Good morning! :)
Yesterday was a crazy day. I was up until 1am implementing the new Fedex shipping module into the shopping cart and getting ready for March madness. This was after baking all day! I was one tired girl. The good news is Fedex is now integrated in the shopping cart and will be used for all US shipments and will be offered for Canadian shipments as well! Yippee.
The reason we switched to Fedex is because we had some major problems with USPS (lost packages, delayed packages, etc). It was one huge headache. My neighbour has her own business and she told me that Fedex is amazing. I got a quote way back in October 2009 when some of you suggested Fedex to me, however the rate quote that I received was a bit high. Since my volumes have gone up, I was able to negotiate a much better rate this time.
The US shipments are about to get a lot better with Fedex. Firstly, the packages only take 2-7 business days, and secondly, if you ship your package to a non-residential address (e.g., your workplace) you will save up to $2.50 off your shipping charge! Awesomeness!
Whew…that was long…moving on! :)
I had a delicious green monster to start the day today:
- 1 cup hemp milk
- 2 kale leaves
- 1/2 serving Manitoba Harvest Hemp Pro 70 protein powder
- 1 frozen banana
- 1 spoonful cashew butter
- 1/4 cup blueberries
- 1 T chia seeds
- Ice
I took yesterday off exercise because my bum was sore after the run on Sunday (I think it was the evil Spadina hill!).
This morning I did a combination of running and strength training. I always debate between whether I should run first or strength train first, and I usually end up running first because I find that my legs are too tired to run after doing so many squats, lunges, etc.
What do you guys do first: cardio or strength? Are there any benefits to my training to do strength first?
The tempo run:
- Mile 1: 6.2, 2% incline
- Mile 2: 6.4, 2% incline
- Mile 3: 6.6, 2% incline
- Mile 4: 6.8, 2% incline
- Mile 5: 7.5-8 mph, 1% incline
Two things I am going to work on more during my training for my 3rd half marathon (May 30th) are:
- Speed work
- Negative splits
Negative splits are when the second half of your run is faster than the first half. Today was a negative split. Last year I almost always ran slower during the second half of my runs than the first half. I want to fix this in 2010!
I also try to make the last 1/2 mile very strong as if I was approaching a finish line in a race. I find visualizing a race and the finish line also helps with treadmill boredom!
Do you have any current running goals for 2010 or aspects that you are working on or trying to improve?
I find trying to improve certain areas makes the training much more enjoyable!
Then I did about 10-15 minutes of strength training from the Booty Camp Fitness DVD. Lunges, dead lifts, burpies, squats, core work, plyometrics, etc.
Another song I am loving to run to: Bulletproof by La Roux. So amazing!
This is a snack I can’t get enough of lately. I made this a lot during the Olympics and Eric and I would gobble it up.
They are so easy to whip up and might I say…quite fun to pop in my mouth! They would also make a fun appetizer on a serving tray.
Veggie Burger Poppers
- 1 veggie burger (I was planning on making the In A Jiffy Spelt Veggie Burgers but was out of a few ingredients so I used an Amy’s Texas burger)
- Mary’s Crackers
- Hummus
- Black Pepper
- Tomato paste or salsa
Can’t get enough of these lately…
I also sampled some new Herbal Infusions tea that was sent to me to review. I tried the Peppermint Dream which is a combination of premium peppermint and lavender tea. I was really excited to try it out because I am a huge fan of both flavours.
It tasted fabulous just like I hoped it would be. Soothing with some PEP! The perfect après- dîner tea.
March Madness at Glo Bakery:
Today marks the release of the March Madness Glo Bar Variety Pack featuring 10 delicious flavours. This is the first time I have ever had a variety pack that included 10 different flavours at once!
Off to work I go. Have a great day!
If your ship doesn’t come in, swim out to it.
– Jonathan Winters
I have to run first or my legs are WAY too tired! I am definitely working on my speed right now, it’s tough!
Are there any benefits to my training to do strength first? Yes there is. First it is impossible to do a good legs workout after doing 40 minutes of cardio. But you can always do a good leg workout and a good 40 minutes of cardio (or postpone cardio to another day if you really cant do both… this call for practice). Second, by doing your strenght training first you will be able to use weight that are challenging : you will actually gets results. Third, by the time you’ll be done and heading to cardio zone your heart beat will already be at a good pace, in another words it will take less time to achieve training zone beat pace.
I’ve always heard that you should do whatever activity your main goal relates to first. So, if preparing for races and improving your running fitness is most important to you right now do the cardio first. But if having energy to push through a weight workout and improve strength is your goal focus on the lifting first. :)
I like to do cardio first, too. I tried to do weights first for a while, but I had the same problem you did….my legs were like bricks during the cardio session.
On another note, what type of Mary’s Crackers do you use? I bought the herbed ones and they’re good, but they do compete with the flavors of the things I pair them with. Are the original ones better? Thanks!
I do cardio first. It gets you warmed up well, and your metablism burns longer while strength training.
Have you tried doing both strength and cardio at the same time? I’m a huge fan of doing circuit training. I usually do no more than 20 minutes, but it is INTENSE the whole time. Check out bodyrock.tv. I stumbled upon it a few months ago and follow her free workouts regularly…and they’ve made an incredible difference! With circuit training I truly feel like I’m torching fat but building muscle at the same time. And you can’t beat the short amount of time it takes!!!
PS – I tried your avocado pudding recipe. OMG! BEST pudding I’ve EVER had! I can’t believe it’s actually good for me!
Love the blog! Keep it coming.
Ariana in Alberta
That Green Monster looks so fresh and GREEN! Nice job on the tempo run. That was my run this morning too – except I only did 3.75 miles. Love tempo runs! Those veggie burger poppers look like the perfect snackie foods.
Off to visit Glo Bakery… :)
Oh! And I’ve researched the cardio first or strength training first a lot before, and it’s beneficial to do strength training prior to cardio because it’s very important not to compromise form. After an all out cardio session, you might not have enough energy to use towards making sure you have proper form while lifting weights.
That said, I generally weigh which is more important to me. For example, if I’m training for a race, and that’s my main priority, I’ll use the majority of my energy on my run, thus, doing cardio first.
I usually do my cardio first before lifting because I always think that I will be too tired for cardio after lifting. I read somewhere that doing cardio after strength training will burn more calories. Not sure though…
I actually started to split my cardio; I do some before and some after. I have heard it is best to do it after if you want to maximize weight loss. Since I’m not in it for that, I just do it when I feel tired. I think mixing it up is always good! Plus there is research going both ways (shocking, I know).
By the way, I LOVE that mug!
I always lift first. I lift pretty heavy, so I want to make sure I am not fatigued as to compromise my form. I have read in a few places that you will get more benefits out of lifting before cardio. I guess in the end it depends on your goals. If you are training for a marathon vs. training for a power lifting meet, you are going to attack things a little differently!
If your goal is strength building or even weightloss you should lift before cardio to put optimum energy into your weightlifting and thus achieve maximum results. If you are training for some cardio activity (like a 5K or marathon or whatever) it might be best to do cardio first. Or even better: cardio in the AM on an empty stomach and weightlifting in the afternoon.
This is what I have read.
If your goal is to get better at running for example, do the run first. If you do the strength first, you risk fatiguing the body and by the time you get to the run portion of the workout, you are not as fresh and thus will have a poor quality run.
On the contrary, if your goal was to build muscle/improve strength, do the strength training first.
I am a Personal Trainer and run coach from North Vancouver, B.C! I am training for my first 100 mile race this year in California. Should be one hell of a good time!
Nicola Gildersleeve
Fatiguing the muscle to a level 10 out of 10 intensity is really the best way to create change and build muscle. If you can do cardio and still hit your level 10 with strength training afterwards, then either way is great. If you aren’t able to push yourself to that 10 after your cardio, it is better to do strength first. Even though your legs will be sore or tired when you run after strenght, you will be building them stronger by pushing them harder. (i am working with a trainer right now and that is her advice coming out of my mouth) :)
Hi Angela! ;)
Can we run together??? lol We seem to have the same training schedule, pace, etc.
LOVE the veg burger idea! SO cute!!!
Also, I added you to my blog roll, hope that’s okay ;)
Have a great day <3
xoxox,
Lauren
Those poppers look great! I have been LOVING grapefruits too! So fresh now!
xo
K
Curious – you always have tomato paste not sauce – preference or is there more healthy benefits to the paste?
I’m starving and those poppers need to GET IN MY BELLY! =)
those veggie burger poppers look so amazing! I gave up cheese for lent so I’ll definitely be trying some of those next time I’m craving a cheeseburger/veggieburger :-)
oooh I love grapefruit too – the more I eat it – the more I crave it!!!!
Congrats on the FedEx change! I used to work for a company where they would send shipments to me and FedEx rocked. I would order items that were sent through UPS and it was always a pain. The worst thing was that they could never ship to my house since I live on an acreage, so I’d always get home, excited that I had a package, but have to drive into the city to get it. Not cool. I heart FedEx. :-)
As for your cardio vs. strength question, I try to rotate days … I’ll do cardio one morning, then strength the next. I find that works for me!
I’ve been loving grapefruit lately, too … actually, I’ve been loving produce lately! Someone brought in brownies today (those ‘oh my gosh, these are to die for’ brownies) and I found myself looking more forward to my mango than a brownie (and never did eat a brownie … I think they’re all gone!).
It’s funny how taste buds change!
K
Yay for worldwide grapefruit love! I only started eating the Ruby ones late last year and they have become quite a staple for me, much better than the boring old yellow. Also I love, love, love La Roux! I am always skipping songs on my ipod to get to La Roux :)