Another Long Run in the Books!

What a beautiful morning it was yesterday for my long run. I captured this spectacular sunrise as I ran toward New Albany.

I set out for a 15 miler but ended up clocking 17.7! I got far away from the house and felt good so I took a bit longer route home. I never know exactly how far I am from home so I’m always a little surprised to see my final mileage. I maintained an 8:35 average pace which is right on track with where I’ve been for other runs.

I picked up a new pair of shoes early last week at Fleet Feet. I ended up going with a pair of Nike Vomero. I hit it off with the sales associate as soon as I learned she was vegan, a mom, fellow runner, and was familiar with Rich Roll and a fan of Matt Frazier (No Meat Athlete). And, she had a similar foot structure and was wearing Vomeros. We could have chatted for a long time but I had C with me and she was getting a bit antsy.

I ran in the Vomeros for all of my shorter runs last week and they felt pretty good so I was relieved. Before I got them I was having a little pain in the outside of my left foot and was starting to experience a bit of plantar fasciitis in my right foot. The pain in my left foot is now gone and the plantar fasciitis is the same or maybe even a little better so that’s good news. I think new shoes was exactly the thing I needed. I had to stop twice during the run yesterday to adjust the shoelaces because I noticed some tightness and pulling in the front of my left foot and then later tightness around the top of my right foot. Loosening my shoelaces did the trick and I didn’t have any more trouble. My feet are a little sore today but nothing like I would have expected after running that far.

Before my run I had a giant glass of water with a little apple cider vinegar followed by about 1.5 super ripe bananas with a little peanut butter. I normally don’t eat peanut butter with my beloved bananas because the bananas digest better on their own but I decided to try it out this time. I’m not sure if it was this combo or possibly the meal I had the night before (a Chipotle veggie bowl that was noticeably saltier and oilier than usual), but I had stomach issues the whole run and had to make a porta potty pit stop at one of the construction sites along my route. I continued to have a stomach ache for most of the rest of the run but it wasn’t severe. I have found that my stomach can get a little upset in general after long runs and yesterday was no different at least for the first part of the day.

I carried three water bottles in my fuel belt that I filled with a mix of coconut water, regular water, and water that had dates soaking in it and a few blended frozen pineapple with a touch of salt. I finished almost all of it and felt hydrated for the whole run. I also brought along several medjool dates that I had mashed up and rolled into little balls. I put them in foil and then in a plastic bag. They were a little hard to unwrap while running but I managed and they otherwise worked great. Mashing them up in advance made them easier to eat without having to really chew. I never feel hungry during my runs so I wasn’t sure when I should eat them. It took me the normal 6 miles or so before I felt like I was in a groove and then I started to feel like I was losing steam around mile 13 so I had two of the dates and that carried me through til the end. I finished the rest of the dates as soon as I was done. After a short walk to keep my legs loose, I hit the yoga mat for a bit and then had my normal smoothie for breakfast.

I was blessed with a Relax and Restore training with Michelle Bailey at Go Yoga in Upper Arlington in the early afternoon. We had an 80 minute practice that couldn’t have been more perfect after the run. Then we wrapped up with more details on how to teach this type of class. I felt so much more relaxed than usual and I think it’s because of the run in the morning. My long runs have been very meditative for me and calming even though I’m putting forth a lot of effort. I think the run put me in just the right mental place for the class.

My legs felt heavy later in the day as they often do after run long and then being on my feet for most of the rest of the day so my favorite thing to do before bed is get them up in legs up the wall pose. I have a cool stretch out strap that the kids and I shared during bed time reading. They thought it was great to do the pose with me while we were in Cape Cod so I figured why not do it at home too.

That’s all for now. I hope you enjoy the week and do something a little extra to take care of yourself – mind, body, and spirit!

Marathon Training Update

It’s great to be back on here after a fun and busy summer! We had a few last minute trips out of town and ended up being gone for most of July so it seemed like the summer flew right by. I just finished the halfway point of my 18-week marathon training plan. Woohoo! In some ways it seems like I’ve been training for way longer but at the same time it seems to have gone by pretty fast. I was a little nervous about training while traveling but I was able to fit in all the runs and it was refreshing to run in new locations.

Our first stop was the Vegetarian Summerfest held at the University of Pittsburgh in Johnstown, PA. We had a fabulous time learning tons of information, meeting great people, and eating amazing food (I need to do another post or even a few more about that experience). If you’re not familiar with Pennsylvania, it’s quite hilly at least in parts and the Johnstown area is one of those hilly parts. I tackled a few smaller hills, which was good for me since I don’t spend a lot of time running hills. I was very tired for each run since I was up much later than normal every night and up earlier than normal in order to finish my runs before breakfast which was only served from 7:30-8:30, but it all worked out and I got them done. My long run that weekend was a 9-miler. It was the day we were leaving so I skipped a session after breakfast and did a little yoga since I didn’t think it would be a good idea to ride in the car for several hours without getting a decent stretch in. At Summerfest, we had the great pleasure to meet Rich Roll, spend some time with him, and attend his running clinic. At the end of the clinic we did a fun run and Scott and I ran with Rich the whole time. It was a pretty cool experience. I think I’ve made it clear in prior posts that I’m a huge fan of him, his wife Julie, and their work. If you’re not already familiar with Rich and Julie, you definitely need to check out his book Finding Ultra, their cookbook Plant Power Way, his podcast, her music and their other work and products. He, Julie, and many of the people he (and sometimes they) has interviewed on the podcast have inspired me in this marathon challenge, my whole-food, plant-based journey, and many other areas of personal growth. I listen to his podcasts on every run (I use his app or the Sound Cloud app on my iPhone). Here are two pics with them.Our next stop was an overnight stay with some friends in Mechanicsburg, PA. In the morning I visited the local Y to get in my cross-training workout (swimming and some weight and core work) before we got on the road. I unfortunately forgot my Speedo at home so I wore my sports bra and the bottoms from my no so sporty two-piece. The drag created by the somewhat loose fitting bottoms was a bit annoying but at least I kept them on! They must have been the reason I was so slow that day. Ha, ha. I’m not the fastest swimmer no matter what suit I wear but I do have pretty good endurance.

Cape Cod was the final destination on this leg of our trip. It was our second year visiting the Cape and hopefully it will be a yearly trip for our family. My best childhood friend and her family have a home in Sagamore Beach and graciously allow us to stay there. The highlight of the week was when our friends visited with their 9-month old baby. She was a delight to be around and the kids loved playing with her. We enjoyed many great conversations and spoiled them with several yummy plant based meals and desserts. This was our first vacation being whole-food, plant-based and while it definitely took a bit more planning, it worked out just fine. We didn’t partake in any of the traditional local fare – namely seafood – but we did thoroughly enjoy the abundance of farm stands. So on to the running part…the topic of this post, right. It’s so easy for me to go off on a tangent! There are many places to run near our friends’ house including the Cape Cod Canal path, which runs along the canal (see below).

I like running on the path for shorter runs but it is totally flat and a down and back so I find it a little monotonous after a while. I ended up running most times starting out from their house and then winding through neighborhoods and along local roads. There were plenty of rolling hills and some short but steep inclines. It was challenging compared to my normal routes but was a really nice change (similar to PA). I also loved the fact that it’s lighter there earlier in the morning so the sun was already shining when I’d leave for my early morning runs. One day I was running through a neighborhood and a few turkeys ran in front of me. That was a first!

My long run that weekend was supposed to be 10 but I ended up doing 11. I started out on the canal path and passed fisherman after fisherman out for their early morning catches. I love to think about what life might be like as a fisherman sitting in the serene stillness of the morning. It certainly requires a lot of patience and persistence – both of which I could use a little more. Then I headed toward a road that was just inland from the houses facing the beach. I was the only one out at that time of day so it was very peaceful. I made my way further inland before ending with the steady climb back to our friends’ house. That last portion was the killer part of the route. Just when I was ready to be done (and feeling like toast), I faced the most challenging part of the run. Because I sometimes like to torture myself, I did hill repeats through their neighborhood a few times. They were slow but fun in a weird sort of way.

From the Cape, we came home for a few busy days of trying to get things back in order and catch up on everything after being gone for almost two weeks. We then headed north to Cheboygan, MI where Scott’s originally from. His grandmother still lives there in a vacation home his aunt and uncle recently rebuilt. The house itself was amazing and just a short walk from Mullett Lake – a large and beautiful lake. We had a fun (albeit interesting) few days in a house jam-packed with family. There were literally people sleeping everywhere! My favorite part was the boat dock where I enjoyed several post-run yoga sessions in the early morning stillness. Below is a pic of that lovely spot.

I have traveled with “my” food and Vitamix (a must bring along travel item for me if at all possible) for several years now showing up with bags of produce in particular. This year we brought even more since I was packing for all four of us and we didn’t want to have to make a huge grocery trip when we got there. Thank goodness their fridge was the Cadillac of fridges and fit all of our stuff and more! We used the Vitamix several times a day so I’m sure everyone else was relieved when they returned home to quietness after hearing the jet-engine like sound of the Vitamix for several days.

The house sat right next to a really long snowmobile trail that people use recreationally for other activities like biking, walking, and running. I ran a few short runs on the trail but knew I didn’t want to do my long run on it because it was harder to run on with it being gravel and it was monotonous – completely flat and tree lined the whole way. I set out for my long run intending to run 12 according to the plan but ended up doing just over 13.5 (13.2 was the furthest I’d run prior to this!). I had gotten too far out on a long country road before looking at my phone to see how far I needed to go to get back home. I turned around at a farm stand, which was a neat coincidence. I planned to go back later in the day to get produce but as soon as I got back to the house it started raining. Below are a few pics from that morning.

We found out later there was a tornado close by. It was a good thing we didn’t know it at the time as our son is terrified of tornadoes and we were in a giant window filled house. It continued to rain for hours and we lost power at the house (so no water or toilets!!), which just wasn’t going to work for all of us in the house for very long. We made the decision to head out a day early. It was a great decision to avoid the inconvenience of no water but not so great considering how far I had just run. I was a little worried that I would be really sore the next day after riding in the car but I was able to use the stick roller and stretch a little before getting in the car and during our ride so that helped.

I had a step down week the following week and then ramped back up again completing just over 14 on my next run. Below are two pics I took along the way. The sunset was fabulous that morning and I snapped a fun shadow pic closer to the end of the run. I had to stop for that one.

I set out early and got home before everyone else was up and moving. I felt pretty good after about mile 6 when I got into a nice groove. I took two water bottles filled with a water/coconut water combo that I had soaked dates in overnight. It was really refreshing and seemed to do the trick but I ran out by the end of the run. I plan to take more for higher mileages and I’m also planning to take along some nourishment as I go further. I used dates when I trained for the half last year and plan to try them again in addition to sweet potato. I joked that I might put the sweet potato in my sports bra so if you see me at the beginning of my run I will have a large chest and it will slowly dwindle back to normal by the end. In all seriousness I’ve heard sweet potatoes can be great for long runs if you are trying to stick to whole foods.

Pace-wise, I’m hovering around an 8:30 average pace. This is almost a minute slower than my average pace for the half but I seem to be naturally gravitating toward this pace. I haven’t paid any attention to my pace until I finish each run and when I finally look I’m always within 15 seconds of the same average pace. It’s actually pretty remarkable that the body works like that. I may end up even a little slower as I start adding on more miles but we’ll see.

I’m going to need to a new pair of shoes and sadly my favorite Nike Air Pegasus are now made differently and no longer fit well. Unfortunately I can’t find any of the older style online or in stores. I’ve been wearing Air Pegasus since I started running about 6-7 years ago so I’m really bummed. I tried a pair of Brooks at a local running store and thought they felt ok but after running to the end of our street in them I knew they weren’t right for me. I’m going to head to another local store to get a running / fit analysis done so hopefully that will help steer me in the right direction. I am mad at myself for not getting a few extra pair of the Pegasus the last time I ordered some online but what can I do now?

I’ve been focusing on carbs/starches a lot more recently and it seems to have really helped with my energy and the recovery process. I think this combined with a whole-food, plant-based diet has been behind my overall increased energy, reduced soreness, and faster recovery. I’ve heard plant-based athletes talk about this but didn’t believe it until I started experiencing it myself. My diet is the main difference between this year and last when I trained for the half and was eating a mostly whole food diet that was lower in starches and contained animal products. I will continue to boost my whole food starch intake and see what happens. I’m also trying out a few supplements that Rich Roll mentioned in his book Plant Power Way. I’ve been adding fresh ginger and spirulina or chlorella powder to my smoothie every morning and then occasionally adding maca and camu camu powder. I also take turmeric capsules to help with inflammation and have experimented with cordyceps mushroom capsules to try to boost my oxygen levels. I’ve never been one for supplements but I figured it’s worth a try especially since they come tested and recommended by an ultra-athlete.

Whew – that was a long post. Thanks for staying with me. I’ll leave you with a little inspiration that has been on my mind since I first heard Julie (Rich’s wife) say something like it to me at the Summerfest:

Hold the highest vision of yourself and others. When you envision the greatest potential in yourself and others, you (or they) will eventually move toward that vision and you will certainly see yourself and others in a more positive, accepting, and compassionate light.

Let the Training Begin!

Of course it’s hard.
It’s supposed to be hard.
If it were easy,
everybody would do it.
Hard is what makes it great.
A League of Their Own

The day has arrived. Day 1 of training for my first marathon here in Columbus on October 17th. Woo-hoo!! I’m super excited about this journey and the ways it is going to challenge me physically, mentally and spiritually. I’m feeling great right now and ready to take on this challenge. I’ve got my fuel belt ready, new shoes on the way, and have run up to 8 miles recently. It’s time to roll!

Below is a pic of me from this am. It’s definitely not my best shot but who really looks good in goggles and a swim cap anyway? Cross-training was on the schedule for my first day (read more below about the plan I’m following) so I swam at the Y at 6am and followed it up with some push-ups, planks, chest presses, pull-ups and a little more core work before heading home for breakfast. I was conveniently in a lane right next to a few guys training for Ironman. Nothing like a little motivation for me to get to work! The second pic is of my breakfast smoothie. My latest favorite combo (and yes, it’s quite a combo….I had simplified it for a while but have gone back to adding in lots of things) is about 6-10 very brown bananas, blueberries, raspberries, mango, granny smith apple, some combo of greens (including things like romaine, kale, spinach, and beet greens), beet, celery, fresh ginger, turmeric, mint, cilantro, spirulina, maca, coconut water, water, and ice. Sounds great, right? I think so and the kids drink a cup of it most days of the week – not always willingly but oh well.

I’ll be following Hal Higdon’s Novice 1 Training Program. I was originally going to follow Novice 2 but I decided I’d rather start my long runs at 6 miles rather than 8 🙂 I will eventually get to that 20 miler with either plan but I just wanted to start out with a bit less. The plan as it is written has the long runs slated for Saturdays. Since I teach a 9:30 class on Saturday mornings I decided to push the schedule back by a day and do my long runs on Sundays instead. We normally go to the 9:00 service at church but at least for the days when I will be running longer distances we’ll go to the 11:00 service instead.

For the last two half marathons I ran, I followed a training plan that included running 3x per week and cross-training 3x per week. I also did yoga every day. I never took a full day of rest (unless you consider a pretty intense yoga practice rest). For the marathon, my cross-training day will be on Monday and at this point I plan to swim on Mondays. I may also jump in the pool for a few laps on Tuesdays and Thursdays since I’ll already be at the Y those days for my daughter’s preschool class (through the summer). I plan to incorporate about 20-30 minutes of strength training and/or core work on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and some arm/core work (like push-ups, planks, etc.) on the other days. I’d also like to continue my daily home yoga practice even if it has to be short. The marathon plan includes two days of rest. I’m not sure what I will do on these days. I’m a person who is always on the move and have found that I prefer active rest over passive rest activities like sitting on the couch or lounging around a pool. However, I’m going to feel out what my rest days should look like as I get deeper into the program. A full day of rest where I get off my feet might be good for me but it would also be very challenging. I’m used to doing some sort of exercise every day first thing in the morning so I’m not sure I’d even feel like myself if I did something different. I say this all the time in my yoga class even though it’s a pretty hard thing for me to do – listen to the body. I’ll definitely need to be listening to my body for this challenge! I will also spend some time in the hot tub, foam rolling, and hopefully enjoying a few massages along the way.

This will be my first time training for a race on a whole food, plant-based diet so I’m wondering how I will feel and if I’ll notice any differences. When I trained for the half’s, I was eating a large bowl of ice cream right before I went to bed then getting up and running without any other nourishment besides good old water. I’d like to think I’ll feel better in the mornings considering I’ll be operating on REAL food. I’m a bit nervous about the heat but I’m hoping getting out the door as early as I can will help. The last two longer runs I’ve done have been complete sweat fests and I left the house at 6am.

I’m excited to share my journey with you and I’d love to have you join me by finding your own race to train for!

October 18th, Columbus Marathon – Here I come!

Well, I bit the bullet yesterday and registered for the Columbus Marathon on October 18!! I’ve been thinking about it for a while now and am tired of letting my fears and excuses run the show. I’ve said it out loud to a few people over the last few weeks and decided I just needed to make the commitment. I can’t believe I’m doing it since I clearly remember saying to myself after finishing the 1/2 last fall – “I will NEVER do this again. What was I thinking.” I guess I stuck to my word though since I’m not doing the 1/2 again 🙂 I think I’ve been listening to far too many podcasts with endurance athletes and it’s starting to rub off on me. When you are surrounded by stories of people who overcome incredible odds and push their body to the limit it’s hard not to get caught up in it. To many of them (endurance / ultra athletes), a marathon would be like a walk in the park but hey, it’s a start for me and will be a challenge nonetheless. I figure this is the perfect year to do it. It’s already been a monumental year for me in transitioning to plant-based eating and ditching my serious ice cream habit. Why not add a marathon to the list!

I’m pretty sure I’ll be following Hal Higdon’s Novice 2 Training program which would mean me starting my 18-week training program the week of 6/15. Wow that is soon! I get nervous looking at the mileage but I’m going to keep repeating these mantras to myself – take it one day at a time and one foot in front of the other. Stay in the moment. With proper training I am capable of this. I believe in myself and much more that I believe in God and the strong person He created me to be. When I am weak and feel like I can’t go on (and I know I will feel that way many times throughout the training), He is strong and will give me the strength mentally and physically to push through.

I’d love to have some of you join me in this adventure (if not for a full marathon, some type of challenge for yourself). I will need all the encouragement and support I can get! I plan to write consistently along the way about my journey and include some tips I learn along the way, so stay tuned.

Have a great day and enjoy the sunshine!

Set A Goal, Take Small Steps Toward It, Succeed!

PURPOSE. PATIENCE. PERSISTENCE. PROGRESS.

I think I’ve mentioned this before but it’s only been in the more recent years that I have made a few goals and followed through with them. I’ve tried doing the goal setting thing at the beginning of the year many times but typically end up forgetting about the goals all together or half-heartedly working on them until my motivation sizzles. Practice, patience, and persistence definitely pays off when working toward a goal – in whatever area of life. I definitely fall into the trap of looking for the fast and easy way to accomplish something but I have of course learned that most things in life take persistent work, focus and a series of steps to achieve the end goal.

My latest achievement was getting a fun transition between crow and handstand poses. I started focusing on handstand in the summer. I’d been doing crow for a while and was able to kick up into handstand against a wall but was not able to hold it without first touching the wall. After several months of practice and extra work on my core, arms, and focus (what I gaze at), I finally mastered handstand in the early fall. In mid-December I saw an Instagram clip of Patrick Beach doing crow to handstand and I was inspired to make that my next goal. I’ve been building up to it one step at a time since then and I finally nailed it last Saturday. I didn’t get it on video that time but after a week of attempts I was finally able to get it again. Check it out! It was a great reminder for me that I CAN achieve what what might first seem impossible if I set my mind to it and take the necessary steps to make it happen.

Here are a few inspirational thoughts to leave you with!

Persistence pays off!

Set some goals,
Then demolish them!

I may not be there yet,
but I’m closer than I was yesterday.

Make changes and move forward but don’t worry about how far you need to go. Keep the end goal in mind but focus primarily on the very next step you need to take instead of how far you need to go to achieve the end goal. If you focus too much on the end goal, you will become paralyzed because it seems overwhelming.

 Have a great day!

A Yoga Workshop, Delicious Veggie Burgers and Another Great Podcast

Last weekend I got to attend a 3-hour detox yoga workshop. I attended a similar 2-day workshop led by Seane Corn in the fall which was really the catalyst for the 21-Day Detox I did at the beginning of the year. It was at Seane’s workshop that I felt convicted about several habits of mine that were not benefiting my mind or body. I drug my feet for a while but eventually decided to do the detox as a way to start fresh in the new year. Those 21 days were life changing for me in many ways. This weekend’s workshop was a nice little refresher. We went through a 2-hour detox flow and then had time at the end of the workshop to consider our life priorities (or “non-negotiables”). We made a plan as to how we would make sure we were really doing those things we said were our priorities. It was helpful to list these areas out and make a commitment to fitting them into my schedule. The flow itself was very challenging physically and mentally but I felt great afterward.

I made this Our Perfect Veggie Burger recipe from Oh She Glows last weekend. Yes, that is a little bite out of the one on the left. I couldn’t wait to try them.

I prepped and mixed most of the ingredients the night before and then finished them on Saturday. While I was shaping and baking them, I listened to some of Rich Roll’s podcast #131 From Crash Victim To Elite Athlete: A NYC Firefighter’s Long Run to Wholeness with Matt Long (you can see my iPad propped up in the background of the pic). It’s an amazing story of Matt’s perseverance through tremendous adversity and coming out the other side a changed person. Through sharing his story, Matt has made a powerful impact on the lives of many others. E was out in the kitchen for some of the podcast (fortunately his missed the gruesome details of Matt’s accident and also a few sprinkles of foul language) and was full of questions about what he was hearing. The podcast ended up being a springboard for probably the deepest conversation E (7.5 years old) and I have had about living through trials, the choice we all have about what lens to look at life through (great reminder for me!), and eternity. It often amazes me how conversations like that start. I realized that most of the deeper conversations E and I have are when he is milling / pacing around the house and I am cooking. Conversations just seem to flow more naturally when we aren’t sitting face to face staring at each other. That’s not necessarily a good or bad thing…it’s just the way it is.

Back to the burgers….I used a bag of gluten-free crackers instead of bread for the bread crumbs and coconut aminos instead of Tamari. I also added a cup or so of mashed sweet potato before I shaped them because they seemed a little dry and crumbly. I absolutely LOVE these! They have great flavor and a nice little crunch from the almonds and sunflower seeds! We took a few of the burgers to our friends’ house for dinner on Saturday for the adults to eat instead of regular burgers. Everyone seemed to like them (or at least that’s what they said :). I ate mine wrapped in a giant piece of iceburg lettuce with some of the hosts’ salad, a few sliced onions, and some of Chef AJ’s Yummy Sauce.

And for fun, below are two pics of some mommy / daughter bonding time in the kitchen from Monday. We were making these bread machine Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns. C loves to be my helper. I think some of this is natural for a little girl but she’s also a huge fan of Caillou and he is always helping on the show. In fact there is a catchy song on there about helping that C loves to sing. I wish he weren’t so whiny in the show because I think that is also rubbing off on her but I do like the messages about helping. She clearly loves the camera and has enough attitude for all of us!

1 Thessalonians 5:18 was part of my devotional the other day and I decided it would be the perfect verse right now for the chalkboard hanging in the kitchen. It says, “Give thanks in ALL circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Amen to that and Happy Weekend!

UPDATED: 21 Day Detox – My Plan + Some Other Options

UPDATE: I’m re-posting this with a few changes. The biggest change is that I’ve decided to exclude eggs. I originally planned to keep them in because I thought based on the different things I’d read that eggs might not be as bad for us in terms of cholesterol as we have been told in the past. There is research from both sides of the egg debate but after being referred to some evidence refuting the claim that eggs are good for us, I’ve decided that to get the most benefit from this detox it makes most sense to cut them out. This way I will be able to see if I have a positive change in my cholesterol readings from eliminating eggs. I be cutting them out for at least the 21 day period but most likely will need to go longer to see a difference in my numbers. We are in the process of getting new health insurance and as a result of my high cholesterol we will have to pay a higher premium. I will be getting my numbers checked at some point after the detox (and an additional few weeks of no eggs). I’m hopeful I will see positive results!

 

Below are my food lists. I’ve mulled over these lists and after much thought, reading, and consultation with a knowledgeable friend, I’ve landed here. My focus for this detox will be enjoying an abundance of whole, plant-based foods.

I’m going to follow these lists as closely as I can realizing there may be times when I’m in a pinch and need to buy something packaged like broth, etc. And if I have a slip-up, I will extend myself grace! This detox isn’t about judgment or achieving perfection.

Feel free to modify these lists! And remember “moderation” means something different for everyone. I know, and you know, if there are foods that you might overdo it on. For example, if you are including nuts in your plan and tend to overdo it when you eat nuts, leave them out or specify a daily limit. And, of course, if a food doesn’t agree with you, don’t eat it! When in doubt….leave it out.

Other items / notes:
I will limit cooking in oils by replacing some or all oil with vegetable broth for sautéing and roasting.
I won’t be weighing myself, tracking calories, or measuring anything. This is about feeling better, not weight loss.
I will exercise and practice yoga daily.
I will pray and read God’s word every day.

Notes on a few specific items I’m including / excluding:
Fruit (including) – At least one of the sugar detoxes I read about drastically reduces fruit because of its natural sugar content. I considered doing that, but for the sake of having energy to fuel my workouts (and because fruits are packed with nutrients), I’ve decided to continue eating fruit during the detox.

Whole Grains (including) – I believe good unrefined whole grains can be beneficial for the body and my body seems to tolerate them well, so I’m going to continue eating them during the detox. I realize there are many people who have trouble digesting grains and some say grains are “bad” for you, but for me (at least for now) they are good.

Eggs (excluding) – I’ve seen research from both sides of the egg debate but have decided to eliminate eggs for the detox and possibly longer. I saw several compelling science based videos showing the negative affects of eggs on cholesterol levels and since that is my main health issue it makes sense for me to test this claim.

Meat (excluding) – I currently eat a very limited amount of chicken and no other meat plus I already have high cholesterol and a family history of heart disease, so leaving out meat of all kinds seemed to make the most sense for me.

Dairy (excluding) – Dairy seems to be one of the first food groups people cut out when having difficulty with digestion, skin issues, allergies, trouble losing weight, etc. and most people have noticeable positive changes once it’s out of their diet. I have dragged my feet on this one for a long time because of my love for ice cream and have limited my dairy intake to ice cream and a very small amount of cheese every once in a while. If my high cholesterol is a result of anything I’m eating it has to be ice cream. I’m not going to be able to get my numbers checked before and after the detox but I’d be curious to see if even in a short period of time I might see some improvement.

Other Detox / Cleanse options:
Here are a few of the other detoxes / cleanses that I know of. I’m not endorsing any of these and there are fees involved with some of them but I wanted to list them for you in case you are interested.

The Daniel Plan

The 21 Day Sugar Detox

The Conscious Cleanse

AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge

The 21 Day Vegan Cleanse Challenge

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional.

Enjoy the weekend!

21 Day Detox – Starting January 1!

If it doesn’t CHALLENGE you
It doesn’t CHANGE you!

I’ve never done a detox before and have honestly had an anti-detox attitude for the most part as I’ve been skeptical of the methods and effectiveness of many of the ones I’ve heard about. But, curiosity has overtaken me. Starting January 1^st, I will be embarking on a 21-day detox. I’m thinking of it primarily as a sugar detox because that will be my main focus but I plan to abstain from several other things in addition to sugar. I’m going with 21 days as that seems to be the amount of time many believe it takes to break (or create) a habit. While I’m still working out the specifics, I wanted to share publicly my intention for a few reasons: 1) so that I don’t back out, 2) to have support, and 3) to see if others want to do it along with me.

I don’t think I have a major sugar problem and I eat a very healthy, plant-heavy diet most of the time but I do love ice cream and enjoy it (a lot of it!) every night. I’ve always justified the habit because of my rigorous work out routines and because the rest of my diet is so healthy. However, I’ve dealt with high cholesterol, day-time fatigue and a few other minor health issues and wonder if this habit could at least be part of the cause. So, I’m going to do something pretty drastic that is out of my comfort zone and try a detox to see how I feel!

If this strikes a chord with you and sounds like something that might benefit you, would you consider joining me? I know January 1^st is a few weeks away but I wanted to get a head start on preparing for this because I think advance preparation is the only way I’ll be able to pull this off.

I’ll be following up with additional posts but I wanted to at least get you thinking about whether this might be something you would want to join in on. I’ve been looking at several different detoxes / cleanses and haven’t found one that I like exactly so at this point I plan to create my own and I’ll share the details when I have it figured out. It’s not going to be Paleo, vegan, or gluten free but a mix of these methods that focuses on eating REAL, nutritious foods that will fuel my body in a positive way. However, there are several programs already developed out there and feel free to choose from one of those if it fits your needs or if you feel you need a book or specific program to follow. It doesn’t really matter to me if you do the same detox as me, but I think doing it together will make it more attainable and maybe even fun (if detoxing could possibly be fun!). I think there will be several keys for successfully completing the detox, primarily, having a good enough reason to do it (something that will motivate you when it gets hard). So, I’d encourage you first to think about that and then we’ll go from there!

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

 

Play by Play of Half-Marathon Day

Sunday was an amazing day – exhilarating, emotional, and exhausting all in one! The day started dark and early just after 5 am. Last year I was very anxious on race-eve but this year I, surprisingly, had a pretty good night’s rest. After dressing in my running gear + a few extra layers, I headed out to the kitchen for some fuel to get me through the big race. At the suggestion of a friend I had been eating a little before my long runs. That seemed to help a ton so I did the same on race day but had a little more since it was more than 2 hours until the start. I had a mini whole wheat bagel, scoop of nut butter, scoop of raw honey, half a banana, coffee, a glass of Thrive Sports Drink from No Meat Athlete, and lots of water.

I took the rest of the banana with me but never ended up eating it. I also wore a fuel belt this year and filled one of the bottles with water and one with the sports drink. E woke up before I left and gave me a good luck hug and kiss (I’m pretty sure he stayed up reading until he was allowed to watch a show at 7am!). I also spent some time in prayer and reading God’s Word. The verse of the day was perfect: Matthew 6:34, “Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” I certainly had enough to think about for even the next three hours let alone start worrying about the next day and on!

My friend Kelly so kindly drove me downtown and dropped me off on her way to work (for the 2^nd year in a row). The race started in a different spot this year and it seemed way LESS convenient than last year. There was a ton of traffic but fortunately Kelly knew an alternate route to bypass the mess of traffic and she got me to where I needed to be with plenty of time. After finding my way down to the corral area, I backtracked a little to check in my extra clothing and then made my last potty stop. I was greeted by unorganized chaos again but I made it thru the line and got to the corral just before 7am (when they technically closed). My goal time was 1:38 so I wanted to stay in between the 1:30 and 1:40 pace leaders. I lined up behind the 1:40 guy and anxiously awaited the 7:30 start. There was so much energy in the air that you could almost reach out and touch it. The music was blaring and everyone was eagerly dancing around to keep warm. Finally the time arrived and we were off! After a bit of walking and jogging, I was finally able to pick up my pace. I weaved in, out and around other runners to get my spot in front of the 1:40 pacer and never looked back! I caught up and passed the 3:15 marathon pacer and left him in the dust 🙂 I started out quite a bit faster than my normal pace and stayed within 7:05 and 7:34 for the whole race. It was a struggle though! My body ached and I felt like I was in an intense mental and physical battle. One voice seemed to be saying “just walk…I feel terrible” while another said “I can do this…I’ve trained for this….I have it in me…don’t stop now.”

I pressed on through the aches and fatigue and crossed the finish line at 1:35:58. I finished almost 3 minutes faster than my goal but I felt like it was a struggle every step of the way. It was a very different experience than last year when I finished thinking I wanted to run the full next time!

The fans were amazing and it was so encouraging to hear fans I don’t even know cheer for me by name (first names are on the bibs). I was especially encouraged when I got about half way into the 12^th mile and saw Scott and the kids and then a little further along saw three of my best buddies!

 

It was an emotional day to begin with but the sight of them all elated me and gave me the extra boost I needed to get to the finish line. Last year, I had several moments along the route where I was overcome by emotion and started to cry. This year, instead of crying I felt like my chest was tightening up and I struggled for breath almost like I was hyperventilating. I was glad to be done and have that behind me! We stayed around for a while after the race to chat and for the kids to play in the bounce houses and then headed for home. On the way home we stopped at the Starbucks drive-thru for a post race latte treat. That helped warm my still chilled body! Scott had a meeting in the afternoon so I let the kids watch extra shows while I stretched and rolled out some of my aches and sore spots. We hosted small group later in the evening so by the time I finally got to lay on the couch I was EXHAUSTED! It was a great day and a great personal accomplishment for me. It’s so cool to see what our bodies can accomplish with proper training (physically and mentally). And, to be totally honest, it feels pretty neat to feel like a rockstar for the day! All the hoopla, cheering fans, and then the after race celebrations (and FB posts), etc. sure make you feel special! It’s easy to see how a real celebrity could get addicted to all the attention. It is so fun to experience even if it’s only one day a year.

My training runs were significantly faster this year compared to last and I attribute that to the running interval training I did last winter and spring (I used variations of workouts like this HIIT Treadmill workout from Peanut Butter Fingers), the jump rope training I’ve been doing consistently for the last many months, the cross-training ½ marathon plan I followed, and lots of yoga of course!

What next? I don’t know. I felt a little depressed the day before the race and I think part of it was that I knew I’d been training all this time for something and it was soon to be over. Now that it is over, I feel the need for another goal to work toward. Last year I did a 50 push-up challenge so maybe I’ll do that again. I’d love to hear your ideas too!

J.P.P.S. Countdown Workout (Jump Rope, Push-Ups, Planks, and Squats)

I normally work out at the Y in the early morning several days a week. On the thankfully rare occasion my husband has to travel out of town overnight, I try to adapt what I do at the Y to what I have available at home. We have a finished basement and a pretty good variety of workout equipment but I realize not everyone has a lot of space and/or equipment and sometimes we are traveling and need a workout that can be done in a small space with little to no equipment. I’ve found that workouts using body weight alone can be some of the most effective and definitely my favorite. I love variety and every so often I do a search on Pinterest for a little workout inspiration. There are lots of great routines out there that are suitable for working out at home or while traveling. See my “Workout” Pinterest board for some ideas.

I wanted to share one of the workouts I did recently that I found fun and challenging. Of course it involves my cardio of choice right now – jumping rope. It’s a great full body workout that can be modified for different fitness levels and time available.

Total Jump Roping Time – 20 minutes
Total Push-Ups – 120
Total Plank Time – varies depending on how fast you perform push ups
Total Jump Squats – 120
Total Workout Time – About 1 hour

Notes: Focus on maintaining good form/posture for all movements. Modify if needed by putting knees down for push-ups and planks, doing regular squats instead of jump squats, and/or shortening the workout as necessary.

Jump rope variations – Maintain an upright posture, stay on the balls of the feet, and challenge yourself jump as quickly and lightly as possible. Switch up the style of jump – standard jumps, in-and-outs, alternating single legs (hop on one foot for 10 or more counts then switch), slaloms, scissors, high knees (alternate knees on each count), double unders, etc. See here for a pic of some different jump rope styles that originally appeared in Seventeen Magazine (the link is to a pic of the article that was posted on the blog Being Thin is Not a Sin).

Push-Ups – Do any variation and switch it up. Just make sure to maintain good form and drop the knees if needed. Work up to doing all the push-ups with knees off the ground. See here for a few variations from Fit Sugar’s 30 Day Push-Up Challenge (which is great if you’re up for it!).

Plank variations – The variations are endless! Examples: plank on hands, forearm planks, side forearm planks, side straight arm planks, knee to elbow planks, knee to center planks, one arm plank, one leg plank, one arm and one leg plank, incline plank with both legs or one leg lifted, etc. Try to include a few incline planks to open the chest and get the shoulders back. Form is KEY. Lower to knees if needed at any point and work up to doing all planks off the knees. If needing a bigger challenge try taking one leg or arm off the ground when possible.

Jump squats  – Start with feet about hip distance apart, lower into a squat hinging at the hips with a long spine, chest lifted, butt going back and keeping weight in the heels. Arms bent and keeping tension out of hands. Explosively push off balls of feet jumping as high as possible and pushing arms straight down or slightly back. Land as softly as possible and end in the starting squat position. Repeat. To modify, just do squats or change things up and do a few side to side squats or another squat variation.

Stretch  – Stretch all major muscle groups paying careful attention to calves, quads, arms, shoulders, and chest (opening).

That’s all for now. I hope you get to try this out soon!