Category: Fitness and Diet

Calling the Run

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I’ve been a diver since around February 2008 when I was certified by Girl Diver. One of the most important rules of diving (aside from diving with a buddy) is that anyone can call a dive, for any reason, at any time. This means that if you get geared up, and don’t even step in the water, you can say, “I’m not feeling it.” Or maybe (like happened to me once) you get stung by a jellyfish IN THE FACE, and you think, “Ow, I’m not going to continue this dive, I’m going up.”

Of course, running is a solo thing for me. There’s no turning to my buddy and saying, (signing) that I’m not sure I want to continue the run. There’s no one saying back to me, “Hey, let’s end this (run).” So there I was, after a pasta meal, 2 miles under my belt already and a good pace, and I was getting serious waves of nausea and stomach pain.

I’ve never had that kind of pain before – my husband complains of such things, though, when he exercises on a full stomach. It’s never been a problem with me – but then again, I’ve not been running with this kind of intensity before, and also – my Garmin needed to be charged, and was possibly being inaccurate with my heart rate.

Oops.

I ended up walking for the last 9 or so minutes of my 30 minute run. I also ended up skipping the kick-off for the Team in Training. The first run with them is Saturday, and I don’t plan on missing that. Here’s hoping tomorrow’s run will go a bit more smoothly.

Goal Oriented Rest Days

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A friend of mine recently proclaimed his pride in my fitness accomplishments. I’ve gotten this a few times recently as I’ve been talking more and more about my training. I shrug it off – for one, I’m a bit self-conscious, and for two – my accomplishments are often a benefit of my neurosis.

A few years ago, my doctor told me that I was “goal oriented.” She’s a rare physician that actually takes time to talk and listen to me, and frankly, this was the first time I realized that my compulsive need to finish what I start, when I have a goal in mind, could work to my benefit. I was over a hundred pounds over weight at the time, and I had a specific goal in mind (it was not scale related, but health related). I joined Weight Watchers that weekend with the goal being to just try it, and not to expect any other results but to just add some accountability to my life.

My inability to give up on a goal has led me to lose almost 100 lbs through Weight Watchers over the past two years. I’ve had some bumps and setbacks, but my compulsion to do it right (track what I eat, make the right choices for the given day/week, not over-do it) has paid off.

Now I have a new goal – to run a distance that in my whole life, I never thought I’d do. Frankly, even running a 5K or a mile seemed crazy. My current weight is what it was at age 13 (and I’m still overweight.) I’ve never had this skill until now. I’m shooting for my goal – and frankly, I’ve been training too hard the past couple weeks.

I know this because I ache all the time. I was jumping up to running for over an hour before I got really comfortable with just running 30 minutes regularly. I was excited. I realized, “hey, I can do it! It didn’t kill me!” But that’s not a measure for success.

Despite the fact that I want to run today – and tomorrow, I’m taking a couple days off before I start up with my official Team in Training schedule. I’m considering taking a yoga-for-runners class. I know I’ve mentioned it before – but being still is just as important as running, and is probably harder for me to do.

So this is a reminder to myself – and to those out there that are like me – rest days are important, and are goal oriented. You can’t train if you don’t let your body recuperate. Your body will fail you.

Exercise and Weight Maintenance

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The New York Times Magazine has a article titled Weighing the Evidence on Exercise, which is an interesting look at how exercise effects weight loss and appetite.

Not too long ago I recall Marie Claire having a rather unscientific, completely anecdotal article on which gets you thinner faster, calorie counting or exercise. Their findings were that the woman who dieted, but didn’t really exercise (this was a two woman comparison!) lost more weight than the woman who just exercised.

Certainly, my own anecdotal experience was similar. When I weighed around 260 lbs, and was going to the gym regularly (3x/wk, 30+min cardio, 45 min weights) I didn’t see the scale budge much. I wasn’t counting calories, though, and I am pretty sure, in retrospect, I ate up most of the calories I burned. My real weight loss started when I started tracking every thing I ate, and having a set ideal of food I ate for the day/week. That came without exercise, and the exercise came later as my body started feeling more capable.
(Keep in mind, at my heaviest I started avoiding having to step up on curbs because THAT was too much of a strain.)

Continue reading “Exercise and Weight Maintenance” →

Day Off of Training (Plus note to readers)

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Today was a running day, but I was feeling absolutely beat. I ached everywhere – partially due to starting to do yoga again. Then there was the four mile run I did on Thursday, and the five mile walk I did yesterday. I’m just working myself too hard, too fast.

I decided to take a long bath and read again from the Runner’s World Complete Book of Women’s Running. Again, I was reminded that I should be easier on myself, as a novice, train a little slower, and train for time, not for mileage. Instead of going out for 4 miles, I should be going out for 40 minutes. I need to just chill out, especially to keep my injuries to a minimum. I think I’ll do an easy run tomorrow, maybe just a 30 minute (and ignore the mileage) and just have fun. I need to not work myself so hard.

I have started to look at the Team in Training official marathon training schedule for the Fall season. It’s not unlike what the book I have recommends. Slow and steady, right? Injury prevention, right? OK. I’ll chill out. Do some yoga. Weight training.

In other news to my readers – I know that some that know me that come across this blog might not have an enthusiasm for running the way I do. If you find this blog triggering, or upsetting in any way, please don’t read it. This is the way I’ve found to cope with stressors in my life, one of the major ones being a consciousness of mortality, and a willingness to do what I can to put myself in the best odds. I don’t expect anyone to make the same choices I do. To each their own. Take care of yourself. This is how I’m trying to take care of myself.

Yoga Today, and more TnT

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I started my morning with some much needed yoga. I used Shiva Rea’s Solar Flow Yoga, which is an invigorating vinyasa program that has the option of mixing and matching the programs together. It’s not for a novice, and requires the ability to flow in and out of asanas quickly, but it’s exactly what I like. I should do this more often. I spend so much time running, and not enough being still, or just being in one place. I figure this might be a good counterbalance to all that pavement pounding.

The Team in Training sent a flood (ok, just a phone call and an email) to check in and remind of the upcoming kick-off. I’m not bailing out yet, because I signed up for this, and frankly, maybe I *can* do it without too much stress. The fundraising is a little stressful, though. I’m far more worried about that than running 26.2 miles (though truthfully, I may just go for 13.1). We’ll see! I just don’t want to be in debt!!

Take care – have a great weekend!

If you’re looking for something to do, my scuba friends with Girl Diver are hosting an Earth Day event, Girl Diver Goes Green (Not with Envy)

Plant a Tree! Spread some mulch! Come help GirlDiver & People of Puget Sound celebrate the 40th Anniversary of EARTH DAY with restoration of North Wind’s Weir located at Seattle’s Duwamish River. NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY!!!

No diving required – but a great group of people doing good stuff.