Hey all, So Monday evening was my first 'properly done' tempo run... Ya it definitely hurt, but I definitely did not help it by my pre run fueling... which sparked the conversation the next day with my friend about our diet (composition of what we eat, not a diet that we are doing), so I figured I'd share some of my thoughts on this matter.
First of all - stuffing my face post work day with mini eggs, followed by dinner, followed by a cupcake, followed by a tempo run... NOT A GOOD IDEA! Seriously, when will I learn and grow up... you do these things after!! (For improper usage of fuel/recovery, I mean, come on, I love me a cupcake and mini eggs but there is no way that helps in my muscle recovery... especially since my body doesn't digest wheat at the best of times). The thing to remember, is that just because you exercise, that does not give you free reign to eat straight out of the ice cream carton, or stuff your face with cupcakes until you are about to burst (despite how tasty and bright this idea may seem at the time).
For the past 3 years or so I've been experimenting with what foods work for my body, and which ones don't (which one's can my body process and feel good after I eat, and which one's make me what to vomit or feel bloated... seriously, when this journey first started I did not realize most people did not feel like vomiting after they ate). And, I'm not there yet. I definitely do not have everything figured out with regards to my body, but one thing that I have learned through this process is that Calorie counting is not for me. I know for plenty of people this is a really good way of making sure that they are eating enough or not over eating throughout the day, but for me, it is more important that I focus on what types of foods I am putting into my body. Am I getting enough protein, dairy, vitamin D, carbs (that big bad word to many)? Am I fueling my body with food that is going to give me energy to get through my work day, as well as my work out after work? If this is not happening, I'm going to be: exhausted, cranky, irritable, and binge on something that my body isn't needing (like chocolate Cadbury mini eggs... 4 hand fulls of them).
It is important to remember though, that while I may be working on lowering my BMI, or body % fat, it is my body composition that I am concerned about, not my weight. And at the end of the day, I'm really not that stringent or fixated on this, I just want to make sure that throughout this next training stretch I am maintaining these numbers. I have realized that I need to shake this idea that at 5 ft 4 I should weigh 120 lbs like the celebrities in the magazines, or follow the 1200 calorie a day model given to people who want to lose weight but aren't active. My body is strong, it has gotten me through a marathon, it biked to Fort Langley and back from my house, it runs in the rain, swims in the rain, it is strong and I need to respect it by properly fueling. For me, calorie counting or tracking at this point in time isn't conducive to what I am trying to do, now that may change, but as of now, I am not a calorie counter and I do not think I need to be.
Workout so far this week:
Monday - Tempo Run: 5 min walk warm up, 3 miles at 9:04 min/mile, 3.67 miles at 8:48/mile, 5 min walk cool down, followed by stretching and foam rolling.
Tuesday - Workout DVD Tuesday: Shed and Shred by Jillian Michaels... it was all good until after the warm-up and we started to do plank hops... ya, that sucked.
Today I'm taking a rest day,but tomorrow will be my first sprint set... unless I get too scared or intimidated... I will keep you posted.
Happy Wednesday! Any workouts for you or are you on a rest day too?
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