This morning I woke up a bit congested with a heavy dose of post nasal drip, but I woke up early enough to help get it out of my system. I ate my usual bagel with coffee...it's a ritual I have before a long run. I also decided to try a pre-run juice. After a recommendation of a juice made with carrots, a beet, and an apple, I did some research and learned that carrots are great for workouts. Not exactly sure why, but rest assured I will research further. Anywho, I didn't have any beets, so I subbed it with an orange. It was delicious.
I headed off to the run and it was freezing, but running with a purpose and being surrounded by amazing people makes it all worth it. To show everyone what we are all about, I took a video of our Circle of Remembrance for anyone interested.
Note: I made the video with my phone so the volume is off. I also apologize for my voice when I speak...obviously is much louder and may cause you to jump.
We had a few people
run the 10 mile route and it was great. I love running with other
people. The company and conversations are great and really help pass
the time when you are running for so long. My garmin stats were: 10.27
miles in 1:43 minutes.
I came home to my awesome husband and two beautiful girls, took a
shower, stretched some more, and made my favorite protein recovery
drink. The color kind of looks gross because of the spinach, but you
really can't taste the spinach. The girls had some as well...that's how
good it is.
Blueberries, 1 banana, 1 spoon of peanut butter, a handful of spinach, chocolate protein power, and fat free milk.
I'm off to make some quesadilla's and have a lazy weekend with my
family. It was a great week training wise, but the rest is well
appreciated. Below are a few pictures I took at our run this morning.
Thank you for your interest in my training and I hope I can
motivate you to get active. If you every have any questions, feel free
to leave a comment.
The last couple of days, I've been feeling like I'm fighting a cold. Luckily, I've been able to keep it away, but I've been doing all I can to make sure a cold and/or flu is not in my future. I just started training for my ultra marathon and it would be quite demotivating and frustrating if I had to alter my schedule already due to a silly cold.
This week I have been focusing on my diet. Making sure I'm eating healthy and nutritious foods. The last day of 2011 I weighed myself and realized I hit my weight loss goal. Actually, I was 1 pound under. That helped me start the year with a new mind set. After 3 years, I would no longer focus on weight loss. I will focus on my fitness, running, and maintaining a healthy diet. Unfortunately, I lost focus of my healthy diet and using my increase in activity as an excuse. However, I knew the truth...I wasn't doing all I could do to be a better runner.
My goal isn't to just finish an ultra, but to finish it with grace and in tact. My miles will start to increase significantly and I want to make sure I'm fueling my body appropriately. When I say a healthy diet, I'm not talking about diet products. I'm talking about eating more fruits & vegetables and decreasing my intake of refined sugars and unhealthy fats. A healthy diet to me equals eating foods that are nutritious and provide me with the vitamins and minerals by body needs to function optimally. I splurge and encourage the occasional splurge because I feel that it helps people adhere to a life long change to a healthy diet.
Today, for lunch I made myself a turkey burger with a sandwich thin loaded with spinach and tomatoes. I didn't want to have any sugary drinks, but wasn't in the mood for water either, so I decided to juice some fruits I had. My friend, Filipe at seasonyourfood.blogspot.com is on day 5 of a 10 day juice fast. Following his journey has really inspired me to start juicing again. Juicing is a great way to include veggies and fruits in our diets. I use to juice once to twice a day, but after moving to Washington I stopped. Not sure why, but he inspired me to start again.
Jennie-o turkey burger with cheese, onions, spinach, & tomatoes, along with a fresh fruit juice including strawberries, grapes, & a mango.
After my 6 mile run today I stopped and replenished my stock of veggies and fruits to start juicing. Tomorrow I have a 10 mile run planned with Wear Blue:Run to Remember and I plan on juicing before my run. There is a pre-run juice that Filipe recommended, but I don't have any beets, so I will replace it with an orange. I don't think it will bring any sort of miracle to my run, but I know I'll have those extra nutrients in my body as fuel.
Nutrition doesn't make a runner, but it does help make you a better runner. When going through those periods of race training, it helps your body stay strong as you increase your mileage. I love food (healthy food and unhealthy foods) as much as the next person, but if more often than not we see food as fuel, we will make better choices. Save the splurges for special events and outings. You won't feel so bad if you eat healthy 85% of the time and trust me, you will feel so much better.
If you have any doubts or questions about nutrition and fitness, feel free to leave me a comment below.
I am currently in the process of writing a blog all about motivation. I will talk about what motivation is, the different types of motivation, and how I keep myself motivated. Contrary to popular belief, no one is motivated to do things all the time. I don't always want to go out for a run...but that doesn't mean I won't go for a run.
One of the things that is keeping me motivated right now is the reason why I run and the group of people I run with. When we found out we were going to be stationed at Fort Lewis I was excited about the adventures it would bring. One year ago I read an article in Runner's World magazine about Wear Blue: Run to Remember located near JBLM (Joint Base Lewis-McChord). I searched for the group on the internet, but searching for Run to Remember brought me back many search results. Luckily, I keep all my Runner's World magazines and went looking for the article. I quickly found the article and their website.
I wasn't too fond of the move because I love the beach and warm weather, but knowing I would have an opportunity to run with WB:R2R (Wear Blue: Run to Remember) was very exciting for me. Not only was I going to be able to participate in a running group, but I would be surrounded by people who were running for a cause...and a cause I am passionate about...to run for the Fallen, for the Fighting, and for the Families.
Wear Blue: Run to Remember Mission: Create a living memorial for the service and sacrifice of the American military.
The the very first day I ran with this group, I felt a part of something. I was embraced, accepted, and included. To be honest, WB:R2R helped me get through my husband's first deployment. Not just because of running, but because of the friendships I formed and the sense of community you feel in the group.
WB:R2R Goals are to act as a support network, create a living memorial, and bridge the gap between the military and the community.
It didn't take me long to see that they are meeting all of their goals. Being a part of Wear Blue gives me such a sense of pride. Not only because of the message we carry with us when we run, but because they are truly an all-inclusive group. Everyone is accepted. No matter who you are, you are welcome to join. Whether you are related to the military, a friend of a service member, a gold star parent or wife, or just live in the area, you are welcome. In reality, you don't even need to live in the JBLM area to be a part of Wear Blue and be a part of the community.
WB:R2R is branching out to other areas in the US, but if there is not a group in your area, that doesn't mean you can be a part of the group. All you need to do to be a member is Wear Blue during your races. It's that simple. If you are interested in getting your very own Wear Blue: Run to Remember shirt, click here.
Every Saturday, before we push out for our runs, we make a Circle of Remembrance. In that circle, we take a moment of silence for the fallen, call out the names of the service members who paid the ultimate sacrifice that weekend over the past 10 years in the Global War on Terror, and call out the names of the service members we all run for.
When my husband arrived to his unit, he met the father of SPC Thomas F Duncan III. My husband was moved by the conversation and SPC Duncan became his Ranger in the Sky. I run in his memory every Saturday and every race. He made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure the safety of me and my fellow residents of the United States of America. You can learn a little about Ranger Duncan here.
I ran the AMICA Seattle Half Marathon this past November with WB:R2R for Ranger Duncan and for all those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Running past the Mile of Remembrance was very emotional. The video below demonstrates what I'm talking about.
If you would like to learn more about what WB:R2R is all about, click here.
To become a member, simply click here and fill out the form. (Remember, you don't have to be a part of the military or affiliated with them in any way.)
If you are not a runner or walker, but would still like to support WB:R2R, you can help by purchasing merchandise or making a donation.
I will be wearing blue during my first ultra marathon in July and am honored to serve as a living memorial for Ranger Duncan. If you would like to know more, please visit wearblueruntoremember.org or comment below.
Thank you for taking the time to learn about WB:R2R and your support.
Andi
