Holy Hot Wednesday!

This was the view on my dashboard earlier today...a smokin' 102 degrees!!  Although that is a tad on the extreme side because my car was sitting in a sunny parking lot, today's temperature is supposed to reach the mid 90's with high humidity.  Swimming pool...here I come!   

Aside from the heat, it's been a busy morning full of some running, PT and a hair appointment.  I was able to run two whole miles!  Yep, that's right...I doubled my distance.  At last week's PT appointment, John gave me permission to start running again slowly so this past Friday I ran one mile and it felt decent.  Per John's advice, I waited a day and tried again on Sunday.  Not good.  I ran around the block and came home.  After all of this therapy, time off, stretching and icing, I didn't want to push it and be back to square one. 

As for this morning I wanted to try again, so I did something a little different.  Since tendonitis hurts more when the tendon is cold {such as first thing in the morning}, I decided to step on our vintage Stairmaster for approximately 8 - 10 minutes to warm-up the Achilles prior to my run and this definitely helped.  I made two miles comfortably with little pain.  The feeling I had is kind of hard to explain...it still feels like something is there, but it doesn't really hurt.  Does that make sense?  

After my run, I went to see John at PT.  I started my session with a 10 minute session on the elliptical machine followed by a few minutes on the treadmill where he watched my gate.  From what he saw, he said that I land on the middle of my foot, rather than on the back and that could be the cause of this injury.  Personally, I think I run differently on the treadmill than I do outside.  

After that, I did my routine stretches myself and with John's assistant {Danielle} and then they applied the anti-inflammatory medicine via the electrified patch on my heel.  On the flip side, I did get the green light to slightly increase my mileage!  Woohoo!  

On a side note, I have a blister on my heel that has evolved from icing TOO much.  Hey...I want to get back on the roads again...is that a sin??  Danielle told me not to ice quite as much to avoid future injuries. 

Lunchtime came upon me and I decided to have some leftovers from last evening...a half of a grilled chicken breast for protein, red quinoa with sauteed veggies, feta, almonds, cranberries and fresh thyme, and some berries.  

For tomorrow, I hope to run 2 -3 miles before hitting the pool for another exhausting workout.  

Question of the day: If you have had Achilles issues {tendonitis, etc.}, how long did it take to heal?  

Have a great day and stay cool!  


Tracy

Lunch-packing 101.

Good morning! 


If you're like me, you need to pack a lunch every day.  And if you're also like me, you don’t particularly enjoy this task.  I would like to share a few tips that I've learned over the years for beating this stress.  Hopefully, these tips may help you with your lunch-packing blues.

If I make dinner, whether it be meat and veggies on the grill, or a large salad filled with wholesome good stuff, I always make a little extra.  That way, I can begin to pack my lunch as I am cleaning up.

Also, I always have a few staples on hand to help me whip together a lunch in about two minutes flat.

Frozen edamame – These soybeans in a pod are packed with carbohydrates, protein, dietary fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, micronutrients, folic acid, and vitamin K.  Some people like to pile on the salt, but I prefer them plain.  I just put some frozen pods in a plastic bag and they are defrosted and ready to eat by lunchtime the next day.

Hummus – Our local Wegman’s has a hummus bar that is to die for.   I usually have a little hummus in my fridge, preferably the roasted red pepper or caramelized onion flavors.  This goes perfect with the next item on the list of must-haves.

Coco Pops from Wegman’s – No, not the chocolate cereal!  These simple whole-grain cakes are light, airy and very similar to the consistency of a rice cake, but they contain whole grains.  They have no sugar, are low in calories and carbs, and they make the perfect base for any dip, cheese, or hummus.  (See them in the picture below)

Laughing Cow spreadable cheese wedges – These 35 calorie spreadable wedges are delicious on top of the above-mentioned Coco Pops.  I prefer the light garlic and herb, but there are several other yummy cheese flavors to choose from. 

Fruit, of course – My house is almost always stocked with fresh fruit.  My preferences are bananas and grapes for a quick side in my lunch.  I usually have some type of berry as well…strawberries, blueberries, black raspberries, etc. 

Greek yogurt – I always, always, always have a large container of Fage nonfat Greek yogurt in my fridge.  This is a high protein, low fat snack that is enjoyable anytime of day.  I just add a little bit of agave nectar to sweeten it up, plus a handful of fruit, and I am good to go.

So the next time you go to the grocery store, grab a few of these healthy food options.  I promise they will make lunch-packing a little bit easier and a lot less stressful!

Enjoy!

Tracy