My first half marathon is nine weeks away. I still can’t believe I even signed up! I’ve always enjoyed working out and being healthy and fit, but to actually run a half marathon feels a little crazy! As most of you know, I’m a mom of three, an Art Director – no doubt I am super busy! I run my business and I run our home, after getting the kids clothed and fed and out the door, I work non-stop all day. At the end of the day sometimes it is hard to be creative with dinner; though I try (you have seen some pictures here and there of my favorite healthy recipes). And then after getting my kids bathed and off to bed is when “me” time starts. And you know what, as hard as it has been to work in my training, especially in trying to have an “outdoor” workout experience, I really have enjoyed this new program that I have worked into my day.
Let me break down my training into 3 categories
Exercise | Mind + Body | Diet
? Exercise
The first thing I do is lace up my new Brooks sneakers. I love them! Then I go down stairs and hop on to my elliptical. On my extended work out days, I’ve started to up my time on the elliptical to an hour. On my shorter days, I do 30 – 45 minutes. I know it’s not the same as running outdoors, but maybe now that we changed the clocks I’ll be able to squeeze in an hour one night a week.
Mind + Body
This is the hardest category for me. I’ve been trying to make a Tuesday night yoga class. I find it relaxing and I’m able to turn off the outside world. I think it’s important to take an hour off here and there. Otherwise I try to go to sleep by 10:00 (I know crazy) and get a peaceful night’s sleep.
Diet
Even before I began my training regimen, I always tried to cook everything myself, but a few months back I found that I was feeling a little weak. I was hungry and suffered from headaches by the end of the day. So I decided to add a few super foods to my diet! I am tossing some hemp seeds into my Greek yogurt at breakfast, a slice of avocado (just a little) to my veggie burgers in the afternoon. I also started making homemade hummus (my favorite, yum-o!), and snacking on walnuts. Fresh herbs have always been integral to my diet, and even more so now. I just grind them up and make herb paste, brush it onto my meats and vegetables before grilling. I am really inspired by my diet now, and I’ve truly begun feeling better.
But I can admit it…sometimes I just can’t resist a sweet treat, and I guess I need to develop strategies for navigating the late afternoon frozen yogurt craving. Maybe it’s just me, but doesn’t it seem like every time you turn around there is another Red Mango or Yogo Factory, or even more tempting, a Cold Stone Creamery opening up at the local shopping plaza? Sometimes I try to avoid them altogether, but other times I try to use the sweet treat as my reward for a particularly strong work out, or an extra mile or two on my run. Like anything else, when we work hard, a little reward is always a good thing.
I’d love to hear some of your thoughts and ideas as to how I can switch up my program, any thoughts are welcome. I’ll keep you guys posted on how I’m doing, but please feel free to email me any suggestions to make my race day GREAT!