It’s ALL Mental
A few updates to my preparation for the 10K race on April 9:
-Ran 5 miles last weekend in 49 minutes, 9:46 pace. If I can keep that pace for 6.2 miles, I’ll make my goal of a 10K in under an hour.
-Ran short fast hill routes during the week to build strength for the big uphill/downhill in the upcoming race. I did these runs each time after a full day of work, and did NOT have the motivation to get dressed and go. I felt tired and didn’t think running would be a good idea. But each time I eventually went, I felt so much better after. I’ve decided that any time my mind says, “I don’t feel like running”, that’s the perfect time to get out and go. It just never seems doable at the moment.
-Ran 5 miles this morning in the pouring rain and gusty winds (in my fivefingers) with my father and sister. It was so fun! They are both faster runners than I am, and I had to be careful to keep my pace at 9:45. Usually we ran around 9:15-9:30. I planned to run 6 miles to try to keep up my pace for that distance, but it wasn’t happening today. By the time we got to 5 miles, I was splashing through puddles that came up above my ankles. The fivefingers did wonderfully in the rain; my feet were obviously soaked, but the water sloshed out of them easily and they didn’t get heavy. Here’s a picture of me drenched afterward:
Two more weeks to go! The countdown begins :)
Recommended Cookbook for Athletes
It’s not zero carb, or even low carb, it’s the “Specific Carbohydrate Diet”. Basically one eats the carbohydrates that are easy for the body to digest and process, like vegetables, nuts, squash, fruit, etc., many of which can be turned into flours for baking so you don’t have to give up the things you love, like pancakes! I’ve been trying out the diet as best I can for a few weeks now, and am happy to report I can still run long distances and not feel under-fueled.
I recommend the cookbook pictured below for people who are contemplating or doing any sort of nutrition program that limits grains and sugars for maximum digestive health. It was written for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SDC) crowd, but I think it would work for the Paleo/Primal crowd as well. The recipes are amazingly written, yet simple, and the science behind why one benefits eating this way is more compelling than anything I’ve found on paleo and primal websites (which usually default to the evolutionary argument). The cookbook has some explanation of this science, but for those interested in a more extensive explanation, you can check out this website explaining the SDC.
Why would you buy a cookbook when there are so many recipes online? I like to have a reference that I can easily bring into the kitchen and that has a lot of other information besides just the recipes themselves.
Most people, even if not officially diagnosed, do suffer from digestive conditions. Even allergies and asthma are reduced on this diet, I’m happy to report! I’m not getting any sort of kickback from advertising for this diet or the cookbook; I just feel like eating this way will make a huge difference in my overall health and quality of life (it has already), and hopefully even make me a better runner. Let me know if you try it out; I’d be interested in discussing it with you in regards to your athletics.
Comments?
My Week-Long Juice Cleanse/Detox
Why Did I Do a Juice Cleanse / Detox?
I’ve been a healthy eater (organic foods, whole grains, no processed food or preservatives, a good amount of fruits and vegetables) for at least three years now. I knew I wasn’t putting in a lot of “toxic” substances to my body, especially because I also switched to natural shampoos, soaps, and sunscreen. But, my husband, who got me started on all this healthy eating, did some research and decided to do a juice cleanse himself. He liked the renewed energy it gave him. Based on my husband’s experiences, I set out to do a seven-day juice cleanse of my own.
I hoped that when I re-introduced food into my diet, I could choose to eat foods that would eliminate a variety of frustrating health issues I’ve had for many years:
- chronic yeast infections (Candida) that come from eating too many carbs and sugar
- gas / bloating at times
- allergies that persist throughout the year, regardless of season
- iron (hemoglobin) deficiency / anemia
Also, I hoped the juice cleanse would jump start my running and get me on a diet to make me more efficient in that area.
Types of Juice I Drank
It’s best to make all juices at home with a juicer, but I just didn’t have time, as I was working full time over the course of this juice cleanse. So, here’s what I did:
Homemade in juicer: spinach, chard, beets, carrots
Bought at Trader Joe’s in the refrigerated section: Very Green Juice Blend, Watermelon, Orange, Essential Greens Veggie Juice
Bought at TJ’s in non-refrigerated section: Garden Patch, Organic Apple Cranberry
How Much Juice I Drank
All day: ginger tea (tumeric, ginger extract, sometimes chamomile and/or raw honey)
Morning before work: Glass of Very Green Juice Blend or other fruit juice, and another glass of a mixture of carrots/chard/spinach/beets (process shown in video above)
Brought to work: three 16 oz. bottles. First had watermelon, orange, and apple/cranberry. Second had Garden Patch and Essential Greens. Third had carrot and Essential Greens. I put the bottles in a little cooler with ice packs.
Afternoon/Evening: usually 3-4 more big glasses of a combination of any of the above juices.
How I Felt During the Cleanse
Ok, full disclosure. I did a lot of research and decided to start the cleanse with a laxative called Magnesium Citrate oral solution which had been recommended by my physician. It’s what they give patients before a colonoscopy to clean them out. I drank the 10oz. bottle on Saturday morning, then just drank ginger tea the rest of the day to keep me hydrated.
On Sunday morning, I started the juice cleanse. I was quite hungry and a little weak Sunday because I hadn’t eaten anything the day before. However, Monday and Tuesday I felt a lot more energy. It was a very strange feeling to be hungry and tired in the body, but remarkably clear-headed and alert in the mind. My constant stuffy nose which I had always attributed to allergies went away, and I could breathe clearly. I started to develop a white coating on my tongue and teeth and a yucky taste in my mouth, which I learned was a result of the toxins being released from my body. Wednesday through Friday I marveled that even though I was hungry a lot, I didn’t get the headaches that usually came with the hunger. My body felt calm and relaxed.
I didn’t run during the juicing week because I didn’t feel I had enough calories for it, especially because my job as a high school teacher is quite exhausting anyway.
Results and Running
I wanted to know what foods I should re-introduce to my diet when I broke my juice fast, so I did a lot of research and found the following great resources:
GAPS diet
Raw Milk
Coconut Oil and Flour (found at my local health-food store)
Chia Seeds
I’m now trying to follow the full GAPS diet as best I can and bought the GAPS guide. The biggest step when re-introducing food was to cut out all cereal grains and sugar (only allowed is raw honey), and eat a lot of yogurt and raw or fermented dairy. Also, not to eat fruits at the same time you eat other foods, as they have different digestive processes. I’ve baked with coconut flour to varying degrees of success and am looking forward to trying almond flour. UPDATE: Made banana bread today with almond flour/meal and it was awesome!! Recipe called “Banana Macadamia Bread” from Kendall Conrad’s “Eat Well Feel Well” SDC cookbook, which I modified to use almond meal instead of the macadamias. I really recommend the cookbook, even for the paleo diet!
I ran two times last week, the first 3.5 miles and the second 4.5, eating a date and a little banana about an hour before. I also ate chia seeds during the day in yogurt or fruit juice. That seemed to give me enough carbs for energy.
So far I’ve been off the juice diet for a full week and love my new eating habits. My allergies are all but gone, which helps in my running. I used to have to carry tissues with me on every run, but now I hardly need them.
Other resourses on Juice Fasting here.
Have you ever tried a juice or other cleanse? Comments?
