Week 2...
Week 2...Weight - 82.7kg. Down two kilos.26/1 - Day 8Run - 12.3km easy with the family. 1hr 12min 25sec. Average - 5.52sec per km. Sandals. Stepper - 9min.Whilst my weigh in this morning was not quite as much as I had hoped, two kilos is awesome and I really don't feel like it was a whole lot of effort which made it even sweeter! I ate super clean this week, stuck to my plan and reaped the rewards. If I can maintain this consistency I am headed on a beautiful path! On ward and upward! This week I want to limit my coffee intake to two a day and limit where I can other drinks apart from water!Today was Australia Day and we enjoyed a nice run as a family but it was hot again! Battled on! We then went to the beach together and I mowed the lawn. About as Aussie as you can get! Ha! We then just relaxed, watched a bit of a movie and hung out with mum and dad before going for a bike ride to the turtle play ground for the kids to have a run about. Nice relaxing night in.....a beautiful day.I got some interesting emails/messages after my first weeks post today. I really believe in what I am doing though and sticking the path. There is too much medical evidence for a high carb, low fat vegan diet for me not too! Keeping the calories up is always the key though. I am looking forward to this week ahead, the challenges I might face and the benefits I will enjoy. So far so awesome!Food/drink journal - Nice cream (six bananas, an apple, blueberries, five dates, coconut water, carob powder, two iodine drops), two coffees, roast veg (three sweet potato and two carrots) and greens salad with my awesome tahini dressing, four home made banana, date and walnut scone/muffin things with peanut butter, roast veg with dressing and quinoa, two hot cacao.27/1 - Day 9Run - 18km with 12 hill repeats on the Cano. 1hr 46min 19sec. Average - 5.54min per km.Today was a big day in the Grills house! Pria went for her first day of school! So, after a good session on the hill this morning, it was get ready, take photos, get emotional (well me anyway!) and then get the girl to her big first day! After a few hugs and smiles good by, Tegs , Corle and I head into town for a few odd jobs and coffee. We then head home and it was so weird....so quiet when Corle went down for a sleep! No Pria! Bizzare. I then did a nice interesting Podcast interview with Coach Jeff. It will go up soon and one that I really enjoyed....some different topics and good chats! The afternoon saw the beach, some bouldering on a kids playground near us (thats ME not the kids!) and relaxing in general. It was a super nice day that is for sure. Pria was pretty emotional tonight I think due to the big first day but we weathered that storm and all ended well. Time seems to have flown so quickly and I can't believe I now have a kid in school! Crazy! Miss that kid already!Food/drink journal - Nice cream (eight bananas, blueberries, coconut water, four madjool dates, carob powder, two iodine drops), a dirty chai, coffee, leftover roast veges with spinach and couscous/quinoa and last nights dressing, ten lychees, nectarine, vegan nachos w salsa, black beans, homemade 'cheese' sauce, olives, tomatoes and avocado, tea, At One Foods bar.28/1 - Day 10Run - 5.1km easy recovery run. 28min 49sec. Average pace - 5.41min p/km. Sandies.I felt flat today for some reason. I don't know if it was a lack in calories, building up training or just the grey weather. Who knows. I do know that it made me drink too many hot drinks (all vegan though) with maple syrup and extra stuff I certainly didn't need, or at least is not calorie dense...what I am after! One of the traps of working in a coffee shop! I am really going to focus from here on in to ONLY drink coffee or tea, in moderation (I am cutting back my coffee consumption) with NO additives or even natural sweeteners. Not needed! This will step things up a little and I want to get a good handle on this by the end of the week.Appart from this, I had a slow day at work, a good time in the arvo with the girls and a nice relaxing night in.I am now 10days in to this challenge and already feel like I have made some massive progress! My diet is going pretty darn awesome and whilst I have a lot of improvements to make, I am stoked with how far I have come already and the platform/foundation I am building. I am 100% committed to seeing this challenge through to the end and feel like I am really setting a precedent in my own health/lifestyle that is sustainable, health promoting, weight loss/maintaining, disease preventing, ethically sound and environmentally GOLD! Super stoked to be on this path!Food/drink journal - Smoothie (mango, five bananas, coconut water, three dried figs, iodine drops, vanilla), dirty chai, nectarine, brecky in a jar (peanut butter, oats, raw buckwheat, six dates, two fruits, blueberries, banana, soy milk, molasses), 10 lychees, chai, mocha, lentil and vege pasta bake, tea, two At One Food bars.29/1 - Day 11Run - 20km on the hill with 14 hill repeats. 2hr 31sec. Average - 6.02min per km. 239m gain.A busy but enjoyable day today. My diet was super good and I enjoyed keeping myself occupied with family fun, grocery shopping, hanging out and just keeping it real! I had another good workout this morning and stoked with how my training is going so far. Work was hectic busy but made the time go super fast. All is going swimmingly thus far!Food/drink journey; - Smoothie (eight bananas, blueberries, vanilla, coconut water, six dates, carob powder and iodine drops), coffee, roast veg salad (sweet potato, pumpkin, broccoli, tomatoes) with greens and tahini dressing, coffee, two mangos, tortilla bean crockpot with 'cheesy' sauce, tea, mango.30/1 - Day 12Run - 15k - 5k on my own then 10k with the girls. 1hr 25min 26sec. 5.42min p/km. Stepper - 11minToday was a significant day! One year since getting my dreads! It might seem trivial to some, but to me, it is a cool day! Although it has only been a year, I couldn't imagine life without them now! They have become a part of me and will continue to grow (literally and figuratively) with me through the years. Happy One Year to me!The rest of the day was pretty standard and the hot weather is back. I got a nice run in this morning, did the school run, cooked dinner, cleaned....you know, just the normal! I had a nice relaxing day before heading out to pick the kids up. The afternoon then consisted of relaxing with them before heading off to work.I am looking forward to some long running this weekend and turning the wheels for some decent k's. I will again include time with the girls which is good for my longer efforts as it keeps my pace in check! Should be a ripper weekend ahead!Night note - Tonight was the first time I have really felt temptation hit me on this new journey I am on. Sadly, I caved in a little and had two chunks of raw deserts and two chai lattes. Now, this might not sound like much, but I know the deserts had coconut oil in them. These are the only things different I have done in my diet in the last nearly two weeks and let me tell you, tonight I felt stink! After I ate them I felt bloated, super tired and lethargic and all round yuck! It had to be the oil (and overeating). From this little hurdle, I am convinced that I am on the right path with the eating plan I have chosen and will not be retuning to eating oil and things like that any time soon. Although I feel like I stumbled a bit tonight, I am putting it behind me, waking up tomorrow to a new day with new adventures and new opportunities to eat super well and feel awesome! Lesson learnt!Food/drink journal - Smoothie (mango, apple, grapes, five dates and coconut water), two bits of toast with avocado and Braggs, coffee, roast sweet potato (four), cherry tomato, greens and tahini dressing, two madjool dates, mango, five lychees, coffee, two chai, two pieces of raw deserts, lentil loaf and salad.31/1 - Day 13Run - 25k - 5k on my own then 20k with the girls. Tegs did super and the girls were really well behaved so it was a beautiful way to start the day. 2hr 25min 42sec. Average - 5.49min p/km.This morning was beautiful! Such a great way to start the day running a long run all together as a family. I felt sludgy in the belly and still not 100% from the oil I had last night but got through fine. I can't believe how much that affected me and how sensitive my body has gotten in such a short time.We had a super busy morning taking Pria to acrobatics, shopping, having coffee, getting rid of some stuff at Cashys, cooking lunch/dinner and getting ready for work! I didn't eat anywhere near enough this morning and needed to make sure that I loaded in the back half of the day after my long run and another to come tomorrow.Tomorrow marks the 1st of Feb! Whilst I have had a great start on this journey and I am super stoked, I want to continue to strive forward, keep the momentum going and not lose any of that! I am looking forward to going to next level in Feb and loving every moment better than the one before! Bring it!Side note - something I have been meaning to mention. After about five days eating clean, I got these sweat type pimples on my shoulders and upper back. It is insane as it is the toxins working their way out of my body from the erratic diet I was eating before. If anyone has bad skin or wants a clean out, the best way is with a whole foods, plant based diet - heavy on fruits and veg! That has all gone now, and my skin is back to looking normal. Nice to know I had a little detox without even really trying.Food/drink journal - two gels and a Nuun sports drink, five Vitabritz with soy milk, blueberries, two fruits and four madjool dates, handful of grapes, coffee, pancakes with 100% maple syrup and blueberries, 14 lychees, lentil loaf 'mince' with peas and broccoli, mocha, chai, At One Foods bar.1/2 - Day 14Run - 25.1km - 10k on my own, 10k with Tegs, Pria on the bike, Nix and Kev. 2hr 17min 30sec. Average - 5.29min p/km.This morning was super fun with the gang! Really nice to get to know Kev, a new friend and get my k's in. Was a little wery but at the back end of a big week, thats to be expected a little. I also listened to a fun podcast with Michael Arnstein (The Fruitarian). I love that guy, super entertaining!Had a nice morning at church then relaxing a little before heading to work.Week Two has been super fun and again, not a lot of effort to feel great and eat well. I feel like this is really making me a better athlete and setting myself up for long term health, every day. I completely know I am doing the right thing by being on this plan! Bring on week three!One thing I have really learnt is that a couple of times I have been caught out and been SUPER hungry! This makes me grumpy, super tired and not have a lot of energy. I need to keep making sure I am prepared for any situation and not get carb depleted. Lessons learnt every day!Food/drink journal - Three mangos, bowl of grapes, coffee, oil/salt free sweet potato and potato chips with cos lettuce and 'cheese' sauce for dipping, dirty chai, chai, two nectarines, vege curry with brown rice, three rice cakes with peanut butter.This week - 120.5km. 11hr 36min. 567m gain.