Catch Up

Hello Dear Reader-

While I may have been on a blog-writing vacation, I certainly haven't been sitting on the couch! Friday morning, I wasn't feeling so well, but knew that this could not side-track my goal- marathon preparation. After work, with a make-up workout session on my mind, I headed to the gym for a 45 minute fast walk/run. Although I was a bit worn down from not feeling my best, core strengthening was up next: side, abdominal and back crunches (4 sets of 20); and the beloved ham string "crunch" capped the day off. In total, my workout lasting about 1.5 hours.

As you know, Saturday is my designated break day, but rest, it was not. My roommate, who I've managed to rope into running with me, and I went to Bloemfontein, South Africa, to pick out new running shoes and a few other things. To be honest, that was the most productive Bloem trip I've ever had. Usually a trip to Bloem equals a mall meander, dinner, movies and light shopping. My roomie and I, however, were on a mission, and in the process, took the opportunity to explore the "other side" of Bloem (read: got lost).

While looking for shoes, I actually found the Nike + iPod gadget that helps you set and keep track of running goals (distance, time or calories burned). The special Nike + shoe includes a little pocket under the insole for a little sensor. A tiny white receiver fits on the bottom of the iPod to capture the data being transmitted from the sensor. In addition to pace/distance/calorie monitoring, the Nike + iPod gadget also keeps you updated with motivational songs and a spoken account of your progress. The things that Apple comes up with! Pretty cool, huh? Yeah, I thought so too, until I got home, plugged the receiver into my iPod "classic" and got the message that "this accessory is not recognized"! What!?! A call to the Apple store confirmed that the Nike + iPod= Nike + iPod "nano"...the baby version of what I have. In other words, I have a super cool, fantastic gadget that I can't, at this point, use. Boo for Apple on this one! Perhaps someone from the Apple store is reading this little blog o'mine. If you are...I'm giving you the side-eye and hoping that this intimidates you enough to expand this tool to the rest of the iPod users. Please?!?

Nike + iPod gadget or not, I have running shoes, sports bras, thin running socks, and running pants with a zipper pocket in back for keys and things. Oh, did I mention that I got a hammock and a blender too? Can we say together..."Summer is (almost) here!" True, the hammock is an outdoor couch of sorts, but hey, I've gotta sit down sometimes! The blender, in addition to many planned frozen adult beverages, is a great way to get your daily fruit and veggie intake...a round of smoothies for everyone- on the house!
Bringing it back to exercise...after returning from Bloem, we drove around to clock our planned Sunday morning running route- 4.1 K. At 7:30 this morning, we walk a little over 1K to our starting point. Remember, it's always a good thing to "warm up" prior to any exercise. A positive note was that we ran the majority of the way with only a few short slow down breaks (completed in 28.14 minutes). Furthermore, I wasn't physically tired at all. What frustrated me however, was that my asthma, caused my chest to tighten a bit and forced me to stop to catch my breath. I'm sure that, with better management and listening to my body, this will not get in my way. Management includes carrying an inhaler, taking prescribed asthma meds regularly, and a few other tips and tricks.

Running was followed by a "cool down" trip back to our flat, and back out again for a walk to the grocery store. Delicious fresh fruits (blueberries, strawberries, bananas and passion fruit) and yogurt were blended to make a fantastic morning breakfast drink. A fruit smoothie, along with pancakes from scratch, was a nice way to start off the day! Speaking of breakfast, remember that eating well is just as much a part of marathon preparation as running. Without the proper type of fuel for your car, it won't run to its full capacity, right? Eating balanced meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner...along with healthy snacks...helps your body to perform at the optimal level. Because I'm interested in performing my best, I've started working with a nutritionist. This week, we're focusing on healthy snacks for (before and after) running: carbs (fruits and easily digestible carbs like white bread) before & protein (nuts, beans, etc.) afterwards. Pre-run carbs assist in providing your body with the energy it needs for continuous movement. Post-run protein aids in muscle building. As I get nutrition tips, they'll be passed on to you.

It feels great to have maintained my goal of running, working out and eating well. Because I'm feeling so motivated, I'll head to the gym a little later for some core strengthening...as a reward (of sorts). Never thought I'd "hear" myself calling a workout a reward for working out...but I'll take it however it comes!

Thanks again for all of your encouragement and for following along with me in this journey!

Until next time...

Yours in training,

Dani