Final rest day

Sunday today, picking up my aunt tonight at 10pm from the airport. Having a rest day today from running, might do some yoga later but still have some house cleaning to do before tonight.

Food:
Woke - 11am
11.45 - Had eggs benedict, yum (poached eggs, ham, spinach, on homemade wheat seeded bread and hollandaise sauce **made with olive oil instead of butter), 2 cups of coffee
3pm - 1 babybel cheese round
5.45pm - bowl of leftover veg soup (same as from yesterday) and 1 piece of wheat seeded bread w/butter
9pm - 1 apple, 1 babybel cheese round and 2 cups of coffee

Exercise:
5pm - 30min walk with dog

Wow, I really got up late today, not really setting myself up for "leave by 7am" plan tomorrow, but I'm sticking to it nonetheless. Didn't do yoga today. I'm going to bed early tonight so that should help.

It's really amazing how writing down everything I eat has made me rethink it. I'm seeing now that my diet has a lot of fat and carbs, and is probably not focused enough on fruit and veg. I'm not too far off though. I'm not overweight though and never have been so it's not something I've seen the need to change. Also I drink too much coffee. I knew that already though. I make coffee at night too, have for a long time, I know it's bad but it's one of those things that I intellectually know is bad but I have no desire to change it because I love it so much and don't experience any ill effects. Maybe when my training really gets going I'll realize that it needs to be changed. We'll see.  Going to bed now at 12.30, will update tomorrow with details about my first "real" training session.

Gettin pumped for Monday

Feeling back to 100% today. Did a "short run" on the treadmill. (see http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/marathon-training-schedule.html  for details on types of runs and my full 6-month marathon training plan)

I am realizing that my waking/sleeping schedule and times of day when I eat are going to need to change if I am really going to stick with this plan. My aunt is coming to visit tomorrow night (the night before my official training begins) and it would be more than easy to just let everything slide while company is here. Not to mention we are taking a holiday to Scotland in May, then more visitors in June, etc etc, and the excuses are bound to pile up. The only way I will be able to really stick with my training is if I get up early enough to have it all done before everyone wakes and wants to socialize. Our treadmill is in the living room and can get pretty loud. Our whole family uses the treadmill, even the dog. What's that? You want proof?

What a good boy... and the dog too

This is why I've planned out my 2-mile run routes for outside the house when she's here. Luckily she's only here during my first week of training so I won't need to be away for more than an hour or so.


I'm kinda freaked about jogging outside the house because of the intensity of the Caribbean heat. It is killer if you're not used to it. And I'm not. Probably never will be. Before 8am it's not so bad, so I'm aiming to leave the house by 7am on Monday. I see people here doing it all the time, and at all hours, I usually call them freaks in my head, but Monday morning I will become one of them.

Resistance is futile.

Food:
Woke-9am - Had 1 and a half pieces of homemade wheat seeded bread
1pm - 2 cups coffee, 1 bowl of Total greek yogurt, granola, stewed blueberries and a tiny bit of honey, 1 apple
4pm - 1 large raw carrot
7.30pm - 1 bowl vegetable stew (leftover from yesterday) contains squash, sweet potatoes, pearl barley, celery, loads of mixed pulses (split peas, lentils, brown rice), fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, rosemary, marjoram) with 1 chicken breast and part thigh, 1 piece of homemade wheat seeded bread with butter
3 pints water throughout day
10.45pm - cup of earl grey tea

Exercise:
10am - Did "short run" - 2 miles on treadmill and 228 calories burned,
11am - did "post-run" yoga - http://youtu.be/2Hf_u0AGdEA
4.30pm - 40 min brisk walk with dog

Migraine setback yesterday, back on track today

I was completely out of commission yesterday. Felt like crap to say the least. Full-blown migraine, puking, blah blah blah. Totally miserable. (this happens to me about every 1 - 2 months here) My poor dog didn't even get his walk, it was all I could do to feed him. So here's my stats for yesterday:

Exercise: Walking from the couch to the toilet to puke

Food:
9.30am - 1 bowl Total greek yogurt, granola, blueberries and honey
12pm - ate half a pint of blueberries, but threw them all up (gross)
3pm - tried to have more toast, threw that up too.
4pm - 11pm - slept, was in agony, etc. Couldn't even think about food.
Throughout the day - maybe 1 glass of water that didn't get thrown up.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

But, today's a new day! I still have a slight headache and feel a little fragile, but here's hoping it will be gone by mid-day and I can do some yoga.

Woke: 9am

Food:
Breakfast - 2 pieces of pumpernickel toast, 1 golden delicious apple, 1 cup coffee
Lunch - Tuna sandwich on pumpernickel bread w/ chopped pickle and lettuce, few sips of ginger ale, glass of water
Dinner - Homemade vegetable soup, with carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, pearl barley, celery, loads of mixed pulses (split peas, lentils, brown rice), fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, rosemary, marjoram) with a couple slices of homemade whole wheat bread and butter

Exercise:
45 mins of yoga at 6.30pm
**Did this yoga class today on youtube
- it's a great one
and 30 min walk with doggy

My dog, Ditmars, left and his little friend Chip

Recap: I felt a lot better by the evening today, so did some yoga and made a SHITLOAD of vegetable soup today. Seriously, it's so much. I hope my husband and others can help me finish it. It will make for some healthy eatin' for the next week at least.

T -5 Days til Official Marathon Training

Found this article on what marathon runners should be eating: http://therunningbug.co.uk/training/food-and-weight-loss/b/weblog/archive/2012/01/17/marathon-training-daily-meal-planner.aspx#

I woke up at 9am this morning and went on a huge shopping trip, picked up plenty of fruit and veg and some other healthy stuff mentioned in that article above.

Grocery shopping in Barbados can be a bit of a challenge at times if you aren't from here, as they don't always have exactly what you want, or if they do it's not always at affordable prices, as everything has to get shipped in to the island. Like I tried to find "spelt" today... no dice. So, I've resigned to the fact that I won't be able to follow any marathon running diet plan I find online exactly to the letter, but I will do my very best.

And it's no excuse for not eating healthy here - there is plenty of good, healthy, fresh, local produce available if one is willing to try new things, experiment, substitute.


DAILY STATS:


Exercise:
2pm - did a short run, 2mile jog on treadmill 235 calories (according to the treadmill screen)
And did this post-run yoga on youtube (was a really great video, felt like my sore legs were getting a massage):
http://youtu.be/2Hf_u0AGdEA
4.30pm - 1 hour leisurely walk with dog
--------------
Food:

Woke: 9am
Had 1 piece of brown toast, 2 cups of coffee

12.45pm - late breakfast/lunch, 2 fried eggs, whole wheat toast, baked beans, 3 pieces bacon, mushrooms

1 glass oj

9pm - made popcorn on the stove with salt, butter and Parmesan, and a ginger ale

throughout the day - 3 pints of water
** I ate like total shit today! I am going to do better for the rest of the week, I just couldn't be bothered to cook anything today as I had a migraine (I'm sure all the popcorn and fried breakfast didn't help either, but when I feel bad, like most people, I just want to eat comfort food)

Side note: Went to Bathsheba this weekend, the rough east coast of Barbados, was gorgeous. I feel so lucky to be living in a place like this.

INTRO, GOALS AND MOTIVATION:

My goal is to run a full 26.2 mile marathon on September 29th, 2013 at Loch Ness in Scotland.
http://www.lochnessmarathon.com/

I AM BASING MY 6-MONTH TRAINING PLAN ON THIS LINK, which will officially start for me on April 1st, 2013 (scroll to the bottom to get the program):
http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/marathon-training-schedule.html

My motivation to run a marathon is based on these factors:

-I need more energy. My husband and I are opening a business at the end of this year and I need to be in peak physical condition - I want to train like an athlete.

-I need to get through the next six months. Under my husband's contract, I am not allowed to work here in Barbados. This has been very difficult to say the least and now that we are on the home stretch, I am getting very itchy to start working again and need something to focus on daily.

-Let's not beat around the bush - I want to look good. I am not overweight by any stretch, but I would love to have a runner's lean body and strength and just feel great about myself when I look in the mirror.

-To gain confidence. I'm a pretty secure person, but a major character flaw I've recently recognized in myself is that I have trouble completing things. I'll be all gung-ho about something for the first stages, then lose interest or move on to something else without following through. Another flaw I have is being terrified of rejection. I tried stand up comedy for the first time last year and it went well, but it took me way too long (almost seven years) to build up the confidence to get to that stage. I think completing a marathon will help me realize I can complete anything I set my mind to, and also to not worry so much what others think.

I am writing this blog for myself, to keep myself motivated and on track and if I go the whole six months without any comments or views that's fine with me! If I can gain any contacts or help anyone else get inspired, it will be an added bonus.

I will keep track on this blog of everything I eat and drink as well as my daily exercise. 

STATS AND INFO:

I am 27 years old, female, about 127 pounds, 5'4". I am a pretty active and healthy person. At the moment I do yoga almost every day and run about 2 miles on the treadmill three times a week. I am currently living in hot, humid, and sunny Barbados where my husband is finishing up his 2-year contract at the end of this year.
---------------

Breakfast: Total greek yogurt, granola and blueberries with honey, 1 cup of coffee

Lunch: Sandwich on whole wheat bread with salami, cheddar cheese, lettuce, mayo and pickled beets, 1 glass of oj

7pm made a pot of coffee, had 2 and a half cups

Dinner: Tuna fish sandwich on white bread with lettuce, and a ginger ale.
Throughout: 3 pints of water
---------------
Exercise: 45 minutes of yoga
---------

Recap: Today is really representative of the way I typically eat and exercise. I am going on a huge shopping trip tomorrow to try and plan some healthier meals and hopefully be on a very balanced runner's diet within the next month.