I’m tapering for the Mississippi Blues Marathon, and in a few days I’ll start carb loading. We do this mostly because of one fancy word: glycogen. I’ve heard the word bandied about but I wondered Do I really know what it means? And am I doing the right things with regard to glycogen? Thank goodness for the internet.
Here’s what I’ve figured out…
You can check out my goals for 2016 here, but this post is about looking back at a pretty marvelous year. Thanks to all of those who supported me and brought joy to my life in 2015.
Here are a few facts about 2015…
I don’t love how New Year’s resolutions are marketed these days (nor how congested they make gym classes…), but I do see value in setting new intentions for the year ahead. I’ll be gentler on myself, I’ll be more complimentary to my spouse, I’ll focus on being more appreciative — that sort of thing. And, although you won’t hear me resolve to lose 10 lbs. in 2016, I also see value in setting goals. (Obvi… This is a blog entirely dedicated to my goal of running 50 marathons in 50 states…) I’ve decided on three running-related goals for 2016.
This past week was obviously Christmas week. I hope everyone had a merry Christmas! I had approximately (no, exactly) five Christmases: one with my immediate family, one with each side of my extended family, and one with each side of my husband’s family. Although it was lovely to see everyone, it took a TON of energy out of me. I also had no fewer than three meals prominently featuring macaroni and cheese.
I had anticipated being busy and tired around the actual holiday, so I got in some workouts earlier in the week before heading out of town. I also did pretty well on Christmas Eve at my parent’s place, with some walking (while listening to Serial), horseback riding, and hitting balls at the driving range. I unfortunately did not make it to yoga with the fam as I had planned (aka, I unfortunately could not drag my family to BOTH the horse farm and the yoga studio, so I had to choose one).
Here’s the full summary…
If you read this blog regularly, you know that I am training for the Mississippi Blues Marathon on January 9 (19 days from now!). Last week, I said I was going to just get my 20 miler done this past weekend a little early, so I didn’t have to worry about doing it over the holidays. Spoiler alert: it didn’t happen.
I’ve finally cancelled my gym membership. There are just too many free running paths and too many (expensive but really, really) good boutique studios.
Even though access to the gym was unlimited, I found that when I made it there (rarely), I didn’t get as much out of it as Orangetheory or a reformer pilates class. I just sort of wandered around for 25 minutes, lifted a few weights while trying not to get in people’s way, and struggled to find something good on the TVs while stair-stepping and wishing I was outside. The yoga instructors were good, but it was hard to fit the classes in with my work schedule and even harder to motivate myself to get up early for a class I hadn’t specifically paid for. (There is always that calculus in the dark hours of the morning, when my bed is so so warm – losing the $30 I paid for my pilates class and sleeping for another hour, or sucking it up? Money is a pretty good motivator.) The barre classes at the gym were too crowded and were generally not as good as barre at Xtend Barre and Barre3. The spin instructors couldn’t keep a beat. I don’t like setting my own weights or counting my reps, so I only really like lifting with a trainer or my husband:
Now that I’ve freed up my conscience and an extra $100 each month, here are some of the great things I’m looking forward to…
This time of year, I think it’s really common to get in a little bit of a fitness rut. The start of the holiday season, some increased intensity at work, important social events, and the colder weather have all been challenges for me the past few weeks. I’ve been working out, but I haven’t made it to Orangetheory, I skipped a few longer runs, and two weeks ago I even walked to work all week instead of running. Although I’m doing well at the Tea Streak and the Vending Machine Challenge, and really haven’t had many sweet treats apart from birthday cake(s), I’ve been taking in more calories than I’m burning. (Binge eating clementines probably doesn’t help.) I can feel some of the pre-wedding weight creeping back, which I was hoping to avoid because I know that I run faster and easier, with less risk of injury, when I’m a little leaner.
This past week, I’ve been working on crawling out of the rut!
When I was recently home for a fake, post-holiday Thanksgiving meal, I was shocked at the degree to which my vegetable-loving mom does not know how to cook vegetables. I am assuming this is a common problem, and one that probably prevents a lot of people from eating the magnitude of veggies they’d like to eat (or should be eating). I am working from home today and multi-tasking, and I had about a thousand pounds of vegetables in the fridge from my farm share. So I’m roasting. This is hands-down the #1 way to cook vegetables. And once you know the general principles, it’s pretty foolproof. The only veggies I prefer sauteed instead of roasted are greens like collards and spinach. Everything else is getting thrown in the oven. So here’s how to do it…
My husband is obsessed with podcasts – not just Serial and This American Life but lots and lots of other podcasts about tech and business and food and farming and health and medicine and relationships. He listens to them on the way to work, walking the dog, in the car, who knows when else. I enjoy them – especially Radiolab – in the car with him on road trips (especially because we have different musical preferences), but I haven’t made them part of my daily life like he has.
However, on my last few long runs, I’ve been feeling… well, lonely. Bored. Eager to get home and get on with whatever else the day holds.
I turned 30 this week! And that’s about all I accomplished. It was a busy week at work, plus there was RAIN! And coldness! And family obligations! I could make a million excuses, but whatever. Back at it next week.
Here’s the summary…
athlettuce 