So if any of you have looked outside lately I am sure you have noticed the RIDICULOUS snow that we are getting here in Michigan!! For those of you not in Michigan, trust me it is absolutely ridiculous. Here is a testament to Michigan weather being crazy and random, today we have (so far) close to 4-5 inches of snow, yesterday I ran outside for 3 miles! Nuts I know! As I drove through the blizzard today, I drove past where I ran yesterday and was like wow, I honestly cannot believe about 24 hours ago I was chugging along on that sidewalk, that is now covered in ice and snow and wintery white-ness.
Now I am not a snow lover. I know there are tons of people that love snow, look forward to the first snow of the year, but honestly I dont get why. 1, I hate being cold, I hate being cold so much that it is almost painful for me to be cold and no this is not an exaggeration! 2, who likes driving in the snow? Really? Its probably one of the most frustrating things about living in Michigan! (and other northern states/areas as well!) and 3, what this whole blog is all about! Running! Or lack there of when it is snowing outside! I mean I am all for conquering the elements, going out there and proving that you can tackle mother nature and show her whats up. That she wont keep you down! But I also am fortunate enough to have a treadmill. That actually just got a wonderful TV mounted right infront of it (Thanks Dad!!). And I have seasons 1-4 of The Office sooo....thats what I did while I ran my 4.5 miles today, watched almost 2 episodes of The Office! But not everyone is as lucky as I am.. So basically I am like the Grinch of snow. Even if it didn't snow on Christmas, doesn't really bother me.
So first of all, yes I ran outside yesterday! I must admit, I could barely compose myself when I realized it was 40F outside, in December, 2 weeks before Christmas, and I could run outside. I was beyond excited!! No treadmill, score! So I laced up my shoes, got on some ColdGear and went for it! I was so excited I kept thinking hey, I can probably run a good 4-6 miles, and I would be so happy if I did that outside in December! Woot! But alas, this was not the case...
Sure, things started out ok. I ran my first mile just fine, but then it started with my hamstrings. They just felt so...weak, and tired and like I was running through jello or something! Sure I had taken off 2 or 3 days of running, but I ran a good distance before that break, what was wrong with me? My legs were tired, I felt slow and sluggish, it just was one of those days. One of those horrible running days that just destroy your confidence in your running. I dont know about all of you, but if I have a bad run, it just totally bums me out. I start to feel like wow can I even run 2 miles? Is my endurance destroyed? Of course when I really think about it these are silly things to think of, but I cant help it. It really gets me down! So mile 2 came, and I literally felt like stopping. It was horrible I just felt like crap! And then it hit me...Subway..I had eaten Subway before my run! Oh no!
I know you are all thinking what? Subway? But Jared ran a marathon...well folks, Jared is a better man than me. At least when it comes to digesting Subway sandwiches. Not that I am knocking Subway in any way, Subway is an excellent fast food choice especially when compared to McDonalds, Taco Bell and all those other grease fatty places we all know. But I have horrible luck with Subway + Running in the same day. I waited 3 hours to run yesterday and it felt awful, one time I ate Subway around noon, ran at 530pm and still felt horrible when I ran! I am not totally blaming this on Subway, maybe my body is just weird, who knows! But I cannot have Subway as a pre-run food! My guess? Either the sodium content (although subway is low in fat and calories, depending on the sandwich, the sodium content is high in all choices!) or the fact that I just can't resist to Jalapenos and spicy peppers on my sandwich is what messes me up. Speaking of sodium content, this is definitely one little thing we should definitely watch out for, whether you are a runner or not! Too much sodium = Water retention because that sodium is dehydrating you, so be mindful of sodium, along with calories and fat and sugar and protein and fiber...lots to watch out for, but it all makes a huge difference in how you feel and how you perform in your runs!
So after my awful feeling run yesterday, as I said, I was kind of down in the dumps over it. I personally feel anxiety sometimes before I run. Whether it is because of a specific run that I felt bad with, or because I haven't ran in a few days and am afraid of not running far enough, I do get this anxiety somewhat often. I usually experience it less when my running is more consistent, but I still get it from time to time. I recently read about this on About.com and thought I might mention it here. Does anyone else feel this anxiety? You go out to run and feel like you can't even run 1 mile when you probably ran a 5 K less than a week ago? It happens more often than I thought as I saw many people comment on this topic on the article I read! People that had ran marathons getting anxiety over trying to run 5 or 6 miles, its weird... I hope I am not alone on this problem, so I am going to offer a few solutions to it:
1. Check it off as a bad day, and start with a clean slate. This is basically what I did today. I had a gross feeling yesterday while running, barely running 3 miles (maybe not even) slower than I have ran in awhile. But today, I woke up and decided to give it a try again. I completely let that memory leave my mind and just focused on my run today. I stretched nice and slow to make sure I was completely loose and ready to go, and hopped on the treadmill. Instead of setting a specific distance goal, I decided to take it 1 mile at a time and before I knew it, I was at 4.5 miles, at a steady pace, and burned almost 600 calories! Success! That run from yesterday is so far gone from my mind now, it is out there with the snow freezing its butt off.
2. Stick with a ritual. I know I have a specific ritual when I run, and I had a specific ritual before all of my volleyball games. What can I say, it just makes me feel better. I know it is probably 95% mental but that makes all the difference in how you approach the task at hand, and the confidence you carry with you through it. Example, before all of my volleyball games, I refused to untie my shoes before I put them on. I had to slip them on already tied, and had to do specific stretches in specific orders. And I swear to you that when I untied my shoes I played worse! Same thing before I run, I slip on my shoes, stretch my muscles in the same order every single time, for the same exact count of seconds every single time, and I always start my run (when with an iPod) with the same song and then let iPod shuffle take it from there. Maybe I sound OCD right now, maybe I actually am OCD, not the first time I have been told that or thought of that, but what can I say, it works for me. Starting my run out with the same song each time tells me "ok, its mile one. Take it nice and slow, before you know it when this song ends, you will be half way through mile one and nice and warmed up". Try to get a pre-run ritual, with the way you stretch (Please always stretch btw!), music you listen to, anything! It can really help ease your mind and leave you feeling more confident and relaxed before your run.
3. Reflect back. This works for me sometimes as well, I feel like I can't make it. I feel like an extra mile is just asking too much and then I think of all of the harder things I have done in life. I think about when I had a torn ACL, and all I could do was look outside. I couldn't even walk, I literally had to learn to walk again, and I did! And I played 2 more years of competitive volleyball and have ran several 10Ks and 8Ks since then. If I can recover from that, I can do anything! That rehab was probably the most painful thing I have ever experienced...and I am scared to go out and try and run a few miles?? Really?? Come on now. I am sure you all have been faced with physically demanding and mentally demanding challenges (or both!) if you can conquer some of these things, then don't try and freak out over a longer distance run. You are an amazing person that has accomplished a lot, just relax and go out for that run!
I know I have been posting a lot about inspiration to get out and run, and this is sort of like that but a little different. This isn't based on being too lazy to run, or not wanting to run, this is for the people who want to go out and run (which hopefully is most of you!) but is afraid they can't do it. That they can only make it a fraction of the distance they want to accomplish. Basically, I am trying to cover another challenging topic of running!
As for the food of the day, this time I am taking it in the beverage isle.....Green Tea!!!
If you know me, you know I adore green tea. Maybe it is my Japanese roots, who knows, but Green Tea is pretty much perfect in my mind. Though green tea is excellent for anyone that wants to give it a try, it is especially wonderful for runners and endurance athletes! First of all, Green Tea is loaded with antioxidants, which kill free radicals, which make our entire bodies extremely happy, healthier, and better looking ;) Green Tea is also known to increase metabolism...now this does not mean it can help you burn off tons of calories, actually it only really can help you burn about an extra 50-60 calories a day, but still that is good for the body! And finally, there is recent evidence and research saying that the EGCG in Green Tea can actually possibly improve endurance performance, increase some fat burning, and possibly reduce muscle damage while performing endurance sports (Running!). And since Green Tea can help spark your metabolism, it makes sense that it could help with fat burning and endurance.
So how to enjoy this delicious Green Tea? I personally just drink it plain jane with hot water and 2 good tea bags mmm but according to my Mom "Not everyone enjoys the taste of grass" So here are a few ideas...
Green tea and a little bit of honey is delicious, also it tastes great with Lemon. Be weary of bottles green tea beverages, as the benefits of green tea (when in contact with liquids) generally can only last for about 3-4 days, so more than likely you are not getting the same benefits from those bottled drinks. Also, milk + green tea = lots of health benefits not happenin from that green tea! So if you need milk with your tea, use soy milk not animal milk :)
I prefer loose tea leaves, as they contain the most abundant amounts of antioxidants and health benefits. Like most foods and beverages in life, the less it is processed, the better (trust me). That powdery green tea you get in most grocery store tea bags is OK and a lot better than the already bottled beverages, but you are probably only getting 1/2 of the health benefits green tea has to offer!
So get some green tea! Stay warm, and try to get running anywhere you can!
And if you love snow, enjoy and if you are like me, then lets pray it goes away!
Peace out! :)
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