Hope everyone’s Sundays are off to a smashing start. As you read this, I’m either running the Race to Deliver 4M, or I’ve already finished and qualified for the NYC Marathon in 2016 by finishing the 9+1 program! I’ll check back in tomorrow with a recap of all that, but for now, let’s take a look at my weekly workouts and weekend updates.
This week, I ran 5 days, including three short weekday morning runs, a long-ish Saturday outing, and of course today’s race. I was feeling a little pull in my upper hamstring on my right leg, so I decided not to go to November Project on Wednesday morning because I knew doing a bunch of burpees and lunges would only aggravate it. Also, I really wanted the extra half hour of sleep I could get if I just did a quick run on my own. I talked about this a little when I laid out my new running routine, but I’m planning to try and go 2-3 Wednesdays a month and not every week. Hopefully that ends up working for me.
Monday: 5 miles easy running
Tuesday: Rest day
Wednesday: 4.5 miles (1.5 warmup, 1.5 intervals, 1.5 back home)
Thursday: 4.5 miles (1.5 warmup, 1.5 intervals, 1.5 back home)
Friday: Rest day
Saturday:
Sunday: Race to Deliver 4M
In between, I tried to foam roll and stretch more than usual, even if it meant getting up and out the door (and therefore back again) five minutes earlier so I’d have time. I’ve also started trying to make my own interval training for the weeks I don’t go to NP, and my way of doing it is to run the 1.5 miles from my apartment to the Central Park Reservoir, then do a lap and a half of “intervals” where I run hard at 80-90% effort for 100 beats, then slow to a jog for 100 beats, and repeat, after which I jog the 1.5 miles home. This is entirely unscientific and just a way of getting my body used to interval training little by little, taking baby steps into previously uncharted territory.
Other than running, this week was pretty good. I had plans to see the final Hunger Games movie with one of my good friends yesterday. Afterwards, a stroll in the park was in order before the sun went down. I had just been there running in the morning but I love how the park is so different depending on the area and time of day. It already seems like its own world within the bustling city, and then you discover lots of little worlds within it.
Work was a bit slower than last week, giving me more time to cook. I whipped up a batch of Michele’s cassava flour banana bread and it turned out wonderfully, making this gluten free and now other grain-limited girl very happy. Of course, then I got some work on Saturday that I had to do, but at least I had something delicious to snack on!
Great grain free recipes are on my mind these days, as I have noticed that cutting down on both grains and dairy helps, if not gets rid of, my lingering stomach issues. Actually, after reading Amanda’s post about trying to snack less and eat more satisfying meals, and about different inflammatory foods, I’m seriously considering doing an about-face for myself and embarking on a Paleo-style eating plan for awhile. I’ve cut way back on grains and dairy for the past two months, but I would eliminate them completely as well as added sugars. I’m still going to bake treats that don’t include these ingredients, like my Paleo Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. A girl can only go so far.
It’ll be hard around the holidays, especially since lots of sweet people in my life try to buy me regular gluten free treats that use rice flour and dairy and such, but it’s my health at stake and it’s been tough. I would start the week after Thanksgiving. At which I fully intend to serve up my Pumpkin Apple Spice Loaf and Pumpkin Poufflé, since I can make those grain and dairy free. I’d start tomorrow but I’m the kind of person who likes to use up food and not let it go to waste and I have a few Greek yogurts and a dusting of oats lying around (I’ve already ordered quinoa flakes to try using in place of oats as a good grain free substitute). And then, putting food aside (which I have a hard time doing!), I’m really looking forward to Thanksgiving with my family, and am so happy to only have two days at work before heading home.
How were your workouts this week?
Are you looking forward to Thanksgiving?
Ever tried an elimination or anti-inflammatory way of eating?
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renaissancerunnergirl 
Glad you liked the banana bread! Hope your hamstring is okay for the race today. I’m actually doing the reverse of you and loosening up for the holiday with some just-gf treats. Since I normally eat totally grain and dairy free I figure I can handle it for a day! I do truly believe in an anti-inflammatory way of eating – I’ve been my healthiest since discovering it.
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I’m actually planning to start the Monday after Thanksgiving, just because I know I want to do the same thing 🙂
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My workouts were on the low key side this week because I ended up getting sick. But I’m getting back into the routine tomorrow!
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Good for you!
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When I feel like my diet needs a reboot, I add things rather than take them away. Like I start eating more fruit and veggies and it crowds out the other stuff. It’s not as hard as it sounds I swear lol 🙂
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Unfortunately for me, it’s more of a trial and error elimination for health issues (supervised by a doctor) – but that sounds great for you! I actually eat too much fruit so need to cut back on it 🙂
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that banana bread looks delicious! After the holidays I have a feeling I’m going to be trying an elimination diet (and probably having to give up at least gluten) due to life-long eczema that’s only getting worse, so I’m soaking in all the commentary on different tasty recipes!
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i’m the same way with intervals. warm up. hard as i can for ~1 minute/ xx paces, recover for ~1.5 minutes, about 12-20 minutes. nothing scientific, but it helped when i did it consistantly!
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