Wednesday, March 3, 2010

New Ways...

WHAT I DID

I started my "new way of eating" yesterday.  We aren't calling it a "diet" because the idea is that it will become the way we eat from now on.  I don't remember if I've talked much about it here...but I read a blog the other day that really got me to thinking (I'd link it if I could remember where I saw it...).  The writer talked about being on the Zone diet and how when she eats a lot of junk food she gets a "food hangover".  Many of the commenters have had the same experience.   A food hangover is not something I've ever had...but it sounds very interesting.

By that I mean I know how horrible an alcohol hangover feels...I have come to understand what drinking does to my body and why over indulgence causes me to feel so bad.  So, if the same can be true about food, that means there is a state of health that is superior to the one I'm currently in.  

Does that make sense?  

I know the food I eat is not just complete junk, but I also know I don't eat well.  If there is a way of eating that will result in feeling bad when I'm eating unhealthy foods--I WANT IT!!  That very idea is exactly why I don't drink very much anymore...because I can not stand the way a hangover feels.  It's just not worth it to me.  I want to get that same mentality about food!

WHAT I LEARNED

The funny thing is....my husband and I both ate considerably more food (in volume) than we usually eat in the course of a day.  But, there's a HUGE nutritional difference.  For instance, his usual breakfast is a sausage biscuit and two hash browns.  There's 720 calories, 46 grams of fat, 14 grams of protein, and 64 carbs in that fairly small amount of food.  This morning's breakfast was two and a fourth egg white and cheese burritos** and 27 grapes for a total of 475 calories, 15 grams of fat, 43 grams of protein and 42 carbs.  The "plan" calls for basically eating all day (three meals and two snacks), but no one meal is over 500 calories, and snacks are about 200 calories each.

**That's two and a fourth burritos, not 2 1/4 egg whites....just wanted to be clear there.  

Did you know all the FLAVOR of an egg is in the YOLK??  (But so is the fat...so maybe there's a spice I can add to that burrito?)  :D 

  
WHAT I'M GOING TO DO

As I always say...STICK WITH THE PLAN!!!  We're committed to doing this for three weeks before we evaluate if it's something we really want do.  The down side is, it's a lot of food which means the grocery bill was a bit higher.  But, at the same time, there were quite a few "staples" that I didn't have, so I don't think it will be as high next week.  Not to mention....what's health worth??

Thanks for stopping in....

What's that??  OH, you want to hear about my RUNNING???!  Sure, I can tell you about that, too.

:D
  
WHAT I DID

I ran 2.5 miles with my group--well, with the larger group...I think someone messed up and put me with a sub-set that's faster than I currently am, so I was mostly with the slower moving group.  I haven't uploaded my time yet, but I ran most of it, and I WASN'T LAST.   Now, I'm not knocking whoever it was last, because he/she was out there just like I was....but, my semi-competitive nature just won't allow me to be last, even though my body won't allow me to be first!!  

WHAT I LEARNED

Pain from an injury continues to ramp up, while pain from soreness will get better during a run.  I've been (mostly) experiencing pain from soreness.  I say that because (usually) I feel better at the end of my run than I do within the first few minutes.

Also, I am a BIG TIME whiney winnie butt!!  When I'm by myself I hyper focus on what my body is doing and I want any pain to STOP.  I'm a very "in-the-moment" kind of gal so I don't usually stop to think that in 2 miles I'll be feeling much better so it would be better to keep on going.  Running with the group really helped with that because I "had to" push through the aweful part.  

One coach and I were talking during the last 1/4 mile.  I was saying that at that point I really felt like I could go another couple of miles.  She said that I might just have to resign myself to the fact that the first two miles are going to suck! 
WHAT I'M GOING TO DO

The thing I have to keep firmly in my mind is that usually by the time that second mile is over, I'm feeling pretty good.

AGAIN...STICK WITH THE PLAN.

I'm also considering going over to Spine Care for a consultaion.  They were there last night talking to us about stretching.  ...Being a former insurance adjuster, I've never been too "up" on chiropractors...but, at the same time, I've dealt with a lot of people who seem to get a huge benefit from them.  I talked to the "dr" last night about my calves and she explained to me what was going on (which I understood, and it made sense, and fell completely in line with everything I thought, and everything I know to be true....and it's not something I can really explain in an intelligent way!).

Because I've had so many problems, she suggested (naturally) that I come in for a free consultation.  We'll see.

The schedule for today is cross train or rest.  I'm most likely going to opt for rest!!  The next group run is three miles, Saturday morning at 7 am.  It's in a park that I love...the weather is supposed to be perfect.  I can NOT wait!

Thanks for stopping in, come again soon!
:D 

By the way, thank you all for your encouragement.  It really does mean a lot to me.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Week 1/Day 1

WHAT I DID

First of all...I really DID NOT want to get out there today.  I had a very busy day, it was really cold out there, I had a lot to do/not enough time... ***cough...excuse...cough***... but I DID IT!!  

Five minute warm up (.3 miles)...then I "rulked" two miles.  I tried really hard to make it running four minutes/walking on minute...and I did...for the first interval.  From there on it was mostly one minute running and 30 seconds walking.  Then I stopped my time and walked home (probably another 5 minutes and .3 miles).

AND THEN....

I did something I thought I would NEVER, EVER do...I sat my fanny down in ice cold water for what felt like an eternity, but was most likely closer to ten minutes.  I felt really silly taking an ice cold bath  after only going just over 2.5 miles (not ice bath mind you, just ice-cold bath--I'm taking it one step at a time)....But, ice baths are supposed to be for recovering after "long runs", for fighting inflammation, and my calves are still giving me FITS.  They felt like they were on fire after my run today...so I thought I'd put those flames out.

WHAT I LEARNED

My husband was VERY disappointed...that he couldn't video the ice cold bath to post on FaceBook.  I'm surprised the neighbors didn't call the police as loud as I was ...not... screaming.  It took every ounce of strength I had not to scream at the top of my lungs.  It wasn't even covering all of my legs, (just about 3/4ths up).   And...I think ice cold baths work!  The proof will be in the pudding tomorrow, so I'll let you know.

I keep being amazed that I can do more than I think I can.  I don't know when that won't surprise me anymore...but it wasn't today.  It was completely up in the air whether I'd do my run, whether I'd run more than walk, whether I'd finish...whether I'd actually sit down in that ICE COLD BATH!

WHAT I'M GOING TO DO

STICK TO THE PLAN.

Unless it's called off because of ice/snow, my first group run is tomorrow-two and a half miles!!
Thanks for stopping in, come again soon!
:D

New Week-New Schedule!!

I went to my running group kick-off last Tuesday, and talked to one of my coaches afterwards.  She suggested (or agreed with my idea) that I rest until our kick off run.  That's technically tomorrow, but since there is a run on the schedule for today, I'm coming off my rest TODAY!!

I'm excited because today I go from timed running to distance running.  The mileage increases very slowly over the course of 12 weeks and will culminate with the Cotton Row 10K.

I think the thing that encouraged me the most was the fact that several coaches were sitting in my position a year or two ago!  Several have run half-marathons and a few have done a marathon...and a few have done several marathons!!  There was one very impressive young "girl" there who has run several ultra marathons.

It would be a gross understatement to say I'm excited!

I'll get on here later and post after my two mile run...but for now, here's the training schedule for this week:
Monday 2 miles
Tuesday 2.5 miles
Wednesday Cross Train or rest
Thursday 2 miles
Friday Rest
Saturday 3 miles
Sunday 60 minute walk or Cross Train
The walk to run program (which is probably the group I'm in since I am still walking during my runs) allows for an interval of 4 minutes running with 1 minute walking the first week.  I won't lie, I'm nervous.  I haven't run a solid four minute interval (except for the race, which ended up being 2.5K when I ran over 15 minutes).  But I have to do MORE than I've done in the past in order to IMPROVE!!

I'll let you know how it goes....