Day 27: April 24, 2013- I’m lovin’ it!!!

Day 27: 6.03 miles today, Miles to go: 805.22… Not a ton of miles, but inching closer to my 200 milestone as well as my 100 mile in two week mini-goal (that one has 8 miles to go and is running ahead of schedule). Chilly afternoon, and even colder evening. With that being said, I thought I would share some cold weather walking tips that I looked up. I bring up this topic because of an injury I sustained a few years ago. After a few years away from running, I decided to try and train for the spring half marathon. I started JAN 1 that year with walking a few miles and worked up eventually to six mile morning runs by APR of that year. What I didn’t realize that because I was not stretching well enough for the cold weather, I was actually damaging my right hip. Eight months, one surgery, and a lot of physical therapy later, we finally had an answer to what was causing all of my pelvic/abdominal area pain. So this topic is near and dear to my heart, and with the flux of cold weather still peppered into the warmer temps we are experiencing, I just want to make sure anyone attempting to reach their spring fitness goals is “walking into” their exercise routines with both eyes open!!! So here is what I found that I hope might help all of us…

“•  Allow at least 10 minutes to warm up. When it’s cold, your heart and muscles need more time to get ready.

•  Wear a scarf or mask loosely over your nose and mouth to prevent the sting of icy cold air when you inhale. This is especially important if you have asthma or heart problems.

•  Choose shoes with lugged soles for traction, and buy an inexpensive pair of ski or walking poles to help keep your balance. (The poles will also help you burn extra calories because your upper body is getting a workout too.)

•  Take your workout indoors if you’d be risking frostbite (temperatures around -20 degrees F, including any windchill), if it’s icy, or if you’d encounter dangerous traffic.

Dress for success When you step outside, you should feel slightly chilled but not cold. During your workout, you want to feel warm, not hot and sweaty. That means you need to dress in layers so that you can take them off or put more on as needed. Here are the basics of layering: An inner layer made of synthetic fabric such as CoolMax to wick sweat away so you stay dry A middle, or insulating, layer (or two) of light-weight fleece fabric such as Polartec to keep you warm An outer layer of waterproof, breathable fabric such as Gore-Tex to buffer you from the elements and let sweat escape; and Don’t forget a hat, gloves, and sunscreen!”

From: http://www.prevention.com/term/cold-weather-and-winter-walking

You can also find cold weather stretching tips at: http://www.runningincoldweather.com/stretching-for-cold-weather-running

On a different note, last night’s run left me famished this morning, but I knew that I had a BNI 1-to-1 at 11:30 at Panera, so I was determined to hold off until then. In the meantime, it was apples and and almonds and a great big Diet Coke from McDonalds. With that being said, walking into McDonalds with its yummy smells this morning was challenging. So in lieu of ordering the biscuits and gravy that I was coveting, I thought I would share what you can get at McDonalds for under 400 calories… my favorite of which is the two apple packets for $1. At 15 calories a packet, you can’t go wrong!!!

http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/food/meal_bundles/favoritesunder400.html

p.s. Kudos to McDonalds for adding their calorie count to their menu board!!! As they say, “I’m lovin’ it!”

Day 14: April 11, 2013- rainy day + migraine could not slow me down

Day 14: 3 mile walk with Bobby (2+ miles done with hand weights), Miles to go: 925.31… Rainy day with BNI and some time spent up at the hospital with a friend, so wasn’t able to get out midday like I have been doing. Rainy day also equaled a raging migraine that I am trying fight through with the help of a Maxalt. Three miles are better than no miles, though, so will shoot to make up the difference over the next few days. Productive day otherwise. Got my Chef Spotlight done for News4U’s May issue, took the kids to the dentist, wrapped up a SMILE grant document, and am midway through a State Farm project for the office. Next up is a quick dinner (100 calorie baked salmon) and about an hour’s worth of work on my new art room in progress…

On a different note, I have been having a number of conversations with Bobby about healthier eating. I have come to the conclusion that migraines and lack of sleep can often be my undoing. Carbs and sugars for me have always been a crutch to fuel a late night of work or to take my mind off of the pain of a headache. Candy for me is a very slippery slope. I looked at the calories in a Twizzler the other day (30), and part of me could reason that 30 calories would not blow my whole calorie count for the day, but 1 Twizzler can turn into 2, which can turn into 10 very easily (same with Starbursts, Lemonheads, Jelly Bellies, etc. I love the fruit candies and also have an affinity for Reeses Peanut Butter Cups). So I have been trying to avoid candy and sweets altogether. The Easter candy still lingering on the counter is a daily reminder how hard I am trying to not eat it, though.

So what do I eat and drink? My morning usually starts with a large diet Coke (generally my only one of the day). Then for the rest of the day I try and only drink diet green tea and water. Given enough of any of those three drinks, I can feel pretty full for the majority of the day. I snack on almonds every few hours and occasionally throw in an apple or two throughout the day. For dinner I eat 1- 100 calorie salmon, which gives me a very lean protein that is high in omega-3 (for other health benefits of salmon, check out: http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/6-health-benefits-of-salmon.html). If I’m hungry while dinner cooks or mid-evening, I have been eating a small (equivalent of 100-150 calories) piece of Colby jack cheese. I try not to eat past 8 or 9 at night unless we get home late and that’s the earliest I can eat supper. The salmon can taste a little spicy, so I sometimes end my meal with a small glass of diet (no calorie) Root Beer, just for a little bit of a sweet taste to end the night. Beyond that, it’s water for the rest of the evening.

As I begin to up my miles (next week’s mini-goal is 50 miles in 7 days starting on SUN), I’ll have to watch my calorie intake in relation to what I burn. I anticipate dropping weight throughout this process, which will put me closer to my overall goal. In the meantime, the changes that I am already seeing in my body (legs and abs noticeably firming up) make me happy!