What I did on vacation.

You want to know what I did on vacation?




Haha Ok, besides pretending to be a Victoria's Secret Model.

I took it easy.

Shocked? I was!

In all the vacations I have ever taken, I have always stuck to a strict regimen of working out and good nutrition. Many times, I would go on vacation in the middle of a half-marathon training program, or prior to a bball tourney, so I couldn't afford to miss a week of training, or drink alcohol.

This time was different. I had worked very hard prior to leaving for Dominican and was feeling the effects of my rigourous half-marathon and strength training schedule, exam schedule and different work and research projects. I was mentally and physically fatigued, had a sprained knee, a bruised nose and my brain was fried.... my motivation was beginning to dwindle.

My week still consisted of physical activity - tennis, beach workouts, and a couple light runs. I also still had a shake here and there, I stuck to water/vodka if I did drink, and had a slew of veggies with each meal.... but compared to my regular routine, I eased up! And I convinced myself not to feel guilty about it.

Naturally, when I returned, I was 110% motivated to get back to my regular routine. Starting Monday, I began my second 90-Day challenge and began back into a 10k training program. It has been 5 days of focus and determination and here is what I have to show for it!

Monday post-vacation weight:

Friday: 4 days back to normal fitness routine:

*note: first weigh-in was after a flight, so weight is higher due to water retention in addition to my week-long vacation. Next picture was taken in the morning after breakfast.

The body needs a break, and you deserve to have fun. Work hard, play hard. Set your fitness goals, your nutrition goals, and stick to them - but allow yourself to get the rest time your body needs to recover, know that it is OK to get off track once in a while, and that you will come back to your goals refocused and more motivated.

Athletes - take note! The Vi-Shake can help with performance.

With obesity being called an "epidemic," diabetes more apparent in our population than ever, and a generation that is focused on our appearance, it becomes easy to focus on fitness and nutrition solely for the sake of weight loss. However, our shake is not just for weight management. It is for nutrition, and for health. The shake when mixed... with non-fat milk or almond milk delivers 20-25 grams of protein, which is the amount many nutritionists recommend we get in each meal.

Now, men, athletes and bodybuilders often claim they need more, because they are trying to build lean muscle. This may not be true, as not all proteins are created equal. This is the key reason we don't put 'grams' of protein on our shake and tout it like many store brands do. I say this because some brands pump up the 'grams' of protein by adding gelatin (great for skin/hair/nails, but not lean muscle). Some use dehydrated milk powder, some just whey. Those also are ok, but not the latest in science.

We use a combination of proteins because they act differently in the body. The soy is used because it is heart healthy. Adequate consumption of soy in the diet can help the body lower c-reactive proteins, an indicator of inflammation and possibly heart disease. Soy is also easily digestible, and a complete protein. We know that women with fibroids, or a history of breast cancer worry about soy mimicking the effects of estrogen in the body, and this is why the soy in the Vi-Shake is unique. We use non-GMO soy (not genetically modified), and it is specifically designed to remove the isoflavones that can impact estrogen. Non-GMO soy is about 45% more expensive than regular soy, but we chose to use it because of the concerns some people have about soy.

We use a whey concentrate for fast acting hunger control. Then we use a unique whey hydrolysate, which is the latest technology and is very expensive. It helps retain lean muscle, and is very highly absorbed. While some wheys can be absorbed about 80%, whey hydrolysate is much higher. It is a pure, clean, and concentrated protein. Combine that with the Aminogen, and we have more ingredients to help build, and maintain lean muscle while promoting fast loss.

So the 3 types of proteins help support heart health, bone health, muscle health, digestive health, and can help curb hunger quickly, and last too!

For athletes, it is recommended that they get protein into their body within 30 minutes after completing a workout. Protein will help the muscles repair themselves, and quicker. This is why our shake was designed to mix in water, and still taste great (seriously - I don't think I can say that about any other protein shake product I have tried), and why we have it in individual serving packets. People can take the packet to the gym, and mix it in water and get it into their bodies quickly.

The key points of difference are the quality of the proteins that we use (absorbability) as well as the fact that we added Aminogen®. Aminogen is a patented, and clinically tested ingredient that has been shown to help the body better utilize the protein. This way, you get more nutrition into the body and the muscle. We are also lower sodium than most brands (I've not found one yet lower than us).
 
Bottom line - don't let your workout go to waste. Support your goals, support your training and support your health with high quality protein.
www.allicain.myvi.net
 
source: IFBB  Tony Pearson & Vince Taylor on BodyBuilders and Football players using ViSalus Protein

Email from my Dad

For those of you that have been following my Dad's progress, here is an update from him! About two weeks ago he up and moved to Saskatchewan for a 6-month work contract :( I was worried how this would affect our 90 Day Challenge, but I shouldn't have been :) read below....

Allison,

 

I arrived home after 2 weeks in Regina and stepped on the scales.  Guess what I saw?  207!  I have lost 26 lbs in the last 8 weeks.  I haven't seen 207 on the scales since before you were born.  What am I doing differently?  Keeping up my running and making better choices when I eat.  My morning ritual of going to Tim Hortons for a coffee and breakfast sandwich as well as lunch time visit to a fast food restaurant are gone.  Now I make two shakes every morning; one for breakfast and I put one in a thermos for lunch.  This is fast, convenient and I am saving money.  I am eating less red meat at dinner and way more salad.  I also graze on carrots instead of chips or a piece of toast at night.  I can honestly say that I am rarely hungry.

 

The reason I started changing my eating habits is that I was not feeling good running.  Now that I have dropped the weight, I feel better during and after my run.  My original goal was to be under 220 lbs by the time I run the Sporting Life 10K in May.  Now I am trying to get closer to 200 lbs by race day.   Who knows, I may be right on your heels on race day.

 

The meal replacement shakes are a great bridge into healthier eating and healthier living.   The lifestyle changes are slow and relatively painless which is likely way I am sticking with it and the results are visible which is why I am pushing for more.  Thanks for your help.

 

Dad

Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry

St. Patty's Day "Shamrock shake!"

8oz almond milk
1tbsp sugar-free pistachio jello pudding mix
2 scoops Vi-Shake mix
5 ice cubes... blend!
...
Stay motivated with variety!
www.allicain.myvi.net


Also... if you haven't seen it yet, here is my "motivational" video to get you out to FREE Sunday 9:30am runs and 11:15 Boot Camps!

Free Boot Camp and 90 Day Challenge Party!

You are invited to a FREE Boot Camp session this Sunday, March 11th at 11:15am, and Challenge Party right after at 12:15pm.
I will be sampling shakes and speaking about the 90 Day Body By Vi Challenge. Stick around and see what the hype is about!

Why ViSalus?

• I am a fan and daily user of this product as it is lactose-free and gluten free, 90 calories for a large serving and made with whey and soy protein (isoflavones removed - won't impact estrogen!).
• It also tastes AMAZING (but don't take my word for it... free samples!).

 
More info - my blog:  http://www.acaintraining.blogspot.com/2012/01/my-personal-challenge.html or the Body By Vi site www.allicain.myvi.net
 
Why now?

• It's getting close to summertime, and events are coming up!  Tme to look and feel your best.
• It is a simple nutrition system to help you reach your goal - whatever your goal may be (5k run, lose weight, increase energy, build lean muscle).
• You've been telling yourself that you would start eating healthy 'tomorrow.' Today is yesterday's tomorrow...

 
Everyone is welcome to Boot Camp and to the Challenge party at 12:15pm. If you are already using the shakes - congrats! Feel free to stick around and use it as a post-workout snack - or bring some of your friends. Remeber if your refer three friends YOUR kit is free.
 
Thanks!

Alli Cain, B.A.Kin, C.K.
Personal Trainer
www.ACAINtraining.com (training)
www.allicain.myvi.net (nutrition)
www.allicain.blogspot.com (blog)
905-806-7198

Half-Marathon Reflection

I ran the Chilly Half Marathon in Burlington yesterday. I was excited, as it was the first half I had ever ran back in 2009, and the third half I have ever run. I ran a full marathon last year, so I didn't think that my 3-year hiatus would hinder me too much. I was wrong, so wrong......

I had a week that was the furthest from conducive to running a good race possible. I strained my left knee in a bball game on Wednesday, and then took a ball hockey ball to the nose on Thursday causing some shifting on the bones (not sure if it's broken), swelling and a massive headache. I didn't end up doing any type of activity of Thursday or Friday and instead just iced my knee and my face like crazy. On Friday, I went to the chiro to make sure that following through with the race was a smart idea. I had a few people tell me, "Still run, just take it easy." However, in my mind, I know that in a competitive situation there is no way I can ever just 'take it easy.' If I was running the race I would be giving 100%, if I wasn't healthy enough to run, then I wouldn't (this would just cause my recovery time to be prolonged, and probably cause more problems for training races down the road).

I was happy to hear the Clinician say that I was able to run! I went in for two treatments prior to the Sunday run which consisted of soft tissue work, graston, kinesio-taping, IFC and icing. I iced the shit out of my nose and face too. It's a great excuse not to study when your face is covered with an ice pack ;) haha

OK, the run! I drove down to Burlington with a group of runners, so it was nice not to have the stress of driving to worry about. The run was amazingly simple to get to - free parking and shuttling to the race - that in itself is enough for me to recommend the run to others. Races in Toronto are usually so stressful with parking etc. We ended up arriving early, so I was able to get in a good warm up, and then the race started!

Immediately, I was thrown off- I had been relying on my memory of the race route, but turns out - it had changed and there were two out and backs. Out and backs mess with my mind for two reasons. 1) I think to myself, "ok where is the first place runner, how far do I have to go to the turn around ughhhhhh whyyyyyyyy am I doing this." or 2) "Oh god there's the first runner, they are so freakin' unreal, legs why are you so slow, be better." I have some pretty interesting conversations with myself when I run.

At around 7km, I remember starting to really feel the jarring in my nose, and although my knee was holding up just fine, my medial malleolus (inner ankle) started to really ache. As I began to see the leaders pass me on the second out and back, the negative side of my brain started to get REALLY loud. What are those three parts of your brain? Ego, Id and Superego? K, well they would not STFU while I was running.

Whatever part of my brain was the one that was telling me to hop off the heel-toe express only won 3 times - it is unusual for me to take a walk break - but I did a 10 step walk break at 13km, 15km and 17km. At the 17km marker, I had a guy run by and kind of tap me as if to say 'keep going!!' This small gesture really motivated me and I was able to run the remainder of the race. At 20km, the wind decided to blow so hard I'm sure my face looked botoxed. But, as I neared the finish line I was actually pleasantly surprised with the time -I had felt so awful, and had been running without a watch that I had anticipated a much slower time!

RACE STATS
Time: 142:06 (previous 141:43)
Pace: 4:51/km
Place: 473/3294
Gender place: 89/1784
Age place 4/89

Overall, I need to recofus my training. I was complaining to a trainer friend of mine about how my body was at a plateau - how can I manage to run a race at the same time when I feel amazing, as when I feel soooo awful. He said, as any trainer should "you need to change up your training, then." OK. I will.
10k's and 5k's to come. Happy Spring Training Everyone :)