Gosh Darn Knee

I was so glad to see the weather for this week, running weather, yippee!! This past weekend was suppose to be a 10 mile run, but I postponed it to today. Pro: Sunny and in the 50s; con: windy! Nothing like a little resistance to add a little more obstacle to the run!

But my knee had other plans.

Around mile 3, started feeling a little pain. Great. I decided to keep running (mainly because I wasn't close to the car at all and would've had to walk back anyways). Around mile 8, I was alternating between running and walking, which wasn't helping either. I stopped at mile 8.75 (1.25 mile to go!) to adjust my ipod on my arm, I pushed off to continue running and got the WORST PAIN shoot through my knee!! Aughhhhh. Really?! I limped back to my car the rest of the time.

After talking with my mom and doing some reading in my Marathon Training book I bought today (while limping all over B&N), she told me I need to lay off of it for awhile and both she and the book recommended swimming to help with the IT band. So looks like some swimming workouts will be coming your way this week! 

1st Day of Spring Break

It's the first day of spring break and what do we get? Rain. Luckily, all of next week is suppose to be in the 70s (really hoping for great weather for my birthday!) so the rain will just help the flowers bloom for spring! 

My mom and I are going to North Carolina for the weekend to visit my dad who is currently working down there so once I finish with this post, I will finalize my packing and get items on my To-Do List checked off before we leave in a few hours!

I headed to the gym first thing this morning. I prefer working out in the morning because I feel I am more awake and set for the day. I also think bodies are more alert in the morning rather than at the end of the day. 

I decided to do a Treadmill Sandwich workout which looked like this:

1 mile on the treadmill

Arms:

chest press

tricep kickbacks

biceps

front arm raises 

shoulder raises

lat pull down

1 mile on the treadmill

Abs:

30 Russian twists

10 sit ups

:30 plank

20 vertical leg crunches

:20 plank

10 jackknife sit-ups

40 oblique crunches

:15 side plank

30 crunches

:40 plank

1 mile run on treadmill

I ran by Harris Teeter on the way home to get some travel sized items (best things ever) and to get some lemons and limes to put in my water. I have been seeing a lot of people pinning detox water on pinterest and although I'm not trying to lose any weight, I love lemons in my water for extra flavor.  

Hope everyone has a wonderful Friday! And all you Hoo fans out there, I expect you all to be by your TVs tonight at 9:57 to see UVa take on MSU! 

1 Year Anniversary

Yep, Fit For a Princess's 1 year anniversary is this weekend! I am thinking of making some changes to the blog, but would love some insight onto what! Please comment! :)

Just when we were all getting settled in for Spring, Mother Nature decided to throw a fast one at us and have it snow yesterday. "1-2 inches" turned into 5 1/2 inches! Ugh! We had a 2 hour delay today which I was totally fine for because I got an extra 2  hours of sleep! Now 1 more day of work before Spring Break...which seems weird to get excited over since I don't think we've had a full week of school since Christmas!

Today's workout was one of my favorites...Treadmill Crossfit. I decided to add a little challenge to it and up-ed my speed by 2 every .5 mile and then decreased back down at the halfway part. 

After a few good rolls on the foam roller, I finished out with an ab set of:

10 Jackknife situps

20 Russian Twists with dumbbell

10 weighted sit-ups

30 crunches

20 oblique crunches

:45 plank

20 hip twists in plank

25 Russian Twists

30 Vertical leg crunches

10 Weighted sit-ups 

Now to finish watching tonight's Nashville before going to bed! Night ya'll!

Buttery Herb Chicken

Starting out my Monday by waking up 1 1/2 hours before my alarm was suppose to go off (so 4:30...) and then not being able to fall back asleep was a rough way to start the day. I even almost poured my cereal into a juice cup. Jesus.

By the time I got to the gym, I was starting to feel a little hunger in my stomach so had 3 chews to get something in my system and knew today's workout wouldn't be too intense.

 I did 20 minutes on the elliptical before doing one of my favorite go-to workouts:

I can't seem to grasp doing one leg squats, something doesn't seem right when doing them so I opted for 50 regular squats instead.

Dinner tonight was Herb and Butter rice a roni with chicken. Very easy to make!

My mom and I were both starving so are quite a bit, but I'm hoping there are some left overs for lunch tomorrow! 

Run and Full Body Workout

              HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!

There is nothing better than having a beautiful day out on a Friday 😃

I'm typing this post quickly because the UVA game is about to start and this should be a dominant win over Coastal Carolina!

After work, I went for a 3.5 mile run (slight knee tightness here and there) in shorts and a tank! Yes! 

Afterwards, I came into ACAC to do some foam rolling on my legs before doing a Full Body Circuit Workout. I'll be at a bridal shower tomorrow out of town so no workout tomorrow (9 mile run on Sunday!)

I hope everyone is able to get outside this weekend, spring has sprung!

I'm In! Going FULL crazy!!!

For those who have not seen my social media today , I have very exciting news!

Marine Corps Marathon, here I come!!! 

Yes, I am both anxious and nervous. 

220 days  10 hours, and 3 minutes (not  that I have a countdown or anything....)

This was the first year that the MCM did a lottery system so I was quite anxious all night and part of this morning (I got my email around 8am) awaiting to hear if I got picked or not! I signed up about a month ago, the lottery closed last week and today was the day that they sent "Congrats" or "Sorry" emails. When I woke up and didn't see an email and made the mistake of checking on the Facebook to see everyone commenting about their acceptance, I got a bad feeling in my stomach.

From when I woke up to when I got to school, I was checking my email every 10 minutes (yes, creeper weird status). So when I got the email, I did a little happy bounce!! Ah!! 

I've already starting looking into books and training programs though I won't start until late May/early June.

 I will be sure to post all my training on here! 

In other news....

Today's workout! 

I didn't get to the gym until after 6 and was totally exhausted (and starving!). I biked for 25 minutes then did a GREAT upper body workout that had me doing my scrunched up face and sweating. I could feel some burning going on when I was finished. 

I finished with a quick ab set of:

40 crunches

10 sit ups 

30 oblique crunches

:25 plank

:20 side plank each side

30 Russian twists

30 vertical crunches

15 jacknife sit ups 

:40 plank 

Bike/Leg Workout

Ok seriously, I hope this snow is done! Spring is Thursday Mother Nature, get your act together!


Breakfast: Maple brown sugar oatmeal with peacans; orange juice


Lunch: Left over tri colored rotini, French bread slice, clementine, nature valley bar, water.


Since my knee hurting on Sunday, I've been reading up on what could've caused it and all results have pointed to my IT Band. Women are at a higher risk of IT band injuries because of our hips, it causes our knees to turn in while running (gee, thanks hips!). Its recommended to do cross training, biking or swim running to help strengthen the knees and of course stretch!


My knee has felt perfectly fine since Sunday, but I decided to test it out today since today was a 4 mile run day . I hoped on the treadmill and within .25 of a mile, I started feeling some pain (noooo!!!). I ended up doing 4 miles on the stationary bike and no knee problem.


I spent the rest of the time at the gym doing leg workouts to help strength my legs in hopes to help strengthen my knee. I did leg press, leg extension, leg curl, lunges, leg raises with resistance bands and calf raises. Each with 3 sets of 15, weight vary.


I finished out with the foam roller (which was a bit harder trying to get myself to roll on my side knee without getting rug burn on my arms!)


*So for whatever reason, my pictures aren't loading when I do my blog on my computer but I'll be sure to hopefully get that figured out soon!*

8 mile run and bye bye toenail

My Sunday started out sunny (though cold) and with an 8 mile run. 

An 8 mile run which resulted in a bum right knee that started hurting around 4.5 miles. 

 Thank goodness for ice and a foam roller the Farrows had.

Eggs, bacon and biscuits with cinnamon is a wonderful thing to smell and eat after a run. 

And that toenail that I posted on my Facebook about last week? Finally came off today. Ew. 

Yay for Disney bandaids for however long it'll take for a nail to grow in. Yep, that's a Belle one!

Listened to the UVA game on my way home which was probably dangerous with how I was freaking out while driving. ACC champs 2014!!

And now I am ending my Sunday with snow. Really?! Go home snow, you're drunk. I WANT SPRING.

Being sick is no fun

Well I tried fighting but Ben's cold found this way to me after this weekend. Ugh. I'm knocking on wood that I am on the route to feeling better. 😷

I didn't work out today before coaching cause I wanted my body to rest (and avoid any gym germs). But did do a non-running/arms & and workout yesterday. 

After walking 20 minutes to the gym (the joys of living in a small town with a gym & car garage nearby) I did 20 minutes on the elliptical before doing an ab workout consisting of:

                       :35 second plank

                       45 Russian Twists

                       10 side dips each side

                       30 crunches

                       20 vertical leg crunch 

                       :40 second plank

                       15 jackknife sit-ups

                       30 bicycles 

I then finished with arms. I realized while doing this that I haven't worked my arms in a week and I could definitely feel it! 

This weekend is an 8 mile run. Im hoping Mr. sniffles is gone by then!

Stretching on the back porch

Whoever decided that the time change should take place on a Sunday night at 2am is evil. I was so confused and out of it waking up and eating breakfast when it was pitch black out! Ugh. The kids sure felt it today too.

Although on my training schedule has today has not running, I could not pass on any opportunity to run in perfect running weather! I only ran 2 miles but they were fast! For my half marathon runs, I usually keep around a 9 minute mile, but today I was running at an 8 mile pace! I had to make a phone call regarding my Masters at 4 so by the time I came back in, I only had time to do some abs and then leave. The ab set I did was one I have done before but for only 9 minutes, really works. SO much planking!

After my phone call (which ended around 4:30), I felt the need to keep enjoying this weather so I grabbed my yoga mat and went out to my back deck. My deck overlooks our property (I live on the side a mountain remember) and a creek. I can't wait for everything to bloom again and not have naked trees. I stretched some, and then did this quick yoga session. I know it says Nighttime, but the poses are great relaxing ones!

 I didn't do the last one because that was a bit uncomfortable to do on a deck ;) 

I hope everyone is getting able to get out and enjoy this weather somehow! 

Running and Shooting

I have finally started my training for the Nike Women's half in April and today was 7 miles! I could not have asked for a more perfect morning to run!

I parked at a park near my house to complete a 7 mile loop around Crozet...Ben even passed by when I was around mile 4 while he was off to get medicine and then when I was coming back into the park, I passed my mom who was just starting her run!

I was feeling great during my run, I had Glee playing the whole time and was feeling fast but comfortable. Around mile 5 though, my hamstrings started tighting up. I've been stretching and using my leg roller since Thursday when they were feeling tight (thanks Strength&Circuit) but they still came back to bite me today! I knocked off 3 minutes from my previous 7 miles time though! 

After lunch, Ben and I met up with Tori and her husband to go shooting! First time for both of us! My ears are still ringing but it was fun! I didn't hit a target...unless you count the air or leaves.

Snow Day #3

I was shocked last night when Albemarle County called and said there would be no school for today. Apparently back roads are still bad?

My road is considered back road. 

Thanks for the extended weekend ACPS, though not looking forward to my summer being cut into. >:( No more snow! 

The one perk about missing a day of work is getting to go to Strength Challenge class at ACAC with my mom. I haven't worked out since Thursday (minus my little at home workout Monday) and the first 10 minutes of class almost killed me. By the end of the class, the place that was screaming the most on me was my shoulders. 

Any of my Charlottesville friends who are ACAC members, I *highly* recommend going to Chris's class!

While my mom went swimming after the class, I chose to do more abs and then really stretch afterwards. Here is the Ab set I did

Nothing better than relaxing after a workout by the fire with some trashy celeb gossip and a smoothie :)

    I spent the rest of my "snow day" running errands and getting dinner with Tori over thai!

Now to set my alarm....alarm? what's that?!

Snow Day...again!

So the saying is so far true: Spring comes in like a lion, out like a lamb.

Woke up to snow...again...and no school....again. 

My Face ---> :-|. 

I am suppose to start up my training this week for the Nike Women's Half in April, but in order to do that, I need to get out of my house! No more snow mother nature please! I feel like we were just getting out of our other storm.

Since we were going to be snowed in today, I decided to make a Chicken Chili recipe   in the crockpot. Results of it will be below.

After it started cooking, I changed out of my pajamas (which is so hard to do on a snow day) to do an in-home workout in my room. I haven't worked out since Thursday and I could already tell my body was getting that "haven't been to the gym in a few days so starting to feel like a slug" feeling.  I found this workout that didn't take too long but still got some muscles woken up.

*Instead of jumping jacks/jump rope -- I did mountain climbers. One slight jump in my house and it shakes.

I then did a round of abs to finish out.

After showering and helping my mom with some projects, it was time to try the chili! It smelled AMAZING!

Took the first bite.....HOLY MOLY IT WAS SPICY!!!!!

It was delicious but the spices definitely had taken over this! *

A warning to anyone who does not like spicy food*

Catch Up!

        Where have I been? Busy! 

Wednesday I went to a yoga class. It went well minus for my hands getting clammy (random) which made doing a partial handstand against the wall a bit hard...or scary cause I didn't want to fall on my face.They say runners should do yoga to help lengthen the muscles. Let's see how long I can keep this going! 

Thursday--a day I should've skipped cause I had a ton of stuff at home to do for this weekend on top coaching but knew I should go cause I wasn't getting a workout in this weekend. I did 20 minutes on the stair master before doing my "I have a short period of time" workout:

Friday-- no workout--drove to Ben's.

Today--Had something this morning which prevented me from going to the gym, then got together with my sister before she leaves for her Habitat for Humanity spring break trip tomorrow. Now relaxing and waiting for the big UVA game at 4!