I'm feeling verrrrry proud of myself at the moment!
I ran the Schlotzky's 5k Bun Run in 26:40! Sooo exciting: it is a personal best! -- a huge improvement since the 10k (60+) and the KAW 5k (33:42). That's an average of 8:33 per mile. I've come so far! Holy shit!
PLUS it was a gorgeous day and there were soooo many people out there running their (forgive the pun) buns off and keeping the energy high.
I have a renewed sense that this health stuff is actually "worth it". And I feel very encouraged to keep it up. Yay - I needed that...
7:15pm now and I'm feeling utterly knackered.
I took wednesday off, and went for a 3mi run around town lake yesterday. I went on the run after work and it felt great! I have so much more energy in the evening . It was hot, though. And it's only April - summer's going to burn me up.
I want to re-assess my eating. While I eat healthy food, I don't think the amount I eat is necessarily under control. I want to get back to planning my food. Last night after the run, I wasn't even hungry but ate a big bowl of rice and veggies. Like I said, health food, but I didn't even need to eat. Then I had a bite of a cookie! I clearly had the munchies. Perhaps, although my tummy wasn't hungry, my body needed to recover from the run and was causing me to crave food? yes, I'm sure that's it!
Today's Friday, and I typically allow myself to have a bit of fun. I would have enjoyed this half bagel much more if I weren't still feeling the twinge from yesterday's uncontrolled binge.
And I do really need to get a scale.
Fuck it - I should be proud of myself. I'm running, cycling, avoiding the booze, and running a 5k this sunday!
Got up at 6 in the bloody a.m. for an interval run. Go me for going to bed early enough to not make it suck. It was still dark and I wore my florescent Run London shirt. The run went off without a hitch and I felt pretty damn good for the whole thing. Now, half a day later, I'm starting to feel my legs. I warmly welcome the day off tomorrow.
Adapted from Dad's Favorite Salad on VegWeb. This mix is very versatile. It makes a great addition to salads, sandwiches, or can be enjoyed on its own. It's incredibly easy to make, low fat, and full of happy nutrients!
6 medium carrots peeled
1 cup of raisins
1/4 cup roasted seeds and nuts (flax, sunflower, sesame, almonds, etc)
1 small clove garlic
juice of small lemon
salt to taste
Combine ingredients in a bowl, cover, refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to let the flavors blend.
Suggested uses:
- For a delicious salad, top the Carrot Raisin Medley on a bed of greens with assorted veggies. Squirt with a bit of lemon juice and sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired.
- For a salad that eats like a meal, top the above with stir fried or baked tofu. Cottage cheese might be good as well, but I haven't tried it!
- Make a sandwich out of Carrot Raisin Medley, hummus, cucumber, lettuce, and whole grain bread.
Serves 6
Calories: 130
Protein: 2.5g
Fat: 2.5g
Carbs: 28g
Fiber: 4g
Carrots and sweet potatoes are packed with Vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene) and are also a rich source of Vitamin C. Both beta-carotene and Vitamin C are powerful antioxidants, the stuff that protects cells from free radicals which can damage healthy cells. Additionally, they serve as an excellent source complex carbohydrates. Pureed with ginger, and you have a delicious soup!
This recipe can be made non-fat by cooking the onion and ginger in the broth. As is, it's very low fat and full of healthy goodness.
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 red onion
1 square inch ginger, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup skim milk
dash cayenne pepper (optional)
Heat oil in a pot, add red onion and ginger. Cook until the onions are clear. Add the vegetable stock, sweet potato, and carrots. Bring to a boil, then simmer and cook until potatoes and carrots are soft.
Puree the mixture with a blender, then return to heat. Add milk until soup is at desired consistency. Heat thoroughly. Add cayenne pepper to taste.
Serves 4.
Calories: 120
Fat: 4g
Protein: 4g
Carbs: 16g
Fiber: 3g
(Still getting into the hang of the whole write-every-day thing.)
Saturday: Ran the usual route around the lake. Was suffering a bit from the night before. (Yeah yeah, I drank more than I intended on Friday night - big surprise.)
Sunday: Attempted a long run down the eastern reaches of the Town Lake trail. The air was thick with dampness and bugs. I could really feel my ankle towards the end of it (maybe 45 minutes into the run). Why haven't I sought advice at Run Tex yet? Oh yeah - 'cause in Austin, it's a pain in the ass to get anything done without a car.
Interval running is rough at 7am. But I did 2 miles of it yesterday morning. According to Google Maps, I did 12.5 miles of cycling (spread out between my commute to work, a trip to Happy Mac, and my ride home).
Today I rest from running, but I could really feel my legs on the ride to work. They are sore but uninjured. I'm thrilled to be back in the running game. I must constantly keep in mind all the things I must do to support my running ... aside from the actual running itself:
- take plenty of rest days and enjoy them guiltlessly
- get enough sleep
- eat properly
- pay attention to the warning signs of overtraining
The past weekend was the first weekend in many many weeks that I did not consume alcohol. I feel great for that and am very proud of myself for resisting temptation. I love beer and margaritas and it's so very hard to resist and avoid their tantalizing nectar. Go me!
in addition to the usual list, i must find a healthy, non-sugary snack for work so that i don't eat the company-provided Natre Valley Fruit & Nut sugar oat bars!
No matter how 'gung ho' I think I am about my fitness routine, I always have lazy days. Here are some of the ways I've managed to keep with my routine by avoiding the doom that is boredom!
1. Change it up.
The moment I notice I'm "forcing" myself to exercise, I stop what I'm doing and tweak my routine. Schedules are important, but pointless if I don't allow them to evolve with my condition, both physical and mental. "Tweaking" could mean doing lat pulldowns instead of dumbell rows, a yoga video at home instead of hitting the gym, or running a different route. These days I'm doing a lot of running, and even something as simple as running my usual route in reverse is enough to keep me interested. The key is to recognize looming boredom and change it before the boredom leads to NO ACTION.
2. Don't feel guilty about taking an easy day.
I woke up this morning feeling pretty stiff due to yesterday's running and cycling. I was scheduled to run this morning but I didn't want to overtrain. Still, I didn't want to sit around. So instead of running, I walked my route around town lake, stopping in the middle to do some stretches. I also brought my camera with me and took a few photos along the way.
3. Workout with a friend.
Working out with other people is definitely a personal thing. I generally don't like to work out with other people because I like my 'me time', and because it's easier to be overly self conscious. Sometimes, however, comraderie is a great thing. It can give you that extra push when you need it. Last week I discovered that running with someone can be relaxing and fun. I went with a friend on a short run, about 2 miles, running slow enough so we could carry on a conversation. We didn't worry about how far we went, we just got lost in the discussion and the running just happened. In the end, it felt a whole lot better to catch up over a little sweat than a lot of beer.
4. Set goals
Write them down and hang them on the wall, somewhere I'll look ! Include goals that are un-related to fitness routine as well. Life is one big project! Don't set negative-type goals like "Don't eat chocolate" or "Don't email ex-boyfriend". Goals are things I WILL do instead of the counterproductive things.
I have a list of daily goals on my bedroom door:
- Exercise before work.
- Ride my bike to work.
- Eat 5-6 small meals.
- Bring my lunch to work (instead of eating out).
- Eat last meal 2 hours before bed time.
- Drink 8 glasses of water.
- Drink tea (instead of beer).
- Write down what I've done to further more goals.
- Go to bed by 11pm.
4. Make reward lists.
My rewards list:
- iTunes music
- shopping spree at the thrift store when my clothes get too loose
- Tea and Dark Chocolate after dinner on Sunday
- smoothie after a good run
- 30 minutes of TV after work
- Margherita after work on friday
Associate the rewards with a goal.
- For each mile I run I can download 1 song from the iTunes music store
- If I go on my run, I can have a smoothie afterwards.
- If I eat well with no slip-ups all week long, I'll have a Margherita (or 5!) at happy hour on Friday
Some people think that food should not be part of the rewards list. I, however, think that food is one of the best things on earth and definitely one of the best rewards there is. It feels good to enjoy a guilt-free dinner out or drink with friends, knowing I earned it. It's healthy to enjoy life, too. And sometimes that means enjoying indulgences! And food tastes so much better when it's been earned!
5. Enjoy guilt-free sugar after strenuous workouts.
Carbohydrates are key for glycogen recovery after a strenuous workout. Without proper fuel, exercise can do more harm than good! So it's perfectly okay to eat some high glycemic carbs immediately after a workout, preferably in liquid form. Many nutritionists claim that the ideal recovery "meal" consists of a carbohydrate, a protein, and a small amount of essential fats. I created a tofu smoothie to fit those needs, and it is soooo delicious and satisfying and taste soooo refreshing when I'm chuggin' it down after my run, sweat still flooding out of my pores! This article has more information on the science behind pre- and post-workout recovery nutrition.
6. Get out of the gym.
Get outside and breath some air. Ride a bike, rollerblade, take a walk. Go somewhere pretty.
7. Play a sport.
I first got into exercise when I joined an intramural soccer team with a bunch of fellow science geeks. None of us were particularly good at soccer, but we had fun anyway, running around like idiots, sweating like mad, and breaking into insane joy whenever anyone scored a goal. I also made loads of new friends, and there's no such thing as too many friends, especially friends who have at least one healthy diversion.
8. Learn how to cook
I'm no Julia Child, but it's fun coming up with nutritious creations. Sometimes they suck, but sometimes they're really really good. And it didn't take long to learn that eating well didn't mean sacrificing flavor. A great place to start is allrecipes.com.
The old smoothie has evolved a bit. I have one of these after my runs. It's packs a great balance of recover carbs, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids. This basic recipe can be easily adjusted to suit your taste and nutrition needs.
3 oz silken tofu
1/2 scoops (15g) of GNC Vanilla Whey Protein powder
3/4 cup of frozen fruit (I like blueberries)
1/4 cup juice
3/4 cup skim milk
1 tbsp flax seed oil
You know the drill: throw it all in the blender. Blend. Pulse pulse. Blend.
Serves 1.
Calories: 370
Carbs: 29 g
Protein: 18 g
Fat: 18 g
Doesn't it suck when, just as you've found a routine, you go and injur yourself? I (very very slightly) pulled my left hamstring and have forced myself to forgo the running for the past three days. This morning I got back to it. Did about 3 miles around town lake. It was trying, thanks to a fairly strong wind. For some reason I was very tired! I think this may have been hunger related... so I've spent the day recovering with
- a pineapple protein smoothie
- oatmeal with raisins and a touch of skim milk
- two cups of coffee, a tuna salad sandwich and a green salad at Flipnotics
- loads of water
The hammystring seems A-OK and the outlook is positive for a run tomorrow.
I went for a nice run around the lake after work. I'm not sure how far or how long I ran (must get that gps watch!), but it was smooth and sweaty. I was too sore on Sunday to go for a long run (sore to the point that I feared I had pulled my hamstring), but by this evening I was pain-free and rarin' to go. I've been trying l-Carnitine supplements before workouts. Perhaps it was a placebo effect, but I did feel a bit more energized for the latter part of the run. Or maybe that was the wind at my back. Regardless, good run. I'm getting up tomorrow morning, before work, for some interval running. That means getting to bed by 11pm. Sleep! I wish I could rock the runs on 6 hours of it. But sleep is important. So between the sheets I go...
Last week was pretty fantastic. I ran, I ate, I cycled, I kicked ass. On Friday night I rewarded myself with a Taiwanese Crumble Cake and a cup of Chai tea. It was delicious, moderate, and best of all, I felt great when I woke up on Saturday morning.
I set goals, I write them down, I remind myself with post-it notes and iCal alarms, and then the weekend creeps up on me like the devil incarnate. Despite my "no booze in April" goal, I found myself on Saturday afternoon having a beer in the sun. In all, I consumed approximately 3.75 beers that day. At the end of the night I had a headache, and I've been tired all day today. I'm trying not to get downhearted about it. Try try again, right?
I tell my friends about my goals, hoping they'll help me hold myself to my actions. But instead I feel that they are more keen on having someone to "break the rules" with than encourage their friends to be their best self. I can't blame my mates, though; they're great people. They're just keepin' it real. This is such a trial in independence!
Every goal setting theory, how-to book, or tip list will tell you that it's important to tell your goals to your friends. By telling our peers we make ourselves more accountable for our actions. But these cheat sheets don't mention how insanely difficult it is to stick to goals when our friends are doing something totally contrary to what we're trying to achieve. It's hard to feel like my friends are behind me when I mention I want a drink and three of them volunteer to buy me one.
I worry that the only way to avoid disappointing myself is to spend a lot more time by myself, avoiding pubs, corn chips, and desperately tempting indulgences on perfect days when the sun is warm, the grill is hot, and the beer is ice cold.
