My marathon training schedule officially starts today: 18 weeks from
now, I will be running the Marine Corps Marathon. In the weeks and days
leading up to the official beginning of my training, I have had moments
of excitement mixed with trepidation, because even though I have been
working out and maintaining fitness, it's now officially "game time." I
have started mapping out my runs on my calendar, and it's sometimes
intimidating to think about the sheer magnitude of miles I will be
running. In other words, even though I know I am starting out quite
prepared, I began to worry about whether I would like training for the
marathon, or whether it would ruin my love of running through
over-stimulation.
I had an amazing and relaxing weekend, cooking, Eastern Market-ing,
and hanging out with friends. I had gone to yoga on Friday and did some
boxing and some hill sprints on Saturday, so I felt like going on one
last "fun" run yesterday (as in, a last unscheduled run). The sky had
been threatening rain, and there was a cool breeze for once, so I
decided to go for a 4-5 mile run at about 6:30 pm. At first I felt
somewhat sluggish, and thought that it was going to be one of those runs
where I was pretty happy when it was over. But as I reached the
Jefferson Memorial about a half hour in, I started feeling like there
was a big bounce in my stride (remember the three-mile hump I was
telling you about?) and I didn't feel like turning around yet. So
instead of going back I decided to run up along the Potomac for a bit,
and before I knew it I had gone five miles. I didn't really feel like turning around even then, but it was starting
to get dark, so I made myself start heading back. I really started
feeling like the energizer bunny around mile 6 or 7, even though I
hadn't brought my camelback with water and/or running chews for energy
(as I usually do on longer runs). I wasn't worried about how fast I was
running, what my pace was (it was faster than when I started) or how far
I had to go- I just felt such a rush of joy about that feeling, the
feeling of fitness. It's astonishing how wonderful it is to feel
in shape, and all of the training and other pain is completely worth
it. I can't imagine how great it will feel to be in marathon shape! I
ended up doing about ten miles- just because I could, and, well, why
not?
Basically, my point is that sometimes I forget why I am running...
and I'm sure sometimes you may wonder why anyone does. The real reason
is to feel good about myself and to be fit and healthy. Training for
the marathon is going to be a huge challenge and a big time commitment,
but it's also just another way to bring my fitness to an even higher
level, and I can't wait to feel even more fit. More than that, I truly
do love running- even though sometimes it's painful, or I'm too hot, or I
just didn't get enough sleep, and I don't have a good run. There are
those days. But there are also days when I start out running and I have
no idea where my feet are going to take me, and I end up feeling like
I'm flying over the road an hour later. I can't wait for this challenge,
and I'm thankful every day that I have my health and the ability to
even try.
And so it begins...
Monday, June 27, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
The Accidental Two-a-Days
One of the most difficult parts of training is working around daily life- especially when you are training at a high level. Yesterday, since I had gone on a five-mile run the day before (and I usually like to alternate running days with cross training days), I decided to go to spinning class during lunch. I really like the spinning class at my work gym, because the trainer includes arm weights while we are on the bikes to add in an upper body workout. One thing I have noticed since I have become more fit, however, is that one hour-long workout per day is not always enough- sometimes I want to do even more. Unfortunately, there are only so many hours in the day, and on some weekdays I meet up with friends after work, or I may have to use my lunch hour for errands. So I often bike or walk to work in addition to my normal workout to add an extra half hour or two.
Yesterday, however, my lunch hour AND after work was wide open, which happens every once in a while. I went to spinning and worked hard- we did hill climbs, sprints, and lots of arm weights- but I still didn't feel like I had worked out long enough. Flash was planning on running after work, and I hadn't been on a run with him in a while. Even though the humidity was pretty awful (surprise!), I decided to go on a nice run with him after work as well.
Even in the sticky DC summer, I love going on runs with Flash after work on the National Mall. The slanting afternoon sunlight is much less intense, and there are always dozens of people playing softball and kickball on the fields, or walking around the monuments. We ran around the Tidal Basin by the Jefferson and along the water, and even though the air was thick there was a fresh breeze as we went over the bridge. By the time we got to about mile 4, though, I was starting to feel fatigued and dehydrated, since I have been working out a lot and the humidity was really high. We got back parallel to our office, but Flash wanted to run up Capitol Hill to get at least get five miles in... and, of course, I caved and went with him. Now if any of you have done it, running up Capitol Hill is never fun, but it's especially awful at the end of a run (I have done it several times at the end of a 10 or 12 or 13 miler- brutal). Since I was starting to actually feel a bit sick, I contemplated stopping and walking back from there, but then I thought, it's only another mile or two, tough it out! One of the things about hill runs is that if you just put your head down and try to speed up, it actually seems a bit easier; unfortunately, because I had run the five miles the day before and I had spun so much, my legs just didn't have much juice left. I started to feel like I was going to faint by I got to the top, so I slowed down a little (this is a very important thing to remember, especially when working out in this kind of heat- know your limits!) but then pushed through to get up the rest of the hill. I thought to myself, this kind of mental toughness is what I will need to get me through the marathon training... and, well, the marathon itself... so pushing through the fatigue is a skill I might as well practice now!
Anyway, so we finished up the run (5.5 miles), then I biked back home, and by the time I got there and had showered it was already almost 9 pm. I was tired and hungry, and the last thing I felt like doing was cook, so reheating a veggie burger seemed like the easiest possibility. But I really wanted to have something hearty with lots of carbs and protein to replenish my nutritional stores, so I decided to make a quick lentil vegetable dish. I love lentils because they are loaded with protein as well as carbohydrates, and they have a lot of nutritional value. Here's the recipe for what I made:
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/11517
Delish! Even though I also sauteed some squash and zucchini in garlic to put on top, this only took me about 30-40 minutes to make from start to eating. I ate it hot last night, then refrigerated the rest and I had leftovers to eat for lunch today!
It's sometimes hard to balance everything- work, social life, working out and making sure I get enough nutrition (and sleep!!), but somehow I make it work. I end up doing these accidental two-a-day workouts sometimes because I feel like it and because every once in a while I have the time. Believe me, I still make time to go to happy hours with friends and I'm in other activities at night (like DC Bocce). Sometimes it's just awesome to be able to get that second workout in!
Yesterday, however, my lunch hour AND after work was wide open, which happens every once in a while. I went to spinning and worked hard- we did hill climbs, sprints, and lots of arm weights- but I still didn't feel like I had worked out long enough. Flash was planning on running after work, and I hadn't been on a run with him in a while. Even though the humidity was pretty awful (surprise!), I decided to go on a nice run with him after work as well.
Even in the sticky DC summer, I love going on runs with Flash after work on the National Mall. The slanting afternoon sunlight is much less intense, and there are always dozens of people playing softball and kickball on the fields, or walking around the monuments. We ran around the Tidal Basin by the Jefferson and along the water, and even though the air was thick there was a fresh breeze as we went over the bridge. By the time we got to about mile 4, though, I was starting to feel fatigued and dehydrated, since I have been working out a lot and the humidity was really high. We got back parallel to our office, but Flash wanted to run up Capitol Hill to get at least get five miles in... and, of course, I caved and went with him. Now if any of you have done it, running up Capitol Hill is never fun, but it's especially awful at the end of a run (I have done it several times at the end of a 10 or 12 or 13 miler- brutal). Since I was starting to actually feel a bit sick, I contemplated stopping and walking back from there, but then I thought, it's only another mile or two, tough it out! One of the things about hill runs is that if you just put your head down and try to speed up, it actually seems a bit easier; unfortunately, because I had run the five miles the day before and I had spun so much, my legs just didn't have much juice left. I started to feel like I was going to faint by I got to the top, so I slowed down a little (this is a very important thing to remember, especially when working out in this kind of heat- know your limits!) but then pushed through to get up the rest of the hill. I thought to myself, this kind of mental toughness is what I will need to get me through the marathon training... and, well, the marathon itself... so pushing through the fatigue is a skill I might as well practice now!
Anyway, so we finished up the run (5.5 miles), then I biked back home, and by the time I got there and had showered it was already almost 9 pm. I was tired and hungry, and the last thing I felt like doing was cook, so reheating a veggie burger seemed like the easiest possibility. But I really wanted to have something hearty with lots of carbs and protein to replenish my nutritional stores, so I decided to make a quick lentil vegetable dish. I love lentils because they are loaded with protein as well as carbohydrates, and they have a lot of nutritional value. Here's the recipe for what I made:
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/11517
Delish! Even though I also sauteed some squash and zucchini in garlic to put on top, this only took me about 30-40 minutes to make from start to eating. I ate it hot last night, then refrigerated the rest and I had leftovers to eat for lunch today!
It's sometimes hard to balance everything- work, social life, working out and making sure I get enough nutrition (and sleep!!), but somehow I make it work. I end up doing these accidental two-a-day workouts sometimes because I feel like it and because every once in a while I have the time. Believe me, I still make time to go to happy hours with friends and I'm in other activities at night (like DC Bocce). Sometimes it's just awesome to be able to get that second workout in!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Delightful Delectations of the Vegetarian Variety
I'd like to take a little time now to debunk some myths about eating in a healthy way- that it's bland, boring, expensive, and time-consuming. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I really do enjoy trying new recipes, cooking, and eating delicious food, and I am truly astounded by the assumption that my healthy vegetarian lifestyle must be extremely uninteresting. On the contrary, I find that I am constantly finding new recipes that are easy to make (or more complicated, since I really love cooking) and are amazingly delicious. For example, I just held a gourmet dinner party with my chef friend (see her amazing food blog) in which every dish save one was vegetarian, and everyone, vegetarians and meat-eaters alike, raved about the food. The menu included a strawberry, citrus, toasted almond and goat cheese salad, stuffed mushrooms, chilled cucumber mint soup, summer squash and zucchini ribbons with garlic, summer vegetable risotto... is your mouth watering yet?
First of all, there is a common myth that eating healthily is more expensive. This can be true if you high tail it to one of the "high end" organic grocery stores (not naming any names)... but I have found that through a combination of buying a Community Supported Agriculture farmshare with my roommates, buying "post-organic" (i.e., directly from the farmer) produce at farmer's markets such as Eastern Market, and buying bulk products at off-brand, small co-ops, I am able to keep my weekly grocery totals really very low.
My roommates and I bought a regular share in a local CSA, and for each of us the total cost per week is about $14. The farmshare in any given week (so far) includes berries, beets, zucchini, squash (green and yellow), tomatoes, radishes, snap peas, asparagus and lots of kale, among others, and we always have leftovers. For more information on finding your own local CSA, check out this website: http://www.localharvest.org/csa/. The great thing about the CSA is that we get unbelievably fresh, in-season produce while at the same time supporting a local farm, aiding in our country's sustainability and being eco-friendly instead of buying outsourced products. This week, I also went to Eastern Market to buy some supplemental produce, including two huge tomatoes, white onions, bell peppers, mixed greens, shallots, herbs such as mint and cilantro, a dozen farm-fresh eggs, and some (usually) high-cost fruits such as cherries, peaches, strawberries and blueberries, all for about $35. Look at all that deliciousness:
Finally, my roommate and I went up to an organic bulk food co-op up in Mt. Rainier (http://www.glutfood.org/), where I stocked up on protein and grain items such as seitan, blocks of firm tofu, soy yogurt, nuts and seeds, homemade granola, dried fruits and some other produce like pears and apples. All in all, that trip was a total of about $40, most of which will be consumed over about a month. All told, then, my groceries added up to about $75 for the week plus my farmshare, bringing it all to less than $90 (and it's all more than I could possibly eat in one week). If you ate at McDonald's every meal for a week at an average of $5 per meal (which is a quite low estimation), that would still total $105. So much for healthy food being more expensive!
But what about this healthy, vegetarian food being less delicious and also too time-consuming? First of all, with the right herbs, spices, and moderate application of olive oil, cooking in a healthy way can be absolutely delectable. Just ask any of my friends that came to the dinner party! Indeed, healthy food does NOT have to be completely fat-free and devoid of flavor. On the contrary, you should add in some toasted nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocado and other "good" fats for overall health and to lose weight (what? add in fats to lose weight? read this from WebMD if you don't believe me: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/skinny-fat-good-fats-bad-fats).
But I don't have time at night after work to cook (you might say)! Well, neither do I- I get out of work at 6 pm, and afterword I often go out with friends or work out, so by the time I get home it can be as late as 8 or 9 pm. So I often spend just a few hours on Sunday afternoon preparing food for the week, and it makes whipping up a meal on weeknights simple and easy. Think about what you usually do on Sunday nights from 6 pm to about 8 or 9- was it really all that productive, or were you just watching reruns of American Idol? I used that time yesterday to make homemade pesto, a frittata (my breakfast for the whole week), baked/toasted the fixings for a couple days' worth of summer beet and peaches salad, made a half dozen veggie burgers, and even whipped up a Greek steamed vegetable and quinoa salad with fresh mint and lemon for my Sunday night dinner (http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/quinoa-salad.php).
I made these homemade black bean veggie burger patties in about an hour or so (including chopping and baking time), using just these simple ingredients (1.5 cups cooked quinoa, 1 can organic black beans, 1 chopped onion, 2 chopped cloves garlic, 6 sundried tomatoes, and spices):
Recipe for Protein Power vegan burgers (thanks to Vegetarian times magazine):
-Sautee onion, varied spices (I used salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme) and sundried tomatoes in medium pan over medium-high heat with a splash of olive oil until onions are softened
-Add in garlic, 3/4 cup of black beans (about half), and 1.5 cups of water, simmer until water is almost gone
-Put bean mixture in food processor with 3/4 cup of quinoa and chop until uniform
-Mix chopped mixture in bowl with remaining black beans and quinoa, season as desired, allow to cool
-Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
-When mixture is cool, grease baking sheet with cooking spray (I like Pam olive oil), divide mixture into 6-8 patties and place on baking sheet
-Bake 20-25 mins on one side (or until crispy), then use spatula to flip onto other side, bake 10 more minutes
-Enjoy!! (re-heat in skillet on stove, on a grill, or in the oven)
(note: they turned out a little bit dry- next time I might add an egg or two in the food processing stage or vegetable broth)
If you're an athlete and still worried about fueling as well as satiety, these veggie burgers are a protein powerhouse- each of them contains a full serving of protein due to the black beans and quinoa. For a quick weeknight meal, I'll just slap one of these on a multigrain sandwich thin, sautee some onions to put on top, use some of my pre-made pesto, and whip up a side salad. Delicious and done in fifteen minutes!
If you're still not convinced by all of this that this food tastes good, just try making some of it yourself, or I'll cook with you sometime! I have found that as I changed my diet, my palate has changed, and I find even just plain fruits and vegetables to be extremely delectable and savory. To show you that there is also a huge variety in the kinds of foods I make, I'll continue to post more delicious recipes as I go.
The main point is thus: eating in a healthy way can be fun, delicious, cheap, quick, AND good for the environment. We tend to get stuck in our ways, and start to think that we have to do things in a certain way. All it takes is a bit of a change in lifestyle by changing the way we think about food, and you are already headed in the right direction.
First of all, there is a common myth that eating healthily is more expensive. This can be true if you high tail it to one of the "high end" organic grocery stores (not naming any names)... but I have found that through a combination of buying a Community Supported Agriculture farmshare with my roommates, buying "post-organic" (i.e., directly from the farmer) produce at farmer's markets such as Eastern Market, and buying bulk products at off-brand, small co-ops, I am able to keep my weekly grocery totals really very low.
My roommates and I bought a regular share in a local CSA, and for each of us the total cost per week is about $14. The farmshare in any given week (so far) includes berries, beets, zucchini, squash (green and yellow), tomatoes, radishes, snap peas, asparagus and lots of kale, among others, and we always have leftovers. For more information on finding your own local CSA, check out this website: http://www.localharvest.org/csa/. The great thing about the CSA is that we get unbelievably fresh, in-season produce while at the same time supporting a local farm, aiding in our country's sustainability and being eco-friendly instead of buying outsourced products. This week, I also went to Eastern Market to buy some supplemental produce, including two huge tomatoes, white onions, bell peppers, mixed greens, shallots, herbs such as mint and cilantro, a dozen farm-fresh eggs, and some (usually) high-cost fruits such as cherries, peaches, strawberries and blueberries, all for about $35. Look at all that deliciousness:
Finally, my roommate and I went up to an organic bulk food co-op up in Mt. Rainier (http://www.glutfood.org/), where I stocked up on protein and grain items such as seitan, blocks of firm tofu, soy yogurt, nuts and seeds, homemade granola, dried fruits and some other produce like pears and apples. All in all, that trip was a total of about $40, most of which will be consumed over about a month. All told, then, my groceries added up to about $75 for the week plus my farmshare, bringing it all to less than $90 (and it's all more than I could possibly eat in one week). If you ate at McDonald's every meal for a week at an average of $5 per meal (which is a quite low estimation), that would still total $105. So much for healthy food being more expensive!
But what about this healthy, vegetarian food being less delicious and also too time-consuming? First of all, with the right herbs, spices, and moderate application of olive oil, cooking in a healthy way can be absolutely delectable. Just ask any of my friends that came to the dinner party! Indeed, healthy food does NOT have to be completely fat-free and devoid of flavor. On the contrary, you should add in some toasted nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocado and other "good" fats for overall health and to lose weight (what? add in fats to lose weight? read this from WebMD if you don't believe me: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/skinny-fat-good-fats-bad-fats).
But I don't have time at night after work to cook (you might say)! Well, neither do I- I get out of work at 6 pm, and afterword I often go out with friends or work out, so by the time I get home it can be as late as 8 or 9 pm. So I often spend just a few hours on Sunday afternoon preparing food for the week, and it makes whipping up a meal on weeknights simple and easy. Think about what you usually do on Sunday nights from 6 pm to about 8 or 9- was it really all that productive, or were you just watching reruns of American Idol? I used that time yesterday to make homemade pesto, a frittata (my breakfast for the whole week), baked/toasted the fixings for a couple days' worth of summer beet and peaches salad, made a half dozen veggie burgers, and even whipped up a Greek steamed vegetable and quinoa salad with fresh mint and lemon for my Sunday night dinner (http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/quinoa-salad.php).
I made these homemade black bean veggie burger patties in about an hour or so (including chopping and baking time), using just these simple ingredients (1.5 cups cooked quinoa, 1 can organic black beans, 1 chopped onion, 2 chopped cloves garlic, 6 sundried tomatoes, and spices):
Recipe for Protein Power vegan burgers (thanks to Vegetarian times magazine):
-Sautee onion, varied spices (I used salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme) and sundried tomatoes in medium pan over medium-high heat with a splash of olive oil until onions are softened
-Add in garlic, 3/4 cup of black beans (about half), and 1.5 cups of water, simmer until water is almost gone
-Put bean mixture in food processor with 3/4 cup of quinoa and chop until uniform
-Mix chopped mixture in bowl with remaining black beans and quinoa, season as desired, allow to cool
-Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
-When mixture is cool, grease baking sheet with cooking spray (I like Pam olive oil), divide mixture into 6-8 patties and place on baking sheet
-Bake 20-25 mins on one side (or until crispy), then use spatula to flip onto other side, bake 10 more minutes
-Enjoy!! (re-heat in skillet on stove, on a grill, or in the oven)
(note: they turned out a little bit dry- next time I might add an egg or two in the food processing stage or vegetable broth)
If you're an athlete and still worried about fueling as well as satiety, these veggie burgers are a protein powerhouse- each of them contains a full serving of protein due to the black beans and quinoa. For a quick weeknight meal, I'll just slap one of these on a multigrain sandwich thin, sautee some onions to put on top, use some of my pre-made pesto, and whip up a side salad. Delicious and done in fifteen minutes!
If you're still not convinced by all of this that this food tastes good, just try making some of it yourself, or I'll cook with you sometime! I have found that as I changed my diet, my palate has changed, and I find even just plain fruits and vegetables to be extremely delectable and savory. To show you that there is also a huge variety in the kinds of foods I make, I'll continue to post more delicious recipes as I go.
The main point is thus: eating in a healthy way can be fun, delicious, cheap, quick, AND good for the environment. We tend to get stuck in our ways, and start to think that we have to do things in a certain way. All it takes is a bit of a change in lifestyle by changing the way we think about food, and you are already headed in the right direction.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
An Exercise in Humility
Now that you have all the background about my food and exercise, I'll dig into the "meat" of the blog (so to speak). My 18-week marathon training schedule officially starts in a couple of weeks, and until then I have mostly been attempting to maintain my general fitness level by running and/or cross-training every day. Flash and I also signed up for a couple shorter races in May and June to keep ourselves in the running mindset. The most recent race was the Lawyers Have a Heart 10K, a notoriously overly-hot race in early June. One of my coworkers (who has run multiple marathons, including New York) mentioned actually getting sick twice during that race one year because of the brutal heat. But there just weren't that many other races in the near future because of the hot DC summer, so I signed up.
As many of you know, a major, record-breaking heat wave hit DC last week: the heat index actually hit over 100 degrees for a couple of days, which is pretty much unheard of this early in the summer. The weather forecast for Saturday morning at race start was 80 degrees with 90% humidity- not good.
On race morning, I woke up at 5:45 and got into my race clothes before rustling up my usual pre-race meal (half a wheat english muffin with peanut butter and half a banana) and while I was munching I quickly checked my e-mails before running out the door... and lo and behold, there was an e-mail from the race coordinator: they had downgraded the race from a 10K to a 5K because of the heat and humidity.
Now, considering the fact that I have run a couple of half marathons, it might come as a surprise to you, but I had never actually run a 5K. Yes, really. The only time when I had raced that distance was when I did a sprint triathalon in high school (the running portion is a 5K at the end of the swimming and biking) but that's a completely different scenario. As I was standing in front of my computer in my race clothes and bib, I realized... I had no idea how to run a 5K. Basically, it's a three mile sprint (yes, I can run three miles easily- but I never usually sprint on training runs).
Since I was already ready to go, I just decided to head to the race. I got to Georgetown very early, and met up with Flash. Having already run a few 5Ks, he was already planning to break his PR of 24 minutes (for you non-runners, a "PR" is a Personal Record for a race). At the race start, Flash was off, well, like a flash. Figuring trying to keep up with him was a lost cause, I basically tried run as fast as I felt I could sustain for about 23-25 minutes, which was at about 7:45 minutes per mile pace. That might not seem all that fast for a sprint, but remember that I am an endurance athlete; it usually takes me at least three miles to warm up and get into the groove of running. To put things in perspective, I ran my latest half marathon in an average of 8:44 minute miles (totaling 1 hour 54 minutes), but I ran the first mile or so at about 9:30 pace and was able to run several miles at the end in 8:15's. So I was completely unused to running at that kind of speed right off the bat.
I could tell within the first few minutes that this race was going to be awful. The heat was unbearable, and the air was so thick with humidity that it practically felt like I was breathing soup. I made myself walk through the couple of water stations so that I wouldn't get dehydration and/or heat exhaustion, but even so, I felt sick throughout the race.
I ended up finishing in 24:30 or so, which is about 7:55 pace overall (Flash broke his PR and finished in 22:02). When I told my personal trainer later that the 10K had been changed to a 5K, he said "Oh, you can do that in your sleep!" My reply was that I would sooner run a half marathon than do that kind of race again- it was brutal. I called this post "an exercise in humility" because even though I believe I am in pretty good shape, a little 3 mile race really humbled me. It's amazing how certain conditions can change your athletic performance, and especially how much a difference in pace can make!
(Me running the 5K)
As many of you know, a major, record-breaking heat wave hit DC last week: the heat index actually hit over 100 degrees for a couple of days, which is pretty much unheard of this early in the summer. The weather forecast for Saturday morning at race start was 80 degrees with 90% humidity- not good.
On race morning, I woke up at 5:45 and got into my race clothes before rustling up my usual pre-race meal (half a wheat english muffin with peanut butter and half a banana) and while I was munching I quickly checked my e-mails before running out the door... and lo and behold, there was an e-mail from the race coordinator: they had downgraded the race from a 10K to a 5K because of the heat and humidity.
Now, considering the fact that I have run a couple of half marathons, it might come as a surprise to you, but I had never actually run a 5K. Yes, really. The only time when I had raced that distance was when I did a sprint triathalon in high school (the running portion is a 5K at the end of the swimming and biking) but that's a completely different scenario. As I was standing in front of my computer in my race clothes and bib, I realized... I had no idea how to run a 5K. Basically, it's a three mile sprint (yes, I can run three miles easily- but I never usually sprint on training runs).
Since I was already ready to go, I just decided to head to the race. I got to Georgetown very early, and met up with Flash. Having already run a few 5Ks, he was already planning to break his PR of 24 minutes (for you non-runners, a "PR" is a Personal Record for a race). At the race start, Flash was off, well, like a flash. Figuring trying to keep up with him was a lost cause, I basically tried run as fast as I felt I could sustain for about 23-25 minutes, which was at about 7:45 minutes per mile pace. That might not seem all that fast for a sprint, but remember that I am an endurance athlete; it usually takes me at least three miles to warm up and get into the groove of running. To put things in perspective, I ran my latest half marathon in an average of 8:44 minute miles (totaling 1 hour 54 minutes), but I ran the first mile or so at about 9:30 pace and was able to run several miles at the end in 8:15's. So I was completely unused to running at that kind of speed right off the bat.
I could tell within the first few minutes that this race was going to be awful. The heat was unbearable, and the air was so thick with humidity that it practically felt like I was breathing soup. I made myself walk through the couple of water stations so that I wouldn't get dehydration and/or heat exhaustion, but even so, I felt sick throughout the race.
I ended up finishing in 24:30 or so, which is about 7:55 pace overall (Flash broke his PR and finished in 22:02). When I told my personal trainer later that the 10K had been changed to a 5K, he said "Oh, you can do that in your sleep!" My reply was that I would sooner run a half marathon than do that kind of race again- it was brutal. I called this post "an exercise in humility" because even though I believe I am in pretty good shape, a little 3 mile race really humbled me. It's amazing how certain conditions can change your athletic performance, and especially how much a difference in pace can make!
(Me running the 5K)
Monday, June 13, 2011
Adventures in Eating
So, I have told you how I started running, which is half of the focus of my blog. But a number of you have already also asked me to write about what I eat and why. As I mentioned in my first post, I am a vegetarian. As of now I still eat fish every once in a while for the nutritional value, but no red meat or poultry. I never eat fast food (if you do, please watch Super Size Me sometime). Also, I haven't eaten sweets in over two years. That includes cookies, chocolate, cake, ice cream, donuts, pastries, brownies, hard candy, muffins... pretty much whatever you can think of. I don't even have birthday cake on my own birthday. The closest thing I still have is frozen yogurt- and not the loaded-up cookies-and-cream kind, just plain yogurt with fruit. I also hardly ever drink alcohol (sometimes not at all for months at a time), and I mostly only eat low glycemic/complex carbohydrates (what the heck are those? I'll tell you in a bit).
Now, these are some reactions I have had to this in the past: that I'm crazy, that I am too restrictive, that it's impossible to do all of this, that I must just eat lettuce, or that I must have the "world's strongest willpower." But I would like to remind you that I didn't implement all of it at once; rather, I have been phasing all of this into my lifestyle over a period of a couple of years. And yes, I do eat; in fact, I truly enjoy cooking and eating. And believe me, I'm definitely human, and I still have vices (I love my morning coffee). But the reason I eat this way is because I consider my body to be a machine which I need to fuel efficiently in order for it to work properly, and certain foods and drinks are like poison to your body. You wouldn't pour landfill sludge into your BMW, would you? It's the same idea for your body: if you don't treat it right, it won't function right, and your physical and even mental health will suffer. Before you implement any of these kinds of changes, though, you should talk to your doctor (this is just my personal testimony and what works well for me). Anyway, let's go through a little more backstory before I tell you more.
Growing up, I was as skinny as a rail. Sure, sometimes my parents would take me to McDonald's after swim practice , but I was pretty healthy in general (my mom would never let me have Fruit Loops, for example). By the time I was in middle and high school, though, I was no longer a rail, but I was still trying to compete at the top level in swimming. This resulted in attempts to control my weight to a "desired" level through crazy diets which ended up hurting my body. When I went to college I stopped using those crazy diets AND stopped training so hard (as I mentioned in my last post), and the result was a less-than-fit lifestyle. So, why am I telling you this? because I found out that there IS a healthy way to maintain fitness and health, and I had to learn that the (very) hard way. But I didn't go sign up for Adkins or Jenny Craig. I started talking to people and reading.
The first phase was that I stopped eating sweets in March of 2009, and as far as I am aware, I am one of very few to do so for this long. So I'm not suggesting that this is the only way to be healthier, but it is possible. I consider America's addiction to sugar to be akin to smoking, and it is possible kick the habit (or at least minimize it). If you are interested about recent research on sugar's effect on you, read this recent article in the nytimes:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17Sugar-t.html
Now, as I said, I'm not trying to get you to go throw away your M&M's and say "never more." But now that it has been so long, I barely even think about eating candy or cake anymore- I no longer even crave them. I don't know from first-hand experience, but I imagine it's like quitting smoking in that over time you no longer even want it (in fact, it may eventually disgust you). Why did I stop eating sweets in the first place? I realized that those cookies, candies, and cakes were simply not doing anything good for me. Yes, people do things that are unhealthy for them every day, and yes, most things are fine in moderation. But my problem (which I'm sure is the case for some of you) was the moderation part. Would a smoker try to only smoke one pack a day instead of two to "quit"? No. So, one day, I stopped, and I never looked back.
It wasn't until last fall that I started the next phase, after I read a book about low glycemic carbohydrates. The "low glycemic index" sounds science-y and complicated, but really it isn't. It just means that you try to eat less-processed foods which don't raise your blood sugar as much, and therefore don't create a resulting crash in your energy. This means trying to avoid white breads, white rice, white pastas, and white potatoes (noticing a theme here?), and eating more complex carbohydrates like lentils, whole grains, sweet potatoes, quinoa, bulgur, chickpeas, beans, brown rice and some kinds of wheat noodles in moderation. There are some fruits that are considered higher glycemic as well, such as bananas and grapes, which should not be eliminated but at least more limited. Seems easy enough, right? It's impossible to keep any simple carbohydrates out of your diet, but this is how I think of it: I try to stay as close as possible to the original element from nature. The reason for this is that is how your body is meant to digest it, which means that it has to work harder to do so, and the energy is released over a longer period of time. Overly-processed foods like white bread have been leached of the best nutritional value and get converted straight into sugar in your bloodstream, resulting in high blood sugar and a resulting crash (not good for a distance runner!). And guess what: these kinds of carbs often have more protein in them! Again, this is always the BEST way to go for fueling, but having some higher glycemic starches now and then isn't going to kill you. My rule of thumb is to stay on the outside of the supermarket (where the produce and other natural goods are) as much as possible, and only go to the center for a few items like canned chickpeas or brown rice. The middle of the supermarket is where all the highly-processed foods take residence. If you read the label of a food you are about to buy, and there are a ton of ingredients you don't recognize or understand, it's probably not so great for you, right? For more info on processed food vs. cooking whole, natural foods, check out Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution (by the way, Jamie is also a good resource for you meat-eaters, as he cooks a lot of non-vegetarian food):
http://www.jamieoliver.com/philosophy
Now, the final part of my lifestyle (I always call it that, not a "diet," because a diet implies something you are going to stop doing) to fall into place was becoming a vegetarian. I have never been a huge fan of red meat. My family used to go through five steaks in one meal, and eventually I realized that I just didn't really like it. So for the past couple of years I would mostly eat lean meats like poultry and some fish. Then what changed? Well, once again, I just started listening, and watching, and reading. To be sure, I had read about the effects of the meat industry on us and on the environment before, but I was never really listening. Remember when I used to say I could never be a runner, and then one day I just started running? I have had friends and relatives who were/became vegetarians and vegans before, but I always just said to myself, well, that's for them, and not for me. I need meat to be an athlete, because otherwise I can't get enough protein. If that's what you are saying to yourself, I completely understand (I have had many conversations with my environmentally-conscious brother, a college varsity rower, about this). When I say that I have become a vegetarian, most people ask me whether it was for health, environmental or animal rights reasons- and to tell the truth, I consider it to be all three. If you think about it from a certain point of view, you already know that it is. How many times have you heard someone say they are becoming a vegetarian, and thought, that's so bad for your health, animals, and for the environment? Exactly.
I could list all of the books, documentaries, and testimonies in the world to tell you the compiled reasons why I became a vegetarian (some of them are under my "related links"), including talking about the antibiotics and hormones in chickens, blah blah blah, but it really doesn't matter. The main point is that I realized that being an athlete and eating meat are not, in fact, mutually exclusive. There is a huge myth about how much protein you need, and most people who use that as an excuse not to become a vegetarian are not doing Iron Man Triathalons. But people ate meat from the Stone Age! you might say. We evolved this way! Well, yes, but we evolved to only eat it very rarely and in very small portions (history major here). There are lots of really healthy and natural foods that give you a full serving of protein: soymilk, beans like garbanzo and edamame, grains like quinoa, tofu, nuts, and even vegetables such as spinach. For more info on being a vegetarian athlete and veggie protein sources, try this site (and yes, I found it after I had named my blog):
http://www.nomeatathlete.com/vegetarian-diet/
I won't even go into my restriction on alcohol that much, because you already know what I'm going to say- it's obviously not good for you (some doctors even call it "liquid fat"). There are some studies that one glass of red wine a week has health benefits, especially for red meat eaters. So if you're really going to have that steak, go ahead and have a glass of wine with it! But really, how many people just have one glass of red wine a week? In general, I just try to be very conscious of my consumption, and during the official marathon training I will probably hardly ever drink.
So what DO I eat? Lots of stuff. I basically try to give my body what it wants and needs, and I'm constantly trying out new recipes. The biggest rule I try to stick to is filling up at least half of my plate with produce (fresh fruits and veggies) and having the other half be at least part protein, part low glycemic carbohydrates (this assures about a serving or two of protein and one carb at each meal). There are days when I am running a lot when I need more carbs, so I eat more (again, shocking!). I also eat a lot of protein for breakfast, either eggs/egg whites or protein shakes with fruit, soy milk and soy protein. My vegetarian roommates and I have a Community Supported Agriculture farmshare, so we get fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables every week. And I take lots of vitamins and supplements. If you want more tips on the kinds of food I eat, just keep up with my blog, because I will periodically post more recipes and foods as I go.
Once again, I'm not saying that you all should go and do all of this at once, or even at all. But enough of you have asked me to explain my food choices that I figured I should lay it all out for you. You can feel free to discount me as a (low-fat) granola-cruncher, and tuck into your burger and chocolate shake. As I said, I have been evolving this lifestyle over a long period of time, and I plan to sustain it. Diets don't work because eventually you "fall off the wagon"- so implementing small and sustainable changes towards better health is my personal philosophy. The bottom line is this: I realized that it's really actually very simple, and I already knew deep down what is good for me and what isn't. It's just about letting that knowledge actually filter through all the garbage of food culture and consumerism in the twenty-first century. And I'm telling you, after becoming vegetarian, I have never felt better. I'm running faster, I feel leaner and lighter, and I don't go hungry. I never feel like I am restricting myself because being so healthy makes me feel like a better "me," which is all I am attempting to inspire in you.
Next post: An exercise in humility (my first 5K)
Now, these are some reactions I have had to this in the past: that I'm crazy, that I am too restrictive, that it's impossible to do all of this, that I must just eat lettuce, or that I must have the "world's strongest willpower." But I would like to remind you that I didn't implement all of it at once; rather, I have been phasing all of this into my lifestyle over a period of a couple of years. And yes, I do eat; in fact, I truly enjoy cooking and eating. And believe me, I'm definitely human, and I still have vices (I love my morning coffee). But the reason I eat this way is because I consider my body to be a machine which I need to fuel efficiently in order for it to work properly, and certain foods and drinks are like poison to your body. You wouldn't pour landfill sludge into your BMW, would you? It's the same idea for your body: if you don't treat it right, it won't function right, and your physical and even mental health will suffer. Before you implement any of these kinds of changes, though, you should talk to your doctor (this is just my personal testimony and what works well for me). Anyway, let's go through a little more backstory before I tell you more.
Growing up, I was as skinny as a rail. Sure, sometimes my parents would take me to McDonald's after swim practice , but I was pretty healthy in general (my mom would never let me have Fruit Loops, for example). By the time I was in middle and high school, though, I was no longer a rail, but I was still trying to compete at the top level in swimming. This resulted in attempts to control my weight to a "desired" level through crazy diets which ended up hurting my body. When I went to college I stopped using those crazy diets AND stopped training so hard (as I mentioned in my last post), and the result was a less-than-fit lifestyle. So, why am I telling you this? because I found out that there IS a healthy way to maintain fitness and health, and I had to learn that the (very) hard way. But I didn't go sign up for Adkins or Jenny Craig. I started talking to people and reading.
The first phase was that I stopped eating sweets in March of 2009, and as far as I am aware, I am one of very few to do so for this long. So I'm not suggesting that this is the only way to be healthier, but it is possible. I consider America's addiction to sugar to be akin to smoking, and it is possible kick the habit (or at least minimize it). If you are interested about recent research on sugar's effect on you, read this recent article in the nytimes:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17Sugar-t.html
Now, as I said, I'm not trying to get you to go throw away your M&M's and say "never more." But now that it has been so long, I barely even think about eating candy or cake anymore- I no longer even crave them. I don't know from first-hand experience, but I imagine it's like quitting smoking in that over time you no longer even want it (in fact, it may eventually disgust you). Why did I stop eating sweets in the first place? I realized that those cookies, candies, and cakes were simply not doing anything good for me. Yes, people do things that are unhealthy for them every day, and yes, most things are fine in moderation. But my problem (which I'm sure is the case for some of you) was the moderation part. Would a smoker try to only smoke one pack a day instead of two to "quit"? No. So, one day, I stopped, and I never looked back.
It wasn't until last fall that I started the next phase, after I read a book about low glycemic carbohydrates. The "low glycemic index" sounds science-y and complicated, but really it isn't. It just means that you try to eat less-processed foods which don't raise your blood sugar as much, and therefore don't create a resulting crash in your energy. This means trying to avoid white breads, white rice, white pastas, and white potatoes (noticing a theme here?), and eating more complex carbohydrates like lentils, whole grains, sweet potatoes, quinoa, bulgur, chickpeas, beans, brown rice and some kinds of wheat noodles in moderation. There are some fruits that are considered higher glycemic as well, such as bananas and grapes, which should not be eliminated but at least more limited. Seems easy enough, right? It's impossible to keep any simple carbohydrates out of your diet, but this is how I think of it: I try to stay as close as possible to the original element from nature. The reason for this is that is how your body is meant to digest it, which means that it has to work harder to do so, and the energy is released over a longer period of time. Overly-processed foods like white bread have been leached of the best nutritional value and get converted straight into sugar in your bloodstream, resulting in high blood sugar and a resulting crash (not good for a distance runner!). And guess what: these kinds of carbs often have more protein in them! Again, this is always the BEST way to go for fueling, but having some higher glycemic starches now and then isn't going to kill you. My rule of thumb is to stay on the outside of the supermarket (where the produce and other natural goods are) as much as possible, and only go to the center for a few items like canned chickpeas or brown rice. The middle of the supermarket is where all the highly-processed foods take residence. If you read the label of a food you are about to buy, and there are a ton of ingredients you don't recognize or understand, it's probably not so great for you, right? For more info on processed food vs. cooking whole, natural foods, check out Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution (by the way, Jamie is also a good resource for you meat-eaters, as he cooks a lot of non-vegetarian food):
http://www.jamieoliver.com/philosophy
Now, the final part of my lifestyle (I always call it that, not a "diet," because a diet implies something you are going to stop doing) to fall into place was becoming a vegetarian. I have never been a huge fan of red meat. My family used to go through five steaks in one meal, and eventually I realized that I just didn't really like it. So for the past couple of years I would mostly eat lean meats like poultry and some fish. Then what changed? Well, once again, I just started listening, and watching, and reading. To be sure, I had read about the effects of the meat industry on us and on the environment before, but I was never really listening. Remember when I used to say I could never be a runner, and then one day I just started running? I have had friends and relatives who were/became vegetarians and vegans before, but I always just said to myself, well, that's for them, and not for me. I need meat to be an athlete, because otherwise I can't get enough protein. If that's what you are saying to yourself, I completely understand (I have had many conversations with my environmentally-conscious brother, a college varsity rower, about this). When I say that I have become a vegetarian, most people ask me whether it was for health, environmental or animal rights reasons- and to tell the truth, I consider it to be all three. If you think about it from a certain point of view, you already know that it is. How many times have you heard someone say they are becoming a vegetarian, and thought, that's so bad for your health, animals, and for the environment? Exactly.
I could list all of the books, documentaries, and testimonies in the world to tell you the compiled reasons why I became a vegetarian (some of them are under my "related links"), including talking about the antibiotics and hormones in chickens, blah blah blah, but it really doesn't matter. The main point is that I realized that being an athlete and eating meat are not, in fact, mutually exclusive. There is a huge myth about how much protein you need, and most people who use that as an excuse not to become a vegetarian are not doing Iron Man Triathalons. But people ate meat from the Stone Age! you might say. We evolved this way! Well, yes, but we evolved to only eat it very rarely and in very small portions (history major here). There are lots of really healthy and natural foods that give you a full serving of protein: soymilk, beans like garbanzo and edamame, grains like quinoa, tofu, nuts, and even vegetables such as spinach. For more info on being a vegetarian athlete and veggie protein sources, try this site (and yes, I found it after I had named my blog):
http://www.nomeatathlete.com/vegetarian-diet/
I won't even go into my restriction on alcohol that much, because you already know what I'm going to say- it's obviously not good for you (some doctors even call it "liquid fat"). There are some studies that one glass of red wine a week has health benefits, especially for red meat eaters. So if you're really going to have that steak, go ahead and have a glass of wine with it! But really, how many people just have one glass of red wine a week? In general, I just try to be very conscious of my consumption, and during the official marathon training I will probably hardly ever drink.
So what DO I eat? Lots of stuff. I basically try to give my body what it wants and needs, and I'm constantly trying out new recipes. The biggest rule I try to stick to is filling up at least half of my plate with produce (fresh fruits and veggies) and having the other half be at least part protein, part low glycemic carbohydrates (this assures about a serving or two of protein and one carb at each meal). There are days when I am running a lot when I need more carbs, so I eat more (again, shocking!). I also eat a lot of protein for breakfast, either eggs/egg whites or protein shakes with fruit, soy milk and soy protein. My vegetarian roommates and I have a Community Supported Agriculture farmshare, so we get fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables every week. And I take lots of vitamins and supplements. If you want more tips on the kinds of food I eat, just keep up with my blog, because I will periodically post more recipes and foods as I go.
Once again, I'm not saying that you all should go and do all of this at once, or even at all. But enough of you have asked me to explain my food choices that I figured I should lay it all out for you. You can feel free to discount me as a (low-fat) granola-cruncher, and tuck into your burger and chocolate shake. As I said, I have been evolving this lifestyle over a long period of time, and I plan to sustain it. Diets don't work because eventually you "fall off the wagon"- so implementing small and sustainable changes towards better health is my personal philosophy. The bottom line is this: I realized that it's really actually very simple, and I already knew deep down what is good for me and what isn't. It's just about letting that knowledge actually filter through all the garbage of food culture and consumerism in the twenty-first century. And I'm telling you, after becoming vegetarian, I have never felt better. I'm running faster, I feel leaner and lighter, and I don't go hungry. I never feel like I am restricting myself because being so healthy makes me feel like a better "me," which is all I am attempting to inspire in you.
Next post: An exercise in humility (my first 5K)
Thursday, June 9, 2011
On Becoming a "Runner"
I have always been a competitor at heart, according to my parents. They used to tell me stories about when I was two years old and I would challenge other toddlers to races across the playground. I competed in several different sports growing up, but (ironically) I always hated running, possibly due to the fact that I was a competitive swimmer for twelve years. I even competed in a triathalon when I was 14, and I beat my (marathon-running) Dad because of my pool prowess, but I still struggled through the 5K run with gritted teeth. Similarly, I was in varsity lacrosse in high school, and I always struggled to run the 2-3 mile training runs, despite my cardio fitness from swimming.
When I went to college, however, I stopped competing and training for two to three hours a day. Between that, the development of an endocrinological disorder which slows my metabolism, and the lifestyle of a college student (you all know what I mean), I was not in the healthiest state. I still dabbled in club sports and exercise, but never at my previous level. I was never a junk food type person, but the former-athlete syndrome hit me hard (you may have heard of it- when an athlete is used to eating at a certain caloric level, then stops training. Not good). I would run once in a while, but mostly as a last resort.
By my senior year in college, though, I started to emerge from that lifestyle, taking up new sports like boxing. I still didn't like running, however; I would go to the gym and do the elliptical next to my friends who would run 3 miles on the treadmill. Sometimes I would make myself run a mile or so as a supplement, but that was about it. I would always say, "I just can't run, I have bad tendons" or other excuses. But one day, something changed, as if a few gears in my head just clicked into place. I just got on the treadmill and just started running. Over the next weeks, I started doing more, going farther or faster. Before I knew it I was running more than my friends whom I had previously watched in awe (and envy).
Now, that's how I started running, but I still wasn't a "runner." Runners were those crazy people who got up at 6 AM to run 20 miles. Runners were petite and slim (I am neither), and ate that weird Gu stuff. After graduation from college, though, that competitor in me started searching for the next great challenge (remember the racing two-year-old?). I signed up for my first 8K, which was a five mile race- a distance I had only run once or twice in my life, and only when forced. I remember the first day in training that I ran five miles straight without walking, which seemed like a huge milestone. As I have said to other aspiring runners, getting over the 3-4 mile hump (basically crossing the anaerobic threshold) is the hardest, and after that adding mileage is much easier. Once I had finished that five miles on a treadmill in a big gym, feeling very Rocky-esque, I looked around triumphantly to see who else had seen my success (no one looked). Still, I think that triumphant feeling is what captivates runners: not knowing for sure if you are physically capable of doing something, then doing it. That's when I first became a "runner," because I kept wanting more: I ran a five miler again within a few days. Real "runners" are always seeking the next challenge, moving on to bigger and longer runs. I raced the 8K, and I was hooked. Before I even ran a 10K I was signed up for a half marathon, and then another one within a month. I started going on 10 mile runs "for fun"- I had caught the runner's urge.
Somewhere along the way, I started running with "Flash" (that's my nickname for him in real life). I never realized how big of a difference having a good running buddy can make, especially when you are weaning yourself off the treadmill and starting to road run more often. It's especially important that they be about the same level and pace that you are, because otherwise someone always wants to go faster. Sure, there are days when one of us is feeling particularly good or particularly bad, but most days we are pretty much on the same page. Flash is a 10-time half marathoner (most of which he has completed in under two hours), and has completed a full marathon. He is one of my greatest sources of running inspiration- always telling me I can do more than I think I can (and which I am going to keep telling you, too!) and egging me on to sign up for more races. But the most important thing is that on 10, 12, or 14 mile runs, Flash is there getting through that 2 hours with me, sometimes chatting to pass the time. It's amazing how much of a difference that company can make, even if you run in silence.
One last thing about becoming a runner. People always seem to talk about the "runner's high," and it's cited as one of the reasons why athletes actually feel good while they are actually pushing themselves past a physical level that most people are comfortable with. I have to say, before this year, I had no idea what they were talking about- doesn't running ALWAYS suck? I'm not sure when I first experienced it, but there are definitely days in which I'm running, and everything else around me just sort of disappears. I forget that I'm moving my legs, or that I'm dodging around tourists. There's only me, my music, and the road. And sometimes, if I'm really lucky, I have a particularly good run. I call those the "Energizer bunny" runs, because I just keep feeling better and more elevated during the run (even 6 or 7 miles in) like I could run forever. I wish everyone could experience that feeling. Last weekend was one of those runs: I went out at 7 PM on Sunday night, planning on just going for a few miles, and I ended up running 10.
So, why did I tell you all of this? Let's just say that a former running-hater wants to tell you that it's possible to become one of those crazy people who get up at 6 AM to run 20 miles. Or run 10 miles just because they feel like it. As I said in my first post, nothing is holding you back except yourself. I did it for most of my life, always telling myself I could never really be a runner. But one day I stopped thinking about things in terms of what I "don't" or "can't" do, and started thinking about what I COULD. That's all. And in the words of my running idol (Forrest Gump), one day, "I just felt like running." The hardest part is putting on those running shoes, and it's all downhill from there.
Next post: why the hell I eat (and don't eat) what I do...
When I went to college, however, I stopped competing and training for two to three hours a day. Between that, the development of an endocrinological disorder which slows my metabolism, and the lifestyle of a college student (you all know what I mean), I was not in the healthiest state. I still dabbled in club sports and exercise, but never at my previous level. I was never a junk food type person, but the former-athlete syndrome hit me hard (you may have heard of it- when an athlete is used to eating at a certain caloric level, then stops training. Not good). I would run once in a while, but mostly as a last resort.
By my senior year in college, though, I started to emerge from that lifestyle, taking up new sports like boxing. I still didn't like running, however; I would go to the gym and do the elliptical next to my friends who would run 3 miles on the treadmill. Sometimes I would make myself run a mile or so as a supplement, but that was about it. I would always say, "I just can't run, I have bad tendons" or other excuses. But one day, something changed, as if a few gears in my head just clicked into place. I just got on the treadmill and just started running. Over the next weeks, I started doing more, going farther or faster. Before I knew it I was running more than my friends whom I had previously watched in awe (and envy).
Now, that's how I started running, but I still wasn't a "runner." Runners were those crazy people who got up at 6 AM to run 20 miles. Runners were petite and slim (I am neither), and ate that weird Gu stuff. After graduation from college, though, that competitor in me started searching for the next great challenge (remember the racing two-year-old?). I signed up for my first 8K, which was a five mile race- a distance I had only run once or twice in my life, and only when forced. I remember the first day in training that I ran five miles straight without walking, which seemed like a huge milestone. As I have said to other aspiring runners, getting over the 3-4 mile hump (basically crossing the anaerobic threshold) is the hardest, and after that adding mileage is much easier. Once I had finished that five miles on a treadmill in a big gym, feeling very Rocky-esque, I looked around triumphantly to see who else had seen my success (no one looked). Still, I think that triumphant feeling is what captivates runners: not knowing for sure if you are physically capable of doing something, then doing it. That's when I first became a "runner," because I kept wanting more: I ran a five miler again within a few days. Real "runners" are always seeking the next challenge, moving on to bigger and longer runs. I raced the 8K, and I was hooked. Before I even ran a 10K I was signed up for a half marathon, and then another one within a month. I started going on 10 mile runs "for fun"- I had caught the runner's urge.
Somewhere along the way, I started running with "Flash" (that's my nickname for him in real life). I never realized how big of a difference having a good running buddy can make, especially when you are weaning yourself off the treadmill and starting to road run more often. It's especially important that they be about the same level and pace that you are, because otherwise someone always wants to go faster. Sure, there are days when one of us is feeling particularly good or particularly bad, but most days we are pretty much on the same page. Flash is a 10-time half marathoner (most of which he has completed in under two hours), and has completed a full marathon. He is one of my greatest sources of running inspiration- always telling me I can do more than I think I can (and which I am going to keep telling you, too!) and egging me on to sign up for more races. But the most important thing is that on 10, 12, or 14 mile runs, Flash is there getting through that 2 hours with me, sometimes chatting to pass the time. It's amazing how much of a difference that company can make, even if you run in silence.
One last thing about becoming a runner. People always seem to talk about the "runner's high," and it's cited as one of the reasons why athletes actually feel good while they are actually pushing themselves past a physical level that most people are comfortable with. I have to say, before this year, I had no idea what they were talking about- doesn't running ALWAYS suck? I'm not sure when I first experienced it, but there are definitely days in which I'm running, and everything else around me just sort of disappears. I forget that I'm moving my legs, or that I'm dodging around tourists. There's only me, my music, and the road. And sometimes, if I'm really lucky, I have a particularly good run. I call those the "Energizer bunny" runs, because I just keep feeling better and more elevated during the run (even 6 or 7 miles in) like I could run forever. I wish everyone could experience that feeling. Last weekend was one of those runs: I went out at 7 PM on Sunday night, planning on just going for a few miles, and I ended up running 10.
So, why did I tell you all of this? Let's just say that a former running-hater wants to tell you that it's possible to become one of those crazy people who get up at 6 AM to run 20 miles. Or run 10 miles just because they feel like it. As I said in my first post, nothing is holding you back except yourself. I did it for most of my life, always telling myself I could never really be a runner. But one day I stopped thinking about things in terms of what I "don't" or "can't" do, and started thinking about what I COULD. That's all. And in the words of my running idol (Forrest Gump), one day, "I just felt like running." The hardest part is putting on those running shoes, and it's all downhill from there.
Next post: why the hell I eat (and don't eat) what I do...
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
The Beginning
"The Beginning" is both a fitting and unfitting title for this post. In some ways I feel that I am at the starting line, and in others I feel I have already finished a long and grueling journey to arrive here. In essence, I started this blog to document training for my first marathon as a vegetarian. Some of the posts you will read here are about my running routes, cross training, recipes, or reflections about how all of it fits together between now and October 30, 2011- the day of the Marine Corps Marathon- and beyond. But before I do all of that, I should tell you how I arrived here, and where I intend to go.
Let me start by saying that I have no interest in trying to "convert" you into being a vegetarian, or a marathoner for that matter. Moreover, I am not writing this because I believe this what you "should" do to be healthy; everyone is different, and what works for me might not work for you. This is not a get-slim-quick testimony, either- believe me, I have tried those, and it just isn't sustainable. This is a peek into a journey into the realm of complete health that I have been embarking on and which has evolved for years. Yes, I have lost a significant amount of weight over this time, and I have had so many people ask me "what it is I am doing," as if they expect me to cite a new fad diet of some kind or say that I went on the Biggest Loser. But in reality, I have just read and read about the best ways to keep my body healthy, to give it what it needs to perform athletically and to maintain as much purity as possible. In the end what works for me is to work out (running, boxing, swimming, yoga, cycling...) at least an hour a day and eat a vegetarian diet without refined sugars or overly-processed foods. And I haven't had sweets in more than two years.
People often ask me "why?" or "how?" I maintain this lifestyle, or say "I could NEVER do that." My favorite quote is: "whether you think you can or you can't, you're right." The most important thing I have learned is that you can't set up road blocks, because you are the best one at convincing yourself you can't do something. But as I mentioned earlier, I am not attempting to "sell" my "diet and exercise" plan by writing this blog, but I have had enough people ask me about my lifestyle that I thought it would be worth writing down. That's why I thought I would share my story. So read on if you will, and I hope I will inspire you (at least in part) to become the healthiest YOU that is possible.
"I want you to be everything that's you, deep at the center of your being." (Confucius)
Let me start by saying that I have no interest in trying to "convert" you into being a vegetarian, or a marathoner for that matter. Moreover, I am not writing this because I believe this what you "should" do to be healthy; everyone is different, and what works for me might not work for you. This is not a get-slim-quick testimony, either- believe me, I have tried those, and it just isn't sustainable. This is a peek into a journey into the realm of complete health that I have been embarking on and which has evolved for years. Yes, I have lost a significant amount of weight over this time, and I have had so many people ask me "what it is I am doing," as if they expect me to cite a new fad diet of some kind or say that I went on the Biggest Loser. But in reality, I have just read and read about the best ways to keep my body healthy, to give it what it needs to perform athletically and to maintain as much purity as possible. In the end what works for me is to work out (running, boxing, swimming, yoga, cycling...) at least an hour a day and eat a vegetarian diet without refined sugars or overly-processed foods. And I haven't had sweets in more than two years.
People often ask me "why?" or "how?" I maintain this lifestyle, or say "I could NEVER do that." My favorite quote is: "whether you think you can or you can't, you're right." The most important thing I have learned is that you can't set up road blocks, because you are the best one at convincing yourself you can't do something. But as I mentioned earlier, I am not attempting to "sell" my "diet and exercise" plan by writing this blog, but I have had enough people ask me about my lifestyle that I thought it would be worth writing down. That's why I thought I would share my story. So read on if you will, and I hope I will inspire you (at least in part) to become the healthiest YOU that is possible.
"I want you to be everything that's you, deep at the center of your being." (Confucius)
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