Eat Clean Update and Marathon Training

I'm alive, I promise. The last week or so at work has been really busy and stressful, so I haven't really felt like coming home to get back in front of a computer again (okay, I lie; I come home and surf Pinterest all night, but that requires no brain activity where writing a blog post does).

In my last post, I talked about how I was doing RunToTheFinish's "Eat Clean 30" Challenge. In essence, through the challenge, I'm trying to eat less processed foods, choose healthier options for snacking, and create healthy eating habits that will last longer than the challenge. How have I done? I would say surprisingly well, actually. While I have had a few alcoholic drinks during the challenge (usually a no-no in clean eating) and I have had a few things that may not be considered clean, I've kept to the challenge about 90-95% of the time. The biggest change is instead of eating the 100 calorie packs or candies at work, I'm choosing nuts, fruit, or mini-meals for snacks. I've actually found that my meals, which I aim to have full of fiber, fat, and protein, are keeping me fuller for longer, therefore I'm not snacking as much. I also am doing a better job of listening to my body to see if I'm actually hungry or just bored. Loving this challenge so far!

Homemade salad for lunches during the challenge 

I also am in the midst of marathon training. I will definitely be doing the Philadelphia Marathon, which is just 14 weeks away, and am registered for the Marine Corps Marathon (also have a wedding that weekend, so John and I have to figure out what we're doing). Last week was a great week for training. My Tuesday mornings have turned into short, quick, bodyweight workouts (pushups, squats, planks, etc.) and I run Wednesdays-Sundays. I got in a lot of good and speedy runs this past week, including a 13.1 mile long run with the first 7.25 at sub-goal marathon pace. I know I'm not as fast as I was this time last year, but I also didn't run 100 miler last year. I'm at peace with my pace, but know that I can do a lot of improving in the next couple of months. Overall, I'm just really excited for marathon training and my races this fall!

And just because it's awesome, here's a picture of a tomato we got last week in our CSA share. It's a monster!

Have a great week, everyone!