Turning a New Leaf

I've been doing the "Inspire Me: Healthy" linkup to share my half marathon training to keep motivated. Now, since I'm not running the half anymore, I figured I'd share another side of my "get healthy" campaign: my diet.


I know I've mentioned this in a few posts, and without running the risk of TMI, I'll just say this: lately I've been having a lot of stomach issues and pain. It all started when I had food poisoning in San Antonio, and I haven't felt right since. Almost every meal I eat leaves me with awful stomach pains and some mornings I'm curled up on the bathroom floor in the fetal position.

I'm almost 99.9% sure this stomach pain is diet related. I've never been one to have a weak stomach, and it's driving me crazy. I've tried to run through possibilities in my head: lactose intolerance (I drink tons of milk), gluten allergy, wheat allergy, etc. down to even scarier options like IBS or stomach ulcers.

After my sweet friend Bobby gave me an extremely stern lecture about being proactive about my health and going to see a doctor, I'm finally trying to take control and figure out what's really wrong with me. We have clinical health assessments at work tomorrow, where they'll draw blood and take measurements and do an overall health analysis. I plan on discussing the problems with the nurse then to see what her opinion is.

My problem is this: I know one of the first things the doctor is going to ask is what my diet is like. The truth: I eat like crap. I have days where I'm really good and I'll get in all my fruits and veggies and have a completely balanced diet, and then a football weekend comes up and I eat Bojangles for breakfast, drink 8+ alcoholic beverages during 12 hours of tailgating, Wendy's for dinner, and then nachos for lunch the next day (that actually happened this past weekend, I'm not exaggerating). Ugh. It's incredibly disgusting and I immediately am so mad at myself when my stomach starts revolting against all the crap I've been eating.

So I decided to revamp the way I eat, by doing a challenge I found via Six Sisters' Stuff. The challenge is mainly focused towards weightloss, which is not entirely my main goal, although I have gained 10 pounds since this time last year. Woof.

You can see more about the challenge here, but I've adapted it for myself. I plan on rewarding myself with something at the end of 8 weeks if I've reached my goal of eating healthier and finally feeling like myself again. The bribe present to myself has yet to be determined, but I really want an iPad.

It's pretty fun to tally up your points each day! I almost want to congratulate myself for staying away from fried food when I remember that, yes, I did in fact inhale a Chick-fil-a chicken biscuit my client gave me yesterday. Curses.

But I'm getting better. I went to Trader Joe's yesterday and spent all my time in the fresh produce section. I know having healthy options and no temptation is what I need to feel better. One of my major vices is the fact that we eat out every day for lunch at work, since we're traveling. I'm powerless in front of a menu of delicious mexican/pizza/chinese, when I should be eating a salad. I'm working on it.

Sorry for such a novel post; I've been thinking about sharing my troubles for quite some time. I want to be held accountable for taking care of myself! Let me know if you'd like to join the challenge, too!

Week 5 ~ Spinx Half 10.27.12

Week 5 is also known as "The Week I Decided Not To Run The Half Marathon."

Ugh. Part of me really hates to write this post, and the other half of me is pretty relieved. Here are my reasons mainly my way of convincing myself I'm not a quitter in list form.

1. I can't commit enough time to train properly.

I talked a little about training for my first half marathon here, and I learned a lot of lessons I certainly didn't want to repeat. Let me also reiterate that the first time around, I had no job, no boyfriend, and no huge social circle in Greenville yet. Fast forward a year, and I've got a lot more on my plate. I knew fitting in 15+ miles a week was going to be tough, I just didn't quite realize it would be this tough. I absolutely love my job, but there's a lot of responsibility/extracurricular activities that comes with it. As employees, we're expected to attend philanthropic events, events for clients, join Young Professionals' groups in our area, and be active in the community. What does that really mean? I don't really stop working at 5 pm. I might be at a recruiting event until 10 pm in Clemson, a baseball game sponsored by the firm, or a Young Professionals' Happy Hour. Quite frankly, I just haven't figured out how to do all of that and fit in a run 4 days a week.

Does it sound like I'm complaining? Probably. But I'm honestly not trying to. I enjoy these after-work activities. But knowing I have to run before work/after work/before the event/after the event/what about dinner? had me juggling way too much.

2. Traveling

Last training cycle, I used a beginner's plan which only slated a long run of 10 miles. The rest were manageable 6, 7, and 8 milers. However, when I look back on DailyMile, I didn't run any of those long runs. I took a vacation to San Diego mid-training, and didn't run for over a week. I got injured after the 10 miler and backed off significantly so I would still be able to run the race. Long story short, when those 13.1 miles were in front of me, I hadn't trained properly. I was not equipped to run 13 miles and that was why I missed my goal time by almost 20 minutes.

So I tried to remedy that solution for Half Marathon #2. I found a plan with high(er) mileage, with a 12 mile run sandwiched by two 10 mile runs, and several 8 mile runs. I knew this would help with endurance and allow me to get used to the time on my feet. This theory worked great, until I got bit by the travel bug.

via

If you overlap my long runs with my calendar, it looks a little like this:

• September 29 - Boston, MA + 10 miles
• October 6 - Cabo San Lucas + 12 miles
• October 13 - Cashiers, NC + 10 miles

Can someone explain to me how I expected to run all these miles in completely unfamiliar cities (and countries)?

So what was one solution? Oh, just move those long runs to the Monday when I get back from vacation. 12 miles after working 9 hours? No. Thank. You.

The other option? Skip them.

Then I'm right back where I started on race day, facing 13.1 miles with completely inadequate training.

3. Some things are more important

I mentioned this briefly in last week's training recap, but running isn't my life. It's a hobby. Things more important to me include my family, Ryan, my friends, cooking, and enjoying all of life's opportunities (see wanderlust, above). Am I going to miss out on a vacation, a dinner with friends, or a football game with the excuse, "Sorry guys, I can't, I've got to go run" ?? Hell no.

I also really like my sleep. I turn into a whiny, cranky witch when I sleep less than 7 hours (and I prefer 8 or more). Even though getting my run out of the way first thing in the morning was a great start to the day, I was really, really ticked off when my alarm went off before 6 am.

Running didn't seem fun anymore; it seemed like a chore instead. That, my friends, is not something I signed up for.

4. I need variety

I joined the Y back in January so I could take advantage of the group classes. I was excited about trying some strength training (Kettlebells), Yoga, and Cycling.

Welp. I haven't used my membership in over a month. All this running has consumed my free time and I'm wasting 29 precious dollars a month for a gym I haven't had time to frequent. With cutting back on running, I'll be able to get back to the gym and get some variety back into my routine.

5. I don't want to half-ass another half marathon

I know what a huge accomplishment it is to finish a half marathon, and I don't regret for one minute that I crossed that finish line in Pinehurst, which for a while, was extremely questionable.

But to me, it wasn't a success. I walked a lot. My whole body hurt. I started out too fast. I didn't know there would be hills (huge fail). Blah Blah Blah. I had a finish time in my head that I thought was attainable and I missed it by a lot. What can I say? I'm a perfectionist.

So when I signed up for #2, I wanted it to be successful. A PR would've been nice, too. But based on the reasons above, this one isn't quite shaping up to be too successful either.

Does that mean to say that I won't try anything if I think I'm going to fail? No, absolutely not. Half Marathon #1 was proof of that. I just don't want to continue doing something when I can't put in the effort to improve. Make sense?

.............................................................................................

Geez. That was enough complaining for one post. Now on to the good stuff:

Because I had already registered for the half and didn't want to entirely lose my money, I transferred my registration to the 5K, The Big Punkin'. People are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes! I've never even run a 5K since I got too drunk missed the St. Patty's Day one back in March.

Now I still have a goal to work towards (run 3.1 miles without stopping) and I won't feel completely bummed about dropping out of the Half Marathon.

Thanks for sticking around if you made it through that lengthy post. Whew.

Week 4 ~ Spinx Half 10.27.12

Last week was pretty much a training failure, but I'm honestly okay with it. I'll be back on track today!

After slowly upping my mileage week after week, I think my body needed a break. My shins were starting to ache on longer runs and I didn't have enough time to stretch and foam roll this week.

I missed my runs on both Friday and my long run on Sunday because we stayed in Atlanta until after dinner Sunday night.

Tuesday - 3 miles

Tuesday's "run" was actually cheating because I did 3 miles on the elliptical instead. I woke up early for this one and just don't think I was quite awake yet.

Wednesday - 4 miles

This run was amazing. We're back to hot, humid weather in the South, so this run was on the treadmill. I ONLY STOPPED TWICE! That's a huge improvement from my other runs, and it was also 4 minutes faster than my 4 miler from last week. 

In hindsight, sometimes you've just got to make do with your schedule, and I had a super busy week with after-work commitments everyday. Lack of sleep + 12 hours work days + trying to fit in a workout? Not. happening.

I also ate incredibly unhealthy all weekend (um, hello, tailgating is NOT conducive to fruit and vegetable intake) and am certainly feeling it today. 

Throughout training, you learn it's all about balance. I'm not the kind of girl who is going to miss out on a great weekend with friends because I've got to run 7 miles that day. That's just not me. Some people can make a huge commitment and sacrifice a lot to train for half marathons and marathons, and I commend them. But this is just a hobby for me and at the end of the day, my friends are more important than getting in that long run. I know I won't regret missing two of my training runs because I had a fantastic weekend! Totally worth it!

Week 3 ~ Spinx Half 10.27.12

This week of training was extremely humbling. Sometimes you just have to get your butt kicked to realize how hard running and training for a half marathon can be. You have really crappy, hard runs where you can hardly put one foot in front of the other, and then you have an awesome run that makes you remember why you lace up your shoes everyday. This week had all of those elements rolled into one. Recap, shall we?

Monday - Rest

Tuesday - 3 miles

I'm working in Clemson for the next 4 weeks, so my days are a little longer than usual. I leave for work about 7:45 am and don't get home until 6:15 pm. I must say that being back at my alma mater when classes are starting again has made me extremely nostalgic. Driving down the same roads I did as a student makes my heart swell with happiness every time. I'm just so extremely fortunate to have spent 5 of the best years of my life in such a gorgeous place.

Oh whoops, I was supposed to be talking about running...

Anyway, on my drive home, there were some threatening rain clouds, but seemed to be moving away from Greenville. I checked the weather map while I got dressed, and there didn't appear to be a storm in sight. So I set out for 3 easy miles. You know where this is going right? I ran the ENTIRE 3 miles in the pouring rain. It was liberating and fun and reminded me of running through sprinklers and the rain as a kid. I was absolutely soaked when I got back to apartment, but I pretty much loved it.

Wednesday - 3 miles, hills

One of the greatest things about working in Clemson? I can bring my running clothes with me and run my old route after work. One of the worst things about running my old route? It's really. freaking. hilly.

There's a 3 mile route around the "perimeter" of campus, and no matter which way you choose to run, you're going to face some killer hills. This entire first mile was straight uphill, and I immediately knew my planned 4 miler wasn't going to happen. I recovered slightly with the flat/downhill 2nd mile. But the sun was beating down on me and I was feeling pretty worn out. I shuffled along for the 3rd mile and crawled back in my car to make the drive home. This run left me pretty much exhausted.

Thursday - (Unplanned) rest

Work has been a little stressful this past week, so Ryan promised to cook me a steak dinner on Thursday. Any excuse not to run right? Honestly, Wednesday's run left my confidence a little shot, and I just wasn't feelin' it.

Friday - Rest

Oops. I was going to run the 4 miles originally scheduled for Wednesday when I got off work Friday. But Friday was a pretty crappy day, too (full disclosure: our office at work was broken into and so so many computers were stolen; luckily I had mine at home with me). When I finally got home from work, I just wanted to curl in a ball. My roommate's computer was stolen, so we sat by the pool and drank Skinnygirl margaritas and discussed at length how people could be so cruel. Thieves suck.

Saturday - 4 miles

When I woke up, it felt like fall weather outside. I knew before I even stepped outside that this was going to be a good run. (Side note: Does anyone else believe that running is almost completely mental??) (Second side note: I apparently have not mastered the pacing miracle that is "negative splits." Every mile slower than the one before it? Yeah, that's how I roll. <--- Don't be like me!)

I did so many things during this run that I've yet to accomplish so far in training. First, my beginning mile is always the exact same anytime I run outside. There's a huge hill immediately after mile 1, so  I always stop to catch my breath after I see "1.00" flash on my watch before I can tackle the hill. But Saturday? I powered right on through. Now granted, I stopped immediately after I got over the hill, but still, that was a huge step for me! 

The run just kept getting better. I wanted to make it a goal to stop as few times as I could, which I knew I could do if I slowed down my pace. The verdict? 3 stops!!! One between each mile and that was it! I just kept telling myself, "0.25 miles further and then you can stop and walk," but I powered through each time. 

Sometimes completing a run like this, where everything goes right, makes me want to cry with joy. The other thing that almost made me cry? This song came on my iPod when I had a quarter of a mile to go. Of course, there's a story behind this song, "Shine On" by Eric Bibb. One day during grad school when I was feeling especially overwhelmed with the CPA exam, Bobby texted me a link to this song. Now I listen to it anytime I need some motivation. Even when Bobby's dad was sick, and I ran every mile of my first half marathon for him, I had this song on repeat.

"Well, there's a will, there's always a way, keepin' your eyes on that mountain top, one step at a time. Don't ever, ever stop. Keep on when your mind says quit...Shine on."

Sunday - 5 miles, intervals

In hindsight? Back-to-back long runs probably weren't such a great idea. This run was rough. I actually didn't feel sore from Saturday's run, but I felt out of shape. It was about 15 degrees hotter Sunday than for my run on Saturday, and I definitely felt it. I ran a mile/walked .25 mile, and had planned to run 6 miles total. Because I felt really hot, I was refilling my water bottle a lot more than normal. Turns out, you can overhydrate during a run. All that water was sloshing around in my stomach every time I tried to run and I had several "oh crap, I'm going to throw up" moments. Ugh. I made it 5 miles running (1.25 miles walking) and knew I couldn't go any further. Sometimes you have to know when to quit, too. I'm so glad today is a rest day! I'm icing and foam rolling like a champ!

After feeling inspired by Anna's healthy link-up, I've decided to join in, too! Hopefully this weekly inspiration over at Don't Quote the Raven and All in My Twenties will keep me motivated!

For those of you who are new, I talked a little about my running journey here and chronicle my races/training here!