When You Hit the Wall

4.21

I am training for a local half-marathon, and it's now 3 weeks away. My running hasn't kept up with what my schedule is telling me, but I'm close. I have been working out regularly, and keeping after good stretching and short to medium runs.

So when I planned for a 6+ mile run yesterday, I thought everything was fine, and was looking forward to getting out early and enjoying a late summer run. I was doing great on the local roads and hills that I know so well, and then it happened.

I hit the wall.

I don't remember having a run like the one I had yesterday. And instead of beating myself up or just giving up and going home, I decided to let it play out. I walked. I 'never' walk... but yesterday, at about 3 1/2 to 4 miles in, I decided to walk some and see what would happen.

As it turned out, I did about 8 miles, with about 6 of it running and probably 2 of it walking. I was drained when I got back, but I felt like it was important to see it through, and I know I learned something.

I realized that Spartan training has moved some of my muscle mass from my legs to my upper body, so I have leg-work to do to prepare for this half-marathon. And I learned that my body continues to change with the years, and our pantry still has a great influence on my physical health.

Even though we focus on whole foods, and healthy, nutrient-dense choices, there are some foods in our pantry which are not the healthiest, and in some regards, I'm just missing nutrients. I did some great research yesterday and today, and am coming to terms with how my age is likely affecting my testosterone levels. Low T is very real for men over 40, and if you aren't keeping after vital nutrients and good food choices, you'll suffer unnecessarily.

So I have some simple work to do in the coming weeks. I'm almost 50, and though I could have focused on my testosterone levels years ago, I'm glad I'm starting now. I have a new outlook on 'how' to regain some vibrant energy and stamina. And I have about 3 weeks to get my legs back in race mode.

By the Way

There are great resources on testosterone health from Dr. Joseph Mercola and Dr. Josh Axe, two acclaimed doctors of natural medicine. Check out some of their resources here:
Dr. Axe's resources for T-hormone health
Dr. Mercola's resources for T-hormone health
And here are some foods to naturally boost T-hormone health, from Dr. Mercola