I just received my official marathon training plan. Over the next four months, I’ll be running a total of 471 miles. 471 miles! To put that in perspective, it’s almost 50% more miles than I’ve run in the past six months combined. Continue reading “What Have I Done?”
Tag: eat fast run slow
(Sorta) Resting on My Laurels
I am officially in between training programs. Pardon me while I catch my breath. Continue reading “(Sorta) Resting on My Laurels”
Ready, Set, Reset!
I am hungry all the time. Now that I’m running a consistent 20+ miles per week, I’ve been eating like a high school football player, but with the metabolism of a practically (if not unbelievably) 40-year-old woman.
Running can be a great way to lose weight, but longer distance running can be a very tricky balance, a slippery slope if you will. If you eat too little, you will most likely die mid-run, that’s just science. On the flip side, after a run, you feel like you can – and completely deserve – to eat everything.
I’ve had success changing my eating habits when I’ve faced a big weight loss goal, but I’m finding it much more difficult to make changes when my brain is telling me that I’m pretty much an Olympic champion so maybe I should just make a quick stop at McDonald’s mid-run? I mean, they are an Olympic sponsor.
So what do you do when you can’t take the bad habits out of the girl? You take the girl away from the bad habits.
A few weeks ago, I blogged about how running has made me a more adventurous and awesome traveler. That’s still true, but not every trip is created equal. I’m currently on Day 3 of a 12 day work trip in Tampa. There’s lots and lots of work to be done, but also way to much downtime. When I found out about this trip, I knew it was an opportunity to put some focus on my health and ditch some of my bad habits. It took a little planning, but now that I’m an expert bullet journalist, it was easy peasy:
- In lieu of a hotel, I’m staying at an Airbnb with a small kitchen and a washer/dryer (for my stinky running clothes)
- I found a local food service that delivers freshly made breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily – it’s actually much cheaper and healthier than eating out
- I only bought healthy snacks and jugs of water at the grocery store, no junk in the house
- I’m getting up at 5:30 each morning to run before the Florida sun melts me into a puddle
- I have literally nothing to do after 5pm each day, so I am taking classes at a local yoga studio – I really need to be stretching more anyway
I won’t lie, this one is not a fun-filled trip and it’s a long time away from home, but creating a routine that is singularly focused on my health will do me some good.
Of course, I did have a slice of key lime pie the night I landed, but travel days don’t count, right?
Over the Hill
Hill runs are the worst. Combine the steep inclines with whipping Kansas winds, my slow pace, and an imperfect center of gravity and I might as well be running in place. So why in the world did I just sign up for a half marathon called “Hospital Hill?” Continue reading “Over the Hill”
Biting the Bullet
When I was in college, I started every semester with brand new highlighters and colored pens, ready to organize the world! I meticulously copied my syllabus into my day planner and highlighted every word in my textbooks. That would only last a week. Continue reading “Biting the Bullet”
Back of the Pack
I ran my first half marathon just under one year ago. This weekend, I completed my third. I didn’t really mean to sign up for three, but here we are. Continue reading “Back of the Pack”
There’s a great cookbook designed specifically for runners called “Run Fast. Eat Slow.” That is such good advice…for someone who can run fast. Or eat slow. I am neither.
Regardless of my slow pace and penchant for eating with gusto, I have done the unthinkable and signed up for my first marathon. The average pace of the Kansas City Marathon on October 21, 2017 is about to get a lot slower. And sweatier. And much, much whinier.
This blog is an account of my journey from non-marathoner to marathoner. Join me while I eat fast and run slow.