Yoga Pants Life

You guys, it’s May 1st. MAY. How did we get to May???!!!! Wasn’t I just chugging champagne on New Years Day? I used to HATE it when my dad would tell me how fast life went as an adult. When you’re a kid everything just drags by so slowly. It takes for-ev-er for Christmas and summer vacation to hit. Months pass by at the speed of…um…whatever slow is, as opposed to lightening speed (of course, my father died when I was 18, so I’d give ANYTHING to hear any of his lectures/life philosophies again. ANYTHING. Oh and to tell him that he was, indeed, right. sigh) I wish time would slow down a little, if for no other reason other than the fact that I don’t want to get older.

I start official training for the Chicago Marathon tomorrow. Granted, May is still mostly a pre-training month and won’t look much different than what I’ve been doing, but my grace period is definitely over. Too tired after work? Tough. I can no longer rationalize skipping runs. I’m in ‘suck it up, buttercup’ mode from now until October 9th. Of course, there will be rest days and days where life happens and I can’t run, but that has to be the exception and not the rule. I’ve been skipping extra-windy days because allergies and whatnot, but I’m going to have to run on the treadmill on those days from here out.

I’m determined to get in the best shape possible for the marathon. This could be my last one and I want to finish strong and be proud of my time. There’s no way it’s going to happen unless I put the work in.

So, how did my last pre-training month shape up?

Nutrition and hydration: I feel like I can give myself a ‘gold star’ on the hydration front. I didn’t realize how lazy I had become about drinking water. I know some people hate water (WHAT??!!) I’m not one of those people. I rarely drink soda or juice, so water is my go-to beverage (aside from coffee, beer and wine.) I used to drink 2-3 liters of water per day, but for whatever reason, I’ve been drinking less and less the past few years.

I started to notice that I felt thirsty a lot, especially on runs, and my body wasn’t functioning as well as it could be (I’ll spare the details.) I really made an effort to get back to drinking 2-4 liters per day and it’s made a huge difference. I can see it in my skin and just generally feel it. The few days I drank less than 2 liters, I was very dehydrated and crabby and there’s just no reason to feel that way.

I’m also working on getting in my fruit and veggies. A few years ago getting in my 5 servings was easy-peasy. I’m not sure what happened, but I kind of stopped eating them as much, which is weird because I truly love veggies. I’m getting a lot better about it, but I’m still eating a ton of empty carbs and processed, albeit organic, junk food. I have ZERO desire to go on any kind of diet, much less a low-carb diet (if I’m running and lifting, I NEED carbs) but there’s room for a ton of improvement.

Weight: Sigh…I’m still up a solid 20 pounds from this time last year. It sucks. However, I haven’t stepped on a scale in a few weeks (even then, I had to because I was at the doctor. Also? Bless their hearts for not mentioning the fact that I gained 10 pounds from my last visit six months ago.) and I feel like I look and feel a bit smaller. I don’t look as bloated and I don’t know how to describe it, but I don’t feel as jiggly…I’m no longer uncomfortable laying on my side (seriously, too much weight and my hips are touching parts of my body they shouldn’t be touching.) My pants seem to be fitting better, so I think things are moving in the right direction.

I’m trying not to stress too much about my weight and appearance, but I haven’t been too kind to myself lately. It’s getting better now that I’ve been more consistent with running and working out, but I need to stop with the self-hate. I would never, EVER judge anyone’s appearance/weight the way I judge my own. I remember in high school when friends would be all “I’m a cow!” and they were way smaller than I was (I would consider myself to be ‘normal’ weight-wise in HS.) I know they didn’t mean to, but they made me feel horrible about myself. I really need to remember that negative comments about my own weight and appearance affect others and I would NEVER want to hurt anyone.

Running: Hallelujah! I think I’m finally getting back in shape! I’ve been consistently running three to four days per week. Sometimes doing speed work on the treadmill and sometimes doing trail runs. I feel like I finally have a routine going. Of course, I need to start adding a lot more mileage (I’d say I’m at 15 miles per week) and incorporating longer runs, but it feels so good to get back to a regular routine. Some runs are awful, but for the most part I feel like I’m getting stronger and faster, so that’s awesome. Not every run will be amazing, but as long as I stick with it, I should be ready for Chicago in October

I’ve also been trying to cross-train more. To that end, I’ve added in strength training and…it pains me to say it…yoga. Yes, me the anti-yoga ‘yoga stresses me out’ person is doing some gentle yoga and stretching several times before week. I usually do it before bed as a way to calm myself and get a good night of sleep. It’s still not my favorite thing, but it’s necessary.

So, I think that sums up my April. I started off the month feeling very ‘blah’ about things and I’m doing better now. I’m hoping I have more to say in May (look at me, all rhyming and stuff) especially since I’ll be in official training mode. I also want to write more about finances, but I’m struggling about what to include and what to keep my trap shut about. I feel awesome about retirement, but short-term savings is a struggle. I also had a reality check this week and I know I’ll need another car in the next year or so. I need to remind myself that each purchase I make is setting me back. Anyway, hopefully there will be more to come on that.

Happy May, y’all!