Recovery, Nutrition and Friday
Nothing too exciting to report here. I'm almost back to feeling 100%. However, last night I opted out of the SPEED workout and joined the runners on the trail for some easy running while they did their tempo workout and 400's. I managed to fit in about 6.5-7 miles in the sun.
I also had a good chat with our coach about what to do to try to prevent getting colds after strenuous workouts. I don't know about you, but after intense workouts (like last weekend) and 1/2 or full marathon races, I tend to get a decent cold in return for my efforts. I guess it's just my body's way of saying "sloooow down."
Coach mentioned a few key things important to a healthy recovery:
-Rest (Check! I get 8 hrs of sleep most eves.)
-Fueling within 30 min of exertion (Yep, I always make sure to get some carbs and protein in after a long workout or race even if I don't feel hungry bc I know the bod needs it.)
-Fueling again in two hours (Check!)
-Nutrition (Check!) *
*The nutrition area was the only one where while I feel confident I eat fairly healthy and balanced, she had me questioning my actions. Her doctor is currently putting her through a rigorous test to see if gluten, dairy, alcohol, sugar or meats are effecting her body's ability to recover. For a few days she eliminates one of the items and then tries to notice what effect it has on her body.
One surprising tidbit she mentioned during our chat was that as a professional runner, it's advised to stay away from soy products because they have estrogen, which female runners don't want (they want to have more testosterone to be able to compete at a high level). Crazy!
While I know I don't want to spend a ton of time analyzing everything I eat, I do want to think more about limiting my dairy to yogurt (hello live cultures!) and occasional cheese (because I love it). I also want to focus more on passing on meat or using alternative milks (almond/rice milk) for cereal and green monster smoothies.
Coach reports that after taking away the gluten, dairy, meat and sugar, her body is much happier. While running and her body's ability to operate at it's highest level is HER JOB, I appreciated hearing some strategies she's trying to see what happens. Have you tried eliminating some substances from your diet? Did you notice a change? Did you incorporate those items back in at some point or have you totally eliminated some foods?
Manfriend and I are going to a baseball game tonight in the sun after work. Tomorrow I plan on stealing him away for a little adventure north to some wineries and a little road trip action! After all, if you can't have a sunny vacation, why not get away just for a day? GOOD LUCK to all you first time marathoners out there...Heather!
I also had a good chat with our coach about what to do to try to prevent getting colds after strenuous workouts. I don't know about you, but after intense workouts (like last weekend) and 1/2 or full marathon races, I tend to get a decent cold in return for my efforts. I guess it's just my body's way of saying "sloooow down."
Coach mentioned a few key things important to a healthy recovery:
-Rest (Check! I get 8 hrs of sleep most eves.)
-Fueling within 30 min of exertion (Yep, I always make sure to get some carbs and protein in after a long workout or race even if I don't feel hungry bc I know the bod needs it.)
-Fueling again in two hours (Check!)
-Nutrition (Check!) *
*The nutrition area was the only one where while I feel confident I eat fairly healthy and balanced, she had me questioning my actions. Her doctor is currently putting her through a rigorous test to see if gluten, dairy, alcohol, sugar or meats are effecting her body's ability to recover. For a few days she eliminates one of the items and then tries to notice what effect it has on her body.
One surprising tidbit she mentioned during our chat was that as a professional runner, it's advised to stay away from soy products because they have estrogen, which female runners don't want (they want to have more testosterone to be able to compete at a high level). Crazy!
While I know I don't want to spend a ton of time analyzing everything I eat, I do want to think more about limiting my dairy to yogurt (hello live cultures!) and occasional cheese (because I love it). I also want to focus more on passing on meat or using alternative milks (almond/rice milk) for cereal and green monster smoothies.
Coach reports that after taking away the gluten, dairy, meat and sugar, her body is much happier. While running and her body's ability to operate at it's highest level is HER JOB, I appreciated hearing some strategies she's trying to see what happens. Have you tried eliminating some substances from your diet? Did you notice a change? Did you incorporate those items back in at some point or have you totally eliminated some foods?
Manfriend and I are going to a baseball game tonight in the sun after work. Tomorrow I plan on stealing him away for a little adventure north to some wineries and a little road trip action! After all, if you can't have a sunny vacation, why not get away just for a day? GOOD LUCK to all you first time marathoners out there...Heather!
Comments
On the nutrition note: I had never thought about the effect of soy products; I've recently (in the last year) cut out milk after realizing I really don't have a favorable reaction to it ;) Yogurt and cheeses I'm fine with - so I've tried Almond milk as of late and Really like it!
Enjoy your road trip winnery adventure! Sounds perfect :)
Have a lovely weekend, lady! XO