My Name is Athlettuce. And I’m Addicted to Smoothies.

 My name is Athlettuce.  And I’m addicted to smoothies.

I’ve had a smoothie almost every morning for at least six months, and I’m showing no signs of stopping.  I have one on days I run, on days I lift, on days I sleep in.   They make me feel so, so good, and like I’m starting my day on the right foot.  They are also portable–I can tuck them into the side pocket of my backpack and drink once I get to work or after Orangetheory.  I can drink while walking the dog.  Or I can enjoy at home on the couch.  They are easy to digest, so I don’t need to wait long after drinking one to work out, but they are also refreshing and protein-packed to help with recovery.

I should note that I’m not like those creative folks on Instagram coming up with a variety of colorful smoothie bowls with lines of seeds and nuts and coconut strips on top.  No, I’m more of a practical smoothiewoman.

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Here’s what I throw in the blender:

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MSB Marathon T-Minus 10 Weeks: Hell Week, a Bruised Toe, and the Start of No Sugar November

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Only 10 weeks to go until the Mississippi Blues Marathon. This past week was a doozy with Orangetheory Hell Week Monday through Friday (recap here!).  Lots and lots of intervals, which were part of my 5K training plan, plus some good strength training.  I happily took my rest day on Saturday instead of Sunday.

Unfortunately, on Saturday evening I dropped my laptop squarely on my big toe.  Yikes.  Based on the amount of pain, I was questioning whether it was broken, but now I’ve decided it is just badly bruised.  (I’ll spare you the picture.)  As runners, we are often so scared about injuring our knees or dealing with IT band pain and shin splints.  But sometimes just having butterfingers is what will thwart you!

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Getting Back to “Normal” After a Marathon

After a marathon, it is totally understandable that your body needs a break.  And you might find yourself really hungry and supersluggish for days after your race.  That’s fine.  Sleep in.  Eat what your body is asking for.

But sometimes we go beyond that, and for days and even weeks after a race.

At some point, we need to say,

“OK body, time to look ahead, not behind.”

So how do we get back to “normal” after months of training (and eating accordingly), then carb loading, then running 26.2 miles, and then trying to recover from it all?

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