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Half Marathon Training: Week 1 Recap

Hi, friends! I hope your Monday was full of warmth and sunshine – unlike mine. To make matters worse, our office was colder than usual today. Brrrrrr… Currently, my hands are ice cold because I refuse to turn on the heat. What can I say!? I’m stubborn!

So I want to take y’all on my half marathon journey with me. I plan on doing weekly recaps to talk about what I did and more importantly the lessons I learned along the way. It’ll be fun…I PROMISE!

Week 1 looked a little something like this…

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Strength workout with Jillian Michaels	3 mile run (3.45 total)	REST	3 mile run (3.7 total)	Strength workout with Jillian Michaels	REST	5 mile run (5.75 total)

If you remember from my original training plan, I only allocated myself one rest day. But because of my work event on Wednesday and not being at home on Saturday, I ended up with two rest days. At first I was kind of upset, but I realized that it was probably a good thing, especially with this being my first week. And let me tell you, my body definitely feels it. Even before I started training, I worked out regularly – power walks, runs, elliptical, DVDs, strength training, etc. But now I am really pushing myself to train hard and stay consistent, which means I am getting out of my comfort zone.

The other key lesson learned from this first week is that training is truly mind over matter. I can’t tell you how much my body didn’t want to run, especially at 5 AM. It would tell me to press the snooze button and let it have just 5 more minutes of sleep. But I didn’t listen to that annoying voice in my head. Instead, I threw off the covers and got my butt to the gym. It took a mile or so for me to really get past the “my legs feel like lead” phase, but after I got into my groove, I pounded out and conquered my runs. Woot! AND my knee didn’t bother me at all – not even once. That deserves a BIG WOOT!

Running vs. Jogging

Do y’all differentiate between a jog and a run? Do you call yourself a jogger versus a runner? Vishnu and I got into a somewhat heated discussion last night about how I am technically a jogger but call myself a runner (his view). His point was that it’s all in how you do it – your method. Runners take longer strides and obviously go faster. Joggers on the hand are slower and don’t extend their legs out completely. If that’s the case, then yes, I am a jogger, but I’m still going to call myself a runner (sorry, babe!).

Our little debate got me curious, so I did my own research on the matter. According to a Fit Sugar article I found, if it takes you 9 minutes to complete a mile, you are running, otherwise you are jogging. Again, in that case, I am a jogger (or a really slow runner Winking smile ). But really, keeping a 10 minute/mile pace is no easy feat. Whatever! Running vs. jogging…it really makes no difference to me. I do what I can, and I’m pretty darn proud of myself!

Do you distinguish between running and jogging? Does it matter to you how you are technically classified?

All this running talk brought back memories from my first half marathon. It was so fun. I ran the entire thing with my friend Purvi (the one who just got engaged)!!

We’re diagonally behind (to the left) the lady in red on the right (if that makes any sense).

Yay! We’re done!!!

Me chowing down on a fantastic Turkey Day feast my mom made

The Power of Walking

written by Parita 17 Comments

Hi, friends! I have a question for you. How many of you are walkers? And when I say walker, I mean someone who choses to walk for exercise purposes, even if it’s just once a week. The reason I ask is because I feel like many people dismiss the power of walking. I never really hear anyone talk/blog about how they exercise by walking – it’s always running, spinning, etc. I think we (and yes, I am including myself because my preferred form of cardio is running) tend to forget that walking is actually great for the body and mind. I know my parents would agree (they go walking for at least 45 minutes 5 times a week). In fact, I walked for an hour this evening, and it felt great!

I know what a lot of you reading this are thinking. “Parita, walking is great and all, but I want to burn calories, get my heart rate up, sweat, etc.” I get that, trust me, I do. I love super sweaty, heart-pumping workouts too, but hear me out. All I’m trying to say is that walking is a completely acceptable form of exercise…even if a secondary or backup choice.

Look at what all walking can accomplish for you…

Walking can raise your metabolism for up to 12 hours after just two miles.
Walking improves circulation of blood and other key body fluids, which in turn improves your immune system.
Walking massages your internal organs (think constipation). Because walking engages so many different muscles your respiratory demands increase, which keeps your internal organs mobile and healthy.
Walking lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol and raises HDL (good) cholesterol.
Walking can lower blood pressure.
Walking can reduce your risk of or help you manage type 2 diabetes.
Walking is easier on your joints than running.
Walking just a couple of miles a day improves mental clarity and emotional and spiritual well-being.
Walking is FREE!!!! No expensive gym memberships needed!

And these are just a few benefits of walking…the list really could go on forever. Smile

And just like any other exercise, walking requires proper form and technique…

Source

I’m not giving up running any time soon (especially with half marathon training starting tomorrow…eek!), but I’ll definitely think twice before I dismiss the power of walking!

Are you a walker? Do you see the benefit in walking?

Have a great night!

Terrible Triglycerides

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A little over a week ago I did a guest post for Stefanie over at The New Healthy. I chose the topic “Knowing Your Numbers” because I feel that sometimes we focus too much on what we look like on the outside, how our clothes fit, etc. and not enough on what is happening to us on the inside. The topic is also very personal for me as many of my family members have diabetes, high blood pressure, and/or high cholesterol. I know that my chances of being diagnosed with one of these diseases is likely, but instead of just accepting that, I choose to educate myself on what these diseases are, what the numbers mean, and what prevention looks like. I want y’all to do the same!!! Let’s keep the ball in our court for as long as possible!

I got my usual WebMD email at work this week, and as I was perusing through it, an article titled “Lifestyle Changes Reduce Triglycerides” caught my eye. See, one of the numbers I focused on for my guest post was triglycerides, hence my interest.

Triglycerides are a type of blood fat associated with heart and blood vessel problems and other diseases. By making lifestyle changes and eating healthier diets, people can lower their high triglyceride levels significantly. Appropriate changes could reduce triglycerides by 20% to 50%, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).

For individuals outside the normal range, scientists recommend limiting:

Added sugar to less than 5% to 10% of total calories consumed
Fructose, from processed foods and naturally occurring foods, to less than 50-100 grams per day
Saturated fat to less than 7% of total calories
Trans fat to less than 1% of total calories
Alcohol, especially if triglyceride levels are higher than 500 milligrams per deciliter

Researchers also recommend limiting sugar-sweetened beverages to less than 36 ounces per week. They also say that people with high triglyceride levels should eat more vegetables, fruits (cantaloupe, grapefruit, strawberries, bananas, peaches), high-fiber whole grain, and omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish.

Eating right is only part of the equation. The AHA also states that people with triglycerides levels in the 150-199 milligrams per deciliter range should incorporate physical activities into their normal routine (i.e., brisk walking for at least 150 minutes per week). This may help to reduce triglyceride levels by 20% to 30%.

In my guest post, I stated that the optimal number should be 150 or less. However, the AHA is stating that the new optimal level for triglycerides is 100 milligrams per deciliter.

If you’re reading this post and thinking, “There is no way my triglyceride level is high,” think again! About 31% of Americans adults have triglyceride levels of 150 milligrams per deciliter or higher. And the affected age group is young adults between 20 and 49. So, even if it isn’t you, it may be someone you love…spread the word!

I’m not a doctor or a medical professional, but I know from watching numerous family members suffer from not being educated about their numbers that this is important stuff.

If you take nothing else away from this post or even my guest post, please remember this, visit your doctor for regular checkups, get your blood work done, and ask questions to ensure that you are healthy from both the inside out as well as the outside in!

Source: WebMD Medical News; Lifestyle Changes Reduce Triglyceride Levels

Let the Training Begin

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Don’t you love it when someone randomly thinks of you? That happened to me today. My cousin thought of me after seeing this quote – “The way to know life is to love many things” –Vincent Van Gogh. Her email telling me so really made my day! Love you, Bijalben!

So, I’m not sure if you remember or not, but my sister and I are running a half marathon together in August. Smile I just put together my training plan and wanted to share. Please feel free to give me some feedback if you see something you don’t agree with. We don’t start training until next week, so there’s plenty of time to make changes.

S&S – stretch and strengthen; CT – cross train

When I trained for my first half marathon, I followed a similar plan, but this time around I’m doing things a bit differently and am encouraging my sister to do the same.

The first time around I didn’t do any strength training/yoga or cross training. I think it’s important to set aside days for this and this alone. Specifically for me, I think S&S will help alleviate (hopefully prevent) some of the knee pain I had when I trained the first time around. And let’s face it, I like muscles!
Something I am a bit ashamed to admit is that I never, until recently, had proper running shoes that supported MY feet. I started running over six years ago in an effort to lose weight, and since then, I’ve been wearing your run of the mill “running shoes.” I always assumed that if they felt springy when you put them on, you were good to go. I assumed wrong. I got fitted for shoes last October, and what a difference that has made for me. I even made my sister go get fitted a couple of weeks ago. The shoe thing alone makes me feel more confident this time around.
My weight lose journey actually began my junior year of college, but my true healthy living journey only began a year or so ago. I know for a fact that the first time I trained I didn’t fuel my body properly. I would eat a granola bar and drink a small glass of milk before a long run ( 5 miles and above)…eek! I now realize that in order to maximize performance you have to try to incorporate a good mix of proteins, healthy fats, and carbs into your meals. I know I ate enough the first time around (for the most part), but I could have done better in the quality department. And I’m only human, so there will be days of imperfect eating this time around, but at least I’m going in with a plan.
Hydration is something I try to work on in general, but I think that it’s even more important when you’re putting your body through 12 weeks of something it’s not used to. I never paid much attention to the amount of water I consumed on a daily basis, but it’s something that’s now important to me so I try to be more cognizant of it, especially now. My goal is to drink at least six glasses a day. Wish me luck!

So there you have it – my 12 week training plan and must dos. Please share any thoughts you may have. There are so many seasoned runners out there that have done lots of different races, and I’d love to hear from all of you!

Thanks, y’all! Have a great night!

Obsession, Passion, and Lust

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Hello hello! Today’s post has to do with obsession, passion, and lust, but before I go there, I want to share some serious and important information…

I got an email from my mom today with the subject line, “Ladies, let’s ask for this – please share.” I had no clue what this email was about, but I’m glad she shared it with me. The email was sent to my mom from a coworker who is a fan of The Dr. Oz Show. She wants to spread the word about something she heard on the show – potential causes of thyroid cancer. This was news to me, but thyroid cancer is one of the fastest growing cancers in women. Dr. Oz mentioned that this increase may possibly be related to dental x-rays and mammograms. He showed the viewers an example of the dental apron that everyone has to wear when getting x-rays taken. He then pointed out a little flap that can be lifted out and wrapped around the neck. Most dentists/dental hygenists don’t bother using it, which is a shame. But the next time you are getting your dental x-rays taken, please be sure the find this flap and use it! Also, there is something called a thyroid guard that can be used during mammograms. My mom’s coworker just recently went and got a mammogram, and she asked the technician for a thyroid guard. And sure enough, there it was lying in a drawer. When my mom’s co-worker asked why it wasn’t routinely used, the technician said, “I don’t know. You have to ask for it.” That makes no sense to me, but if/when you get mammograms, please ask for this small “tool/device” that could possibly save your life.

And please pass this tidbit of information on to your family and friends…thanks!

***********

Now, on to the obsession, passion, and lust….with Taco Bell that is! What did you think I was talking about?! I’ve only shared my love for TB once before on this blog, and that’s because I am slowing but surely phasing it out of my life. I honestly haven’t had it in five or six months.

Something you should know is that my family and most of my Indian friends share my love for TB. We Indians love this “restaurant!” In fact, I don’t think I’ve met an Indian that doesn’t like TB. Growing up, Taco Bell was a weekly indulgence for us, and mexican pizzas and tostadas were our go to menu items. So, as you know, I’m all for moderation and balance, but there was a time when I would eat it at least twice a week. In fact, I partially blame my 17 pound weight gain in undergrad on my unhealthy obsession and the late night trips my friends and I would make to get our Taco Bell fix. When I think back on how much I used to eat it, I am…well, disgusted!

I still get cravings for TB, but I just can’t go back to eating it so frequently. What I can do is recreate some of my favorite menu items at home, and that is exactly what I did tonight! Here you have my very own “healthified” mexican pizza…

“Healthified” Mexican Pizza
Yields 1 pizza

2 whole wheat tortillas crisped using this method
half a cup of vegetarian refried beans
2-3 tablespoons of water
garlic powder
chili powder
1/2 a cup picante sauce or salsa
1/4 cup of goat cheese
Your choice of toppings: avocado, tomato, onion, spinach, olives, etc.

Loosen up the beans by adding water and then microwave on high for about 45 seconds. Add a couple of dashes of garlic and chili powder to the bean mixture and mix well. Blend salsa in a food processor or small blender until smooth. Spread one tortilla with bean mixture and blended salsa. Place second tortilla on top and spread with remaining salsa . Sprinkle goat cheese on the pizza and microwave for 45 seconds. Top the pizza with your choice of toppings. Today I opted for sweet onions, avocado, tomatoes, and sour cream.

This really is as simple and easy as it sounds, people!!! AND it was incredibly fresh, delicious, and filling! My mexican pizza puts Taco Bell’s to shame, or at least that’s what I think!

What’s your favorite fast food? Do you ever try to recreate healthy versions of it at home?

Half Marathon Training: Week 1 Recap

The Power of Walking

Terrible Triglycerides

Let the Training Begin

Obsession, Passion, and Lust

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