Food as Fuel: Part Deux

MizFit, pinkcowgirl, Andrew, and Elle — you guys are amazing commentators.  Thanks so much for all you said in my last post.  Folks like you make this blogging-for-health gig worth it!

So, a few things to follow-up from yesterday…

I am slowly realizing that Jeff Galloway is not the only supreme being of the running world.  I do like a lot of what he says, but I don’t think that some of it is meant for a lard-jogger akin to myself (yes, I really did just write ‘lard-jogger’). No doubt, he definitely seems to be more than adequate for highly competetive runners, but he might not be for me. Though, since I don’t live that far from Atlanta, maybe I can track him down one of these days and ask him some questions (unlikely, but a thought no less). I had heard of Hal Higdon before, but not of John Bingham (thanks for that, pinkcowgirl).  I’ll definitely have to read more of what they say.

MizFit probably hit the nail on the head with me when she said it is probably best to do what works for me in terms of ‘fueling-up’ or carbo-loading before a race or intense workout. Thinking over all of your comments, I have probably reached the point to where I would definitely want to improve the things I eat before the workout or race at hand, and as you all seemed to infer, perhaps eat in relation to the length of the race…that is, not that much for a 5k. Truly, though, you all gave invaluable insight, and for that I’m most appreciative. Thanks!

One thing I do need to work on, however, is fluids.  Since moving from a dry, hot Southwestern state to a humid, hot Southeastern state, I have realized that I sweat much more than I ever have in my life. I used to think I was good at replenishing my fluids…but I may have thought wrong. After yesterday’s jog, I drank my usual water and felt pretty good.  However, I went an played 18 holes of golf with a friend, and by the end of it, I was dying. Bad me. I need to learn my lesson.

On Andrew’s advice, I checked out the Garmin Forerunner 305 for my heart rate monitor. I love it. However, I’m going to have to save for it as my paltry graduate assistant salary would take a major hit. The great part about being a full-timer with my Ph.D. is that I can make time to exercise…the bad part is that it’s self-inflicted poverty.

Thanks again for your comments everyone. Kepp them coming when it’s convenient for you…they really do help!

Knowing your boundaries and not overdoing it…

This is very much an opinion, but I believe that most people who are energized and motivated to lose weight have an immense propensity to push themselves too hard. The end result is pain, frustration, discouragement, anger, disbelief, etc., etc. I’ve been there many times, and it’s not fun. That part is obvious, because I’m still fat.

I had lunch with my wife today and we were talking about the reasons so many people have such a hard time staying on a certain path. Let’s face it…we all have good intentions, but sometimes we fall flat on our face.

“I think it’s just like an addiction,” she said. “People have a hard time quitting things. You just have to keep going until you get it.” Being the biased husband that I am, I do think she’s right. There are people out there who think ‘will power’ is a fad, but let’s face it…we really do need to put our minds over matter and learn our limitations.

This morning was my first day of the Couch to 5k program, which resulted in about a 29 minute walk/jog. I can’t believe how much I enjoyed it. It felt great. I wanted more. But, just like I had to convince myself to actually get out of bed this morning to do the walk/jog, I, too, had to convince myself to stop. Moderation cannot be a bad thing with exercise, especially with people of my stature. So, instead, I went home and leisurely rode the stationary bike for a few minutes for a cool-down exercise. That made me feel even better. Tomorrow I’ll rest, and then Friday I’ll hit it again.

I like running. I might not be able to do it for a very long time at this point, but I like it. And believe it or not, I have actually participated in two 4.2 mile (about 6.8k) races in Tempe, AZ called “Pat’s Run,” in honor of the late Pat Tillman. I’ve enjoyed these races not only because we can honor Pat’s memory and his tremendous sacrifice, but also because they’ve motivated me to try and keep running. I didn’t have the most stellar times to post, but I did finish the race each time. And this time, I’m not going to fall by the wayside. I’m going to keep running. I have found two local 5k races: one in August (which is right around the time I’ll finish the Couch to 5k program) and one in November, and I hope to have more to work toward.

Am I slightly nervous that the entries will be sparse and that I might just come in dead last? Yeah, but too damn bad. I’m paying for it, I’ll finish it. And I’ll improve, but I need to follow the program, train in a way that won’t harm me, and simply not overdo it.

Tonight, I went and played basketball for a good hour-and-a-half, and I played hard. It was fun, I had all this great energy, and perhaps was subconsciously celebrating the start to a healthy me. But on the ride home, I got dizzy and nauseated…low and behold…I think I overdid it for the day.

Bad me. Lesson learned.

Chalk up goal #3: Finish the Couch to 5k program by August 16th and run a 5k on August 30th.