Gettin back into the groove.

It's been quite a few weeks since I wrote last. I have been pretty busy with work ... moving up to 'shift lead' has been taking a lot of my time and energy. But, not to worry, I have still been getting my workout on!

The week after I got back from Ireland was just an awful workout week ... Every time I tried to run I got no further than 10 minutes when 'runner's itch' just got too intense to continue. I have broken skin and bruised my legs in the past with the intense itch, so once it became to much I would start walking. But I managed to get past it! I am back to working out 5-6 days a week and back to running a 30 minute 5k. I did run it faster in the past, but getting to this point has brought my confidence back and is motivating me to continue.

Today I decided to back to the elliptical mashine. My legs were still pretty sore from yesterday's 5k and I wanted to give them a chance to recover. Though the elliptical machine is no walk in the park! It still gets my muscles working without that impact from running.

My eating habits are just about back to 'normal' now too. It took me a while to get away from the processed foods and sugary products. Now I am back to fruits, veggies, salads, whole grains and non-colesteral containing proteins. I have also weened myself off of flavored drinks, and am once again comfortable with water. Not to mention that I havent touched a drop of alcohol since I left the homeland. My body is happy :)  Though having said all of that, all the junk food I ate on my trip was completely by choice and totally worth it!

I have also started swimming. The weather has been so warm and sunny that it's not only a relief to jump in the pool, it's also an incredible workout thats low impact and works every muscle in my body. I never really last too long, but I hope to keep it up and use it as part of my training more and more often.

Anyway, long story short, I am enjoying getting my ass back in shape! It was frustrating to start out, but feels great now that I can see progress! Onwards and Upwards my fellow runners and swimmers, whatever shape you are in!

Post Race Laziness?

Good thing the post-race laziness only applies to my blog! I have been working-out quite a bit, though I did take a few much needed days off of running after the race. Usually by the time I've completed my race, I am a little sick of running, so I've been changing it up. I have been biking, using the StairMaster, the rowing machine, gymnastics and strength training. I have also been stretching more than before. In fact, I almost have my splits again  :)

I have also changed my eating habits a little bit. I had been eating a lot of protein in order to recover from all the long runs, so I cut down on the protein a little bit and upped my vegetable intake. I also dropped my carb intake a little bit, because I am a carb-oholic and was eating too much of that!
I have been bringing food to work such as 'add hot water' oatmeal and fruit ... and every once in a while some beef jerky, but ssshhhh, you cant tell them that! But every once in a while I do crave tempeh, seitan or just get sick of oatmeal, so I substitute out the carbs and put the dressing on the side. For example, one of my favorite things on the menu is the Scorpion Burger. But I say 'no bun' and 'onsd dressing' and 'add steamed kale'. So I get this:

And it is absolutely delicious! It also has carrots, lettuce, avocado and raw onions ... but I take the onion off.

So I am becoming a little less muscular and a little more womanly  :) 

I do still go on long runs. Pam and I run together once a week and go just about 6 miles. We dont run it all like we used to, we actually walk more now. Its funny how a little change in your diet can change your endurance level. But having a lot of protein on a regular basis cannot be good for my body!

So for now I am just enjoying the change in my routine, the new work-outs, the different flavours in my diet and a somewhat slower lifestyle. Once I am back from Ireland I will decide what race is next on my agenda and change everything up accordingly. After all, variety is the spice of life  :)

Onwards and Upwards fellow runners, rowers, gymnasts, hikers and the like!

Who said you can't crave veggies!

My body is changing. No, not in the puberty sense ... more like in the 'foods it craves' sense. It is the most bizarre thing. As I may have mentioned before, my main job is at a Vegan restaurant by the name of Native Foods Cafe. I knew nothing about veganism before I started working there, but as time has gone on (6 months to be exact) and I am working more and more hours per week, I find that most days I eat completely vegan. That's not out of the ordinary seeing how my main meal of the day is at work. What is a little out of the ordinary, though, is that I look for vegan options on my days off too.

When I go grocery shopping I gravitate towards the tiny vegan section and find myself in Whole Foods and Trader Joes more often because the tiny section in Ralphs or Albertsons just doesnt do it for me anymore. When I buy smoothies and juices I find myself looking for that 'certified vegan' sticker on the back. Have I been brain washed or is my body settling into a more natural diet?

I went to Costco yesterday and got a giant box of Quaker Old Fashioned Oatmeal. I saw that Bob Harper from the Biggest Loser eats it every day and since I know that he is vegan, I know that it is safe food.

                                   

I have also stopped buying regular whole grain bread at the grocery store. There is a famers market across the street from my apartment every saturday morning and there is a German lady who sells vegan bread. Did you know that most European bread is naturally vegan? They also dont put sugar in their bread, so it's not grossly sweet. So I buy a loaf or two from her every week. She has many different kinds and that lasts me a few days. I love it!

  

I have also stopped drinking regular milk and soy milk. I have switched to Almond Milk.When it come to breakfast, I use the 'original unsweetened' but as a treat and for Josh, I get the 'dark chocolate'. Both are amazing! Besides drinking a lot of water I sometimes love these superfood juices. They are just FULL of fruits and veggies and just hit the spot on a hot day or after a long run. Of course I also drink the coconut water on a regular basis. And then if I am tired in the morning, there is nothing like 100% Kona blend coffee. Of course we get the coffee beans and grind them ourselves. It is just more fresh that way.

So as my diet has been naturally changing, and I have been craving more and more veggies and things like oatmeal and organic popcorn I have noticed that I am running stronger and recovering faster. So it's true what they say ... once you detox, just listen to your body. Because you body will crave what it needs! Having said all of that, I will still go to Outback Steakhouse for some steak and garlic mashed potatoes when the craving comes!



How tired can one person be?!

After my 8 mile run yesterday morning I was excited that I made it through my day without a nap and really feeling tired at all. I even managed to stay up until after midnight. But oh my goodness ... when I woke up 8 hours later for work, I was exhausted! I felt like I needed another 10 hours of sleep.
I was sluggish all day long and while at work I just wanted to lay down on the floor and take a nap. Since that wasnt an option, I just thought about coffee all morning/afternoon. Was this exhausted really from the 8 mile run 24 hours earlier?!

When I got home from coaching gymnastics at 7pm, Josh was all ready to go to the gym. I was hungry and irritable and just wanted to nap, but I put on my shorts, sports bra and running shoes and slowely walked myself out the door. I wanted to just say, screw it, and go to bed ... but Josh was so motivated that I just didnt want to kill his spirit. Oh and did I mention that I wanted 'In 'n Out' ... I know I mentioned it to Josh like 10 times. But he kindly pointed out that if I ate a double double and animal style fries that I would hate myself and feel like complete and total crap. I agreed and so we decided that we would hit Trader Joes on the walk home from the gym. Thank You Josh :)

At the gym there were no treadmills which was a good thing, because the last thing my legs needed was another run. My joints needed a rest after all that pounding the day before. So we hopped on the bikes for 20 minutes and pulled out a solid 7.2 miles. Though there were times when I thought for sure that I was grinding to a hault. I comtinued to complain and whine for a few minutes into the bike ride and then became too tired to even try forming sentences .... Thank you Josh ... again .... for being patient with cranky me :)

After a little bit (and I mean minimal) strength training (for me) we left and I got a healthier meal at TJ's. I'm pretty sure it was delicious, but I inhaled it so fast that I cannot really remember lol. Just kidding ... it was Indian food, which I love!
It is now 10:10pm and as soon as I post this I am going to bed. Thankfully I will just sleep in tomorrow (until 8:30am), go to work and come home ... I need to rest. Then back at it on Thursday :)

Onwards and Upwards fellow runners ... and non-runners of course!

Not a good week.

It has been a week of bad decision making, negative emotions and stuff beyond my control going wrong. The idea of this blog is to write it all down and let it all go as of midnight tonight. So starting tomorrow (Monday) a wonderful week will start.

My motivation to workout has been non-existent. On Monday I went to a morning yoga class and then made excuses for every other day of the week. So for the whole week my exercise consisted of standing at work and the little bit of working out I do while I am coaching gymnastics. At the beginning of the week I thought, "Well, running is supposed to be fun, so I will take a day or two off because my mind clearly needs a few days." But that obviously turned in to a whole freakin week.
So my lack of exercising made me feel guilty and lazy which lead to mood swings (which were already bad enough with Aunt Flow in town) and then to bad eating decisions. When I run, I tend to crave food that is actually good for me ... food that fuels my body so that I can perform better. But because I was getting into a lazy pattern, I was sleeping more and craving sugary foods and coffee. And of course I caved to almost every craving.
I attempted to go to the gym last night, but they closed early for cleaning. I was 9pm, so it was too late and dark to run outside. Today I also attempted the gym, but that fell through and I remained on the couch for the evening. In order to make sure I get back out tomorrow, I text Pam. We are running together at 11am.

The whole student loan thing came up again this week. After they had declined me due to my immigration status a few months ago, I had put it behind me and started looking for other options. But last week a letter came in the mail to say that I had been accepted for the loan after all. I afraid to get excited. Dad called the loan company to see what it meant. After they explained to dad that all I had to do was accept the terms etc I called them to get ready to do so. I started getting excited thinking that I was finally going to return to school and finish my degree. Then on Friday morning I get a voicemail from the loan company saying that they were ready for my signature and that they just needed a few documents.
My heart sank at the word 'documents' because I knew they were talking about my permanent resident card, which I do not yet have. The tears started rolling before I even called them. I didnt want to call because I wanted to hold on to that tiny bit of hope they had given me. But I plucked up the courage to call. After a ten minute conversation I had come to realize that I was not getting the loan. I was devastated all over again and cried on my drive to work. Fool me once, shame on you ... fool me twice, shame on me.
A few months ago I told them to cancel my application ... they obviously didnt. It feels like they are dangling my future on a string in front of me and it is just out of reach.

So that has been my week. I am now taking a deep breath and hope that midnight will bring me to the greener grass. But dont get me wrong, there were some wonderful moments in my week ... My anniversary, I love my job at Native Foods and I love coaching gymnastics. So may my jobs and my love continue to fuel my life :)

"Hello Motivation, welcome back!"

After a few days of no motivation what-so-ever, I finally enjoyed my workout today. Yesterday ended up being an unplanned rest day during which I napped and just rested on the bed often. The day before, I got to the gym, did 10 sulky minutes on the treadmill and went back home. After all, there is no point in doing something if you're not enjoying it.

Today I woke up feeling tons better and much more positive. With my head stuck in the fridge wondering what to have for breakfast, I remembered about the lady who eats salads for breakfast. We had spinach etc so I decided to give it a shot. And what a pleasant surprise I had when I loved it! It felt refreshing and light and I felt more re-hydrated when I was done. My salad consisted of: baby spinach, peppered turkey, a few pita chips, sliced almonds, dried cranberries, dried apricots, veggie cheese, salt & pepper, topped with a little bit of raspberry walnut vinaigrette. That with a glass of water and I was fully satisfied!

It kept me going all day long! I didnt feel the need to eat again until early evening when I had some fish before work. Once Josh got home we headed to the gym. My day had felt so positive that I expected to have a fantastic workout. I did just 30 minutes on the treadmill. 25 of those minutes were at 5mph and 5 minutes of it were at 6mph. I never actually became out of breath. The 30 minutes were over before I knew it. I then did some strength training for my hips and chest. 

I hope I can have another awesome workout tomorrow. My plan is to run longer!

Fuel!

Along with running, strength training, stretching and resting, EATING RIGHT is very very important. The book I've been reading the book 'Born to Run' which focuses on a tribe in the Barancas called the Tarahumara. They are the 'running people' and have tremendous strength and endurance. It seems (what I am getting from the book) that this is due to their pure love for running, their need to run (after animals or to get from one place to the next), their running gear (sandles) and how they eat!
The Tarahumara eat what most Americans would probably consider bland food. Their diet consists mostly of rice, corn tortilla, beans, pinole and fresh fruit and vegetables. Through eating this way they can run better than most Olympians and don't suffer the ailments of most western civilizations.
So while I am not converting to their diet 100%, I have been incorporating their ideas into my daily meals.

Above is one of my favorites. Whole grain pasta, fresh & lightly sauteed vegetables and some yummy tilapia fish. This and variations of this is a typical lunch for me ... or sometimes dinner depending on my day. 

In the chapter I was reading last night it talked about the idea of eating a salad for breakfast. The reason being that you can eat until you cant eat anymore and still go workout an hour later. You are getting the daily recommendation of veggies right from the get go and something I didn't consider: Vegetables are made up mostly of water, and what better way to rehydrate yourself after 8 hours in bed! So this morning I tried it (my own variation due to the lack of spinach) and this is what I ended up with: 

1/2 red pepper, 1/2 green pepper and some onion roasted for a few minutes with rosemary and garlic. I also added some frozen veggies (heated up of course) and had 1 slice of multi-grain toast with peanut butter. It was pretty good. I had that just about an hour ago and I feel that I would be able to workout now without any problems. Oooooh the art of eating!