2.66 Whew... 2 hours 17 minutes 43 seconds... that was my 2nd half marathon time, from the race I ran yesterday, a good two and half minutes better than my first half-marathon. Cool. No injuries, no blisters, and I again met my humble goal of not walking any of the course. The weather was just right with a little sun and no wind, and over a thousand runners between a 5k, 10k, and the half. It was an excellent investment of a Saturday morning (plus the couple of months I spent preparing for the run.) I'm feeling a bit of a let down, though, now that I don't have a current goal to work on. My older daughter wants to do more running with me, and maybe it's time we get a couple of 5ks on the calendar. She actually joined me yesterday for about a half mile of the half-marathon (I was lucky to have a fan club cheering me on... the running course passes about 150 yards from our house, so my family camped out for part of the morning watching for me to go by.) All told, it was a great running event. I beat my previous time, and came through with no injuries, yet again. Another goal accomplished, and time for setting some new ones. Maybe you have a wellness goal you've been thinking about. If you do, don't wait another day - get something on the calendar, break down your steps and progress needed, and get to work. I guarantee you'll be glad you did.
By the Way
Themed runs and fun runs are exploding in popularity in recent years. And at just over 3 miles, a 5k is very doable for the running novice (or these can be very attractive to the competitive runner working on their timing.) Check out this page from Running USA, showing the growth in running event finishers from 1990 to 2013. Running stats and demographics from Running USA And guys, while we were about even in numbers with the women five years ago, the female finishers have way outpaced the men. It's time to get in the game!
2.65 Three days from now I'll be running my 2nd half-marathon. I think I've prepared well, and run plenty, so I should be physically ready. Maybe a little bit of carbing up Thursday and Friday, and that should do it. As everyone who has tackled a wellness lifestyle knows, the physical victories are only part of the game. The bigger challenge is usually the mental connection we need to make with why we are choosing to do what we're doing: "do I need to do this? Now? Really?" Overcoming the mental hurdles can be huge. While I've never seen the whole movie, I remember a quote from "We Bought a Zoo": "Sometimes all you need is 20 seconds of insane courage, just literally 20 seconds of just embarrassing bravery, and I promise you something great will come of it." Think about it. All our mental gymnastics that convince us it won't work, or that we need to back down, or that it's time to quit... all those can likely be overcome by 20 seconds of insane courage. For the half-marathon, I'll need a lot more than 20 seconds. It will take more like 2 hours of insane courage (and then some) to keep convincing myself I can finish well. My goal? Beat my previous half-marathon time, and come in at around 2 hours and 15 minutes.... We'll see. So what do you have pending where you need more courage than is normal? If something has you feeling out-of-your-league, or just plain overwhelmed, maybe all you need to do is muster a burst (or stream) of courage, and forge ahead. For me, we'll see what the race holds, and I know I'll be focused on finishing strong.
2.64 It's 5 days until my 2nd half marathon... that means it's go time, baby. I started training last month with some shorter and longer runs and built up to the 10+ mile run I did last weekend. Then this past week I really fell off the wagon where my nutrition was concerned (cake?? I actually had cake... with buttercream icing...) I noticed a few irritating (and preventable) consequences; if I had just gone without, none of them would have happened. One telltale from my poor eating was a strange sluggishness Friday night, a total demotivation. I remember that feeling from years ago before my body was detoxed and tuned up; I was surprised how pronounced it was going into the weekend. Problem was, I planned to go out for a medium distance run on Saturday morning. I needed to get my head in the game. What all of this affirmed is that keeping our bodies tuned up makes a difference. Now, since eating clean this weekend, I feel great again. And I was able to plow through a six mile run yesterday and just over three today. Add yard work and playing with the kids to that, and I'd say it's been a great weekend, despite the poor eating last week. I'm very convicted of the need to shed extra baggage, especially going into something like a half marathon. I don't want to take last weeks' poor food with me, or any unnecessary pounds, just like I wouldn't run a race with a bunch of books in a bag over my shoulder in case I got bored. I couldn't afford to put up with the weight, and I can certainly do without a book to read while I'm engaged in a race. So this week I'll be focused on the essentials: what do I really need for next Saturday in order to be prepared? If I don't need it, I'm ditching it, and that goes for nutritional choices, mental perspectives, and my clothing and accessories for the race. Do you have extra baggage that you're carrying? Would you be better off without it? If you're not sure, have you tried to reduce and then get rid of the baggage to see what the result feels like? There's no time like the present.
By the Way
It takes about 24 to 72 hours for our bodies to naturally digest and metabolize food. Toxins are filtered by our liver and kidneys and gotten rid of with a day or two, and possibly up to about a week is needed to get rid of everything our bodies would identify as foreign.
2.63 A power pantry journey is a lifestyle. A wellness lifestyle. And that means progress, of some kind, is to be expected. Wherever we find ourselves, we have to decide that 'here' is no longer acceptable, and we need to get moving to somewhere better... to 'there'. Making the commitment and investment for that journey takes heart and perseverance, and by making the significant investment it requires, it will become a lifestyle. Today I was on a 'long' run, thinking of these very things. 18 years ago I topped out around 220 pounds. I suppose I was livin' large in my late 20's, but really I was a mess. Now I tip the scales a good 60 pounds less than that, and have all these great wellness goals that I want to pursue. I'm signed up for my second half marathon, with less than two weeks to go. Hence the reason for the long run today. What I realized is what a joke it would have been for my 'old' self to try and keep up with the 'new' me. Almost 20 years later, I'm healthier, happier and full of energy to tackle significant goals. Even 3-4 years ago, I couldn't have run fraction of the 10+ miles I ran today. I remember a small incline in the road that had me nauseous and almost throwing up a few years ago on a fairly light jog. Now I'm tackling significant hills with tenacity, and haven't gotten the heaves in a long time. We're all on this kind of journey. Wherever you are, you are bound to make some wellness progress when you simply put your mind to it. Think of where you are now, and where you are headed, and how the old you would fair compared to the new you... Maybe it's just that the new you tackles the buffet line with healthy conviction and confidence without falling off the calorie and junk food wagon, where the old you was as big a mess as your plate. Set some new goals and be bold enough to broaden your perspective on where "there" is. It will likely change and move (in a positive way) taking you further down the road on your journey. And chances are the new you beats the old you, hands down.
By the Way
If you train for any running races, there is a simple build-up guide you can use in your weeks prior to the race, to put you in great shape for the big day. The point is always to exert yourself, and recover... Push hard to a new level, then back down and heal up. For a half marathon or full marathon, your big run should be a couple of weeks ahead of race day, and your distance can represent about 80% of your final miles (so about 10 miles when preparing for a 13.1 mile half-marathon, and about 20 miles in preparation for a full marathon.) If you appreciate Power Pantry posts, please leave a comment, 'like' this post, and take 30 seconds to subscribe.
2.62 If you're seriously engaging your power pantry goals, especially the ones involving physical activity, there's a good chance you're going to end up with muscle fatigue. I've been aware of the exercise after-burn for years: about a day-and-a-half after a strenuous workout, whether it is a long run, or waxing the truck, or a few dozen flights of stairs, I know I'm going to be sore. Why? Technically, there's a depletion of primary nutrients and minerals, like potassium, magnesium, and sodium, and the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, . (There's a whole, confusing world of research on lactic acid, lactate, and the 'lactate threshold' which I'm not going to get into here...that alone is exhausting...) To function normally, our muscles need healthy supply of nutrients like these, and of course the best resources to supply these are nutrient dense foods (like veggies). And there's another great source of healthful nutrients that I have to mention: apple cider vinegar (ACV). I love that this simple, humble kitchen staple has so many valuable constituents, and I'd argue it confounds the most precisely formulated vitamins and supplements around. Check out this page from WebMD on ACV and the impressive list of its nutrients and uses. ACV on WebMD Some of the great things ACV give us are acetic acid (helping replenish the acetylcholine), citric acid and malic acid, B vitamins, and even potassium and magnesium. No wonder it is great for muscle fatigue and recovery. Move over Gatorade! So if you're exerting yourself and know the pain is on the way, consider mixing in several tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with your salad, and speed your recovery. Your muscles will thank you.
By the Way
Often it is hard to believe that simple solutions like ACV for muscle fatigue could possibly work, but it really does. I've put a couple tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water the day after strenuous exercise, and I'm amazed at how it keeps the cramping and fatigue way. For more interesting reading, simply google the benefits of apple cider vinegar, and read up. If you appreciate Power Pantry posts, please leave a comment, 'like' this post, and take 30 seconds to subscribe. It's great to have you on board!
2.61 Life will be dull and bland and slow if we have no goals to work toward. A power pantry lifestyle includes thoughtful direction, always including some things right in front of us (short term), some things happening in the next year (medium term) and some things which are barely on our radar (long term). What's great about having a list of achievable interesting goals is that you're always in the hunt. You're always approaching the next goal, which is one you crafted in seasons past. Maybe it was a long-term goal at some point, and eureka, now it has come to reality. Do you have a long-term vision for your life and your lifestyle? I have limits I can think of for my lifestyle, and things I think are worth striving for in my personal growth and goals. Between those boundaries I can think of all kinds of cool places and activities and milestones I want to get to... and those become my goals. When I sit and ponder the growth goals I have, I get really energized about the future, and the journey to get there. Do you get energy from thinking about your goals? Is there a clear-enough picture in your mind of what the future will be like for you, that you can muse and dream about it in broad daylight? If not, start with some hopes and dreams, and how you can gather the resources to take the journey to get to them. Then add to those hopes and dreams the resolve to go after your vision. I have nutritional goals, and physical goals, and relationship goals and spiritual discipline goals... and mentally chewing on them helps to bring them to reality. So take some quiet time away if you need to, and invest thought and effort into your goals and vision, and months and years into the future, you will see what was once a simple thought or conviction has become reality.
By the Way
For some help defining your goals and vision, you can use the SMART goals acrostic: Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic Time-bound
2.60 Are nightshades poisonous? Well, it depends on who you listen to. I became aware of the nightshade vegetables several years ago (these include potatoes, tomatoes, peppers of all kinds and eggplant, among others). The contention over nightshade vegetables has been brewing for centuries (millennia?) as various cultures have sworn they are poisonous and not to be trusted, and others have embraced and cultivated them avidly as part of their regular diet. I'm now leaning much harder toward the fact that while not poisonous, nightshade veggies are definitely a trigger of poor health in some individuals (including me). I have a friend who, after years of unexplainable pain (and thankfully ruling out Lyme disease, lupus, MS and numerous other diseases) was diagnosed with serious food sensitivities. The nightshades are definitely on her trigger list. After re-reading some information on the nightshade veggies a few weeks ago, I decided to reduce and then eliminate them from my diet to see what would happen. Almost like magic, issues I have dealt with and tolerated for over 20 years cleared up in days. Amazing... So now I'm adjusting and trying to convince myself that the nightshades are truly a significant food sensitivity trigger for me. I realize that all I need to do to be re-convinced is to consume some potatoes or peppers, and sure enough, I'm right back where I was all those years. I've said before in Power Pantry posts that food is medicine, and shared this quote: "With the right food, medicine is of no need; with the wrong food, medicine is of no use." My friend's years of pain and suffering are a testament to that very concept. Thankfully she's on her own journey of discovery and healing which I'm confident will lead her to a fulfilled, pain-free life. Do you need to be concerned about nightshade veggies? Maybe, maybe not. One way to tell is to eliminate them from your diet for a time (a couple of weeks to about 30 days is plenty), and see what happens. Do you feel better or different once your body has been cleaned up from the nightshades? How's your skin health? Digestion overall? Joint pain? Gut health? It's said nightshades can trigger depression, mood swings and sensitivity to weather changes, besides headaches, muscle pain and insomnia... Do some of your own research and study on line, and with your pantry, and see how it goes.
By the Way
Thankfully, sweet potatoes and yams are not in the nightshade family (because I really like those...) For a full list of nightshade veggies, symptoms and some additional great information, check out Eileen Laird's site and post at Phoenix Helix: Nightshade-Free Survival Guide
Check out this page from Running USA, showing the growth in running event finishers from 1990 to 2013.
