of marathon and half marathon training

I am leaving this Wednesday to go out of the country for vacation and won’t be home until late Sunday night so I am posting the next 2 weeks of training.  I will only be doing the workouts on Monday and Tuesday this week. It is early in my training so I may run once or twice while I’m on vacation but I’m not going to stress about it.  If you have a vacation coming up in the middle of training and want to continue with the training schedule, that is wonderful. If not, I recommend trying to do 2 to 3 30–45 min easy runs while you are vacation.  While it is still early in the training season, and probably won’t matter a great deal if you miss the longer runs, I don’t recommend going an entire week without running, especially if you are new to running.  There are a few reasons for this.  First, a lot of training and working out in general is about routine.  If you stick with your daily workout routines, it becomes much easier to stay with them.  Skipping an entire week, gets you out of your rhythm and can make it hard to restart.  Also, if you are new to running, you will lose endurance that you have started to build up so its a good idea to do a few easy runs while you are away.

Week 2 Marathon training (19 weeks until race) Continue reading

Caribbean Broccoli Slaw — June 18, 2015

Caribbean Broccoli Slaw

I saw this recipe for a salad dressing made with raw cashews and coconut water posted last week on  Amy and Brain’s Coconut Water Instagram page. I immediately began thinking of recipes to try.   I thought of this broccoli slaw recipe with pineapple and mango.  I used the pre-made organic slaw from Trader Joe’s and shredded in a little red cabbage.  Most grocery stores sell a pre-made broccoli slaw or you can just make your own by cutting up broccoli stalks, carrots and red cabbage.  Tonight I paired it with grilled chicken and grilled veggies but it would also be an excellent side to any summer BBQ. I also grilled extra chicken so that I would have it for lunches for the next few days.

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Shrimp, pineapple and onion kabobs — June 17, 2015

Shrimp, pineapple and onion kabobs

 

This dish is perfect for a weeknight dinner because it is quick and easy to make and uses only a few ingredients.  I love to grill pineapple.  If you haven’t tried it, you won’t be disappointed.  The heat from the grill brings out the natural sugars in the pineapple and caramelizes it.  I bought this pineapple cutter from Pampered Chef earlier this year and it makes cutting up a whole fresh pineapple a breeze! I like to buy whole pineapples whenever I go to Trader Joe’s because their prices are usually a few dollars cheaper than any other grocery store. A whole pineapple at Trader Joe’s is  around $3.99

 

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marathon and half marathon training: week 1 — June 14, 2015

marathon and half marathon training: week 1

Week 1 Training (20 weeks until race)

These first 4 weeks are training are optional.  They will mostly be short, easy  runs meant to build a base for harder workouts in the next few weeks.  I plan to use target heart rate training for this marathon.  If you don’t have a heart rate monitor and watch, I would advise you to get one over the next few weeks and determine your max heart  by week 4 of training of training. This is when I’ll really start to incorporate it into training. I personally like garmin watches.  This garmin forerunner is a great watch. It is simple to use and not very expensive. I also recommend upgrading your HR monitor strap.  The soft strap found here is much nicer and more comfortable than the ones that come standard with the watches. There are many benefits to heart rate training.  Click here for a detailed write up on heart rate training.  Continue reading

macadamia nut crusted mahi with raspberry lime salsa and cilantro lime cauliflower rice —

macadamia nut crusted mahi with raspberry lime salsa and cilantro lime cauliflower rice

This is probably my  favorite fish dish of all time.  I went to Hawaii on my honeymoon 11 years ago and everything there seemed  to be  coated in macadamia nuts! I’m exaggerating, but there were a ton a macadamia nut dishes I had while we were there.   I tried to recreate a local dish for dinner tonight.  I should have taken more pictures while I was prepping.  Sorry. This meal looks fancy and is definitely a company worthy dish but it’s very simple to make.  I served the fish with a mixed green salad and cilantro lime cauliflower rice.  I have  “riced” cauliflower in the food processor and using a big grater.  I think the grater is easier and faster.  I have to chop up the clauiflower and put it into my food processor in multiple matches.  When I use my grater I cut off the leaves and just grate the whole head of cauliflower, starting on one side down to the stem/core and then flipping it over and doing the same on the opposite side. The recipe below is for 2 people.I usually double it to feed me, my husband and our kids.  I hope you enjoy this Hawaiian inspired meal as much as I do! Continue reading

running shoes…finding the right pair, breaking them in, etc. — June 12, 2015

running shoes…finding the right pair, breaking them in, etc.

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Finding the right running shoes is probably one of the most important aspects of training. So many people are not wearing the right type of running shoes which can lead to injury. I recommend taking the time to go to a national chain like Fleet Feet or to a local running store. Fleet feet is nice because they will put you on a treadmill and record you running. They will then use this information to find the proper shoe and there is no charge for this service!  A lot of local running stores offer this same service but even if they don’t they should be trained to determine what type of shoe you need based on how you walk and the wear of an old pair of running shoes.  They will look at things such as the height of your arch, whether you pronate (roll your foot in or outward as you walk/run) and how you strike the ground when you walk. I promise you will be happy you took an hour or so out of your time to do this once your mileage starts increasing. Having the right shoes can help prevent some common running injuries such as knee, hip and various joint points, shin splits, and plantar fasciitis. Continue reading

taco salad — June 5, 2015

taco salad

I went to Whole Foods yesterday and stocked up some items that made this meal prep very easy and quick. I really like the organic frozen vegetables they sell.  It is a great way to save some money as they are relativel  cheap.  I like to use them in eggs for breakfast or different types of stir fry.   Tonight I used 1/2 of package of the organic 3 pepper blend.  I added the veggies, still frozen, to a skillet along with grass fed beef and 1/2 a chopped onion and cooked them all together. This adds great flavor to the beef.

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grilled pineapple salad — June 2, 2015
paleo chicken tenders —