3 Miler Before Winter Weather

I ran my scheduled 3 miles this morning as the drizzle fell from the sky...which would later turn to ice, which then tuned into the prettiest biggest snowflakes ever. It is snowing pretty hard now and looks so gorgeous with the white blanket over our town. I am so glad I got my run in....Saturday is 8!

Different Approach This Time

Those of you that know me can remember my running injury that took place a couple of years ago...I was doing some things that I think could have contributed to becoming injured. This time around, as I am training for a half coming up in March, I am doing a few things differently. To start, I am eating much less restrictively. I was pretty much a vegan back then, with the exception of fish sometimes. I was trying out a very restrictive approach to my eating because first of all, I really love fruits and veggies, and after reading some books, I became convinced that a vegan diet was extremely healthy. I wanted to at least give it a try. During that time I was also running quite a bit....increasing distance, speed, and adding lots of pretty steep hills. It was during a fast 5k that I actully felt the injury happen and when I tried to run a few days later, I realized I couldn't. It was much worse than I orginally thought and I stopped running for about 4 months. I started back super slow with still pain at times. Even today I can still feel it.

Although everything came back great with my blood work, I thought, as well as my doctor, that my calorie intake was just not fueling my body enough for the kind of energy I was using up. Also, I had very little fat in my diet as well. I was stiff, sore, and lacked energy later in the day. I think I could have been deficient in zinc and calcium.

This time I am trying to be smarter and more balanced. My goal is to fuel my body with nutrients, proteins, antioxidants, and fat. I realize now that when I run, my body needs to be replenished and sometimes a red bell pepper and fresh greens are not enough.

So, here are some things I am doing to help me be stronger and injury free this time:

Eating lean red meat once a week
Adding whey protein isolate to my smoothies for extra calories and protein
Adding flax seed meal to yogurt, smoothies, and oatmeal
Eating eggs...and lots of them
Eating some form of protein with every meal and snack
Still eating tons of green veggies and berries
Using real butter and low fat and full fat cheese
Lots of seeds and nuts
Greek yogurt--can't do without this yummy stuff!
Green tea...still a staple
Skim milk
Regular pasta sometimes, but still prefer whole grain
Fortified cereals like Total to give me much needed vitamins since I can't take a supplement

Hopefully, this plan will get me through the training and the run on March 6th!

Today

6.1 miles today in the sunshine...a little achy afterwards, but I am well on my way!

Rest Days are Crucial

I have learned that rest days are mandatory for me. With me becoming more injury prone these last couple of years, the best thing for me is not to run 2 days in a row. That is part of my strategy as I train for the half coming up. Also, when I have a longer run, I rest 2 days and then feel fine to run again. I guess all of those running articles I have read over the years were right.

I'm a little stubborn and have had to learn these things the hard way!

Cabin Fever....nothing a 5 miler can't help!

The snow is gorgeous, but after a while of being inside, I need to GET OUT! Today was beautiful! 35 degrees, snow on the ground(not on the road), sun shining...a perfect day for a sweet 5 miler.

It was glorious!

Little Rock Half Marathon

Well, I am officially registered for the Little Rock Half Marathon. I am a little bit behind on the training because I have been keeping my distances shorter(3-4 milers). I ran 5 miles this morning and it felt good, but I was more tired at the end than usual...so I have a ways to go. Endurance wise, I feel pretty good about it. I have run 13 miles at home for just a regular long run, so I know I am capable....just not sure how the stubborn past injuries are going to do. Hopefully with a slow pace and taking lots of rest days, I should be fine.

My plan for the race is to have fun, go slow and steady, walk when I stop for drinks, and enjoy the day. I am really excited to finally be running the race of my dreams! Mike has reserved a hotel for me in the river market, so I won't have to get up so early and drive there. He may stay with me or go home to bring the kids back the next moning. We are not sure yet. It should be a lot of fun!

Cycling and Update

I have been having fun cycling and getting used to my bike. This past week I rode about 60 miles total. Most of the rides were in the morning. Today it was so gorgeous out that I went for a 16 mile ride right after lunch while Abigail kept the little ones. It was a great time of the day to ride. The sunshine was bright and there was very little traffic out.

I have also been doing the 30 day shred about 4 times a week in the last few weeks. That is such a great workout! I use 6.6 lb weights and that really makes level one a bit more challenging.

Have I been running you ask? Nope, not once. I have a pulled muscle or something where my hamstring goes into my pelvic area...not sure what it is, but it hurts to even stretch. Cycling and the 30 day shred do not seem to bother me. Something about the running movement is making it worse, so no running for now.

That means no half marathon for me. I'm really sad about that, but I am not going to push and make things worse. I'm also STILL having lower right abdomen pain when I run and I am thinking it could possibly be a sports hernia. The pain is not near as severe as when it was injured last year, but I still feel something that is not right.

We just got back from a fun family weekend at Union University! Gracie is doing great there and has met some of the sweetest people! We loved getting to see her and meet her new friends!

Loving this fall weather!