...or, as my aunt told me on Facebook this morning, "May the Fourth be with you!" (I'm not entirely sure she understood my Star Wars Day post.)
Today I completed my fifth Peachtree Road Race. It was a great day for running - drizzling and overcast, with just a bit of wind - and I actually made pretty good time. I started out the race with my buddy Jason:
but I couldn't keep up with him for too long.
My right knee has been bothering me since I finished my fourth half-marathon this past March. I went to the doctor for my yearly check-up yesterday and she checked it out (I even got it x-rayed!) and told me it's probably fine, just normal getting old stuff (hmph!), but I should take it easy after this race and work on strengthening my quads. So, I was a little worried about running today and decided I would take it slow. Of course, all that didn't stop me from signing up for three more races at the Expo when I picked up my number!
Batman met me at the end of the race with chocolate milk and a car ride back to his apartment (which was awesome, because I really didn't want to walk that hill after doing 6.2 miles!). My post-race tradition is to hit up the Midtown Vortex for a veggie burger, Yokohama Mama-style, with tater tots and ranch dressing for dipping. Technically I'm still on the slow carb diet, but I took a mini cheat day. It was worth it!
Now we're just relaxing at home. Fireworks have been canceled or postponed until Labor Day, so I'm pretty sure we'll just be chilling out and playing Tetris for the rest of the day.
Last month, some of my friends started the Slow Carb diet and really enjoyed it. It's basically a modified paleo diet: no dairy, fruit, or carbs. It sounded terrible to this particular cheese-bread-and-banana-lover, but they lost a lot of weight and felt healthier, so my boyfriend and I decided to give it a try, too. We He invested in a fancy scale that measures BMI, fat %, muscle %, water %, etc, and I set up a new Excel document so we can track the numbers (nerd alert!). One thing I've already learned: weigh yourself in the morning! I lost 4.5 pounds between last night and this morning.
We just finished our first meal on the diet: a breakfast of egg whites, spinach, black beans, and salsa. It was more eggs than I'm used to eating early in the morning (1 1/8 cup of liquid egg whites!), and it's definitely filling. We get a cheat day on Saturdays, so went spent yesterday eating whatever we wanted to prepare. This included dim sum, Moe's (which is actually okay on the diet, provided you forgo the rice, cheese, chips, and sour cream), and King of Pops. One of the suggestions for the diet is that you take a picture of everything you eat. The idea is that if you are too embarrassed to post the picture where others can see it - and mock you for not sticking to your diet - then you probably shouldn't put it in your body. I've been using Foodspotting for a while now as just a way to keep track of foods that I like, so if you're at all interested in seeing what I'm eating you can follow me there.
The creator of the diet claims that you can lose 20 pounds in 30 days without exercising. I'm curious to see if that's true (my friends didn't lose nearly that much), but I'll also be continuing with my walking/running training with my Nike+ app. I just recently finished my first half-marathon of the year and am contemplating doing the Women's Nike full marathon in San Fransisco later this year with Team in Training. My only hesitation would be the fundraising costs associated with it, but I feel like I have a good support system in place and have gotten to the point in my training where I can take it to the next level. I was really proud of my performance in the Publix Georgia half. I beat six of my records (at least according to Nike+): 1 mile, 1k, 5k, 10k, half-marathon, and distance.
This past New Year's Eve, my boyfriend and I went to my sister's house. When someone inquired why I wasn't drinking, I explained that we were doing the Resolution Run 5k the next morning, so we didn't want to be hungover. One of my sister's well-intentioned friends then started talking about a woman she worked with who had lost a lot of weight by running.
Now, I love my sister's friends (even though quite a few of them have morphed into those annoying, "let me tell you all about my precious child" people that I purposely hide posts from on Facebook), but this kind of thing happens to me almost every time someone hears that I run or have completed a few half-marathons. Yes, I am overweight. No, I am not running (well, walk/running) to loose that extra weight. At least, not completely. In the three years since I've started participating in running events, I've only lost about 15 pounds. Part of that is because I'll never really be as serious about it as some people, but another part is that I just run for fun. It got me thinking, though: I've actually learned quite a bit about this sport, and (since one of my resolutions is to write more) I decided to dust off the old blog and share what I know (or at least, am somewhat opinionated about) with the Internet.
First Things First
Running is probably the best individual sport there is. It's free, or nearly so (more on that below) and the only person you have to compete with is yourself! I usually run with my boyfriend, who is and probably always will be faster than I am, and I really enjoy pushing myself to go faster and further than before...most of the time. If you have a pair of shoes (even if you don't; running barefoot is a big movement right now) you can be/become a runner.
Equipment
What I wrote earlier about running being free is totally true. BUT, if you do have the funds I would recommend getting some decent shoes. I was fitted for and buy mine at Big Peach Running Company in Atlanta. Yes, shoes can get pricey, but I wear mine out. They're supposed to be retired after 800 miles, but I have a pair that I still use for short walks because I'm frugal. As far as clothing goes, I love Danskin (available at Wal-Mart) for tights and sports bras. (Boys, you're on your own as far as underthings are concerned, sorry!) I've also amassed a pretty large collection of short- and long-sleeved running shirts, but those are from various running events (which I pay to enter). A membership in a local track club is also a pretty good investment - I've been a member of the ATC for three years running, and I love it! I live too far away from the city to go to any meet-ups, but I am guaranteed a spot in the Peachtree Road Race (which is worth the cost of membership alone, IMO), I get a shirt from Big Peach, and I have access to free or discounted race events throughout the year. YMMMV (pun intended)
Safety
1. If you're running outside, don't listen to music. If you're running with someone, it's rude - you should be talking to your running buddy, not ignoring them. If you're running by yourself, it can prevent you from paying attention to your surroundings, which can be dangerous. Most running events include a rule about not listening to music on race day, because you may not be able to hear warnings from race officials or volunteers. I know this is one suggestion that most people will ignore or scoff at, but it's a pretty important one so I'm putting it first. If you need music to motivate you to run, stick to the treadmill at the gym.
2. Drink water and eat something. The week leading up to a big race, I keep a water bottle on me and fill it up constantly. The day of, I have a glass or two first thing and then drink a cup at every available water station along the route. If it's the summer, drink more (duh). As far as food goes, I usually have a peanut butter sandwich and a banana an hour or two before the race. If you're doing a longer run (10k+?) and want to carboload, I've been told it's more effective to do it two nights before, but I usually wait until the night before. I don't eat as I'm running, but during my half-marathons or longer training runs I like to suck on hard candies or peppermints. Chomps or honey are good for a sugar boost during a long run, as are gels - just make sure you drink PLENTY of water with them. And when you get finished, chug some chocolate milk or a beer. (Sidenote: yay, SCIENCE!)
3. Be smart. If you're running outside, try to go with a friend. If you prefer to run alone, make sure someone knows where you're going and what time you should be back. Stick to well-lit areas that you know and are comfortable with. These things should be common sense.
4. Make sure you stretch. I used to get the worst shin splints, and I realized it was because I wasn't stretching out my calves properly. I usually wait until I've warmed up a bit before I stretch out, and I always stretch after a run. After a long run, or when my legs feel particularly sore, I've done ice baths but those hurt almost as much as the soreness. Elevating your legs also helps, and remember not to push yourself too much.
5. Not so much a safety tip, but just a good thing to do in general: be courteous. If you're running in a race, keep to the right unless you're passing someone (just like when you're driving - in a perfect world). If you're running in a group, try not to cluster up too much, because it can prevent faster individuals from passing you. If you're going to stop or slow down, don't do it in the middle of the road (unless you really want to get trampled). Say hi and thank you to the volunteers and police officers who are helping out. At water stops, slow down and step to the side, and toss your cup into the bin provided. Just throwing your empty (or worse, full) cup on the ground creates a hazard for people coming after you who could slip and is unnecessary litter for volunteers to clean up afterwards. (If you're serious about your time, wear a water belt so you don't have to worry slowing down or stopping.)
That's all I have for right now, but I'm sure I'll think of more as the year progresses. I've finished one 5k already, but I have a few more events scheduled (including The Color Run, the Peachtree Road Race, and the Publix Georgia half-marathon). Eventually I'd like to work up to a full marathon, but for now that's still pretty far in the future. Happy running!
