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August 2006
8/31/06
Forging Ahead and No More Sangria?
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Thursday, August 31, 2006
Well I predicted Tuesday would end with me not running, planted on my sofa, and so it did. But I was determined to make up for my laziness by waking up bright and early Wednesday for a morning run. Um, yeah, that didn’t happen. (See previous post on waning motivation.) But I did manage to bang out a 4-mile run later that day. It was chilly and rainy, so this was a treadmill run at the gym. Boring. Regardless, I’ve decided one treadmill run is absolutely necessary every week from here on out to give my body a break from pounding the pavement.
Anyway, I ran another 4-miler on Thursday -- barely. But all day long I kept thinking about how much I didn’t want to run. Honestly, the amount of time I spend thinking up excuses and dreading it is greater than the time actually spent running. What a waste of energy. And I don’t get it at all, given that the shorter runs are easier than ever. I guess I’m just in a rut of some sort and am really hoping this passes soon.
In the midst of my dreading and complaining I remembered a study I once read that said that people who exercise most consistently don't engage in self-talk to pep themselves up for it. It turns out that the more you engage an internal dialogue about working out, the more likely you are to talk yourself out of working out. Interesting, no? But I absolutely get it. It's a slippery slope. You start telling yourself, you can do it, and the next thing you know, it's you can do it -- tomorrow. So I've decided to shut off the pre-run pep talk. From now on, automatic pilot. I'm going to start thinking of my runs as dates I can't break, locked in. And that's how I managed to run today when all signs seemed to be pointing to my changing this blog to "see jen sit on her sofa."
Today's run was so low energy. I’m not sure what happened. I don’t think it’s entirely due to boredom. I bet it was partly diet related. Maybe the sangria from the night before left me dehydrated? Maybe skipping breakfast today, and pretty much every day really, wasn’t smart? Definitely, the peanut butter granola bar I ate in the afternoon along with a cup of decaf coffee were not good pre-run choices. The decaf didn’t give me a boost at all and the granola bar felt like lead in my stomach.
I don’t care what anyone says about the importance of the pre-run snack, I really have trouble eating and drinking within 2-3 hours of running. Maybe I just haven’t found the right food or drink, but even water seemsto sit there and cause me to cramp up when I run. All that is to say, on top of mission “find some motivation,” I really need to take some time to pay attention to my diet and come up with an actual plan. Drinking alcohol clearly affects my running negatively. And while I’ve decided not to drink the night before a long run, I’m wondering if I should cut it out altogether. And breakfast? Yes, no, I don’t know? Pre-run snacks? Post-run recovery foods? It’s all so confusing. Increase protein or does more protein make you sluggish? Help!
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Forging Ahead and No More Sangria?
Anyway, I ran another 4-miler on Thursday -- barely. But all day long I kept thinking about how much I didn’t want to run. Honestly, the amount of time I spend thinking up excuses and dreading it is greater than the time actually spent running. What a waste of energy. And I don’t get it at all, given that the shorter runs are easier than ever. I guess I’m just in a rut of some sort and am really hoping this passes soon.
In the midst of my dreading and complaining I remembered a study I once read that said that people who exercise most consistently don't engage in self-talk to pep themselves up for it. It turns out that the more you engage an internal dialogue about working out, the more likely you are to talk yourself out of working out. Interesting, no? But I absolutely get it. It's a slippery slope. You start telling yourself, you can do it, and the next thing you know, it's you can do it -- tomorrow. So I've decided to shut off the pre-run pep talk. From now on, automatic pilot. I'm going to start thinking of my runs as dates I can't break, locked in. And that's how I managed to run today when all signs seemed to be pointing to my changing this blog to "see jen sit on her sofa."
Today's run was so low energy. I’m not sure what happened. I don’t think it’s entirely due to boredom. I bet it was partly diet related. Maybe the sangria from the night before left me dehydrated? Maybe skipping breakfast today, and pretty much every day really, wasn’t smart? Definitely, the peanut butter granola bar I ate in the afternoon along with a cup of decaf coffee were not good pre-run choices. The decaf didn’t give me a boost at all and the granola bar felt like lead in my stomach.
I don’t care what anyone says about the importance of the pre-run snack, I really have trouble eating and drinking within 2-3 hours of running. Maybe I just haven’t found the right food or drink, but even water seemsto sit there and cause me to cramp up when I run. All that is to say, on top of mission “find some motivation,” I really need to take some time to pay attention to my diet and come up with an actual plan. Drinking alcohol clearly affects my running negatively. And while I’ve decided not to drink the night before a long run, I’m wondering if I should cut it out altogether. And breakfast? Yes, no, I don’t know? Pre-run snacks? Post-run recovery foods? It’s all so confusing. Increase protein or does more protein make you sluggish? Help!
seejenrun06 at 11:30:00 PM EDT Blog about this entry |
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This entry has 3 comments: (Add your own)
-
To jen + all runners:
I have been running for many years. I did NYC 5 times between 89 and 93. My best time was 3 hours and fourty two minutes. Last year, i had surgery on my right knee and am not sure about my running future; I am working out slowly and carefully in Prospect Park and Shore Road (Brooklyn)and will trek to coney for the beach + boardwalk...Jen...you can do it. the first requirement is to envision it in your mind. I urge you to do 15 minutes of meditation every day-imagining yourself getting that medal after finishing the race...listen to inspirational music like Gonna Fly now and The Attack from the Rocky movies...or Living in America by james brown...if you are patriotic, I find that God Bless America and the Marine and Army songs help to psyche me up...There is nothing like jogging throught he woods pof a beautiful meadow while listening to some great music..
If ypou really want to add power to your run, start thinking about Jesus + spirituality...also, exercise for at least one hour 5 or 6 days per week; don't worry about sped work...ou can do some "Interval" training as described by Dr hans Selye of Finland...but one thing I urge you also to do is c-some cross-training, especially swimming. During the year that I ran ny best race (time wise) I swam in the Ywca pool on lexington ave in the 50's. I didn't know they let men join but it ws a real treat to either lap swim, dog paddle, tread and do aerobic wi=orkouts in the water...Believe me, it helps your body relax, exercise alternate muscles and recuperate from repetitive banging on the ground. I hope you are running on soft surfaces also...If you want another workout buddy and can come came to Brooklyn, send me an e-mail. God bless+ keep the faith= you will succeed.
Jerry GJF3030@aol.com -
How cool - I am training for PHillie as well. It sounds like your training is going well so far. It is normal to lose motivation once in a while. A suggestion on the GU: try chocolate. It is a thicker consistency and tastes to me like frosting. That gooey texture (like the one you described) grosses me out. You can also try things like chopping up a protein/energy bar and eating small pieces during your long training runs. This is the time to experiment with what works. I will be following your progress.
9/4/06 5:27 PM