November Stats

For the month of November, my goal was to run 110 miles over 25 days.  I wound up running 81 miles over 20 days.  It was close.  I wasn't sure if I was going to make it to 20 days, but I made sure I got out 4 days this week.  I ran 6 miles last night, so tonight I knew it would be an easy run of 3 miles.  I decided to take the last day of the month off and make sure I am fresh for December.

 

I missed out on my goals because different items going on in life this month.  My son started waking up extra early, I quit caffeine and I caught a cold.  I needed some extra rest days in the middle of the month to speed my recovery.  It worked.  I also did not have any long runs. 

For December, I want to run 85 miles over 20 days with long runs of 6 and 7 miles.  These are some realistic goals.  I want to stay injury free going into the new year, so I can start 2013 off with a strong start. 

How did your November wind up and what do you have planned for December ?

Meat Free

I just realized I have been almost  meat free for about a month.  I have had chicken twice in the past 5 weeks.   The most recent during a work lunch when we got free lunch.  I am still eating cheese, fish, yogurt and eggs.  I made these choices to expand my diet.  I did not do this for any radical reasons.  In fact, I would still eat chicken occasionally.

Rather than chicken or turkey, I have beans.  We make a delicious bean dish filled with eggplant, zucchini, red pepper, chickpeas and kidney beans.  We then top it off with homemade tomato sauce.  I pair this either with pasta, rice or couscous and have a very filling meal.  I also tried to take a salad a few weeks in a row.  I topped this with quinoa.  Again it was great and filling.

I feel great.  I have no adverse affects to my running. 

Which food have you stopped eating completely or cut back a lot from your diet?

The Cold is Back

I hate the cold weather, but I really hate running in the cold even more. Warm weather is easy; you wear shorts, a t-shirt, and a hat and make sure to drink. With cold weather, you have to choose between overdressing and under-dressing. If you overdress, then you are comfortable during the first half of your run, but need to shed layers by the second half.

 If you under-dress, then you might freeze during the first half of your run but finally get comfortable during the second half. I usually wind up overdressing because I just can’t stand being cold. My body hurts all over when I’m cold. I wear a long sleeve shirt, gloves and ear-warmers. Luckily my shorts have pockets to hold the gloves and ear warmers when I no longer need them. It is not even the coldest part of the year yet and I am already longing for the warm summer months. Once the true winter weather arrives, I will need to add my jacket and long pants to my running wardrobe.

How do you cope with the cold weather months?

Feeling Better

On Thursday, I had a terrible run. I probably should not have gone out, but I was working a different shift and wanted to get a run in. I was not feeling good for a few days up until then. I think I had a cold. I was not sure. I was extremely tired, had a runny nose and my throat hurt. I went for a 4 mile run and barely made it through. The rest of the day, I was a mess. I had no energy. I did not feel like I usually do after my run. On Friday, I was still feeling poor. I actually fell asleep around 7 that evening and slept straight until 5 the next morning when my son woke me up. I felt a lot better. As the day went on, I started to feel better. In the afternoon, my kids and I were able to have our dance party. This is where we put some music on and carry one or both of them at a time and move around the house. They love it. I loved it. I felt great. I went for the same run on Saturday night and I felt like a new person. I felt faster, my run felt easy. It was just what I needed. I learned an important lesson, that I still ignore from time to time. Listen to your body. Sometimes a day off is helpful.

Does Caffiene Prevent Weight Loss?

This is the second time I have given up caffeine in the past year. The first time, my weight dropped a lot. After a few weeks of this, I was down 5 pounds. This time after 2 weeks, I am down 5 pounds again. I am trying to see if this is because of the caffeine or other factors. It does seem strange that it has happened twice. I have noticed that I am not craving certain foods that I would love to sit and eat while drinking my coffee. One of those foods was chocolate chips, though I am still eating them a few times a week to give myself nice treat. This can’t be it. I am drinking a little more water than before, but not too much. Before, I would have 4-5 cups of coffee. Now I am drinking 1-2 cups of decaf, plus maybe 1-2 cups of hot water and 2-3 liters of water per day. Also, when I drank coffee, I always drank it black. There was no extra calories from sugar or milk. I tried to do a web search, but most items deal with caffeine and weight loss. Has anyone gone decaf and had similar results?

How is Your November?

I was hoping to make it to 110 miles over 25 days with some long runs of eight and nine miles. So far I am up to 15 days with 61 miles. I am now revising this number to 85 miles over 20 days. The main reason is that the cold dark nights are making it harder for me to stay out for a longer period of time. I also gave up caffeine, have been fighting a cold, and my kids have been waking me up very early in the morning. The good news is that my weight is dropping again. Not that I was unhappy. I was a few pounds off of my goal weight and now I am below it. I am at my lowest since June. I am curious if I will get down to my low of 153.5 that I reached last December. I am eating when I am hungry. I am not measuring my cereal anymore, and I have only eaten from a restaurant once in the past month. How is your November so far?

Happy Turkey Day

Thanksgiving. I remember as a kid our thanksgiving dinners.  Many years in a row we went to an all you can eat buffet for dinner. I used to fill up on roll after roll after roll.  As we got older, we started going to this Italian restaurant.  It was nice for everyone.  They had a special thanksgiving dinner for those who wanted it and the regular menu for those that did not. 

It seems that this holiday is especially about food.  Turkey, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, green beans, stuffing, rolls, and pumpkin pie is a traditional dinner for most families.  It is ok to enjoy this stuff, but not to go overboard.  If you enjoy the pie, don’t go overboard with the stuffing.  If you enjoy the bread, have fruit for dessert,

Try to exercise on thanksgiving morning.  Go our for a walk or a run in the morning.  Eat a light lunch and prepare some nutritious snacks like fruit or vegetables so that you are not starving when dinner arrives. 

How do you handle Thanksgiving?