Happy New Year, everyone. Off to a good start with a no added sugar breakfast including fruit. Cleaned out the refrigerator so no holiday foods lurking. Early bedtime last night, good walk with the dogs today.
@jmnva06 , friends of mine just did that walk. It looked amazing. I am jealous. I think they did it in 13 days and loved every minute of it!
@colorado_mom, I like chia seed pudding from time to time, generally in the summer. Make sure you’re letting the seeds absorb some moisture before you consume them as they’ll expand in your stomach and can cause some GI distress (at least in my experience). Berries are a good option for fiber as is psyllium as a supplement - it’s a component of Metamucil but I know interesteddad used it regularly as a source of fiber.
My usual breakfast is 2 containers of Skyr yogurt — either Siggis or Trader Joe’s.
It’s about 30 grams of protein & easy.
I had the thought to increase fiber and a few months began adding 1/3 cup Bran Buds to my yogurt. It’s tasty & also easy.
However !!! I have had a gurgling GI tract with unpleasant gas. Yuck!
I’m going to eliminate the Bran Buds and see if it resolves.
If it does resolve, I’ll try adding a diced apple or thawed frozen berries to my yogurt & see how that goes.
I do eat quite a few potatoes that have been cooked, cooled, and reheated (this increases the amount of resistant starch) — and this is supposed to be good food for the microbes in our colons, which in turn help maintain the mucosal layer and also make byproducts our bodies use.
Resistant starch was really a “thing” a few years ago on some of the health blogs I had been reading.
Happy Dry January everyone! Think of me around 9 pm tonight when my brain says it’s time to crack open an IPA! Oh boy!
I like the idea of companionship and accountability to help keep one motivated.
It gets kinda lonely training by myself in my basement! On the other hand, one reason I actually manage to do it is the ease re: accessibility & timing.
Thru Instagram I discovered a women’s group strength training class — online — for beginners & intermediate. The price was good ($75 per month) to have coaches review your lifts (video), help with programming, plus group support.
The dealbreaker was it’s a FB group. I’m not on FB and I’m just not ready to join …yet.
The hiking club is having it’s annual NYDay hike followed by a tailgate in the Chicagoland cold. I’m sorry to be missing it. It just didn’t work out with the dog & needing a walker if I went.
The sun is out this morning and I’m so grateful to see a blue sky.
Met up with the big running group for the Resolution Run. I did 5.3 miles- mainly by myself because I’m older and slower, but at least I could see people, and did have some company for the first 1.5 miles. People did different distances. It was chilly, but not terrible. That’s done for today. We still have some holiday food lurking in the kitchen. I’ve enjoyed my Christmas patterned Brooks running shoes, and will try to get a few more runs in with them before shelving them until next holiday. Happy New Year!
Ran a very slow 5K this morning, but ran it with my running friends and we all wore tiaras. Had fun and the weather was perfect. Sometimes it’s not about the pace, it’s who you are running with…
I eat fruits and veggies for fiber and try to eat five different kinds daily. I can snack on baby carrots and those little oranges and try to have one or two green veggies for dinner, like a salad or cooked broccoli. Running is also super effective at getting things moving.
I’ve had my Apple watch for about 15 months now and I find it to be a great motivator and much better than my previous FitBits in terms of the metrics and technology. I also run with a Garmin GPS watch (along with the Apple). The Apple watch helps me get up off of my butt every hour and the exercise and movement rings need to be closed by the end of the day. We’ve discussed this over the years, but sitting can really be my downfall. It can undo all the good work I do running! Plus- my posture really can fall apart and put stress on my hips and back.
Quick run report, as I am sure no one will rest until I check in.
First run in months. I remember the first time I ‘ran’ about 12 years ago. I live in a city-block kind of neighborhood and I recall sucking wind pretty badly simply getting to the end of the block. For the first several weeks I had to walk/run/walk up and down the streets and it probably took me a month be able to run down an entire long block without walking.
I was assuming I would need to do that today, but I did not. I ran (slowly, for sure) the whole three miles and I’m pretty sure none of the drivers going by me considered calling EMS. Well, maybe one or two.
And, thankfully, no Achille’s pain. Let’s see how I feel in the morning, but I want to take this slow to avoid injury and will take tomorrow off, running again on Friday.
Not at all as bad as I expected. Certainly significantly easier than my first run 12 years ago. Relieved and I feel pretty good!
As a late in life runner (started at 53) I would like to say IMO there is no shame in running with walk breaks when needed. I actually have found that if I do a Galloway combo (like 4 minute run, 1 minute walk) my running pace will actually be faster.
And controlled breathing is worth it’s weight in gold for a successful run.
@abasket. I have actually taken some walking breaks during some of my half marathons, and I do think the practice helped my time. While I am training, though, having to walk is a psychological defeat. Perhaps irrational, but if I can run 3 miles, without walking, I can convince myself I am reasonably fit. But in more recent years of participating in races I have come to appreciate the strategic value of walking, for sure.
Good job @cypresspat I will add that walking in training (especially longer runs) can be very beneficial. Once you KNOW you can run 3 miles (or whatever) without stopping, it is fine to walk hills or take walking intervals to keep your HR in the right training zone. But I actually have had drivers offer me a ride during my walking breaks.
Someone mentioned Couch to 5K upthread didn’t they? Seems like I have met so many people (IRL and online) who rave about the app & say how helpful it was in getting them started & ramped up re: running.
I signed up for a 30-day Challenge at my yoga studio. Thirty days of yoga, meditation, and following the Whole30 food plan. The Whole30 is a food plan (not a diet) where you eliminate sugar, flour, grains, and dairy. The focus is on non-processed foods—basically meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, and a limited number of fruits. Plus no alcohol. I did it last January and felt great. I am not a person who craves sweets, unless they are in front of me. I do better eliminating things completely rather than trying to have a moderate amount. Challenge starts tomorrow!
My goal for 2020 is to do weight training on a regular basis. I need to start working out on my own because there are times I don’t have access to a trainer.
I ran a 5’er today. Debating now between watching the Rose Bowl or doing some core work in my backyard gym or the gym-gym.
@Midwest67 although I train by myself, the gym-gym does offer a Cheers-like (Sam and Diane version) environment that makes it more enjoyable than the backyard.
@colorado_mom I buy wheat germ, hemp seeds, chia seeds and flax seeds and combine them into a mix which I then add to my oatmeal or the Paleo hot cereal I posted about up thread. That’s typically my mid-morning snack. My breakfast is usually a scramble of ground turkey, egg whites, spinach, mushrooms, zucchini, onion and various peppers (green, red, yellow, etc.).
Raising hand as a C25K graduate - highly recommend and highly recommend doing it at your own pace - meaning for me, I took longer than the 9 week (?) plan. If I didn’t feel I completed a day to my satisfaction (like maybe I completed it, but I felt crappy about the run and how I did it), I took the liberty to repeat some day workouts.
Like @abasket, - I am also a late in life runner (started at age 54, 3 years ago). Initially I followed the couch-2-5k advise , ha didn’t realize there was an app. I did rely on an interval timer on my cellphone (can’t remember the free app name). Initially I just did 30 sec walk / 30 sec run … gradually increasing the interval. Oh, also I did a weekly walk/run community class at my neighborhood lake trail. I’ve been running 5k about twice a week, less if very hot or very cold. My time is slow compared to younger folk (who kindly pass this old lady with Good Job praise)… but who cares? I’m “off the couch” and listening to a variety of interesting podcasts. I do track each run via MapMyRun app, with pace updates every 0.1 K.
Thanks all for the fiber suggestions. Actually I have no digestive complaints (ha, yet). My quest for more fiber is because I consulted with a dietitian (for pre diabetes concerns, A1C 5.7)… and one of her recommendations was increased fiber. Per further research online, I think the 35 gram/day recommendation was high for me (female, 120 lb). But I am going to aim for 25 gram (the more standard recommendation). That would be an increase from my logged 3-month average (18g, a bit better than US average of 15).
