Category: Healthy Lifestyle

Comfort Zones

Many people will embark on new diet programs this month.  January is the biggest money maker for these programs every single year.  Have you noticed the increase in advertising on television lately for Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, gym memberships, etc.  Anyone that goes to the gym regularly can tell you January is the month to avoid the place.  There’s suddenly an influx of newbies for a few weeks and then things return to normal.

So many of us want to start fresh each year and vow to change our ways.  This will be the year I get thin, healthy, rich, you name it we’ve vowed it.  Unfortunately, if we don’t make realistic changes, in a few short weeks we will be right back where we started.  Most times we blame the program we were using.  For example, “Oh the food in Nutrisystem is just disgusting.  I couldn’t possibly eat it.”, “Weight Watchers points are too confusing.  It just doesn’t work!”, “The gym was just too crowded for me and I don’t like all those muscle heads in there anyway.”   You’ve heard them all before and possibly even said a few yourself.  But, guess what.  The program is not the problem.  The problem is us.  If we are not true to the program, we lose the right to blame it for not working.

As a Literacy Coach, I used to listen to teachers tell me that Balanced Literacy was horrible, ridiculous and didn’t work.  My response was – “But you haven’t even tried it, so how can you say that.”  It’s the same with diet programs or health changes.  If we change it, cheat, don’t follow it, then we can’t say it didn’t work.  We have to be brutally honest with ourselves.  We don’t know if it worked or not because we never stuck with it.  We need to ask ourselves, Did we follow the plan as outlined?  Did we make changes to it that could have impacted our results?  Though I am not a fan of programs, I am honest with myself if I try one and get no results.

This month I am trying a 30 day challenge that includes meditation, exercise and clean eating – mind and body.  It’s not a drastic change from what I’ve talked about before, but I am going to try for 30 days to eat clean and take care of myself emotionally.  As you know, I broke three of my toes on Christmas Eve.  I’ve been doing my best to get my workouts in and using the elliptical to keep my conditioning, but I miss my runs.  If I’m not careful I could put on weight rather quickly.  It’s just a fact of life that it takes six months to lose ten pounds, but one to two weeks to put them back on.  That’s just how my body works.  Coming out of the holiday eating frenzy, I’ve decided to detox my mind and body.  30 days of meditation, clean eating and reflecting on my goals.  Decluttering my life by moving away from any negative influences.  I just don’t need them, nor want them around.  Focusing on what I do want in my life.  I want to be happy, healthy and excited.  I want to run that darn marathon this year and finish it smiling.   I want to be fierce!

In order to accomplish these goals, I have to get my health in order.  I need to clean up my act a bit and be truer to the idea that 80% of health results are based on what we put into our body.  For far too long, I’ve relied on exercise to burn off the things I want to eat or drink.  That’s fine but it doesn’t burn off the physical effect that stuff has on my body.  Wine is just not good for me.  Yes, I can have a glass every now and then, but I can’t have it every night.  It’s just a fact.  It doesn’t matter if I have only 4 oz as the experts recommend.  It just doesn’t work for my body.  Similarly, if I don’t eat enough vegetables or fruit, I’m depriving my mind and body of the fuel it needs to be strong.  It’s not alright to skip it every day and think it doesn’t matter.  It matters immensely.  Protein matters, yes, but alone it’s not the answer.  It needs the balance of the rest of that darn pyramid.   Balance is key.

I’ve worked with a nutritionist through my last training cycle.  I wanted to learn how to fuel my body for better running performance.  I listened and learned, but then did what I wanted to do.  I made changes and substitutions and told myself it’s alright because I will just run it off.  I never blamed her for the fact that I can’t sleep at night, or that I am having hot flashes again.  I know it’s what I’ve been eating and drinking and stressing over.  I know that skipping lunch and eating junk instead at the office is not good.  So, I will once again refocus my energy and clean up my act.  I will be one of those January people starting over.

I’ve spoken about my jars before – the two jars that sit on my kitchen counter with beautiful blue stones.  The stones represent the pounds I wish to lose to make running that marathon easier on my body.  The empty jar is where I hope to move them.  Reality is those stones have stayed put in that jar for a year now.  Once in a while they move over, but then quickly they are right back where they started.  I’ve got to get them over to the lost jar once and for all.  I want to end this year with NO jars on my counter and nothing to lose.  My jars are plain, but a friend recently sent a photo of hers.  She took the jar idea and made it far fancier.  Perfect visual reminders of what she’s trying to accomplish.

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That little guy looks fierce!  That’s my game face this year.  What are you hoping to accomplish this year?  What’s your plan?

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Year, New You!

Happy New Year to you all.  I’m grateful to have you along on this journey to health.  I hope during this past year you found one piece of my journey that spoke to you.  I hope it motivated you to make one change on your path to wellness.

I’m not a fan of giving things up for resolutions, or lent.  I don’t believe giving up is an effective way to accomplish something.  For some reason whenever you vow to not do something it suddenly becomes an obsession.  Seriously, try giving up chocolate, or wine and suddenly it’s all you think about!  That being said there are some habits I do wish to get rid of this year.  In no particular order they are:

1) Putting myself down – I’ve long been the Queen of Self Deprecation.  I’m never fast enough, thin enough and the list goes on.  Well guess what, there’s always going to be someone faster, thinner and better at something so get over it!  This year, I’m comparing myself to myself.  Have I improved in any area of my life based on where I was last year?  My focus will be on my progress in comparison to only myself.  I’m letting go of negative self talk this year because I am truly enough just as I am.

2) People pleasing – I tend to put others first a lot.  I make many decisions based on someone else’s needs.  This year I vow to put my own needs higher on my list.  Maybe I don’t agree, or really want to do something.  It’s about time I learned to politely say no thanks.  Drawing on the Four Agreements, other people’s  decisions and needs really have nothing to do with me personally.  It’s more about them.  Since I have enough on my own plate these days, I vow to put myself first more.  I will base my decisions on what I believe will meet the needs of my family, students and self.

3) Living in the moment – We talk about this a lot in yoga.  Wouldn’t it be nice this year to live just in the present?  Letting go of all that baggage I carry around could even prompt spontaneous weight loss!  This year I will try to live only in the present.  What’s come and gone has gone away.  Once it’s done, it’s done.  No guilt, or obsessing over the past.  Focusing on the present should help me ease stress as well.  The past truly can’t be changed.  The only changes we can make are in the present and future.

4) Overthinking – Well thankfully I’m planning to live in the moment because I overthink everything.  If someone says something I tend to take it personally.  I know it’s more about them, but it’s truly hard to disconnect emotionally.  I often wonder, Could I have done better?, Was it something I said?, How can I help them? or How can I make this better?  I have to stop trying to fix everything all the time.  Sometimes it truly is what it is and that has to be alright.  I need to let it go.  Perhaps I may even sleep better, something I haven’t done in a long time.  I’m up most nights at 3 AM tossing, turning, worrying and replaying all – overthinking at its finest.  This year I’ve got to do better.

My changes are not presented you’ll notice in what I’m giving up.  Rather, I’ve linked them to the change – or what I WILL do differently this year.  I’m super excited for this year.  I hope you take some time to plan ahead and join me on the path to reclaim our health.  Happy New Year to all who take time to read my blog. I hooe you find peace, happiness and love in abundance this coming year.

Setbacks

Yesterday, I hosted my annual Christmas party for our families.  I was up super early to cook all the sides and prepare for the crowd.  My menu was well planned, as were my table settings.  I thought of every last detail and couldn’t wait to get started.  Family arrived and festivities began.  I decided to be lazy and throw a gift box from the door of my kitchen into the garage.  Well…

That’s when it happened.  Crash, boom, bang came from the garage.  I had closed the door so when I heard it I was kind of surprised.  I quickly went to run out to see what happened and that’s when my three small toes on the left foot got jammed in the metal kitchen door.  So, what do you do when you have a house with 16 guests, dinner ahead of you and three possible broken toes.  You do what every good hostess does.  Your sister in law and you quickly joke about sharing on Reclaiming Health blog and appropriately title the sharing – Setbacks.  (LOL – Helga!)

We had some good laughs over my misfortune all day.  My daughter graciously pulled out my crutches, used the past two winters.  That experience came in quite handy as I knew how to maneuver around the kitchen on them.  My brother in law wondered if he was the cause of my misfortune as some type of jinx.  Me I just said, the show must go on and pass me a shot of that alcohol on the counter.

Today I am in pain, resting and soaking the foot in cold epsom salt and hoping for the best.  Yes, I will admit my first worry was my training run that I’d likely have to miss today.  I remembered my twenty weeks off last year and subsequent addition of ten pounds.  I hoped this would be a small setback and not a long one this winter.  I wondered why I get hurt every darn year.  Then I realized it’s partly because I’m always rushing around trying to get everything done at once.

In my training plan I have had to slow down to stay within heart rate targets and now again to hit cadence targets while maintaining heart rate.  It’s been quite challenging to run that slow, but I’ve noticed something – I enjoy the time and afterwards feel refreshed, not exhausted and spent.  When hitting my 180 cadence target with the metronome this week, I thought I’d never hit the cadence because I had to cut back my speed to running slower than walking.  Funny, I hit the faster cadence at the slower speed.  I remember wondering if life couldn’t be just like that.  Could we continue the push to do everything in life while maintaining the ability to enjoy it?  I now wonder if these constant setbacks were trying to get that message into this stubborn German brain.

Hence, my new resolution was formed.  I will continue my pace of getting things done in my work and personal life, maintaining the speed and pace of a full life.  But, I will slow the process to smell the roses.  I will savor the sights and sounds on those morning runs and not just try to fit it in and get it done.  I will read deeply the words on pages in books and not just read to finish it.  I hope you will take some time to do the same in your life.  Life, it seems goes by so very quickly while we are busy racing around living it.  It’s sad to think of being at the end of life and realizing you missed it.

Merry Christmas to all and have a Happy New Year!

 

 

 

80/20

When I was a little kid I basically could eat anything I wanted, like Ring Dings for breakfast. Seriously, I lived on junk but was such a skinny little thing.  Growing up in Queens, we were outside morning, noon and night.  We ran and played long into those hot summer nights.

Most of my adult life, I’ve strived hard to be the best I could be.   No matter what I took on, I believed if you worked hard enough you’d get it done.  So it’s no surprise I approached healthy living with the same gusto.   Unfortunately, striving for perfection in this area can often be a huge source of stress.

Striving to eat entirely clean, or eliminating foods from the menu often left me craving them even more.  Then of course, if I allowed myself to indulge, I’d feel guilty and beat up on myself emotionally.

Exercise can be the same.  You set out on a new journey and join a gym.  You vow to go every day.  Every single day.  Within a few weeks you are sore or burned out.  Seriously, who hasn’t done this?   I know I have and ended up injured.

I’ve finally realized you can’t really strive for perfection in this part of life.  You can strive to do the best you can each and every day.   Each day is a clean slate, a chance to start anew.

I’ve been doing a heart rate training plan for the past seven months.  It calls for me to use the formula 80/20 when planning my runs.  80% of my runs are done at my MAF HR of 130.  20% of my runs are done with no HR cap.  I’ve recently decided to apply this same formula to my healthy eating plans.  I’m going to shoot for 80% of my choices being healthy, but allow myself a 20% cushion for life.  That glass of wine over dinner with friends last night no longer is a source of guilt.  Pizza on Friday, no problem.  As long as I stay within the 80/20 range it will all be fine.  It’s about balance after all.

So, as I head into the holiday weeks, I’ll be sure to make healthy choices as often as I possibly can.  I’ll rely on my buffer to get me to the other side of this season with minimal change to my lifestyle and minimal weight gain.  80/20 is simple and manageable.  It’s also a realistic lifestyle that allows room for some detours.

If your eating and exercising routines are becoming a source of stress, it’s time to rebalance.  Why not give the 80/20 ratio a try.  I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Habits

So many of us head into the holidays full of excitement.  We over indulge on many things, including food and alcohol.  Then we vow to start a diet for the New Year.  The cycle then begins anew.  Have you ever wondered if they’ll come a day where you’re not in this exact same place?   I know I have.

As I reflect on this past year, I’ve made great strides toward my healthy lifestyle.  But, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking about the extra ten pounds I’m still trying to shed.  They still come and go like an old friend who never leaves.  I guess it could be worse.  In the past it was way more than ten.

So, as I head into this next year I’m keeping with my daily habits theme.  If you change a habit, you have the ability to change your life. My latest habit is one I’ve been holding on to tightly.  I’m talking about my dear friend – coffee.  Heck I’m only two years into this addiction, must I give it up already?   Most of you’ve had years of indulging.  Well, the answer is no!  I don’t have to give up coffee at all. Rather, I have to rethink the way I drink it.  I’m a half coffee, half flavored creamer kind of girl.  I justify it by trying to only have one cup a day.

What I fail to acknowledge is the amount of sugar and chemical my creamers contain.  I’ve tried the heathy ones, but seriously they are disgusting.  Why bother. I’ve thought of doing artificial sweeteners with half and half but I don’t want to use those sweeteners.   I’ve had a long talk with myself about this.  Tea just doesn’t do it for me in the morning.   I’m not looking for caffeine, I’m looking for taste.

This past week I decided to give this habit another look. I tried once before with the bullet coffee, but hated it.  I watched some videos and read some articles and settled on a new recipe.  I whipped some up and I’m drinking it every day.  I don’t feel the huge surge of energy that’s talked about, but I do feel better about my chemical intake.  Not one drop of creamer in the past week and I don’t miss it.  I’m so hoping this new habit is the start of my next phase on this healthy journey.

Heres the recipe if you’d like to give it a try.  I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

1 cup hot organic coffee brewed

1 tsp coconut oil, raw honey and collagen powder

1 tsp raw cocoa powder and grass fed Kerry gold butter

1/2 tsp turmeric, vanilla and cinnamon

Combine all in blender of choice. I use vitamix. Blend and enjoy.  It’s creamy and delicious.  The fats are healthy for you, but don’t overdo it.

The recipe can also be adapted for hot chocolate. You’d just substitute two tablespoons of raw cocoa and cup of hot water for the coffee.

One day and one habit at a time, together we can live healthier.

Gift of Learning

As we move into the holiday season, I think of all the gifts I’ve received this year.  The gift of learning is always top on my list.  This year I learned a lot and really pushed myself to do things I never thought possible.  It was such a great feeling when I accomplished a long term goal and bucket list item.  Finishing a half marathon was wonderful, but the best part of it was the journey I took to get to that finish line.  If I had to sum up my journey and what I took away from it, I’d say the realization that the cycle of learning can apply to all situations.  As an educator, I’m always reading and focusing on how children learn and process information.  It was so interesting to me to see the connections of these concepts to my personal running life.  Specifically, for me the cycle of learning consists of:

  1. Target/Goal – Clearly identified goal or target you are trying to meet.  For me the target was a race; but for many it’s a weight loss amount, or something they’ve always wanted to learn to do.   Having a clear target helps you focus on what you are trying to achieve.
  2. A Plan – Creating an actionable plan that breaks down the steps you need to take to achieve your target. They say a goal without a plan is really just a dream.  I would have to agree strongly with this statement.  For me, having a plan kept me organized and focused on my desired outcomes.  I knew each week what I had to do in order to meet my overall goal.  The plan was created by back mapping from my race date.  I had twenty weeks from when I started to my goal race.  This window of time gave me enough time to realistically set plans for each week.  This was critical as many of us tend to have unrealistic expectations for the time it takes to accomplish our goals.  For example, if we are looking to lose twenty (20) pounds, it is not realistic to expect to lose that in just one week.
  3. Accountability – having a system for accountability is critical to success.  For me, I had many layers of accountability.  I had friends who were on the journey with me holding me accountable.  I would never want to let my tribe down!  I had a coach/teacher who was holding me accountable for doing my work.  I had to report to her on my daily runs and had to publicly post them on Facebook using a GPS app.  Finally, I had personal accountability.  I had an online private calendar on which I logged my runs.  These many layers kept me on track and moving toward my goal.
  4. Support – as we all know the best laid plans can go awry.  That’s true for everything and therefore we need to have a support system.  For me, I chose to have a personal coach to whom I turned.  Through her, I met wonderful running friends who I often turned to first.   We chatted together on a private Facebook group and shared our common journey.  This support system got me through many rough patches along the way and provided answers to my endless questions.  I couldn’t have done it without them.

As you can see, the above cycle can truly apply to any life situation.  I believe it’s the cycle of learning and though it may seem to some an oversimplification of the process, I believe it’s truly all that’s needed.  They say less is more and that always resonates with me.  Take a moment as we head into this New Year and think about your goals.  What would you like to accomplish this year?  I hope you can use the above cycle to get started on the path to wellness.

 

Daily Routines

Most of us head into the holidays with some unease.  We wonder if we will be able to make it through without packing on weight.  We vow to say no to drinks, desserts and all the stuff that comes along with the holiday season.

Thanksgiving has come and gone.  I hosted as always, but tried to keep it simple and healthy.  I didn’t over indulge in food, but I did on drinks and preturkey warm up foods. Normally this type of breach opens the floodgates and I’m off wildly making my way to New Years and new weight gains.

This year I’ve decided to keep it simple.  Looking to my daily routines and ensuring I stay on track with healthy routines should help me get there without extra baggage.  This week I kept up with my daily routines regardless of the holiday.  It didn’t take long and was worth the efforts.  I drank my morning detox drink and did my scheduled workouts.  How easy it would’ve been to skip it all and blame the holiday.  Not this year.

Every day is a new day.  It matters not what happened the day before. We can’t change the past ever.  It’s over and done.  Looking forward is our best move.   Friday morning I woke stuffed and bloated.   I drank my detox drink even though I didn’t want to.   I ran one mile even though I felt like a stuffed turkey.   I drank tons of water to flush out the alcohol from Thursday.  Keep the daily routines and move forward.

Today I got up and felt achy, likely sugar overload from crappy eating. I did my long run as scheduled.  I was slower and definitely felt heavier.  I’m continuing to drink lots of water and eating healthier, but still have company so not totally healthy.

The point here is I’m trying hard to keep my daily healthy routines in place during the storm of the holidays.  I’m not throwing all these routines out simply because I’ve made some bad choices.  It doesn’t have to be an all or nothing mentality.  It also doesn’t have to mean giving up.  Keep plugging away at it and take it one day at a time.  Don’t give it all up because of one bad day.

If you want to change your outcome this year try something different.  Creating daily healthy routines will give you the power to come out ahead.

Temptations of Life

One of the best rewards I received from my running training was gaining a true knowledge of myself.  I now have a true handle on this body I have, what makes it tick and what “right” feels like.  Often times, we spend enormous amounts of energy wondering, “Is this normal?”, “Does this feel like it’s supposed to?”, “Am I injured or just sore from workouts?”.  Following my two serious injuries, I’ve gained a new perspective into what “normal” feels like.  I know when to hold them and when to push through.

Following the half marathon, I decided not to take off the coach recommended two weeks.  Instead, I took off two days.  Yeah, yeah, I know not too smart a decision.  Following those runs that week I felt pain in my left hip adductor (inside area of leg near groin) and hamstring.  I ran the rest of that week and it didn’t improve so I took two weeks off.  Then I started back up and still had the pain.  The good news is I knew it was muscular because I know this body so well.  I knew the pain was different from the bone pain I felt when I had the stress fracture in my other leg.  I also knew how to work through it.  I needed to slow down and go easy.  This morning on my long run I thought about how different this felt from the last two times of uncertainty over injury.  Stressing and googling and not truly knowing if what I was doing was the right thing to do.  I also thought a lot about the things in life that seem to block my path of reclaiming my health.

First blocker is my ego.  You all know that darn part of you, right?  Yup, the ego is the voice that tells you, “Suck it up bitch.”, or “Push through the pain, you are tough.”  Whenever I listen to that voice I end up in trouble.  The ego has gotten the better of me more times than I’d like to admit.  Like who thinks at 55 years old it’s ok to not take off the two weeks your coach recommended after running a tough course half marathon.  The ego gets in your way in life often too.  Like when you can’t admit you’re wrong, or think it’s your way or the highway.  Or, how about when you eat unhealthy but blame your nutritionist, or latest diet because you refuse to admit you didn’t truly follow the plans.

Sometimes we need to kick our ego to the curb!  This week I forced myself to do just that.  I knew I needed a break from the hills and the hard road surface I run on.  My body needed a break from the pounding to recover.  So, I forced myself to run on the treadmill (aka – dreadmill).  I found the running on their so much easier on my adductor and joints.  I also needed to not push off and run slow, something my ego doesn’t truly like.  But I did it and learned to enjoy the absence of pain.  Today I did my long run outside and felt like my leg is finally on the road to healing.  Secondly, I finally admitted to myself that I need to give up drinking red wine.  It just truly doesn’t agree with my body, though I LOVE it.  I haven’t been drinking wine during training and when I purchased a bottle last weekend, I immediately noticed I had pain in my joints and my body.  So, I finally said it out loud and admitted what I already had been told – I need to stop drinking red wine, it doesn’t agree with my body.

The second blocker I’ve encountered often are those false advertisements and promises of restoration of health through – pills, diets, books, shakes, coaches, tests, etc.  I usually fall prey to those ads and Facebook seems to know it because they pop up constantly on my feed.  Three day detox, supplements to solve life’s problems, you name it – it’s out there.  The latest I almost fell victim to – a DNA test to help a nutritionist tell me what kind of food I should be eating and what supplements I should be taking.  All for the low price of 800.  The fact that I even considered it blows my mind.  But, I’m very proud that I wrote back to my dear friend and said – “Thanks so much for thinking of me.  Truly sounds interesting, but I can’t justify spending that kind of money to chase the holy grail of health.”  Been there, done that.

Next up, a colleague came by my office recently.  She has never been particularly friendly before but suddenly was very willing to chat.  I soon realized, in a round about way she was trying to sell me something to make me healthier.  She found the answer to all my problems.  Ugh, here we go again.  This was a strong sales pitch for Isogenix!  These shakes and detox, according to her would cure me.  Hmm, been there, done that.  No shake or detox holds the answer to all of life’s problems.

I know what I have to do.  I have to eat healthy, organically and move my body.  I’ve read tons of information on this subject and it all boils down to your body is your temple.  What you put into it greatly affects what happens.  The rest is genetics, pure and simple.  While I do agree you can’t possibly get by without any supplementation, I am determined to get as close to it as I possibly can.  I want to heal my body with food, pure delicious, clean food.  I know what I should eat, as well as what I shouldn’t.  I don’t need a DNA test to tell me what is good for my body.  I can feel that now.  I can feel how my body feels after I eat certain foods and drink certain drinks.  I can feel it when I exercise and when I merely go through my day.  I am in control of my destiny and these people who want to make living out of my quest can just move along.

I hope we all can get to a place where this multimillion dollar diet industry can move along to somewhere else.  There are so many desperate people in the world that they prey upon.  Read, learn and trust yourself.  You know what you have to do so, “Just do it.”

 

 

 

 

Truth

Wanna know a truth?

Head down.
I focus on the very next step.
For there awaits everything I seek.

Head down.
I pay attention to the details.
For there are found the answers.

Head down.
I move forward.
For there all finish lines are attained.

Quietly.
I believe in my strength.
For it has never failed me.

Quietly.
I go about the work of growing.
For it is my actions not my words.

Quietly.
I speak my truths.
For even whispered I hear all I say.

Determined.
I am accepting of the difficult.
For I did not come here for easy.

Determined.
I am accepting of the path.
For I trust it to lead me home.

Determined.
I am accepting of the wall.
For I know it can be moved.

Unwavering.
I face the unknowns.
For I am greater than my fears.

Unwavering.
I pursue my dreams.
For I am worthy of them.

Unwavering.
I choose to love.
For I am simply following my heart.

Head down. Quiet. Determined. Unwavering.

These.
The choices I have made.
For how I shall live this life. ~G

#forbenjamin
by Tony Garcia

My online running friend writes and shares beautiful poetry.  He starts them all with a simple question – Wanna know a truth?  Tony’s words speak to so many of us and always touch something inside.   This poem really connected me to my experiences with trying to reclaim and maintain my health.

Most of you know my reasons for fighting this fight.  Many obstacles have presented along the way but I have, as Tony so eloquently writes, been unwavering and determined.  I’ve put my head down and focused on the next step.

Right now I’m resting my leg due to some pain.  Determined not to do damage I’ve dug in and forced myself to rest.  Unwavering in my quest to not eat unhealthy in response to stress, I’ve decided to do some detoxing.  No, I am not taking pills and drinking powdered food.  I’m doing a healthy detox, meaning simply I’m eating super clean, well except for that darn pizza last night –  Stacy’s fault.

Here’s my plan which, except for pizza temptation, is super easy and healthy.  Disclaimer here though, the pizza was preceded by a beautiful salad.   It was also fresh, clean and even had arugula on it.

Upon waking everyday, prior to breakfast, I drink a simple detox drink. Here’s the recipe:

Mix 4 oz coconut water with 4 oz of filtered spring water.  Add 2 tbsp of organic lemon juice and 2 tbsp organic Braggs apple cider vinegar. Add pinch of Cayenne pepper.  Stir and drink.  (Dr Axe)

Breakfast for me is a vegetable/fruit smoothie.  You know I need to sneak those veggies in somehow.  No powder required!

Sample of one –

3/4 cup coconut water and 1/4 spring water.  Add 3/4 cup frozen organic blueberries.  One raw organic egg.  Tbsp organic honey (Not required but oh so yummy). Handful organic spinach.  Blend in vitamix and drink.  Delicious!

Lunch is easy and many options.  Any combination of protein and vegetables or salad.  Keep it clean though.  I had these things for lunch this week.  Homemade vegetable soup on Monday, Tuesday – Thursday I had salads.  Clean organic romaine, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and a protein. Either grilled chicken or nuts.  My dressing was clean too.  Simple organic lemon juice with grape seed oil.  So refreshing.  There’s lots of other choices for healthier lunches.  Just be creative, while avoiding cold cuts, mayonnaise laden foods and fast foods.

Mid afternoon, I have a second detox drink.   Same as morning  version. Nice energy boost without coffee.

Dinner is protein and veggies also.  Organic grass fed meat, chicken, turkey burger or wild caught fish.  And of course last night’s delicious salad and pizza with friends.  My favorite dinner this week was the chicken tacos.  So clean and wrapped in romaine lettuce not taco shell.  The recipe for this is so simple.

Marinate organic chicken overnight in organic lime juice, cayenne pepper and chili powder.  You just need a tbsp or so of each spice, but I added a touch more as I like it spicy.   Just put it all in a ziplock bag.   Next day grill chicken.  Shred with fork.   Place chicken, raw organic cheddar cheese and guacamole on romaine lettuce boat.  Delicious and simple.

All my meals were homemade, simple, delicious and healthy.  Dinners took no more than 30 minutes from cooking to eating.  The only planning ahead required was shopping, menu planning and marinating overnight of chicken for the tacos.    It doesn’t have to be hard!  We just have to be unwavering and determined.  We have to know we are worth it.

Tony runs for his marine son and Benjamin.  I run and fight this fight for my health.  I do this for my daughter, my mom, my grandmother and all those who suffer from Alzheimer’s.  Nobody should lose the memories of their beautiful life.  Nobody should look at their husband of over 50 years without recognition.  No daughter should have to visit a mother who has no idea who they are.  This heartbreak will hopefully end in my lifetime. But, for now I will put my head down and focus just on my next step.

*The simple detox I discuss is based on that of Dr Axe.  His website has tons of information on how to live healthier lives.

Next Steps

In education when we finish a unit of study we assess our students to plan next steps.  These summative assessments give us a window to the effectiveness of our instruction and our students response to it.   I’m considering my twenty week training plan comparable to a unit of study.  My race was the summative assessment and now it’s time to analyze the data and set forth plans for moving forward.

I haven’t run since Wednesday because I’ve had some soreness in my hip adductor and hamstring.   I did come out of the race with sore quads.  This is completely normal but I pushed to run.  That’s when the pain started.  Having learned my lesson about respecting my body I’m forcing myself to rest.   My coach had wanted me to take off at least one week anyway so I’m listening.   It’s really hard for me because I feel like I need my run to destress from life and my job.    I’ve decided to turn this time off into what we call a “buffer” week at my school.  Time to plan.

First, my nutrition needs to be looked at again.   What made me stay on task during these twenty weeks was menu planning for the week.  During menu planning I simultaneously made my shopping list.  Then I went online and ordered the food.  The system worked.   No planning equals failure and unbalanced eating.  Ive got to get back to that system.  It seems since my taper week I’ve been making poor choices because I’m unprepared for meals.   We all know how quickly this can spiral so back at it I must go.

Losing ten pounds would soften the impact on my joints and likely add some speed.   The menu planning will keep my eating clean, but I’ve got to get the pounds off.  I’m going to work with my doctor to do a natural detox cleanse.  No, I’m not talking about pills or shakes. No powder food for me.  I’m talking about eating specific detoxifying foods to allow my body to cleanse.   I’ve got the lists and will set up the plan for the next month.   Some food removals and swaps are in my future.  P.S. I will NOT give up my one cup of coffee a day.

Exercise helps me keep my sanity.   Research shows in just two short weeks without exercise you drastically lose fitness.   Two weeks is my recovery plan but that doesn’t mean no exercise.  Yeah I’d love to lay in bed in the wee hours of the morning sipping coffee, but that’s not in the cards.  I’ve been doing some strength work and yoga stretch.  It’s great to work some different muscles and perhaps I’ll feel more motivated about climbing out of bed in the dark knowing I don’t need to go outside.

Finally, I’ve got to adjust my food intake.  I have been running 30+ miles per week.  That’s a huge caloric  burn rate.  Taking time off significantly reduces that, so I’ve got to be realistic about my new intake need levels.  That’s why it’s a perfect time to detox.

As for running plans going forward, I’ve got a few more half marathons on my list.  I’d like to do a flatter course to see my time compared to my HILLY run!  I also am running the 2017 NYC Marathon.  I have my entry guaranteed and need to develop long term plans to improve my running to complete 26.2 miles.  I’d also like to do a Ragnar Relay run.  Miles of running with a group of friends sounds just like what my body and soul needs.   The only thing I’m not thrilled about is sleeping in cars or on the ground, but life was made to be lived.

Goals and planning equal success every time.   Now I need some accountability.   Sharing my plans publicly, but I also want my coach overseeing me.  Time to pick a new plan.  I’m thinking to do some speed and strength work with her over the winter.  HRT102 here I come.