I have successfully completed four weeks of the 5K training and I feel great! I have lost six pounds and have more to lose.

NO EXCUSES THIS WEEK
I was home with a sick kid on Wednesday, the second day of school for them, so I did not run for speed training. However, I did not skip the workout. Instead, I did a home video that was for speed training, so I still squeezed in a workout between cuddles.

For my 40 minute hill walk I hit the Fontenelle Forest neighborhood in Bellevue and found the steepest hill there. I walked up and down once, but next time I may try to do it a couple times. Well, maybe, because that was a serious burn. Just check out the picture of that hill in the collage below.

MEAL PLANNING CHALLENGES
I’ve cooked with grains (rice, flour, noodles) for years and finding new recipes for a grain free, low sugar diet has been challenging. What makes it more difficult is that I still need to cook grains for the rest of my family so my kids have plenty of energy. My meal plan now includes a main entree that satisifies my dietary restrictions and sides that are full of carbs for the kids. I am committed to this diet because I have already seen some excellent results.

I now have some new insights to share in my meal planning class I’ve taught for several years. I had to create new meal plans a few years ago when my youngest breastfeeding son did not tolerate dairy and that was difficult too. It takes more time to find recipes and plan but I always find some new recipes that I love.

Some new low-carb meals that were a hit in our house include: Turkey Feta burgers, Kale, Tomato & Mozzarella Fritatta and Baked Chicken with Cheese and Bacon. For those meals, I added bread or a noodle side dish for the rest of the family to enjoy.

WEEK 5 TRAINING SCHEDULE
This week my trainer asked me to take it easy and rest my body. He said the training will get harder after that, but then we will ease up a few weeks before the race on September 21.

Day 1: Easy jog for 5-8 minutes
8 laps on track, fast run on straightaways and walk on curves
Walk to cooldown for 5-10 minutes
Day 2: 40 min hilly walk
Day 3: OFF
Day 4: 40 min hilly walk
Day 5/6: Run for 30 minutes one day and take the other day off
Day 7: Strength training of choice for 30 minutes

Are you doing the 5K Challenge? Please leave a comment with your challenges and accomplishments.