I’ve been trying to be aware of fueling my body. I reread the book The New Rules of Marathon and Half-Marathon Nutrition by Matt Fitzgerald, and this time I’m applying what I’ve learned. I’ve never in my life liked oatmeal, but I decided to give it a try for breakfast. I’ve read so many times that runners prepare overnight oats for the week so I found a recipe. I actually like it. The trick for me is adding a few chocolate chips to the oatmeal after it’s heated up. I’ve also been eating better lunches – not great lunches since they are mostly frozen meals, but better – with more carbs and protein. I’ve just felt so much better during workouts. I don’t think I was eating enough carbs throughout the day to fuel my body. I was focused on right before the workout and during the workout (still am focused on that too), but I wasn’t taking into consideration the fact that my daily eating habits affect my workouts too. It isn’t enough to only fuel during the run. I completed 9.75 miles yesterday and 6.3 miles today, and I could have done more both times.
I think the time of day makes a difference too. Most races are early in the morning, and I rarely run early in the morning. I’m not really preparing myself completely if I don’t mimic the conditions of race day. I went out in the morning the last two days and felt great. Thankfully I’m a teacher (Did I really just say that?), so I have all summer to train at any time of the day. I’m going to have to be more of a “weekend warrior” over the next couple of months because I’m coaching tennis.
I had a really frustrating half-marathon in February, so I really started analyzing everything to find out why it was so difficult. I think I am starting to figure it all out. I know that some days are just going to be harder than others, but I want to try my best to make each workout successful. I’m more concerned about how I feel during a workout than about my weight now. Do I want to lose weight? Yes. I think my running would improve immensely if I lost a few pounds; however, that is not my focus right now. If I feel better during workouts, I will be able to do more which will translate into weight loss I believe. I was so frustrated with the half-marathon in February that I decided I wasn’t going to be ready for my first full marathon in April. It was a tough decision, but I think it was the right one. I think my first full marathon should be in the Fall because I would rather train in the Summer and Fall than in the Winter. I’m really looking forward to warmer weather this Spring and Summer. (I wish it would stop raining already!)
So, here’s to fueling my body all day every day. It’s progress and I am moving FORWARD.
