During week two of training, I realized one thing that I love about running (or exercising, for that matter) is eating afterward. I definitely don't binge or anything (although I kind of used races as an excuse to eat the first couple of times), but food is just more satisfying after a workout. On Monday, for example, we went to the gym after Brian got home from work. I don't like eating a lot before working out, so I make dinner, feed the kids, hit the gym with Brian, and then come home and eat. And since I've made a good dinner, I really look forward to eating it and I really enjoy it!Similarly, when I workout in the mornings, I eat something small, hit the gym, then eat something when I get home. On Friday, I made myself the meal pictured above and realized it was a nearly perfect (in my opinion) post-run meal. (It's egg salad on whole wheat toast with a side of blueberries and water, if you can't tell.) I had my protein, my whole-grain carbs, my fruit with antioxidants, and it was low fat. Granted, I don't eat like this all of the time (although I generally crave healthier foods more often than unhealthy ones), but I really liked this meal (hence, the picture). Another favorite is oatmeal. It's super easy to make in the microwave and I can put a ton of different things in it. I opt not to put sugar in mine, but instead I use dried fruit and nuts, diced apples and cinnamon, a tablespoon of low sugar strawberry jam, or something similar. I'll usually add some milk for some extra protein.
The point is, I like food. However, I love eating a really good healthy and well-balanced meal after a good workout! It's so satisfying.
On Saturday, I went to a Chi Running workshop (ran there; love it). You may or may not have heard of Chi Running, but I'm a believer. (I tend toward the natural though: childbirth, barefoot running...if people have been doing it for thousands of years, why can't we?) If you look at the picture above of US Olympic Marathoner Kara Goucher at the Boston Marathon in 2009, you can see a clear difference between her body posture and the Kenyan Salina Kosegi and Ethopian Dire Tune in front of her. While the front two women aren't technically Chi Running, they look a lot closer than Goucher does. You can totally see it in the body positioning.
The clinic was really enlightening to me about how I run. I looked at some past race pictures and saw how horrible my form is and how my right foot turns out (which explains the pain I've had on that leg). What's amazing is that I can really feel a difference when I attempt to Chi Run. I am no expert at Chi Running since I just started, but when I work at it, I feel better than when I run the "old" way. It's really quite fascinating.
Here's a video of Danny Dreyer, the founder of Chi Running, explaining how to avoid a heel strike. I thought it was a really interesting video.
My goal is to become a more efficient runner and thus, be faster with less pain and pressure on my body. I'm still figuring out cadence, leg turnover, and how to strengthen my core, but I think with a lot of practice I'll get better. If you're interested, there is a Chi Running book that you could probably get from your library. I got it, but only read the first couple of chapters because I'd just rather have the hands-on experience of a class. However, there is also a DVD available.
Monday, January 3rd: 2.75 miles at 9:01 min/mi
Wednesday, January 5th: 4 miles at 9:12 min/mi
Friday, January 7th: 3.86 miles at 9:36 min/mi
Saturday, January 8th: 1.12 miles at 9:01 min/mi (plus Chi Running clinic)
Total for the Week: 11.73 miles
Total for the Year: 16.03 miles
Highlight: Learning to Chi Run with a group of like-minded runners (of all ages).
Tough Spot: I've been super tired since I started running again. I don't think I buy into the whole "exercise gives you energy" idea.
Tough Spot: I've been super tired since I started running again. I don't think I buy into the whole "exercise gives you energy" idea.
