Friday, March 18, 2011

Now I Remember!


I'm starting to remember why I used to workout like a fiend---It felt really good.

Now that I'm getting back into the swing of things (I've worked out 2 days in a row, both cardio and weights), I'm starting to remember how clear my head was when I used to work out daily and use weights. I'm starting to feel good in my body again, both mentally and physically. I don't feel constantly bloated or like mud was flowing through my veins.

Back when I was training for the half marathon, I would do nothing but go for two or three runs per week (two shorter ones and one super long one). That's all I could do without aggravating my plantar fascia or Achilles or knees. Luckily that was enough to get me through the race! But I HAD to rest between runs because the wear and tear of running was too much for me to handle without getting hurt. And I was VERY afraid of getting injured and not being able to run in the race at all. So I took it easy for months, pretty much just running two or three times a week and nothing else.

But I think the way I trained left me out of shape in that I gained weight from lack of regular exercise (two 5-milers and an 8-miler didn't burn the calories I needed to burn to lose weight, especially since they made me hungrier!), and because I was so careful to rest between runs, I lost a lot of muscle, too.

Folks, this is the wrong way to train for a race! Don't make the same mistakes I made! There are plenty of training programs out there that encourage you to eat healthy and cross-train. I just didn't follow them. I was so worried about finishing and building cardiovascular endurance that I missed out on all the benefits of a training program. I should have come out of this one lean, mean running machine!

Anyway, I'm going to chalk it up to it being my very first long-distance race experience. And finishing at 2:43 isn't too shabby for it being my first time! And of the 13.1 miles, I probably walked a total of half a mile combined. I was smack in the middle of the pack (6,100 of 13,700 finishers). Heck yeah, I'm super proud. Fat, but proud! haha.

Speaking of running, I have a strong urge to get some miles in! I did cardio with weights the last 2 days, so tonight I have a date with my old friend the treadmill. Tomorrow it's the cardioresistance class at the gym, then I rest on Sunday. I'm eating well (except for too much cereal today. I should probably not buy cereal ever again!) and I've lost 5 lb using the 2 weeks of Medifast and eating healthily. When I get back into shape, I'll post comparison pics.

Deedah

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