mental notes.

So there are many things running (haha) through my head.

- I am now addicted to reading running blogs. Reading about other people’s experiences, the tools they use, recommendations, even down to music lists – they are all very inspirational. One in particular that I cannot get enough of is the No Meat Athlete blog. Being a veggo myself, I feel a lot of the information written pertains to my situation.

- The more reading and research I do, a few key concepts keep coming up…

o Speed training. I’ve been putting in the mileage but if I’m being honest with myself, I haven’t been putting in the hard work – the sweat, the tears… the aches and pains. I run – slowly more often than not. I realize I need to start stepping up the workouts – incorporating more hills, more speed work, more stretching and cross training. I am going to do more hills and start incorporating Yasso 800s into my weekly workout (this will replace a run).

o Diet. I have noticed that my appetite has soared but am probably not eating enough of the right foods to have sustained energy levels. Upon a recent trip into GNC, I was lectured about the importance of fish oil, multivitamins and protein powder for recovery. I didn’t purchase anything because I want to do more research on the matter, but after reading numerous blogs, I am realizing what I put into my body within certain time frames of exercising is crucially important.

 Pre-Run… I hate eating anything before I run. My run last night (though a really terrific run), was uncomfortable due to something sloshing around in my stomach. That said, perhaps if I am eating the right things, I’d have more energy throughout my run.

 During-Run… As of yet, I haven’t taken anything (even water) during a run. To start getting used to carrying something as well as routinely eating something every 6 miles or so would be beneficial. For this weekend run, I’ll take a shot blok with me to see how it reacts to my stomach.

 Post-Run. The recovery. Typically I treat myself to an egg breakfast; however, within the first 15-40 minutes, I should take a liquid protein / carb drink to help supply my body with the nutrients it needs (otherwise my muscles steal from other parts of my body).

Yesterday’s run was fantastic. I set out with a mind to do 4 miles with a few hills. I ended up incorporating hill sprints into my run and overall ran 5 miles – at what felt like a strong pace (I didn’t actually time myself). After two days off, my legs were thanking me. This weekend’s run is down a few miles – so I’ll aim for between 9-10 miles. I also scheduled a massage for later that day simply because I think I need to work a few knots out.

Bring the pain.