Why I Decided Not to Run My 10K

That's right. Yesterday, I decided not to run my 10K. I signed up for this race a few months ago and tried to train as best I could without injuring myself. But after a few weeks of tightness and pain in my knee and hip, as well as being hit by bronchitis last week and coughing nonstop, I decided to not run my race on Sunday. It was hard to come to this decision, and I'm fighting hard to not see this as a failure. But I do know this is better for me long term. Running is a huge part of my life, I absolutely love it. It gives me confidence, strength, and finally showed me that I CAN do what I set out to do. But, my knees are breaking down and my hips are sore. I can't keep pounding on my joints, even though I want to!! I'm crazy I know...

I have to be at peace about this decision. It's just one race, and for the sake of my health, I know I'll be okay if I skip it. I still consider myself as a runner, even if I only run twice a week at very slow paced, which apparently is really healthy according to this article I read!

http://mobile.nytimes.com/blogs/well/2015/02/04/slow-runners-come-out-ahead/?ref=nutrition&_r=1&referrer=

I'll still be getting my beloved cardio and toning workouts in, but with more variety and ease. I've also been loving taking my cardio outdoors lately. I went on a two mile walk this morning and it was beautiful!

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I think the most important thing is to do what you love while also listening to your body. I love running, but I feel that God is helping me love other, healthier ways of getting my activity in as well. And for that, I am grateful! :)

Week 1: 10K Recap

Well, my first week of training came to an end yesterday! Even though it wasn't exactly how I wanted it to be, I am still pleased with my performance and my times! I wasn't able to get my long run in, or my second plyometrics workout, but other than that, it was a great week!

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I ran a total of 12 miles this week. I did plyometrics on my 4 mile run day. I had planned on doing it on another day in between runs, but just couldn't fit it in! I'll have to plan more carefully for next week!

On my long run day (the 5 miles which turned into 3 miles), I only made it to 3 miles. I was tired, not feeling well, and my legs were extremely sore from leg day! I'm disappointed that I couldn't do the 5 miles, but there is always this week to try again!

I'm happy with how training has been going so far and can't wait to see what this week will bring! Stay tuned for my food and fitness plan post coming soon!

Work Hard, Stay Humble: Daily Manna 12/8/14

I miss these daily posts I used to do. For me, writing is like therapy. It's such a natural outlet for me. I've always been a big reader and writer. I miss writing about my days and reflecting on what went on and what I experienced. I want to start doing these posts again whenever I can. I want to write more. I want to reflect more. I want to remember all of God's blessings each and every day. Like this morning, it was a blessing to be able to wake up. It was a blessing to read my Bible while sipping on some warm lemon water in the stillness of my home. It was a blessing to greet my dad as I ate some delicious gluten free gingerbread to gear up for my workout. It was a blessing to be able to run with the legs God has blessed me with. Legs that can move, run, bend, and withstand some pain in order to become stronger.

I am so blessed to be able to move and I never want to forget that. This morning was my first day training for my 10 K that is coming up in 10 weeks. I followed my training plan, and followed it up with a killer back and biceps workout with my trainer. I worked hard, but must remain humble because I know it is all by God's strength and grace that I am even able to move.

Here is my day 1 training update:

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This morning's run went great! I was able to do a few intervals but didn't push too hard or too fast since this was a moderate (M) run. I was so happy with my time! I also did some ab work which consisted of a plank, some ankle grabbers, and flutter kicks. And, most importantly, I stretched!!! It felt great and I definitely need to do it more often.

For breakfast, I made a quick sausage and sweet potato casserole while I was getting ready. I love making this dish because it lasts a few days and tastes amazing!

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I thought I would be late to work, but I was early. I was so stressed for nothing! I realized that I tend to get worked up over things, and 90% of the time, those things never happen. I really need to destress and not take little things as the end of the world!

Work was pretty busy which helps it go by super fast! I had some carrots and hummus on my break, then had my usual turkey burger and salad for lunch.

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This has been my easy go-to lunch on Mondays if I am short on time for meal prep on Sunday night. I can fry up this burger in no time; and paired with a salad...it's delicious! Weekends have been jam packed for me recently, so it is nice to have an emergency healthy meal always on hand! I keep the Trader Joe's turkey burgers in my freezer at all times.

I got hungry around 4pm so I had a yummy quest bar!

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These bars are such treats, and yes they do have a few "iffy" ingredients, but they have a good amount of protein for when I don't have time to eat a chicken breast. Ideally, I would love to just eat a chicken breast. I would love to have a completely clean week one of these weeks and not have any convenience foods, just to challenge myself. Because I'm sure it's possible. But life is life and you make the most of the options you have. And today, my best option (as Christmas cookies were staring at me in the break room) was a quest bar!

I got home from work around 5:45 and wasn't too hungry for dinner. I had defrosted some chicken so I decided to make some Parmesan garlic sautéed chicken for lunch tomorrow and the next day. I ended up having some yummy gluten free crackers and hummus for dinner while cooking...totally acceptable in my opinion!

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Andddd a gluten free banana chocolate chip protein cookie too (recipe coming soon!) I will also post the recipe for the chicken (so many things to do!) It was very easy to prepare and it tasted delicious (I had to have a few bites!) I can't wait to gobble it up tomorrow!

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And now...for some rest and relaxation time with my parents. Something I have been looking forward to all day! It was a day full of hard work, patience, and relying on God through it all!

10 Week 10K Injury-Proof Training Plan!

Good morning everyone!! I can't believe it is already Friday. This week flew by for me. But I'm not complaining, because it's almost the weekend! I'm hoping to get some good rest and relaxation in, and of course, get some wedding stuff done! As many of you know, I signed up for a 10K that is on February 15, 2015! I'm so excited for this race. I've done numerous 10Ks and half marathons, but since injuring my knee/hip a year ago, I've been dialing back my running BIG TIME. And, it's been hard. I'm one of those crazy running-lovers that would run every day if my body could take it. And that's exactly how I hurt myself. Before my injuries, would run 6-8 miles daily, no stretching, and no strength training. I would run all day every day (practically). Over-training hurt my joints, and my injuries were directly related to my lack of stretching, lack of strength, and running too long and too frequently, with NO REST. SO, this time, I am determined to not hurt myself while enjoying running again. I miss running and training for an event, so I am incredibly excited about my 10K! There are about 10 weeks left until February 15, so I have developed a 10 week 10 K training plan that is injury proof! I am using my past experiences to fill in the missing pieces of my training plans in the past. I will start my plan this coming Monday, so I decided to post it now so if anyone wants to join, you will have it available!  But, as a disclaimer, I am NOT a personal trainer, nor do I have any fitness certification. All of this is just from my past experiences running races. I hope you all can join me and we can learn together!!

I have a few rules in order to keep myself in check, as well as a split between fast, moderate, and endurance-based runs! I'm so excited to share this plan with you all and I hope it will be of some help to someone out there!

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First of all, I've set some training rules for myself that I am going to aim for. I don't want to be running every day as I used to do in the past. I want to put a cap on my distances, and how many times a week I plan to run my longest distance. I definitely want to get into the habit of stretching after each run, and ideally every day. I am a horrible stretcher and need some motivation in this area!

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The speed work I plan on doing won't be anything too crazy.

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I want to do more plyometrics/jumping exercises. These exercises help your heart develop more strength and endurance. Some of these exercises include squat jumps, burpees, and jump/plyo lunges. I am not too experienced with plyometrics yet, but I am hoping some research and You Tube will give me some more ideas! I will aim to do these plyometric workouts on my moderate run days.

 

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These will be the 3 types of runs I focus on. On my fast runs (F), I will go my shortest distance and try to go all out. These will be when I also practice my sprinting intervals (going really fast for 30-60 seconds at a time). Sprinting speeds are different for each person depending on your running background and endurance levels. I will go based on what tires me out, and keep challenging myself from there! Below, in my running schedule, the runs with an "F" are my short and fast runs of the week!

My moderate runs (M) will be 3-4 miles long and will just be at a comfortable speed. I will not push myself too far, but just at a normal speed with a few intervals thrown in there. Below, the runs with an "M" are my moderate runs for each week.

Lastly, the long, endurance runs will be 5-6 miles long (almost the distance of a 10K) and will be run at an even more comfortable speed than the moderate runs. I will not necessarily be running for time (maybe more towards the end of my training!) but will just develop endurance with these runs. Per my rules, these runs will only be run once a week! Below, the runs with an "L" are my long, endurance runs of the week!

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I am pretty excited to start my plan! On my weekly food/fitness posts, I'll also write about which plyometric and interval workouts I do, or plan to do. This is the first time I am following a strict plan. In the past, when I would train, I would just run as far and as fast as I could every time I ran, and obviously, it wore me out! If anyone wants to join me, leave me a comment and let me know! You don't necessarily have to be training for an event to follow a plan. This plan would be perfect for beginner-moderate runners and will help develop running skills in a safe and progressive manner.

 

Happy Friday, all!

 

- TV :)