I thought it was time to talk a little bit about why I have chosen the training schedule that I have. You may have noticed that I do not do the same type of workout every day and, in fact, even my runs vary over the week. I am not running the same distance at the same pace every time I run.
Here's my training schedule in a nutshell -
Monday: Strength and Stretch
Tuesday: Incline/Bridge Run
Wednesday: Cross-train
Thursday: Speed Run and Strength
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Long Slow Run
Sunday: Cross train
Have you wondered why I'm doing this?
Basically, muscles have memory. Our bodies are very adaptable.
If you've ever started an exercise program, you've experienced this first hand. Remember the first day when you decided to do 50 sit-ups? Remember how you pushed your way through that long set and how incredibly sore you were the following day? Say hello to your rectus abdominus muscle!
Now, fast forward to the second week of your sit-up extravaganza. Were you sore after 50 sit-ups? Nope. Not any more. That's because your rectus abdominus muscles have gotten used to your routine. They know what you are going to do and they have gotten stronger and now they are prepared for your sit-ups. Those 50 sit-ups are not a challenge anymore.
Did you then change your sit-up routine and do side crunches next? Well, then say hello to your oblique muscles!
Get the picture?
If you don't change what you do, you are no longer challenging your body. Change can be working a whole new muscle or muscle group or it can be varying the amount of weight, the type of movement performed, or the changing how sets are performed. The options really are endless. Mixing up your workouts is so very important to continuing to improve your performance. Also, if you mix it up, you give your body a break and reduce the chances of injury. Trust me, if I ran every day, I would get injured!
I am trying to become a stronger, faster runner who can run longer distances. Will running 3 miles a day every day get me there? Well, perhaps. It will definitely keep my cardiovascular system purring but it probably won't do anything to make me run faster or longer. However, I will definitely reach those goals if I take one day to run a longer distance, take another day to run faster, and take another day to work on running strong. When I put all this training together at my next race, I should see improvement. Hmm. Stay tuned!
Training:
35 minutes on the dreaded elliptical
Calories burned: approximately 260
Easy enough workout. I just don't like the elliptical. My toes get all tingly after a little while and between that and the different type of effort, I was working hard to keep at it between 25 and 30 minutes. I hung on though, again reminding myself that my workouts feel too easy so I ought to push it! Once I hit 30 minutes, I was very happy to slow down for the last five minutes and get off that horrible machine!
Nutrition:
Calories: 1484 (under)
Carbs: 210g (in range)
Protein: 83g (over)
Fat: 48g (in range)
Sat Fat: 15g (over!)
Sodium: 2,600mg (over)
Cholesterol: 61mg (under)
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Back On Track
Two days worth of training to post so I'll just get right to it.
Monday
Training:
Strength and Stretch day done at home with spri-tube and floor work for biceps, triceps, deltoids, chest, back, abdominals, inner/outer thighs, and quadriceps.
Time: 30 minutes
Calories Burned: approximately 130
Nutrition:
Calories: 1480 (under)
Carbs: 236g (over)
Protein: 90g (over)
Fat: 28g (under)
Sat Fat: 10g (under)
Sodium: 1,450 (under and too low)
Cholesterol: (under)
So overall - not a huge amount of calories burned but not a lot taken in either. I'm still low on my fat and high on my carbs/protein. Sodium is way too low! And I did not feel like working out. It was cold and I just didn't feel like leaving my apartment to only go lift weights. I compromised by doing my workout at home. I got it done... but using body resistance and a piece of tubing is just is not nearly as hard as lifting actual, heavy weights.
Tuesday:
Training: Hill Run Day
2 miles hill run on the treadmill consisting of warm-up/walk and then a 4 incline run at 4.5 mph until 1 mile reached, 0.10 jog with 1 incline to recover a little, 1/2 mile run at 5 incline, and then a no incline run and a little walking to cool down.
Time: 29:49, Average 4.02 mph or 14:54 minute/mile
Calories Burned: Approximately 180
The run felt good. I kept it slow due to the incline and the first mile at 4 incline was comfortable. That 1/2 mile at 5 incline was hard though! It took a lot of will to keep running at that pace and incline for a half mile but even though I was breathing heavy I wanted to do it so I pushed through. I'm glad I did. My workouts have not been that hard and when I finish I find myself thinking I can be pushing harder. So today, when it got hard, I just remembered that and decided to push it finally! I don't want to rush my training and do too much because I am trying to build up slowly and avoid injuries... but I really want to be doing more too. Thankfully, things should be getting harder and harder every week!
Nutrition:
Calories: 1,890 (over!)
Carbs: 275g (over)
Protein: 103g (over)
Fat: 54g (over)
Sat Fat: 12g (top of range)
Sodium: 3,500mg (over)
Cholesterol: 49mg (under)
Um. Oops?
I actually had a good day with my eating and then went out for sushi with a friend and my eyes were bigger than my stomach! And well, it's sushi... it's blasphemy to leave any not eaten... so I did the best I could (not smart) and even still had to bring home half a spicy tuna roll! Okay. I should have skipped the ginger salad and only gotten one roll. I stand by the miso soup and nigiri though.
This is the first time I've been over on my fat totals. While it's good that I don't go over in this area a lot - for a heart patient, fat intake is pretty important to keep low. That being said, I did have salmon sushi and that is "healthy" fat... it was the shrimp tempura roll that was a bad choice. At least my saturated fat (the one that just loves contributing to plaque buildup in arteries) is still in range... barely...
I just love sushi and it is healthy... it was just TOO MUCH of a good thing tonight. Extra calories equals extra pounds - no matter where those calories come from or how healthy those calories are. And yeah, no matter what some people might tell you about carbs or protein or fat, extra calories = fat. End of story.
Eh, at least it was only an extra 265 calories... I'm just feeling really full right now. :) And now that I think back, I have not eaten enough calories the past two days. I've been just under the low end of my goal range. Could be my eyes were taking direction from my metabolism which had decided there had not been enough fuel for the past couple of days and wanted to stock up a little. Okay, so that's not exactly scientific but the body will get what it needs if you let it... or I'm just trying really hard to rationalize a sushi splurge!
Monday
Training:
Strength and Stretch day done at home with spri-tube and floor work for biceps, triceps, deltoids, chest, back, abdominals, inner/outer thighs, and quadriceps.
Time: 30 minutes
Calories Burned: approximately 130
Nutrition:
Calories: 1480 (under)
Carbs: 236g (over)
Protein: 90g (over)
Fat: 28g (under)
Sat Fat: 10g (under)
Sodium: 1,450 (under and too low)
Cholesterol: (under)
So overall - not a huge amount of calories burned but not a lot taken in either. I'm still low on my fat and high on my carbs/protein. Sodium is way too low! And I did not feel like working out. It was cold and I just didn't feel like leaving my apartment to only go lift weights. I compromised by doing my workout at home. I got it done... but using body resistance and a piece of tubing is just is not nearly as hard as lifting actual, heavy weights.
Tuesday:
Training: Hill Run Day
2 miles hill run on the treadmill consisting of warm-up/walk and then a 4 incline run at 4.5 mph until 1 mile reached, 0.10 jog with 1 incline to recover a little, 1/2 mile run at 5 incline, and then a no incline run and a little walking to cool down.
Time: 29:49, Average 4.02 mph or 14:54 minute/mile
Calories Burned: Approximately 180
The run felt good. I kept it slow due to the incline and the first mile at 4 incline was comfortable. That 1/2 mile at 5 incline was hard though! It took a lot of will to keep running at that pace and incline for a half mile but even though I was breathing heavy I wanted to do it so I pushed through. I'm glad I did. My workouts have not been that hard and when I finish I find myself thinking I can be pushing harder. So today, when it got hard, I just remembered that and decided to push it finally! I don't want to rush my training and do too much because I am trying to build up slowly and avoid injuries... but I really want to be doing more too. Thankfully, things should be getting harder and harder every week!
Nutrition:
Calories: 1,890 (over!)
Carbs: 275g (over)
Protein: 103g (over)
Fat: 54g (over)
Sat Fat: 12g (top of range)
Sodium: 3,500mg (over)
Cholesterol: 49mg (under)
Um. Oops?
I actually had a good day with my eating and then went out for sushi with a friend and my eyes were bigger than my stomach! And well, it's sushi... it's blasphemy to leave any not eaten... so I did the best I could (not smart) and even still had to bring home half a spicy tuna roll! Okay. I should have skipped the ginger salad and only gotten one roll. I stand by the miso soup and nigiri though.
This is the first time I've been over on my fat totals. While it's good that I don't go over in this area a lot - for a heart patient, fat intake is pretty important to keep low. That being said, I did have salmon sushi and that is "healthy" fat... it was the shrimp tempura roll that was a bad choice. At least my saturated fat (the one that just loves contributing to plaque buildup in arteries) is still in range... barely...
I just love sushi and it is healthy... it was just TOO MUCH of a good thing tonight. Extra calories equals extra pounds - no matter where those calories come from or how healthy those calories are. And yeah, no matter what some people might tell you about carbs or protein or fat, extra calories = fat. End of story.
Eh, at least it was only an extra 265 calories... I'm just feeling really full right now. :) And now that I think back, I have not eaten enough calories the past two days. I've been just under the low end of my goal range. Could be my eyes were taking direction from my metabolism which had decided there had not been enough fuel for the past couple of days and wanted to stock up a little. Okay, so that's not exactly scientific but the body will get what it needs if you let it... or I'm just trying really hard to rationalize a sushi splurge!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
One Of Many Reasons To Give Up Alcohol When Training...
I decided to go out with friends on Friday night and tied one on... I mean, really tied one on... and it took me all day Saturday to recover. Friends and going out and dancing, these things are awesome. Alcohol, however, is evil!
Training:
Friday was a rest day so I blissfully rested. Check.
Saturday was supposed to be my long slow distance run of 4 miles. That didn't happen.
Sunday (today) is supposed to be a cross-training day but I think my long run is more important so cross-training is cancelled and I'm planning to get in my 4 mile run today.
Nutrition:
Friday, I ate well and had 200-300 calories to go for the day before I went out with my friends. I planned on 2-3 beers which would put me just over my calorie goal. I didn't plan on multiple drinks involving vodka. This put me over 2,000 calories and that's just a guess. Way too high. Ugh.
Saturday, well, I could hardly eat due to consuming way too much vodka the night before. I didn't track my food but I estimate around 500 calories. Way too low. Ugh.
Sunday, today, will be a better day. I'm already off to a good start with my egg white and veggie omelet and whole wheat bread.
It sucks to have to come here and be accountable for acting like a girl who just turned 21. I know better. Drinking too much is stupid. Especially for someone on medications for heart disease. And alcohol is a toxin after all. It has no nutritional value. It wrecks my training, it works against weight loss, it made me lose an entire day. It was totally not worth it. But it's done. Lesson learned and put behind me.
No more alcohol until after my 15k.
It's officially one week since I've started documenting this journey and I lost 2.6 pounds this week. This is a much higher number than the "calorie math" predicted; but it's not unexpected. The first week of making changes (or getting back on program in my case) usually comes with a substantial loss. In fact, have been maintaining this lower weight for the past 3-4 days, which goes to show, it was the "shock" of the changes that prompted the loss and now my body is maintaining. Of course, it's nice to see such a big number to get me started; but from here on out, I expect to have that loss in a month... not a week!
UPDATE
Training completed!
4.3 mile long, slow distance run
Time: 56:59
Pace: 4.51mph or 13:19 minute/mile
Calories Burned: 350
Felt GREAT! This is only the second time I've ever run so far! 4 miles! Wowsa! It was a beautiful, sunny, cool day and I am sure that helped. I also lucked out and picked a route with some good level sidewalks in places and low traffic for when I was running in the street. This run was a little hard at times. At 2 miles, as usual, it got a bit hard cardiovascularly... but I pushed through. Towards the end my shins were feeling it... but overall, this was not a hard run. I'm amazed that I can feel so good after running 4.3 miles. I'm very pleased with myself today.
Nutrition:
Calories: 1.446 (under)
Carbs: 222g (over)
Protein: 95g (over)
Fat: 28g (under)
Sat Fat: 9g (under)
Sodium: 2,200mg (under)
Cholesterol: 94mg (under)
Training:
Friday was a rest day so I blissfully rested. Check.
Saturday was supposed to be my long slow distance run of 4 miles. That didn't happen.
Sunday (today) is supposed to be a cross-training day but I think my long run is more important so cross-training is cancelled and I'm planning to get in my 4 mile run today.
Nutrition:
Friday, I ate well and had 200-300 calories to go for the day before I went out with my friends. I planned on 2-3 beers which would put me just over my calorie goal. I didn't plan on multiple drinks involving vodka. This put me over 2,000 calories and that's just a guess. Way too high. Ugh.
Saturday, well, I could hardly eat due to consuming way too much vodka the night before. I didn't track my food but I estimate around 500 calories. Way too low. Ugh.
Sunday, today, will be a better day. I'm already off to a good start with my egg white and veggie omelet and whole wheat bread.
It sucks to have to come here and be accountable for acting like a girl who just turned 21. I know better. Drinking too much is stupid. Especially for someone on medications for heart disease. And alcohol is a toxin after all. It has no nutritional value. It wrecks my training, it works against weight loss, it made me lose an entire day. It was totally not worth it. But it's done. Lesson learned and put behind me.
No more alcohol until after my 15k.
It's officially one week since I've started documenting this journey and I lost 2.6 pounds this week. This is a much higher number than the "calorie math" predicted; but it's not unexpected. The first week of making changes (or getting back on program in my case) usually comes with a substantial loss. In fact, have been maintaining this lower weight for the past 3-4 days, which goes to show, it was the "shock" of the changes that prompted the loss and now my body is maintaining. Of course, it's nice to see such a big number to get me started; but from here on out, I expect to have that loss in a month... not a week!
UPDATE
Training completed!
4.3 mile long, slow distance run
Time: 56:59
Pace: 4.51mph or 13:19 minute/mile
Calories Burned: 350
Felt GREAT! This is only the second time I've ever run so far! 4 miles! Wowsa! It was a beautiful, sunny, cool day and I am sure that helped. I also lucked out and picked a route with some good level sidewalks in places and low traffic for when I was running in the street. This run was a little hard at times. At 2 miles, as usual, it got a bit hard cardiovascularly... but I pushed through. Towards the end my shins were feeling it... but overall, this was not a hard run. I'm amazed that I can feel so good after running 4.3 miles. I'm very pleased with myself today.
Nutrition:
Calories: 1.446 (under)
Carbs: 222g (over)
Protein: 95g (over)
Fat: 28g (under)
Sat Fat: 9g (under)
Sodium: 2,200mg (under)
Cholesterol: 94mg (under)
Thursday, December 17, 2009
My First Ever Speed Intervals
I am feeling good! Today I had my first attempt at speed intervals. After talking with a friend who is actually working with a running coach, I had my plan. My plan was thrown to the side though when I found the first interval too easy and stepped it up!
Training: Speed and Strength Day
First a 3 mile run with 6 1-minute speed intervals at a 10 minute/mile pace (6mph) and a 2-minute recovery at a 14 minute/mile pace (4.3mph). That got me to 2 miles and I had 3 scheduled so I ran the last one at my usual 12 minute/mile (5mph) pace.
Time: 42 minutes
Calories Burned: 290
Next, free weights and body resistance exercises inclluding biceps, triceps, chest, back, deltoids, squats, lunges, hamstrings, glutes, lower back and core followed by some good stretching.
Calories Burned: 100
So I spent a good deal of time in the gym today and got a good calorie burn - nearly 400 calories! .I feel really good. I'm laughing that on my "speed day" it took me 42 minutes to run 3 miles when I can usually run that in a comfortable 36-38 minutes and I ran it in 32 minutes at my 5k. How can this be a speed workout if it takes so long?!? But I know that the recovery periods for the speed work are slower than my usual pace. I'm also not very concerned about my times when I'm training. I know that when I race, the adrenelin and the crowd (and my competitive spirit) will help to speed me up. I also know that I'm in week 1 of an 11 week training period and if I just keep it up, running will get easier and my times will improve overall.
The speed intervals at 6mph were difficult and I found myself breathing heavy at the end of each minute. At first, it took the whole 2 minutes to recover and by the last couple of sets, I was not totally recovered in the 2 minutes. But it was not so hard that I over-exerted myself. It was just a good solid work-out... which is a very good thing since I'm going out for sushi tonight!
Nutrition totals:
Calories: 1,747 (over)
Carbs: 245g (over)
Protein: 109g (over)
Fat: 45g (in range!)
Sat Fat: 6g (in range)
Sodium: 3,500 mg (over)
Cholesterol: 82 mg (in range)
I did alright! And I quite enjoyed quite a bit of sushi. Yeah, my sodium is too high but who can eat sushi without soy sauce?? I used the low-sodium soy sauce at least. I'm very pleased that my fat intake was in range and my calories are only over by about 125 calories and that's not a lot. The scale this morning is where it was yesterday morning so the hard working out and the good choices at dinner (sashimi instead of nigiri so no extra sticky white rice) paid off.
I'm seeing a pattern in that my protein and carbs are usually over and my fat is usually under. I'm thinking about reworking my goals to account for the fact that I don't eat a lot of fats so I have to get calories from protein and carbs. I'll do some more research in the next few days about fat intake and heart disease and see how low I think I should set my fat intake. Fat is very necessary for proper body function (it's a main part of cell membranes) and for uptake of fat-soluble vitamins among other things... so I don't want to set my intake goal too low... but I know I can safely go less than 30% of my calories from fat.
Training: Speed and Strength Day
First a 3 mile run with 6 1-minute speed intervals at a 10 minute/mile pace (6mph) and a 2-minute recovery at a 14 minute/mile pace (4.3mph). That got me to 2 miles and I had 3 scheduled so I ran the last one at my usual 12 minute/mile (5mph) pace.
Time: 42 minutes
Calories Burned: 290
Next, free weights and body resistance exercises inclluding biceps, triceps, chest, back, deltoids, squats, lunges, hamstrings, glutes, lower back and core followed by some good stretching.
Calories Burned: 100
So I spent a good deal of time in the gym today and got a good calorie burn - nearly 400 calories! .I feel really good. I'm laughing that on my "speed day" it took me 42 minutes to run 3 miles when I can usually run that in a comfortable 36-38 minutes and I ran it in 32 minutes at my 5k. How can this be a speed workout if it takes so long?!? But I know that the recovery periods for the speed work are slower than my usual pace. I'm also not very concerned about my times when I'm training. I know that when I race, the adrenelin and the crowd (and my competitive spirit) will help to speed me up. I also know that I'm in week 1 of an 11 week training period and if I just keep it up, running will get easier and my times will improve overall.
The speed intervals at 6mph were difficult and I found myself breathing heavy at the end of each minute. At first, it took the whole 2 minutes to recover and by the last couple of sets, I was not totally recovered in the 2 minutes. But it was not so hard that I over-exerted myself. It was just a good solid work-out... which is a very good thing since I'm going out for sushi tonight!
Nutrition totals:
Calories: 1,747 (over)
Carbs: 245g (over)
Protein: 109g (over)
Fat: 45g (in range!)
Sat Fat: 6g (in range)
Sodium: 3,500 mg (over)
Cholesterol: 82 mg (in range)
I did alright! And I quite enjoyed quite a bit of sushi. Yeah, my sodium is too high but who can eat sushi without soy sauce?? I used the low-sodium soy sauce at least. I'm very pleased that my fat intake was in range and my calories are only over by about 125 calories and that's not a lot. The scale this morning is where it was yesterday morning so the hard working out and the good choices at dinner (sashimi instead of nigiri so no extra sticky white rice) paid off.
I'm seeing a pattern in that my protein and carbs are usually over and my fat is usually under. I'm thinking about reworking my goals to account for the fact that I don't eat a lot of fats so I have to get calories from protein and carbs. I'll do some more research in the next few days about fat intake and heart disease and see how low I think I should set my fat intake. Fat is very necessary for proper body function (it's a main part of cell membranes) and for uptake of fat-soluble vitamins among other things... so I don't want to set my intake goal too low... but I know I can safely go less than 30% of my calories from fat.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Sometimes It Is Simply Effortless
Today, there was no struggle to meet my training goals. It was as easy as deciding when to go to the gym and letting my healthy eating habits guide my food choices. I've been eating very well for the past few days and it's become second nature again. This is how my relationship with food should be.
Training:
Scheduled: Cross-training day
Accomplished: 30 minutes on the spin bike
Calories burned: 196
My work-out today almost seemed too easy. I was sweating and my heart rate was at the bottom of my training range so I know I was working my cardiovascular system well enough. It just didn't seem HARD though. I am not used to the spin bikes and man, does it burn those quadriceps! The bikes at my gym are very cool and have a monitor that offers different "races" with different mileage and difficulties (in other words, steep hills). There is actually an up/down shift lever, like in arcade car racing video games that changes the tension in the bike and makes the hills easier to ride. The course I chose had a pretty steady incline and then a really big incline near the 3/4 point and so my thighs were burning... which is why I didn't push the cardio harder. It was still a good workout... I'm just used to pushing harder.
Nutrition:
Calories: 1,500 (in range)
Carbs: 230g (just over)
Protein: 89g (over)
Fat: 43 g (under)
Sat Fat: 11g (under)
Sodium: 1,645mg (under and perfect!)
Cholesterol: 110mg (under)
I'm seeing the scale moving downward already, which is nice; but what is nicer is the feeling of accomplishment I have. I AM following through on my training plan. I AM working out every day. I AM eating very healthy meals again.
Training:
Scheduled: Cross-training day
Accomplished: 30 minutes on the spin bike
Calories burned: 196
My work-out today almost seemed too easy. I was sweating and my heart rate was at the bottom of my training range so I know I was working my cardiovascular system well enough. It just didn't seem HARD though. I am not used to the spin bikes and man, does it burn those quadriceps! The bikes at my gym are very cool and have a monitor that offers different "races" with different mileage and difficulties (in other words, steep hills). There is actually an up/down shift lever, like in arcade car racing video games that changes the tension in the bike and makes the hills easier to ride. The course I chose had a pretty steady incline and then a really big incline near the 3/4 point and so my thighs were burning... which is why I didn't push the cardio harder. It was still a good workout... I'm just used to pushing harder.
Nutrition:
Calories: 1,500 (in range)
Carbs: 230g (just over)
Protein: 89g (over)
Fat: 43 g (under)
Sat Fat: 11g (under)
Sodium: 1,645mg (under and perfect!)
Cholesterol: 110mg (under)
I'm seeing the scale moving downward already, which is nice; but what is nicer is the feeling of accomplishment I have. I AM following through on my training plan. I AM working out every day. I AM eating very healthy meals again.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Sometimes Ya Just Gotta Get Up and Do It
Today was another day of things not going as I had planned. My car stayed in the shop until 4pm, at which time I was told it could not be fixed, let alone the problem even diagnosed, and I had to take it to the dealership... across town... quickly before they closed. Lovely. But, it all worked out and my car is now in a shop that ought to be able to both diagnose and fix the problem and I have a rental car.
The training I had scheduled today was a 2 mile bridge run. I understand it's good to add in different types of running, speed work, sprints, long runs, and inclines/hills. Well, there are not a lot of hills in Florida but there are quite a few bridges around here and lots of people run the bridges. Unfortunately, I didn't get home from all the car-fun until around 6pm (dark outside and I'm not running alone at night) and I hadn't really eaten a proper lunch today so I was starving. First things first. Food first.
What I wanted to do was heat up my leftover salmon and pasta and hit the couch for the night.
My conscience got the better of me though and what I did was heat up my food, give it a little time to settle, and head to the gym. What's the point of having a rental car, I asked myself, if I just let it sit in my driveway? I got it to get myself around, so around I should go.
Training: 2 miles on the treadmill, 4.5 mph, incline 3-4.
Time: 30:42
Calories burned: 225
Running at an incline (more than the 1.0 I usually do on the treadmill) was hard; but the run overall was easy. I found my breathing a little hard when I pushed the incline up from 3 to 4 but it wasn't impossible and I didn't have to play mental games with myself to keep running. It truly amazes me that I can run 2 miles and qualify it as "an easy run." Wow. 2 miles. Easy. It felt good. I felt good. I'm pretty happy with this.
I didn't intend to skip lunch but a very gracious friend let me use their car this morning for some errands that I had to get done. I did snack; but I've still got some eating to do today so I'll post my nutrition totals later!
Calories: 1,584 (in range)
Carbs: 197 (under)
Protein: 90 (over)
Fat: 33 (under)
Sat Fat: 7 (in range)
Sodium: 1,154 (too low)
Cholesterol: 11 (under)
The training I had scheduled today was a 2 mile bridge run. I understand it's good to add in different types of running, speed work, sprints, long runs, and inclines/hills. Well, there are not a lot of hills in Florida but there are quite a few bridges around here and lots of people run the bridges. Unfortunately, I didn't get home from all the car-fun until around 6pm (dark outside and I'm not running alone at night) and I hadn't really eaten a proper lunch today so I was starving. First things first. Food first.
What I wanted to do was heat up my leftover salmon and pasta and hit the couch for the night.
My conscience got the better of me though and what I did was heat up my food, give it a little time to settle, and head to the gym. What's the point of having a rental car, I asked myself, if I just let it sit in my driveway? I got it to get myself around, so around I should go.
Training: 2 miles on the treadmill, 4.5 mph, incline 3-4.
Time: 30:42
Calories burned: 225
Running at an incline (more than the 1.0 I usually do on the treadmill) was hard; but the run overall was easy. I found my breathing a little hard when I pushed the incline up from 3 to 4 but it wasn't impossible and I didn't have to play mental games with myself to keep running. It truly amazes me that I can run 2 miles and qualify it as "an easy run." Wow. 2 miles. Easy. It felt good. I felt good. I'm pretty happy with this.
I didn't intend to skip lunch but a very gracious friend let me use their car this morning for some errands that I had to get done. I did snack; but I've still got some eating to do today so I'll post my nutrition totals later!
Calories: 1,584 (in range)
Carbs: 197 (under)
Protein: 90 (over)
Fat: 33 (under)
Sat Fat: 7 (in range)
Sodium: 1,154 (too low)
Cholesterol: 11 (under)
Monday, December 14, 2009
The Importance of Plan B
Monday.
The day did not go as planned. My car broke down this morning.
My plan was to go to the gym for my training today. That didn't happen. I did salvage the day however and got in a nice long 45-minute 2.5 mile walk home from the shop. It was actually a nice walk and I took the route on the beach instead of the road. I almost gave up on my actual training for today; but then I realized that I don't have to go to the gym to do strength exercises and stretch. I finally got out the spri-tube I've had for ages and put it to good use. Biceps, triceps, deltoids, chest, and back followed by squats and lunges and topped off with floor work for inner/outer thighs, glutes, and abs. Whew! Then I did some good long stretching.
Calories burned: approximately 270.
I've done well eating today also even with a birthday dinner out for a friend tonight. Grilled salmon is divine.
Calories: 1,717 (over)
Carbs: 252 (over)
Protein: 96 (over)
Fat: 45 (in range)
Sat Fat: 11 (just over)
Sodium: 3,685 (way over)
Cholesterol: 13 (under)
All in all, today was not what I expected but I am proud of myself for sticking to my plan.
The day did not go as planned. My car broke down this morning.
My plan was to go to the gym for my training today. That didn't happen. I did salvage the day however and got in a nice long 45-minute 2.5 mile walk home from the shop. It was actually a nice walk and I took the route on the beach instead of the road. I almost gave up on my actual training for today; but then I realized that I don't have to go to the gym to do strength exercises and stretch. I finally got out the spri-tube I've had for ages and put it to good use. Biceps, triceps, deltoids, chest, and back followed by squats and lunges and topped off with floor work for inner/outer thighs, glutes, and abs. Whew! Then I did some good long stretching.
Calories burned: approximately 270.
I've done well eating today also even with a birthday dinner out for a friend tonight. Grilled salmon is divine.
Calories: 1,717 (over)
Carbs: 252 (over)
Protein: 96 (over)
Fat: 45 (in range)
Sat Fat: 11 (just over)
Sodium: 3,685 (way over)
Cholesterol: 13 (under)
All in all, today was not what I expected but I am proud of myself for sticking to my plan.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
How I Define Health and Setting My Nutrition Goals
This is going to be one of the longer entries that I write because I’m going over how I’m setting my nutrition goals. I promise, all my entries will not be this long!
First, the training. I didn’t get in my run yesterday. How horrible to have to say that on the first day of the official training and the public forum of this blog. But, it is what it is. It was raining a light steady rain all day and I haven’t been able to have any ME time for many weeks due to being a care-taker for a family member out of town for five weeks and then coming home and throwing myself right into finals week at school. I needed to re-charge so I spent my weekend doing two things that I love: watching DVDs and making jewelry.
Today, I had a 30 minute cross-training work-out scheduled. Since I missed my 4 mile run yesterday, and one of the Web sites I modeled my training schedule after said that cross-training can be an easy jog if one felt up to it… I decided to run today and just keep it to a slow easy run in my neighborhood.
Miles: 2.52
Time: 32:12
Pace: 12:46 minute/mile or 4.7mph
Calories burned: 196
It was a struggle to finish today. Around mile 2 is when I hit my wall and today was no exception. My heart rate was up more than it should have been since it was humid, the wind was against me, and I’d been slugging about for two days. Today, running was a total mental game. Sheer determination. Mind over matter. The mantra, “just keep running, just keep running” repeated in my head as I slowed my pace to try to make it a little easier on myself. Yeah, on days like this, I don’t love running… but I love how I feel when I’m done and I know that I didn’t quit and that I have it in me to push through a hard physical task.
I also took a long walk to the Farmer's Market today where I realized that the market is on Saturdays, not Sundays (oops). 50 minutes, 2.5 miles, 150 calories.
Total calories burned with exercise today: approximately 350.
Nutrition time!
It’s time to put some of the knowledge that has filled my brain this past year into practice using myself as a subject. This year, I took my first Medical Nutrition Therapy class and learned how to assess nutritional status and do all those calculations to decide all the “should be’s” about someone – what should someone weigh, what should someone eat in terms of calories, fat, protein, etc. I have learned the basic “rules.”
Before I get into the specifics about myself, however, I have to say, that I totally disagree with the industry standard of using the HAMWII method to determine ideal body weight. According to this formula, I should weigh 28 pounds less than I do – I haven’t weighed that little since I was a child! I could barely even maintain a weight that is 13 pounds less than I am now when I was an exercise demon 15 years ago! According to this formula, I am “obese.”
Really?
You see my picture over there, which was taken just over one week ago. This is obese?? I beg to differ. That being said, HAMWII is currently what is used, so that’s how I’m moving forward figuring out what I should be eating to fuel my body, my exercise, and lose some weight. Some weight, not 28 pounds of weight.
I want to take a minute here to talk about how my perspective has changed since my heart attack. While I was in the hospital, I had a hard time with my body. I was angry at it for having a heart attack. I felt like I could no longer trust my body. It had let me down and I was pissed off because I did not abuse my body the way some people do. Sure, I wasn’t as good to my body as I should have been; but I didn’t mistreat it so much that I deserved a heart attack!
Then my perspective changed. I realized that this body, no matter its shape or size or imperfections, had carried me through one of the hardest physical things I’d ever endured. I started having a new respect for my body. It was strong. I had always carried some extra weight and this was the first real step in my life towards fully accepting my body – extra pounds, imperfections, and all. This body was able to withstand physical stress and it saved my life. I was no longer angry; I was thankful.
My weight is not the main focus of my health the way it used to be. I used to define how healthy I was by the number on the scale. No longer. Now that number has become to me what it really is – an arbitrary number. Sure, if I were very overweight or underweight, that number would be more important. For me, as a healthy person who is close to their “ideal” body weight, that number is simply not that important anymore.
Health to me is defined by how I FEEL and what my body is able to do. Health is defined by what I put into my body and how I exercise my body. If I feel good, if my body is able to do what I ask it to, if I am eating nutritious foods, and if I am exercising consistently – then I am healthy. Getting that scale to some number in a range that I’ve decided is what I SHOULD weigh, sure, it’s a good way to set one of a few measurable goals, but it is not the END goal. The end goal is GOOD HEALTH, not body weight.
Oh, and that whole running a 15k thing too. That’s another measurable goal.
Right. So my numbers.
Seeing as how I’m considered “obese,” I’ve used my Adjusted Body Weight and the Mifflin St. Jeor formula with a 1.3 Activity Factor and determined that my daily calorie intake for maintenance of body weight is 1,516 calories. Using my actual body weight, it comes to 1,622 calories. For the break-down, I’ve incorporated 7% saturated fats and no more than 27% total fat since I have heart disease. I do not eat trans fats so that category is a big zero intake. Figuring 8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight gives me 50 grams of protein a day, which is only 12-13% of total calories. Since my training schedule is pretty intense, I think that’s too low, so I’ll up my protein intake to 18% calories. That leaves 55% from carbohydrates, which is a good percentage.
Calories: 1500-1600 daily
Carbohydrates: 825-880 calories (206-220 grams)
Protein: 270-288 calories (67-72 grams)
Fats: 405-432 calories (45-48 grams) maximum
Saturated fats: 105-112 calories (11-12 grams) maximum
And of course, I’ll keep my sodium intake less than 2,400 mgs a day and cholesterol less than 200 mgs a day. Other areas of focus that I won’t keep track of but will think about as I choose meals is adequate calcium, magnesium, and potassium intake as well as a majority of the fats I eat being monounsaturated, followed by polyunsaturated with a good dose of those omega’s.
For this blog, from now on I’ll simply report my totals and perhaps how close (or not) I am to staying in those ranges. I just figured some of you out there might be interested in how I arrived at my ranges. Keeping track of my nutrition as well as my exercise will help me be able to figure out any patterns when things aren’t going the way I think they should!
To lose weight, one can either eat less (within limits) or one can move more. I am not going to restrict my caloric intake any less than my maintenance levels because even cutting 500 calories a day puts me below 1,200 and that’s simply too low. Eating that little while exercising intensely will have the opposite effect of what I want – my body will hold on to all the calories it can and I’ll go into a cycle of slowed metabolism that will be very hard to re-normalize. In fact, I’d bet many registered dietitians might even tell me that 1,600 is too low an intake with the physical training I’m doing… right… that falls under what they’re teaching us is “clinical judgment”… so, moving on. My weight loss is going to have to come from moving more.
Based on my training program, I estimate I’ll be burning about 2,000 calories a week. Since it takes 3,500 calories to lose 1 pound, I’ll be losing about 2 ½ pounds a month. That is super slow weight loss but that’s my first goal. I’ll have to see how my body reacts to all of this before I make any tweaks. Besides, as I’ve said, my goal is not a number on the scale and I only want to lose about 10-15 pounds so I should be where I want to be (on the scale) in 4-6 months. Seeing as how I’m happy with my “obese” body right now and my overall health, 4-6 months is fine.
I’m in no hurry.
Life is a journey after all...
Update: Nutrition Totals for the day are...
Calories: 1560 (in range)
Carbs: 269g (over)
Protein: 88g (over)
Fat: 25g (under)
Sat Fat: 7g (under)
Sodium: 2,750mg (over)
Cholesterol: 25mg (under)
So, I ate in my calorie range and ate very little fat which forced my carb/pro totals up to hit my calorie goal. A little too much sodium too... darn canned salsa!
First, the training. I didn’t get in my run yesterday. How horrible to have to say that on the first day of the official training and the public forum of this blog. But, it is what it is. It was raining a light steady rain all day and I haven’t been able to have any ME time for many weeks due to being a care-taker for a family member out of town for five weeks and then coming home and throwing myself right into finals week at school. I needed to re-charge so I spent my weekend doing two things that I love: watching DVDs and making jewelry.
Today, I had a 30 minute cross-training work-out scheduled. Since I missed my 4 mile run yesterday, and one of the Web sites I modeled my training schedule after said that cross-training can be an easy jog if one felt up to it… I decided to run today and just keep it to a slow easy run in my neighborhood.
Miles: 2.52
Time: 32:12
Pace: 12:46 minute/mile or 4.7mph
Calories burned: 196
It was a struggle to finish today. Around mile 2 is when I hit my wall and today was no exception. My heart rate was up more than it should have been since it was humid, the wind was against me, and I’d been slugging about for two days. Today, running was a total mental game. Sheer determination. Mind over matter. The mantra, “just keep running, just keep running” repeated in my head as I slowed my pace to try to make it a little easier on myself. Yeah, on days like this, I don’t love running… but I love how I feel when I’m done and I know that I didn’t quit and that I have it in me to push through a hard physical task.
I also took a long walk to the Farmer's Market today where I realized that the market is on Saturdays, not Sundays (oops). 50 minutes, 2.5 miles, 150 calories.
Total calories burned with exercise today: approximately 350.
Nutrition time!
It’s time to put some of the knowledge that has filled my brain this past year into practice using myself as a subject. This year, I took my first Medical Nutrition Therapy class and learned how to assess nutritional status and do all those calculations to decide all the “should be’s” about someone – what should someone weigh, what should someone eat in terms of calories, fat, protein, etc. I have learned the basic “rules.”
Before I get into the specifics about myself, however, I have to say, that I totally disagree with the industry standard of using the HAMWII method to determine ideal body weight. According to this formula, I should weigh 28 pounds less than I do – I haven’t weighed that little since I was a child! I could barely even maintain a weight that is 13 pounds less than I am now when I was an exercise demon 15 years ago! According to this formula, I am “obese.”
Really?
You see my picture over there, which was taken just over one week ago. This is obese?? I beg to differ. That being said, HAMWII is currently what is used, so that’s how I’m moving forward figuring out what I should be eating to fuel my body, my exercise, and lose some weight. Some weight, not 28 pounds of weight.
I want to take a minute here to talk about how my perspective has changed since my heart attack. While I was in the hospital, I had a hard time with my body. I was angry at it for having a heart attack. I felt like I could no longer trust my body. It had let me down and I was pissed off because I did not abuse my body the way some people do. Sure, I wasn’t as good to my body as I should have been; but I didn’t mistreat it so much that I deserved a heart attack!
Then my perspective changed. I realized that this body, no matter its shape or size or imperfections, had carried me through one of the hardest physical things I’d ever endured. I started having a new respect for my body. It was strong. I had always carried some extra weight and this was the first real step in my life towards fully accepting my body – extra pounds, imperfections, and all. This body was able to withstand physical stress and it saved my life. I was no longer angry; I was thankful.
My weight is not the main focus of my health the way it used to be. I used to define how healthy I was by the number on the scale. No longer. Now that number has become to me what it really is – an arbitrary number. Sure, if I were very overweight or underweight, that number would be more important. For me, as a healthy person who is close to their “ideal” body weight, that number is simply not that important anymore.
Health to me is defined by how I FEEL and what my body is able to do. Health is defined by what I put into my body and how I exercise my body. If I feel good, if my body is able to do what I ask it to, if I am eating nutritious foods, and if I am exercising consistently – then I am healthy. Getting that scale to some number in a range that I’ve decided is what I SHOULD weigh, sure, it’s a good way to set one of a few measurable goals, but it is not the END goal. The end goal is GOOD HEALTH, not body weight.
Oh, and that whole running a 15k thing too. That’s another measurable goal.
Right. So my numbers.
Seeing as how I’m considered “obese,” I’ve used my Adjusted Body Weight and the Mifflin St. Jeor formula with a 1.3 Activity Factor and determined that my daily calorie intake for maintenance of body weight is 1,516 calories. Using my actual body weight, it comes to 1,622 calories. For the break-down, I’ve incorporated 7% saturated fats and no more than 27% total fat since I have heart disease. I do not eat trans fats so that category is a big zero intake. Figuring 8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight gives me 50 grams of protein a day, which is only 12-13% of total calories. Since my training schedule is pretty intense, I think that’s too low, so I’ll up my protein intake to 18% calories. That leaves 55% from carbohydrates, which is a good percentage.
Calories: 1500-1600 daily
Carbohydrates: 825-880 calories (206-220 grams)
Protein: 270-288 calories (67-72 grams)
Fats: 405-432 calories (45-48 grams) maximum
Saturated fats: 105-112 calories (11-12 grams) maximum
And of course, I’ll keep my sodium intake less than 2,400 mgs a day and cholesterol less than 200 mgs a day. Other areas of focus that I won’t keep track of but will think about as I choose meals is adequate calcium, magnesium, and potassium intake as well as a majority of the fats I eat being monounsaturated, followed by polyunsaturated with a good dose of those omega’s.
For this blog, from now on I’ll simply report my totals and perhaps how close (or not) I am to staying in those ranges. I just figured some of you out there might be interested in how I arrived at my ranges. Keeping track of my nutrition as well as my exercise will help me be able to figure out any patterns when things aren’t going the way I think they should!
To lose weight, one can either eat less (within limits) or one can move more. I am not going to restrict my caloric intake any less than my maintenance levels because even cutting 500 calories a day puts me below 1,200 and that’s simply too low. Eating that little while exercising intensely will have the opposite effect of what I want – my body will hold on to all the calories it can and I’ll go into a cycle of slowed metabolism that will be very hard to re-normalize. In fact, I’d bet many registered dietitians might even tell me that 1,600 is too low an intake with the physical training I’m doing… right… that falls under what they’re teaching us is “clinical judgment”… so, moving on. My weight loss is going to have to come from moving more.
Based on my training program, I estimate I’ll be burning about 2,000 calories a week. Since it takes 3,500 calories to lose 1 pound, I’ll be losing about 2 ½ pounds a month. That is super slow weight loss but that’s my first goal. I’ll have to see how my body reacts to all of this before I make any tweaks. Besides, as I’ve said, my goal is not a number on the scale and I only want to lose about 10-15 pounds so I should be where I want to be (on the scale) in 4-6 months. Seeing as how I’m happy with my “obese” body right now and my overall health, 4-6 months is fine.
I’m in no hurry.
Life is a journey after all...
Update: Nutrition Totals for the day are...
Calories: 1560 (in range)
Carbs: 269g (over)
Protein: 88g (over)
Fat: 25g (under)
Sat Fat: 7g (under)
Sodium: 2,750mg (over)
Cholesterol: 25mg (under)
So, I ate in my calorie range and ate very little fat which forced my carb/pro totals up to hit my calorie goal. A little too much sodium too... darn canned salsa!
Saturday, December 12, 2009
I Have Returned As A Runner
Wow. Quite a bit has changed in my life since my first post. Seeing as how that was nearly two years ago now, I think that's a good thing.
I am no longer working for a living. I am now a full-time student studying nutrition and dietetics. I will graduate with my 2nd undergrad degree in just a few more months and intend to go straight into a masters/internship program. I still haven't taken the personal trainer certification exam and I intend to over the coming summer. I am now certified as an Intrinsic Coach(R) which is a great coaching methodology for lifestyle coaching.
The main reason I have come back here is because of running.
I am now a runner.
This makes me so happy.
I decided soon after my heart attack that I wanted to run. I had tried running a few times in the past and didn't like it. It is hard on the joints and well, it's hard work! Being trained to lead healthy normal populations in safe group exercise classes, I had been taught that high-impact activities aren't necessary for a good workout. And this is very true... but I now believe that there is nothing that compares to running. Back then, I gave running a try, found it hard on my cardiovascular system and hard on my back and knees and I gave up after my first run.
After my heart attack though, it was more than just something I wanted to do. It was a way to prove to myself that having a heart attack did not define me and did not make me less of a person in any respect.
I started running in the beginning of 2008 at cardiac rehab while I was still in the phase where I wore an EKG to be monitored while I exercised. I took a treadmill test and killed it so my cardiologist gave me the okay to run in rehab. I was given heart rate that I was not to exceed while I ran on the treadmill. The first time, I ran for about 20-30 seconds before hitting that maximum heart rate and had to stop and walk for about 2 minutes before my heart rate was down enough that I could run again... for another 20-30 seconds.
Talk about starting at the very bottom level.
By the time I left cardiac rehab a few months later, I was running for intervals of about 4-5 minutes and walking for about 2-3 minutes to recover. I set a goal of running a 5k. I wanted to do it before my 1-year heart attack anniversary.
I tried... but I kept getting injured. For me, there was a long period of my body adjusting to my mind telling it that we were going to run. My body didn't like this so it fought back.
At first, my calf kept getting strained and I learned the value of good running shoes.
Next, my pirifomis muscle (deep in the glutes) acted up and I had to rest and strengthen this muscle. When I was ready to run again, I was not running as much as I was able to before.
Finally, I was running about 30 minutes straight at the gym on a treadmill (1.0 incline and probably 4.5-5mph) and I decided I was nearly ready to find myself a 5k. Hmmm. I thought that I should start running outside some since I'd heard it was much different that running on a treadmill (even with that little incline). I went outside too much too soon and had to fight through inflammation of my iliopsoas (hip flexors). This sidelined me again and took time to rest and strengthen the muscle before I could run again.
Just last weekend however, 2 years and 12 days after my heart attack, I ran my first 5k. That's 3.1 miles.
IT WAS AMAZING! I am hooked.
I had been running outside mostly for the last 5 weeks before the 5k - 3 times a week and usually around 2.5-3.5 miles and in anywhere from 38-42 minutes. My average was a 12 minute mile. I was elated to finish the 5k in 32:08 - a 10:22 minute/mile average.
I'm a runner. I can say this now. I run 2-3 times a week. I ran in a race. Huh. I'm a runner!
I've got my eye on a 5 mile run at the end of January and a 15k (9.3 miles) in early March. This morning, I outlined my training schedule and I am ready to tear this whole running thing up. I'm kind of floundering with my training schedule but for now it's based on a couple of reputable training plans I found online. It may change as I progress through it or learn new things from others around me who also love to run. (Wow, I just said I LOVE to run)
I have returned to this blog to document my training and my running. It's going to cover the specifics of my training including the exercise and the nutritional aspects and it's going to cover the mental aspects, from the hard times where I have to will myself to keep running with every ounce of my being to the times where I am flying on the air with endorphins and pride.
So, let's lace up. It's cold and rainy but I've got a LSD (long slow distance) run today and am setting out to cover 4 miles.
I am no longer working for a living. I am now a full-time student studying nutrition and dietetics. I will graduate with my 2nd undergrad degree in just a few more months and intend to go straight into a masters/internship program. I still haven't taken the personal trainer certification exam and I intend to over the coming summer. I am now certified as an Intrinsic Coach(R) which is a great coaching methodology for lifestyle coaching.
The main reason I have come back here is because of running.
I am now a runner.
This makes me so happy.
I decided soon after my heart attack that I wanted to run. I had tried running a few times in the past and didn't like it. It is hard on the joints and well, it's hard work! Being trained to lead healthy normal populations in safe group exercise classes, I had been taught that high-impact activities aren't necessary for a good workout. And this is very true... but I now believe that there is nothing that compares to running. Back then, I gave running a try, found it hard on my cardiovascular system and hard on my back and knees and I gave up after my first run.
After my heart attack though, it was more than just something I wanted to do. It was a way to prove to myself that having a heart attack did not define me and did not make me less of a person in any respect.
I started running in the beginning of 2008 at cardiac rehab while I was still in the phase where I wore an EKG to be monitored while I exercised. I took a treadmill test and killed it so my cardiologist gave me the okay to run in rehab. I was given heart rate that I was not to exceed while I ran on the treadmill. The first time, I ran for about 20-30 seconds before hitting that maximum heart rate and had to stop and walk for about 2 minutes before my heart rate was down enough that I could run again... for another 20-30 seconds.
Talk about starting at the very bottom level.
By the time I left cardiac rehab a few months later, I was running for intervals of about 4-5 minutes and walking for about 2-3 minutes to recover. I set a goal of running a 5k. I wanted to do it before my 1-year heart attack anniversary.
I tried... but I kept getting injured. For me, there was a long period of my body adjusting to my mind telling it that we were going to run. My body didn't like this so it fought back.
At first, my calf kept getting strained and I learned the value of good running shoes.
Next, my pirifomis muscle (deep in the glutes) acted up and I had to rest and strengthen this muscle. When I was ready to run again, I was not running as much as I was able to before.
Finally, I was running about 30 minutes straight at the gym on a treadmill (1.0 incline and probably 4.5-5mph) and I decided I was nearly ready to find myself a 5k. Hmmm. I thought that I should start running outside some since I'd heard it was much different that running on a treadmill (even with that little incline). I went outside too much too soon and had to fight through inflammation of my iliopsoas (hip flexors). This sidelined me again and took time to rest and strengthen the muscle before I could run again.
Just last weekend however, 2 years and 12 days after my heart attack, I ran my first 5k. That's 3.1 miles.
IT WAS AMAZING! I am hooked.
I had been running outside mostly for the last 5 weeks before the 5k - 3 times a week and usually around 2.5-3.5 miles and in anywhere from 38-42 minutes. My average was a 12 minute mile. I was elated to finish the 5k in 32:08 - a 10:22 minute/mile average.
I'm a runner. I can say this now. I run 2-3 times a week. I ran in a race. Huh. I'm a runner!
I've got my eye on a 5 mile run at the end of January and a 15k (9.3 miles) in early March. This morning, I outlined my training schedule and I am ready to tear this whole running thing up. I'm kind of floundering with my training schedule but for now it's based on a couple of reputable training plans I found online. It may change as I progress through it or learn new things from others around me who also love to run. (Wow, I just said I LOVE to run)
I have returned to this blog to document my training and my running. It's going to cover the specifics of my training including the exercise and the nutritional aspects and it's going to cover the mental aspects, from the hard times where I have to will myself to keep running with every ounce of my being to the times where I am flying on the air with endorphins and pride.
So, let's lace up. It's cold and rainy but I've got a LSD (long slow distance) run today and am setting out to cover 4 miles.
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