I Feel Good

After the awesome week of workouts I had last week I was ready to tackle this week head on. I decided to stay at my boyfriend's house Sunday night after the super bowl instead of driving back to school with all sorts of potential drunk drivers out. I had to leave pretty early Monday morning to make it to class on time because of rush hour. Between staying up late for the game and getting up early for class, I was pretty beat come Monday night. I had wanted to get in an easy run but my body had other plans.

I can definitely tell the semester is in full swing because I got nailed with work this week. I had no free time to do anything other than study, eat, and sleep. By last night I was tired that I went to sleep at 11:00 and slept straight until 9:00. I woke up this morning feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day.

Although it was a little cold outside, there was not a cloud in sight and I was itching to go for a run. I debated lacing up my new sneakers or sticking with my old pair for a few more days. I was only running four miles so I thought it was the perfect time to try them out. Plus they matched my outfit. Yes, I do try to match my shorts, shirt, socks, shoes, and even sports bra. I'm that cool.

My legs were really sore at the beginning of the week from the higher mileage plus going to the gym but they felt great today. I have been experimenting with a higher cadence (more on that later) and my legs were loving it. The new shoes feel so much more supportive, which I guess means it was time to replace my old ones.

I wanted to run four easy miles to get my legs used to running again but my legs just seemed to take off. I had to keep slowing myself down during the first mile so I didn't burn out. I kept running at a comfortable yet quick pace and ended up finishing four miles in 37 minutes, the fastest I have run four miles on campus. (UMBC's campus is pretty hilly.) I can't wait to go for another run in my new shoes. They feel great and I felt like I was running on clouds.

Split	Time	Distance	Avg Pace
Summary	37:47.3	4.00	9:26
1	9:40.1	1.00	9:40
2	9:33.9	1.00	9:34
3	8:52.5	1.00	8:54
4	9:38.9	1.00	9:37
5	:02.0	0.00	9:09

How often do you buy new sneakers? Do you have to break them in or do you just go big in them?

On Learning to Love My Body

One of the goals I set for myself for this year is to learn to love my body and feel confident about myself. This is really a never-ending goal and something that we could all probably work on. I won't lie and say that the only things that bother me are my fingernails or something silly like that. As I'm writing this post though I can't really think of much about my body that bothers me. Yeah, of course I would love a flatter stomach, a smaller booty, and more toned legs. But honestly, there isn't really anything that I truly hate.

I have never had a real reason for having such low self esteem. I just always feel like I am not good enough. For awhile I hated my red hair growing up because I didn't know anyone else with red hair. In high school I considered dyeing it a dark brown. But when I told people my plan I received no support. I was told over & over that I had beautiful hair that people pay hundreds of dollars for at salons.

I am not trying to convince you all that I have great hair because it still drives me crazy. It is unbelievably thick which causes it to be very unruly. I can't cut it too short or grow it too long or else it turns into an animal. Recently I got my haircut and it was shorter than what I am used to. I was so panicked that I was going to have an afro of red hair and look like Carrot Top that I was considering getting it professionally straightened.

After a few hours I calmed down though. I started getting scared about not having my usual curly, crazy hair. I realized that my hair is one of the things that makes me stand out from others. It is a part of who I am and despite how annoying it can be, it is something that I don't want to change.

The moral of this long, random post is to listen when others compliment you. You really are beautiful and strong and smart and it is so much easier for others to see it. Most of us are very humble and don't take compliments very well but I am telling you to start listening to others and realize just how fabulous you are.

My Decision to Go Dairy Free

One of my February goals is to eat a dairy free diet. I have been thinking about going dairy free for a while but now seemed like the perfect time. I am working on a post about my plan for going dairy free but that will be coming later, hopefully this week.

In order to fully understand why I am cutting dairy out of my diet I need to let you in on my history with dairy. When I was a baby dairy made my stomach really sick. Growing up I couldn't eat any dairy products until I was around 4 or 5. I was told that I just grew out of my dairy allergy and could start eating dairy.

After then I never had any problems with dairy until a couple years ago. While I was in high school I developed this annoying cough after I ate. After a long time of casually thinking about what I was eating I came to the conclusion that dairy was the culprit.

Recently, though, I was having some stomach issues. I have been struggling with eating before running (that is a whole other post) and I again think the culprit is dairy. The weird thing is that my stomach feels heavy but that is it. Problem is, my stomach feels so heavy that I can't really accomplish much.

At this point, I am struggling with properly fueling my body. Lately I have been feeling sluggish and I think it is directly related to what I am eating. I think it is important for me to figure this out so I can start feeling my best.

Besides my stomach issues, eating a dairy free diet is healthy for the body in many other ways. I am going to address the nutrition issues in a later post, but I will say that I am doing this the healthy way. I am going to be close attention to my diet in general to make sure that I am getting all the nutrients that I need.

It Was a Great Week

Last week was probably my best training week ever. I started the week off feeling motivated by the unbelievable warm weather maintained that motivation for the entire week. I ran five times, which is the most I have ever run in one week, for 21 miles total. I also biked twice, and went to the gym for strength training for the first time.

I am really not sure if I have ever had a week in which I was so happy the entire time. Despite the stresses of being in college, I managed to stay composed and optimistic. I even started most days cheery with a smile on my face.

After last week I am even more excited about the upcoming weeks of half marathon training. The Rock N' Roll USA Half Marathon in Washington DC is March 17, which means I have five more solid weeks of training plus a final week for a taper. I am not good at following training plans but I am ready to kick it into high gear for the rest of this training cycle.

I have been enjoying running so much lately that I am thinking about switching around my race plans for the rest of the year. I was planning on really focusing on triathlons over the summer and then only one or two fall half marathons. I have never done a triathlon though and I want to learn more about the sport and how to properly train for a triathlon before I jump into any big races.

With that said, though, I am really excited with what I have lined up for the rest of the year and can't wait to try so many new things

Today Was One of Those Runs

The plan for today was to run 6 miles on my own and then meet up with my dad to finish up for 9 miles total. I was so excited to be able to do a long run on the trail near my house that is flat. I was also excited to be running with Nuun for the first time and trying my first GU.

I set out for my first 6 miles, aiming to drink a few sips every mile or so and take the GU around mile 5. I stuck with drinking a few sips around every mile but I didn't get to take the GU.

I felt great during the entire run and was running at a much faster pace than usual. But I felt so strong so I decided not to slow down. I was willing to risk crashing & burning. This was only the second time I brought a drink along with me during a run and I definitely noticed a difference. I felt more energized after every sip.

I turned around at mile 3 after having something to drink and saw two other runners who were off in the distance. I kept my pace and continued to run comfortably. After another mile or so I realized I was gaining on them. I had no intentions of making this a hard run but I really wanted to catch them.

Once I decided that I was going to catch them, I picked up the pace. I didn't want to push too hard so I ran at a pace that was still comfortable yet fast. I still wanted to take my GU around mile 5 but it just so happened that mile 5 was when I was going to pass them.

As much as I wanted to take the GU, I didn't want to pass these two runners (one of whom was a man who was none too happy to be passed by a teenager) and then stop to take a GU and have to repass them. Ultimately, I passed them with my head held high and continued a fast pace to make sure they didn't hang with me.

This was also the same time that it started raining. And it was cold! I finished 6 miles and met up with my dad. We wanted to 3 miles together but the rain was mixed with ice and we were not dressed for that in the slightest. Since we opted out of the last 3 miles of the run we went back to the house and finished up on the elliptical and bike, respectively.

Laps7

View Splits

Split Time Distance Avg Pace Summary 57:32.5 6.00 9:35 1 9:38.5 1.00 9:38 2 9:29.4 1.00 9:29 3 9:37.9 1.00 9:38 4 10:02.7 1.00 10:02 5 9:30.9 1.00 9:32 6 9:11.6 1.00 9:10 7 :01.5 0.00 9:41

In the end, I am really glad I ran a little faster than I normally would have since I only got in 6 miles. They were the fastest 6 miles I have ever run and they felt amazing. Today's run made me feel like a superstar. I ran fast, strong, and chicked my first guy. All in all I would call it a darn successful day.

My Dairy Free Plan

As excited as I am about eating dairy free for the month of February, I am also pretty scared. There is a reason why I have never cut out dairy before: I love dairy! If I am going to do this successfully I need to construct some guidelines.

1. Only cut out major dairy products. I recently learned that most foods have some type of dairy in them, even in tiny amounts. As for right now I don't think I need to go that extreme. So that means no milk, cheese, ice cream, and other main dairy products. I have already switched to drinking almond milk so the biggest thing is going to be cutting out cheese.

2. Don't stress about finding dairy free options while eating out. Being a vegetarian already makes it more difficult for my boyfriend and I to find places to eat out at so restricting myself 100% of the time is just not realistic. I do want to try to select options with minimal amounts of dairy but I understand that dairy free options at restaurants can be hard to come across (i.e. if we are ordering Dominoes, how am we supposed to order a dairy free pizza).

3. Keep a food log. This is also a February goal and it goes hand in hand with going dairy free. I found a great free food log online that helps you keep track of not only what you eat but how you feel after eating. I want to be able to look back and see how eating dairy affects me. I will report back at the end of the month with my results!

4. Find a good dairy free cookbook. Since I have been trying to cook more for myself I am really interested in finding new recipes that are both dairy free and delicious. While many of the recipes that I currently make can be done dairy free, I also want to try new things and get a new experience.

5. Ensure I'm eating enough nutrients that are commonly found in dairy products. The overall goal of this experiment is to improve my overall health. But I also need to make sure that I am not missing any important nutrients by not eating dairy. The primary way I plan on doing this is through eating wholesome foods. I am also going to restart taking a calcium pill since calcium is primarily found in dairy.

February Goals

I wrote down my goals for January, and while I didn't meet all of them it still really helped to have something to strive towards. I am so new to the sports of running and triathlon that it is hard for me to set goals regarding specific times. So instead I am setting monthly goals in multiple aspects of my life to keep me on track.

1. Foam roll, stretch, and ice after running. I never used to do any of these things after running and it eventually caught up with me. Now I need to do all three to keep my knees and IT bands happy.


2. Figure out nutrition plan for half marathon & long runs. I haven't done many long runs since I started running and I still have no idea how much I should be drinking and eating before and during. I want to experiment with some different products and see what works best so I stop bonking midway through runs.


3. Strength train twice a week. I love strength training when I am at my parents house because the gym I go to there is so nice. UMBC's gym is pretty sucky though and makes me have no desire to go. I have read over & over though about how important strength training is for staying injury free so I need to just go do it.


4. Do yoga once a week. Yoga really helps keep my body and mind happy. I noticed I was in more pain after running once I stopped going to yoga. February is all about staying healthy & injury free before the big March half marathon.


5. Drink 60 oz. water daily. I know this doesn't sound like anything crazy but I have a really hard time drinking enough water. With the longer runs I am doing I am going to need to be upping my water intake. 60 oz. is right around the amount that someone of my age and size should be drinking regularly so it shouldn't be too difficult with some planning.


6. Don't skip long runs. I have a really hard time making myself do the long runs I have scheduled during training because of where I live. I don't like doing hilly long runs but I am just going to have to get over that. I probably will end up driving to a trail about 30 minutes away a few times to make sure I get in my long runs too though.


7. Keep food log & eat as dairy free as possible. I didn't like being tracking my food online in January because it was difficult to enter home cooked foods. Instead I am going to just record what I eat & when, and how I feel after eating it. I am also going to be using the log to see how dairy is affecting my stomach. I am not going to cut out dairy entirely but hopefully I can eliminate most.


8. Do something active every day. I loved this goal so much in January that I want to keep at it in February too. Trying to meet this goal in January made me do a lot of workouts that I otherwise would have skipped. Plus being more active has been making me feel much better physically & mentally.


9. Meditate for 15 minutes once a week. I really want to start meditating and 15 minutes is a lot more realistic than an hour. I love how beneficial meditation is and I really hope I can make it a integral part of my life.


10. Limit time spent watching TV and on the internet. It is so easy to just sit on the couch and watch TV yet there are so many more productive things I could be doing instead. I will be using the time I normally spend watching TV cooking, reading, or studying for school. Since there are a lot of TV shows that I am pretty much addicted to I am going to let myself watch them only if I am on the trainer or stretching or listening while cooking or cleaning. No more TV during homework or studying.