3rd Day of Christmas!

On the 3rd day of Christmas Lil' Mama gave to me...a box of Good2Go Protein Bars!  I will start off by saying that these little beauties give you special powers, that's right, they really do.  On Monday I ate most of a bar on the way to the gym.  I did my shoulders and abs workout and then I started a progressive run.  I got 4 miles into my run, my energy level was great but I was having an angry tummy so I headed out to tame the beast.  In case you don't know what the beast is, it's the Stair Master machine.

There are 4 flavors but Jake was an overeager son of a nutcracker and ripped right into the Peanut Butter Fruit Nut before I could even take a picture!

I always do the Fat Burner workout and struggle to maintain a level 16 but this time a 16 was just too easy.  After a couple of minutes I bumped it up to 17, then 18, then 19 and yes even 20!!!  That there is the hardest level my friends.  Of course, that was just for the last minute and a half when I was supposed to be cooling down but I really wanted to get 5 miles on the beasty so I had to hustle before it shut me down.  I got 5 miles, climbed 243 floors and I TAMED that BEAST all in 35 measly minutes!

I'm pretty sure it has to do with the fact these bars are all natural, 99.9% lactose free and are made using mostly organic ingredients.  The bars are sweetened with honey, brown rice syrup and coconut crystals...NOT SUGAR!!   They have all the good stuff: Whey protein, whole oats, flaxseed, coconut oil, honey and cinnamon.  That last ingredient had me a bit worried because I DESPISE cinnamon, lucky for me the cinnamon isn't overbearing. 

I got this off of Good2Gobar.com. "Casey Child, creator of the G2G bar, has led an active lifestyle since he was young. From Little League, to college, and then professional baseball, Casey has learned that our bodies perform based upon that which we choose to fuel them with. After trying dozens of bars and supplements, Casey decided to create his own protein bar using only the best-tasting, best-for-you ingredients available. The Good2Go Protein Bar is the result of countless hours of taste testing and experimenting with different ingredients." 

You know, after reading that I'm reminded of a post I did a while back, you can read it HERE.  It's about what happens when you don't fuel properly...lesson learned!

These bars do have more calories than I normally consume before a workout so I simply eat part of it and save the rest for an afternoon snack.  I think they have a good number of calories for a race or a long run.

I also like that they are made just down the street, maybe a little further but either way it's a local company.

You can buy a box of these delicious bars for $30 (12 bars per box) and I am here to tell you that they are worth every penny.  How much are special powers worth to you?  They really are so good...even with the cinnamon, that's saying A LOT!  Because these bars don't have any preservatives they require refrigeration, I like that.

Preservatives...BAD!

Cold bar...GOOOOOOOD!

And YES I have to write myself a reminder to grab a bar before I head out the door every morning...I think I have a condition. 

For more information check out their website www.good2gobar.com.

For today's giveaway you will get a box of 12 bars.  You can choose from:

almond fruit nut

almond chocolate chip

peanut butter chocolate chip

peanut butter fruit nut

I have tried all 4 flavors and they are scrumpdiddlyumptious!

To enter giveaway like Good2Gobar on Facebook HERE!

Follow Good2Gobar on Twitter HERE!

For a few extra entries share this on Facebook, Tweet about it or mention it on your blog.

You can also follow me on the Twitter HERE!

Leave a comment for each thing that you do.

No Facebook? No Twitter? No Blog? No Problem.  Just go to their website and tell me which bar you would like to try.

The winner will be announced on the 17th.

I guess we are Good2Go ;) Ha Ha.

On the 3rd day of Christmas Lil' Mama gave to me...Good2Go protein bars.

On the 2nd day of Christmas Lil' Mama gave to me...a pair Pro Compression. Ends 16th

On the 1st day of Christmas Lil' Mama gave to me...Terra Miaaaaa. Ends 15th

Running On Empty=CRAP!!

I read an article a few months ago in Runner's World magazine called "Running On Empty."  I didn't like the sound of it nor did I like the idea of it.  I am a true believer that one must fuel their body if they expect it to perform.  Well, today I was pretty much running on empty and not on purpose.

Holly and I decided to sleep in and go to the gym once we got our kidlets off to the old school house.  I woke up and was quite a hungry so I had my breakfast.  An hour and a half later as I was heading out the door I thought to myself "maybe I should grab a banana or something small to get me through my workout."  Nah, after all it had only been an hour and half. 

We got to the gym and did a killer chest, triceps, back and biceps workout which took us about an hour and a half.  Then we headed outside for a lovely Fall run.  I was sooooo looking forward to today's run because we weren't going to freeze to death, like in the early morning hours, and because it is supposed to SNOW here tomorrow.  I have come a long way as far as running in the cold but running in the snow still scares me a little.  After all, I'm quite klutzy as of late!!!

We decided we would hit less traffic if we started UP HILL.  It is a very long hill and quite steep.  I thought perhaps I might die.  Finally after 1.5 miles of running straight uphill we hit a downhill...YAY!!  I was feeling okay and just enjoying the weather.  It was super windy which didn't bother me at first because 1. it was pushing us and 2. it was blowing the leaves off the trees which looked awesome.  It was raining leaves and I loved it.

I was starting to feel a bit sluggish at about mile 4 where we hit Mama Jex's work. We stopped to chat, get a drink and use the facilities ;)  They have closed up all of the bathrooms around town for the winter months which means we have to plan ahead a bit for our pit stops.

Did I mention that it was quite hot outside?  It was 70 degrees which really is perfect but we have become accustomed to running in sub 40 degree weather so it felt pretty hot.  We hit "Butthole Hill" as it has come to be known and I thought I might die...again!

We had a flat stretch, thank the heavens, before another big hill.  We both decided to walk the stupid hill and it still felt hard, WTHeck ;)  Once we hit the top of the hill we had a nice downhill, the only problem was that by this point the wind had really picked up and was pushing against us.  I never knew that running downhill could be so blasted hard.  I was starving and so thirsty by this point, about mile 6.  I ran with my "sippy cup" but had sucked it all down.  I kept thinking about the article I had read, I knew I didn't like it for a reason!

I kept reminding myself that I was grateful to be running outside and that it was the perfect day for a lovely 9 mile run!  After another hill we finally hit the best part of our route which is down the first hill that we ran up.  Again, the wind made it hard to go very fast.  I was trying to talk positively to myself, we were almost there.  Holly said, "We can do anything for 10 minutes right?"  Of course we could.  We kept chugging along and I was starting to feel really weird. 

We FINALLY got to the gym, 9 miles done and done!  I truly loved every miserable second of this run.  That sounds a bit strange but I really did love it.

When we got in the car I realized that it had been 5 hours since my last "feeding!"  Hello, I usually eat every 3-4 hours and that's when I'm not killing myself at the gym and running all over the town.

I got home and sucked down my delicious smoothie...perhaps a little to fast!  I was fighting not throwing it up and felt HORRIBLE!  I was very weak and shaky, it took everything I had just to stand in the shower for a few minutes.

After a few hours I finally feel better but holy crap I will NEVER do that again.  I'm sure I sound like a crazy person but 5 hours without food is a long time for me.  I also know that a lot of people wake up and workout on an empty stomach but that is NOT for me.  I know that if I want my body to do all that I ask of it that I had better fuel it.

I want to know what you think about running on empty  Do you do it or have you ever tried it?

Food is Fuel!

Let me just start by saying that Halloween has done a number on me. 

Here we are with the Garcia's after trick or treating.  This is the day that started my downward spiral ;)

For some crazy reason I have had ZERO self-control this week.  I am usually pretty good at choosing healthy foods that will fuel my body to perform the way that I want it to.  This week I caved into temptation with candy that normally wouldn't tempt me AT ALL!!  The problem is that I go to work all day and barely eat anything and by the time I get home I am a ravenous beast.  The candy has been in my face, as my kids can't put anything away, and it's quick and easy.  I have been replacing my meals with candy, cookies, donuts and pretty much any garbage I could stuff into my pie hole.  I would eat crap and then feel guilty about it so I wouldn't really eat dinner, I would make a smoothie, this post has the recipe, and call it good.  I went to the gym every morning and weighed myself and when I wouldn't gain weight I continued to feed myself garbage.

I honestly felt like crap the whole week, my workouts suffered and I felt bad about myself.  Although my weight didn't go up I felt like a fat cow.  Last night as I was conditioning the older gymnasts one of the girls asked me if I "diet."  I told her that I never diet but that I try to make healthy choices, I then explained that I had not made such good choices this past week.  She said, "who has??"  I realize that it's completely normal to cave into temptation sometimes but we MUST have moderation in all things.  That is what I haven't done this week.  I usually don't deprive myself if I am really craving something but I try to keep it under control.

We must use food as fuel.  I have noticed that when I make healthy choices and eat right that I have a lot more energy throughout the day.  I am amazed that I have the energy that I do when I usually only get 6 and a half hours of sleep.  This week however, I had very little energy.  My workouts were not good, I almost feel asleep in spin class on Wednesday for heaven's sake :)  I took a nap which I rarely do and have been a bit of a slug all week.  Throughout the week it didn't really hit me as to why I felt so fatigued.  This morning as I was struggling through my 14 mile run I realized that what I had been putting into my body was causing me to feel this way.  I guess the old saying is true: "You are what you eat."  When I eat good, healthy foods I feel good but when I eat CRAP I feel like crap!!

It's important to fuel our bodies with whole grains, protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats.  I try to stay away from sugar and anything white as much as possible.  There are some great treats out there that are sugar free, but be careful because there are also some out there that will do a number on your gut ;)  But that is a story for another time...or not!!  Some of my favorite sugar free treats are Jello, Jello pudding, Sugar Free Stephen's Hot Chocolate and I have a chocolate, banana, peanut butter smoothie that is quite delicious.  I buy the Adam's all natural peanut butter so there is no added sugar and it is FABULOUS!!!  If you are like me and you like to have something sweet after dinner try fruit, it seems to work for me most days.  I found THIS that I really liked, I didn't watch the video but scrolled down to the text.

Here is a picture of a good mix.  Pizza with whole wheat crust, veggies, turkey sausage and turkey pepperoni, Cantaloupe, Salad and Chocolate donuts.  I think treats are fine in moderation and after you've had a good meal so that you are filling up on the good stuff, leaving little room for the treats.  This was a my go to pre-race supper for my summer races.

Sorry if I have bored you to death but this has been on my mind all day!

Do you notice a huge difference in how you feel depending on what you eat?

Do you struggle with making good choices and then beat yourself up about it?