Distance: approximately 5 mile.
Total time: 40:45

I woke up this morning with jelly-legs, a similar feeling to going from biking to running. Towards the end of the run, I was tempted to cut my route short(I was also hungry). However, I passed by my house and said to myself, “don’t turn, you want the feeling, the feeling of crossing the finish line.” I bit my tongue, went up the hill and finished the 5 miles.

What do you tell yourself when you are tempted to sell yourself short?

Warm-up:

• 400 meters freestyle
• 400 meters pull buoy
• 300 meters kicks
• 200 meters reach-n-pull

Pre-sets:

• 5 x 50 meters hand paddles with pull buoy
• 5 x 100 meters hand paddles without pull buoy

Main Sets:

• 5 x 50 meters freestyle sprints
• 5 x 100 meters freestyle sprints
• 5 x 200 meters freestyle endurance

Warm-down:

• 50 meters breaststroke, very slow

Total distance: 3,700 meters

Note to myself: Great practice, keep those elbows up!

• 210 push-ups
• 235 crunches (regular, full-body, bicycles, v-ups, and leg lifts)
• 21 miles bike ride to school and back
• Walked to the supermarket to get some yogurt and oats, 1 mile total.

With a busy schedule, even 1 push-up is as important as all the other ones done throughout the day.

Bed time.

What have you accomplished today?

Finishing a workout session early in the morning makes me feel productive before going to work. Also, a healthy breakfast after my workout gets me ready to face the world. I ran about 4.7 miles this morning, a little shorter than I intended. My time was 39:45.

The temperature, low 60’s, was perfect for running in the morning.

Breakfast #2: Jersey strawberries with yogurt, mixed nuts, and milled flaxseed.

What makes you feel productive in the morning before going to work or school?

One of my best friends, Matt, came down to Jersey to visit me last weekend. To ensure we have a proper meal before an eventful day, I whipped up a simple breakfast meal for both of us.

Guinea Pig Menu:

• Asparagus frittata with lightly salted organic goat cheese
• Stove simmered steel cut oats with milk and fruits
• Irving Farm Coffee

Breakfast of Champions!

Real man eats breakfast.

Good seeing you Matt.

I am sure this pasta will not be the last noodle dish this summer as more fresh produce will be coming out in the next week or two; I will be able to create several other noodle dishes with different combinations of vegetables. I also like to crumble some goat cheese on my noodles to bring out the olive oil’s flavor (I hope you all drizzle your noodles with olive oil after you drain the pasta). The mild flavor of goat cheese pairs really well with light and nutty flavor of Spanish olive oil.

I biked to Schiferstein Farm Market, which is located 3 miles away from my house approximately, last Friday. Schieferstein farm market is not big yet provides ample organic and locally grown produce. Not only does finding a local farmer market give me a chance to taste the freshest food, but I also can get involved with the local agriculture community and learn about farming.

Essentials for going to a farmer market: a note pad and a pen (for recording down prices, farmer’s answers to my questions, etc), water, few used plastic bags, paper bags, and a backpack.

Route to Schieferstein Farm Market

What the farm used to look like.

Welcome to Schieferstein Farm Market!

String beans. I have neither seen nor tasted white string beans until last week.

Summer’s here! Zucchini and yellow squash.

Fresh strawberries smell great even they are 5 feet away from your nose.

Items that I picked up. I will be honest, these apricots and peaches are from California (too far to be considered local). But I just had a craving for other juicy fruits, besides the locally grown apples I have been eating in the last couple months.

Total Spending: $9.00 approximately.

Taking summer class is stressful; a semester worth of school work is compressed into merely six weeks. Not only do I have to devote more time to study, but I also have to work part-time and pay my bills. Therefore, my workout has been cut short by 30 minutes (30 minutes do make a huge difference considering that I am training for the biggest race of my life) almost everyday.

To stay sharp and in shape, I set fitness goals for myself everyday. I try to reach the goals by exercising during study or work breaks.

Goals:

• 200 push-ups
• 200 crunches
• 15 minutes of jump rope

Has Guinea Pig reached his goals?

• 210 push-ups
• 200 crunches (regular, bicycles, v-ups, full body rows, and leg lifts)
• 15 minutes of jump rope

No time for exercising? Not an excuse.

Warm-up:

• 400 meters freestyle
• 400 meters pull buoy
• 6 x 50 meters kicks; 25 meters E.Z. then 25 meters sprint

Pre-sets:

• 5 x 50 meters hand paddles w/ pull buoy
• 5 x 75 meters hand paddles w/ pull buoy

Main Sets:

• 4 x 100 meters; 25 meters sprint then 25 meters E.Z. for two times each set
• 2 x 400 meters

Total distance: 2925 meters

It’s been a year since I started The Sweaty Guinea Pig blog. I have had so much fun writing and sharing my experiences in fitness and nutrition with you. I want to thank you for your support. Let’s keep up with the hard work, but don’t forget to kick back and enjoy you life. Cheers!