Chevron Houston Marathon Weekend 2016

wooooooo!  more than 27,000 runners from all 50 states and various countries participated this year. WHAT a turnout and what a blast i had!  it took a record 41:00 min JUST for everyone to get across that start line.  soooo many people.   finishing my half marathon was my ultimate goal but seeing so many fit friends along the way was icing on the cake (that i'm eating later). 

CONGRATS, RUNNERS!!!! WE DID IT!

friday afternoon, we headed to the GRB Convention Center for the  Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Sports Medicine Institute EXPO.

i have made visiting this EXPO a friday tradition since 2009.

 

follow the feet, Dego!

we went straight to pick up my race packets, 

i know, i look a lil' 'Hell Raiser-ish' (remember that movie? lol) but i will get back to this hair of mine in a moment. keep reading!

then we visited a couple of the vendor booths.  Dego saw that basketball and it was all over.  nobody else could shoot it but him. nobody.

    

this was Sonny's first time attending the EXPO with me!  all the other years he was working at his engineering job. a lot has changed for us in this past year!

ready!!!! kinda sorta not really!!!!

 

 i finally feel like i'm getting somewhere with this natural hair of mine.  Bantu Knots for the win!  there are plenty of YouTube tutorials on how to create these guys and i love how they turned out. going on day 3 and my curls are still poppin'.  i was supposed to get braids for the weekend but we simply ran outta time for an 18+ hour job.  my girl Ogechi was still able to hook me up cause that's what she does!  

saturday morning, it was 5k time!  i parked right in front of the Toyota Center and booked it to Discovery Green. 

    

i squeezed right into a good lil' spot at the 7:00 min per mile mark this year!  last year  i was back by the 13 min mark.

peek-a-boo

 done in 30 min and some change! i found some fit friends and started snapping victory pics.  great job Ayesha! she did the half marathon the next day and we literally ran into each other during the race.

beautiful, buff, natural sisters, Ama & AJ! #HairGoals i was crushing HARD on Ama's pineapple top! AJ competed in her first bodybuilding competition a few weeks ago.

  then i ran into my Soror, Arlene before and after the race!

i had to go teach my Lifetime class after running but i wanted to go check out the post-race food first. so i did...and the line was crazy long and i didn't have enough time to wait. so i walked out of Discovery Green and tried to go back the way i came (i.e., walking right into the flow of post-race people traffic) and a security guard immediately warned me that i could NOT do what i was about to attempt and that i'd pretty much have to walk all the way down towards Minute Maid park first and go around. i was like, "but i parked by Toyota Center and i need to get outta here, sir!".  that's what i get for being greedy, LOL. out of nowhere though, this guy appeared and said "it's ok, i'll escort her since i need to go tell people to keep moving along anyway." WHEW. so off we went!  i saw the back of his jacket and thought, angel indeed! he definitely saved my butt.  i would not have made it to teach on time if it weren't for him.

after HIIT class, it was time to carb the heck UP!

oh yeah.  Jason's Deli has always been a favorite of mine.  i got the manager special: half turkey sammich w/ fruit & side salad bar. oh and some un-pictured self-serve vanilla fro-yo.

back home to get ready for the next day!

sunday morning, i got up and headed down town to the GRB.

this was around 6:30 as the runners were heading out to the start line a few blocks away. MAN IT WAS COLD out there! but the GRB was nice and toasty and i did not want to leave.

waiting and being random....

taking my traditional starting line selfie and talking myself through this!  

why he so salty back there though? bwhahaha

i wore my Fearfully & Wonderfully MADE shirt by Active Faith Sports.  a few spectators saw it along the route and shouted "Amen!" 

the race officially started at 7am, but i finally made it to the start line around 7:21.

but not before running into one of my  5:30am crew Lifetime class members!! 

and we're off!  about 2 miles into the race a heard a bunch of commotion.  naturally, i turned around and proceeded to have a good laugh.

look, it's a Wookiee!!! Chewbacca had no idea how much he lifted my spirits!  i ran with him for a while and EVERYBODY he passed shouted his name. everybody!!  hilarious. 

i so wish i could have taken a pic of all the ridiculously funny signs i read!!!!!! here are a few that made me bust out laughing:

*at the 5k mark* "You're almost to the finish line! Wait, my mistake. " -Steve Harvey 

 "Remember when this sounded like a good idea?"

 "You feel like crap, but you look good."

"You run better than the Government."

"Could you hurry? We're freezing."

"Worst Parade Ever."

"I love your endurance.  Call me 713-229-3390"

"Pain is temporary, but Facebook posts are forever."

"You trained for this longer than Kim Kardashian was married." 

aaaagh, there were SO MANY.  a sign contest needs to be apart of this event, seriously.

 

was having a little hip soreness at the halfway mark but i kept going. i even had to pee before we started but i kept putting off using the port-a-potty and never did! passing mile 12 and entering downtown made me one happy girl. time to book it.

mama is on her way, boys!! Sonny told me Chiso turned around and said "Papa, this is not very fun." waiting does suck sometimes, Chi!

[video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="http://fitfoodiele.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/chevron-2016.mp4"][/video]

we DID that!!!

2:25:04!  #SkeeWee

couldn't wait to hug my boys and find more fit friends.  HEB was handing out ice cream sandwiches and i couldn't wait to kill mine! then... Chiso happened :) 

great minds think alike :)  Lifetime Fitness instructor and trainer, Milton, finished strong today!  his wife, Jessica, is preggo with their first child! congrats to them and their expanding family.

 

ran into my girl Pam....again!  she run yearly as well; always fun chatting it up with her!

soooooo proud of Nike.  she said FORGET a 5k, i'm taking on a half marathon for my first race.....ever!!! she wanted to cross it off her bucket list...... and she did.

in 2 hours and 30 minutes at that! 

 

i ran into my girl and supporter, Angel! she got to meet Chi and Deg in person, lol.

 

afterwards i sat down to stretch and wait for Papa to go get the car so we could go EAT!  all i wanted was a burger from Jerry Built!  they wished me luck on Instagram so they had been fresh in my mind ever since.  thanks again, guys! that burger did not disappoint! 

   

never does. #LookAtIt #GoneIn60Seconds

thanks for reading!  i put off my post-race nap to blog so GOOD NIGHT!!! :)

Q: do you have a favorite race or event you participate in annually?

competition eve

i'm getting used to not doing morning cardio already lol!!! my last cardio workout was wednesday, so thursday i went and got a pedi for the first time since this past April.

i have always been uncomfortable with falling asleep in public places, especially when i'm travelling alone. i don't see how people do it. i just feel so vulnerable and i'm sure people have been taken advantage of in those types of situations.  however, when i tell you that this is the first time i have ever dozed off during a pedicure and plain did not care, you better believe it.  i got the works- massage, wax wrap thing, salt scrub, yeah all that. it felt that darn good and was well worth the wait.

golden toes! they will match my show suit perfectly, you'll see!  i would have gone for the french tip (or whatever it's called) but ummmmmm, i can't get that done on my toes for the very same reason i didn't include my left foot in the shot. HAHAHAHA

this morning's breakfast: 1 egg + 2 whites, banana pancakes, and a bowl of oatmeal that isn't pictured.

this is prolly THE saddest breakfast shot i'll ever take but i don't regret posting it.  every meal isn't a pretty presentation although most times that is what i strive for, even if i don't take a pic.  i remember trying to WOW Sonny when we first got married with my food creations and presentations.  i really do enjoy them. it's all apart of my cooking/kitchen experience lol. ok ANYWAY,   i burned my omelette at that.  i cut it up, added some fresh cilantro and dijon mustard and enjoyed every bite.  i used to put one egg white into my pancakes, but one morning i tried leaving the eggs out entirely to see if it would still cook and hold together ok.  and it did.  i added water to the mix instead.  i just wanted a bigger omelette, that's all.  that way, it seems like im eating more food.  get it? and besides,  after putting 'i can't believe it's not butter'  and Walden Farms pancake syrup over them, the consistency doesn't even matter anymore.   still the yummiest, cleanest pancakes ever!  but if you'd like them to look prettier, add the egg.

  i really thought it would be hard for me to just sit down and do absolutely nothing today, but that feeling passed rather swiftly  :lol:

i also woke up with something extra-

lots of HAIR!!! and a headache as my scalp is super sore:(.  i normally don't get my hair done, done unless there's a huge event happening. aaaand well, this one calls for it.  i'm ready to whip it all across the stage tomorrow!

i picked up a slab of salmon yesterday in prep for Sonny's last meals before our show.

i used some Walden Farms (calorie-free, sugar-free, gluten-free, cholesterol-free, etc) pancake syrup, Mc Cormick smokehouse maple seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried parsley.

12 min in a 450 deg oven. cooking salmon could not be any easier.

or any tastier.

i paired it with lime brown rice and steamed asparagus just before Sonny drowned everything in sriracha (hot sauce). sweet, salty, and spicy.

only thing left to do for the show is tan. that will be done tonight and again tomorrow (touch ups). oh and my makeup as well- bright and early!

le

give me CARBS. now.

i put my grill pan to work today.  this morning's breakfast was slow cooked oats over grilled bananas and dusted with cinnamon.  putting heat to a banana always helps it release more of its natural sugars.  i might not ever use brown sugar again! it was so good!  course i had my eggs too with fresh cilantro and some dijon mustard.

 i woke up feeling very loose in my mid-section...definitely not as tight all over as last week.

not being funny or insensitive at all.   as you know, i started carb cycling monday and i'm going to bed tonight like a kid at Christmas cause tomorrow is my HIGH CARB DAAAAAY!!!!! this explains my bloated/loose feeling and why when i used to skip meals in order to fit in a dress (long, long time ago when i didn't know any better), it never really worked for me.  ever.     when your body doesn't know the next time it'll get some food after an extended period of time, it begins to store whatever is left in there as fat.  thus, reversing the very thing you are trying to do!  restricting meals creates slowed metabolism, cravings, and ultimately, weight gain.  just a bad, bad domino effect.  so, when i did finally eat, i was SO HUNGRY and always ended up eating way too much. well, by then my metabolism had crashed and it couldn't work fast enough to burn all the food i just straight stuffed my face with which just makes everything worse. again, sad situation.  don't do that!  OK?

i hit it hard with my trainer this morning with chest and back supersets, then i headed to the gym this evening for some cardio on the elliptical.  this is another reason i love my Polar FT7 so much:

off by more than 100 cals!  my hr watch never tells me such lies, hmph!

per my trainer, by tomorrow, (after adding a higher amount of carbs back into my diet and after my weight workout of course)  my muscles should be popping out and waving HELLO, and i'll appear 'bigger' and more defined.  well we'll just have to see then, won't we.  will post my after pic then to see if we can spot the differences.

i hit up Sams on the way home for some sirloin and they only had the really thick cuts,  so i went with that.  got my grill pan out again for dinner tonight and put the burner on as high as it would go.  meanwhile,

my steaks were marinating in more liquid aminos, green onion, fresh cilantro, and black pepper. i trimmed the fat beforehand.

sprayed my grill pan (found at Walmart for 17 bucks) with Pam first, and cooked it for 7 min on one side,

and 6 mins after flipping.  far from dry!!! are you kidding me?? so much flavor and tenderness just after a few minutes.  key things- HIGH heat, and marinate it for at least 30 min first and you won't go wrong.

Instagram sirloin collage:)

i did some mid-week prepping after dinner tonight and cooked up a vat of brown rice and mixed it with some fresh chopped cilantro and lime juice.

i also baked some chicken breasts with those McCormick seasonings (smokehouse maple, lemon pepper, garlic and herb, and montreal chicken), and some dried parsley.

in conclusion, i should really stop complaining cause my low-carb days could be NO-carb days :lol:  about those- no-carb diets are often associated with lack of focus, low metabolism, uncontrollable cravings, and low energy levels.  carbs are so NOT the enemy when it comes to weight-loss, so bump what you heard!!!  ever wonder WHY you don't have the energy to workout and feel terrible when you try to cut carbs completely?  cause you NEED them. so don't do that either!

heading to bed to dream about CARBS.

le

zig zagging

 i started carb cycling (aka 'zig-zagging') Monday and let's just say Thursday will be a BRIGHTER DAY.  was trying not to complain so soon but i am missing my fruit the most... i treated it as my desert after every meal and well, it sucks not being able to eat it for 3 days straight.  however, it's gotta be this way for carb cycling to do its thing.   i know it's just my body adjusting to my new meal plan, and it's always hard in the beginning. but that doesn't make me feel any better or make this any easier.  :roll:  the crabbiness i felt at the very beginning of this journey after i cut sweets cold turkey is making its way back, sorry Sonny.

on the flip side, i'm enjoying the switch to beef, a lot.  those thin sirloin steaks i made Sunday DID turn out great.  liquid aminos is some awesome stuff!  great flavor, versatile, low sodium, and plenty of healthy benefits. read up on that!

this was last night's dinner (meal 5),  my '1 hitta-quitta' per Sonny.  i like 'controlled chaos' better though;) everything (green beans, brown rice, seasoned sirloin steak) all in one cool whip bowl and covered in  spicy mustard.  when i put everything separate on a plate, it just makes the meal go by so fast.  i don't know how else to explain it.  i guess i just did!  having it all in one bowl gives the appearance of more food.  hey it works for me!  it's a mind thing for sure.  before dinner, i went outside with Chiso for a quick run. i already had my weights rendezvous at the gym earlier that morning.

30 minutes in my fat burning zone and 300 cals later, i called it quits.  as Chiso gets heavier it's getting harder to push his big butt!  but i love that i can bring him with me and change up his scenery for a little bit though.

i then sat and let him explore a little bit and do his thing.

i just adore his little smirk smile!! so, back to carb cycling. i'm still eating small meals throughout the day which keeps my metabolism revving high and my energy levels up.  but booooy if something holds me up from my scheduled meal time, it's back to crab city, quick.

after doing a little research on my own, i found that there are tons of different variations, schedules, and meal plans for carb cycling. my trainer has me on:

THREE consecutive days of low-carb intake followed by ONE high-carb day, then repeat.  like i said, come ON, Thursday!!!!

anyway,  you're basically tricking your body into burning fat rapidly without losing any muscle.

my thoughts?  this BETTER work. LOL

any competitors or non-competitors our there ever heard of or tried carb cycling for weight loss or maintenance?

le

you've got the power

the way i felt about the buffet is the same way i used to feel about pizza. i never liked to order it for just Sonny and i cause i could easily put away half of the pie by myself.  i felt horrible afterwards- full of food and guilt.  pizza is definitely one of my fav foods.  correction- papa johns pizza.  i also love PJ's because they have totally given the consumer the power of CUSTOMIZATION.  call me late, but i was elated to see just how detailed things have gotten as far as creating your own pie. i couldn't be happier- you have soooo many options and can still enjoy a nice slice or two and keep your diet in check.

friday nite dinner:

we got the garden fresh (bell pepper, olives, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, cheese) and added grilled chicken on thin crust all for around 220 calls a slice. switching to thin crust alone saves around 60 cals and 16 grams of carbs.  it gets better:

• no sauce/light sauce/extra sauce
• can sub grilled chicken for sausage/bacon/pepperoni
• less cheese/no cheese
• thin/wheat crust
• add extra veggies
• square cut for better portion control

and yep, most of the other major pizza chains e.g. pizza hut, dominoes, etc. (yawn) have the same/similar options too, so cut calories, carbs, and fat and customize away.

le