4:00 AM Wide Awake

GOOD MORNING!!!!!

How’s that for an energized good morning!? I’ve been (wide) awake since 4:00 am! I had a terrible migraine late yesterday afternoon (I actually left work early), so I went to bed almost as soon as I got home. I only get migraines a few times a year, but when I get them, they’re awful! I’m such a baby when I have them too! Basically, I’m pathetic and whiny until I fall asleep, and then I am out-of-commission for hours.

As soon as I got home from work yesterday, I took some Excedrin Migraine and passed out until early this morning. I woke up, however, feeling like a new woman! My migraine was totally gone, and I was jazzed to get the day started. Even for me, 4:00 am is too early to start the day, so I set my alarm for an early morning workout about an hour later.

Workout

My workout this morning was GREAT! I had some extra time this morning, so I made sure it was a good one! I’ve been “training” to improve my 5K time for an upcoming race in December by using one of Hal Higdon’s programs to keep me on track.

According to Hal Higdon, in order to set a PR, you need to improve your endurance and your speed. You can do this by (1) running more miles, (2) running faster, or (3) some combination of both… which means: speedwork.

If you want to race at a faster pace, you need to train at a fast pace. Interval training (where you alternate fast running with jogging or walking) is a very effective form of speedwork. Following Hal Higdon’s 5K Intermediate Training Program, I did the following 6 X 400 workout this morning:

5 minute warm up (walking + slow jog)
400 meters hard (7.5 - 8.5 mph on the treadmill)
Recover by walking 400 meters
Repeat 400 m + recovery for a total of 6
5 minute cool down (slow jog)

My speedwork took much less time than I expected (less than 30 minutes), so I finished up my workout with a 30-minute speed walk and some upper body strength training (below).

Lateral shoulder raises, 3 sets, 15 reps, 8 lb. dumbbells
Military presses, 3 sets, 15 reps, 8 lb. dumbbells
Bicep curls, 3 sets, 15 reps, 10 lb. dumbbells
Tricep dips, 2 sets, 15 reps, body weight
Pushups, 1 set, 15 reps, body weight

I feel like I’ve had quite the morning already, and I haven’t even blogged about breakfast yet!

Breakfast

It’s kind of crazy how I never get sick of eating oatmeal for breakfast. Most mornings, I consider having something else, but nothing is as satisfying and filling as a yummy bowl of oatmeal. Plus, it has the most amazing staying-power! Typically, I’m not hungry again for 4-5 hours!

Today’s oatmeal was an all-star mix of ingredients:

1/2 cup dry oats
1/3 cup canned pumpkin
1 tbsp ground flaxseed meal
1 tbsp sliced almonds
1 tbsp dried cranberries
1/2 tbsp pumpkin seeds

On the side: the worst cantaloupe ever! I already complained about this particular cantaloupe in a previous post. I should probably just throw it out, but I have a really tough time wasting food. I think this cantaloupe’s destiny is in a smoothie. Any other ideas? I’d hate to just toss it, but it’s just not tasty.

Midway through eating my oats, I realized that something was missing: a scoop of peanut butter! I’m tellin’ ya, the scoop of peanut butter (or Barney Butter) is what adds to that ever-lasting satisfaction until lunch.

Question of the Day

What “tools” help you stick with your healthy lifestyle?

There are lots of tools that help me stick with my healthy lifestyle. For instance, I use my planner to record my workouts. I also keep a binder of workouts torn out of magazines or found online, so I have plenty of ideas to help switch things up and motivate me. In the past, I’ve used Fitday.com to track my meals and snacks. I also have a Nike + iPod gadget that helps me keep track of my runs. There are lots more too!