Turning Things Around

I've posted enough gloom and doom posts lately, so this time I'm happy to report some good news. Thanks for hanging in with me through the training crash. I started my own health revolution on June 1st. As of June 7th, I have exercised every day and have eaten raw almost 100% except for a few cheats (I discovered Nutella - big mistake!).

 Completing a bike workout on the trainer

In the past seven days, I have worked out on my bike, completed two barefoot beach runs, and done the Insanity workouts nightly. My sore muscles are going away and I'm beginning to feel the energy from my workouts and diet turning my health around. The best news is that my husband, who is on break from medical school, is doing the Insanity workouts with me. We have always struggled with finding motivation to work out together. I like to run, bike, and swim. He really never enjoyed doing those things with me. But, he loves Insanity. I believe as his base strength and endurance grows, he may learn to enjoy my other passions as he will have the energy for them. Time will tell. For now, I'm just grateful to have someone not just encouraging me, but partnering with me in my goal to get back in racing shape.

 Stretching out after Insanity's Cardio Power session

The Insanity workouts are total cardio and core strength training workouts. I'm very impressed with the level of fitness they demand and the challenge they give me. I'm already seeing results in both myself and my husband. My sore muscles are dissipating, I can finally walk down stairs again without crying, and definition is showing up all over as the fat melts into muscle. I've already lost five pounds this week by just switching back to raw meals and exercising. It's always great to see results quickly, as you really feel the sacrifices you make are paying off.

I also have surrounded myself with virtual triathlon friends and have asked them to hold me accountable on Instagram. Each day, I post a picture of myself working out as proof that I completed my workout. They have permission to call me out if I miss a day. Many have accepted the challenge for themselves as well, and I'm holding them accountable too. Just that small bit of accountability was all I needed.

 Insanity Cardio and Abs Session Leg Lifts

This week, I plan to do more of the same - daily Insanity workouts and a few bike and runs worked in as I add in two-a-days. I always start off too fast and get injured, so I'm determined not to have this happen this time. However, my body seems to be used to the daily punishment of Insanity, so it's time to give it a bit more. If you stop getting sore, you are no longer pushing hard enough. We are having company come in a few weeks, and I know I will slack a bit to have fun, so this week is the week to push. I don't plan to join the triathlon team until family has left and we can get into a more normal routine again. I want to show up lean, mean, and ready to get into serious training. It feels great to be back!

 Week 1:  5 pounds down and feeling great!

Struggling

Running barefoot on Grand Anse Beach, Grenada, West Indies

To say that this last month and a half has been a struggle is an understatement. Where do I begin? I really could go into all of the reasons why I have let my training slide.  I can tell myself, and you, all kinds of excuses. They would be good ones too.  The emotional roller coaster I've been riding - living life in uncertainty and limbo is now the norm instead of the exception. To literally not know my next steps in the coming months are taking their toll on someone who always had everything planned out to the letter. The psychological challenges are now married to the physical challenges of constant infections, fevers, and crazy reactions to swarms of biting sand flies.  For someone who doesn't take pills - being knocked out on anti-histamine medication and taking two more weeks worth of antibiotics after just coming off a week's round of them is certainly humbling. We live in a house with no AC, and the heat of the Caribbean summers are taking their toll on my motivation and body fluids. I'm not drinking enough, not eating correctly, and my workouts are tanking. My poor health perfectly reflects my choices these last few months. However, if it's a priority, you do it.  End of story.  It hasn't been a priority.  To be honest, not much has...

So where does this leave me?  The good thing about living is that today is always the first day of the rest of your life. I'm going to choose to turn things around.  Whether I have help or motivation from others, or whether the motivation just comes from within, I won't make excuses anymore.  I love being an athlete.  I am still an athlete - just not the one I was before.  But, muscles have just as much memory as my mind.  Training commences now, at 3 a.m. June 1st, 2012. 

My first goal is to start training alone.  Sadly, I'm so far out of shape, I can't bear to face my triathlon team yet. I was already the slowest one before my month-long crash. I have to get a few weeks of base training down and drop some weight first.  So, my goal is to do at least six workouts per week for the next two weeks, then re-evaluate where I am at this point to determine whether I can join my team again. They are training for the Miami 70.3 in October.  I really want to at least be ready to join them.  We may not be able to afford it, as it's looking like the trip, hotel, and flight may run close to $1000, but I at least want to be race ready should I find a cheaper route.  

I also am going back to raw vegan.  I don't know how long I will stay on it, but I keep trying to eat just vegan but just slide back into the carb and dairy realm again.  I have to accept that as long as I have a husband with a humming-bird metabolism who likes to eat things I can't and has little interest in exercise, I won't be able to even dip my toe in the water with him or I get sucked in.  I wish I could do this whole moderation thing of 80% raw and 20% cooked, but I can't seem to keep that balance.  Going raw and knowing that if I eat cooked I will get sick seems to be the only way I can achieve my racing weight and my optimum health.  I know that seems extreme, and I don't really know how to reconcile it.  I don't want to be someone who is rude when I eat with others and not eat what they eat.  Maybe on those social occasions I will eat cooked food and just deal with the sickness, but at least it won't be too often.  I don't want to be an elitist or extremist, but I can't seem to handle moderation.  When I get this figured out, I will get back to you!

So, on top of doing six workouts per week at a minimum, I will also go back to fruit smoothies in the morning, salad for lunch, and a veggie juice for dinner.  This is a limited-calorie weight loss plan, and I will certainly change it when my weight is back to where I want it.  This is also the cheapest way to eat raw here, as nuts are so expensive, making my nut-based recipes is pricy.  This will be a very bland diet for a bit, but needed.  My husband and I will just have to go our separate ways on diet, and I will have to steel my willpower to look all those amazing foods in the face and say "No!" 

I will try to keep this more updated so you can all follow my progress.  I really do want accountability, and this is the only way I know to have it.  So, get ready! It's time to bring it! No looking back!  And no stopping this time, no matter what my future holds!  If you want to join me in finding your inner athlete, let me know!  I love company!

Changing It Up

These last few weeks have been a struggle. I have been getting back to sporadic training with my triathlon team.  I manage to hit the running and swimming workouts, but since I do my bike workouts on my trainer due to the hazardous road conditions and my lack of insurance, I have been weak at keeping that up without team support. I went back to using some training apps (Runkeeper at crhanse and MapMyRun at Sarah_Hansen - feel free to friend) that I used to use to see if knowing that people would see my workouts would motivate me. I think it will. That, and confessing to you all that I've not been towing the line training wise. I hate having to type this.

I also put in my goal in both the apps and my mind to complete a full Ironman by June 2013. I should be back in the states by then and can zero in on a race closer to the date.  My team is doing the Miami 70.3 in October.  I would very much like to join them if I can get it together.

 Pool surrounded by jungle where we train

The reason my training has been sporadic is the pull of family.  You see, the team trains at 5:30 or 6 in the evening.  That's right when my husband gets out of his med school lab and wants to have dinner with me.  It's the one time of the day we get to spend together, since he's studying the rest of the evening and at the school from 8 to 5. On nights I train, he just stays up at the school (as we share a car) and eats dinner there. I had a heart-to-heart with him and he shared with me when I pressed him on what he really wanted that it would be nice to have me home to support him these last weeks before his exams.  Finals are a very stressful time for all med school students, and having a homemade meal with his wife was important to him. So, I've told my team I'm taking a break till after finals.

This also means I'm pulling out of the Olympic Triathlon I had planned to do next Sunday. It's the day before my husband's finals, and I feel the stress of the race would just be too much to add to an already stressful time. He wouldn't be able to come, and I would be gone most of the day instead of being there helping to quiz him on materials. It was a difficult decision, but one I feel was in the best interest of my marriage. I always want him to know he comes first.  There will be other races.

So, I'm now training solo in the mornings while Chris is at school. It's not as much fun without my team, and I have to work harder to make sure I'm pushing myself like I do when I have the pull of the group. But, I trained for a marathon basically alone, so I think I can handle two weeks without the team.

I've also gotten into the Insanity workouts.  They are great for building up core strength, which is something I'm very weak in. Another plus is my husband can do these workouts with me, so it's a great way to spend time together. I have never been pushed as hard during a workout tape as I have during this series, so I'm excited to see the positive changes in my endurance shortly.

I was also fortunate to be asked by fellow peers to speak at SGU on my raw vegan diet.  The talk went very well, with many people participating in the discussion.  I made raw vegan pizza, "cheesy" kale chips, and banana chocolate pie for everyone to try.  It was fun to share my journey and hear other people's opinions. 

I have also made another compromise and am no longer 100% raw vegan.  I'm still vegan, but now I'm eating healthy cooked-from-fresh meals.  My husband agreed to no longer buy the junk food that tempts me, and I agreed to eat cooked meals with him again.  I'm still trying to stay 80% raw, but having lentils, potatoes, and rice added back into my diet has been a nice change. We still stay away from all animal products, processed foods, and wheat, but again, I felt a compromise was needed.  Also, being 100% raw made it very hard to eat with other people, as cheating on even a little cooked food caused me to get very sick.  I didn't ever want to be that guest who shows up with their meals all made and refuses to eat the host's entrees. You don't get a lot of social dinner invitations that way. It's very tempting for me to be a purist when it comes to this stuff, but I realize compromise is needed here.

While I still believe 100% raw is the best thing for me, I don't think it is for my husband given his high metabolism and difficulty with weight gain.  I don't think he could consume enough calories here on the island with our limited selection. Since we want to eat meals together, this means adding cooked food into my diet is also essential.

So, those are my current changes to the plan and philosophy.  I promised I would be real, right? I'm certainly not above adjusting again, but for now, we will see how it goes. Well, my husband just woke up.  I'd better get to making our daily raw smoothies and start the day! Make it a great one, my friends!

Setbacks and Seeing Backs

I read a great quote: "Train hard so you can race easy."

While I didn't put in impressive workouts, I definitely felt training was hard. All last week, I felt pain in my stomach that I finally determined was a kidney infection. But, I let it go pretty far hoping the pain would go away and not seeking treatment until early this week. I don't have medical insurance, so I was hesitant to go and wanted to see if it would clear up on its own. I used to get UTIs all the time when I was unhealthy, but I haven't gotten one in over three years until now.  I'm not sure why I would suddenly get one out of the blue when I'm following such a healthy diet and including so much exercise, but I am dealing with some personal stress that may take my immunity down a notch or two.

I trained with everyone last week, but due to the pain and fever I was much slower than normal. What made it worse was that even though it felt like a tough week to me, it was actually an easy week as the group had their first sprint triathlon on Saturday.  I choose not to race on Saturdays as this is a day I keep holy for God. But, even if it had been on a Sunday, I certainly wasn't ready to race.

 Sprint Triathlon Set Up This Weekend

Even their easy running pace is now a 7:30 min mile.  I can hold that for about a mile or two, but I soon drop back and finish up my 6 mile run far behind. It's discouraging that I let my fitness go so long while they were training.  I feel like I will never be able to catch up.  I know I will eventually, but these are the times that test me the most... constantly being the slowest one. But, at least I'm not getting too comfortable with success.  That will never be my problem!

I never was gifted athletically with natural talent.  I had to work hard to achieve success when others could skip training and still smoke me. It made those fast runs in my peak form all the sweeter and addictive, but it was so hard to not wish for more genetic superiority.

Now, I've been forced to rest this week.  My body is telling me not to train and I'm listening.  Today was the first day I really felt like I could pass for a normal human being. I still woke up at 3 a.m. due to the discomfort and stayed up, but I'm certainly improving on the antibiotics.  I may try to do a light bike workout tomorrow on my trainer while Chris is at the school just to see how everything feels when I push things a bit.

I anticipate a light workout weekend.  It's my 10-year anniversary tomorrow, and while we may do some light hiking this weekend, I will probably elect to spend the weekend with my husband vs my triathlon team... as wonderful as they are!

Finding My Feet

Sorry about the lack of posting.  My husband had midterms so I didn't get the computer much.  However, I have been training faithfully, and I'm finally seeing improvement. 

I now realize my lack of endurance during runs isn't because I'm actually lacking endurance, but electrolytes and water.  Sadly, I wasn't drinking while running.  Hydration has always been an issue for me, and not carrying water and replacing electrolytes was putting me at risk for heat stroke or hyponatremia.

I researched raw sports drinks and found one on the internet that has worked well for me.  I use the juice of half a fresh lemon and half a fresh lime, water, teaspoon of salt, a tablespoon of coconut oil, three dates, and honey to taste.  I ran with it last Sunday for over 90 minutes in the heat and and ran strong while staying fueled, hydrated, and in my right mind.  This was a huge difference from the previous Sunday where I had to walk a few times, experienced headaches, goosebumps, and stopped sweating after barely an hour.  My team mates called my drink puddle water, as the dates and honey give it a brownish tint. They still think I'm strange in my raw pursuits and try to offer me regular sports drinks from time to time. But, the raw version of lemon lime Gatorade certainly did the job.

With the hydration issue solved, the workouts are getting easier.  I'm feeling more confident, though I'm still the slowest one on the 400-meter sprints.  But, this time I'm only slower by five seconds. Our last sprint session was done in a downpour for most of the workout.  We did two miles to warm up, then eight 400-meter sprints, then another mile cool down.  We also worked on drills to get better running form and did accelerations.  It was one of those workouts that make you feel hard core when you got done.  It also made my shoes stink, as they were completely soaked through running in the rain.  Small sacrifices.  

I've also been focusing more on core work and hitting the weight room.  Having a strong core helps you in everything - swimming, biking, and running.  I have some exercises I'm going through to strengthen this notoriously weak area for me.  

I've been very busy in the kitchen.  My husband has decided to go in most of the way with me on my raw diet.  I've made raw pizza, raw ragoons, raw chick-un salad, and garlic kale chips.  The dehydrator has been filling the house with smells like a Italian restaurant.  I love it!  I also made him a few cooked very healthy meals of kale, mushroom, and broccoli stir fry with brown rice, and baked spaghetti squash with a raw chive "cheese" sauce made from cashews.  If I do any cooked food, it's all from fresh ingredients I find at the market with no preservatives or processed junk. Unfortunately, the food was so good and got eaten so fast, I forgot to take pictures.  I will try to do better in the future.

My energy is still staying strong and my post-workout recovery is immediate following a night of good sleep.  So far, a predominately raw diet is working wonders for me.

Denting and Venting

Yesterday was pretty tough all around.  Sorry I didn't post, but I wasn't feeling very post worthy at the time.  I had a tough day at the station where I volunteer with the software not working to edit audio spots.  What was supposed to take me two hours took five.  I then rushed to pick up my husband, pick up something at the post office (which takes forever here in Grenada with customs), then run home.  I hadn't eaten since breakfast and I had a workout with the team in less than an hour.  This is never a good combo, as I tend to get nauseous when I exert myself too hard if I have recently eaten.  

Since I needed to get to practice, I wolfed down a small salad and raced out the door. I got there in my biking gear with my bike ready to go.  However, when I started to pull into a parking spot, the security guard stopped me.  He pointed to the guy I had been following who had passed the spot and who I thought was driving on.  Apparently, he was pulling forward only to slam his huge truck into reverse and go into the parking spot I was already halfway in.  I nodded and started to put my car in reverse to let him have the spot, but thought instead I would lay on my horn as he was coming back too fast for me to get out of the way in time.  Needless to say, he didn't hear me and slammed into my car, denting the left front door.  What followed was him apologizing, but failing to give me anything more than a phone number as he ran into work.  I'm sure he was late, but I needed insurance information and a promise to pay for damages to my car.  I called my husband and he told me to call the police.  I called and they sent a traffic cop over, who determined, despite the fabrications from the guy's friends who had "seen everything" that he was innocent and I had somehow pulled forward just in time for him to hit me, that he was at fault.  But, since traffic cops can't mitigate accidents in parking lots, it was all a big show anyway.  My tri team left on their bikes while I was sorting it out and I drove home with no workout, a dented car, and a slightly stiff neck.  Considering the last time I tried to ride with them I went down on a slick grate and was hurt pretty badly, I think I need to just give up biking on Grenadian streets and stick to my trainer at home. 

Next week midterms start for my husband, who is studying medicine at SGU.  I have decided to take a bit of a break and help him study.  I am going for a five-mile walk tomorrow with some friends up steep hills, and I will probably run around the neighborhood on Sunday in a longer run.  But, I'm going to skip swimming with my team today in the ocean in favor of helping him get ready for his tests next week.  I'm still debating whether I will join them for the longer run on Sunday morning.  I'm not sure I will be able to keep up. We will see if running here or running with them wins out.  

I did get busy in the kitchen today.  I made arugula "feta" pizza with spicy cashew kale chips.  Very yummy! It was the perfect Friday food! 

Dehydration Motivation

My dehydrator came in today. It's the first time I've owned one, though I've borrowed a friend's before to make some yummy creations. I was craving pizza, so the first thing I did was make pizza crust and get that going. Hopefully, but tomorrow or Friday it will be done and I can whip up the "feta" spinach sauce and add the toppings. I also have two different kale chips - one with cashew cheese sauce and one with just olive oil, garlic, and salt going. They should be ready by tomorrow. The house smells so good, just like an Italian restaurant!

This dehydrator was the final piece of the puzzle for me staying raw. The ability to make anything I want for variety will be very helpful in not feeling deprived when Chris eats cheesy greasy pizza in front of me. Maybe I can even get him to start liking my raw version better than the restaurant variety.

I also had a great workout with the team tonight at the pool. We worked on technique. I learned some new drills and tips to make me faster. We did drills, tempo work, and base swimming. We swam over a mile total. Swimming was always my strongest sport of the three, so I felt I kept up pretty well with everyone. Tomorrow we will be doing a brick workout with a bike and run combo. I'm a bit nervous as I hate biking on these streets, but I feel I need to train this one with the group. If I get home without wrecking I will count that a good day!